162 



The Oaks Cow. — The Potatoe Rot in Kew Jersey. Vol. X. 



cannot prove a desirable one, occupying so 

 much of their busiest season ; but perhaps 

 others who have tried it, may know of some 

 better mode of curing, and in this hope, I 

 have trespassed on your time, for I think it 

 a most desirable assistant of the farmer's 

 winter stores, could any plan of preserving 

 it be adopted, not involving too much labour. 

 Of its great use as a green crop for soiling, 

 no one I think can doubt, who will once try 

 it, but from my experience, I am led to fear 

 that its extreme succulence will prevent its 

 being advantageously cultivated to dry. Can 

 any of your subscribers speak experimentally 

 of the comparative productiveness and nutri- 

 tious qualities of the Sugar and Red beet — 

 I have been informed by some persons ac 

 customed to their culture, that the latter is 

 to be preferred, as containing far more nou- 

 rishment. 



With respect, &c., 



A Subscriber. 



Nov. ]st, 1845. 



We should greatly doubt the expediency of placing 

 much reliance upon the curing of corn for winter feed. 

 It is so succulent, and requires so long a continuance 

 of fair and drying weather, that the chance is against 

 its getting nicely and sweetly cured. Should it how- 

 ever be attempted, we should cut it early, when the 

 tassel had scarcely begun to make its appearance. It 

 would need a great deal of drying to prevent fermenta- 

 tion, even though well salted. As a summer crop to 

 be used in soiling, it is highly valuable— but for win- 

 ter feed, we should apprehend millet to be far prefer- 

 able.— Ed. 



The Oaks Cow. 



At the Greene County Fair, held at CatS' 

 kill, a good common-sense, practical, agri- 

 cultural Address was delivered by Zadock 

 Pratt, member of Congress from that dis- 

 trict. The following is an extract: — 



"In the Agricultural Journals I have read 

 an account of a middle-sized country cow; I 

 refer to the celebrated Oaks Cow, bought 

 out of a drove in Massachusetts, for a mere 

 trifle. Her history illustrates two things 

 worthy of note: First, w!iat we can obtain 

 from the best of our old breed ; and, second- 

 ly, how much depends on good feeding; and 

 just as it was with the Oaks Cow, so will 

 every man find it with his farm. If he 

 won't feed his farm, and that often and well, 

 he need not expect it long to feed him. Al- 

 ways taking out of the meal-tub, and never 

 putting in, will soon come to the bottom, as 

 poor Richard says. But to return to the 

 Oaks Cow that did so much honour to the 

 name of Caleb Oaks ; it is stated, on the 

 most unquestionable authority, such as satis- 

 fied the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, 



that in the first year, with ordinary keep, 

 she made but 180 pounds of butter: — the 

 next year she had twelve bushels of corn 

 meal, and then gave 300 pounds of butter; 

 the next, thirty-five bushels, and she gave 

 more than 4(J0 pounds; the' next year she 

 had a bushel of meal a week, and all her 

 own milk skimmed, and then she gave, from 

 the oth fif April to the 25th of September, 

 the day of the Sliow, 484 pounds, besides 

 suckling her calf for five weeks. She was 

 exhibited, and deservedly took the premium 

 on the last mentioned day; and will carry 

 down her owner's name with credit to pos- 

 terity, as long as Oaks grow. 



We cannot contradict nature, but can 

 co-operate with fher, and working in her 

 methods, and in conformity to her laws, pro- 

 duce all the results tJiat the Creator ever 

 designed to put within our reach. A man 

 passing a few years ago, by a field of ripe 

 wheat on Long Island, was struck by the 

 rich appearance of two or three heads that 

 grew near the road, and hung down as if 

 the grain was of great Weight. He stopped 

 and plucked those heuds, and sowed tJiem 

 the next season in a place by themselves, 

 and so cultivated them year after year, until 

 they have increased to over a hundred bush- 

 els, that for colour, weight, and uniform 

 plumpness of the kernels, are, perhaps, not 

 surpassed in the country; at least they are 

 expected to take the prize at the approach- 

 ing fair of the American Institute. This 

 shows what we should do if we wish to carry 

 out nature's plans, and finish what she had 

 begun. The very best specimens should be 

 chosen from those that have been grown on 

 our own, or on a neighbouring farm, instead 

 of sending to a distance for such, as when 

 we get them, will be forced, by the irrever- 

 sible laws of soil and climate, to change 

 their character and adapt themselves to their 

 new- locality." 



The Potatoe Rot in New Jersey. — We 



learn by the Burlington Gazette, that Na- 

 than Stowell, of that place, has been direct- 

 ing his attention for four years past, to the 

 subject of rot in the potatoe, in hopes of dis- 

 covering the cause of a disease which begins 

 to threaten very serious consequences. N. 

 Stowell thinks the rot is owing to the sound 

 seed having all run out, and that too little 

 new seed has been produced. He has him- 

 self produced a fine crop of new potatoes 

 from tubers of the Foxite variety, and out of 

 nearly fifty bushels not a single potatoe is 

 diseased. The vines were free from blight. 

 A patch of Mercers, close by, were griev- 

 ously afflicted with tlie rot. 



