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..i wet Siafrt AJISr -A.O-HiaXJLTXTIt-A.ILi A.3ST3D iP-A.MI31.7Sr ISTBWSPAPBB ITODErt TiH TTIR A.LISTS OF TIKE a-BBEisr JVCtotCTTulilSr STATE. VOL. V.-HO 26, ST. JOHNSBURY, FRIDAY, MAY 28 1875. AVHOLE NO. 234. J1 ; mIT i-unusHRn KVr.itv viiiiut nv ROYAjL CTJAtMitfGS, ST. JOllIVSllUIlY, VT. 0, HORACE HUBBARD, Agricultural Ed'r, V. O. Aildre.it Springfield, VI. Term, of 8ibcrlptlou. One copj raw year, M In ad ranee, i,..,Twn Dollari. One copy lx month,. uneuoiiar. On. coitr three monUil. on trial. Fifty Ceut. VrtB of PoataRe in any Point In (lis Untied State, or Canada,. All ihkii tloiiprd when the lutucrlptlon ua expired. In requcltlne . change of atlilreM, the por-lolllcs It I to tie changed rruta anouw DC gtren aa wen ai ine new nonreM. No matter wnrve you flee. alwaya'AaWyonr letiere from the pottemee where'you reeelre your mil and jrou ttllt ure tnucn neeuiesa annoyance. Communication! for the Agriculture) .Department houhi Ite au.lreeed 10 ine Agricultural euiior ai apnugneMi, , 1, To the Beadori of the Farmer. In taking tho chair or agricultural alitor of tha Vermont Farmer 1 have pot sufii- cient vanity to issume that I am capable of teaching (ho farmers or Vermont upon tho subject of farming. It is iny purpose rather to join with them in the discussion of ques tions of common interest, to glean for their benefit that which is most valuable and sag geslive in the agricultural press, to keep them informed of tho progress of improve mcnts in all matters pertaining to farming, and to incite In their minds, so far as in my power, a spirit of emulation in tho nobla causo of raising the farmer to a higher in tellectual, sociul, and pecuniary level. Re lieving, as I do, that the soil of Vermont holds a mine of wealth which will afford a return for those who labor with intelligent enthusiasm, fully equal to tho averago gained in any other occupation ; that no greater degrco of self-denying labor is neces sary to secure success in farming than in trade or tho professions ; that its independ ence, healthfulncss and opportunities for tho real luxuries of life and for social enjoy ment are superior to those afforded by any other calling, I shall strive to persuado young mcu just entering upon active life with glowing dreams of success, to give their abundant zeal and strength to this noblest, surest, and safest vocation. 1 shall recognize with cheerful gratitude the light that science is throwing upon tho path of tho farmer, the helpful and timoly assistance which inventors are offering, and the benefits which breeders of improved stock and originators of new varieties of grain and crops aro conferring, for the com mon good of all ; and even higher than these shall I apprcciato tho results of tho observa tion and experiments of farmers themselves, whose contributions to tha fund of agricul tural knowledge arc of mora valuo than all others, and who mako the ultimate test which accepts or rejects the offerings of all the others, who in comparison are mere the orists. farmers everywhere aro irjvited to writo to the paper. They are assured that trjeic pon)inunications are regarded as a most val uable feature of the Fahmkk. Ijrief de scriptions of actual operations in raising props or stock, and of farm improvements, wth the results, whether favorablo or qther wise, are especially acceptable. I trust tho readers of the Famier will bpar with charity tho short-comings of tho agricultural editor, keeping i) mind th.at tho work given to the paper is done in hours un willingly yiplded from the fjeld and farm yard by a busy farmer. 0. Hon ace IIUBBAnD. Springfield, f,., ay 19, 875. t Young grasshoppers rc reported as swarmipg i rnany sections of thg West, de stroying everything green, and causing great alarm to the people. 0. S. Hubbard, Vicksburg, sends us a package of cotton seeds, from which, consid ering the coolness of tho season, we shall not expect a very perfect crop. We havo received from Hon. Ashley Stone, of Wilmington, a sample of maple sugar, which, in color, grain and flavor is very One. Wilmington is noted lor the quantity and quality of its maple sugar. 1 . It is reported that tho woodchucks havo held a grand council and pow.wow, and voted that it is no uso to try to foroe tho reason by premature and ill-considered en terprise, and have all' returned reluctantly, sadly, to their winter quarters. Tho second biennial report of tli9 Vermont Stato Hoard of Agriculture Manufactures and Mining is now ready for delivery, and is furnished to the mombcrs of the legisla ture for free distribution. Parties desiring copies should apply to their representative. Tho Monthly Report of tho Department of Agriculture for April is at hand, contain ins in tho digest of April returns, winter wheat prospects ; condition, losses and dis eases of farm animals; market prices of farm products; live stock. markets, etc., and record of chemistry, botany and entomology - . . L. II. Arnold, who is well known to tho dairymen of Vermont as a careful and rolia bio speaker, stated at a meeting in Manehcs ter, N. II., that Now York dairymen who rav 8200 per aero for their farms are get ting ricl, at selling mJlk at a fraction oyer two pents a quart. Oan dairymen in Yor mont make a living? Ant now the tent caterpillar is seen abroad in the land. Those who would save their fruit must attend to him. A Lowoll oorroBpondent of tho New England Farmer writes that he has been successful in destroy incr tho tent caterpillars on his apple trees for the past seventeen years, in tho following manner : Tako one pint of soft soap to two gallons of water, and after dissolving tho soap, mako a swab on the end of n nolo. which, after dipping In the suds Insert into tbo nest of the caterpillars and twist it ft fow times, when most of them will ha removed. and tho others all killed, if touched by the i JSUU3, Hon. Uco. F. Edmunds has our thanks for valuable pnblio documents. ; Tho frequency of drouth reminds the dai ryman or tho necessity of providing green forage of somo kind. Tho most common crop is fodder corn. Land should be well manured and the seed sowed in drills three and one-half feet apart, with three to six kernels to tho foot. Too much seed is usu ally sown. Wo prefer sweet corn. Hunga rian grass may be sown in Juno after the weather and tho soil are warm. Messrs. T. O. Huntington and E. II. Lib by, of Amherst, Mass., nij) Issue in June, the first number of a 10-pige monthly, styled tho Scientific Farmer. "Its chief aim will be to unite science moro closely With practice in tho operations of tho farm ; In. other words to make the methods of .farm tng ' mire direct, sure and ecdnomieal,"' Their facilities for the work are superior, and wo wish tlicin success. Price one dot- ar a year. Clover fields and other grass lands where plaster proves beneficial to crops, should havo a light dressing, just beforo a rain. The lato Judge Colburn, one ot tho most successful men in tho state In the cultivation of tho soil, was in the habit of sowing a peck of plaster to an acre on all his mowing fields every year. We have changed a light crop of white top to a heavy crop of red clover by a, half bushel of plaster to an acre, Somo seasons there is no perceptible effect ; others the result is very gratifyiog. Section 12 of the act of tho legislature for regulating the capture of fish and gamo pro vides that any person or corporation who engage in the culture offish in private en closures," eta, shall put up notices at con venient places on their premises, indicating that, no fishing is permitted. And any per son who shall catch any fish, or foul tho wa ter by any substance deleterious to the fishes, break the dams, divest the water or do any other damage, shall be liable to a fine of $100 or six months in the county jail. Streams or ponds stocked with Gsh in good faith, oither by breeding or otherwise, are protected by this net. Putting a dozen trout into a brook for tho purpose of sub jecting trespassers to tho abovo penalty would not bo a compliance with tho act. The Springfield Republican, reads a plain and forcible lecture to parents on the subject of teaching daughters housekeeping. Our cotemporary says : " How dare we call that education, which unfits one for real service, and tends chiefly to ill health and useless- ness? What are parents thinking of, who tako no pains to' instruct their daughters in tho rudiments and higher branches of house keeping, but allow them to drift toward the sea of housewifery, on the strong tide of pop ular amusements ? What do educators mean who fjU qp their curriculum of study with various flashy accomplishments, and give little or no thought to that which is more necessary and substantial? W submit, that there, is at least room here for a philan thropic suggestion, on a subject affecting tho welfare of posterity." Now, while admitting the necessity for alarm on this important subject, we respectfully' submit that anxiety on the subject of the hqusekeeping education of farmers' daughters, at least in Vermont, is uncalled for, We can testify to their skill in the domestio arts as wcl) as to thpir apcomplishmeuts, If any of tho young gen tlemen friends qf tho lfcpuUicqn aro playr ipg ! Cuplebs in search of a wife,1' we ad vise them to visit somp of the farm houses of Vermont. BREVITIES, Connecticut produces eight to ten million pounds of tobacco per annum. Tho planters in Alabama ere planting for a large crop of corn this season. Josiah Hamblot of Charleston made 2025 lbs. maple sugar from -180 trees. Western New York is said to produce onc.half of all tho apples in the United States. The expenses of tho National Grange last year are now officially placed at "about ?tou,uuu." From thrco to fivo hundred horses and mulos havo been killed in Fayetto County, Tennessee, by the Buffalo gnats. Tho next session of tho American Porno- logical Society will bo held in Chloago on tho 8th, Oth and 10th of September next. Tho Philadelphia l'rest says the Pennsyl vania wheat crop alono will fall short near ly ten millions bushels of tho average yield. Tho New Orleans Vicayune says tho fruit yield this season will bo quadruplo that of last year, and the largest ever known at the South. Peaches and grapes will be especially abundant. One-half of tho wholo cultivated areas in Great Britain, or about 2:1,000,000 acres, is given up to permanent pasture and meadow, ana tho average yield ot bay Irom it is only 2010 pounds per acre. Simeon llobbins, of Craftsbury, sold a pair of yearling steers to Stratton and Gago tor the meat cart that weigbct beloro dress ing 1.580 pounds. Amasa Scott also sold one to tho same parties that weighed 000 lbs. It is stated that of about 1000 horses which havo died in New York city during the past winter S00 had died from rot and otber diseases ot tho boot caused by travel log in salted slosh, and 127 from nails caught m tueir met. Tho United States Salmon Breeding in California is to bo carried ouUuis year on larger scale than oyer. i.aBt year it was the largest in the world, and this yoar the extent of its operations is to be doubled, It will be, aa heretofore, under the charge of Mr. Livingston Btona of the U. S. Fish Commission. Ten millions salmon eggs will bo piooured n possible. Tho New England Farmer says : From twenty to thirty quarts of Hungarian gross seed is enough lor an acre ; the latter qnan titv will give a finer quality of hay, and ii not too much if the land is rich and not too dry. This crop does best ou warm corn lspd and it should not bo sown till settled warm weather, sav from the first of June to the beginning of J uly. Tho price of seed varies from 82.00 a buhl upward, according to the demand, We have known it as high as 84.00, but usually it oan bo bought tor Irom I 82.00 to 82.00 per bushel at retail, Root Crops. . It is not yet too into to put in root crops of somo kinds. ' Tho season would now be short for beets, ns the yield of that crop do. pends largely otra long season,' and they do not grow in cold weather and stand frost, like turnips. Our root crop, crown for years, and with which wo aro entirely satis fled, is tho sweet Ocrman turnip. It is hardy, easy of cultivation and 'harvesting, yields largely, keeps well, and is very nutri tious. Tho grain is fine', and flavor sweet, and it is highly oitocmed for the table. Thcro Is no more labor in growing and liar vesting a crop of turnips, than a crop of corn of equal area. Farm stock of all kinds requira succulent food in our long, sevcro winters. A dally ration of roots preserves the health and as. sists inithejdigestlon ol'. dryifood, besides be- iug icrj uourisning ami paiaiaoto 10 me an imals. Our own cattlo will leave corn'-mcal for roots. Two. or three bushels a day, and a little dry hay will fat a beef in six weeks, and mako sweet beef too, and moro tender and juicy than if fattened on corn meal Tho cost of fattening cattlo on turnips is very small. Wo would as. soon think of entering tho winter without hay as without roots. Every farmer should raiso them Tor stock. Turnips thrivo fast on rather dry, warm land, They requlro heavy manuring and an application of superphosphate in tho drill, although good crops can bo grown without artificial fertilizers. Hut no crop needs su perphosphate more, or pays better for it than turnips. We havo used tho Oreen Mountain Soluble, and Uradlcy'a X L, both with satisfactory results. The Hrighton Animal Fertilizer, made by Jackson & Bow ker, of Doston, is highly recommended by chemists and farmers who have used it. Wo havo never tried it, but shall test it this season. Sow seed with a drill, thrco or thrco and one-half feet apart, and thin to ten inches in the drill, allowing only one plant in a placo. Seed may be sown the tenth of Juno or even later. Value of Btraw as Food for Farm Stock. Prof. W. O. Atwatcr, in a paper on " How science is saving money and increas ing tho profits of fanning," in tho Agricul' turist for May, contrasts tho utilizing of straw in England and its waste here, and explains in a very lucid and interesting man ner, why it is valuable, and how to save the digcstiblo substances. Ho says that on E ng lttli farms straw is stacked as carefully as hay and soId''for a guinea (85,09 gold) per ton for feeding In this country tho land is not manured as heavily and tho gratu stand's too long, the straw becoming over-ripe. To get tho full benefit cf all the digesti ble material in straw, other things must bo mixed with it. For these reasons, to se cure success in feeding stock the food must contain just such quantities of albuminoids (nitrogenous material, which go to make muscle or lean flesh) and carbo-hydrates, (which go to mako fut, and produce, animal heat) as aro adapted to tho wonts of tho animal. Straw has a large percentage of carbo-hydrates and a very small percentage of albuminoids. All of tho cascine and much of tho fut of milk comes from albuminoids ; all tho lean meat and much of tho fa.t aa wpll aa muscular forco como from albumin oids. Thercforo it ii necessary to mix with straw some food rich in nitrogen, such as clover, oil cake, bean or pea meal. Ilrau shorts and corn meal contain considerable albuminoids though less than the other ma terials. Our lands need nitrogen in tho manure as cattlo do in tho food, and if we use nitrogen ous food wo shall havo richer mauuro and larger crops. German experiments show that tho albu minoids can do the work of the carbo-hy drates in tho nutrition of tho animal, to a grcator extent than tho carbo-hydrates can that of tho albuminoids. A dry cow, or an ox at rest requires one- part of nitrogen to eight of carbo-hydrates, while straw of oats, wheat or rye, cut whilo green, and tho grain in tha milk has theso in the ratio of 1 to l!i or 18. Milch cows and oxen at work, rcquiro a fur greater pro portion of albuminoids than one to eight. In common bay tho proportion of albuminoids to carbo-hydrates is about 1 to 5, and this is a proper proportion for ordinary feeding, but milch cows do better on clover, which has 1 to 2. A great deal of food which is ordinarily considered very poor is really very valuable. It is only because it lacks nitrogen. To realize its full worth for fodder other foods richer in nitrogen must bo added to it. In this way cheap mixtures may bo mado rich enough for all purposes of feeding. One of tho chief defects, in our agricul ture is tho want of nitrogen in food and in manure. To remedy this wo need to uso nitrogenous products, and to cultlvato brans, peas, clover, and other crops rich in nitro gen. Especially let us havo more clover, as the quickest, and most available resort, Thorough Culture for Destroying; Weeds. The Gcrmantown Telegraph has this good advico ; Our remedy for noxious weeds is thorough cultivation. If a piece of ground is full of briers, mlllc-wced, couch-grass, sodom-applcs, Canada thistles,' sorrel, toad flax, 'or other miserable stuff that so often tries tho raettlo of our good farmers, let them nut the ground iu corn for a couplo of years or so, keeping tho cultivation going continually, and cspo cially going in the earliest parts of the sea. son, -and tho toughest character among these weeds will fall to stand tho ordeal. If the hand-bee can bo .pared to go In among the tho hills of corn occasionally, wherothe teeth of tho harrow cannot reach, or to out off here and there ono which the barrow may miss, a bad case may bo oured in a singlo season, But If this cannot be dono, a couplo of successive years with a sharp-toothed cul tivator among a corn crop will generally do tho business for tho worst caso that over was, Poultry on the Farm. The Nete England Farmer has an edlto rial of practical valan.on tho suMeat of farm poultry, from which wo cohdenso as follows : We are fighting nature all the time when wo trv to cet chickens out in winter, or oven to obtain eggs in winter, and wo shall he Baro to come out second best unless we. can, in some wayv bring our poultry into nearly the same conditions under wbieu they breed daring the warm months. Why is It that eggs are always cheap In the spring, and chickens bring low prices in tho fall? Simply becauso spring is the natural season for birds to lay, and the fall tho natural time for having young birds pf suitable size for the table. It is not natural for our domestio fowls to lay untif they aro about a year old. it we would hasten their maturity, wo must give them spring and summer' weather during .the winter. If ono can do tuts without too cr'ent best, he may havo eggs and youdg birds to sell out of season when tho priees must be much higher than at tho natural harvest time for these products. Last spring tho market was completely glutted with eggs. Twenty-five cents was the highest retail prico in the country villages around Boston for many weeks. There seemed to bo no outlet for the surplus, and eggs were tho cheapest animal food, by the pound, offered for sale. Last fall, dressed poultry was equally plenty and cheap in our markets. Boston was full of it from Thanksgiving to Christ mas, and one could buy ordinary qualities at about his own- prioe. This wjotor, eggs havo been in good demand again and prices havo fully doubled since last May. It costs a little more to produce eggs in winter than in summer, but they can bo produced under proper conditions even then. The first requi site is a warm, dry, light and airy room, largo enough to give ample conveniences to the number of fowls kept. A variety of food, chopped vegetables, meat, oyster shells, gravel, Ac., aro all well enough with tho warm room, but, without it, all tho uxings named in the largest poultry book, will bo of little avail towards produc ing plenty of eggs in cold weather. Hens must bo cheatod into tho belief that it is spring time, or they cannot and will not lay in winter. It is not instinct that tells, our winter birds, tho crow, tho bluo jay and tho chickadee, that they must not lay their eggs till warm weather, becauso it they built their nests and laid their eggs In wiutcr thoy would freczo, but they lay in Bpring instead ef the winter, becauso in tho spring tho weather favors the growth of eggs, and when eggs are grown they must be brought forth. There is no doubt that a Ions courso of breeding in a state of domestication has in creased tho ability of our hens to lay in win ter, but expose them now to tho full severi ties of our cold winters and not an egg shall we get. The kind of fowls to keep will depend somewhat upon what they are kept for, whether for eggs, or for raising poultry, or for both. If eggs alone are the object, somo of the non-aitting varieties, so called, will, undoubt edly, lay thd largest number in a' year, but theso are generally small towls and cannot enduro the samo degree of cold as the larger birds, like the Asiatics, which are natives of a colder climato. It one is keeping poultry only for supply ing tho fumily tablo, and has no auitablo place for keeping fowls warm and comfort able In winter, ho had better keep tha Leg horns, Black Spanish or some other of the summer layers, and. onlyxpeet eggs when they aro cheap, but if he would havo eggs in winter when they are costly to buy, or if a money income is an object, then select the larger breeds, give them a warm 'place, tako good care of them, and they will, provo a sourco of both pleasure and profit. To obtain the best success from these largo fowls, the chickens should bo hatched as early in spring as they can be safely pro tected from the cold weather. Largo size and early laying are antagonists qualities, one being attained at tho expense of tho other. The llrahmas have been bred of lato years, for sizo, great weights bringing great prices, but great weights do not accompany eariy mammy, xae Draumas are, accord ingly, a long while in getting their growth. If they are expected to lay all winter, the pullets must be batched early in spring, that they may have the whole summer in which to grow. If they can bo brought forward early enough to commenco laying in October or eariy in November, thoy will lay well all winter, well protected and well tod, and thoy will be ready to sit early in tho follow ing spring, thus affording an opportunity of gcttiog out another orop of early chickens lor laying, tho next winter, but, it tho chick ens ot these largo varieties aro not brought out until Juno or July, thero will bo little prospect ot getting eggs until the following spring, when eggs will bo plenty and cheap. If one desires to obtain the very largest profit from Brahma?, and Is willing to work for it, wo should say, raiso enough chickens every year to replaco all the old fowls. Wo havo kept Drahmaa long enough to feel warranted in saying that they can bo kept at work about all the timo after thoy are six months old, till thoy aro eighteen mo,i '.s old. Wo allow six months for growing, then expect about eleven to twelve months work, after which they should bo turned off as dressed poultry. Hatched in February or March, they will begin to lay early in the lull and will lay nearly all the timo till tho moulting season tho next fall. Hearing one early brood of chlokens will interfero but little, if any, with the average production of eggs in the year. If a hen has laid well for a wholo year, she will tako a long while iu recuitlng, during and after i 1 1 . i . i. mo uiouuing season, Drccucrs oi lanoy fowls often prefer birds two or three Years old for producing eggs for sitting. The breeders ot uraiimas, having speoial regard for increasing the sizo of their stock, havo generally Beloctcd tho largest full-grown birds for breeders, and, for this object, old fowlsaro,undoubtedly,best but, if the great est number of eggs in the shortest possible timo, and tho greatest money inoome from birds kept for business, not breeding, is the object sought, then we say, keep Brabmas only till they are about eighteen months old, and have young stock ready to take their plaoes, We have kept old fowls over winter as an experiment, for tho past two years, but aro fully sutlhflcd that It has been an unprofita ble experiment. The hens lay very little through October and almost none in Novem ber, December and January, tho three best months in tho whole year for selling eggs at a profit. During this time, if well fed, as wo claim all animals thould be, they beooino very fut and sluggish and, if turnod for tablo poultry, at this time, are entirely too oily for economy or for tho tastes of most epi cures or lovers of a poultry diet : and, if kept over for layers, they commenco opera' tiona just when eggs are the most plenty and obcapest, Ileoa Iccpt and managed w we have Indicated ard hatched at an unnatnral season t li3y- cbmmcrlco laying at an unnat ural season' and thoy aw kept1 uridor artltk eial circumstanocs all through the beat por tion of their lires, but, if their wants nro fully supplied, they may bo tho most profit able stock on tho farm, even at the present low'iiriccs, i i 1 -tU L .J ). Loh by Weeds and Inieots It is. estimated that tho vatuo of produco annually raised In this country is 82,500, 000,000, of which amount nearly or quite one-finh, or 8500,000,000, is lost', accord ing to the American Naturalist, from tho attaekfcof injurious plants and auitmils. A Binglo campaign of the army worm cost tho farmer of Eastern Massachusetts 8250,000 worth of grass. Missouri alone loses from fifteen -to twenty million dollars annually from insect depredations. The annual dam- ago to the applo and pear trop from tho codling. .moth amounts to several millions dollars, fatHli tho work of the carculio is equally costly. A partial remedy is to bo lound in a close study ot insect habits, with a view to ascertaining what insects there aro which hold tho depredators in chcok and j . . i t . i ii.. . . .... ucstrujr mum. xt is uaruty possiuie 10 esti mate tho havoc annually wrought by tho grasshopper and tha potato beetle, for ex ample; and any bird or insect which would reduce such pests would be a substantial benfactor to tho farmer. As to tho "inju rious plants," or in tho common vernacular, weeds, tho only method that is feasiblo is to kilt them at their very germination by means of proper agricultural machines. Tho Country Gentleman affirms that tho. annual growth of weeds in this country amounts to eight million tons, or enough to load a com pa :t train or wagons long enough to span the globe. Precisely how tho Uountru Geii' tleman arrives at this very deflnito cstiuiato wo are at a loss to determine ; but it would certainly bo better for tho farmer if tho weeds irerc actually loaded into tho "com- .pact train of wagons" referred to, rather man to havo litem remain to choke bis crops and leayo an unwolcomo legacy of liberally sown seed for future seasons. Farmers have only to consult their own experience to realize tho extent to which' tho depreda- dations of weeds and insects ore carried, and any measures which tend to even tho partial extirpation of theso pests aro worth tho try ing. Uotton Journal. What Crops Shall I Raise t A good many persons aro still debating this question and honestly seeking light. It is an important question for a man that must abido tho answer for tho next wholo year. It is a serious question lor a man whoso lamtly dopend on tho result for sup port. Fortunately all men will not give it the same answer. Generally tho crop that pays tho best is tho ono desired, but some times this) proves a poor expedient. Tobao co has had a famous run in some of tho bet ter portions of New England, and some havo temporarily been gainers by it. Hut it is a fancy article, with a fictitious price, and a dull market is particularly trying to those who. depend upon it Thcro will bo less r i . i. r i.v. i i it raisvu, iu,a jcr, iu new .r.ugiuuu man usual, for Ephraim never loved tho service of this idol, and but for his largo invest ments ill tobacco sheds and fertilizers would gladly throw down tho altar. Most pcoplo prelcr a usclul crop. Considering tho labor. a good crop of hay pays reasonably. Ivuly potatoes and late turnips on tho samo land aro favnrito crops either by succession or intermingling. Early sweet oorn, tomatoes, lima-bcans, spinacl), lettuce, strawberries and onions usually do well for thoso who know how to haudlo them. In fact any useful, necessary crop Is safe, if tho climate and soil admit of it. Corn and wheat can bo raised to advantage in Eew England, not withstanding the granaries or the tllimitablo West, boma thiuk .New J'.ugland is the genuino seed fur both these cereals. Wo know a grain dealer who proposes, this year, to uwko a second trial of wostcrn corn. Spriug wheat should be sown as early aa possible ou land that was well manured and cultivated, last year, aud is a good crop to stock with grass. Whatever tho crop, givo it careful cultivation, and keep an account of it, so that iu tho future you can easier tell what cropa to raise. Spiritgfield liep- ublican. Boots for Stock Breeding, From tho first of my farming I havo ! raised roots of somo kind to feed stock dur-1 log winter. Twenty-five years ago, when, labor was much cheaper than now, I raised carrots. Theso I consider very valuablo to feed young, growing stock ; but the cost of, raising them at tha present prico of labor is! generally moro than their feeding value. It costs Irom two to three times as much to. raiso a ton of carrots as tho samo amount of tho largo-growing varieties of sugar beets or1 mangul-wurzcls. To raise roots and havo them cost less than their feeding value, the labor should bo dono with tho horso-cultiva- tor aud hoe, nvoidingthumb-and-fingcr work. Tha profit or loss on a crop of roots gener ally depends upon how the labor is pcrlorm ed, whether principally by hand or by tho aid of machinery. The question, is it prontable to raiso roots to feed during the season that tho stock is. kept on dry fodder, ia often asked by thoso who have but little experience in their cut turo, or aro about to Login raising them. This can bo answered two ways, and an- sworcd correctly. Thcro aro a great many' farmers who, overy year, raiso root crops for feeding purposes, from which thoy rcalizo a' large profit. Then, ori tho other sido, many attempt to raiso these crops, and from vari ous reasons, generally through their own neg lect, they get small and poor crops, which cost them moro than tho crop is worth. Tho cultivation of field BUgar beets for feeding purposes is certainly not sufficiently appre ciated by most farmers. I have experiment ed with the various kinds of carrots, turnips, beets, and wuriels, and for a few years past have raised as the main' crop, and with per- leci sausiaction, tho American improved Imperial sugar beet. The soil most proper for field beets .is a rioh loam, of a clayoy rather than Bandy character. Light sandy laud is better for turnips. I sow tho first Buitablo weather alter the soil is in fino condition to bo work, cd. I think early sowing is essential in or dcr to obtalu tho best results. Sow In drills SO inches apart, with a machine, if you have ono, if not, plant or dibble in tho seed in rows DO inchca by 18. It takes four pounds of seed if sowed, and about one-half as much if planted. When tho beets havo been sowed in drills they should bo bunched out with tho boo soon after tho second pair of leaves appear, and if there is no danger from worms destroying tho plants, as thoy are not wanted for transplanting, thin the hunches to one plant at this time. All the remaining labor can bo done with tho culti vator and h6o, and should be repeated suffi ciently often to keep tho coil looso and frco from weeds. From my farm 1V I opy tho following items as tho cost of cultivating one aero of beefs ! Plowing tho fan!, '83 ; drawing ma nure, is ; spreauing manure and h.rrowibg,1 83 ridging land . and sowing seed, 84.50 1 cultivating five times. 85 : hneintr twiea. All total, 883, as the cost of cultivating one' acre which yielded 1,050 bushels. The cost in labor was a trine over three inrce cents per nushci. Add to this tho usrt pi and. ma ntiro, and seed, and tho wh61b cost ii between five and six cenU ner bushel, and worth to .any iarmor from 15 ta 25icenU per bushel ( depending on tha location,- tho kind of stock ica to, and manner ot lecding. Every ob serving feeder knows that any succulent food in tho shape of roots' fed to stock in winter in connection with this dry food, increases the appetite and promotes health, and there. uy improves their condition. J. ho various profitable uses to which all kinds of roots can bo applied, should induce farmers to grow them moro extensively than'tbey do at presont. Henry Lane, of Vt., in New York LriUune. Our Obligation to Dumb Animals. nV rut. i.onisn. I need not tell you how we all depend up on the dumb creatures which wait upon us during life, and at their doath feed and clotho us. From valley and hill from prniria and mountain they como flocking in, tho patient servants of their imperious mas ter. Thoy offer themselves a living Sacrifico to tho majesty of civilized man, suffering as ho yields to poverty and hardship and bar barism, and rising with him as ho rises into hia conditions, of luxury and oaso and coouo my and fitness of purpose Tho great com munity of Cattle, who shall writo its history? How it has been controlled by tho social laws which mako tho world what it is, how it enables tho great community of man to dwell here on tho faeo of tho earth how it stands tho pedestal upon which a nobler fab ric rests how its condition tells tho talo or races higher in tho scale of being. That strange and mysterious relation between man and animal, everywhere recognized, every where felt, that mutual dependence, each up on the other that intelligent appropriation and cultivation on the ono hand, that uncon scious and cntiro obedience and submission of all tho great vital forces on tho other ; who can toll it all? And superior as wo may be, powerful, controlling and independ ent, can any man contemplate tho niagnitudo of the charge wcro tho sovereignty of this great community of cattlo to bo asserted and man's dominion bo suddenly broken? From tho feeding of armies and the sustaining of the busy throng who fill the places of power and trust, down to tho nourishing drop which supports the feeble child in its first grasp upon life, it is the domestio animal which hears our long and constant human appeal, and never hesitates iu its devoted and self sacrificing reply. In parks, in meadows, before tho cottage door, with an ontire aud unresisting submission to circumstances, there como to man from his dumb ally food and raiment, and an unceasing olaim upon his skill and hn humanity. ,11 is the animal kingdom, which forms ono of tho liveliest charujsof a cultivated landseapo in motion or in repose. And man novcr succeeds in subduing tho earth, and realizing its quiet domestic beauty, until he has enlisted those servants, without whoso aid agriculture must fail, and whoso value is commcusurato with the progress made in tho great business of applying all aniniato and inanimata nature to the necessities and adornments of civil ized life, How to Realize a Profit from Feeding Animals. " Undo Abe," was tho namo given to a steer that was born on tho 30th day of Oc tobcr, 1804, in Orange County, N. Y. At birth, ho woighed 13wenundsi' at nine ty days ho weighed 385 pounds having gained 251 pounds, or 2 79 pounds per day. During this time bo had the milk ot his mother, and after ho was ten days old, a quart of meal and oats per day- Iho mother having all tho meal she could eat. At six months old, ho weighed 070 pounds, having gained 285 pounds at tho rato of it. 1 ti pounds per day fho food having been grad ually increased to two quarts of meal per day. At ono yoar old ho weighed 103U pounds, having gainod tho second six months 3li0 pounds at tho rate of 2.03 pounds por day. At tho age of eighteen months, bo weighed 1354 pounds, gaining 318 pounds at tho rato of 1.70 pounds por day. At two'years of age, ho wcighod 10 10 pounds, gaining iu tho six months 202 pounds, or 1.45 per day. At two and a half years old, ho weighed 1830 pounds, gaining 214 pounds at tho rato of 1.18 por day. At thrco years old, ho weighed 2070 pounds, gaining in tho preceding half year 240 pounds at the rato of 1.33 per day. At three and a half years old, ho weighed 2270 pounds, gaining 200 pounds in sir months at tho rato of 1.11 per day. At four years old, ho weighed 2300 pounds, and finally, at tho ago of four yoars aud four months, bo weigh ed 2530 pounds having gained in the pre ceding ten months 200 pouuds (a littlo more than ho gained in the first 00 days of his life), and falling to tho rata of .80 of a pound per day. This steer was considered a remarkably good animal, and his owner, Mr. C. S. Mar vin, ot Oxford Depot, Orango County, has placed us all under obligations by so often weighing and reporting the results for pub llo uso, Tho food was incrcasod to meet tho wants of tho nnimal, ua his weight increased, nud at two and a half years old was eight quarts of meal, with roots and good hay or grass. What did bis beef cost ? Had he been slaughtered at ono year old, tho cost per pound would have been very much less than it was when ho waa killed at four years and four months of age. If tho figures aro care fully studied, it will appear that tho food lie received the first ninety days of his life, he paid tho best for ; and that tho next ninety ho did better than ho ever did after wards ; and tho last ten months of his life, ho gavo tho least return for the '(bod con sumed that ho did at any time. At one year old, bo weighed 1030 pounds ; at thrco years old, he woighed 2070 pounds. Thus two years wero required to doublo the weight ho gave at tho end of tho first year of his life. This law tho younger tho animal tho bettor it pays to feed is not confined to tho making of beef ; it is' also true iu regard to pork or mutton, Professor Miles, of tho Michigan agricul tural college, has reported somo very accu rately conducted experiments made .at that col I ego in feeding sheep and hogs. He says : " Tho results of our experiments in pig-fecd. ipg show conclusively that animals, when properly fed, givo a much better result for the feed consumed during the first few mouths pf their Jives than they dp after thoy reach maturity," Of fattening sheep ho says : " The cost of the growth of the sheep, at tho beginning ef the experiments, has been ostimated at $2 per head at the ogo of six and a half months. The average cost of 10U pounds livo weight, exclusivo of the wool, B!88.'ll at tho aire. of 181 months. while Ihe.averago cost Is $4.70 at the ago of 25$ moplhs." Country Gentleman. f r .Bxpejtence wlty Fodder Corn. . WarrT Pcroiyal, of Qross Hill, Me., Wlcs (o Iho Boston Cultivator in regard to his mcocss with fodder corn- He says; I write a few lines to try to induce farm era. to cultivate moro. fodder corn. Being awn.ro mat were are diversities ot opinion as to iU value, 1 will givo mine. For 15 years I have raised more or1 less every year, ana nave eomo to regard my larra opera tions deficient without a patch for uso for-nll my animals in and around my buildings, In small quantities dailv. as soon as it is suffi ciently matured which in a.majority of cases is qutto.too late, by reason ot too lato plant ing. Somo of our most intelligent ogriouI turists, among whom aro Harris Lewis and Loring, denouueo it In strong terms, as con taining an excess of water. 1 think their .objections could-chUfly. bo obviated early. muiiuiiKi ua mo luuuur win uo moro maiuro "rthen fed, at such time and such quantities as mo animals win relish. 1 apply a fair quantity of manuro, cultl vate it in making tho soil mellow, furrow shoal from 2 to 2J feet between rows, plant tho corn some 20 kernels to the foot. When the corn ia from 0 to 8 inches high, run a cultivator between the nws to keep down weeds and stir tho soil, I prefer sweet corn Stowcll's Evergreen is usually recommend ed as it is less bulky and moro nutritious. I provo it beforo planting to be suro it will grow. 1'lant from May UO to Juno 20 ; hence it matures very much beforo using. I begin to feed early especially if the sea son be dry ; cutting tho fodder 24 hours beloro lecding. 1 an very confident that if any farmer would cultivate and feed what bo can woll consume, ho would decide that this crop is aa profitable as any raisad upon his farm ; while thcro is nono so much neglected and abused. Treatment of a Balky Horse. Tho Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty tp Animals put forth tho following rules for tho treatment of balky horses : 1. Pat the horso upon tho neck ; cxamino tho harness carefully, first on one side then on tho other, speaking encouragingly whilo doing so ; then jump into the wagon and givo too word go ; generally bo will obey. 2. A teamster in Maino savs he can start tho worst balky horse by taking him out of tho shafts and making him go round in a cir- clo until ho is giddy., If tho first dance of this sort docs not euro him, a second will. 3, To cure a balky horse, simply place your hand over his nose, and shut off his wind until ho wants to go. 4. Tho brain of a horse seems to entertain but ono idea at a timo ; therefore, whipping only confirms. his stubborn resolve. If you can, by any means, give him a new subject to think ol, you will generally have no troub le in starting him. A simple remedy is to take a couple of turns of stout twine around tho fore-Jcgj just below the knee, tight enough for (ha horse to feel, and tio in a bow-knot. At tho first check ho will proba bly go dancing off, and, after going a short distance you can get out and remove tho string to prevent injury to tho tendon, in your further drivo. 5. Tako tho tail of tho horse between the hind legs, and tic it by a cord to tbo saddle girth. u. J 10 a string around tho horso's closo to his head. car, Culture of Trees at the West Under the act of Congress offering 100 acres of land to any person who would plant 40 acres of them to trees and cultivate them for eight years, about 1100 persons had taken up 170,000 acres ot land in Minneso ta, up to January. This was an encourag ing effort, considering tho brief space of timo elapsing after the amendment of tho act. By tho effort of the state and private and associated effort, it Is estimated that 20,000 000 trees aro now growing in Minnesota, besides thoso planted under tho congressional act. A report on tho subject says that the cost of planting and of cultivation is marvel oubly small, in many cases not exceeding from two to five cents a trco. Wo suspect that tree-culture will provo the best farming for somo of our worn-out Now England farms. Tho. advocates of a system of forest ry in this country will find their model and warning in Prussia, where tho government already owns a third of the wood-land, and proposes to prohibit privato owners from clearing off their own soil, except so fur aa they will replant with young trees. Frio dontbal, tho minister or agriculture, claims that while Russia has 37 per cent of her soil under wood, and Austria 30, Prussia has only 23$. Stringent as tho proposed legis lation is, it stands somo cbanco ot adoption. Tho artificial culture of troes, by tho way, is coming moro and moro in voguo in Cali fornia, and tho demand for young trees to set out this spring is very largo. Svrinu- field Republican. Brahmas as Non-Sitters. The chaogo in tho natural predisposition of tho Brahma I attributo to tho system of feeding which I havo adopted ; which is all in tho direction of keeping the egg machino running, and giving no opportunity for tho fowls to get lazy and lay on fat. Indian corn, which is the great staple in common use, I have almost entirely discarded as too heating, and roly principally upon etalo wheaten bread, which can bo purchased very cheap, and tablo scraps, mixed with a littlo provender, and fed hot in the morning, with wholo grain of somo kind wheat, buck wheat or barloy at night ; nothing at mid day in summer or winter. In the summer I cut grass very fino, nod mix with the morn ing meal, alternating with mashed boiled po tatoes, and in tho winter add a littlo stimu lant, like ginger or cayenne, occasionally. This system of feeding, with plenty of freMi water (warm in winter), has given mo all tho fresh eggs I have needed for a jamily of eight persons, without the nuisance of a lot of broody fowls. . Woodward, in Fan ciers' Journal. Curing Hams. A correspondent of tho Country Gentle man gives this good rccipo for curing and keeping hams ; Tho best sugar-cured hams aro prepared by using to 100 lbs. of hoio, U lbs. of rock salt, 0 Iba. of white sugar, and 5 oz. of salt pciro. Pack tho meat in a barrel, Put tho Bait, sugar and saltpetre in water sufficient to mako a brine that will cover tho meat ; heat and skim this liquid, a'nd when cold, pour it over tbo meat ; put a cover and large stone on the top to prevent any part from rising out of tho brine. Thoy will bo thoroughly cured in about six weeks, but to remain a longer time will do them no injury, as they will not become so salt in this prep aration as to require freshening. When tikoh out of the bririo, they should be smok ed lightly J the smoke frpni maple Chips or corn cobs given tbo best flavor. JJama cured in this way may bo kept for summer uso by wrapping each ham closely in paper ; or tio up each in a paper bag, and pack them in a box or barrel, with dry weod ashfls, putting a thick layer on Iho bot tom, also covering them generously with tho ashes. Cared, for in this manner, hams will not becomo mouldy or rancid, and tho flics cannot get at them, Thoso who relish sliced boiled ham in sum mer, or count ham sandwjohes a luxury for lunch iu August try it, - -e.. Sheep Killing by Dogs. 'Tbo Monthly report of the Department of Agriculturo for January, devotes .several fiages to reports of investigations of tho oses to sheep owners from dogs., Tho di rect losses reach a million of dollars annual ly in wool and 'mutton, and, indirectly, oven a larger sum, in tho repression of sheep hus bandry, aniLtho consequent waste of a largo percentage of the annual grass crop. In tho stock returns for January, 500 counties, representing about one-fourth tho territory and one-fourth the sheep of tbo United States, report 79,285 sheep killed during tho past year. Of courso all tha sheep killed wcro not reported. It ia evi dent that tho rest loss to sheep owners from tho ravages of dogs is not less than a million of dollars annually. In somo of tho states tbo loss ia trom lour to oloven per cent of tho wholo value of tbo sheep kept. In Massa chusetts, with an efficient dog law, tho per cent of loss is comparatively small, and yet it is much too great. In Vermont and Now Hampshire, publio sentiment seems to bo tho strongest safeguard against sheep killing by dogs. A dog suspected of sheep-killing, in those states, would need tho sympathy of moro than ono society for tho protection of dumb aninrals to stive him from an abrupt shortening of his existence. As wo writo tho abovo, wo havo just re ceived information of a destructive raid upon tho flock of one of our Vermont brooders. Messrs. II. V. Burr & Son, of Thctford, who had just turned out to pasture a fine flock of fifty-eight sheep, wero visited by dogs a fow nights since, and bad their wholo nock al most entirely destroyed. Twenty-five wcro killed outright, and eleven wounded, seven teen are missing, and only five remain unin jured. As our correspondent says tho dogs were known, it is not too much to supposo that, beforo this time, they havo " passed in their checks" to uso an cxpressivo terra and ceased any further operations in that lino. Does it pay farmers to raiso sheep for dog fodder? N. E. Farmer. "Horn Ail." I havo noticed considerable said of lata about " horn ail." You will remember that much used to bo said of this when wo wcro boys. You know that father used to send for an old quack of a cow-doctor to visit a sick cow, who would always pronounco tho ailment, no matter what it was, tho 11 born ail." I woU recollect the remedy : take a gimlet, bore a hole intd the horn, on the un der sido, then make a compound of salt, pep per, and vinegar, and take a syringe and squirt it into the horn, and tho cow would jump and act as if she was crazy ; and then the cow-doctor would straighten up, and say, " There, 1 told you she had tho horn ail." I know as skillful a physician as thcro ia in Worcester Couuty, who says, " thcro is just as much sense in taking a gimlet and boring into a man's skull and squirting that com pound into his head, as into a cow's horn." 1 havo had, in my dairy experience, a number of cows troubled with what tho quacks call " horn ail," and the best remedy 1 ever tried was this : "Tako tobacco (which l never used but for a medicine) and simmer it in hog's lard on a stove, and take tho compound and rub it on tho head about tho horns to the tail along tho back, I never lost a cow of what is called the " horn ail." So much for this old ailment that has of lato excited considerable interest among farmers iu this section, awakened, it seems, by tho late address of Prof. Cressy, of tho agricul tural college beforo the Massachusetts checso factory association in Barrc. I think this old superstition ia giving away beforo tho diffusion of knowlcdgo among farmers. Let all such old whims be driven out, whether of tho farm yard or tho family. Boston Cultivator. Women in the Garden. However aghast somo " fino ladies " may regard tho idea of working in tho garden, I consider it ono of tho most wholcsomo means of exercise within our reach. Wholcsomo especially, because wo havo an object and an interesting ono in taking this excrciso which is tho growth of flowers and plants. Before commencing work in tho gardcu, put on a pair of worn-out leather gloves, a broad brimmed sun-hat, and a pair of good, stout boots; if not stout, then wear a pair of thin gum overshoes. Tho dampness of tho soil is very liable to produco a " cold." Don't bo afraid that tho labor will hurt you, oven if you should become very tired ; on the con trary, it will strengthen you, givo you rosy cheeks, and may add years to your lifu. Thcro is not a spring that I do not spend two weeks at least in tho garden, and I tell you that to me thero is nothing so agrecablo, I may say fascinating ; and this feeling is doubled when I see tho fino flowers and good vegetables growing and put upon tho table from my own handiwork, German, town Telegraph. A Hint to Farmers. In somo sections and it would bo a do cided advance iu thoughtfulness and kindness in all sections farmers givo each of their boys, and girls, too, a strip of land to raiso whatever thoy chooso upon it, and dispone of the product for their own benefit. It is a favor that thoy all appreciate, and it is a pleasant and scrviceabla employment for them in their loisuro hours. They will vie with each othor in their skill at raising thoir littlo crops, and tho proceeds applied to their own uso, aro frequently of somo valuo ; and tho whole arrangement, whilo it instruct tbcin in the cultivation of the soil, early implants in the children tho idea of thrill and economy. Sometimes, whero a good many animals aro raised, a pig, a Iamb, a calf, up to oven a colt, according to tho ago of the children, is given to each to rear and keep or sell. Farmers, think of this; it will moro than repay you iu tha happiness and confidence it will impart to your sons and daughters. Germantoton Telegraph. A farmer having written a long artiolo, published in an agricultural exchange advo cating tho uso of green wood, a " housewife" responds that if moisturo makes tho wood better, she still prefers to havo it dry to be gin with, and will "add the water to suit bersolf," She conoludcs that if tho farmer's wife has to burn green wood, tho houso sometimes gets too hot for htm, and that ia tha reason why he thinks green wood makes such u hot fire.