1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



361 



are under the necessity of purchasing to be some- 

 what economical in the use of them. The seed 

 ends cut off are nearly or quite as good to plant as 

 the whole potato, and the remainder will coiiliruie 

 as good or better to cook. Loudon asserts that 

 the seed ends of potatoes will come up a Ibrtuight 

 sooner than the other end. We do not know this 

 to be the fact; but if it be, it is an important one !o 

 the potato cultivator. JMany farmers are in the 

 habit of cutting the potatoes which they plant into 

 several pieces and planting them promiscuously; 

 but if the seed ends are so much earlier than the 

 other parts, it certainly would be good policy to 

 plant them by themselves, or plant them only, and 

 use the other for other purjjoses. 



Our correspondent R. and some others think 

 t hey have hitherto held the ruta baga in too high 

 tJStcem ; and some are now engaged it) crying 

 them down, as much as they cried them up before. 

 Now truth lies in the mean or middle way between 

 the extremes. We have hitherto had some little 

 experience ui feeding different kinds of roots, to 

 cattle and pigs in the winter. 



We still hold them in high esteem. Some for 

 one purpose and some for another. It is true that 

 some of ihem rank higher in intrinsic qualities as 

 tbod (or man than others. The potatoes?, for in- 

 stance, are better for man, because they contain 

 more farinaceous matter or starch than any of the 

 others; but some of the others, but more especially 

 carrots, are better lor fattening or sustaining cattle. 

 One thousand parts of the potato yields of nu- 

 tritive matter from 200 to 260 parts. This consists 

 principally of starch with a little mucilage — fi'om 

 15 to 20 of saccharine matter, and from 30 to 40 of 

 gluten. 



One thousand parts of the common red beet con- 

 tain about 150 parts of nutriiive matter, which is 

 made up of li parts of starch, 121 of saccharine 

 mattefj and 13 or 14 of gluten. 



One thousand parts of the mangel wurtzel con- 

 tain about 136 parts of nutriiive matter, of which 

 say 13 parts are starch, 119 saccharine matter, 

 and 4 gluten. 



One thousand parts of the common flat turnip 

 contain about 42 parts of nutritive matter, of which 

 7 are starch, and 34 are saccharine matter. 



One thousand parts of ruta baga contain 64 parts 

 of nutritive matter, ol" which 9 are starch, 51 suc- 

 charine matter and 2 gluten. 



One thousand parts of the carrot yield 98 of nu- 

 tritive matter, of which 3 are starch and 95 are 

 eacciiarine matter 



starch, 3 are saccharine matter, 2 are giuten and 

 3 are an insoluble vegetable extract. 



There are different results oliiained by chem- 

 ists, in regard to the nutritive qualities of herds 

 grass, but some put it down as 100 in a thousand 

 parts. 



Now if we take -into the account the number of 

 lbs. of each root which is ordinarily olrtained fi-om 

 an acre, and the cost of production, an approxima- 

 tion may be had of the comparaiive value of each 

 crop; and by fairly understanding the matter we 

 shail not be likelv to be carried away by our parti- 

 alities (or this or that crop to day, or by disappoint- 

 ments in regard to them to-morrow. 



HEX COOPS. 



From tlie Maine farmer. 

 Hens are useful — valuablcj and as profitable as 

 any stock on the farm; but like other stock they 

 should have an enclosure by themselves at certain 

 seasons of the year, especially in the spring when 

 the sowing and planting begins. A very cheap 

 and convenient yard may be made lor them by 

 taking common boards, and a suitable number of 

 posts — nail the boards so nigh together that the 

 hens can not get through between ihein. This 

 frame need not be more than four or five leet liigli. 

 Then at the top nail on some shingles cut so as to 

 make sharp points, and nail them. -up say two in- 

 ches apart. Laths cut and nailed on are better — 

 or narrow sticks split and made sharp, and nailed 

 on, will, answer the purpose. A door ol" conve- 

 nient size may be made to go in at. The hens 

 may then be put in and there will be little danger 

 of their attempting to scale ti:e walls. The sharp 

 r>oinis slicking up all round, look too furmidable. 

 The philosophy of the thing, is- this. The hen 

 is not very good for flight, and when she attempts 

 to fly over any thing, she almost invariably liirhls 

 upon it, and then jumps ofl'. As they cannot light 

 and rest upon these sharp points, they cannot get 

 over very conveniently, and should any succeed' in 

 flying over at a single leap, their wings may be 

 clipped. When put into one of these coops, food 

 should be kept by lliem constantl}', and also wa- 

 ter — a little ashes for them to shake up among 

 their feathers in a sunny da}', some gravel to 

 grind their food with, and some lime to manufac- 



ture mto egg shells. When thus supplied, they 

 it also contains 2 or 3 parts of! will lay as well, and do aa well here as when out 



an extract which appears insoluble. | ranging about. We keep our hens and turkeys in 



One thousand parts of the parsnip afford about such a yard, and find that they do extremely welK 

 100 of nutritive matter, 9 or 10 of which are starch, 

 and 90 saccharine matter. 



The remainder of the thousand parts are vege- 

 table fibre, usetlil to the animal that eats it in filling 

 the stomach and aiding the digestive organs by 

 what is called the "stimulus of distention," and 

 very probably affording other aid to them, which 

 we know nothing about and which cannot he de- 

 tected by the chemist in his laboratory. 



Compare almost any of the above roots, with 

 the nutritive matter procured from, the same 

 number of parts of clover, or herds or timothy 

 grass, as they call it at the south (phleum pra- 

 tense.) • 



One thousand parts of the clover contain about 

 40 of nutritive matter, of which sav 31 or 3 

 Vol. VII-46 



90AP MAKING 



From tlie Geuesee Farmef. 

 We recently mentioned some of the necessary 

 requisites in the manufacture ol common soft soap, 

 without an attention to which, failure would be the 

 consequence. We have since been lurnished with 

 the following particular statement of the whole 

 process by an experienced manuficturer, who has 

 never, in a single instance, failed in making good 

 soap by this method. 

 The leach-tub should hold about four barrels, 

 ire I In the bottom of it put a little straw to prevent ths 



