148 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
May 
An Hour in tlie Siikmrbs of New-Haren. 
A short distance from New-Haven, off to the left of 
the village that nestles under that precipitous geologi¬ 
cal fragment known as “ West Rock,” lie some two 
hundred acres of land—as regards fertility, a little more 
promising than much of the sandy and stony soil that 
tries the patience and ingenuity of the farmers of that 
vicinity, and, as regards situation, embracing something 
of the picturesque in itself, and commanding a consi¬ 
derable and beautiful prospect of the outer world. 
From the porch of a modest old house standing near the 
road that passes directly through the place, the city 
spires in the distance are not quite shut out by the 
woody spires of the scattered trees between, and the 
guardian cliffs of the region range themselves on one 
side of the picture, the abruptness of their bold faces 
slightly softened in the perspective—thus, it may be, 
rendered more natural and appropriate to the quiet 
stretch of cultivated lands and the lazily winding 
streams of the plain in front. 
A passer-by on the last day of March, upon the 
road alluded to, however mild tho air and bright the 
sky, will be very likely to regret that it is not the first 
of June—when the foliage on the trees, and the green¬ 
ness of the sod, and the flowers in the border, and the 
climbers on the wall, and the water-jet in its little basin 
at the right, and the thatch above the well, and the 
brown or mossy bark on the rustic fence and gate, and 
the old boulders on the hill-side, and the growing crops 
in the fields, will be so many blending, contrasting or 
beautifying elements, ag the case may be—in the scene 
which a little imagination will perhaps enable him to 
fancy already a reality. As it is, however, he must be 
content with the promise which the beginning of spring 
affords, of what the end of it may bring; and, if he 
have a sufficiently cultivated agricultural taste, the 
very mamirial supplies that are furnished sogenerous- 
ly, to enrich and protect the flower-beds and shrub- 
roots, shall be to him an additional prognostic of the 
beauty that is to come. 
It is possible, however, that Farming does not con¬ 
sist merely in admiring a fine landscape on Nature’s 
own canvass, or in the tasteful disposition of a country 
homestead and its surroundings ! It may be well there¬ 
fore to inquire further before a notice of such matters 
is admitted on an Agricultural page, inasmuch as it is 
very difficult in the eyes of .many a tiller of the soil, 
to conceive of a combination of “ fancy farming,” (as 
anything beyond a square door-yard with prim white 
palings in front, is apt to be termed)—with practical, 
out-door, every-day success. So let us enter the gate 
and see for ourselves. 
— A week or two since we briefly referred to an Ag¬ 
ricultural address delivered by Donald G. Mitchell, 
Esq., at Bridgport last fall, and we are sure that all 
who heard or have read it, will agree with us in com¬ 
mending the advice it contains, as eminently sensible 
and practical. Toward its conclusion, the author sug¬ 
gests the importance of making the farmer’s home a 
place to be loved, and to be beautified by the simple 
means within the reach of all. In the preceding para¬ 
graphs we have seen Mr. Mitchell’s rendering of his 
own suggestions. The body of the address, however, 
was devoted to “a plain talk about our business of 
farming ” in Connecticut, and we also find that Mr. M.’s 
efforts are, and have been for the three years he has 
occupied his present estate, mainly devoted to its per¬ 
manent improvement in fertility and consequent pecu- 
niary returns. W e shall find him draining where the 
ground is too wet, and gathering the stones where they 
are too thick—above all, when we go with him to the 
barns, we shall find complete and convenient contri¬ 
vances for the saving of all manurial substances, and 
a large stock of them on hand for immediate applica¬ 
tion. 
Mr. Mitchell’s main business is the production of 
milk for New-Haven. During the past year his sales 
of this article alone were over sixteen hundred dollars, 
or, as he milks from 13 to 15 cows, a return of slightly 
over $100 to each. It is scarcely necessary to add 
that they are well cared for by an experienced herds¬ 
man,—that their feed is of the best, and regularly ad¬ 
ministered, and that the stables are warm and neat. 
The only ones of them that show any signs of “blood” 
are grades of partly Alderney and Short-IIorn extrac¬ 
tion—the latter of the two, we were told, somewhat 
the largest milker of all, but, it was added, requiring 
enough extra care and food to make up the difference 
There is much in Mr. M.’s management that might be 
profitably repeated, had we had the time to learn its 
details. He raises roots in considerable quantities for 
winter use, and has determined that his best mode of 
summer keeping is to house the cattle more or less 
entirely throughout, instead of pasturing them. We 
do not doubt the accuracy of the conclusion, and won¬ 
der that the system of soiling practiced successfully so 
often, has not already become more general in the old¬ 
er portions of the country. There is no more impor¬ 
tant auxiliary in bringing up the fertility of the land. 
This rambling notice should not end without an al¬ 
lusion to a very neat bulding of cobble stones, cornered 
with brick, erected by Mr. M. to serve as a dwelling 
for his men, and including a milk cellar admirably ar¬ 
ranged for keeping the sight’s milking cool and sweet 
for morning use, even in the hottest weather. By the 
addition of a porch, by brackets under a projecting 
roof, and by carrying out the gable ends of the walls, 
which are of wood, a few inches beyond the stone wail 
beneath, he has given it a most appropriate and quite 
a striking air, to which the chimney stacks add very 
much, constructed in ornamental forms of brick and 
stone tastily alternated. All the wood used in the ex¬ 
terior construction was unplaned, and painted of a drab 
color, and the whole serves well as an instance of the 
pleasing effect a very little additional expense, rightly 
applied, may be made to yield. A spring upon the 
hill-side above the homestead, supplies both it and the 
farmery with all the water wanted. As illustrating the 
earliness of the season, we may add that potato plant¬ 
ing was going on, and some had been put into the 
ground the previous week. 
--» O-C- 
For Making Ink. 
Soft maple bark, and willow bark, equal parts—a 
handful of each boiled in about four quarts of water, 
reduced to one quart. Take out the bark and add a 
lump of copperas about the size of a man’s thumb to 
the first joint. If on writing with it, the ink appears 
very black, with a gloss on it, add a little water. I 
write this with ink made as above—[which appears 
well. Eds.] Chas. Bull. Canada West. 
-- 
The next Fair of the Illinois State Agricultural So¬ 
ciety is to be held at Centralia. 
