No. 14. 



Marl, Sfc. 



229 



that would enable us to make a complete 

 garden of our good Commonwealth, and in- 

 tersect it in every direction with rail roads 

 and canals, and build school houses within 

 blowing- distance of every farmer's mansion 

 in the state. The experiment above refer- 

 red to was published at the time in several 

 agriculturaljournals so as to give it publicity, 

 but farmers have generally gone on in the 

 old way of feeding notwithstanding.* An- 

 other experiment was made and published in 

 1821, to show the economy of feeding a horse 

 with ground oats, ins::ead of giving the grain 

 whole as is usual; it resulted in provmg the 

 fact that one hjilf the quantity crushed kept 

 a horse in better order, he undergoing the 

 same labor during the trial. 



No person brought up on a farm can have 

 failed to have remarked that, when cattle 

 were fed on whole grain, a considei-able por- 

 tion of it escaped being digested, and was 

 ejected without having parted with any of its 

 nutritious qualities, and this crude undigested 

 matter passing the whole line of the alimen- 

 tary canal, must certain'y have been produc- 

 tive of discomfort to the animal, independent 

 of doing no good during its long journey. 

 The sugar beet which some of our most in- 

 telligent farmers are beginning to cultivate, 

 and which produces from lOUO to 2000 bush- 

 els (each weighing 601bs.) to the acre, has 

 been found to be a very important and cheap 

 auxiliary in feeding all descriptions of ani- 

 mals. A farmer in Delaware county raised 

 3000 bushels the past season, which he has 

 been feeding to his stock this winter with 

 great advantage; and it is to le hoped the 

 coming season that many will avail them- 

 selves of this very nutricious and valuable 

 vegetable for the use of their cattle next 

 winter. The feeding with roots cannot be 

 too highly prized. In England and Scotland, 

 no farmer pretends to carry his stock through 

 the winter without the extensive use of roots 

 of some kind, and it is a very remarkable 

 fact, that in Great Britain, no disease under! 

 the name of Hollow Horn is known, which | 

 some ascribe to the universal practice of 

 feeding cattle with a portion of succulent 

 food daily during the winter season. 



Agricola. 



For the Farmers Cabinet. 



Marl, &c. 



It is said that in passing through Virginia, 

 you can tell from the appearance of the farms, 

 who takes the "Farmers' Register," such has 

 been the effect of that valuable agricultural 

 journal in that state. Now you must not 

 consider me as using an empty compliment, 

 if, I state that it is thought, it will not be 

 iong, before the same remark may justly be 



• See Farmers' Cabinet, vol. I, page 153. 



made in respect to your own journal, " the 

 Farmers Cabinet," in Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey; tor I find that the best and most in- 

 telligent farmers, in the parts of those two 

 states, where I am pretty extensively ac- 

 quainted, not only take your Cabinet, but es- 

 teem it a most valuable acquisition in their 

 families. Some have stated that frequentl)- 

 a single number is worth more than a whole 

 years subscription I therefore, hope you will 

 persevere in your good work of sowing the 

 seeds of agricultural knowledge broad-cast 

 through tlie land, and I trust that both yon 

 and they will receive their reward in due 

 season. Now I want some of your intelligent 

 Jersey subscribers to furnish tor the Cabinet 

 an account of their marl ; the quantity per 

 acre, that is found the most useful, and its 

 effects, on grass, corn, potatoes or grain ; the 

 cost of the article on tide water where ves- 

 sels can take it in, and what places or creeks 

 it can be delivered at cheapest; also how farr 

 it will bear haulhig by land — also the best 

 mode of applying it to the soil, and in fact 

 all, and every information which may be use- 

 ful to a person who may desire to apply it ; 

 and if practicable to furnish it, I sjiould be 

 pleased to learn the theory of its operations 

 in promoting vegetation. Tlie above infor- 

 mation, if satisfactory, and it should suit the 

 soil in Pennsylvania, may lead to a prolitable 

 and extensive traffic between the two states. 

 Pennsylvania can furnish lime in exchange 

 for marl, and, perhaps both states be benefit- 

 ted. 



We begin to think that the Jersey marl 

 is pushing that state ahead of us, and we are 

 desirous of not being left too far in the rear 

 of our industrious neighbors, if we can help 

 it by fair competition. It has long been re- 

 marked, that the Jersey farmers, who attend 

 tfie market excel us on this side of the river, 

 in the neatness and care with which their 

 marketing is got up. Their dressing of veal, 

 lamb, &c. excels that of our best profession- 

 al butchers, and there is exhibited in all their 

 articles offered for sale, a tact in the getting 

 up, that is unrivalled in our market. But this 

 is not all ; they get from 10 to 25 per cent 

 more, for the same description of articles, 

 and of no superior original quality, than is 

 generally got by our Pennsylvania farmers, 

 a very few instances excepted, and the educa- 

 tion or paternity of some of these excepted 

 cases can readily be traced across the Dela- 

 ware. Now, if these are facts, and I be- 

 lieve many ^vitnesses could be brought to 

 testify to them ; it would be very desirable 

 to be informed, why this disparity lias been 

 brought into existence, and also the best and 

 most speedy remedy for bringing us up to an 

 equality at least, with our very respectable 

 and thrifty neighbors over the water. It is a 



