226 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Ma^ 



occasionally, and distribute to every other sub- 

 scriber — every other will give thanks and for- 

 ward parcels by aid of the same express to you. 

 Fair exchange is no robbery — it is mutual effort 

 for mutual good. To obtain all the information 

 you can from others and bottle up your own is 

 downright plunder. Be neighborly and just, suc- 

 cessful farmers, and share your knowledge all 

 round. If you won't, pray don't ever again laugh 

 in your sleeves, or anywhere else, when you see 

 another suffering great loss in a farming opera- 

 tion for want of information which you possess. 

 And don't complain of youngmen for leaving the 

 farm for any Eldorado that appears to offer a 

 golden gleam, until you take as much pains to 

 learn them farming as you do to teach a two-year 

 old steer to haw and gee. 



May it please you to give us some crumbs. I 

 speak for young farmers, and ignorant ones, but 

 the wisest may learn something of each other. 



We don't ask you to write elaborate essays. 

 Few would stop to read them in the busy season, 

 and if once laid away, would perhaps never. Al- 

 though they might be good as a minister's ser- 

 mon all the way down to "eleventhly," if too long 

 they would be of little general value. Work- 

 ing farmers don't often hunt through a bushel 

 of superfluous words for the disjointed members 

 of one idea. If you send most of your notes in 

 the style you take them for your own use, there 

 will be no superabundance of words, I dare say. 

 Fine writing and nicely turned phrases are not 

 essential. An iron bar is no more useful for be- 

 ing eked out at the top with feathers, nor is it 

 necessary to knot your ox-chains with ribbons, 

 unless it be cattle-show day. Be short, clear, 

 concise, practical, and there will be room enough 

 for all. N. Page, Jr. 



Danver sport, March 26, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SOILING OF CATTLE. 



My attention has recently been called to this 

 suliject by a publication made by the Senior 

 Ciuincy, and the impression from the perusal of 

 nis Essays is so strong, that I feel constrained to 

 invite the attention of all who would advance 

 their own interests and that of their neighbors to 

 what he says. He clearly demonstrates, that in 

 the mode of proceeding which he points out, as 

 many cattle can be as well kept, for all the pur- 

 poses of farming, on 40 acres, as are now kept on 

 160 acres, in the ordinary modes of keeping, by 

 those who are esteemed good farmers. 



What, then, is the result of such management ? 

 The young man who intends to be a farmer, starts 

 at the age of 21, with his 40 acres of land costing 

 him $4000. He appropriates one-half of it to the 

 feed of his stock, and the other half to the grow- 

 ing of hay and other purposes of the farm. He 

 will find himself able to maintain 20 head of cat- 

 tle, through the year, on a farm thus managed. 

 He will find the net income of a stock thus man- 

 aged not less than $1000 per year. Will not 

 farming thus conducted pay ? This is not mere 

 fancy speculation. Mr. Q. says he has tried it 

 for many years successively, and knows what he 

 says is true. I know a man, who forty years ago, 

 purchased a lot of land ; on the shore of the sea. 



40 by 160 rods ; and who then erected buildings 

 upon it, and has since so managed it, as to real- 

 ize, at least a net income of $1000 a year from 

 this farm. EssEX. 



March 25, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HAY AND HOOTS. 

 Mr. Editor : — Can you enlighten us by any 

 fact or suggestion bearing upon the two following 

 questions : 



1. If you had first quality hay, (i. e., the very 

 best which our farmers get in,) would you use 

 any roots with it in vs-intering your stock ? 



2. If you should use roots, M'hat would the^ 

 be worth per bushel to you — that is, if the mar- 

 ket value of turnips was two shillings per bush- 

 el, and the value of other roots corresponding; 

 which would you do, carry your roots to market, 

 or feed them with Jirst qiialiti/ hay ? 



Can you oblige us by answering the above 

 practical questions ; also, giving us your reasons. 



We have a "'Farmers' Club," which meets every 

 Monday evening, at different farm houses, and 

 there, in a very social manner, we discuss the 

 different points arising under the subject an- 

 nounced the evening previous. We make no set 

 speeches, but we pass the point round, demand- 

 ing, in every case, an opinion, if not a reason. 

 In this way we draw out facts, from which prin- 

 ciples are deduced, and thus an actual progress 

 insured. The plan succeeds admirably. Of course 

 we have a constitution, officers, and other essen- 

 tials to an organized body. The admission fees, 

 together with the voluntary contributions of the 

 members, provided us with a little li!)rary. But 

 what I would especially call your attention to, is 

 the informal, social features of the club meetings. 

 Queries are raised, experience brought out, facta 

 established and principles evolved in this way, 

 which otherwise would never, or very seldom, ap- 

 pear. 



The above questions arose under the subject 

 of "Winter Management of Stock," and we 

 should be much gratified to have an expression 

 from you. Warren Johnson. 



Topsham, Me., Feb., 1859. 



Remarks. — If common flat turnips would net 

 us thirty-three cents a bushel, and other roots 

 bring a corresponding price, we would take them 

 to market, and for this reason : On suitable 

 land we ought to expect 600 bushels of turnips 

 per acre, and at 33 cents a bushel we should get 

 $198 income from an acre of land. Such an in- 

 come could scarcely be expected from any of our 

 ordinary crops, and it would be better to secure 

 that sum for the turnips, and expend it for some 

 kind of grain, if we M'ished to feed something be- 

 sides hay. 



Your plan of a Farmers' Club is the true one. 

 We have been attending one similarly constitu- 

 ted for nine years ; but we make "set speeches," 

 that is, four leaders are appointed on each ques- 

 tion, and they have precedence, speaking in or- 

 der, and without interruption. 



