1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



91 



■without bolting, constituted about the proper 

 proportion for the human stomach. This is about 

 GO per cent, of nutriment to 40 per cent, of bulk. 

 Ho was also of opinion that about 20 per cent, of 

 nutriment was the pi'oper proportion for domestic 

 animals, like the cow and the horse. Good Eng- 

 lish hay contains about ten per cent, of nutritious 

 matter, and, of course, according to his theory, 

 something more highly concentrated is required in 

 order to develop the perfect animal. A moderate 

 quantity of grain, ground and mixed in tlie form 

 of " cut feed," has, in the experience of all grow- 

 ers of stock, been found best adapted to animal 

 health and physical development. 



This principle, or theory, does not tell well for 

 the opinion of the writer referred to as regards 

 the value of the English or flat turnip as a food 

 for animals. That vegetable contains about 90 

 per cent, of water, and of the remaining ten per 

 cent, more than half is woody fil^re. Only about 

 four per cent, of the turnip is nutrition. The 

 potato, on the other hand, when divested of its 

 eighty-five per cent, of water, is nearly all nutri- 

 ment — or very nearly fifteen per cent. It is near- 

 ly four times as nutritious as the turnip, pound 

 for pound. I would by no means discourage the 

 raising of turnips, for the seed can be sown when 

 it is too late to pilant any other, and of course 

 where no other crop can be raised for the season. 

 They are useful and healthful to a degree, al- 

 though they impart a disagreeable flavor to milk, 

 and should not be fed to milch cows except in 

 very small quantities at a time. No grounds ca- 

 pable of producing other crops, should be reserved 

 for the flat turnip ; but grounds from Avhich early 

 crops are harvested may be profitably devoted to 

 this crop. In some seasons the turnip -will grow 

 well if sown as late as the twentieth of August, 

 or even the first of September ; and as the seed is 

 easily raised, farmers and gardeners will lose 

 nothing in scattering it, not too thickly, over 

 grounds harvested up to those periods. But the 

 turnip crop never ought to interfere with any 

 other. 



Neither do I agree with the same writer that 

 the carrot is the most nutritious of all root crops. 

 I think it will be found on analysis that the com- 

 mon turnip beet is more nutritious than the car- 

 rot — the saccharine matter in the former being 

 entirely nutritious. This beet is also much bet- 

 ter for milch cows, as the carroty flavor of milk 

 is almost as bad as the turnip flavor. For horses, 

 during the Avinter, the carrot is undoubtedly the 

 best of all root cropis, and for their use it should 

 be freely cultivated. e. c. p. 



Somerville. 



the whole is estimated. Under this rule enor- 

 mous crops of corn have been produce! ; for 

 instance, a g^Mitlcman in this town last year 

 raised 155 bushels to the acre, and this year up- 

 wards of 100 bushels of curn to the acre, I think, 

 have been raisi'd in the county. If this rule is 

 the best, let it be adopted througliout the State ; 

 if not, let some other, for, as it is now, there is 

 reason to l)elieve some persons receive more credit 

 for raising large crops than others simply by the 

 measurement. Howard. 



West Bridgewater, Mass. 



WIRE FENCE. 



The following letter from lion. Marshall P. 

 Wilder, President of the United States Agricul- 

 tural Society, refers to the wire fence described 

 and portrayed on our first page. 



Dorchester, Jan. loth. 1855. 



Charles Crowlet, Esq., Agent, &c.: — Dear Su-, — 

 I have recently examined some of the netting ot 

 the Lowell AVire Fence Company for fences, trellises, 

 etc. From my own experience and that of others, I 

 cannot doubt that it is perfectly practicable as a fence 

 for fields and gardens, or that it is well adapted to all 

 uses Avhere a strong, close, elegant, economical and 

 durable fence Is required. Where stone is not abun- 

 dant, or where lumber is expensive, as in many of 

 our States, I shuuld deem it the most practicable 

 fence that could be procured. If our railroads are 

 hereafter to be enclosed, as safety and economy de- 

 mand — they can scarcely be fenced cheaper or better 

 than by this mode of fence. The stouter kinds of 

 this netting are of such strength, that cattle could 

 not easily penetrate or pass it; while the closeness of 

 the lighter kinds, renders them admirably available 

 for garden uses, bencries, and poultry fences. Fenc- 

 ing like this, has for some years been extensivelj' 

 used in Great Britain; and, since it can now be matle 

 at a much less cost, by machinery, it would seem to 

 be equally adaptive to the United States. I know of 

 no fencing so good as this, that can be procured for 

 §'1,50 per rod, the highest price asked for the most 

 costly kinds of this netting; and this is, probably, the 

 only fencing of equal merit that can be bought for 

 $1,50 per rod. 



As a material for rose-trellises, grapc-ticllises, and 

 ornamental work in gardens, I think it unequalled in 

 cheapness, durability and beauty, by anything yet 

 devised. It will, without doubt, eventually be re- 

 ceived into general use, when its merits are appreciated 

 by the public. Yours respectfully, 



Marshall P. Wilder. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MEASUREMENT OF CROPS. 



Mk. Buown : — I would suggest to those inter- 

 ested, through the columns of your paper, the 

 propriety of the adoption of a uniform rule for 

 the me^isurement of crops for premium through- 

 out the State. I am led to do this by the dis- 

 satisfaction manifested by many in relation to 

 the rule adopted by the Plymouth County Agri- 

 cultural Society in the measurement of corn for 

 premium. By this rule, as is well known, an 

 average square rod is selected while the corn is 

 in the field, the product weighed, and by which 



For tin- JV( ic Eiifckind Farmer. 



NATIVE CATTLE. 



Mr. Editor ; — In the number for January ol 



the Journal of I\cw York Stale Agricultural So- 

 cietij, is the following testimony, that may be 

 instructive ;o those who are not willing to admit 

 that cattle, which are gcnemlly termed native, 

 are of any value. 



Mr. T. Wells, from Chenango county, under 

 date of Dec. IG, 1S5-1, writes: "I doubt very 

 much whether there has ever been any better 

 breed of cattle, eitlier for beef or milking, than 

 the native red cattle. It is keeping that makes 

 the aittle." ^Ir. Thompson, President of the 

 Yates County Society, writes to B. P. Johnson, 

 Seci'ctary of the State Society : " Some attention 



