1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



197 



productive fields in the town. Mr. Parker, of 

 Marlow, made valuable statements in relation to 

 the use of muck, and urged the people to give it 

 more attention, and cited several things that had 

 been said as showing the importance of such gath- 

 erings as these. He thought them just what is 

 needed to improve the condition of New Hamp- 

 shire farms. Mr. Simoxds had used tan, he said, 

 with excellent results — plowed under deep, it 

 keeps the land light and porous, and he believed 

 had some fertilizing properties. 



The evening exercises were similar to those at 

 Keene, and the Town Hall was crowded with at- 

 tentive listeners until 9 P. M. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 PEED OP MILCH COWS. 

 Mr. Editor : — In looking over the "Transac- 

 tions of the Worcester North Agricultural Soci- 

 ety," for 1858, I have been a good deal interest- 

 ed in the record of some experiments, made by 

 John Brooks, Jr., of Princeton, for the purpose 

 of testing the relative value of different kinds of 

 feed for milch cows. So far as one can judge 

 through the manifold blunders of the printer — 

 (you gentlemen of the press do sometimes make 

 strange work — [It is strange there are not more. 

 — Eds.] with types) — the experiments appear to 

 have been tried with care ; but they would have 

 shown better the comparative milk and butter- 

 producing qualities of the varieties of feed, if 

 each variety had been given to the animals some 

 days before the result was recorded, so that the 

 trial should begin under the full influence of the 

 feed experimented with ; for in the daily record 

 there is sometimes a large difference between the 

 first and the last days of the trial, the effect of 

 one kind of feed running into the next experi- 

 ment. For instance, as to the amount of milk ; 

 one cow, during the trial of cotton seed meal, 

 gave at the commencement, 10.94 pounds, and 

 on the last day 14.19 pounds, showing a daily in- 

 crease for the whole time. And with 15 pounds 

 of English turnips daily, all the cows gave an in- 

 creased amount of milk at the close ; while, with 

 the same quantity of rutabagas, directly follow- 

 ing the English turnips, three of the four cows 

 gave less milk at the end than at the beginning 

 of the term — in one case a pound a day less. On 

 the last day of trial with English turnips, the ag- 

 gregate of milk given by the four cows was 37.37 

 pounds ; with rutabagas it was but 34.50 pounds. 

 This result conflicts with the common opinion in 

 regard to the relative value of the English tur- 

 nip and rutabaga ; and perhaps it should not be 

 received as settling any point in dispute ; but, 

 looking at the various aspects of the result, it 

 certainly should not be set aside as worthless 

 testimony in favor of the turnip. It is to be re- 

 gretted that Mr. Brooks did not state which of 

 the very numerous varieties of the English tur- 

 nip was used in his experiments, as there ii 

 probably some difference in their value for feed 

 I have made an abstract of some of the more 

 important matters in Mi\ Brooks' tables, which, 

 perhaps, you will think of sufficient value to pre- 

 sent to your readers. I take at random the cow 



Dora. The quantities of milk given, are the dai- 

 ly average for the whole term of five days for 

 each experiment. She gave, when fed on 



. a I- 



a o cqth 



lbs. pr. ct. oz. 



Hay only, 27.60 lbs 8.33 1.66 10 



Hay 22 lbs., cotton seed meal,2.751bs..ll 51 1.87 12 



Hay 24.40 lbs., Eng. turnips, 15 lbs 10.59 171 11 



Hay 23 lbs., ruta bagas, 15 lbs 10 06 1.61 10 



Hay 23 50 lbs., carrots, 15 lbs 10 89 1.65 10 



Hay 25 lbs., English carrots, 15 lbs 10.38 168 10 



Clover hay, 2na crop, 28.40 lbs 11.31 1.73 11 



Hay23.80 1b3., corn meal, 2.75 lbs 10.46 1.67 10 



In the following table may be seen the daily 

 average for the four cows used for the experi- 

 ments, with the average increase or decrease of 

 milk during the time occupied by each trial. 

 Does Mr. Brooks, by English carrot, mean the 

 common white carrot ? 



a *•- 



So So 



lbs. pr. ct. lbs. 



Hayonly 7.34 1.64 .97 



Hay and cotton seed meal 9.34 1.84 1.97 



Hay and English turnips 8.93 1.70 .73 



Hay and carrots 8.81 1.57 .53 



Hay and English carrots 8.31 1.63 .29 



Clover hay, 2nd crop 8.69 1.81 2.64 



Hay and corn meal 7.82 1.68 .62 



Hay and ruta bagas 9.07 1.61 .40 dec'e. 



Mr. Brooks prooaoly has convenient arrange- 

 ments for experiments of this sort — will he not 

 increase the obligation under which the farming 

 community lies to him, by enlarging on his ex- 

 periments, and bringing new articles of feed to 

 the test ? He can then do a great service to his 

 brethren, while he is benefiting himself more es- 

 pecially. MiNOT Pratt. 



Concord, Feb. 17, 1859. 



FRUTT CUIiTUBB. 



The greatest desideratum, at this time, in the 

 culture of the apple and pear, particularly the 

 latter, is to ascertain for ourselves, on our re- 

 spective soils, what varieties will succeed well 

 with us, and cultivate these, as being the most 

 remunerative. 



Our fruit books generally do not enlighten us 

 much on this important matter. One of the 

 most practical cultivators of fruit and vegetables 

 in England for almost a century, (having recent- 

 ly deceased at a very advanced age,) was John 

 Rogers ; he may be said to be the only writer 

 who has given us scarcely anything upon the im- 

 portance of the right soil for the various kinds ; 

 thus in his description of the St. Germain pear, 

 he writes, "No tree thrives better on a light, shal- 

 low loam, on a dry bottom ; and no pear is of 

 less value, if grown in deep, rich, heavy soil." 

 He speaks of apples "having local propensities, 

 rendering them more prolific in one place than 

 another," and continues, "deep, rich soils in shel- 

 tered situations, are not the most proper for the 

 apple, though recommended by 'writers who 

 ought to have known better." 



