Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-07-16
Farm Work for July,

/ continuance hay making commences later than
usual aud not much viii bc accomplished ill this
fourth tag cfJDiy is entirely passed
Grass is far the most important article with the
(rmcr and all cllsses Of people complain when
there is a real scarcity in the country Butter is
dear beef and mutton are dear, milk and cream
are no, to be used and farm stock starves for want
ofproper snstenance.
when the corn and grain crops fnl we can OBJ
tain supplies from Missouri Michigan, or Eqypt.
where Jacob sent to feed his furnished household
but grass and hay cannot be easily transported
three four thousand miles and cattle often starye
to death when large districts fail Of yielding the
customary quantity of fodder
Making hay will be the main business Of this
H month"; vet the corn and potato fields will require
some attention. The third hoeing of corn may be
finished in tic dull days for haying 1t is good TO
stir the earth often among hlled plants whether the
surface be too we: or too dry. When il is loo dry
pIoughing and hocng render the soil more moist
stlhen attracts wet from the air. and il draws
% more wet from the subsoil When there has
been superabundance Of rain, poughing and hoe
ING expose more OF the surface soil TO the sun and air
aud it dries sooner than when it is allowed to lie
unmoyed
Do you find any seeming contradiction in these
assortionsl Then 90 and try small patch and sat
isfy YOURSELF During day time the air has more
moisture in it than the surface soil has But after
Therefore stirring the earth and opening it to the
air tends to equallze the moisture that air and earth
coniain-the moisture becomes common property
communicating more freely as the earth is stirred
n and opened
When the ground between corn rows is titled in
Jolly, it not proper that the plough should 90 as
T. deep as at an early day. cultvator is better
tool now than plough, provided the weeds have
been kept down they should be-
III In regard to having we saw to younp and nexna.
nenced farmers, cut your clover early for this plant
suffers more by outstanding its time than any spe-
cies grass Sorrelly grounds should be cut early
YOU intend your cattle sheep shall eat any of
The burlhen. Herdsgrass and redtop will bear
4 sanding late as well any kind will with the ex-
b cepion Of the fowl meadow, That need not be cut
L I'LL September.
Two good days will dry hay so much as TO pre-
vent smoking provided it has been often stirred and
exposed TO and air. You will find it important
to stir up your thick hay second time before YOU
90 to dinner-it makes great difference in the
time Of cutting and you may avoid the necessity of
third days exposure by stirring thoroughly the
first and second
Your winter rye is usually fit for reapinr or Grad
Ing by the middle Of July, let the season be for
ward or backward that which grows on new and
burnt land will be a few days earlier. Spring rye
and oats will be ready by the last of this month in
case the seed was put in early. We approve of
the practice Of shocking grain for few days in the
hed ii is less labor and il is threshed more east
II yby curing in the field. But shocks should never
remain long exposed to the weather.
Buckwheat ought to be sown before this time.
yet it often yields well when sown later. Round
Idrnips may be sown any time during this month.
THE GREATEST GuN EVER CAST YEr.-Yes-
erday "wednesday afternoon, another stupendous
piece Of ordnance was cast at Ayers Foundry,
n South Boston, which when finished, will exceed
Capt Stockton's celebrated "Peacemaker' by 5000
pounds in weight The arrangements for the OPP
Grafton were commenced in the morning. by filling
the furnaces with metal and firing up. The guam
uy Of metal used was about 46, 900 pounds, and
the amount Of coal consumed in reducing it to the
requisite state of fusion eight chaldrons At
sxo'clock p NJ repeated experiments having been
made with it in small quantities, the metal pro-
nounced TO be in fit condition for USE and the
grand operation Of casting was commenced. The
two furnaces were tapped, and the boiling and baz.
ing liquid gushed forth, rushing and leaping through
the iron canals, which emptied into the sides of the
mould sank twelve feet into the solid ground
The flaming streams continued to run for fifteen
minutes down through the iron flask shell OF the
mould, the metal in the meantime bubbling and
yoving as it rose in the inner shaft OF sand, which
IN fact formed the actual mould for the cannon
FL The metal having reached the level of the mould,
supplementary or cap mould put on, and fill
ed with some tons Of metal poured into it from
III crane ladle
The object of this addition is to give, BY means
oIdead weight above, steadiness TO the process of
capitalization in that portion of the mass out OF
/ which the cannon is to be turned. Ten days will
HI eapse before the metal will have become sufficiently
cool 10 admit of the removal of the flask, by digging
away the compact ground in which it stands imbed-
[ dedi and then, in the space Of FIVE weeks, the gun
can be finished and got ready for mounting on Fort
| George, in our harbor for which it is designed
The casting was done under the personal super
vision Of Mr. Ager and Col. Bomford, the inventor
Of this species Of ordnance, TO the first specimen Of
which Thomas Jefferson, in 1909, gave the name
Of the "Columbiad."
The weight Of the gun, when finished, will be
5000 pounds. Length ten feet diameter at the
base ring, 80 inches; length Of chamber, ID inch
es; diameter of chamber, 8 inches; length of bore
4 . feet inch diameter bore, IL inches. Weight
Of round shot which it will carry, $50 pounds +;
weight of shell, $50 pounds. Range Of shot or
shell, l-2 miles-being Ia of mile greater than
the recorded performance olthe largest and latest
invented mortar in England, and half mile beyond
The reach of any gun in the castle Of San Juan de
a. uloa, at Vera Cruz.
III The cost of this immense instrument for harbor
defence will not exceed $500; or one sixth the
cost OF the wrought iron gun procured in England
by Capt Stockton.-BOstOn Post.
THE DUrY ON SALr.-There never was a more
uaelaced piece of bargaining than that which took
II pace in the House Friday. on the proposition TO
make salt free. The tax on this product which is of
all the articles that are imported the most essential
Necessary ofli(e, was coniessedy retained in the bill
,3r the purpose Of getting votes Mr. Tibbatls, OF
kentucky, who had all along voted against the tax,