114 [Senate 



not, as apportunity offers, introduce such upon his farm.* There is 

 another rule of much importance in the stock management of the 

 farmer, and that is, never to keep more animals of any kind upon it 

 than can be kept well* for although it is a great error to suppose, as 

 some do, that there is more in the keeping of animals than in the 

 breed or any thing else, still much of the value and consequent profit 

 does depend on the keeping and treatment they receive. It may not 

 be possible to avoid occasional casualties in the management of stock, 

 but it is certainly a very bad sign when a farmer carries a wagon load 

 of hides to the tanner in the spring, or has a large lot of pulled wool, 

 gathered from sheep that became defunct in consequence of starvation. 

 All animals require less food during our winters, and will maintain a 

 better condition, if kept in warm, dry, ventilated stables or yards, 

 where they are protected from the cold and storm, than when exposed 

 to the changes and vicissitudes of the weather. Diseased animals 

 should always be separated from the sound ones, as there are many 

 diseases destructive to the stock of the farmer, that are decidedly con- 

 tagious. This is particularly the case with sheep; and good ma- 

 nagement requires that flocks should be frequently examined, to 

 insure the health of the whole. It is not enough that animals should 

 have plenty of good food. They should have access to salt at all 

 times; horses should once a week have a handful of ashes with their 



• In no way is the great improvement in animals, by attention to breeding, more con- 

 clusively shown, than in the average advance in weight, during the last 40 or 50 years. 

 The records of the Smithfield market in London, put this matter beyond a doubt, giving 

 the following result for a series of years : 



Year, Average weight of cattle. Average weight of sheep and lambs. 



1810, , 26 stone, 6 lbs 2 stone, lbs. 



1830, 39 " 9" 3 " 8" 



1840, 46 « 12" 6 " 6" 



In the United States, the advance has not perhaps been quite as decided; but the follow- 

 ing statement by C. E. Norton, Esq. which has appeared in the agricultural papers, will 

 show we are not in this respect, far behind. They are transcribed from an old record; 

 and New-England can fui-nish many such. The animals were killed in Nov. 1790 : 



Animal. Weight. 



Hatch ox, 361^ lbs. 



Perkins ox, 511 " 



Hussey cow, 321 " 



Emeryoxen, J ^i;:::::::::::::::;::::::::::::;::::::::: ^i :: 



Some animals killed in the same town in 1841 : 



Animal. Weight. 



Cogswell cow, 772 lbs. 



do yearling heifer, 562 " 



do 2 year old heifer, live weight, 1,174 " 



