36 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



Jan, 



cylinder was then opened, and tlie sudden removal 

 of the pressure caused the water in the hark to 

 expand into steam with explosive force; tearing 

 the woody fibres apart, and rupturing the cells. 



Now my idea is that coarse fodder subjected to 

 such heat would be cooked through, and the cells 

 of the stalks so completely ruptured as to better 

 prepare it for digestion than the finest grinding 

 and subsequent cooking could do, at about the 

 cost of cutting, alone, by steam. It would put the 

 l)utts of stalks, thistles, straw, and other inferior 

 fodder in the best possible condition for the animal 

 to extract the nutriment therefroni. Grains and 

 roots maj' be treated in Ihe same way. 



"Pop corn" is an illustration of this process. 

 It is well known- that the varieties which pop well 

 have a layer of oil next the surface, which con- 

 fines the water inside till it acquires expansive 

 force enough to burst the kernel. 



Grain might be fed in the straw; thus saving 

 threshing and grinding of small grains, the husk- 

 ing, shelling and grinding of corn, and the cutting 

 of roots. Anotlier advantage is, that it would de- 

 stroy the vitality of weed seeds, and fit them 

 to nourish the animal. 



Any one who believes in steaming fodder, and 

 who iias a steam engine, with strong boiler, could 

 test my theoiy at no very great expense. h. 



West Addison, Vt., Oct. 7, 1868. 



MANAGEMENT OF FAIRS. — ORLEANS CO., VT. 



After abrief notice of the Fair of the Orleans, Vt. 

 County Agricultural Society had been printed, we 

 received from our attentive correspondent, an ac- 

 count of the exhibition, with some suggestions 

 upon the management of Fairs, which we think 

 should not be lost. 



The Society in this country was oi-ganized last 

 year, and devoted only one day to the Fair. It 

 was plainly seen that after the entries were made, 

 the committees had a very short time to examine 

 animals and articles, and award premiums ; there- 

 fore this year a two days' exhibition was held — the 

 intention being to have all entries made the first 

 day before two o'clock, so that there would be 

 plenty of time for thorough examination by the 

 committees and by spectators. All animals and 

 articles were to be exhibited both days, and although 

 it seemed at first inconvenient to require cows and 

 other cattle to remain all night away from home, 

 it was found that the inconvenience was imaginary 

 rather than real, as good hay was supplied by the 

 Society free of charge. 



The track was used for the entertainment of the 

 spectators, and particular hours were set for the 

 grand cavalcade of all horses entered for show, 

 and for the exhibition of each class separately. The 

 classes were stallions of three different ages, 

 matched carriage horses, matched work or farm 

 horses, single drivers, saddle and walking 

 horses. But all this division of time and classes 

 resulted in failure, as when the cavalcade* came 

 on the first day at one o'clock, just to amuse 

 the crowd, the various committees on horses went 

 at the work very spidtedly and awarded all 

 the premiums in about an hour, as the horses 

 passed around all together. So it was thought liest 

 to have some trots ou the second day, and over 

 $100 was given for speed. This, in my opinion, 

 was a mistake in management', for it is just as ex- 

 citing to see horses tiot for a premium as for a 

 purse, and it should be understood that horses 

 must wcn-k when on trial lor jn'emiums. Is it 

 too much to reciuirc a carriage horse to go at the 

 rate of ten miles per hour, a saddle horse the same, 

 and a walking or a work horse to give good evi- 

 dence of ability ? It should be understood that a 



premium horse is not only ornamental but useful 

 and has bottom as well as style. 



As there seemed to l)c a desire to have all cattle 

 shown at ii proper time, out of their stalls and in 

 the cattle rings, a rope was extended around a 

 plot of ground three or four rods in di.imcter, but 

 the rain prevented its use. It is evident that a 

 committee can judge of the relative merits of ani- 

 mals when standing together better than when 

 quite a distance apart iu different sized pens. 



By proper management it seems that the interest" 

 of the crowd in all kinds of stock can be gratified, 

 and farmers should take pride in their stock as by 

 it comes nearly all tlieir income. 



There are in the county, Durham, Devon, Ayr- 

 shire, Dutch and Jersey cattle, audit would doulii:- 

 less be a satisfaction to spectators, as well as for the 

 interest of exhibitors, to have some of their animals 

 so well trained that they could be taken around 

 the track in groups, each breed together. 



The .510 entries of our Fair consisted of so good 

 a variety, that the horse stalls, cattle j'ards, sheep 

 pens, and floral and Mechanics' Hall were well 

 filled. 



All exhibitors' names were on the cards attached 

 to the articles. A different course may be advisa- 

 ble in some cases, but in a local Fair, where exhi- 

 bitors take care of their articles, their names soon 

 become well known, even where it is attempted to 

 withhold them. 



Our experience has demonstrated that it is near- 

 ly labor lost to appoint awarding committees be- 

 forehand, as the.v do not generally attend and act, 

 and the managers, in practice, are obliged to select 

 men from the crowd. 



The receipts and expenses were nearly equal, 

 being about #700. The new Fair ground is a very 

 fine one and prosperity seems before us. 

 Z. E. Jameson, 

 Secretary Orleans Vo , Agricultural Society/. 



Irasbiirff, Vt., October, 1868. 



MERINO and COTSWOLD CROSS. 



"Constant Reader" of Alstead, N. 11., asks. Can 

 I make it protitaltle to use a pure blood Spanish 

 Merino buck with my Cotswold ewes ? 



I am satislicd he can, Ijut at the present time, 

 when pure bred combing wools are so scarce, it 

 would be much better to use a pure bred Cotswold 

 or Leicester. The wool from these pure breeds is 

 worth from five to ten cents more than the Merino 

 cross, and j'our lambs and mutton would be worth 

 more. But you ought to raise your lambs at the 

 present time of scarcity of this class of sheep for 

 stock purposrs. Do not alter your ram lambs. 

 Pure bred rams are worth too much. Save 

 your ewe lambs also. They are wovtii more for 

 stock than the butchers will give. Do not let them 

 have one. At present, your Cotswold ewes are 

 too valuable to be crossed with the Merino. The 

 time may come when it will be a desideratum. 

 Such has been the ca«e, but it is not so now. 



Boston, Nov. 21, 1868. Mentor. 



DISPOSITION OF OUR CROrS. 



The crops of 1868 have been harvested, and now 

 we are to determine our incomes by the manner in 

 which we consume or otherwise dispose of the 

 raw material we have secured. 



The whole secret of success lies in our skill to 

 feed the various kinds of farm stock, for growth, 

 work, milk and meat. Witli so many diirercnt 

 animals to feed, and for such a variety of uses, an 

 amount of knowledge is required that few possess. 

 We, individually, know but very little, ju.st noth- 

 ing at all. We guess at some things and act ac- 

 cordingly, and succeed only l)y accident. We do 

 not like to work in the dark as we are compelled 

 to, but desire to know with a degree of certainty 



