194 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Jan. 14, 



up, so as lo raise it out of its bed, and lead it by 

 a trench along the hill side, ivill in a few years 

 convert a barren Bedgey old field, into a most 

 productive meadow. 



And where streams do not pxisl, much maybe 

 done by luniin!:; currents ol' iiin water over the 

 fields, and efj>ecialiy over grass lauds. They 

 always carry with [hem more or les? of fertili/.- 

 ing mailer. Tiie wash o!' roads is particularly 

 Talualde, in this way. I can here again S[)calc 

 from mv own experience, of the benelicial ef- 

 fects oi these practices. I have on my own faim 

 a small piece of grass land, originally very bar- 

 ren, which lias been rendered higlily productive 

 by turning over it the wash of a road. The fine 

 particles of earth carried down by the rain, from 

 such places, appear to be extremely fertilizing, 

 especially for grasses. 



To dam up small streams and gullies, so as to 

 collect the fine earth which (he rain brings down 

 them, is also a very cheap and henelicial prac- 

 tice, of v;hich 1 can attest the advantages. The 

 matter thus collected is a ve.'-y fertilizing man- 

 ure ; and they who have not witnessed it may 

 find a difliculty in believing, how large a tpjan- 

 tily may be collected with very little labour, in 

 favourable silualjons ; which are much more nu- 

 merous and easily I'ounsl than will readilv be sup- 

 posed, by those who have not attended jiaiticii- 

 iarly to the subject. Hardly any farm is with- 

 out them. 



On the benefits of manure it vvould be super- 

 fluous to dilate. They are acknowleilgetl by 

 all ; but all have not attended to the best meth- 

 ods of making it. To tiiis all important object 

 a good barn-yard is indispensable. It should al- 

 ways, where practic;ible, be formed on sloping 

 ground, witii the barn stables and cow-houses on 

 the highest part ; so that all the wash and drain- 

 ings may be collected and preserved. It should 

 be surrounded, if possible, by a stone or brick 

 wall, especially on the lowest side, where all the 

 manure may lie formed into heaps, ami may re- 

 ceive the washings and drainin:,'s from the sta- 

 ble and yard. Where sloping grotmd cannot be 

 found, or conveniently use'd, it will be highly ad- 

 vantageous 10 dig out the yard, so as to create 

 a slope from eveiy side towards the centre. — 

 To increase the quantity of manure, the yard 

 should be kept constantly covered during the 

 winter with leaves, Avhich a very little labour 

 will collect from the woods, at times wlien 

 iiardly any thing else can be done. To these 

 should be added all the olial vveeds, and litter of 

 ihe farm. 



The best barn-yard, however, without [denty 

 of stock, will produce but a scanty su[;ply of ma- 

 .nure ; and in this point ol view, as well as in se- 

 veral others, ttic lireeding of stock, and es[>eci- 

 ally of cattle, is one of the most important ob- 

 jects of a farmer's attention. To prosecute it 

 successfully a seleclioa of the best breed.--, in the 

 tirst jilacc, is ir.ilispensal)le. In relation to some 

 ijther animaU, this is universally under-tood and 

 admittou. jNo man expects lo raise a fine horse, 

 without alliMMling to the blood, ligure and size 

 of the sire and dam. Their qualities are also 

 acknowleilged to tie of importance. But far the 

 greater pari of firmers act as if they believed, 

 that 10 raising cattle the breed is of no moment. 

 T.ike, however, we know will produce its like, 

 in the animal as well as in the vegetable king- 

 dom; and we might as well expect to proi'uce 

 tjac wheal from inferior seed, or Gne apples 



from grafts of an inferior tree, as line cattle from 

 a bad stock. 



In selecting the stock from which we shall 

 breed, much attention is due to the qualities and 

 properties of the dilTerent races, as well as to 

 the mode of profit which we have in view. Is 

 it our object lo raise and fatten beef for the 

 market? We should choose a race which fattens 

 easil}', has small bones, and comes soon to matu- 

 ritj. — These- properties are far more valuable 

 Ihan mere size : f^or it will generally if not uni- 

 versallv be found, that very large animals con- 

 sume a great quantity of Ibod, and require high- 

 er kee[)ing, and more time to come to perfection. 

 The point to be arrived at is the greato>! quan- 

 titv of ilcsh, with the smallest quantity of food. 

 In this respect there is known lo be a great dif- 

 ference between diiTerenl races of callle ; and, 

 consequently, that tlie largest and most showy 

 are not always the most valuable. 



If your object be to raise oxen (or labour, (hat 

 breed is lo be preferred which, with size enough 

 for strength, can be kept in good condition with 

 the smallest qiianli(y of I'ood, requires the least 

 care, is cajiable of the quickest motion, and lives 

 the longest. In all the.se parliculars a great dif- 

 ference is to be found, between difTeront breeds. 

 If _your attention be directed lo a dairy, and lo 

 the breeding of milch cows, you mu-t look not 

 onlv (o the quantity but lo Hi? quality of the 

 milk, to Ihe hardiness and healthiness of the ani- 

 mal, to her appetite, and lo the kindness with 

 ivhich she feeds. Some races are remarkable 

 for one, and so.Tie for another of these qualitie« ; 

 and that is to bo preferred in which the great- 

 est number of ihem arc-united, in the highest 

 degiec. 



When you have cho-cn your race, and furnish- 

 ed yourself with a stock (o breed (Vom, another 

 most important selection is to be made. The 

 llnesl calves are to be sin-i^!ed nut, annually, for 

 raising: those which give Ihe strongest indica- 

 tion-', by their form, size and general appearance 

 iif the oualilies which you desire. By constant 

 attention t<a this choice, joined to good kee[ung, 

 without which all other cares will be vain, you 

 may giadunlly improve yourslock lo almnsl any 

 point of perl'ection All the tine races of anim- 

 als have been grailually produced in this manner, 

 as well as all the tine kinds of fruits and vegeta- 

 bles. The same laws apply to all. ].,iko will 

 generally produce its like, in good and in Lad; 

 and the best slocks will degenerale, unless care 

 be constantly used in selecting the best individ- 

 uals, for keeping them up. Be (he race ever so 

 I excellent, if llie individual be defective it ought 

 I lo be rejected. 



Until very lately little or no attention appears 

 I to have been paid lo these considerations, in Ibe 

 I breeding of cattle. It seems lo have been Ihe pre- 

 i vailing opinion, thai one cow or bull was as good 

 1 as anoiher, and that feeding was ihe only mailer 

 1 cf importance. So far as any attention was paid 

 I to selection, it was wholly confined lo size: an 

 I important point indeed, but far Irom being the 

 I most important. Thanks to some public spirit- 

 led and intelligent citizen'', and lo Ihe zeal and 

 j enlightened labours of Ihe " AmeTicaii Farmer^'''' 

 I more correct opinions begin now to prevail, and 

 importations of cattle of the most approved 

 breeds have [ml it into our power, lo improve 

 our native stock, and to form one entirely new. 

 I cannot too earnestly entreat the farmers of Ma- 

 ryland, to avail themselves of this opporlunily. 



— With a little trouble, and an expense compar- 

 atively inconsiderable, these valuable breeds 

 may be so extended and encreased, as soon lo 

 give Ihe Stale a new stock, of Ihe besl descrip- 

 tion. Let every man who cannot procure a heif- 

 er of the imported breeds, select Ihe finest of' 

 his native cows, and send ihem lo Ihe full blood- 

 ed bulls. — This will soon give him half blood;-, 

 Ihe finest of which may, in the same manner, 

 produce calves of three-quarlers blood : and thus 

 by a constant attention to the selection of the fin- 

 est females for breeding, and lo their keep, be 

 may soon have a stock very nearly equal to those 

 imported. 



I have said that without good keeping, all oth- 

 er care will be in vain. This I cannot too oft- 

 en repeat, or loo earnestly inculcate. Animals, 

 whatever may be the excellencies of their race, 

 will not thrive and prosper unless they are well 

 kept. Some may be kept, indeed, at less expense 

 than others; and this is one of Ihe excellencies 

 of parlicular races. But all, I repeat, must be 

 well kept, or they will not thrive and prosper. 



And good keeping does not consist in siifiicient 

 feeding alone. It is indeed a most essential 

 point, but not the only one to which we ought ;o 

 attend. — Good shelter, protection from cold, and 

 more especially (Vom wet and filth, are scarcelv 

 less important. Hence the necessity of houses 

 and sheds for your cattle, and especially for your 

 milch cows, young calves, and falling beeves, po 

 constructed as to surround the barn-yard, shelter 

 them from Ihe cold winds and the rain, and keep 

 them on dry ground or tloors. 



Great economy may also be [irnctised in feed- 

 ing them, by a proper a[>para(us lor prejiariuf- 

 their food ; which will enable every farmer lo 

 supjiqn a much grealer immber, and coiisequenl- 

 ly to encroase greally iho quantilv of lijs man- 

 ure, :ind Ihe profi;.! ot' his farm. The first pro- 

 cess in preparing their food, is to cut it vcrv tine ; 

 for wliich F.astnian's cylindrical cutting knife is, 

 by far, the most powerful and efficacious instru- 

 ment that ' have seen. Tliere is a smaller one. 

 made and sokl, and I believe invented, bv Rob- 

 ert Sinclair, which cost* much less, and will I 

 apprehend be found sufficient for a small farm. 

 By means of these instrumenls, and espccialh. the 

 tirst, not only hay and straw may be cut lo any 

 desirable fineness, and wilh great rapidity, but 

 corn blades husks and lops, ;md even ihe lower 

 stalks of corn, if cut down and cured in the green- 

 est stale, which is consistent wilh the ripening 

 of the grain. All these sub«lances become ex- 

 cellent food by steaming, wilh Ihe mixture of n 

 little corn meal or shorts, for working oxen and 

 milch cows. The apparatus for steaming is very 

 easily procured and fixt up ; and although it 

 costs some money, 1 am quite satisfied liy my 

 own experience, that on a farm which maintains' 

 fil'iy bead of callle, it will \y.\y i"or itself in two 

 years, if nol in one, by Ihe encreased quanlily of 

 nutiimeni which il produces, from the same sub- 

 •■tances. — Indeed it converts many into excellent 

 food, which in their nalural state cattle, unless 

 very hungry, will nut eat. 



To carry tfiis impoitanl branch of husbandry, 

 the breeding of cattle, lo its highest perfection, 

 and lo render Ihe barn-yard and manure system 

 the most efiicacious, I am fully convinced that 

 Ihe cattle, except the milch-cows, should be kejit 

 in Ihe yard as much as possible, at all seasons. 

 For milk, or rather lor luiller, grazing seen)s to 

 be indispensable ; cither bcca'ise there is sjuie- 



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