142 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NOVEMBER 13, 1S33. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOV. 13, 1833. 



PREPARATION OP POOD FOR SWINE AND 

 CATTLE. 



It lias been observed by an English writer on agri- 

 culturer that an apparatus for steaming food for cat- 

 tle should be considered as a necessary appendage 

 to every arable and dairy farm, of a moderate size. 

 It lias been long known that many sorts of roots, 

 and particularly the potato, become much more 

 valuable by undergoing this sort of preparation. 

 And it is equally well known that when thus pre- 

 pared they have been employed alone as a substi- 

 tute for hay, and with cut straw both for hay and 

 corn, in the feeding of horses as well as other an- 

 imals. To a farmer who keeps many horses or 

 cattle, or even swine or poultry, the practice of 

 boiling their food in steam is so great a saving and 

 advantage, that it deserves the most particular at- 

 tention. Though potatoes have often been given 

 raw to both horses and cattle, they are found to be 

 infinitely preferable, when cooked by steam, as 

 they are thereby rendered much drier, and more 

 nutritive. This has been long since shown by the 

 experiments of Wakefield of Liverpool, who, in 

 order to ascertain it, fed some of his horses on 

 steamed, and some on raw potatoes, and soon found 

 the horses on steamed potatoes had greatly the ad- 

 vantage, in every respect. Those on the steamed 

 potatoes looked perfectly smooth and sleek, while 

 the others were quite rough. 



A description of a Root Steamer, with a cut, 

 may be seen in the N. E. Farmer, vol. 6, page 23. 

 One still more simple is that described in the " Far- 

 mer's Assistant" from which the remainder of this 

 article is extracted. 



STEAM-BOILER. 

 This is an implement that no Farmer or Planter 

 should be without, as potatoes, particularly, are 

 nearly doubled in value, for feeding and fatting, 

 when boiled. Turnips and other roots, and pump- 

 kins, are also much improved, as food for cattle, by 

 a similar process. 



Boiled clover-hay is found very good for keep- 

 ing Swine, during Winter ; and we are of opinion, 

 that if fed to Milch-cows, during that season, it 

 would greatly improve the quantity of their milk, 

 and keep them in better order, than when fed dry 

 to them. We believe this to be we'd worthy of a 

 fair experiment, by having a vat, or box, to hold 

 the hay sufficiently large for the purpose. 



A steamboiler is commonly made by setting a 

 kettle, holding twelve gallons or more, in a fur- 

 nace, of brick or stone ; and over this a hogshead, 

 with one head taken out, and the other bored full 

 of holes, is set so close that the steam of the ket- 

 tle, when boiling, can only rise through the holes, 

 and thence ascend among the articles to be boiled 

 in the hogshead, anil pass off at the top. In this 

 way a hogshead full of potatoes will be nearly as 

 soon boiled, as a small part of them only could 

 have been, if placed in the kettle underneath. 



As the kettle must be so closed as to prevent 

 any steam passing off, but through the bottom of 

 the hogshead or vat, a pipe or tube must be set in 

 one side, through which, with the aid of a tunnel, 

 the water is to be poured into the kettle, as often 

 as occasion may require. When poured in, the 

 tube is to be stopped^ with a plug for the purpose. 

 Grain of all kinds may be steamhoiled to great 

 advantage, for feeding and fatting cattle; but, in 



that case, it is requisite to have the bottom of the 

 hogshead covered with a cloth, to prevent the grain 

 running down through the holes. 



By experiments which have been accurately made, 

 in Pennsylvania, upon Indian corn and potatoes, 

 used for fatting Swine, it was found that they in- 

 creased in weight one third faster on the boiled, 

 than on the unboiled food ; or, in other words, 

 they gained three pounds when fed on the former, 

 where they only gained two pounds when fed on 

 the latter. We are fully of opinion, that steam- 

 boiling food, for feeding or fatting all sorts of cat- 

 tle, generally increases the value of the food, as 

 much as forty or fifty per cent. 



We are induced to lay this down, as a general 

 rule, that all kinds of food, whether for Man, or 

 beast, is more or less improved in its nutriniental 

 qualities, by being boiled. This is evidently the 

 case, in regard either to grain or roots ; and we 

 believe that every kind of vegetable matter, even 

 green grass itself, will he found much improved, 

 as a food for cattle, when it has been sufficiently 

 subjected to the operation of the steamboiler. But, 

 whether the additional expense thus incurred, 

 would, in all cases, be found overbalanced by the 

 additional value thus given to the food, must de- 

 pend on the results of experiments to be fairly and 

 properly made. 



Prince's present establishment is expected to clean 

 -1 and .500 bushels of the rough rice or poddy per 

 day — and can, if necessary, he much increased. 



The outer coat or bull which is in large propor- 

 tion, he expects will answer well for making wrap- 

 ping paper — it is now under process for that ob- 

 ject, and can be afforded at a very low price. 



RICE MILL. AT SOUTH BOSTON. 



This is an entire new invention, by some of our 

 Yankee mechanics at Northampton in this State — 

 Strong, Moody, & Co. It is remarkable that our 

 Carolina friends, should be under obligations to 

 us, for the best means of cleansing Cotton and 

 also Rice. We are induced to say something on 

 this subject, in consequence of a visit to these 

 Mills which are just put in operation by John 

 Prince, Esq. who has purchased the exclusive 

 privilege of using then; in this section of the 

 country. 



They appear very effective Machines for doing 

 the business of hulling and cleansing the Rice in 

 a more perfect manner, than any heretofore known 

 — As the method used in all countries is by pound- 

 ing, which breaks much of the grain, and subjects 

 it to become floury, and makes it very liable to 

 insects in warm weather. The process of cleans- 

 ing the inner coat is by Carding Machines in the 

 shape of mill-stones. — And the other processes of 

 bolting, brushing and winnowing clean and pol- 

 ish it in the most perfect manner, and make 

 nearly the whole of it head rice — consequently we 

 believe it will keep much better and be more valu- 

 able. 



We know that in Summer it is very difficult to 

 obtain good Rice, free from Weavil and other in- 

 sects, being uncertain how long it has been beat out. 

 Here we can go to the Mills and buy it from the 

 hopper. We understand it is Mr. Prince's inten- 

 tion to grind some into fine flour, having a set of 

 Burr Stones for that purpose. 



This article more particularly since the appear- 

 ance of the Cholera has become more in use than 

 formerly — the physicians recommending it for 

 general use, as a most wholesome food. 



The machinery is hi considerable variety, and 

 appears ingenious and very perfect, is carried by a 

 neat and powerful Steam Engine of 20 horse 

 power, made by Mr. Holmes Hinckley, of Boston. 

 A visit to this place, we think will gratify any per- 

 sons desirous of seeing useful iuveutious. Mr. I 



Figs in J\"ew England. — The Nantucket Inqui- 

 rer says there is in one of the gardens of that Isl- 

 and, a flowering Fig tree, the fruit of which has 

 come to maturity. The Hartford Times mentions 

 another in that city, as heavily burthened with 

 fruit, some of which has grown ripe, and proves 

 very good. It would be rather singular if at this 

 late day, New England should become the home 

 of this fine fruit. This may not seem altogether 

 improbable when we consider that it not only flour- 

 ishes in Spain, which lies in the same latitude with 

 our Middle States, but in France, which lies all 

 north of the latitude of Boston. It is not native 

 here, we grant ; but that is true also of mauy oth- 

 er valuable trees and plants which have become 

 acclimated here and elsewhere. In England 

 scarce any thing is native but the oak. The vine 

 itself was brought into France from the East, by 

 the Romans ; and so was the cherry tree. The 

 olive, which now flourishes so universally, came 

 from the neighborhood of Mount Taurus ; and the 

 Chinese, for a long time kept to themselves almost 

 exclusively the orange, the lemon, and the white 

 mulberry. The peach, which grows very well in 

 Maine, is, we believe, of Persian origin. In a 

 word, we cannot decide, without trying, whether 

 New England, or the Middle States, may not cul- 

 tivate the fig. We only know that cultivation will 

 do a great deal which nature did not seem to intend 

 accomplishing, without human instrumentality ; 

 and these results are the premiums she pays to the 

 ingenuity and industry of man. — Boston Journal. 



ITEMS OP INTELLIGENCE. 



Tlie Season. — A gentleman just returned from the 

 west, states that on Thursday last he travelled on run- 

 ners from Oswego to Auburn, and that the snow was 

 from 8 to 10 inches deep. In some places on the route, 

 apples were not gathered and potatoes were still in the 

 ground. — ilbanij jQrgus. 



Winter. — Snow fell at Bangor for the first time thig 

 season on the 30th ult. and we hear also that about one 

 inch fell at Mariaville. The weather since then has 

 been exceedingly cold, — and appearances at this time, 

 give, us good reason to expect sleighing in a few days. — 

 Ellsworth Me. paper. 



Remarkable Case. — The Paris Academy of Medicine 

 lately reported the case of a man who died in July last 

 in that city, delirious, and in the right ventricle of whose 

 heart irasj'oanil imbedded a needle, which extended into 

 the cavity. No trace of a cicatrix by which the needle 

 might have entered, could be discovered on the exterior 

 of the body. He had been suffering for some months 

 from shivering and pain in the side. 



The Greenfield Mercury states, that a gentleman be- 

 longing to Nortbfield, whose wife was in the steamer 

 New England, and was injured by the explosion, has de- 

 termined to commence an action against the proprietors 

 of the boat for injuries sustained by her through the neg- 

 ligence of their agents. The action will be brought in 

 the Circuit Court of the United States, at New Haven. 

 This will afford an opportunity for obtaining the facts of 

 the case. 



