J839J 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



153 



to distinguish the bud rrotn a natural one ; and in- 

 deed, the bud as well as the bark of the stock 

 seems not in the least afiijcted. In this mode of 

 inoculating, there is no such thing as not taking. 

 On the other hand, the bark being cut square 

 across, and the bud not being sufficiently thrust 

 down, the bark of the stock coming to bear on the 

 outer bark of the bud, at the top of the slit, there 

 is nothing to support il; but it dries and shrinks 

 from iis primitive place, admits air, and if the 

 wood is taken out of the bud, it all fails together, 

 esj)ecially if the eye of the bud is a little rubbed : 

 at any rate, live or die, a dangerous wound is in- 

 flicted. 



" The mode that I would recommend, is a safe 

 and fast way of budding : it all works natural; a 

 lad having his hand in, will put in from two to ibur | 

 hundred per day. I now proceed to give an ac- 

 count of inoculating in the spring of the year, 

 This was an experiment, with me, altogether. In 

 the season ofgralting, I chose a few trees that were 

 of common size /or grafting; some had two good 

 equal branches, one of which I grafted, the other 

 1 inoculated at the same time. I carefully cut 

 out the bark of the branch where I chose to place 

 a bud, cutting downward, turning my knile in and 

 out in such a manner as to takeoff the bark in the 

 form usually given in taking of the bud ; taking 

 at the same time so much of the wood, as to com- 

 pare with the bud from the scion ; and, if the first 

 cut [idled, I carefully mended my hand, until it 

 well suited. Thus the bark being all well done, 

 the bud was laid in, inside comparing with in- 

 side ; of course a space was lell on the edffe of 

 the bark of the stock not covered from its extra 

 thickness on the old stock. The buds thus being 

 left somewhat sunk in the stock, were then se- 

 cured in the usual way of budding." 



TREATMENT OF CATTLE. 



From the Maine Farmer. 



My experience demonstrates the fact, thai 

 where dry fodder is occasionally dealt out to neat 

 cattle, they will drink from six to eight times per 

 day, and I find by an examination of the stock 

 through the country, that their good or bad con- 

 dition is generally, if not invariably, in proportion 

 to their lacilities for obtaining water. Neat cattle 

 are perhaps an exception from most animals, in 

 their extreme nicity in partaking of their (bod and 

 water, (hence the term neat). Their timidity in 

 overcoming trifling obstacles to obtain water is no 

 Jess observable. I have known them to endure thirst 

 and cold with an apparent stoical indifference, ra- 

 ther than to make any attempt to pass over ice or 

 sno\^ drifts. I could name some persons in this 

 vicinity who are considered good farmers, whose 

 cattle every spring are like walking skeletons, liv- 

 ing dead ones, mere shadows, not lor any lack 

 of good hay and comfortable barn room, but all for 

 want of a convenient water fountain, that great 

 restorative and corrector of dry fodder. 



Beibre closing my hasty remarks, I would call 

 your attention (If "I am not out of place,) to one 

 more error which I think many and even good 

 farmers have fallen into with regard to a certain 

 quality in a milch-cow, which they seem to think 

 is all important in order to a sood one: that is, 

 Vol. VII— 20 



that she should give milk until the time of her 

 calving, and if she but possesses this quality it is 

 to them a sufficient recommendation, if they wish 

 to make sale of her, and that it is the great and 

 only criterion by which to judge of a good or poor 

 cow. 



Now sir, so far as my experience goes, it is at 

 variance with this argument, from the facts that 

 cows that are milked to near the time of their 

 calving, will not give so much nor so good milk 

 during the year; as being milked at an unseason- 

 able time, they loose much o( their vigor and 

 strength at a time when most needed — their bags 

 do not have their natural fiillness — their calves 

 come weak and puny, and consequently are not 

 worth so much, and that it is not possible by any 

 subsequent keeping of the cow, to bring to a con- 

 dition to give the same quantity and quality of 

 milk, which she would have produced had she 

 gone dry some two or three months. 

 With much respect, 

 I am yours, Henry Butman. 



Dixmont, Feb. 18, 1S39. 



PROFIT OF IMPROVING POOR LAND. 



To the Editor of the Fanners' Register. 



Fairfax county, Fa., Feb. I2ih, 1839. 

 Dear sir — The first number of the 7th volume 

 of the Farmers' Register, like the precedino- vo- 

 lumes, has safely come to hand, and herewith you 

 will receive a check for my subscription for the 

 current volume of your most valuable Register. 

 I also send you a memorandum from my Zog--book, 

 not in any vain boasting spirit, because although 

 the results therein stated are rather large for vTr- 

 ginia, and especially for Fairfiix ftirming, still 

 many ol your readers north of Mason and Dix- 

 on's line, may be not a little amused at the self- 

 complacency with which I send forth results, 

 which, among them, would be deemed unworthy 

 of record. But it is not the well, it is the sick, 

 that need the physician. It is not the thorough 

 practical farmer, whose highly improved lands al- 

 ready return him 50 or anlOO fold, who stands in 

 need of advice or example to stimulate him to still 

 greater exertions. But it is the great mass of Vir- 

 ginia farmers who, like myself, have poor and ex- 

 hausted lands to operate on ; lands which, in 

 their present impoverished condition, are scarcely 

 capable of supporting the labor necessary for their 

 cultivation. Hence, in many instances, they are 

 abandoned by the sons and daughters of the Old 

 Dominion, who flee to the !ar west, in search of 

 rich lands ; which, to be sure they find, but with it, 

 the yawning grave stands ready to receive (he 

 mortal remains of a moiety at least of emigrants ; 

 who, had they have displayed but half tlie ener- 

 gy, and have expended in manures, judiciously 

 applied, less than a moiety of the cost of remov- 

 ing to the south or west, might have Ibund them- 

 selves in possession of frniiful farms in the land of 

 their f^ithers ; surrounded by all the comforts and 

 pleasures which flow Ji-om heallii anil competen- 

 cy, and the enjoyments of society with which 

 they had mingled from the hour of mirthful youth 

 to the noonday of manhood. Is this mere fiction, 

 a picture of fancy, or are such enjoyments real 1 



