No. 6. 



Pro and Con. 



181 



cooked or raw, if given alone ; and that they 

 will eat raw cabbage first, when given to 

 them at the same time with other vegetables, 

 whether cooked or not. I have never suc- 

 ceeded in attempts to make my hogs eat raw 

 carrots, parsneps, or white turnips. Yellow 

 turnips they will devour as if they liked 

 them ; but I have often thought that, even of 

 these they preferred the tops to the roots. 

 Beets, of which they relish both the tops and 

 roots, I am inclined to think, make, with 

 shorts or bran, and a due proportion of salt 

 and ashes, the best and cheapest winter food 

 for store swine. 



As to the comparative economy of cooked 

 or raw food for swine in general, I have no 

 doubt that, with the exception of cabbages, 

 all vegetables, and all grain without excep- 

 tion, will go much further if thoroughly 

 boiled than when raw; but the cost of the 

 boiling apparatus, of fuel, and of the labour 

 necessary for the purpose, must be taken 

 into consideration ; and if they be, it will be 

 found that for a small number of hogs — say 

 less than twenty or thirty — raw food will be 

 cheaper than cooked. Brawn. 



Haerlam, near Washington, D. C, Dec. 21, 1841. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Pro and Con. 



Mr. Editor. — I hand you for publication, 

 a very interesting paper on the comparative 

 value of two remarkable crops of potatoes, as 

 I find it in the New England Farmer of the 

 8th of December. The witty and sensible 

 remarks of the editor are invaluable, and go 

 far to reconcile many of those little discre- 

 pancies which we so often meet in the pro 

 and con accounts of profit and loss, as they 

 are made to circulate by means of the agri- 

 cultural periodicals of the day. J. A. D. 



" The following communication, from Mr. 

 Rich, is of a kind which we always welcome. 

 Exact accounts are what all farmers like to 

 look at — they are what all farmers should 

 keep. In what way is it possible for a man 

 to determine accurately which of his crops 

 are, taking a series of years together, the 

 most profitable, unless he does note down the 

 expenses of each, and its worth ] It is true 

 that observation and good judgment may help 

 him to get near the truth, but this is all. 

 The first of January will soon come round 

 again; and before it arrives, we advise every 

 young farmer — (we don't very willingly ex- 

 cept the old ones) — to provide himself with a 

 book in which to keep a journal. If this is 

 done, he has it in his power to turn at any 

 time to all the minutes he wants, to enable 

 him to sum up the profits and loss of every 

 crop. 



Shoreham, Vt., Nov. 15th, 1841. 

 Mr, Editor — Sir — In reading the agricul- 

 tural papers of the day, I frequently meet 

 with the mode, culture, expenses, artd loss or 

 gain of farm crops, which I think is an ad- 

 vantage to the farmer, especially where they 

 are particular in giving the description of soil 

 and mode of treatment. Being induced, from 

 the frequent recommendations in the papers, 

 to keep debit and credit of farm crops, I will 

 give you a statement of one acre and five- 

 eighths of potatoes. Soil, about one-half a 

 deep loam, the other loam and sand, (rather 

 moist). It had lain to grass two years ; and 

 on the 12th of June I drew twenty-one cart- 

 loads of long manure, and spread it evenly 

 over the ground, and ploughed it under to 

 the depth of eight inches, immediately after 

 spreading. The herds-grass and clover had 

 attained a good growth ; so much so, that it 

 was necessary to have one hand keep up 

 with the plough, and with a forked stick pre- 

 vent the grass from accumulating about the 

 coulter. It was then thoroughly harrowed, 

 and then furrowed and planted as soon as 

 possible. The ground was furrowed three 

 feet one way, and planted about two feet the 

 other; the potatoes being cut and covered 

 two inches deep. First hoeing, 15th of July ; 

 cultivator run twice in each furrow; second 

 hoeing, 28th of July, and cultivator used as 

 in the first. I endeavoured to have my hands 

 hoe them on the level system as much as 

 possible; but owing to their being furrowed 

 very shallow, and the mode new, they were 

 hilled more than I intended to have them. 

 The season was good until the second hoeing, 

 and from that time to the 15th of September 

 was too dry, (which was the case throughout 

 the county). From that time to the 14th 

 of October, they grew very fast, and on har- 

 vesting them I had four hundred and seventy- 

 seven and a half bushels of potatoes. Now 

 for the account : — 



Dr. 



To 21 loads of long manure, at 3s $10.00 



" li days' ploughing, with 2 yoke of oxen and 3 



men, 5.23 



" Man and horse 3 hours in furrowing, 50 



" 32 bushel seed potatoes, at 2s. per bushel 10.67 



" Ij days" planting, at 75 cts. per day 1.13 



" First hoeing, 3| days, at 75 cts. per day 2.63 



" Second hoeing, 2J days, at 75 cts. per day, •• • 2.06 



" Use of horse for both hoeings, 1.00 



" 12Jdays in harvestina, 9-56 



" Interest on land, at $50 per acre 4.87 



$4ai7 

 Deduct two thirds expense of manure for suc- 

 ceeding crops, 7.00 



$41.17 



Cr. 



Dy 477i bushels of potatoes, at 2s $159.17 



Deduct expenses, .... 41.17 



Profit, $118.00 



or $72.62 per acre. 



Your friend and subscriber, 

 QuiNTUs C. Rich. 



