68 



THE FAIIjIERS' REGISTER. 



sbout furnisli wool for one person. Ai nboui 

 five yeara old, a fracture occurs in ihe two middie 

 lower i'rorit teeth, forming a notch between them. 

 Alter this they should be marked for mutton, as it 

 i.s very unptofitatile to keep a flocU of old sheep. 

 One Iamb should ho "turned out" in the place of 

 every mutton killed. Any extra lambs maybe 

 killed. The ram siiouid be changed annually, 

 viz. : if one can find aniona his frieiuls and neiiih- 

 bors any sheep north breeding Irom. In wuver 

 they siiouid be sheltered from the inclemencies ol 

 weather ; and the ewes, especially, should be well 

 provided with succulent Ibod — such as beets, tur- 

 nips, carrots, or cabbages, particularly if the 

 o-round be covered with snow. Lambs can bear 

 cold as well as any animal whatever, after once 

 standing on tlieir leet. Their great mortality in 

 winter generally arises from want of milk, which 

 the kind of (bod recommended for their mothers 

 will ensure to them. 



As to hogs, gentlernen, after what parsed at our 

 sprintj meelinii,* it might little be expected, that 



*At the meetiiicf in tlie spring, the author of the 

 address having complained that lie was nearly foiled 

 in his attempt to raise hogs, by the propensity in his 

 sows to eat their own pigs, became the suhject of 

 much pleasant raillery from a very particular friend, who 

 urged as the only proper course, that such unnatural 

 mothers should be killed, and their places supplied by 

 a better breed. This was, however, not adopted, as, 

 excepting the great fault complained of, the breed 

 was particularly a favorite one ; it is a cross of the 

 Bedford and Chester. The few hogs raised, were un- 

 commonly fine ones. By noticing the time when the 

 sows might be expected to farrow, and giving them for 

 two or three weeks beforehand a plentiful supply and 

 variety of succulent vegetables, and occasionally some 

 of the condiments recommended above, I have been 

 able to save, since last tpring, about forty beautiful 

 shoats, without having one devoured by its mother. 



The food early in the spring, besiues a little corn, 

 and but a little, may be beet and turnip, and other 

 roots which may have been kept tlu-ough the winter. 

 A little later, it may be clover and other grasses, and 

 almost all kinds of weeds. Through the summer and 

 fall it may be cimblins and other refuse from the gar- 

 den and kitchen, and in their season, pumpkins consti- 

 tute a superior kind of food for hogs. The sows should 

 be permitted to have pigs, in this climate, only be- 

 tween the first of March and first of October. Winter 

 pigs are not worth raising in the richest part of Ken- 

 tucky. 



He who has enjoyed an opportunity of observing the 

 snug arrangements made by more ijorthcrn farmers, 

 for comfort to the stock and jirofit in the raising, will 

 be at rio loss in accountmg for our great failures in 

 this matter. In stock-raising, as in every other hu- 

 man concern, success is the reward only of diligent 

 and zealous effort. Who gets rich, besides those whose 

 hearts are much devoted to the object ? In middle and 

 lower Virginia there is much laudable industry and 

 enterprise manifested in the mere production of crops. 

 This is followed by success, but generally, at a vast 

 expense in the impoverishment of land, the destruction 

 of teams, and total negligence of stock. Providence 

 has placed under our management a wonderfully com- 

 plicated system, which, for completely beneficial re- 

 sults r,s a whole, depends upon rigid attention to all its 

 parts. Few proprietors study and practise this system 

 as they should, and much fewer overseers. Fortunate 

 is he, who can obtain and keep one who will faithfully 

 do this. Both modest and heioic was the reply of the 

 gallant Gen. Miller, when asked if he could achieve a 

 certain military exploit, " I will try, sir." In these mo^ 

 to-loving days, this should be the motto of every farmer 



i should undertake to say much about them. It 

 is, perhaps, my duty, however, to say that I have 

 found a remedy lor the evil, then complained of, 

 which is simply to provide the sows with the great- 

 est possible variety of food ; and also, lo lurnish 

 ihem, by way of condiment, occasionally, a little 

 salt, sulphur, rotten wood, charcoal, shop-cinders, 

 &c. I now believe, if you will permit me to boast 

 a little on this subject, that I liave as fine a paicel 

 of young hogs, the oHspring of the sell-same 

 sows, so much ahuj-ed in the spring, as can ba 

 (bund in the country. 



If we ever sui'ceed in raising hogs profitably, it 

 must be on other kinds of Ibod than dry corn, f 

 do not believe it could be done on the o d V^uginia 

 plan, in the richest regions of the west. 



Permit me, sxenilemen, in conclusion, to tender 

 you my best wi.-hes, and once more to urge, that 

 we earnestly endeavor lo make the society as use- 

 ful as possible, and especially to make it a bond 

 of union among ourselves, which the corrosive 

 feelings of discord shall never be able to dissolve; 

 and among those around us, a nucleus of love,, 

 which, like a " little leaven," may exert its sofi- 

 ening inHuences far beyond the place of its origin. 



AGRICULURAL MEETINGS AND DISCISSIONS. 



An excellent practice, for Ihe auvancrment of 

 agricultural information, has been introduced in 

 Massachusetts, and which we should rejoice to 

 have copied and properly carried through, in Vir- 

 ginia and othersouthern states. We allude toihe 

 meetings of agriculturists which are held weekly 

 during (he win'er in Boston, brought together 

 merely upon the request and general invitation of 

 the State Agricultural Commissioner, and by the 

 voluntary action of the farmers who choose lo at- 

 tend, whether as auditors only, or to participate in 

 the discussion, and to furnish their share, as well 

 as to receive benefit from the information elicited 

 from others. The agricultural c.ommissioner (the 

 Rev. Henry Colman,) desiirnaies and gives pre- 

 vious notice of the subject for discussion, and on 

 which verbal information is desired at the next ap- 

 proaching meeting ; and he presides at the meet- 

 ing, or at least, so far leads in the proceedings, aa 

 to put the body to work. There seems to be no- 

 thing more of (brm, and no constraint, except, of 

 course, such aa ia necessary to preserve order in 

 debate. There are neither essays nor addresses, 

 nor fotmal speeches delivered. Each member, aa 

 in common and unreserved conversation, and at 

 such loniith as is requisite, and in plain language, 

 slates his opinions or his practice, and answers 

 any questions or objections that may be put ; and, 

 in this manner, it may be presumed that all the 



and overseer in the land. We could then do much 

 more good to our country, than by being all rabid parti- 

 zans in politics, which might safely be trusted to our 

 blessed representative tystem. 



