FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 12 



half a million of dollars for teaching them the use 

 of lime. 



I thank you for your little space to common 

 schools. Why should uot the rising generation 

 be taught the meaning o( scientific terms of daily 

 application through life? It would be perfectly 

 easy and practicable. We all neglect our duty to 

 the young. How easy it would be to teach every 

 boy in this state, that portion of chemistry and ge- 

 ology, which is applicable to agriculture. 



Tiie results of our school libraries are most 

 cheering indeed. The books are not stolen, nor 

 injured, and are regularly returned, and what is 

 more important, the books are read. These boys, 

 when they become men, will understand your last 

 Cultivator, which is more than can now be said of 

 soma of their fathers— but which every farmer 

 ought to be able to understand. 



w. 



FATTENING HOGS — SEED CORN — WOODEN OX- 

 CHAINS. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Madison Co., Va., Feb. 20th, 1836. 



In the last No. of the Farmers' Register, you 

 complain of a deficiency of original communica- 

 tions, and request that correspondents will hasten 

 to prevent a continuance of such a complaint. 

 This request is not the only inducement by which 

 I am actuated in writing, but I conceive it the du- 

 ty of every subscriber to communicate fully and 

 freely, whatever information he may possess upon 

 the subject of agriculture, whether much or little 

 — for this is the principal source from which the 

 utility of your now valuable Register is to flow. 

 Then Sir, in conformity to this duty, I will pro- 

 ceed to make the following crude, and perhaps, 

 unacceptable remarks upon the topics which head 

 this communication. 



The mode which is almost universally practised 

 in fattening hogs, in this section of country, is not 

 only wasteful and expensive, but unprofitable — 

 which will be rendered quite obvious by reference 

 to the 13th volume, 94 page of the American 

 Farmer. Rut knowing that any effort of mine to 

 cause the adoption of an entire new mode, would 

 prove unavailing, I will therefore, as far as expe- 

 rience and facts will warrant, endeavor to point out 

 what I consider an improvement upon the old 

 plan, in point of economy at least, if it be not su- 

 perior in many respects. The custom here is, to 

 enclose a piece of land through which a stream 



fjasses, proportioned to the number of hogs to be 

 attened, in which they are confined, and led upon 

 nothing but corn in the ear, which is thrown in 

 upon the ground or mud once or twice a day, 

 in large quantities. When the corn is first thrown 

 in, upon part of it, the hogs soon satisfy their ap- 

 petites and become gorged, the remainder is 

 trampled under foot in the mud and filth — this 

 they never touch again and is lost. The plan 

 which I would recommend, is not only more eco- 

 nomical, and advantageous to the fattening hogs, 

 but to the whole stock of hogs. It is this: the fat- 

 tening hogs should be confined to a high and dry 

 spot of ground, a south exposure to be always 

 preferred. Instead of one pen, as is usual, have 

 two of equal size proportioned to the number of 

 the hogs; in the dividing fence between these pens 



there should be a slip-gap, so as to change the 

 hogs from one pen to the other. The stock hog8 

 should be kept in fields adjoining these pens, so as 

 to be admitted into either pen by slip-gaps made 

 for that purpose. Every thing being now com- 

 plete, all that will be required, is to change the fat- 

 tening hogs every three or four days, or as often 

 as is necessary, from one pen to the other, and let 

 the stock hogs have free access to the pen located 

 by the other swine. The corn which was tramp- 

 led in the mud and rejected, and which would 

 have been otherwise lost, is now turned to ac- 

 count, and is greedily devoured by the stock hogs. 

 This is not only sufficient to keep them in good 

 condition during the fattening season, if the stock 

 is not too large, but it is also beneficial to the fat- 

 tening hogs to have the refuse corn thus removed, 

 which if suffered to remain, might, by its putre- 

 faction, prove injurious. Nor is this the only advan- 

 taga,for by changing them from one pen to the other, 

 it adds considerably to their comfort which conse- 

 quently promotes their thrift. Thus the refuse 

 corn is saved and the whole stock of hogs receive 

 considerable benefit. 



The following, I do not give as original or new, 

 but to recommend their utility. 



Seed corn — "like will produce like" — therefore 

 in selecting your seed, gather none but the best, 

 and that only from stalks which have borne two 

 or more ears. Ry adopting this plan you will 

 find, that the quality of your corn will not only be 

 improved, but the product increased. 



Wooden ox-chains. Get a gum sapling eight 

 or nine inches in circumference, after beingbarked, 

 and six and a half feet long — at each end of 

 which, attach a chain, one toot long at one end 

 and one and a half at the other, made as other ox- 

 chains with a ring and hook. These short chains 

 are fastened to the wood or pole by a crooked 

 piece of iron called a nose, precisely like the iron 

 or the tongue of a wagon that confines the breast 

 chains. I have had one of these chains in con- 

 stant use for several years, no part of which has 

 ever been repaired, and can truly say, that it an- 

 swers admirably well, both as it regards economy 

 and the purpose for which it was made. The 

 common chain made entirely of iron is more ex- 

 pensive, less durable, and in dangling about, 

 sometimes gets in between the legs of the steers, 

 which occasions both risk and loss of time. 



With the most cordial wishes, sir, that the Re- 

 gister may be liberally patronized, 



I am, yours, 



INCOGNITO. 



SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LABORS AND IM- 

 PROVEMENTS EXECUTED BY THE MAR- 

 QUIS DE TURBILLY. 



[Concluded from page 682, Vol. III.] 



"The ground which I broke up in 1752, was 

 pared and burnt in the same manner as that of 

 last year, and produced an equally good crop. My 

 other corn lands did the same; and I have since 

 continued, and still continue, at the time of my 

 writing this, to break up a parcel of heath, or 

 other waste ground, every year. The success has 

 answered; so that my improved lands now yield 

 me every kind of corn which this country produces. 

 Turkey-wheat, buck-wheat, and millet, have done 



