180 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



when applied in excessive quantities, it proves 

 latal to most crops. 



We would advise our agricultiiral friends to 

 make a small, but fair trial with nitrate of 

 soda on their various crops, and note carefully 

 the results. It will not cost as much as some 

 of the articles now in use, and we have many 

 reasons to believe that it will prove an efficient 

 and paying fertilizer. 



MEADOW HAY FOR STOCK. 



Once, — some years ago, but still within the 

 memory of some of us, — it was common for 

 some farmers to boast of how little fodder 

 they had kept a cow or a pair of oxen upon 

 through the winter ! One ton of hay for the 

 cow, two and a half for the oxen, and rather 

 poor at that, they declared, was all that the 

 animals had eaten ; and the poor, cadaverous 

 looking "critters," verified the truth of every 

 word uttered. They were gaunt as race 

 horses, lean as Pharaoh's kine, hunch-backed, 

 cross-legged when walking, and strongly in- 

 clined to lean against the bam for support 

 when standing up ! Is it a wonder that such 

 farmers lived mainly themselves upon salt 

 junk, boiled cabbage and turnips, and starved 

 the minds of their children as they starved 

 their cattle, and thought the warm fireside and 

 good cheer of the bar-room the elysium of 

 bliss ? 



Well, customs have changed somewhat. 

 Science and art have crept in among us and 

 pushed meadow hay and Holland gin partially 

 out of sight. As the cattle have gi-own larger 

 and stronger, household comforts and con- 

 veniences have become more common. The 

 churches and school houses are better ; more 

 books are in the homes of the farmers, and 

 more of his children are qualified to enter 

 upon the theatre of life, and act well their 

 part there. The style and arrangement of 

 dwellings are better; the highways improved ; 

 comfortable carriages introduced on the farm, 

 numerous and excellent implements and ma- 

 chines emplo) ed, whereby human toil is greatly 

 relieved, and some taste for embeUishing the 

 grounds about i-ural homes, is giving the coun- 

 try a cheerful and attractive aspect. 



The days when meadow hay was king are 

 gone by. It is a good thing now, as subject, 

 but not as king. As a portion of the feed of 

 young animals, and those producing nothing 



but their growth, it answers a tolerably good 

 purpose. Let it grow, then, where reclaiming 

 the land would be very costly, and feed it'to 

 stock when the appetite is sharp. As animals 

 need variety, it is quite possible that a fodder- 

 ing of meadow hay, which was cut at the 

 proper time, and cured without being injured, 

 may be as useful to them occasionally, as an 

 equal amount of good timothy or red top. 

 We are inclined to think it would, because food 

 has other offices to perform, besides that of 

 merely supplying nutritive qualities. 



It is questionable whether even the best 

 kinds of meadow hay can be profitably fed to 

 sheep, otherwise than as a variation of their 

 usual food. Few animals are so fond of variety 

 in their food as sheep. They will frequently 

 leave the succulent clover of rich bottoms, to 

 feed on the parched herbage of sandy plains, 

 and actually thrive better for the change. Be- 

 sides supporting themselves, it must be re- 

 membered that the period of gestation com- 

 mences about the time when the sheep are 

 folded ; and besides sustaining its own wear 

 of carcass, a lamb has to be produced from 

 that feed, which will weigh from four to twelve 

 pounds when dropped, and one-third of the 

 fleece has to be produced during the time they 

 are in wiuter quarters, which require the best 

 elements of animal producing matter to bring 

 them. 



A friend assures us that he used to feed on 

 nothing but meadow hay till the lambs were 

 dropped, for a number of years, but now feeds 

 none, and finds better feed more profitable. 

 This is varied experience, and therefore valua- 

 ble. If any expect to make sheep husbandry 

 profitable by feeding through winter nothing 

 but meadow hay, they will scarcely realize their 

 expectations. It will be more projitable to 

 adopt the plan of our friend above. Give 

 English hay, a little fine meadow hay, a few 

 roots and a little grain. If this course is not 

 found cheapest in the result, then the reader 

 may go back to the days when meadow hay was 

 king, and we will expostulate with him no 

 more on the subject ! 



Calves brought up on meadow hay will be 

 quite likely to make meadow-hay cows, or 

 meadow-hay oxen. As well bring up your 

 children on skim-milk and poor potatoes. 

 That will not do. Generous feeding, — not 

 luxurious, — gives courage and endurance, as 



