No. 3. 



Lucerne. — Fine Stock. 



103 



thirdly and principally, in the last-mentioned 

 case, of the unaccountably strange notion of 

 mixing timothy with it ! The necessity for 

 keeping the crop free from weeds while 

 growing, seems entirely to have been lost 

 sight of from the beginning, for how was this 

 to be done after timothy had been mixed with 

 it? But, as you properly observe, the detail 

 of a failure in an experiment might be made 

 interesting and profitable even to him who 

 has been "exercised thereby," and friend 

 Bceker may derive consolation from the fact, 

 that every one must see, as clearly as he 

 himself now must, that his want of success 

 was no more than what ought to have been 

 foreseen and expected : if he will make an- 

 other trial upon a suitable soil, thoroughly 

 cleaned before sowing the seed, not permit- 

 ting a weed to remain amongst his crop while 

 growing for the first year — refraining, of 

 course, from " sowing tirnotiiy with it" — there 

 will bo no danger of disappointment. 



There never has been the least difference 

 of opinion with regard to the great yield of 

 this crop when it succeeds, or the value of it 

 for the feeding of stock — all accounts agree 

 in this — and it might be expected that in this 

 hot and dry climate, t!ie yield, on suitable 

 soils, would be enormous; but in the quick 

 growth of the weeds, it would have a giant 

 foe to contend with ; and without the greatest 

 care and attention, it will never be made to 

 succeed ; when once well planted, however, 

 it will pay and repay, for all the expense that 

 might have been bestowed upon it, and of 

 this tliere need be no question : as soiling- 

 food for hogs, it is invaluable, as they do not 

 reject any part after mastication, but swallow 

 the whole. It is invaluable as hay, and is not 

 liable to be over-heated in the mow. 



From what I have seen of the country 

 about Trenton, New Jersey, and especially 

 about Morrisvilie, on the opposite shore, 1 

 should expect there could be no earthly cause 

 to doubt the most perfect success in raising 

 crops of Lucerne of large extent ; I undef- 

 stand that there the springs are not within 

 twenty feet of the surface," and the surface- 

 soil appears peculiarly adapted to the cultiva- 

 tion. If some of the friends of the Cabinet, 

 who reside in that part of the country, would 

 make the trial, I should expect very different 

 results, from the care and skill that would, I 

 know, be bestowed upon it. 



In conclusion, I would recommend to the 

 notice of your correspondent, an excellent 

 paper, " on the tap-roots of plants," at page 

 68 of the same number of the Cabinet, 



D. 

 P. S. I would refer him, also, to what has 

 already appeared in the pages of the Cabinet 

 on the subject of smut in wheat : to me the 

 cause is about as clear as the eff'ect. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Fiue Stock. 

 Sir, — Under the caption of " Great Calves" 

 I noticed an article in the July number of 

 the Cultivator, published at Albany, N. Y., 

 giving the ages and weights of four animals, 

 selected from different points of that state, as 

 superior specimens of the " short horns," and 

 as going far to show the superiority of that 

 breed. They are, indeed, fine specimens, 

 compared with our native and many other 

 breeds of cattle — but the editor rightly ob- 

 serves, " we do not say the best, because we 

 might be obliged to recall it." Being myself 

 an agriculturist, and for a few years past en- 

 gaffed in the effort to improve the stock of 

 our county, I consequently feel a deep and 

 lively interest in any effort calculated to ex- 

 tend this long neglected, but now growing 

 interest. Agriculture, in all its departments, 

 is a theme upon which I love to dwell, and 

 it is only to be lamented that so few in this 

 region of country, avail themselves of the 

 immense advantages to be derived from the 

 experience of others, in the way of agricul- 

 tural periodicals. These prejudices are, how- 

 ever, giving way, and we look forward to a 

 new era in the history of our operations. 



I have taken the liberty to ask for a place 

 in your valuable periodical, as a competitor, 

 among others who have obtained some dis- 

 tinction in the rearing of fine stock — by pre- 

 senting you with the annexed statement of 

 nine calves, with their names, ages and 

 weights, the offspring of a part of my im- 

 ported, full-bred short-horn stock, selected 

 from the fold of Mr. Whitaker, extensively 

 known in this country. These calves are all 

 sired by my imported bull " Colossus ;" ad- 

 mitted to be one of the best stock bulls that 

 has been imported into this county. These 

 calves were weighed upon Fairbank's patent 

 scales, in the presence of a number of gen- 

 tlemen of respectability, who all unite in pro- 

 nouncing them the finest specimens of their 

 kind. And, when taken together, as being 

 centred upon one farm, they will at least 

 compare with the like number in any other 

 section of the Union. It would afford me 

 much pleasure to be able to furnish you with 

 a drawing of one or two of them. 



Lady Franklin, at 19 days old 250 I ba 



Napoleon, 21 do 2G2 lbs. 



Flora, 9 weeks .^l lbs. 



Beliiia, 3 months 460 lbs. 



Dahlia, 11 do 880 lbs. 



Franklin Comet, 10 do. 11 days 93fi lbs. 



A Calf, at one hour old 115 lbs. 



Do. do. do 125 lbs. 



Do. do. do 120 11)3. 



Wm. Heyser. 



Sprin^dale, near Cliambersburg, Sept. 3, ISIO. 



N. B. It would be gratifying to me if the 

 editor of the Cultivator would give the name^, 

 ages and weights a place in his paper. 



