Newspaper Page Text
I f FARMER. V Tj .AJST A r-TP TriTTT .r TTT. a T .A.3STI3 IF-A-jUEIITST JM Jbl VgPAP!BB FOB .,TKB lEVO-AISTS OF THEE GKRBElXr 3VTOTJlSrT.XISr STATE. VOL. III.--NO. 21. ST. JOIINSBURY, 1T1UDAY, APJRIL 25, 1873. WHOLE NO. 125. RMONTr I'UM.ISIIKI) WKEKI.Y, .srr st. jroHJVsnvnw it., r CUMWINGS & H0SK1HS. rrm.- One eopjr, per annum, fi.HO Ifplditrlettjr la e.dranoe 3.00 Bates, of Advertising. Short tdrerUjemenU, 7 nti per lnoh for Irsi Inter len, Ikofc subsequent Insertion, S3 cents per Ineh. Ne eharre leu thin $1.00. JttitUi ' '(, ftattital, and It lis yolnl, uiUrtcilv lt fttfirinet for Ml ettumn. Tin tlnf of tekat fH tnoir ( flr Man a column of wat you . For the Vihoii Farmer. FARM OHATS, NO. 14. The winter of ftTSPf will long to re uicmbercd as ono of the most aevero within tbo past hundred joars ; with no frost in the ground, and from b'ix inches to six feet of snow for a blanket for over four nionlhs. Not a spot of bare ground havo I seen out sido oi tho warm sido of buildings since tho snow first came. Not a rain of any nuisunt for over four months, and not warm aud thawy weather enough in all tho limo to tako tho snow from shingled roofs ovon on tho warm sides. I find the opinion general, that tho effect of tho deep and long continu cd snow will bo favorable to the graBs crop of tho coming season, and 1 think there is good foundation for tho impression. It is an advantage to tho after crop of grass to have the ground well covered during tho winter. It is a great protection to the grass roots, aud saves wiuter killiug. If the spring should prove favorable, aud we get our usual amount of moisture and heat during May aud June, we shall be very likely to have a large grass crop. Everything has been favorable to last fall sown grass, especially that sown early, consequently we may look for very heavy burdens of hay upon all such lands. A good many of the fields that were seeded to grass in tho spring of 1871, proved to be somewhat killed by the drouth of that year, and last season produced about half and half of clover aud sorrel. I think that all such that are in good, or even fair coudition, will pay for a few pounds of clover seed to bo sown this spriug on a light bnow.or while the crouud is freezing aud thawing. As the hay crop is the crop of all crops, it is well to look close after all barren fpots, so as to have uo waste places. Thero is many an old bound out field that might bo cut early, say by the 15th of June, uud then turned over, and with a tew loads of manure spread ou and harrowed in, would grow a fine crop of Hungarian grass.- It is worth a trial. Why Not. Brattleioro, March 31, 1873. 1. S. April 7. Sinco this month came in we have had just tho right kiad of weather to settle the snow, at least one-half, and it now looks as if wu might still get the early spriug that we have heard so much about all winter. But planting potatoes or peas the first of April has gone by, and wo must wait ore we put them in. Some bare cpots arc to bo seen m the lots and the grass is looking finely on all such. If the weather proves to bo just right after the snow leaves, the grass will grow right along ns it is already nicely started. Fodder holds out well and stock of all kind.", as far as 1 havo seen, is coming out finely. For tin Vumoxr FJRiir.R. SUGAR MAKING AGAIN. Though I am a " female woman," as Fan ny Fern uced to say, I read with great pleas ure tho pages of tho Farmer, and liko it the best of any agricultural weekly I havo ever read. I havo been interested in tho various articles rclativoto sugar making, and would like to say a few words about tbo matter. Ouo woek ago last Tuesday, tho first day of April, our men began to tap our sugar orchard, consisting of fourteen hundred trees, lying in two bodies, about niucty rods apart. By tho next Monday night they had made sugar and sirup to tho amount of ono thou sand pounds, a pretty good record for five days. Since then sap has ruu but very little, and the prospect is now for a small supply of Bugar this season. Tho suow was very desp to commenco with, though not nearly so deep as it was four years ago this springs it has settled very fast, and now tho taro spots begiu to appear in tho lota and wood' land, Wo have nover tried the ovaporator yet, but think wo can boil quito as fast with tho arrangements wo have. Wo havo two arches, one eighteen feet long, tbo other is smaller, containing two long pans - and taldron kettle set in tho back side next tho chimney. A largo holder sets close to the chimney, and a gas pipo runs through tho chimney from this holder, which is regulated by a faucet so that wo can have a stream of any desired volume, and tho sap is convoyed Into tho pans only as fast as it evaporates, bo that they are always Lolling. A sipbou of gutta percha tubing convoys tho sap from tho draw-tub into this reservoir so that there is no lifting of sap. Tbo sugar house is sit uated in tho lower sugar orchard so that the sap is all convoyed from tho upper orchard by leading spouts direct to tho sugar house, thereby saving a vast amount of labor in the handling. Tho sap from tho trees that are on lower ground than tho sugar house, is gathered into a draw-tub. Our trees aro nearly all second growth, When they wero first tapped somo twenty five years ago or more, tho sugar was very dark colored indeed, but it has Improved in quality as it has grown oldor, and makes very nice sugar, now. It is truo that our conveniences aro much improved sinco that date, but that cannot bo all tho reason of tho difference in quality, as with tho same con veoienccs wo mado very whito sugar in an. other sugar place less than half a mile dis tant. Can any ono tell tho reason of th difference in quality of sugar from tho first tapping and now? and is this fact ouo of common occurrence ? I have noticed that there is a largo quan tity ot niter in tho sugar this year, the first sirup nudo depositing considerable sediment. Somo years there will not any appoar until af ter tho first run. I think the niter docs not injure the flavor of sirup before U granulates, and I prefer my sirup which I put up in cans to be mado thick enough in tbo first boiling. I liko th flavor belter than to let it cool and settlo and boil over. Is there anything Injurious to health in this niter? Is thero really moro of it than thero used to be years ago, or havo wo learned that tho sediment which wo used to call ashes is real ly something else ? I do not remember to havo ever heard the subject discussed at all until within a few years. We use mostly tin buokots, and would prefer them altogether ; havo used " Post's Eureka Spout " some, and like it well. Wo -do not clainr'aoy superiority for our mode of sugar making above many others, but think there is more than ono way to do somo things right. liAunA Bbiqiiam Boyce. Fayston, Vt April 12, 1873. For tht Verkoxt Firhu. FARMING PROFITABLE? IS No ono thing operates moro injuriously to tbo interests of agriculturo than tho wide ly spread and popular idea that farming is not profitable. It is almost a work of super erogation to reply to tho charge that tho cultivation of the land, as an occupation for tho masses of tho people, is not a profitable employment, because it is evident to all who will look that it is from this source that all supplies for tho sustenance of man and beast aro mainly drawn, The art of agriculturo underlies all other arts, and sustains them all. Ccaso the cultivation of tho soil, and commerce, manufactures, all sciences and mechanic arts, and even breath itself would soon cease. Ibis cannot be ucnicu by any one with pound common seme. Tho pursuit of agriculturo as an occupa tion may not be as profitable under all circum- sluiices as some other pursuit. It may be better for tho peoplo of a sandy tract of country ou the sea shoro to turn their atten tion to fishing, than to raising grain or grass, or lor those m a mountainous and rocky couutry to malo tho waters of tho valleys turn their wheels to transform their forests into various articles for household uses. There-may be rcasous'why individuals in nil' towns should find employment in agriculture let? profitable than somo others in which they might engage. But with an avcrago prico of labor, land and implements, and with that degree of skill which the land Ucmauds of all, wu do not believe that many acre of laud aro cultivated at a loss when tho crop is not injured by blight, frosts orothcr cas ualty. And if the land in well prepared tho farmer is pretty sure of a good crop ; he fails only onco in ten times providing ho farms in the right way. We will not say that farming is the wo.it profitable of all business, but you may take everything into consideration and who gets a better and a moro sure living than the farmer ? And again ivhcro is thero a more udependent set of men than tho farmers who raise their own living, as well as th.it of tho mcrchaut, the mechanic and tho printer, who are wholly dependent on tho farmer, indi rectly. Do not get discouraged, young farm er, when you tbiuk of an old schoolmato who has gone into a storo or a shop or an office, and has succeeded in rising to a prominent position ; just think where ouo has risen ten havo fallen, and you would havo stood only one chance in ten to have won tho desired prize. There is a place in tho world for us all, aud it is our duty to fill this place to the best of our ability when once found, and ev ery ono has a natural inclination for somo kind of business; somo aie natural mechanics, others are better fitted for merchants, others for lawyers, and it is tho duty of parents to mark all these natural abilities and educate their childrcu accordingly. But wo aro straying from tho subject and will close. IIlNMAN. .Vof ami Queries. Sugar Mnklnp. 11 1 should like to ask the gentleman who signs his name W. II. W., from St. Johnsbury, a few question through tho Far mer: they may interest others as well as my self. How aro your pans set ? How many pounds can you boil in ono day 7 now mucti good hemlock wood does it take to mako 100 lbs. ? (I call hemlock tho best.) My pans aro a little smaller than yours, and set ouo back of the other by a good mason, but I could not boil in the sap from -100 trees. I tap 150 trees, and am thinking of putting in a heater. My townsmen aro using them at a great saving of wood and time. (J. F. Lincoln. Woodstock; April 14, 1873." " I do not sco any spaco in your pa per for inquiries. I would like to inquire if you know anything about tho Ames Plow Company's steel eidehill plow? Are they used in your vicinity 7 If so, how ore thoy liked 7 I havo never seen ono of them, and do not know whether I should like them. If thoy rfro not liked what aid chill plow is considered the best to turn on moderately lovel land, freo from stono? also oaso of draft would bo a great consideration. If you can givo me any information cither by letter or through your paper, It will be thankfully received. II. II. Collins. Johnson, March 13," DAIRY FARMING. A Paper Head by II, W, Vl!oI I'oiurrtt, nt the Varintn' MecllliK Iletlicl, J" .10. Tho question whether a man shall) adopt dairying as a specialty or not is ono iwhtch ovcry farmer must decide by considering his surrouudmgs and conveniences for uc ccssfuily and profitably carrying on the bus incss, Tho essential features that make up a good dairy farm aro too well known aud understood to demand a lengthy notice It Is desirable (o have a rioh aud well watered pasturo, a meadow or mowing field that yields a good supply and variety of nutritious grass es for the support of our cows through our long and cold winters. Also that our barns bo at least measurably adapted to tho pur poses for which thoy aro to bo used J and further that we bo so situated that wo may bring skill and judgment to bear In the1 making and sale of our butter, otherwise it would be best for us to adopt somo other branch bf farming, Tho next step Is to procure thd best cows for our purpose Wo havo from various' sources rules and directions for selecting good cows, most of which aro1 good, and some I sco good reason to doubt. Our agri cultural papers sometimes contain tpecifio directions on this point, often from tho pens of our most practical dairymen. Frequently aro tho directions repeated Cbooso a cow with .a well developed, udder; largo teats, largo and well defineM ttllk veins, fine Hair, delicate head and horns, yellow skin, etc., and largo in size, heavy quartered, well rounded, and mcatcd so that when she has served her timo at the dairy sho will bring a round prico at tho bauds of the butcher. Timo and again has this advico been present ed to us by our best and most experienced dairymen. It has bcon stated by good authority that tho dairy cows of this stato havo not improv ed ; that thoy aro no better now than in tho past. That tho yearly amount of butter per cow has not increased nor tho quality improv ed, and it is well for us to inquire what con stitutes a good butter cow, I view theso constantly repeated requisites that your cows bo large, well mcated, and rounded, with a disposition to take on fat easily, and still ex tra butter and cheese cows, as demanding more than nature is apt to yield us in one animal. Men versed in animal physiology tell us that whenever we End a point of great excellence we also. find inferiority in other points. For instance, with tho hot so, we cannot combine the qualities of the heavy limbed, broad backed, ponderous work horse aud the trim, fine knit race horso in ono ani mal and obtain anything liko tha results in draft or. speed which each is equal to In its own specialty. Let us then if wo desire to ruaka butter a specialty select buttpr cows. Competition has so affected tha supply of butter that we can expect great profits only by making tho prodr.st per cow double the amouut usually considered tho average, and by so improving tho quality as to demand au extra price. One of the reporters of tho Boston mar ket says that ho must warn tho butter makers of New England for tho thiid timo that they have a formidable competitor in the North west. A large supply of their butter is finding its way to our market's ; it is of fair quality aud sold at a moderate price. Mako your butter of a better quality or you must expect a low prico. If our dairymen saw jn tho North-west a cloud no bigger thau a mau's hand, the whole heavens are now overshadowed, and from some sourco our markets are Hooded with ordinary cheap butter, aud tho only hopo for us is to mako our quality above and out of competition with it. Tho difference iu butter product between a good anil a poor cow is very great. I was acquainted with two dairies of threo cows each ; the owner of ono informed mo that aside from milk and butter used in his family he had sold from $40 to 850 worth of butter. The other with tho same number of cows and nearly the samo family to sup ply received 8300 for his butter, or $100 per cow. Hero is a wido margin. Undoubt edly there was a difference iu tho manage ment in thoso two dairies, and without doubt a vast differenco in the cows. If wo havo poor cows with all our labor aud skill, our neighbor who has good cows is sure to beat us by a large per cent, every year. Let us then in selecting our cows for but ter purposes, whether wo adopt somo ono of tha thoroughbred varieties or our common nativo stock, let us havo an eye not to tho size, the well mcatcd, rounded poiots, not to tho amount of beef she will present to tho butcher in some lutura day, nor tho case with which she will tako on fat, but let the test bo the quantity and- quality of butter she will produco iu a year. Mako tho stand ard high and bring tho dairy to it. Let us consider a moment largo cows. German ex periments havo shown us that cows' iu like condition require an amount of food to sup port lifo and health nearly in proportion to their weight. For instance, if wo have a cow that weighs 1,400 sho will requiro as much food as two cows in tho samo condition weighing 700 each. In other words, if at pasture, tho large, slow, 1,400 cow has to perform tbo labor of cutting double the amount of grass to sus tain herself that tho small, active, 700 cow docs, and when wo consider that all wo re ceive from a cow in butter or milk is the result of what food bho receives and digests in excess of what her system demands for its support, does not the small or medium sized, active cow stand tho better chance of obtain ing this in most pastures In this part of the state. A disposition to tako on fat when not in milk is certainly desirable, but when I find a cow in milk taking on an undue amount of fat I conoludo that tho oils sho ex tracts from her food which should como to tho milk pail and bo roduocd to butter she Is stor ing up on her body In the form of fat. In tho first form It would be worth 30 cents or moro, and in tho latter but 12. It has been shown that a cow may bo a superior cheeso cow, and not extra for but ter ; and also, that a cow may yield a large amount of milk, aud bo nearly worthless as a butter cow ; and a small amount of milk, and still bo valuable. Wo find, coutinually, farmers judging of their cows by tho quantity of milk they give; notwithstanding tho fact, that tho amount of milk which it takes to mako a pound of but ter varies in different cows, from four quarts to twenty or moro, Ono of my neighbors purchased a cow at a largo price, because she gavo n pailful and n half nf milk nt ft milking. After he had owned hor awhilo, and got her wbutcd to.h! fields and ways, hopotlicr milk by itsolf ono week in June, and mado 2J poundi .of stuff that resembled lard. When wo havo supplied ourselves with good butter cows, next in Importance is a. liberal supply of food at all seasons of tho year. Uo not tail to bavo a supply ot sow ed corn, oats, or something else, to feed at night in tho latter part of summer and fall, even if the pasturo feed is good. In com-; paring notos with othor farmers on the yield of butter per cow, I am often .met with this, remark: "Well, tho reasou you got more from your cows is, that vou keep hera bet ter, and that is all there is to It." I should, consider it juBt as aepsIbloJbr ouo miller to say to another," tho reason you grindutmoro meal in a day ,Js because ypuJ put' moro -prafnln Ko hopper." Thfdirj'iJ cow is a machino or mill, and this figuro. ap plies to every owner of a cow ; ho either has a good machino or a poor ono ; he either; supplies it bountifully with the raw material or sparingly, and recoives his profits accord ingly. Cleanliness is ono of the main point to bo observed in conducting a dairy. Not only should tho milk and butter be kept from actual contact with filth, but from all foul odors of barn or houso, and hero I am re minded of a, remark mado by ouo of my neighbors a few days ago. 1 havo a copy of, tho last dairymen's roport, and I was glad to, sco tho importanco thoy attached tothomat-i tcr of cleanliness. Ono of my neighbors ob served it. When ho returned tho book ha said that he did not liko it, 11 thoy were too nice' IJo noticed in the book that thero was great daugcr, of tho milk passing through impuro air in going from tho teat to, tho pail, ,' When a man gets as nice as that he don't livo but a short timo." But, givo mo puro air from choice Tho cow is naturally a very clean animal aud never lies down iu tho filth unless oblig ed to do so. ... Thero is room for great Improvement ini tho arrangement of our stables, and I believe.' the time Is near at hand when all intelligent dairymen will havd their cowa as clean in winter as.in summer. 'And last, but not least in importance, is a uniform, kind, quiet, gentlo management of all cows and bcifors. Any Budden excite-, meat liko fear, has a markcd.tcndency, it has been shown us, to diminish the flow, of milk. If any farmer has kicking, vicious cows, he is responsible for it. Young cows havo a natural instinct to prescrvo thoir milk for their young and resist having it drawn from tho udder. Let us overcome this instinct of their nature by kiadncss. The cow takes pleasure in being milked ithen there is a proper understanding between her and the milker. I heard a conversation, a few days ago, between two men ; ono was telling the other of a vicious heifer ho had, that he could not milk, and ho fiually was obliged to fat. Tho other, after hearing his story, remarked that ho thought tho heifer " wasn't whipped enough." " Whipped cuough," said the other, "I broke up every milking sttol ou tho farm, and it didn't seem to quiet her at all." But still tho sccoud man maintained that the theory was right; if ho had ouly been more thorough, and fought it out on that line, ho was sure it would havo been a success. I reflected that this civilized and chris tian land of ours offers as fair a field for mis sionary labor as tho Cannibal Islands. Tho man who has tho caro of dumb animals, aud feels for them no sympathy, who takes no ploasuro in their satisfaction and comfort, loses one of the great enjoyments of farm life. To him Buch labor is drudgery, aud ho should turn butcher at once. Wo read that in ancient times, amongst a barbaric people, tho cow was held as a sa cred animal of worship ; and I would that enough of that barbario custom might de scend upon us to temper dowu ovcry species of cruolty to our domestic animals. jgortixuUuxc. For Ihs Vermont Kinmu. THE JOURNAL OF INGLESIDE, NO 7, DV HOKTKNSll'S. Iteful'm In drape Clilturt. fall my grapo viucs woro grubbed their trellises were cleared away. Last up, and Thereon hangs a tale. Six or eight yours ago, when tho grapo mania was at its height over tho wholo land from Maine to Califor nia, I caught the fever. I traveled far to visit vinoyards and to sit at tho feet of sago yiuegrowcrs. I read everything rotating to tho subject which 1 could lay hold of. Tbo very word grapo bad a mysterious charm for me, and I fouud a faaoinatiou in attending upon the growing vines. At that timo fee. blohot-houso vines, with stems uo larger than a crow's quill, and a very few roots contorted with agony at being compelled to wander from side to side in little pots, wero soiling at prices ranging from fifty cents to five dol lars ; 1 collected most of tho best advertised sorts. At that timo Dr. Uraut was issuing from Ioua Island in tho Hudson his wordy catalogues, extolling in unmeasured terms his own new grapes, aud drilling our new vino. yardists in tho precise and laborious methods of vineyard culture which ho had adopted from French and German books. So I be came a dlsciplo of the doctor, and choao for my vines tho borders about tho house and a rich plot in my garden. Tho soil was a light loam. It was nearly black with vegetable matter, and was already deep from cultiva tion; but following tbo precepts of our great authority I trenched the soil eighteen inches deep in tho garden plot and threo feet deep In my borders. Into tho latter was worked a large amount of compost, cto,, but the garden being very rich I hoped to obtain fair results thero without so complete preparation, I will now confess I was tired of ditching and wheeling manure Icforo got through with my borders, and wanted to compromiso with tho doctor, Well, in this soil so prepared 1 set my vines, and for several years tialncd aud prunod, them with most conscienelous regard V? tho rules prescribed. Yet scarcely any thing ver camo of nil this caro and toil but a moril, Tho vines in the deeper and rich er borders died of dyspepsia, or led a sickly lifo ftle from mildew. Those in the garden plot wero my admiration whilo they wero youag, so finely did thoy grow and so broad and green woro their leaves ; and their few first clusters of fruit I fondly accepted as a promise of abundant crops to como. glut troublo came; not grapes. Tbo vines griw beyond my control. Each year thoy sejit forth numerous caues, twelve to twenty fft long. Thcso climbed to tho top of the trellis, and tbenco trailed back to tbo ground, oy clasped hands across tho alloys, so as In nrOVent nn.isnira imoiw thorn. I removad pttt of) tho vines, but th;q noxt year it was Jt.ik- -tr? .1 . rao?s with grapes, and I stood wltli'fthera at a diitantC, that thoy might admire them. Whenever they brought mo near the vines for a closer examination, the absenco of fruit demanded of mo a humiliating explanation ; and thejr respect for mo as a gardener was always lowered. 1, learned to dread tho timo of 'tho vintage, whon Mater familial should Inquire for grapes, and manifest dis appointment at tho light offerings I should pnly be ablo to bring, so, as ovcry means 1 employed for checking tho growth of wood and turning tho foreo of tho vines to tho production of fruit faded, tho reproach be camo iutolcrablo, and tho vines camo out by the roots. ,' Such mistakes as this, mado all over tho country, have taught ua tho requirements of our nativo grapes.. We have found that a dry soil, and una only moderately fcrtilo, fa vors their productiveness. Dry, gravelly, 'slaty, or bven clay ridges, or knolls, with tho oil well stirred, while thoy encourago but a inoderato growth of wood, are found to .en sure tho heaviest crops of fruit ; and in lcli situations tho fruit will bo of tho best pialjty, high flavored, and abundant in su- Four years ago a neighbor, whose location k.a ridgo of very compact clay, was in 4oubt whether he could raise grapes. 1 en couraged him to plant them freely, and fur nished him strong layers. Tho second and third ycais ho had moro fruit than 1 had, and tho past season his vines boro an im mense load. I have , a few vines planted about a ledge, which bear well ; and in a dry, gravelly loam, whore 1 am starting anow, my vines jjivo promise of tho most satisfactory behavior. With respect to tho pruning of grape viues, wo havo also learned inucb. J, bo nab- it of growth of our American species requires tfcjjwo'give moro room on -the trellis, and lcavo longer fruiting-spurs, thau would bo ullowaMo with the foreign species. Canes several feet iu lciiglh, to bo renewed each year, aro now advocated. At first I em ployed Fuller's method of training, two horizontal arms branching from au upright trunk at one or two feet from the ground. But 1 found this method entirely impracti cable iu this climate, whero wo must cover our grapo vines in tho winter. After thq vines get large and stiff it is impossiblo to get them down to cover them without split ting and breaking them. If two or sovcral stems are brought up from tha ground and spread over tho trellis iu fun shape, they may be bent dowu safely. This is tho meth od novices will most readily follow ; but I propoto to start my new vines with ouo stem kept at a very slight angle with tho surface of tho soil, aud to lead each iu tho samo di rection on tho trellis. From this single stem, continued iudefiuitcly, or from its short spurs, all tho fruiting canes aro to bo started. When this stem reaches the top of the trel lis, mounting diagonally, it is to bo contin ucd over tho baso of tho next vine, and tho young canes aro to bo allowed to fall natu rally on cither sido. Thus tho necessity of tying up tho growing shoots in summer will be obviated, though there might be some dif ficulty with a few kinds whose tender bhoots aro easily blown off by tho wind ; and such vincx, after pruning, can easily bo laid down and covered. So, let us divest grape culturo of the mys tery aud tho difficulty which was at first as sociated with it, and mako it as simple as any other culture, so that tho farmer who can raise a good crop of corn or potatoes may, with the samo rcasonablo caro, (hardly moro,) enjoy with bis family aud his friends a crop of this most delightful fruit. LIME ON LAND. It. Crothers, West Charitou, N. Y., writes to tho New York Farmers' Club his experi ence with lime : In tho west part of Sara toga County, for tho last half century, limo for farming has boon quite genorally used. Tho soil of our scotion is loam, interspersed with coarse sand, ami sometimes small por tions of clay. We aro what might bo called small farmers, the amount of land owned by each cultivator varying from 50 to 200 acres, and would overage obout 100 acres to oach farmer; and wo generally pursuo what is called a mixed husbandry. Wo have val uable quarries of bluo Hmestono, and several limekilns, which hold from' 400 to COO bushcln of lime. I camo iuto possession of the farm that I now occupy in tho spring of 1831, It had becu rcutcd to various individuals for 18 years; tho soil Impoverished by continual plough ing could uot raise 500 pounds of bay to tho acre. Tha second year I put on 250 bushels of limo upon two and a half acres, and upon tho other part of tho field of two and a half acres, forty loads of barn manure. On the 15th of September, after the ground was prepared, the quick-lime was scattered upon tho top, and also.the manure was spread up ou tha othor part of tho field, and upon that part of tho lot that had been limed the crop was ouc-fourth grcator than upon that part that bad been manured, Tho next yoar sowed with barley and sooded. On that part of tho field limed, tho straw grew strong and bright, and in no way injured by worms ; tho grain was heavy and bright, and one sixth moro bushels than upon tho other part of tho field ; and for a number of years tho difference was decidedly in favor of tho limod part. Soon after I built a lime-kiln upon tho farm, and every year up to 1872, havo used from two to four hundred bushels of lime. I havo used it in various ways, but I think tho correct way is to draw from tho kiln in tho shell, throw in a pilo In tho field, and let it remain until it is all slacked, then, after tho ground is plowed and harrowed. load into a wagon, and with a shovel scatter as evenly as possible, at tho rato of fifty to soventy-fivo bushels of stono lime to the acre, While many of my neighbors aro com. plaining of tho distraction dono by tho worms I havo not lost ..one bushel of corn. or . an v other kind of grain, in twenty years by' worms. On land that has been well limed the crops will not bo disturbed by such troub lesomo customers as grubs or wire-worms. We consider it very valuable as entering in to tho straw, keeping tho clean, bright color, and also producingjhoavier grain. From tho closest observations that I havo been able to mako in tho uso of limo for for ty years, I think tho beneficial effects havo been seen upon land that has had fifty bush els to the aero from sixteen to eighteen years. It enlivens, changes, and warms up cold land, and is peculiarly well calculated to produce a largo crop of clover and after that crop I nover fail in getting a good crop of corn. 1 havo sold a good article of stono limo at tho rato of 810 per 100 bushels at tho kiln ; but now with tho increased amount of wages to laborers, it cannot bo afforded (burnod with wood) at less than $18 per 100 bush els. But at that rate, taking into account tho various beneficial effects, and tho great durability of limo in the soil it cannot be doubted but that it is far cheaper than any artificial manures that can bo obtained in the market. Tho most economical way is to take, muck and mako a. compost. Take two parts of good vegetablo muck with one part of unslacked lime and throw in a pile, and soon tho limo will warm up tho. muck ; then draw and spread just boforo the last harrow ing. Tho samo land that I formerly got on ly about GOO to 1000 pounds of hay to the' acre from, 1 now can, on an average, get two tons. I think the increase is owing to the uso of lime. Michigan larmcr. HOW TO PLUCK POULTRY. That farmer whose poultry is uot troubled with tbo gapes, that has uot becu visited with the chicken cholera, knows what it is 'to"pr'epare forty or fifty "fowls for market, since the practico of scalding has been vetoed by tho buyers. I have known persons on market dav to go out and kill a dozen or fiftccu at a timo, and bring them iuto a room where thero would bo half a dozen women and boys pulling a few feathers at a timo, be tweun thumb and forefinger to prevent tearing them. Now for tho benefit of such, I givo our plan : Hang tho fowl by the feet by a small cord ; then with a small knife givo ouo cut across tho upper jaw, opposito the cor ncrs of tho mouth ; after tho blood has stop. ped running a stream, placo tho poiut of tho knife in tho groove in tho upper part of tho mouth, ruu tho blado up iuto tho back part of tho head, which will cause a quivering and twitching of tbo muscles ; now is your time, for every feather yields as if by magic, aud thero is uo danger of tearing the most tender chick ; beforo ho attempts to flap, you can havo him as baro as tho day he came out of tho egg. Tho wiso ones may discuss tho reason. I only tho effects. Cor. N. V. Tribune. COOKING FOOD. During a recent conversation with an ob serving aud skillful farmer, ho said that by soaking corn meal and then cooking it over a slow fire for six or eight hours, the meal would becomo expanded doublo iu bulk, and would feed swiue twico as long as when mere ly soaked in cold water. Ho had tried it on a largo herd of swine, and tho experiment was mado iu December. Tho cost of the fu el must come out of tho profits of cook ing, but this he had uot determined. Coun try Gentleman, EARLY CHICKENS. It is now timo for thoso who want to havo early chickens, and particularly thoso who are raising any of tho puro breeds aud expect to send their chickens to tho full shows, to make up their brcoding stock for tho coming season. It is a mistake commonly mado at this season of tha year, to put too many eggs under a hen. Soven or nine aro enough for tho largest hen ; for if sho is so fortunato as to cover them all, and not allow tho outer ones to get chilled, sho will not bo ablo to cover her chicks well during tho long cold nights of early spring. It is particularly csseu tial at this season of the year that both food and water and a dust-bath bo placed whero tho setting hons can havo a convenient access to them for n short exposure at this season chills tho eggs. Live Stock Journal, "TimeXntj salt. Prof. Johnson recommends for fertilizing purposes to mix ono bushel of salt and two bushels of dry limo under cover, and allow the mixture to decompose gradually, thus forming chemical uuiou, For this purposo the mixture should be made six weeks beforo use, or still better, two or threo months, tho heap being turned over occasionally. This salt and limo mixture, when applied at tho rato of 20 or 30 bushels per aero, forms an excellent top-dressing for many crops. It acts powerfully on tho vegetablo matter of soils ; 50 bushels applied to turnips have produced as largo a crop as barnyard ma nure. It is destructive to grubs and insects in the soil. Like salt, it attracts moisture from the air, and is useful against drouth, Its decomposing power Is remarkable, and If 3 or 4 bushels are mixed with a load of muck. tho latter will be thoroughly powdered. INFLUENCE OF STOCKS. Colman't Rural says : An esteemed cor respondent in Ohio sends us tho following extract, taken from tho Oinoinnati GazettCj and comments upon it as follows: "A few years ago I out off and grafted about two feet abovo tho ground a lot of fire'-ycar-old Colverts as they stood in tho nursery rows. I grafted them with tho Homo Beauty and several other varieties. Thoso that havo I como into bearing are producing larger and finer apples than thoso grown on adjoining trees. 1 now havo ono Homo Beauty which measures 12J Inches around ono way, and 11 inches tho other. I am suro tha way to im provo apples In size and quality is to graft upon tho strongest growing varieties; and whero young seedlings aro used for tho pur pose, one wholo root should bo used, instead of cutting , thern op into sections as nnrssry- mcn havo been in tho habit of doing. In do ing this, only the strongest growing seedlings, such as the Colvort, should bo used. I hopo horticulturists will commenco experimenting in this dircotlon." Loveland, 0., Nor. 4, 1872. In grafting or budding on1 seedling stocks, 1 consider it highly necccssary that tho dons or buds should bo taken from trees that aro bearing the finest and best specimens of tho variety of fruit sought for for I am fully convinced from my long experienco that fruit grafted on seedling stocks will paftake moro or icss of tho nature of such stocks. I know that 1 shall bo met right hero with objections, for ' learned doctors " hold to tho contrary. I insist, however, that careful observation will convince any man, or any " committco " that what I havo declared is correct. But it will be revealed more plainly in some kinds of fruit than others. In support of what 1 have said, I will give a few facts that have como particularly under my observation ; I onco grafted an English white cherry on a wild cherry stock. When it came iuto bearing it boro cherries about two-thirds tho size of an English cherry, tho color of tho fruit red, and tho flavor near that of tho wild cherry, viz.: bitter. Another timo I took cions of an early May cherry and grafted part of them on Mazzard stocks and part on Morcllo stocks. When tho trees camo into bearing tho fruit was so different that each kind might have been called a dif ferent variety from the other. Any fruit grower can convinco himself of tho truth of this matter if he will tako clons from ono apple treo and graft them into twenty different young trees iu his orchard. When thoy como iuto bearing ho will proba bly find that tho fruit of any two will not be exactly alike. In my own neighborhood know many apple trees of our old standard varieties, tho fruit of which has becomo so degonorated that they can hardly now ba identified even by the best judges uf fruit. I repeat then, that all nurserymen and fruit raisers should be careful and select their cions and buds from trees in bcariug, aud trees, too, that produco tho finest and best flavored specimens of fruit. M. You.sa. SEEDING LAND. If you havo any land to seed shis Rpring, supposo you try a part of it without graiu. This practico teems to be gaining favor where- ever hhy is of moro accouut thau grain. If you have a rich, moist picco ot land that ought to be mado to produco two or three crops of hay in a season, try orchard gracs, at tho rato of two bushels of seed to the acre, with eight or ten pounds of clover and a bushel of June grass. This is heavy seed ing, but if you will manure liberally you ought to got heavy crops of hay. N, E. Farmer. 1MAP OF THE FARM. Nothing will so much conduce to the adop tion of a system of workiug tho farm as a well prepared map, huug whero tho farmer cau sco it ovcry day. It will bo suro to set him to thinking and planning how best to piteh his crops, and how best to work to save work. And ouco tho farmer adopts a system of farming, ho starts ou tho road to success. It matters not that the system is not tho best that could bo devised, so long as it is a sys tem it is indefinitely to bo preferred to the bap-hazard practico of many farmers. Wo, therefore, advise every reader who owns a farm to mako at once, or havo made, a map of it, and hang it up whero he can seo it ev ery day. And having mado it, study it, Rural Sun, THE INCREASE OF THE OF P. OF H, ORDER Ono of tho most astonishing things in the history of organizations of any kind, is in tho growth of tho Order of tho Patrons of Hus bandry. Fivo years ago there were only ono or two subordinate Granges in tho Western States ; two years ago thero wero ouly about a dozen iu Iowa, now there aro not less than cloven hundred Granges, with a membership of about 00,000; in Illinois about 300 Granges; in Minnesota ovor 150 Granges; in Wisconsin about 200 ; in Nebraska somo 75 ; in Kansas porhaps 50 ; in South Caro- Una about 200 ; Mississippi 50 or 100 in fact it is difficult to keep up tho progress of tho Order. For tho past threo weeks wo havo published an avcrago of 55 now Graugcs every week, and in this week's number thero aro about 80. Wo havo had letters of in quiry during the past ten days from tho most remote parts of tho country, asking us about tho Order, aud how to proceed to es tablish it In their states, iucludlng Maino, California and Texas. Verily the peoplo aro awaka aud seeking light, and tho infor mation that will cnablo them, as producers, to act together innovating their own profession and securing their rights from their opprcs- eors. In nearly thirty states tho banner of tho Order has been unfolded, aud tho Granges havo boen established. Iowa Home stead. Tho man most likely to make his mark In tho world, One who cannot write his own uamo. Wt pirtieutart) Juirt ttnlrlbulttm It Ikti column upon alliuhitH (niiri)tlng It turMy rtaitri. For th VeuxoST Flints. TO A FRIEND. A LETTER My dear Faith : "There are foam-emoroMereJ octn, There are UtUo wood-cltd rllli i There arc feeble Inch-high uplines, Thero are cedari on the hills. OoJ, who counts by loulf. not elation), Loves and prospere you and moi For to Illmalt ralndlsttnctlons Are o pebbles In the e." You complain almostbittcrly of your pov erty, and I am not going to blamo you for I find myself doing tho samo sometimes, but when I look with my oyes open, then I can sco, for " God who counts by souls, not sta tions," loves you and me, ay, and prospers us too. Let us see. We always havo enough to cat to satisfy hunger, and if delicacios dd-. not often drop into our faro, our health is all tho better for it. You and I do not havo moro than one or two dresses, and those aro nover nice ones, in a year. As for our hats wo wear them two or three seasons, trim them anow with tho old ribbon washed and ironed sometimes. Kid gloves, " dear to tho heart of women " wo nover could afford to buy. Wo go to church, wo cannot havo tho conscicnco to stay away for clothes' sake, and each thinks : " How shabby I am I No ono can caro for mo or think I am anything " and wo shrink into corners. As for going into company wo don't try it much, but occasion ally wo aro invited to a somewhat rare en tertainment, and wo declare wo will not go, wo havo nothing to, wear, but we want to so much, and finally wo yield saying : What did sho atk me for ! Sho might know-1 would go, and I ought not to for I'vo not a nico dress in tho world," but stop, honest poverty is no disgrace, and as for those who think-it is, wo do not caro for their opinion, and if we1 havo but little to spend on dress, we shall learn that there aro things so much bettor than dress. . And then books, and pictures, and flowers, wo could speud n fortune for theso if wo had it, but there would bo so many- flowera we could not tako good caro of, nor havo' timo to enjoy all of them ; now we know and love each individual plant. Of pictures, so many thero-would not bo room tohang theui all ; now, wo get a picture ono year and a frame for it the next, so when wo do get it up1 it is very precious aud a joy forever. Aud books, if wo wero rich, 1 fear wo should buy more than would bo good for us ; we should buy everything, and read them so fast as not to get half their value. Now wo get only tho best, we cannot afford to buy trash, and read them thoroughly, and hold them in pre cious keeping ever afterwards. But hardest of all wo havo to work so constantly, for wc aro poor, that our souls don't grow. Wo gave up htudying long ago, wo nover hear lectures, we never travel, and wo can't liud much timo to read ; so wo aro stunted and never get to be " cedars on the hills," but ouly " iuch-high saplings." 0 thank God, who " counts by souls, not sta tions," that Ho loves, loces you and mo! But our station though lowly is not to bo despis ed, becauso God placed us iu it, and perhaps it will keep us so humblo that wc shall think moro of God's work than our own, and so find our lives by losing them. Truly your Friend, Ethiopia. Tor tho VcnuoxT FJinutn. RESPONSIBILITY. HOME A correspondent in a lato Farmit. asks tho question, Which is the worst, the murderer or tho rumseller? By tho way N. L. D. states tho question, I judgo sho would decide against tho rum- heller. Without joining issue upon that point, I would say that iu my humblo opin ion tho rumseller is not the only guilty party iu this business of manufacturing drunkards. Tho appctito for strong drink is very often acquired long before tho victim ever visits a grogshop. Tho seed is sown in tho nursery at their own fireside. Tbo country is flooded with quack nostrums in tho form of ano dynes, cordials, fee, &c, which aro forced dowu tho throats of tho littlo innoceuts, uutil tho system learns to depend upon tho stimu lants thus introduced. Then tho appctito craves something of lika nature. Hence we can sco how easy it is for thcso children thus treated to yield to tbo temptations that are suro to bo presented to almost every one sooner or later. Again, tho practice of giving them highly seasoned food and at unseasonable hours, is a fruitful sourco of mischief by vitiating the tasto and causing an unnatural and uncon trollable appetite, thus rendering thcra an ea sy proy to tho " snaro of tho fowler." Again, beverages which aro in constant uso in almost ovcry community, which contain a small percentage of alcohol, and are deemed by the mass to bo quito harmless, tend to develop an appetite for something stronger, an appctito that is not easily got rid of, and when it demands indulgcnco it requires moro stamina and moral courage than is possessed by tho majority of young men to say no. Who is responsible for appetites formed by using alcohollo liquors in cookiug 7 In a lato number of tho Farmer I saw a rccipo for making minco pies, whero to ono quart of apples one-half pint of best French brandy Is used. Now let every family in our land mako minco pies after that recipe for one generation, and if you don't at the end of that timo find an iucreaso of grogshops of more than 500 per cent., then I'm no Yankea end will not try guessing again. I'm no apologist for tho rumseller, but I think thero is a great deal of ammunition wasted by not understanding tho exact posi tion of tho foo. Our efforts would bo moro successful If they wero directed to the root of tho matter. I consider the business of the rumseller anything but laudable, and would havo all tho iuflueuce possiblo brought to bear against it. At tha same time 1 would havo every mother in tho land understand her responsibility. Let us stop fostering appetities for strong drinks in tbo young, then may wo sco grogshops diminishing, until they shall all dlo for want of customers. Arville.