372 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



one for crushing corn-cobs, all of which cost but a 

 mere trifle, compared with their actual intrinsic 

 value, a fanner may make an iinincnsG saving in the 

 course of a rear. 



A PIIACTIC-VL FAIIMER. 

 — Germ,aiUoK.-n Telegraph, 



DOMESTIC FOWLS. 



The quality, that is, the fineness, juiciness, and 

 richness of flavor of the flesh of domestic fowls, is 

 of much more importance than their size ; and I 

 consequently reject all coarse-meated fowls, however 

 large they may bo. There is no difficulty in discrim- 

 inating between coarse and fine fowls, at any time. 

 "When chickens, if the down is straight and stands 

 out, and the body and limbs are loosely jointed, the 

 meat is coarse ; but if the down is glossy, and lies 

 close to the body, and the body and limbs are com- 

 pactly formed, the me-.it is fine ; — and when grown, if 

 the fowl is light in weight, in proportion to its size, 

 the flesh is coarse ; but if heavy, the flesh is fine. 

 There is, also, a fitness in the quality of the flesh ; 

 for, if the meat is fine, the bones are fine, and vice 

 versa. If the flesh is fine, it is juicy and richly fla- 

 vored ; if coarse, dry, fibrous, and insipid. The color 

 of the legs, too, is quite material in judging of the 

 quality of fowls. All other things being equal, dark- 

 legged fowls have the finest flesh, and are most hardy. 

 Turkeys, which have the finest fiesh of all fowls of 

 their size, have black legs ; pheasants, partridges, 

 and quails, all of which are very fine-fleshed fowls, 

 have dark legs ; the game cock, likewise, which is 

 universally acknowledged to be the finest-fleshed of 

 all the domestic fowls, except the wild India fowl of 

 Calcutta, has dark legs ; and this is equally true of 

 the wild India fowl itself, the specific gravity of 

 which, likewise, exceeds that of any other fowl. I 

 do not wish to be imderstood, however, to say that 

 all dark-legged fowls are fine, or that all yellow or 

 white-legged ones are coarse, for much depends on 

 the breed ; but I do say, that the darkest leg which 

 pertains to the breed, indicates the finest fowl. For 

 instance, the Shanghae or Cochin China fowls, " of 

 the pure blood," always have their legs of a bright 

 red and j'ellow mixture, beautifully shaded together. 

 Now, if you wish to select a fine fowl of this breed, 

 choose one of the darkest shade of these colors. 

 The great Java fowl, of pure blood, uniformly has 

 black or very dark legs ; and if you wish a fine- 

 fleshed one of this breed, select one with the black- 

 est legs. The black Poland fowl, of pure blood, has 

 white or blue legs. Select the blue for the finest, 

 that is, select the darkest of the natural color, what- 

 ever that color may be. Fowl fanciers ahvays select 

 yellow legs ; l>ut lowl-eatcrs, tliat is, those w'ho re- 

 gard the quality of the bird, select dark legs. The 

 color of the feathers, too, has more or less to do with 

 the quality of the fowl. Some breeds have much 

 more brilliant plumage than others; but when we 

 speak of the brilliancy of the plumage, we mean in 

 comparison with others of the same breed. If, there- 

 fore, you select a fowl of rich and glossy plumage, 

 when compared with others of the same breed, de- 

 pend upon it, the legs will be dark of the kind, and 

 the quality of the bird will excel. 



PULVERIZED WOOD FOR CATTLE. 



About three years since, I had occasion to send my 

 cart-horses frequently through a piece of coppice 

 wood, and whenever it happened that they stopped 

 ■within reach of the rods, they Avould greedily devour 



every bough they could come at. This I noticed 

 many times. At last I was led to examine the rods 

 on which I had seen them feeding, and found them 

 completely stripped of their branches, some of which 

 were of a verj' considerable thickness. This led me 

 to suppose that there must be some good qualities in 

 the wood, and this consideration induced me to get 

 some pulverized, and give it to my cart-horses ; which 

 experiment was repeated at several different times, 

 until I was fully satisfied that it had no injurious 

 effect upon them. After this, I was led to give it to 

 my gig-horses with their corn ; and having ascer- 

 tained that it did them no injury, I had machinery 

 prepared for reducing the wood for the purpose of 

 food, and began to feed both cart and gig horses, as 

 also my cows and pigs, mixing a portion Avith all that 

 was given them. 



This practice I have continued for the last ten 

 months. Previously to feeding my horses m this 

 way, they had each six quarts of oats and beans 

 given them per day, for Avhich is now substituted 

 three pints of barley per daj'. They are in equally 

 fine condition as when fed in the usual way, and 

 more playful and free in their work. Soon after the 

 wood was mixed with the fodder given to the cows, 

 their milk, as well as their condition, was much im- 

 proved. For several weeks past, I have been feed- 

 ing sheep with the pulverized wood, together with 

 crushed Swedish turnips, and they also appear to 

 improve by it. I have likewise fatted four pigs suc- 

 cessively, mixing this food with Ijarley meal, and 

 the results have proved most satisfactory. — 3/;-. Dan- 

 iels, in Chamber' s Journal. 



The statement, however strange it maj- sound, is 

 not so startling, when wc remember that the woody 

 matter of trees is, in its chemical nature, nearly 

 allied to starch, and that it always eoutains some 

 nitrogen ; so that, in reality, it furnishes the ordinary 

 materials of food in another form. We presume, 

 however, that white-wooded, not resinous, trees are 

 those which furnish Mr. Daniels's cattle with the lig- 

 neous pulp they thrive so well upon. — Ohio Family 

 Visitor. 



CURE FOR A BELLOWSED HORSE. 



Some few weeks since, being overtaken by a severe 

 thunder storm on my way home, I took refuge under 

 a shelter where were assembled several gentlemen 

 from the same cause. One of the gentlemen thus 

 accosted me : " Why do you not cure your horse 

 of the bellows ? " " For the very reason that I can- 

 not," I replied. 



" Well, stranger," says ho, " when I am at home, 

 I cure all such cases, and warrant them, at ten dol- 

 lars a head ; but as I am a long way from home, and 

 your horse is a valuable one, I will tell you how you 

 can cure him effectually in a few days. In the first 

 place," says he, " give your horse salt in his water 

 for three mornings in succession ; alter that, pound 

 up a piece of blue-stone about the size of a chinque- 

 pin, and mix it with wet meal ; give him the same 

 for ten consecutive mornings, feeding him rather 

 lightly for those ten days ; and if he is not well at 

 the end of the ten days, I will give you my head." 



I have tried the remedy, and it has wrought a per- 

 fect cure ; and I now give it to the readers of the En- 

 quirer, that they may save their ten dollars too. — 

 Columbus Enquirer. 



Any one may do a casual act of good nature, but 

 a continuation of them shows it is a part of the tem- 

 perament. 



