1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



431 



applied, over that where the other heap was 

 spread, was quite apparent and striking ; and 

 called my attention, more particularly than it 

 was ever before directed, to the importance of 

 feeding out our best or richest products, if we 

 would have the best kind of manure for our lands 

 and large crops from them. 



I might here go on to show that the hay pro- 

 duced by the farm, fed out upon it, and say, seven 

 to eight dollars per ton realized for the same, and 

 the manure given back to the land, would gener- 

 ally, in a term of years, be as valuable thus dis- 

 posed of as though it were carried off" to market 

 and sold for twelve dollars per ton, and the land 

 not compensated by an equivalent of manure. 

 AUo, how the feeding of potatoes, carrots, and 

 other root crops adds to the quantity and quality 

 of the manure, and the proht of keeping sMick. 

 But these matters would form another branch of 

 the general subject, the treatment of which 

 would make this communication too long. 



It may be proper to briefly indicate some of 

 the ways in which the grain crops may be profi- 

 tably fed out upon the farm, though I can no 

 more than barely mention them at this time. 



It is generally good farming to keep at least a 

 few cows, for their dairy products, and in con- 

 nection with them, about an equal number of 

 spring pigs of a good breed, feeding the skim 

 milk, &c., of the dairy to the pigs, together with 

 grain. V^'hen pork brings seven cents per pound 

 and corn one dollar per bushel, I have found it 

 better to feed the corn to March pigs of a good 

 breed, slaughtering them at nine or ten months 

 of age, than to sell the corn off for cash. By 

 supplying the pigs with suitable materials, they 

 will make each five or six ox-cart loads of first 

 rate compost. The pork thus made will bring 

 about a cent per pound more than pork of the 

 average quality in the markets, and meat of the 

 roasting and steak pieces will be about as tender 

 and delicate as that of the breast of a chicken. 

 The skim milk thus fed adds much to the growth 

 and general thrift of the pigs, and is worth a 

 considerable per cent, of what the new milk 

 would bring if sold oif the farm for cash. In ad- 

 dition to what is realized from the pigs, there is 

 the value of the dairy products and the manure 

 derived from the cows. 



It often proves profitable to buy up, in the 

 fall, weathers of a good breed of mutton sheep, 

 feeding them a portion of grain along with hay 

 and other crops, say till into March following, 

 and then selling them to the butchers. The 

 grain and hay thus fed out will generally bring 

 more money, in the improved pekand carcass of 

 mutton, than though they had been sold off' di- 

 rectly for cash, and there is the manure left to 

 give hack to the farm. Then again, sheep ma- 

 nure is peculiarly active, and inclined to fermen- 

 tation, and mixed with the other farm-yard ma- 

 nures, it quickens the eff'ects of the whole upon 

 the soil and crops. I might say more about this, 

 but must pass on. 



There is the feeding of cattle for beef, which 

 has always been successfully practised; and eve- 

 ry ♦'armer knows how much more jiowerful is the 

 effect upon the soil of the manure from fatting 

 cattle, than that from cattle which only have hay 

 and other forage. 



It is generally quite profitable to rear young 



'cattle of a good breed, for their growth and im- 

 provement, feeding them a little grain along with 

 the forage crops. Their growth and general im- 

 provement often pays a large profit on the cost 

 of making it. 



I There is the keeping of sheep, to a greater or 

 'less extent, for thtir wool and increase; where 

 [things are right for keeping a flock of sheep, how 

 they will make the farm shine ! 



But I have not space to extend these remarks 

 .about feeding. In some of these, or other ways, 

 the princii)al part, at least, of the grain and other 

 crops of the farm may, generally speaking, be 

 more advantageously fed out, and the manure 

 they will make given back to the land, than to 

 isell them off" so largely as is often done. And I 

 jthink a farmer had generally better have his cap- 

 ital mostly invested and actively employed in 

 I farming highly cultivated land, and in good stock, 

 feeding out his crops on the farm, and deriving 

 I his income through the stock, than to have it 

 partly in a poor, run down farm, and partly, per- 

 ; haps, in money at interest, or in stocks and other 

 outside matters. 



Brattleboro', Jtihj 29, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 



' A TESRIBIiE WHIRL WIND 



: Mr. Editor : — The most violent and destruc- 

 tive whirlwind ever known in these parts, passed 

 I through Groton, on the 26th ult. It was a most 

 terrible sight to behold, and powerful almost be- 

 iyond comprehension. It was sure destruction to 

 every movable object with which it came in con- 

 itact. My informant, who saw it at its first start, 

 ^says: '"Two opposite winds appeared to meet ; 

 the clouds rolled together with terrible force, 

 I roaring like some mighty water-fall. Suddenly, 

 I there appeared to rise from the earth a black 

 ; cloud, which, taking an easterly direction, whirled 

 land rolled like the smoke of some grtat confla- 

 gration. The whirlwind was now under full head- 

 I way ; in a few moments the air was filled with 

 j branches of trees, then small trees, and finally it 

 [increased to such force, that trees apparently two 

 ifeet in diameter were wrenched from the ground 

 I and whirled into the air, like so many shingles 

 jor straws. Its path was but a few rods in width, 

 land its course very irregular — first to the right, 

 [then to the left, and bounding like a ball." 

 j At length, as it neared the village, it struck a 

 [new and commodious carriage shop, belonging 

 jto Mr. Almond Clark. Mr. C. and a number of 

 i workmen were in the building when the wind 

 struck it ; luckily they all got out uninjured ; one, 

 however, being a little behind the others, jumped 

 from the door after the l)uilding was six feet in 

 [the air, and landed in the cellar. The building 

 was carried several rods, and completely smashed 

 ito pieces. Before the building started from its 

 foundations, one of the men saw some large 

 .stone which lay near, taken completely up and 

 ; carried several feet. It required two yoke of oxen 

 [to draw the stone. Mr. Clark's loss is estimated 

 at seven or eight hundred dollars, the machine- 

 ry alone costing al)out half that sum. The 

 Uvhirlwind next struck the upper part of the 

 I Methodist church — the hill on which it stood 

 [breaking the force, or rather, it bounded upwards. 



