THE PxiRMERS' CABINET, 



DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 



Vol. II.-lVo. IG.] 



Pbiladelpliia, May 15, 1838. 



Whole ]Vo. 40 



PUBLISHED BY JOHxN LIBBY, 

 No. 4:3 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia, 



Above Arch Street, 



AT ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR. 



'' Agriculture is the noblest of all employments, as 

 well as the most favorable to morals. Let the 

 soldier talk of honor and glory, I see more 

 honor in covering the earth with grain and 

 verdure than with dead and mangled bodies, 

 and morefflorii in providing food for its inhabi- 

 tants than in destroying them." 



THE FARMERS* CABIKET. 



We take great pleasure in laying before 

 , our numerous readers the following interest- 

 I ing correspondence. Dr. Thomson, the Cor- 

 responding Secretary of the New Castle 

 County Agricultural Society, has set an ex- 

 ample which we trust may have a tendency 

 to drawoutfrom other societies much valuable 

 information on the various branches of agri- 

 cultural industry. We hope that the plan of 

 obtaining information on this most important 

 subject, by propounding questions to intelli- 

 gent, practical farmers, tli rough the prop- 

 I er officers of Agricultural Societies may be 

 ' extensively adopted. If so, and they are 

 I promptly answered, as in the present instance, 

 ■ and forthwith published, the happiest results 

 ; may be anticipated. The great object in the 

 formation of these societies is the improve- 

 ment of their members in agricultural know- 

 ledge. By availing themselves of the oppor- 

 tunities afforded by the establishment of ag- 

 ricultural journals, tliis information, instead 

 of being confined to a single neighborhood, 

 and making slow advances into the surround- 

 ing country, may be immediately and widely 

 difiiised throughout all the land. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



On Stall Fee<liagr Sheep. 



Mr. Editor : — At a late quarterly meet- 

 ing of the "Agricultural Society of New 

 Castle county, Delaware," it wa* requested 



Cab. Vol. II.— Na 16. 



of the Corresponding Secretary to elicit from 

 practical farmers throughout the state, such 

 information and experience on mattsrs con- 

 nected with agriculture, as might benefit 

 and advance the objects of the society, and 

 when deemed of sufficient interest and im- 

 portance, to publish the same for the use of 

 its members. Many of them are subscribers 

 to your valuable paper, and most of them in- 

 terested more or less in sheep. The method 

 IVIr. Baynes adopts of making /af mutton will, 

 no doubt, be interesting to some of them, and 

 the information he imparts may be relied 

 upon — founded as it is upon experience^ 

 Yours, very respectfully,, 



James W. Thomson., 



Wilmington, March, 1838. 

 CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 

 Mr. Thomas Baynes — 



Dear Sir : — I am induced from some prac- 

 tical remarks made by you in a late conversa-- 

 tion on the subject of s^cejo, and particularly 

 sheep for stall-feeding, — to solicit from you 

 still further information on this important 

 branch of grazing — not only for the benefit of 

 our Delaware farmers (who in the prospect 

 of a dog-law, for the protection of sheep, from 

 the next legislature, will go much more large- 

 ly into the business) but also for tiie sake of 

 the agricultural interest of the country in 

 general. In all our great markets, /ne mut- 

 ton is scarce, and consequently high — it is 

 one of our most loholesome meats and if pro- 

 perly attended to, one of the most profit- 

 nhle the farmer can raise. But unfortunately 

 for agriculture, the great and leading avoca- 

 tion of man, — too few of its practical votaries 

 impart their wisdom and experience to others 

 by essays and lectures, who so much need 

 their direction and aid. The experience you 

 acquired in England, and the years of obser- 

 vation you have had in this country as the 

 shepherd of that celebrated feederoffine mut- 

 ton, Samuel West, of Delaware county, Pa.^ 

 will give great interest to any communica-^ 

 tions from you on the subject^and as Mr. 

 Barney has given a reputation to Delaware 

 sheep, which they richly deserve as— -amonf 

 the finest in the coantry — practical direction* 

 28a 



