44 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



•' whether 'any one at the north or east had tried 

 it^" In reply, we would inlorm the inquirer that 

 Hon. VVm. (Diark, ol JSorthamplon, Mass., has 

 ior many years been accustomed to lay down his 

 light lands to grass in this way. His communica- 

 tions upon the subject led to the trial ol' this pro- 

 cess upon the Carui where we have earned our 

 bread. And we are disposed to recommend a 

 trial of this method. Our belief, Ibunded upon 

 the observation ol' results in four different fceasons, 

 is that the seed will be less likely to tail in this 

 way than when sowed am.ong grain; that the 

 first crop is much more free from weeds ; is en- 

 tirely Iree from dead grain stalks ; is easier to 

 mow ; is equally abundant ; and better in quality. 

 We tiiink also that grass lay thus made holds 

 out better than oihers. By tiiis process the young 

 grasses are exempied Irom the baneful influences 

 ol the overshadowing grains, and from the wither- 

 ing heat to which ttiey are exposed when the 

 grains are removed. They are saved from the 

 Btmting to which they are usually subjected. 



The process. — Spread all the manure; make 

 no hill; and at the last time of hoeing, say the 

 middle of July, sow the grass seed among the 

 corn; pass through with the horse-harrow or cul- 

 tivator, (simple harrow teeih are best,) then hoe, 

 making all smooth, and the work is done. At 

 the proper lime cut the corn as near the ground as 

 can conveniently be done. Should the grass do 

 well, the stubs would probably sofien so much 

 Hs to oHer very little obstruction to the scythe. 

 But if one be/earllil that it might be otherwise, 

 he may take, as is our custom, an old adze or a 

 strong and heavy hoe, and go over the field while 

 the ground is liozen and by a single blow at each 

 hill pare all smooth. An acre may be gone over 

 by an active boy in three or lour hours. Alter 

 llie li-ost is out, let the ground be rolled. In the 

 early part of the season, appearances will be un- 

 promising for a crop ; but about the middle of 

 June it will come forward rapidly, and about the 

 lOlh or 15ih of July will be fit to cut. Land, we 

 suppose, can be laid down as smooth in this way 

 as any other; though we have not heretolbre 

 been very particular in this respect, and our 

 grounds, though even enough to work upon with- 

 out inconvenience, are not made quite as level 

 G8 when a grain crop is put on. 



The last season we took up graes land in the 

 spring; planted to corn, and in July seeded down 

 to grass. 



We do not advise any beginners to make ex- 

 tensive experiments, but we do think it will be 

 found good husbandry to adopt this process to a 

 considerable extent on many Jarms. 



SECTS FOR CATTLE. 



From a Weitem Paper. 

 As cxperienre, and not speculation, is what far- 

 mers need, I will give my observations in feeding 

 beets to my cows during the two past winters! 

 In 1838, I put up about 300 bushels of mangel 

 wurlzel beets, 100 bushels of turnips, and some 

 potatoes, (or the purpose of experimenting in feed- 

 ing my cattle through the winter. I knew nothing 

 but what 1 learned from books, as I was acquaint" 

 ed with no farmers, (nor am I yet) who fed with 



roofs. At first I was at a loss to know how to 

 feed them, whether in a raw state or cooked, but 

 having determined to try both plans I commenced 

 the work, and each did well, "ifoung animals are 

 peculiarly fond of the raw beets, and thrive asio- 

 ii'shingly on them ; but for cows that give milk, 

 they are better boiled, particularly il' a steamer 

 can be used in the process. Though milk cows 

 should have raw beets once in every two or three 

 days if grass cannot be had. 



The turnips and potatoes were given precisely 

 as the beets ; but I could not determine that either 

 had the preference over the other, as the cowa 

 gave about the same quantity of milk, and their 

 condition did not seem changed by either. In 

 feeding the same animal with beets, it was easily 

 told that one-third less than of the turnips or po- 

 tatoes would make them give the same quantity 

 of milk, of better quality, and they showed better 

 keep. — The beets made the milk better, the butter 

 better, and the cows look much belter. On one 

 half bushel of beets per day to each cow, without 

 straw, and a little meal or bran mixed in, they 

 continued in good condition through the winter, 

 gave as much milk as in the summer, and the 

 butter was liill as good as in May. My expe- 

 rience during the pact winter (1839—40) while 1 

 fled on roots, only confirmed my former conclu- 

 sions. 



CABBAGE AS FOOD FOR HOGS. 



From the Farmers' Cabinet. 



A gentleman remarked, in our hearing, a few 

 days since, that cabbage was a valuable food for 

 hogs. The idea was new to us, and we inquired 

 the manner of feeding. In reply, he gave the 

 following as the result of his experience, the last 

 summer. Having a fine patch of plants, and 

 observing the bottom leaves beginning to decay, 

 he directed hia farmer to procure a water-tight 

 cask, and gather a bushel of the lower leaves 

 from the cabbage plants and deposite them in the 

 barrel, with a handful of salt, and one quart of 

 corn meal. On this was poured the contents of 

 the kitchen swill pail, and the whole was sufl'ered 

 to stand undisturbed for twenty-four hours, when 

 the process was repeated, with the exception of 

 the salt — and so every day until the cask waa 

 filled with a mass of wilted leaves, about six 

 quarts of meal, potato pealings, crumbs of bread, 

 &c., from the kitchen ; all in a state of partial fer- 

 mentation. He now commenced feeding it to the 

 hogs, and they eat with greediness, leaving other 

 food for this. They were evidently ae fond of this 

 kind of mush, as ever " Mynheer" was ol sour- 

 krout. 



While the hogs were eonsuming the confenia 

 of the first barrel, a second vvas in course of being 

 filled, and so alternately, till the stock of leaves 

 was exhausted. 



This gentleman gave his opinion, that he could 

 not have prepared any other kind of food for his 

 hogs, at double the expense, that would have 

 produced results so decidedly beneficial. An in- 

 crease of appetite, improvement in their general 

 appearance, and better heart, was the result of 

 tills method. The cabbage, he thinks, were 

 greatly improved by plucking the redundant fo- 



