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1st year-Beans; manured.

2d-Wheat.

3d-Oats.

4th-Flax.

not throw the seed on until the plowed ground has gone through such a state of fermentation, which makes it more mellow, softer for the haud,

5th-Rye or Wheat, with clover sown, is half more elastic for the foot, darker of color, richer

a manuring.

6th-Clover.

7th-Wheat-half a manuring. 8th-Oats.

of nutritious substances. For these two reasons, our mode of preparing the land for a flax crop is as follows: Early in the fall the field is plowed shallow; it is important to plow immediately Here you have the proper plan for flax in a roafter the crop has been removed. Three or four tation, as proved by experience, as well as from weeks thereafter, when the field begins to cover scientific reasons. In the above rotation every itself with weeds, it is thoroughly harrowed and crop has a fair chance, and the periods of maplowed shallow again. The second plowing is nuring are well distributed. Take out the flax, not necessary where the field remains clear of and you can put in its place nothing but fallowweeds. Very early in the spring, as soon as the ing, thus losing a year's crop and having no better land has sufficiently dried off, a deeper furrow results thereafter. However, if part of the land (the last before seeding) is given. This last has become weedy or foul from unfavorable plowing can also be done in the fall, and fre weather, or other causes, such part then receivesuently such plowing before winter gives better the benefit of a fallowing, instead of sowing it

with flax.

results than if done early in the spring.

The land now is left rough. The harrow is not applied until a growth of plants, (weeds,) begins to spring up. Then, however, the field receives a thorough harrowing, aided by rolling. The harrow not only passes twice over the land, as your correspondent thinks necessary, but frequently four or five times; the harrowing is continued until the whole field is like a garden bed,

Of course, the land, to produce flax in the above order, must be in a high state of cultivation. It will not do to sow flax on worn-out land. But good farming, with a rational rotation of crops, never takes the least strength out of the land. The reason why flax is not benefitted by fresh manuring, is partly this; The fibre requires an early growth; all extremes, every ex-perfectly pulverized, and all hollows, every trace cess of heat or cold, drouth or moisture, are injurious; every part of the plant, as much as possible, must grow under the same influences. Therefore flax likes so much the sea coast and hates the inland, where heat and cold, wet and dry spells, will come on abruptly and in excessive Fresh manure also disturbs such equal growth; it works different in dry or wet spells of the season, different in cold or warm weather. It is a well-known fact that barley from fresh manured land, (especially sheep manure,) is not good for the brewer; that seed wheat must not be taken from fresh manured land, nor after clover; and in similar manner flax is injured by fresh manuring

manner.

Your correspondent, in No. 683, advises further, to sow the flax-seed on fresh-plowed land. We never do so here at least no experienced farmer does so in those sections of our country, where good flax is raised. We prefer an old furrow for two reasons. 1st. Because old-plowed ground keeps moist longer, while fresh-plowed land will in a dry spell soon suffer from drouth. 2d. Because all land, with the exception of sandy soils, needs exposure to the influences of the atmosphere for four or five weeks before the seed can be sown. All loamy soils which are those best adapted to flax culture-are highly benefitted by such exposure, and we do

of the furrows destroyed. A sharp stick thrust into the ground must everywhere meet a solid mass; the heel must not sink in deeply. This is the work assigned to the harrow; I know that in America much less attention is given to harrowing than here. The field now is again left; the seed of weeds still left in the surface will now germinate, and two weeks after this, such new crop of weeds is again destroyed by a thorough harrowing. Then after the next shower of rain the flax seed is sown, covered by a light harrowing, and the ground rolled, for which purpose a ringled roller is preferred. The best sowing time here is between the 20th and 25th of May; in America perhaps earlier sowing may be preferable.

The amount of seed required, where fine fibre is desired, is 180 Prussian pounds to the acre, which is equal to about 200 American pounds, or 3 bushels. The cost of seed per acre thus averages 18 Prussian thalers, or $13 in gold. We are obliged to buy our seed either from Russia or Zealand, and can use bome-raised seed only once, so that every other year we have to buy imported seed.

We have an excellent flax market here, as there are large spinning factories, and alone for those in the province of Westfalia nearly a million and a half worth of flax has to be bought abroad, mostly in Russia.

Our object, as farmers, is to get rid of the flax at as early a period as possible, and it is of great advantage that, for the last five years, we can sell the flax in its raw state. The farmer now merely pulls up the flax, rots and dries it, and then finds ready sale for the straw. For this state, the price has been 28 pounds of straw-flax for one thaler, or about 2 cents, gold, per pound, these two years; at present it sells even higher, to wit., 26 pounds for one thaler. One acre will, on an average, produce from 2,500 to 3,000 German pounds of dry flax straw-though, in 1863, I harvested myself from one acre 4,800 pounds. At 3,000 pounds, and a price of 28 pounds, as above stated, the fibre is worth 107 Prussian thalers per acre, while the whole cost of raising is about 30 thalers, including the seed; so the net profits are about $48, gold, per acre. These figures are not imaginary, but, on numerous farms, such profits have been made for many years here. Flax raising, however, is a trade, and wants to

be learned. I cannot here enter into its details, but your correspondent, in No. 683, commits two farther mistakes, which I will mention, and hope he will pardon me for this, as my sole object is to promote exact knowledge of an important branch of agriculture.

1st. The steeping of the fibre in water is really a "rotting;" its object is not only to soften the filaments. The flax in the water must ferment, and this fermentation must have its full process. The end of the same is indicated by a sinking of the steeped flax; as soon as the fermentation is over, the immerged bundles will sink several inches in the water, and then it is time to take

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Cruelty to Animals.

John T. Hoffman, Henry Grinnell, J. J. Astor, and other prominent citizens of New York, have got from the Legislature of that State an act of incorporation under the title: "The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals." In accordance with the general idea of the Association, several laws have been passed, sion of cruelty to dumb beasts. The following making provision for the more effectual suppresare some of the provisions of the law :

Railroad Company in this State, in the carrying Transportation of Animals by Railroads.-No and transportation of cattle, sheep, or swine, shall confine the same in cars for a longer period than twenty-four consecutive hours, unless delayed by storms, or other causes, without unloading for rest, water and feeding, for at least ten consecutive hours; and shall not receive nor re-load cattle, sheep, or swine, from other railroads, which have not been rested at least ten consecu

tive hours immediately preceding such loading and re-loading, and have been watered and fed within said ten hours.

Cruel Treatment of Animals.-Every person who shall, by his act or neglect, maliciously kill, maim, wound, injure, torture, or cruelly treat, any horse, mule, ox, cattle, sheep, or other animal, belong

ing to himself or another, shall, upon conviction, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor; and every owner, driver, or possessor of an old, maimed, diseased horse, or mule, turned loose, or left dis

them out of the water. Fermentation being the object, warm water will attain the same much quicker than cold water; in fact, the water must have a certain temperature, and also a quick-abled in any street, lane, or place, in any city in running stream is unfit for this purpose.

2d. The spinning factories cannot buy flax in its green state, nor even in its raw state, but only after the rotting and after the breaking of

the woody rot which surrounds the fibre. Therefore there must be men that make a business

of buying and preparing the flax for the spinning factories, or else the farmer has to take care of these operations himself. Green flax can bear neither transportation to any distance nor delay; and, even after the rotting and drying, the flax is too bulky, and, in consequence, requires too much cost for transportation, as well as storeage, to be saleable to the factories in this state; besides, it cannot be estimated right in this state..

Finally, I consider flax a highly recommendable crop; but if your correspondent, in No. 683, says that it requires "less skill and attention"

the State, who shall allow such horse, or mule, to lie in any street, lane, or public place, for more

than three hours after knowing of such disability,

on conviction, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor.

Among other items of cruelty to animals, prohibited and punishable by the same law, are "premeditated fights between persons with their fists," fights between game birds, or game cocks, or dogs, or bulls, or bears, or between dogs and rats, or dogs and badgers, &c.

REMEDY FOR THE SCOUR IN LAMBS.-Take the seed of the common dock, make a strong decoction, sweeten with loaf sugar, add half a teaspoonful cayenne pepper to the quart. Give to each lamb a wine-glassful three or four times a. day until a cure is effected.

Reconstruction.

If the politicians would allow the farmers of the land to take charge of the work of reconstruction, we might hope for a speedy return to peace and prosperity. They would bring to bear upon the subject a quiet, practical, common sense treatment, before which, all the difficulties conjured up by the former would speedily vanish.

The idea is suggested as we read the letters which we here extract from the Southern Cultivator, and admire the cheerful, hearty submission to circumstances, and sound, good sense they evince. One is from a Georgia man, who would be classed, we suppose, with what the vulgar educated call "poor whites;" the other from an educated gentleman, a native of Maryland, who having farmed before the war in Illinois, had returned to the South where he acted as a Confederate surgeon. He now makes the field of his operations, an Alabama plantation:

A VETERAN'S EXPERIENCE-GOOD ADVICE. John Farrar, of Georgia, says: I have concluded to inform the readers of the Cultivator, how I am getting along in the management of plantation affairs, and how I manage the freedmen and women of which I have the control. In the first place let me say that I am in my 78th year, was raised to hard work, my mother and father had seven hearty boys, each of whom lived to weigh more than 200 pounds, I being the eldest had the brunt of work to bear, consequently, but little schooling fell to my share.

conclusions, ring the bell twenty minutes before day for all hands to rise, the women go to cooking for breakfast and dinner; get off to work before sunrise; every set of hands have their work for the day told them. I have quite early breakfast, saddle and mount my little mule and I am with the hands or going from one set to another until the middle of the day, come home, get dinner and am off again frequently in less than one hour. The hands have good pay for the year, they board and clothe themselves, everything they need is furnished them on the place at a less price than the nearest market; they seem to enjoy themselves highly, it does them good to think what they want their credit is good for. I treat them kindly, talk with them freely on matters pertaining to their interest, wink at small errors, but reprove any neglect on their part. If things go exceedingly wrong with any one of them, come down as it were like a clap of thunder, whatever the difficulty may be settle it right then, and never hint the thing again. I hardly ever enjoyed myself more than I do when going from one set of hands to another, and find all things going to my satisfaction.

Dr. H. Hinkley, of Alabama, says:

Though fond of my profession, yet I am more fond of agriculture, and see a vast mine open in the prosecution of Southern agriculture, to willing hands and stout hearts. I have "pitched in" to hard work, and intend to "run the concern" as I did in Illinois, by being my own overseer, and doing whatever my hands find to do. If every negro were in Guinea, Southerners would be better off; but as they are not, we must use them, and teach them how they should work.

Having perfect confidence in my ability to make free niggers do as much or more than slaves did, I leased a prairie farm in Alabama for several years, and on the first day of January (ult.) my contract was signed, and my hands at work

I am now attending to the business part of a farm for another man, the late war having left me with but little in this troublesome world. I have 21 hands all told, viz.: 9 men, 8 women, and the rest boys. I have had more than 4,000 panels of fence made or reset, about 20 acres cieared, I am planting about 190 acres in corn, about 180 in cotton, say 25 in sorgo or syrup corn, as the negroes here call it, shall put 5 acres in sweet potatoes, have 1 in Irish potatoes, have 10 good plow stocks. My hands are easy con--before my neighbors. I send copy of my controlled and work freely, I encourage them to do so, I am nearly all my day time with them, tell them that if they will work, so as to deserve it, it affords me pleasure to give them a holiday. They have pushed ahead to my satisfaction with but little exception so that I have given them one-half of more than half the Saturdays of this year so far. Some old fogy may think I am fooled in this, to think that a half day with twenty hands makes over a week for one, but I know that I gain by it, I am a judge of a day or a week's work. I get up at three o'clock, make my own fire having the wood at hand, sit by it and think over my day's business, come to my

tract, which is simple, and embraces all that I deem requisite. I work about twenty-five hands, and they are good ones. They rise before day, and are at work till dark. They fiddle and dance at night, and get their lessons in the spelling book; and they grin with delight at the beautiful bright steel mold board, clipper plows, which I have received from the North; and do with three furrows what the old wooden mold board and slaves did with four-or rather they more than do it—as they not only list a bed with three furrows, but they bring up soil that never saw daylight before. My idea of our native implements is not favorable-especially after farm

ing in Illinois four years, where the most beautiful, useful and excellent labor-saving agricultural implements in the world are made.

My desire is to help the agriculture of my native South as much as possible; and help make it what its destiny now points-a white man's country. We want all the good white men we can get.

We want smaller farms, more villages, less pride, more industry, fewer stores and clerks, and more laborers. We need not be any less gentlemen, any less hospitable, intelligent, refined or chivalrous. The almighty dollar is a stigma against the Yankees; but I think the everlasting nigger and cotton was just as engrossing an idea with us. Agriculture is a peaceful occupation; it leads to wealth now just as certain as any other business or pursuit. Energetic men, who know what negroes are and were, can use freedmen's labor and get rich. There is a way to work these people which is easily acquired, and it consists in decision and kindness. Treat them well, but make them all toe the mark, and never look over their faults, but correct them. Strict obedience to all orders is enforced on shipboard at sea. Were it not so, many would be the losses sustained by our marine-which attention to duty prevents. On a farm or plantation, all orders should be as strictly followed, and losses will be rare.

There are a great many bad negroes in the South-lazy, worthless wretches-but there are also many good ones. The bad ones will all die, from causes following their own worthlessness. The goods one will improve, and, by the force of circumstances, even these will become scarce. White labor will gradually take their place, but it must be on smaller farms. Scientific agriculture will gradually come into our midst, and the nse of labor-saving machines make some amends for the paucity of labor.

LICE ON CATTLE.-A correspondent of the American Agriculturalist says that "knowing larkspur seed would destroy lice on human beings, be collected a quart of seed, ground it fine, soaked it a week in one gallon of strong vinegar, and then applied it with a sponge to all parts of the animals; has never seen louse or nit since." On the same subject, T. F. Haynes, Hartford co., Conn., writes to the Agriculturalist: "I keep lice off my cattle by keeping sulphur and salt in winter where they can lick it when they choose; my cattle have had none since I practiced this."

SHENGEL mentions a rose tree, still living, which is upwards of one thousand years old.

Top-Dressing Lawns and Meadows. Top-dressing lawns and meadows in spring, seems still to be in vogue, when, to any thinking mind, it must be obvious, that they lose three parts of the strength of it by strong sun and March winds. When top-dressing is to be done, fall is the proper time to do it. At that time all the strength of the manure (liquid) is washed into the ground It also serves as a protection to the grass, and the sun will not burn it up, as is the case in spring; but in either case it is generally a waste of manure, in the manner that it is applied. When top-dressing is necessary, it should be done from the compost heap. This compost heap retains all the ammonia from the decomposed vegetable matter, and dung fresh from the stables. All this ammonia evaporates. When we use manure to plow in, we only spread as the plow proceeds. This in a great measure saves the ammonia. Those to whom manure is an object, (it should be to all,) should sprinkle it as they make it with charcoal dust. If they have not that, use ground plaster, which will absorb all the ammonia.

Those who use manure for top-dressing, should have a tank to receive all the water closets and suds. In the spring, have a hogshead, and pump this into it, and have a box of tin, three or four feet long, and six inches wide at the end, and go over the lawns and meadows. This is much better than any barn-yard manure, and no expense. If they had to pay from two and a half to three and a half dollars a load for manure, they would adopt it; but, in nine cases out of ten, this valuable manure is allowed to run into the common sewers-in fact, it is generally only thought of as getting rid of it in the easiest way. Try half an acre with this liquid, and half an acre with stable manure, and you will find the credit side to the tank manure.

Another good top-dressing is this: Flour of bone-that is, bones ground as fine as plaster. This, on lawn, is a fine fertilizer, and bone dust in any shape is one of our best manures for grassflour of bone for lawns, as it will not interfere with the scythe or mowing machine. I speak of it as a top-dressing for immediate effect. Coarse bones are better when you are laying down your lawns or meadows, and it will pay to use either, as they last much longer in their effect. When applied, they should be lightly harrowed in. The great drawback I foresee to this flour of bone is, that it is so easily adulterated, which will be done, the temptation being so strong. There is no fertilizer that I should use so much (except guano) if it was not for that reason. To get it genuine will be the main object, and how long

that will be is a question; even what is now called fine bone dust, it is impossible to get unadulterated. For that reason I always use the coarsest that I can get, as I can then see what I get, and if I want it fine, I break it. They cannot adulterate coarse bone, and to prove it you will always have to pay more for coarse bone dust than you will for fine. I would advise some manufacturer to make pure flour of bone, and charge according to its worth, and not adulterate, and he will find that it will pay him, and the consumer. Genuine will pay to use; adulterated, at no price.

I have tried all the specialities of the day in shape of manure, and proved nine-tenths of them humbugs, which will be seen by referring to Co. Gent. Peruvian guano, when properly applied, is the only fertilizer that can be depended on. The others are generally what I term, cheat the public and enrich the manufacturers.-G. HowATT.-Co. Gentleman.

Habits of Sheep.

They perseveringly follow their leader wherever he goes; but if, in case of sudden alarm, any one of the flock runs forward to escape, and thus takes the lead, the rest generally follow him, regardless of any obstruction. Of this singular disposition, Dr. Anderson once witnessed an instance in the town of Liverpool. A butcher's boy was driving about twenty fat wethers through the town; but they ran down a street through which he did not wish them to go. He observed a scavenger at work with his broom, a little way before them, and called out loudly for him to stop them. The man accordingly did what he could to turn them back, running from side to side, always opposing himself to their passage, and brandishing his broom with great dexterity; but the sheep, much agitated, pressed forward, and, at last, one of them came right up to the man, and fearing it was about to jump over his head while he was stopping, grasped the short broom-stick in both hands, and held it over his head. He stood for a few seconds in this position, when the sheep made a spring and jumped fairly over him with out touching the broom. The first had no sooner cleared this impediment, than another, in such quick succession, that the man, perfectly confounded, seemed to lose all recollection, and stood in the same attitude till the whole had jumped over him, not one of them attempting to pass on either side, though the street was perfectly clear. As this took place during wet weather, the man was entirely bespattered with dirt before they had all passed; and it is impossible to conceive a more ludicrous appearance than the poor fellow made on this occasion.

Mulching Fruit and Ornamental
Trees.

The past season has afforded a fine opportunity of testing the merits of the mulching of fruit and ornamental trees, and more especially of newly planted ones. Of its utility there can be no doubt. The excessive drought which prevailed during the hottest months, over nearly the whole country, proved very destructive to newly planted trees, and to many that had had the advantage of a years setting out. Where they were not killed outright, many were badly damaged and received a back set, from which it will take them years to fully recover. On the other hand, we have seen young evergreens as flourishing and healthy during the severest prevalence of the drought as though the season had been the most favorable. The same may be said of fruit and deciduous ornamental trees.

But a mulch is not merely useful in summer. Newly planted trees, if set out in the fall, should always be mulched, and to a good thickness at that. The mulch not merely protects the young roots from the injurious effects of alternate freezing and thawing, but it encourages them to shoot regularly in the spring. Those who have young orchards will do well to profit by these suggestions. The results will amply reward the labor and expense required.-Ex.

Chloride of Lime for Vermin. Some years ago I read in a French scientific periodical, that chloride of lime would rid a house of all these nuisances. I treasured up the information until opportunity offered for testing its value, and this occurred some four years since. I took an old country house infested with rats, mice and flies. I stuffed every rat and mousehole with the chloride. I threw it on the quarryfloors of the dairy and cellars. I kept saucers of it under the chests of drawers, or some other convenient piece of furniture; in every nursery, bed-room, or drawing-room. An ornamental glass vase held a quantity at the foot of each staircase. Stables, cow-sheds, pig-sties, all had their dose, and the result was glorious. I thoroughly routed my enemies, and if the rats, more impudent than all the rest, did make renewed attacks upon the dairy, in about twelve months, when, probably, from repeated cleansing and flushing, all traces of the chloride had vanished, a handful of fresh again routed them and left me master of my own premises. Last year was a great one for wasps; they wouldn't face the chloride; though in the dining-room, in which we had none-as its smell, to me most refreshing and wholesome, is not approved by all persons-we had a perpetual warfare. And all the comfort for eightpence.-Cor. Lond. Builder:

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