492 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CORISJ" VERSUS BEEF. 



It is said by a writer in the Farmer for March 

 last, that it takes about ten pounds of corn to 

 make one pound of beef. It is also stated by 

 authority equally reliable, that one jjound of corn 

 contains more than twice as much nutritious 

 matter as a pound of average butchers' meat. 

 Thus butchers' meat furnishes in all, only 36.6 

 parts in one hundred of solid matter, to 63.4 of 

 water ; while corn meal contains 90 parts in 100 

 solid matter and only 10 of water. 



Now in following out and applying these facts, 

 we arrive at conclusions that may be, to some, 

 not a little startling. We find, for example, that 

 the change of corn into beef and pork, especially 

 the latter, is a most palpable violation of the laws 

 of domestic and political economy. For if it 

 should be taken for granted that we raise 800,- 

 000,000 bushels of corn in the United States in 

 a year, (and this is estimated to be the fact by 

 Mr. John Jay, of the Geographical and Statistical 

 Society of New York,) is it not safe to suppose 

 that at least one-half of it is employed in fatten- 

 ing animals ? And if it takes as much corn to 

 make a pound of pork as it does to make a pound 

 of beef, then here is a waste of 360,000,000 bush- 

 els of this valuable product ; or at fifty cents a 

 bushel, of $180,000,000; even though we ad- 

 mit that a pound of beef contained as much nu- 

 tritious matter as a pound of corn, which we have 

 seen above is not true. 



If it is said, as it may be, that this is a nation- 

 al loss rather than a loss to individuals, I should 

 like to know how it can be made out. I see no 

 reason why a national loss is not a loss to each 

 individual making up that nation — and in gener- 

 al, a loss which falls upon us about equally. If 

 this is so, and we take our present population to 

 be 30.000,000, here is a loss of six dolsars to each 

 individual, or thirty dollars for a family of five 

 persons. If, however, we admit the corn to be 

 worth twice as much per pound as the beef — I 

 mean for all the purposes of human nutrition — 

 then the loss of course is double that sum, or 

 sixty dollars to a family. Are we able and will- 

 ing to bear this loss ? 



Some may say they prefer the beef and pork 

 because it makes them warmer than corn bread. 

 But if this were admitted, the difference in favor 

 of the animal food could not be as great as ten 

 to one. It is not to be admitted, however. Corn 

 meal contains 77 parts in 100 of the heat-form- 

 ing principle, and butchers' meat only a fraction 

 over 14 parts in 100. 



It may be said that the beef and pork taste 

 better than the johnny cake or the pudding. Not 

 to the inhabitants of those countries that are 

 sustained almost wholly on corn. Nor do they, 

 indeed, to any one whose taste is pure and un- 

 perverted. It is a species of cannibalism in hu- 

 man society that makes a person relish flesh and 

 blood, with all the filth that belongs to every part 

 and parcel of them — some items of which it 

 would not do for decency's sake to specify. 



"At any rate, "the laborer will say, "I can work 

 better with my beef-steak for breakfast and corned 

 beef for dinner." Can you work alongside of 

 the corn-bread eater? The Swiss mountaineer 

 who gets a little animal food nearly every day. 



and a plenty of milk, is soon outworked by his 

 neighbor of the valley of theTicin,who through- 

 out the year lives almost wholly on food prepared 

 from Indian corn. And there was a time v/hen 

 it was thought to be good economy in one part 

 of our United States, to keep the laborer very 

 largely on corn. 



"But I like the beef-steak, I must have it," you 

 may say ; yes, here is the secret. Very well ; if 

 you are willing as the representative of the fam- 

 ily to have your pocket picked every year of six- 

 ty dollars, then indulge your filthy habit a little 

 longer. And certainly, it is yet a free country ; 

 although, I know not how long it will be. 



XV. A. Alcott. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



THE EIGHT "WAY TO MAKE AST ORCH- 

 ARD IN" A "WORN-OUT FIELD. 



Gents. : — I wish to make some inquiries re- 

 specting the best manner of preparing an old 

 field for the planting of an orchard, by answer- 

 ing which you will confer an esteemed favor on 

 me, and without doubt, upon many other read- 

 ers of your valuable journal, I have afield of 

 about seven acres which it is desirable to lay out, 

 and plant with an orchard. It is nearly square, 

 lays pretty high, and" produces annually two or 

 three tons of white top. On the west side of the 

 field there is a road, on the opposite side of 

 which there is a piece of woods,while on the north 

 it is protected fi'om winds by a narrow belt of 

 forest trees, running by the Avail. With the ex- 

 ception of two or three slight depressions, or 

 runs, as they are called, the field is nearly level. 

 On the land are numerous heaps of cobble-stones 

 with an old cellar filled with the same, and a 

 large quantity of larger rocks, suitable for wall. 

 There are at present, several apple trees in tlie 

 field, mostly of an old growth, bearing natural 

 fruit, to little or no profit. On three sides of the 

 field there is stone wall, with a brush hedge 

 growing beside it, on the fourth side there is a 

 board fence. The soil is naturally good, the 

 original growth having been oak, walnut, &c. 



Having given you a particular description of 

 the field, I v/ould respectfully submit the plan of 

 operation which I intend to pursue, wishing your 

 criticism, and answers to the questions which I 

 may propose. 



In the first place, with the exception of the belt 

 of timber on the north side of the field, I would 

 clear the hedges by the walls, as also the old ap- 

 ple trees, and burn the brush upon the land. 

 In place of the board fence I would plow a trench 

 three feet wide and a foot deep and build a sub- 

 stantial wall with rocks taken from the field. 

 And here has been a question in my mind wheth- 

 er it is best to fill the trench with cobbles or 

 start the wall from the bottom of the trench, (a.) 



I would then dig drains through the runs, three 

 feet deep and as many wide, fill up two feet with 

 cobbles, cover slightly with hay, and fill the drain 

 with dirt. Having drawn the rocks from the 

 cellar to a depth of two feet below the surface, I 

 would fill in with dirt, leaving a smooth surface 

 over which to plow. After clearing the trees 

 and bushes, and removing all the rocks, I would 

 plow this fall to a depth of ten inches, and leave 

 for the season. In the spring I should intend to 



