214 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAIVUARY 16, 1833. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JAN. 16, IR33. 



FATTEIVIIVG BEASTS IN FRANCE. 



According to Young's Fanner's Calendar, they 

 make use, in Frauce, of acul food, or food that 

 has fermented till it has become a litUe sour, to 

 feed cattle as well as swine. He says, " To fatten 

 a pair of good oxen, at la Ville Aubrun, would 

 take forty-five cart-loads of raves, a sort of turnip, 

 cut in pieces, and twenty quintals of hay ; when 

 the raves are done, they give the flour of rye or 

 othe^ grain, with water enough added to form a 

 paste ; this they leave four or five days to become 

 sour, and theu they dilute it with water, thicken 

 it with cut chatf, and give it to the oxen tlirice a 

 day : \\hen fed witli turnips the oxen do not want 

 to drink. 



" At Bassie they finish with flour of rye, mixed 

 as before mentioned ; they assert that the oxen 

 like it the better for being sour, and that it an- 

 swers better in fattening them. They eat about a 

 boisseau a day (weighing twenty-two pounds) and 

 never give this acid liquor without chopped hay. 

 It is proper to remark that in coming from Paris 

 we have met a great many droves of these oxen, 

 to the amount, I guess, (Englishmen sometimes 

 guess) of from twelve to fifteen hundred ; and that 

 they were, with few cxceiJtions, very fat ; and 

 considering the season, May, the most difficult 

 month of the year, they were fatter than oxen are 

 commonly seen in England in the spring. 1 

 handled many scores of them, and found them an 

 excellent breed and very well fattened. 



" lAmoges. Af\er tlie raves give rye jiaste as 

 described above, but with the addition of a leaven 

 (levain) to the paste, to quicken the fermentation, 

 and make it quite sour : at first the oxen will not 

 drink it, but they are starved to it ; usually take 

 it the second day, and after they have begun like 

 it much and never leave a drop. 



" Usarch. Fatten their oxen with raves (turnips) 

 as above, and then with rye-flour made into a 

 paste with leaven, and given sour, as before de- 

 •scribed. 



" Between Brive and Cresseusac they fatten 

 with maize, (Indian corn) but, in order to render 

 it tender, pour boiling water upon it, cover it up 

 close, and give it to the cattle tlie same day ; and, 

 in this method, it is a most excellent fattener, both 

 of oxen and poultry. But in order to make them 

 fatten sooner and better, they give them every 

 night, and sometimes of a morning, a ball of pork 

 grease, as large as an ap])le : they say this is both 

 physic and food, and makes them thrive the bet- 

 ter. 



"The fact of hog's grease being given, was con- 

 firmed at SouiUiac: it is given to increase the 

 appetite, and answers so well, that the beasts per- 

 fectly devour their food after it, and their coats 

 become smooth and shining. The most fattening 

 food they know for a bullock is walnut oil-cake. 

 All here give salt plentifully, both to cattle and 

 sheep, being but Id. per jjound. But this practice 

 is more or less universal through the whole king- 

 dom. 



" In Flanders, from Valenciennes to Orchies-, 

 for fattening beasts and for cows, they dissolve 

 linseed cake in hot water, and the animal drinks, 

 not eats it, having various otlier food given at the 

 game time, as hay, bran, &c. for there is no point 

 they adhere to more than always ts give variety 

 of food to a fattening beast." 



ITEMS OF INTEL,I.IGENCE. 



At the request of a number of our friends and 

 subscribers, we resume a practice (which we for- 

 merly made a part of our proceedings as an editor^ 

 but have for some time discontinued) of giving 

 brief notices of such passing events as may serve 

 as sketches of the times for those of our readers, 

 who may not have convenient recourse to more 

 ample delineations. We shall attempt to con- 

 vey as much information relative to men and 

 things in as few words as can he consistent with 

 perspicuity, and hope that our notes may be use- 

 ful to those who file and bind the volumes of the 

 New England Farmer, by affording a sort of minia- 

 ture history of by-gone times ; and supply the 

 place of those voluminous records, wiiich too 

 often give ns a deluge of words with a dearth of 

 meaning. 



Gov. Lincoln's Speech. This is a very able pro- 

 duction, but we have merely room to allude to 

 some of its leading topics. His Excellency 

 speaks of the pestilence which has passed over us, 

 and hopes its visitations may lead to inquiries by 

 what means its causes may be controlled. " An 

 inordinate appetite for the use of spiritous 

 liquor.'i, too often gralijied by their Jrce and unlicensed 

 sale, has given occasion for immediate and great 

 apprehension. If experience has shown that by 

 moral influences alone, the former cannot be cor- 

 rected, it becomes the more imperative, that, by 

 wise enactments, and their rigid enforcement, the 

 latter should be rflfectually restrained." He speaks 

 of the domestic relations of the Commonwealth as 

 continuing to present the most gratifying aspect. 

 The controversy between Massachusetts and 

 Rhode Island, respecting the line of division be- 

 tween the States is alluded to, and a settlement an- 

 ticipated consonant to claimsof the former. Witll 

 regard to the North Eastern Boundary we arc in- 

 formed that the award of the King of the Nether- 

 lauds has been rejected, but " the refusal to ac- 

 cept the award has been followed by no manifes- 

 tation of hostility or disappointment on the part of 

 the British Government. No new attempt has 

 been made during the year by the neighboring 

 province to extend its authority : nor by British 

 subjects, further to encroach upon our possessions 

 in this quarter." It appears that the agent of this 

 Commonwealth has been singularly successful and 

 judicious in the sales of public lands in Maine, 

 having in tlie course of the season, disposed of 

 twelve townships of the divided lands for §134, 

 944 37, and in conjunction with the agent of 

 Maine, bargained for the conveyance of other 

 townships for a sum of which the Commonwealth's 

 moiety is 838,699 10. Other sales have been ef- 

 fected, so that within the year not less than 

 $180,000, will probably be realized to the Treas- 

 ury. The trigonometrical and geological surveys 

 of this State are in successful progress. The 

 jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas has 



been beneficially enlarged. That " noble charity E 



relating to a State Lunatic Hospitat is nearly com- " 



pleted." Improvements made in the State Prison, 

 by providing for the seclusion of the convicts, are i 



spoken of with much approbation. A concise de- . * 

 scription of the Epidemic Diarrhoea which broke * 



out among the convicts, is given. In speaking of 

 the state of the finances of the Commonwealth it 

 is said that the disbursements are lessening, and 

 the income increasing. Unless disastrous public 

 events should occur to call for extraordinary e.\- 

 penditures, or interrupt the usual receipts, the 

 revenue from provided soin-ces may safely be es- 

 timated as suflicieut to meet 'the wants of the gov- 

 ernment withoiit resort to a direct ta.x the current 

 year. The claim of Massachusetts for Militia 

 services, and money expended during the late war, 

 appears to lie in a train for satisfactory adjustment. 

 With regard to Warren bridge, his Excellency 

 recommends no change till the case now in suit, 

 relating thereto, shall have been*Hecided. The 

 necessity is stated of providing for the represeu- 

 tation of this Slate in a new Congress, if one 

 should be specially convened, and a Senator of 

 the United' States, after the third of March. The 

 Speech next presents a very able "synopsis of the 

 principles, jucasurcs, resolves, and thrcatenings" 

 contained in tlie proceedings of a Convention of 

 the Delegates of South Carolina. The absurdity 

 of the reasoning, and the pernicious deductions 

 which they derive from their false premises arc 

 exposed in a mastcily and conclusive manner. It 

 is shown that those delegates, by attempting to 

 pronounce on the unconstitutionality of the laws 

 of Congress, usurp the poweis of the judiciary, 

 and that " Resistance to the Union is treason 

 against the people." That South Carolina has had 

 her share in enacting the laws, which she now 

 declares to be void, and whose execution she is 

 determined to resist; 



The Protecting Policy is thus characterized. 

 "It lies at the foundation of true National Indepen- 

 dence. It will enable the Country, in theextrem- 

 cst time of external jiressure, to rest upon her own 

 resources, to disregard the commercial restrictions 

 of other'uations, the cupidity of foreign monopoly, 

 the capriciousness of trans-Atlantic legislation. It 

 will clothe her armies in war, and furnish supplies, 

 occupation and necessary supports to her people 

 under every emergency." At the conclusion of 

 this very able address his Excellency states his 

 " intention to decline being considered a candidate 

 for re-election" — a determination, which must be 

 received with regret by those who wish for and 

 rejoice in the prosperity of the Commonwealth, 

 and entertain a due regard to the high standing of 

 Massachusetts as a member of the Union. 



^tullificalion condemned in Aforth Carolina and 

 Georgia. Resolutions disapjiroving the measures 

 of the South Carolinians have passed the Senate of 

 North Carolina by a large majority, and it is ex- 



