1868. 



NEW ENGLANJ) FAKMER. 



233 



five pounds each. They are divided into four 

 principal flocks and occup}' the lower story of 

 his barns. They are fed from racks around 

 the sides of the sheds, after the pattern de- 

 scribed in the "Practical Shepherd." Light 

 is let in through windows and not through 

 cracks, and when the doors are closed the air 

 is warmed by the breath of the sheep so as to 

 be very comfortable. At the time of my visit 

 he was fattening about 100 wethers that were to 

 go to market about the first of March. They 

 are fine wooled, yet valuable as mutton sheep. 

 He has no intention of abandoning wool-grow- 

 ing, but is still improving his flock. 



Mr. Baker's daily consists of twenty-seven 

 cows of good size and thrifty appearance. 

 Many of them were raised on the farm, and ap- 

 peared to be Devon grades. There is here also 

 the commencement of a herd of Dutch or 

 Holstein cattle, and as there are but few of 

 the kind in this section I will more particularly 

 describe them. 



They are in degree connected with the stock 

 of W. W. Chenery of Belmont, Mass., but 

 were bought of Carlos Pierce, Stanstead, 

 P. Q. The color is a clear black, with spots 

 of pure white. The horns black and short. 

 As no scales were convenient, I will give the 

 Measurement of the animals — the length be- 

 ing from the base of the horn to the back end 

 of the body. 



The bull "Hollandie," 2 years 6 months ; 

 girt, 6 ft. i in. ; length, 6 ft. 8 in. ; height, 4 

 ft. 4 in. 



Heifer, "Beauty," 1 year 3 months ; girt, 5 

 ft. 1 in. ; length, 5 ft. 6 in. ; height, 3 ft. 8 in. 



Calf, 2 months old ; girt, 3 ft. 7 in. ; length, 

 4 ft. 



Cow, 9 years old; length 7 ft., but thin in 

 flesh on account of allowing the calf to run 

 with her the first month. It is now allowed to 

 suck at regular hours. 



This cow is a good satisfactory milker, but 

 is now kept solely for a stock cow. These four 

 are all the full bloods of this stock, but nearl}' 

 all the cows in the dairy will have half blood 

 calves this season. 



Mr. Baker has been breeding the White 

 Chester hogs and is well satisfied with their 

 early maturity and great weight. He has four 

 sows that are likely to breed this year. 



This stock with the addition of six oxen and 

 several horses requires the constant attendance 

 and all the time of one man. 



The large quantity of hay for the cattle was 

 of excellent quality, which accounts, in some 

 degree, for the fine appearance of the stock, 

 yet a root cellar twelve by thirty-two feet, 

 well lathed and plastered, under the barn floor, 

 now partly filled with turnips, might be con- 

 sidered a valuable auxiliary to the usual win- 

 ter feed. 



Our winter has been ver)' steadily cold, the 

 "thermometer constantly going below zero and 

 sometimes as low as 35° ; yet, Feb. 19th, 

 these turnips were not frozen enough to inter- 



fere with cutting and feeding ; indeed but 

 slightly touched with frost. This I regard as 

 a valuable experiment for New England far- 

 mers, for in the minds of many there is a 

 gTcater difficulty in preserving turnips than in 

 raising them. I think if plenty of turnips 

 were raised the expression, "spring poor" 

 would soon be obsolete, and the condition of 

 cattle indicated thereby would be unknown. 



The buildings to- accommodate this stock 

 consist of one barn 32 X 100 , and several smaller 

 ones that in the aggregate more than equal the 

 main one. The large barn is on level land 

 and two stories high, the second story being 

 entered by embankments to each bai'n floor. 

 It is double boarded outside with one-inch 

 boards, and the stables are lathed and plas- 

 tered on the north side, and single boarded in- 

 side. The following diagram will show the 

 arrangement of both stories of this barn which 

 is 32X100 feet. 



Lower Story. 

 North .Sill •. 



Door. 



South. 



Second Floor, or Story. 



North. 



South. 



Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are box stalls ; the first was 

 occupied by the Dutch cow; 2 by three calves, and 

 3 by the Dutch bull and heifer, at the time of 

 Mr. Jameson's visit. 



Every stable and sheep shed was so well 

 finished that the breath of the animals or ani- 

 mal heat would make the temperature above 

 freezing, and the animals looked better than 

 those belonging to farmers who advocate open 

 sheds and free ventilation. 



Mr. Baker now employs four men preparing 

 to build a house that in size and convenience 

 will correspond with the farm. In choosing a 

 site he has avoided a common error, which is 

 to place the house very near the highway, al- 

 lowing no room for drive, lawn or landscape 

 embellishments. The place chosen is a slight 

 elevation near the barns and perhaps twenty 

 rods from the road. In front is a depression 



