1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



9 



as in ihis country, straw is by the farmer consider- 

 ed ofno value. In many parts of Europe, wheat, 

 barley or rye straw, forms the whole, or greater 

 part of the dried herbage used as fodder, hay 

 being almost unknown. Here it is little used as 

 food; the use to which it is put, is littering the sta- 

 ble, and lor this it is too much neglected. If far- 

 mers who keep a stable of horses (and they can- 

 not be dispensed with where wheat is extensively 

 grown) would adopt the mode of grinding their 

 oats, and usmg straw made into chaff, for which 

 purpose Green's straw-cutter is most admirable, 

 they would effect a material saving, besides being 

 enabled to keep an additional number of cattle or 

 sheep on the hay now necessary lor their iiorses. 



In the United States, barley has never met with 

 much favor as food for the horse. Whether this 

 is owing to the fact that little has been used for 

 that purpose, and consequently the best mode of 

 feeding it is unknown, or whether the climate ren- 

 ders the grain itself unsuitable, does not seem to 

 have been clearly decided. We think the first is 

 the cause; smce in Europe it is extensively used 

 lor horse-feed, without the least injurious conse- 

 quences; and the robbers of Arabia, and the Tur- 

 coman of Bokkara, use no other grain, or very 

 rarely any other, to feed their fleet and beautiful 

 horses. Pounded and mixed with water, or when 

 it can be had, with milk, the Arabian horse defies 

 fi^tigue; and with a few pounds of barley meal 

 daily, and the scanty herbage which in a few fa- 

 vored places is found in the desert, he keeps in 

 high condition through the year. VVhile, howev- 

 er, oats can be grown so much more easily than 

 barley in much of our country, the culture of bar- 

 ley for horses will be little attended to by the far- 

 mer. 



Next to oats, corn is the grain most used 

 for feeding horses in this country; and in some 

 parts, as in the soulhcin siatcs, ills ahuo&l the 

 only grain they receive. The excellence of the 

 southern horse generally, his spirit and capability 

 of enduring fiitigue, are decided proofs that the 

 unfavorable impressions entertained in England 

 and some other parts of Europe of this grain as 

 horse feed, are entirely without foundation. We 

 have tried oats, corn-meal, and shorts, with cut 

 straw, as food for the horse, and on none ot" them 

 did he thrive better, have more per((3ct health, 

 or perform severe labor better, than when fed with 

 the corn-meal and straw. Some precaution is ne- 

 cessary, when changing fi'om oats, or shorts, to 

 corn ; as the latter contains lar more nutriment 

 than the others, and is more siinnilating; and if 

 given in equal quantities is apt to be injurious to 

 the animal. And the same remark is true in re- 

 gard to barley or wheat. 



Neither corn, barley, or wheat, should ever 

 be given to horses without first being ground; and 

 if oats are first submitted to this process, a very 

 great saving is effected. Straw should never be 

 fed to a horse without being cut, and when hay 

 is dry and hard much will be gained by cutting 

 this. Every one is acquainted with the fact that 

 horses fed constantly on unground grain, or dry 

 straw, or hay uncut, will soon have theirgrinders 

 worn out, or so low as to become unserviceable, 

 and of consequence much of the food swallowed 

 will be unmasticated, and of very little use. The 

 teeth of the horse prove, that by nature dried 

 gram |ilanis were not intended fur his sole food, 

 Vol. VII.-2 



and if we wish to have this useful animal retain 

 his full strength and usefulness, the laws of his 

 construction cannot saldy be disregarded. 



From tlic Franlilin Farmer. 

 HIGH PRICED LIVE STOCK. 



Henry Clay, Jr. Esq. of Fayette county, sold 

 his cow. Princess, a lew days since, to Messrs. 

 John and Richard Allen., of the same county, lor 

 §2000. 



William P. Curd, Esq. of Fayette county pur- 

 chased of Mr. John R. Bryant, of the society of 

 Shakers, Pleasant Hill. Mercer county, Ky., a few 

 days ago, a pair of Berkshire hogs, lor which he 

 paid §500. 



Thomas H. Clay, Esq. purchased at the sale of 

 Mr. Thos. Smith, last week, near Lexington, the 

 improved short horned Durham callj Grosvcnor, 

 two years old, for .§700. 



Kirkpatrick, fijrmerly the property of Messrs. 

 Offutt & Washington, of Scott couiity, was pur- 

 chased at the same time, by Messrs. Williams, 

 Lewis & Viley, for §600. 



From llie Cultivator. 

 GUEAT KUTA BAGA CHOP — MIXING SOILS. 



Schaghilcoke, (N. V.) Dec. 1838. 

 Mr. Bud — Sir — I send you a statement of the 

 produce and culture of a patch of rata bagas, 

 which I have raised the present season, the profit 

 of which, if not the greatest, I flatter myseli; is 

 not the least which will be ollcred lor your pre- 

 miums, as the summer has not been favorable to 

 the produce of large crops of turnips. The soil 

 i.i a sandy luam, (generally so called,) but con- 

 tains by lar too great a proportion of sand to be 

 termed good, and I think myself amply compen- 

 sated for applying from 50 to 100 loads of clay per 

 acre, in the increased products of the first two 

 years. The manure was spread and ploughed in 

 immediately belbre depositing the seed. 'J'hey 

 were sown the first day of June, in drills about 

 two feet apart one way, and owing to a partial 

 lailure of the seed, which was old, a foot or 18 

 inches the other, v/hich ! am |)ersuaded was an ad- 

 vantage to the crop, as they grew very large; one 

 weighed over 24 lbs. after being trimmed. The 

 alter-culture was one dressing of plaster, which 

 I think is of very great advantage to them, espe- 

 cially in a drought ; three hoeings or weedings, in 

 which care was taken not to earth them up at all. 

 Tlie harvesting is very much facilitated by using 

 a hoe ground sharp to cut the tops as they stand 

 in the ground, after which they are pulled with 

 a hook ; in this way two men will gather seven or 

 eitrht hundred bushels of them in ;i day. I had 

 970 bushels, calculating 70 lbs. f)er bushel, from 

 126 rods, at the rate of 1,231 bushels per acre. 1 

 had another piece I think equally as good, which 

 were not measured. 



The profit of the 126 rods is ns follows: 

 Dr. To 20 loads manure, at 25 els - §5 00 

 Carting and spreading tlie same - 3 00 

 Ploughing, rolling and harruvvmg 2 00 

 Seed - - - - 37| 



Sowing, l^ day - - - 25 



