22 



Summer Soiling — Beet Sugar. 



Vol. V. 



the poor animal is made to swallow, from the 

 mere whim of an ignorant horse or cow doc- 

 tor. Many a fine beast has been lost by 

 his owner trusting to such prescriptions. 



When your animal has fever, nature would 

 dictate that all stimulating articles of diet or 

 medicine should be avoided. Bleeding may 

 be necessary to reduce the force of the cir- 

 culation — purging, to remove irritating sub- 

 stances from the bowels — moist, light, and 

 easily-digested food, that his weakened diges- 

 tion may not be oppressed — cool drinks, to 

 allay his thirst, and, to some extent, compen- 

 sate for diminished secretions — rest and quiet, 

 to prevent undue excitement in his system, 

 and so on through the whole catalogue of 

 diseases — but nothing to be done without a 

 reason. Carry out this principle, and you 

 will probably do much good — hardly great 

 harm — go on any other, and your measures 

 are more likely to be productive of injury 

 than benefit. But, as we have before said, 

 our object now is not to speak of diseases in 

 detail — it is rather to encourage our agricul- 

 tural friends to think before they act ; to have 

 a reason that will bear examination for every 

 step in the management of a sick or injured* 

 animal ; to remember they have a powerful 

 assistant in nature (if she is fairly used), and 

 that specifics, as they are called, are mucli 

 fewer and less to be trusted than their pro- 

 prietors would have us believe. We might, 

 indeed, almost sum up what we would desire 

 in one general direction of five words : — 



TREAT YOUR BRUTES LIKE MEN. T. 



July 7th, 1840. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Summer Soiling. 



Sir, — Soiling cattle is the feeding of them 

 in the barn or yard, upon artificial grasses, 

 roots, &c., prepared for this purpose, by de- 

 voting a portion of the arable land to their 

 cultivation, and is different altogether from 

 tlie mode adopted by some, of cutting the ci;op 

 of the natural meadows to be thus applied ; 

 a system by no means to be recommended. 

 The following are some of the advantages to 

 be derived from the system : — 



1st, A portion of the same crop, which 

 when pastured with cattle will keep two 

 head, will maintain five head in better con- 

 dition, if the vegetables are taken to the 

 stables and distributed properly. 



2d, Stall-feeding, in summer, yields at least 

 three times the quantity, and six times the 

 quality of manure, from the same number of 

 cattle. 



* In another number, we propose saving a word or 

 two upon wounds and accidents ; in the treatment of 

 which, principles are laid aside and harm done, quite as 

 conspicuously as in the management of internal dis- 

 eases. 



3d, The cattle, when used to stall-feeding, 

 will yield more and better milk, and fatten 

 faster than when ranging in the open fields. 



4th, They are less liable to accident, do 

 not suffer from heat, flies, and other insects ; 

 and if well attended to, will continue in a 

 state of health and vigour, exempt from the 

 disorders, murrain, foot-ail, &c., to which 

 those exposed to wet and unwholesome lands 

 are peculiarly liable. All these advantages 

 may be obtained at a most trifling additional 

 cost of extra labour, which tlie value of the 

 extra manure will defray many times over. 

 An old Soiler. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Beet Sugar. 



Sir, — I find by a late correspondence with 

 a friend at Baltimore, that the manufacture 

 of beet sugar is likely to be established there 

 on a scale, and with skill and capital suffi- 

 cient, to insure its perfect success : this is all 

 that has been wanting, and I for one am 

 anxious to see it go on and prosper. 



This is an employment suited to the genius 

 and character of Americans ; and, without 

 the least disparagement to other manufactur- 

 ing projects that may now be on the tapis, I 

 must be permitted to point out some of its 

 peculiar advantages, which will not be found 

 to detract from the onward progress of agri- 

 culture — a science which it behoves the peo- 

 ple of this country to foster by every mean 

 in their power, and to the utmost of their 

 ability. 



First, the raising of the root is legitimate 

 to the best and most approved modes of agri- 

 culture and husbandry : its cultivation does 

 not interfere with the growing of any other 

 crop, but is peculiarly favourable to all, being 

 meliorating in its effects during its growth, 

 and aiding in a very peculiar manner to the 

 benefit of all, by the great additional quan- 

 tity of manure which it supplies, during the 

 feeding, either of the root or of the residuum 

 of the sugar-house, in the winter season, the 

 dung of the cattle not then being lost, as is 

 very much the case in summer-feeding, by 

 being dropped in the woods and in the fields, 

 to be in a great measure evaporated and 

 washed away from the surface of the land. 

 It affords healthful employment to the agri- 

 culturist; is peculiarly well adapted to the 

 preparation of land for the growth of other 

 crops, and interferes but little with them, 

 either at the time of sowing or at harvest; 

 the gathering of the crop and its preparation 

 for use being attended with less expense than 

 that of any other crop that can be cultivated. 



Second, The -manufacture of sugar fi-om 

 the beet gives employment during the whole 

 winter to numbers of persons, who would 



