Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1842-05-12
From the Calticdior.
WORK FOR THE MONTH.


OF the farmer, and they should therefore re-
ceiVe extra attention and care. In feeding
animals, one fact should not be lost sight vi :;
which Is, that animals fed On vegetable
more, such as hay and grass, receive the
most carbon, and therefore take Oh fat aud
increase in bulk, as carbon is the base Of all
oils, tat, SC, while animals fed Oh ssain re-
celVe the most nitrogen, which iurniS the
base OF the muscular part Of uuill4ls, aud
gives them their power aud enIuG4nce.-
The farmer who expects his horses OF oxen
to wear we'll in work must give lhG!n grain :;
otherwise, their flesh will be Of u quality
that Will not endure and however We'll they
may look at the commencement OF labor,
their flesh, without muscular CONSISTENCY uld
lirmness, will 60 like Il spring frost.
Ii you wish to raise your calves, you may
do it without keeping them ON noH tnIk.--
Diminish gradually the quantity Of new
milk sucked by them, or lea to them, and
substitute SKINNED milk with little meal
stirred in. Treated in this way, very good
calves may be grown, and tAe 4ew iu.... ST.
we'd for butter.
Farmers are too negligent as to the kind
OF COWS they keep. There are many COWS
which do not pay to the owner the expense
OF Keeping them, and occasion an annual
loss. 1t costs no more to keep COW ihai
VIII average nine or ten quarts day than
one that will average only six or seI en
and the difference ~ amount would in the
course OF the year be handsomc profit
Ii we estimate the cost of keeping COW at
twenty five dollars, we shall tiud that If
COW gives six quarts per day the loss IN
keeping will be sS4,75. If the yield is eight
quarts per day, then the profit will be about
so. If the milk is ten quarts per day, the
ii l.a Sc no To
ascertain whether your COWS are worth
keeping or not and the farmer should look
welt ~ this part OF his husbandry.
May is the month in which Indian corn
should be planted !; and the Importance OF
this crop to the farmer should induce the
greatest care to secure good growth. 1t is
generally planted in hills and US this al
lows of culture both ways, it Is commonly
preferred : but greater number Oh plants
can be put on an acre If planted in drills;
and most OF the great crops which have been
grown in the country hpve been produced
in this way. Corn will bear heavy manu-
ring; md to this crop and roots the barn
yard manure should DC applied, rather than
directly to grain crops. DungIng IN the
hill is bad practice, though corn may
sometimes succeed when So pi"'t"d. Many
pieces Of corn SO planted failed entirely last
CutS as IL Will lcSl uIOuLtl HluSi o'oiASL A'i"h
when the manure is scattered and incorpo-
rated with the whole soil. If the soil is deep
and friable, billing is worse than useless:
but on hard Soils and those inclining to wei,
billing is advisable. These should never be
made narrow, but broad and fiat, for the be-
nett Of the roots. Soaking in saltpetre. in
Vitrio, in copperas, tarring and p!astering,
and various other contrivanceS have been
rcsortcd 10, to keep off worms, birds, &c.
sometimes with success, but perhaps oftencr
without. There is an advantage, however,
in some Of these preparations. particularly
the salpetre and plaster, as "a more rapid
and vigorous growth is impaired, which
places the plant sooner out OF danger. A
bushel Of lime, u 6ushel of ashes, and Il
bushel of plaster, mixed together. and u
handful dropped in the hill at the time of
planting is an excellent application, and
will frequently save the crop from the worm,
as we'll as add materially to the amount OF
the crop. The plant must be kept free from
weeds, The earth between the rows light and
loose; and for this purpose, the cu!tivator is
one of the best implements. The rows Of
corn, and indeed Of all other plants where
practicable. should be planted north and
south as in this way, the plants receive the
benefit Of the sun in more directions than
one. The distance of the hills must depend
in great measure on the kind of corn plant
ed. Our common northern varieties require
about three feet each way, three or four
stalks in a hill in drills, the rows three
feet apart, the stalks in the rows one foot
apart, or two together IT eighteen inches
There is less attention paid to the manner
of planting corn than almost anything else;
and the consequence is. some of the seeds
are six inches deep and others not more
than two, the corn comes up inequality, and
a good crop can Scarcely be expected. Not
more than three. nor less than two inches in
depth is the hes; for corn; and the earth
should be pressed upon the seed with the
hoe, as il will facilitate and equalizc the
termination.
Perhaps more failures from bad seed oc.
cur with corn than any other crop; and
proportionate care should be used in the Sc
lection. It is a good plan. where any doub:
or uncertainty exists, to test the seed by
sprouting a given number OF kernels and
there should always be a liberal supply Of
seed used, since all but the number required
can, and should be pulled out at hoeing.-
The kinds of corn used at the South and
West are the white gourd seed varieties
At the North, the smaller and earlier yellow
and white kinds. The Duiton, Brown. Red
Blaze. the several varieties of Canada whites
and yellows, are all highly esteemed, and
very productive. The earliest corn with
which we are acquainted is the Canada
Dwarf.
Everybody cul,ivates the potatoe but
there is vast difference in the product and
quality of this root. partly depending on the
variety, partly on the soil. and partly on the
culture. The best soil for the potatoe is one
rather moist, full Of vegetable mold, and
loose and friahlc in its texture. Dry. sandy
soils do not yield as good potatoes as mois-
ter ones, as the roots are not as thoroughly