COW.

DORKING AND SHANGHAI FOWLS-SHORT HORN in our columns a few weeks ago, as he "has mislaid that number of the paper." If he will send Where can I obtain pure blood White Dor- his address, we will send him a copy of the missking Fowls, at a fair price, and the Grey Shang- ing paper. hai spoken of in the Farmer? Also, a good short-horn cow, and what is a fair price?

Foxboro', 1858.

H. S. SWEET.

HEMLOCK HEDGES.

The Country Gentleman gives the following diREMARKS. The fowls. may be obtained of rections for the cultivation of Hemlock Hedges, JAMES MANN, 6 City Hall Avenue, Boston, at in answer to an inquiry on the subject: $2,50 to $4 a pair.

You can probably obtain the short-horn of Paoli Lothrop, of South Hadley, Mass.

A NEW SUGAR BOILER.

The first thing is to procure the plants. If cow where young hemlock trees are abundant, he will our correspondent can find a locality in the woods have no difficulty in forming a hedge. The great requisite for success in transplanting is to remove a considerable portion of earth on the roots of Mr. J. A. FRENCH, of North Clarendon, Vt., every tree. If this cannot be done, they should instantly, on being withdrawn from the ground, sends us a drawing of an ingenious invention of and before the outside of the roots have dried in his own, for economizing fuel and equalizing heat the least, be buried in wet moss, or still better, in the process of boiling sugar. These objects are if practicable, dipped first into a bed of thin mud, of much importance and will be fully accomplished ding, and puddling on setting out, will be of adand then protected with moss. Another mudby the design of Mr. French. It is also adapted ditional service. to boiling vegetables, and other similar uses. As our space forbids a full description of the boiler, we refer our readers to Mr. French.

TRANSPLANTING LOCUST TREES.

If the young plants can be had from a nursery, where they have become hardened to open ground, they will be still better. We know of no nursery in the vicinity of our correspondent's residence more likely to supply good plants than that of Dell & Collins, of Waterloo, N. Y.

I have several hundred locust trees to trans- The mode of planting must depend on the plant in the spring, and would like to have Mr. objects of the hedge. If for a simple screen Holbrook, or others, give their advice as to the from the wind, and if the plants are scarce or cheapest and best method of doing it. The trees costly, a distance of three or four feet apart will are seedlings from three to six feet high, and the be near enough, to form in a few years a continland on which I wish to plant them, is barren, uous line. But if a hedge proper is wanted, the rocky pasture, descending to the north and much trees should be within about a foot of each other. exposed to severe cold winds. Will they succeed The hemlock will make the handsomest screen without some fertilizer, and would it not be bet- or hedge of any evergreen known; it will bear ter to remove the tops entirely, planting only the almost any amount of shearing, and the hedge WM. F. BASSETT.

roots.

Ashfield, Feb. 10, 1858.

SLAUGHTER-YARDS-ASHES AND Bone.

may be formed into a smooth wall of verdure, or be left for a tall natural growth. Either way, it is of surpassing beauty. If cattle or other animals cannot see through, they scarcely ever attempt passing, even a weak hedge..

Will you, or some one of your numerous correspondents, inform a subscriber as to the best HOW TO RAISE EARLY BEANS. mode of using a slaughter-yard so as to make the most of the manure? There must be valuable ex- Plow, manure and prepare the ground well, as perience on the subject in the towns adjacent to for common garden purposes, then make holes

Boston.

Also, what you think of using strong ashes which will contain a peck or more of horsemixed with ground bone, instead of sulphuric manure and the usual litter that accompanies it. acid, which is not a very pleasant operation. If for running beans, set the poles in the centre Amherst, Mass., March, 1858. HAMPSHIRE. REMARKS.-We have had no experience with slaughter-yards.

and then drop the beans upon the manure after treading it down slightly with the foot. Now scatter over the beans and manure a very little fine mould and then cover with clear sand. The

Pure ashes mixed liberally with ground bone, think would form one of the best manures warm horse-manure acts as a hot-bed, while the that can be used for almost all soils.

GREEN MOUNTAIN PIG.

Mr. William Spalding, of Cavendish, Vt., 77 years old, fatted and slaughtered a pig, nine months and three days old, that weighed when dressed, 424 pounds! A SUBSCRIBER.

"A SUBSCRIBER" at Shrewsbury, Mass., requests us to republish an article which appeared

sand becomes heated above by the sun's rays, and has the further advantage of throwing up no weeds. In this manner beans and most other garden vegetables may be obtained very early.

WHAT ONE BEAN HAS DONE.-According to the Barnstable (Mass.) Patriot, Mr. LORING CROCKER, of that village, raised last season on one stock, and consequently from one bean, 106 pods, which yielded 453 beans!

We give above an illustration of a new Hand team. Fifth,-It is very simple in its construcPower Stump Machine. Having no knowledge tion and not liable to get out of order, and so whatever of its merits, we give Mr. HALL'S own small that it can be housed as conveniently as a account of it, merely saying that we have exam- plow or wheelbarrow. Sixth,-It will take up ined the machine with some care, and can see no every stump in the field, not requiring one to angood reason why it will not prove valuable when chor to, as is usual with the best stump machines. put in operation. Mr. Hall says, "That two Seventh,-It does not turn the stump over, theremen can carry it about the field from one stump by taking up a large quantity of earth from one to another, and draw the largest pine stumps out place and heaping it up on another, as is usual of the ground by hand power, without digging with other stump pullers, but leaves the stump around the stump or cutting any roots. All poised at a convenient distance from the ground, stump machines heretofore are objectionable for until the soil can be rattled off the roots into the their high cost, great weight, expense of operat-bed of the stump, saving the labor of shovelling ing, unwieldy dimensions, &c.; but mine is supe- the heap back into the hole in order to leave the rior for the following reasons: First,-it is field smooth. Three men will pull up from 50 to much cheaper-a great consideration to farmers 100 large pine stumps per day after they have on new land. Price $50 for No. 2, and right to worked two or three days to get their hand in, use. Second, it is much lighter, requiring no thus costing about six cents per stump, for such team of oxen or horses to remove it from one as usually cost from fifty cents to one dollar each. stump to another. Two men can carry it in their

hands. Third,-It requires no team to operate

it; two men can work it by hand, and extract HORSE RADISH-(Cochelaria armoracia.) more stumps, and at very much less expense, gen- This plant is commonly cultivated by planting erally requiring about two minutes to take up a cuttings taken from the top, or by small offsets common stump. Fourth,-It can be used when from the sides of the main root, so divided as to and where the ground is wet and soft, and does retain a portion of the crown. The cuttings or not punch up the grass field as with a heavy offsets thus obtained should be planted out in

April, or as early in the spring as the state of the acre; one of his successors, however, has reportair and soil will admit, in rows of from two to ed 150, it is presumed with fidelity in the observtwo and a half feet asunder, and from six to tenance of established rules; and whatever doubts inches between the plants. The soil should be may be cherished of there being that amount of good merchantable corn on the acre, no candid warm, deep and rich, and the plants, when set, man who examines our doings from the begincovered with two or three inches of chip manure, ning, will deny that there has been constant imor forest scrapings, mixed with wood ashes or provement in the cultivation of Indian corn, of hydrate of lime. No weeds should be permitted to grow in the lines, and the surface of the soil should be kept firm and light.

For the New England Farmer.
THE PAST WINTER.

which the citizens of Plymouth county may innocently boast a little. If "P." will make some experiments in weighing corn, he may convince himself there is not quite so much danger of deception as he has imagined. Usually there are several frosts before the corn is harvested; if those occur before it is fully ripe, the corn becomes very light and can safely be purchased onWhile fresh in memory, let us record what we ly by weight. There are a few seasons in which think of it. Neither cold nor hot, wet nor dry, there are no autumnal frosts till after the period but on the whole, a very comfortable winter-of harvest; corn is likely in these seasons to be generally favorable to moving about, and but lit-fully ripened; if there should be some fields tle obstructed by drifts of snow. Eruptive dis- where much of it remains in a green state weigheases, such as scarlatina and measels, have been ing would be a less certain proof of the number prevalent, but not of a severe type. In the world of bushels to the acre, not so much from its exof business there has been great depression and cessive weight, as excessive shrinkage of the suffering, growing out of overtrading and inflated kernels in the bin. prices. Some will, of consequence, learn a hard lesson, by severe discipline; such things have

before happened, and still the world goes on. Without such trials, life would be a stupid monotony.

M. A.

Pembroke, March 2, 1858,

For the New England Farmer. SPRING CULTURE.

In the western horizon, Kansas, with all its horrors and awful forbodings, has emitted a liv- their onions and other seeds. Experience has Our gardeners are already busy in planting id glare, but still there remains a hope of a taught them the earlier they are started to grow, brighter day-the sun of freedom has not yet the better their chance of matured crops. The

sunk to rise no more. April 1, 1858.

P.

casualties are so many now-a-days, that no man may calculate with confidence, upon what the auREMARKS.—It is well, thus briefly to record the tumn will bring forth. The small snows of winter and smaller rains of spring, have left the general characteristics of a past season. In some earth in favorable condition for the reception of respects they have been quite singular during seed, where the frost is entirely out; though the winter just passed. While it has been un- there will soon be need of more moisture to make asually mild all along the northern Atlantic seathe seeds germinate. I learn that the prospect of blossoms on the peach trees is uncommonly board, it has been cold in the South and West, good. So far as I have observed, the same is and attended with much snow. In the south of true of the apple trees; though there is much Europe, too, and as far down as Egypt, we learn reason to fear the ravages of the canker-worm, that it has been cold without parallel, and that its forerunner having been abundant, wherever the Pyramids have been covered with snow, loom- tar has been applied, which is the best preventive ing up and having all the appearance of moun- mand constant vigilance. It is not enough to to our knowledge. The labors of the field detains of snow!

There can be no chance in these changes, but are all ordered for some wise purpose which our limited knowledge does not enable us to comprehend.

For the New England Farmer.
INDIAN CORN.

pulverize and fertilize the ground, to carefully select and insert the seed; but hostile assailants of infinite variety, have to be watched and guarded against.

April 3, 1858.

SOUTH DANVERS.

REMARKS.-The above was received a little too late for the weekly of April 10th, when it ought to have appeared.

Your correspondent "P." appears to have relinquished his first idea of "humbuggery" in the measurement of Indian corn in the county of PEAT, LIME AND POTATOES.-Mr. Philip Plymouth, and is sufficiently courteous in his O'Reilly, of Providence, R. I., states that lime is apology for the remarks he first made on the sub- of no avail in preventing potato rot, as he has ject, but still maintains that the rules which gov- tried it, and has seen it tried by others in vain. ern us are fallacious. The writer thinks he has After many experiments, he has found that a been, to some extent, influenced, though perhaps handful of dry peat in powder or small pieces unconsciously, by the severe and false strictures was the best preventive, and he thinks if it were of a genius that leaps before it looks. The writ- generally applied, it would save ninety-nine in er never made any report of 145 bushels to the every hundred hills.-Germantown Telegraph.

For the New England Farmer. this is effected to a great extent by the use of MAKING AND PRESERVING MANURES. sawdust. The same amount of fertilizing matter Agriculture is the philosophy of the earth-is, probably, contained in one load of manure manure, the touchstone of that philosophy. There made from sawdust, as there would be in two or are many false philosophers as well as false teach- three loads of that which had been made from straw ers at the present time. Many of the leading litter. Then, too, in the field it would be free writers in the agricultural journals of the day from all the trouble which long manure frequently speak of ammonia, as if it were the "breath and gives.

life" of agriculture, and when it shall have been "With so many points of superiority, we think arrested in its escape, the whole principle of the it probable that sawdust will, hereafter, be more manufacture of manure had been accomplished. generally used, at least in the neighborhood of The monotonous strain of these writers still lum- saw-mills."

bers along in the moulded ruts of false theory, The italics are mine. For your son's sake, because it is easy to follow in the wake of others. once more read the lines italicised. The recomSome men have a rare faculty of deducing de- mendation of the use of sawdust, or any other ductions from nondeducibles. This is the basis powerful absorbent for the mere purpose of arof false philosophy. The lines of such reason-resting the escape of ammonia is fallacious. ing lead men to false conclusions, for the reason- The exhausted lands of New England can only ing seems plausible, and it keeps the company of be redeemed by the application of large quanscience. But few men will dispute that manure tities of manure. To ucceed in this great enis the basis of all successful farming in New Eng- terprise, the farmers should all be in possession land. Levi Bartlett, in the Boston Cultivator of of barn cellars and manure tanks of sufficient the 23d ult., gives his method of securing the capacity to meet the exigencies of the case. All liquid manures. "Of the several materials used, highly concentrated manures should be diluted I prefer leaves and leaf mould, next muck, and in several times their bulk in water, and turned lastly sawdust; not that there is any manurial or pumped upon compost heaps prepared for the value in sawdust in its crude state, but it is an purpose. Leaves and leaf mould, muck and naexcellent absorbent." I think there will be birth tive soil, are decidedly the best materials for this given to a new idea, when it can be found that purpose. (By native soil, I mean the subsoil, or manure is increased in quantity or value by be- that which has never been subjected to cultivaing mixed with materials having no "manurial tion.) Night soil, hog's dung, sheep dung and value" of themselves. The American Agricultu- even cattle's manure, when highly fed, should alrist of Jan. last, page 11th, speaking of sawdust ways be diluted in several times their bulk in as an absorbent says:-"If ammonia is one of the water, and turned upon less fertilizing substances. most powerful fertilizers, why should not the Every family of five persons, by carefully savgreatest pains be taken to save it? For this purpose, sawdust is just the thing." The Country Gentleman, of Dec. 18th, 1856, says:

"SAWDUST AS LITTER FOR STABLES.

ing all the chamber lye and dropping of the privy and diluting it in ten times its bulk of water, and turning it upon a heap of muck and native soil, can make enough in a year to plant an acre of corn and manure it well. Doct. Dana says a "Some weeks ago an article appeared in the columns of this paper, in which sawdust was crements carefully saved, will do the same. cow, kept up, and all of her urine and hard exThe mentioned and recommended as a litter for sta-economical saving of the soap suds of the launbles, which possessed a superiority over straw dry is a valuable addition to the manure heap; in several particulars. We have just noticed a put it in the tank with concentrated manures. communication in the Farmer and Visitor, (Man- The dilution of hog dung when highly fed, and chester, N. H.,) in which the writer mentions night soil, in many times its bulk of water, and several other advantages in addition to those turned upon leaves and leaf mould, muck and which were named in the article referred to in native soil, cannot be too strongly impressed upour columns. Among the points in which sawon the attention of farmers. dust was found superior to straw by the person Immense quantities of manure may be made who had tried it in N. H., the first mentioned is, by farmers in close proximity to large villages, that it occupied less room in the barn, which is by securing night soil, diluting and applying it not unfrequently, as in the case in this paper, a in this manner. Here in New England, we can matter of some importance. Next, sawdust is only measure the amount of crops in acres by claimed as superior to straw, because it absorbs the manure on hand. The farmers of the rich more of the fertilizing matters about the stable, prairies and bottom lands of the West can comthe person using it being very sure that the ammonial emanations were less strong on opening the pute their acres of wheat or corn by the amount doors in the morning than when straw litter was I know farmers in this vicinity, who have withused. Next, it is said to be much less of a chore in two hundred rods of their barns a forest that to clean the stable, and also, that so little com- yields a hundred loads of leaves and leaf mould paratively had to be thrown out that one load a year, that never used a thimble full in their lasted a long time. The next thing named as an lives to my knowledge, that mow acres and acres advantage of sawdust as litter is, that the manure that produce eight or nine hundred pounds of heap occupied so much less space than when straw hay per acre, and farms running out, and yet they was used, and thus admitted more easily of beare "good farmers.”

of team and labor on hand.

ing protected by a covering from the wasting ef- When will farmers make use of the redundant fects of exposure to sun, wind and rains. Then materials of the earth in the cultivation of their again it is an obvious advantage to have in one's farms? This is the basis upon which the farming yard manure in as small bulk as possible, and of New England is to-day carried on. I believe

the great principle of the restoration of our soil washing should be given to the ceilings and parto fertility is in the application of large quanti- titions; its sanatory effects are well-known, and ties of manure-the diluting of all highly con- of a nature too indisputably obvious to admit of centrated manures in water, and mixing them doubt. Vermin rarely infest barns or animals with such materials as will hold them in a state treated in this way. The floors of all "tie-ups" of solution until required by the growing plant. should always be of stones-large flags-which Not one particle of sawdust should enter into can be thoroughly cleansed by the diffusion of this practice. All heaps of compost and manure water, and which do not become impregnated should be kept sufficiently wet by continued ap- with the ammoniacal matter contained in the plications of liquid manures to resist rapid de- urine, and the foetid animal matters of the excrecomposition and rot down, not burn or fire-fang. ment. Let this system be but in full practice, and these beautiful hills and valleys of New England will again blossom as the rose, and no farmer will need send to New York or Boston to buy fertilizers at ruinous prices. The mixing of night dreds of acres, all about, only used to hold creasoil and muck in the cities by the Liebeg philos- tion together, that might be made beautiful and ophers, and sending into the rural districts at two valuable, if we only knew how to do it. Some cents per pound, would be at an end. years since, Mr. Wm. Clark, of Northampton, Mass., said he had reclaimed such lands, and

manure.

"Othello's occupation's gone."

For the New England Farmer. RECLAIMING LIGHT LANDS.

How can this best be done? There are hun

For the purpose of putting this philosophy in brought them to produce respectable crops. How practice, let us suppose a case:-Say I have a this was done, I do not remember. But I prebarn eighty by forty feet, with a good cellar un- sume you will, Mr. Editor, as it is your business der the whole of it, for the purpose of making to catch the manners living as they rise, and to In the fall and winter I haul in fifty bring to light what others may have forgotten. loads of leaves and mould from the forests, fifty As you live in a region where the soil is light and loads of good, finely pulverized muck, (two years sandy, if you will tell me how such a soil can dug,) fifty loads of native soil from the bank. I economically be brought into a decent and prokeep ten cows for the purpose of making butter ductive condition, you will not only do me a faand cheese, beside five hogs, one pair of oxen vor, but also many other anxious and some young stock. The cows are to have March 15, 1858. good English hay and one quart of corn meal | per day, which materially increases the value of REMARKS.-Certainly, Mr. "Inquirer," we can their manure. Now I have a tank of sufficient tell you how to reclaim such lands, even without size to dilute all the manure, placed immediately carrying a load of manure upon them. But will under the stable, and so elevated as to be near the floor and carry the diluted manure to every you be patient, and follow the plan? and can you

part of the cellar by means of a trough attached afford to wait for the result?

INQUIRERS.

to the same. Every morning shovel the manure We will suppose that the land is sandy, or perof the ten cows and oxen into the vat, and add haps a sandy loam, that was once covered with just water enough to hold it in a state of solution, pines which were cut off, and the land "ryed to throwing the bedding and long manure of the death," and then pastured to death, which is full young stock upon the heap below. Once a week

put in your hog dung and night soil, with water as bad as was the old Irish Judge, who sentenced enough to make the whole sufficiently thin to a man to "be hung and pay forty shillings." Mapour upon the heap below. Throw it over on nure the land if you can, if not, plow with one stormy or other days, and add a new supply of horse, or two if you choose, but do not go down material as often as needed. The amount of manure made in this way in a year, by housing your When the crop is ripe, thresh on the field, and more than four inches, sow rye and harrow in. cows in summer, would be surprising.

This is the system that will redeem the soil of keep what grain you can get as a compensation New England back to its primitive state of fer- for your labor! Now take the rye straw, and let tility. LEWIS L. PIERCE. East Jeffrey, N. H., Feb., 1858.

MANAGEMENT OF THE BARN.

a man drop it before each furrow, and the plow follows immediately and covers it up.

Follow this course three years, and then sow with clover. Cut two crops of this, and the sec

Let the utmost neatness be observed in the ond year plow again and sow to rye, and if the management of the barn. No more hay or other operation has been well managed, you will probfodder should be thrown on the floor at once than ably get twenty-five bushels of rye per acre, and is requisite to supply one feed. By throwing

large quantities from the mows or scaffoldings, your land be in pretty good condition for any there is an unavoidable loss from the drying of crop with common manuring. We can show you the fibre, which renders it less palatable to the twenty-five acres that was almost moving sand, animals, as well as less nutritious. Sweeping the reclaimed in this way into fair and fertile fields. floor daily promotes cleanliness, and conduces Are you encouraged? to the health and consequently the comfort of animals. The "tie-ups" and "stanchels," as well

We do not remember how Mr. Clark reclaimed,

as the mangers, cribs, &c., should be daily cleaned and have not the leisure at this time to look up out and frequently washed. An occasional white- his account of doing it.