GENESEE FARMER* 



Jan. 1845 



CRUSHING OR GRINDING GRAIN FOR 

 ANIMAL FOOD. 



It is a well-established fact, from actual experi- 

 ment, that no stomach, either of man or beast, can 

 digest the htiU, or coriaceous covering of any of the 

 grains, and that all tlie whole and unbroken kernels 

 of all the grain and seeds of the vegetable kingdom, 

 if uncrushed and unbroken in some degree, pass 

 through the animal system undigested and unchang- 

 ed, and are therefore wholly lost. Nothing but the 

 stomach of fowls can perform that operation. 



All the grains, and even the grass-seeds, deposited 

 from the droppings of cattle and horses, germinate 

 and grow, as freely as if they had not passed the or- 

 deal of the stomach and' bowels. 



Every observing man will endorse this o])inion, by 

 seeing how often Indian corn passes the intestines 

 of hogs and oxen unchanged : and it is particularly 

 the case with swine — those gormandizing, voracious, 

 and hoggish brutes, who, in their eagerness to get 

 more than their share, do not grind more than one- 

 half their food. It is said, and there is good author- 

 ity for believing it true, that three hogs confined in 

 a narrow slip, so that they cannot pass each other, 

 and the first one fed with as much corn as he will 

 eat, and giving nothing to the other two but the 

 droppings of each other — that the second one will 

 be m the best order, and the third one in good win- 

 tering condition. 



Horses grind their grain better than any of the 

 farm stock, except the sheep, and yet not perfectly ; 

 at any rate, it cannot fail to strike every one, that 

 there is great importance attached to the process of 

 grinding or crushing Indian corn, as well as econo- 

 my for fattening hogs, as it is important to do it in 

 the shortest time and at the smallest expense. 

 Therefore, assist that curious machine, the animal 

 stomach, by grinding the food, and also in cooking it 

 afterwards, if you wish to arrive at the greatest re- 

 sult in the shortest period of time, and at the least 

 cost. 



There is no doubt but the cooking of food assists 

 its digestion one-half in point of time ; hence the 

 necessity of using that auxiliary in fattening ani- 

 mals, as in consequence you relieve the digestive ap- 

 paratus of one-half its labor, enabling the animal to 

 consume and digest twice the quantity of food it 

 could in the raw state. The animal fattens twice as 

 fast, or somewhere in the neighborhood of that ra- 

 tio, when the fcod is ground and cooked. 



FODDERING Ox\ THE GROUND. 



Mr. Editor, — What a miserable and wasteful po- 

 licy it is to fodder cattle on the bare earth — the 

 winds scattering it over the whole yard — the cattle, 

 in wet weather, nmning over it with their dirty feet, 

 and entirely wasting one-half the food that is fed to 

 them ! 



Some provision of rack or box should always be 

 made for that pui-pose. Where none is prepared, 

 and no convenience exists for that purpose, the 

 neatest operation wc have observed is this : take 4 

 posts of 3 by 4 scantling, 6 feet long ; board them 

 up on four sides, 2 feet 9 inches from the bottom, 

 and 6 feet square ; nail a 6-inch strip across the top, 

 to strengthen them, an I then two strips of the same 

 wi dth diagonally from corner to corner, forming an 

 X on each side, compelling the creature to eat in 

 the center of the frame. Four cattle can feed at 

 each, and if the niRst&r creature offers to move, they 



simply change places by traveling one-quarter 

 round. It can be easily moved from place to place;, 

 and, if well made, is very durable. H. Y. 



Origin of Isabella Grapes in America. — The 

 Isabella grape is named from Isabella Gibbs, the wife 

 of Colonel Gibbs, distinguished as a man of great 

 scientific attainments, and who, during a residence 

 in France through the revolutionary war, was ena- 

 bled to collect one of the most valuable cabinets of 

 minerals of his time; the collection having been 

 made from the public sales of the effects of guillo- 

 tined noblemen. His cabinet was purchased by 

 Yale College, at the time of, or soon after, the last 

 war. Mrs. Gibbs, some forty years or so since, 

 brought the grape from North Carolina to Brooklyn, 

 and from her specimen the grapes in this part of the 

 country have sprung. This grape has since been 

 cultivated in Europe very extensively. 



To Remedy Cast-iron Stoves, that Smoke 

 froji Cracks or bad FiTTiNc^-Take 1 part of 

 fine salt and 2 parts of hard-wood ashes; beat them 

 together with water till of the consistence of mor- 

 tar. Fill the open places, then heat it up, and it 

 will remain as hard as the iron, until, by long stand- 

 ing without heat, it attracts moisture, and becomes 

 soft. B. M. 



(I^ Editors of papers, to whom we send this 

 number, who publish our prospectus or notice our 

 publication and terms, with such remarks as they 

 shall deem our due, will receive the Farmer in ex- 

 change. 



05^ In this number we make copious extracts 

 from Mr, Colman's reports of his tour in Europe, 

 connected with the farming thereof, hoping thereby 

 that farmers generally may be induced to give Mr. 

 Colman their sujjport. We refer to another part of 

 our paper for the terms. 



(^Cf° We shall forward this number to many per- 

 sons who are not our permanent subscribers, both 

 on our own motion and at the suggestion of their 

 personal friends. To those who are pleased with 

 the work, and forward the subscription price of 50 

 cents, free of postage, before the 1st of April, it 

 will be continued; in all other cases it will be dis- 

 continued. 



The Mange. — This troublesome disease, which 

 shows itself by cattle rubbing themselves and by 

 eruptions, is cured by washing them in the water in 

 which potatoes have been boiled. 



Cultivate Winter Apples. — Mr. J. R. Pell, of 

 Ulster Co., N.Y,, has an orchard containing 20,000 

 apple trees of one kind of fruit — the Newton Pippin. 

 Last year he gathered irom his trees 1,700 brls. ap- 

 ples. Part of the crop he sold in the N. York market 

 at $4 per barrel, and the remainder were sent to 

 liondon, and sold at $9 per barrel. 



05^ To keep a fellow out of mischief, there is 

 nothing like giving him plenty of hard work. " An 

 empty mind is the devil's work-shop," says an old 

 and true proverb. 



To MAKE Yellow Butter in Winter. — Put in 

 yolk of eggs just before the butter comes, near the 

 termination of the churning. This has been repeat- 

 edly tried, and it makes very fine sweet butter. It 

 is kept by many as a great secret, but its great va- 

 lue requires publicity. — Boston Cultivator. 



05^ Postmasters, by law, are allowed to for- 

 ward money and order publications, free of expense. 



