NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



313 



weight at commencement of trial 1500 lbs., at the 

 close of 8 weeks 1004 lbs., at end of 11 weeks 1617 

 lbs.; mean weight for 8 weeks 1552 lbs., for 11 

 weeks 1558 1-2 lbs.; gain in 8 weeks 104 lbs. — on 

 cut 17 lbs., on uncut hay 87 lbs.; gain in 11 weeks 

 117 lbs. — on cut hay 32 lbs., on uncut hay 85 lbs.; 

 having eaten in 8 weeks 2106 lbs. — 1028 lbs. cut 

 and KI7S lbs. uncut hay; in 11 weeks 2925 lbs. — 

 1574 lbs. cut and 1351 lbs. uncut hay. 



The daily food of these cattle has been in hay 

 about 2 4-10 per cent, of their live weight, or 1 

 lb. in addition of weight to every 18 20-100 lbs. of 

 hay eaten. 



The eight animals with which the before men- 

 tioned trials were made, eat in 8 weeks 5343 lbs. 

 cut hay, 201 lbs. equivalent — 5604 lbs., and gained 

 in weight 401 lbs., or 13 97-100 lbs. hay to 1 lb. 

 in weight gained ; 5335 1-3 lbs. uncut hay, 261 

 lbs. equivalent, — 5596 1-3 lbs., and gained in 

 weight 239 lbs., or 23 41-100 lbs. hay to 1 lb. in 

 weight gained. Greater gain on cut hay than on 

 uncut hay by 68 per cent., and only 7 7-8 lbs. 

 more cut hay consumed. 



Mr. Lincoln's two cows eat 1150 lbs. cut hay, 

 and gave 439 1-8 lbs. milk; eat 1131 1-3 lbs. un- 

 cut hay, and gave 417 1-8 lbs. milk. Greater yield 

 of milk on cut than uncut hay 22 lbs., or 5 9-20 

 per cent., and only 18 7-8 lbs. cut hay in addition 

 consumed. 



These experiments seem fully to have established 

 the fact that a much greater benefit is derived 

 from cutting good hay, as food for cattle, than an 

 equivalent for the expense of cutting ; if obliged to 

 hire labor for that purpose. These experiments 

 were made under unfavorable circumstances. It 



MULCHING. 



The only definition given to this word by Web- 

 ster is that of '■'■half rotten straw" — and even this 

 he takes from Bailey's old dictionary. At the pres- 

 ent day it lias a wider significance, and we believe 

 that farmers and gardeners attach to it the same 

 meaning in all parts of the country. The applica- 

 tion of any substance about trees or plants to pre- 

 vent a too rapid evaporation of moisture from the 

 soil, and protect the tender roots from our fierce 

 summer suns, is called mulching. In Worcester's 

 dictionary we do not find the word. Its meaning, 

 however, is now well established without the aid 

 of any learned lexicographer. 



Mulching, in our climate, is a most important 

 operation. It may be done with meadow hay, 

 straw, saw-dust, tan, chips that have been heaped 

 and quick lime sprinkled among them, grass 

 cut from the lawns or borders, leaves, or even bits 

 of board, will pretty well answer the purpose. 

 Where there are so many things to select from, 

 persons in all situations will be likely to find some- 

 thing that will answer their purpose. 



Those having machines for cutting hay and 

 straw will find that by cutting these materials, 

 they will get something admirably adapted for 

 placing among strawberry plants. For trees and 

 large plants, larger and coarser materials answer 

 quite as well. 



Young trees, tomatoes, strawberries, egg plants, 



.„ circumstances, 

 is understood that the cattle were unused to eatj currant and gooseberry bushes, cabbages, and near 

 cut hay, and although some of the cattle eat the' ly all the garden plants, may profitably be mulched. 

 cut hay readily, by the greater part it was refused! A more even temperature and state of moisture 

 until hunger induced to the consumption of it. | ; s p re served, weeds are kept under, and the plant 



is enabled to keep steadily growing. The surface 

 soil is kept open and porous, and the whole process 

 renders all things favorable to a free and luxuri- 

 ant growth. 



If the use of the word seem proper to you, and 

 you become as well convinced of the importance of 



Another objection — the term of each separate trial 

 was too short ; if the whole trial was to have con- 

 tinued but 8 weeks, it would have been better to 

 have divided into 2 periods of 4 weeks each, than 

 into four periods of 2 weeks each. There was a 

 loss at each time of changing the food, by a part 

 of the cattle not eating it so freely. It is now be- 

 come manifest that the cutter can be profitably: , 



employed in chaffing hay, whether the whole b e the operation as we are, you will straightway go 

 good, or a portion of inferior quality, straw, corn- and mulch 

 stalks and buts. Of the latter, cornstalks and! 

 huts, they are believed to be intrinsically of more 

 value, than they have usually been estimated; 

 when properly cured, they afford very nutritious 

 food, of which cattle are fond, and if passed through i 



a cutter, very little will be rejected. If the stalks; i^"^^'* £e 7re7enr c ^ndi tion" of "the peach ii 

 and buts be not of a good quality, it will still be| thig v j j n i ty s0 fully confirms the views of obsen 

 expedient to cut them, the cattle will eat a larger| and prae ti ca l horticulturists as to the best lo 

 proportion, and what is refused by them will be 



THE BUST 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FOR PEACH. 



LOCATION 



TREES. 



Although the season for transplanting fruit trees 



more readily decomposed. Those who have been 

 compelled with much hard tugging and pulling, to 

 shovel over manure in which uncut cornstalks and 

 buts have been mixed, will readily admit that the 

 use of the cutting machine would have saved them 

 much hard work, so much so as w r ell to pay for 

 the labor of cutting the stalks and buts. 

 Ito be continued.] 



Egy A man's owning a large farm is no excuse 

 for imperfect tillage. What he cannot improve, he 

 need not undertake to cultivate 



cation for them, that it may be well to put them 

 on record for the guidance of future operations. I 

 have three acres in peach trees, about one-half of 

 which are situated on low, plain land, and the 

 other half on a high hill in the immediate vicinity. 

 My trees on the low land have been injuriously af- 

 fected and many of them entirely destroyed by the 

 severity of the past winter, while thoseon the hill, 

 occupying a bleak and exposed position, never 

 looked more finely, and are now in full blossom. 

 The popular impression is, that plain lands, with 

 a somewhat sandy soil, are the best adapted to 

 peach trees, and that thev ^mnot live at »" on 



