216 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is estimated by intelligent farmers in Indiana that their river-bottoms, which used to 

 produce an average crop of sixty bushels of corn to the acre, now produce only forty. In 

 Wisconsin, which is younger still, it is estimated that only one-half the number of bushels 

 of wheat are now raised on the acre which were raised twelve years ago. 



These estimates are based on the returns made to the Patent Office, and are as reliable as 

 any now before the public. What, then, is the conclusion of the whole matter ? It is this, 

 that the soils of New England, after all the admonitions we have received upon, the subject, 

 are annually growing poorer, and that even the virgin lands of the Great West are rapidly 

 becoming exhausted of their fertility. Other and better modes of cultivation must there- 

 fore be introduced and practised, or our country now the granary of the world may at 

 no very distant day become dependent on other lands for its daily bread. Within fifty years 

 our population will undoubtedly reach the enormous number of one hundred millions ; but 

 the grave question is, How are these myriads to be fed, and clothed, and educated, if our 

 present impoverishing agricultural processes are to be continued? We have territory 

 enough, and it is naturally rich enough to support a population of one thousand millions 

 a number to which we may yet attain ; but how can they be sustained, unless some method 

 is devised to keep up the productive capabilities of our country, and to return to our libe- 

 rally discounting soils as much, at least, as we abstract from them ? This is a problem which 

 many thoughtful and far-seeing men are beginning to ponder, and which requires but little 

 wisdom to solve. New England Farmer. 



Experiments in Feeding. 



THE following account of trials in feeding stock, instituted by John Brooks, Esq., of 

 Princeton, Massachusetts, is communicated to the Journal of the United States Agricul- 

 tural Society, 1854. The points for determination were the influence of different kinds of 

 food in the production of milk, and the proportion of solid manure to the hay consumed: 



December 17, 1851, commenced feeding two cows about 7 months after calving; the cows 

 were gravid, and expected to calve about March next; live weight, 1600 Ibs. ; one of them 

 44 and the other 31 months old. Each trial continued 5 days. 



First 5 days fed on 2 per cent, of live weight of hay, cut daily 32 Ibs. 



2 Ibs. of Indian meal, hay value 8 " 



Hay value of daily food 40 " 



Hay value of 5 days' food 200 " 



Cost of 5 days' food, hay at cent per Ib $1.00 



Milk in 5 days 61-875 Ibs. 



Cost of milk, (hay at cent, a Ib.,) 1-6 cents to the Ib., or 3-2 cents the wine quart. 



Second Trial 

 Fed 5 days on 2i per cent, of live weight of cut hay. 



Cut hay daily 40 Ibs. 



Cut hay in Splays 200 " 



Cost of 5 days' food, hay at cent per Ib $1.00 



Milk in 5 days 60 Ibs. 



Cost of milk, (hay at cent per Ib.,) 1-6 cents the Ib., or 3-3 cents the wine quart. 

 These trials show that 2 Ibs. of Indian meal are very nearly equal to per cent, of live 

 weight of hay, or that one pound of meal is equal nearly to 4 Ibs. of good English hay. 



Third Trial. 



Fed 5 days on cut hay 16 Ibs. 



32 Ibs. oat straw, hay value 16 " 



2 Ibs. Indian meal, hay value 8 " 



Hay value of food daily 40 " 



Hay value of 5 days' food 200 " 



Cost of 5 days' food, hay at i cent per Ib $1.00 



Deduct 5 Ibs. hay and straw not consumed 2 



$0.974 

 Milk in 5 days, 50 Ibs. 



Cost of milk, (hay at cent a pound,) 1-99 cents the Ib., or 3-9 cents the wine quart. 

 The hay and straw cut given wet ; the meal sifted over the hay and straw. This trial seems 

 to show that 2 Ibs. of oat straw are not equal for milk to 1 Ib. of hay. 



