100 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Beans and Corn tor Feeding Sheep. — In your Feb- 

 ruary number, B. F. Taber inquires " respecting the rela- 

 • tive value of beans to corn for feeding purposes." 



Some of our farmers who keep from 200 to 500 fine- 

 wooled sheep, have fed beans to their flocks in past 

 winters. A few days ago, I met with one of these flock 

 masters, and made inquiries respecting the matter. He 

 has just sent me a written statement, the substance of 

 which I here forward : 



"Mr. Bartlett :— We have fed 'white beans' to our 

 breeding ewes, 120 in number, to the amount of 50 bush., 

 for each of the two last winters. We consider them worth 

 one-third more by weight than corn for the production 

 of milk. 



We first tried them ground ; but they can not be crack- 

 ed without there being a flour produced, which they will 

 not readily eat on account of there being a sticky dou^h 

 formed by means of the moisture from their mouths. We 

 then soaked them in boiling water for an hour or two 

 but not long enough to start the skin. 



The beans cost, delivered at our depot, $1 per bushel 

 and were the cheapest feed we have ever used. If we could 

 get them for $ 1.25 per bushel, we should use them this 

 year; but we can not, therefore shallpurchase shorts 

 B. W. Couch & Co." 

 The Messrs. Couch keep about 500 superior fine-wooled 

 sheep, and enter into the business with a right good will, 

 and consequently are successful, making money thereby, 

 having just sold their wool at 50 cents per pound, cash 

 on delivery. Corn here is worth 84 cents per bushel, 

 but for their breeding ewes they would prefer beans at 

 $1.25. 



You say, Mr. Editor, "we would prefer to grind them;" 

 so thought the Messrs. C; but for reasons given, they 

 soon abandoned it, finding the soaking process much the 

 best. I am of the opinion that soaked corn, upon trial, 

 would be found far preferable to that of the dry feed for 

 sheep or any other animals. 



Judging from the analyses of corn and beans, we should 

 prefer corn for feeding sheep, if fattening them was our 

 object. But for the greatest production of wool, muscle, 

 milk and lambs, we should give beans the preference. 



As to the nutritive value of corn and beans, according 

 to some of the most eminent agricultural chemists and 

 writers io Europe, 45 lbs. of beans are equivalent to 50 

 lbs. of \orn. 



Mr. Lawes, basing his calculations upon the constitu- 

 ents of a good Peruvian guano, and its commercial 

 value, estimates the value of the manure derived from a 

 ton of beans at about $18, while that derived from a ton 

 of Indian corn to be worth only about $8— a very mate- 

 rial difference, and one that should be taken into consid- 

 eration by the farmer who grains his sheep, whether he 

 raises the feed or purchases it. You, Mr. Editor, in the 

 columns of the Farmer, have time and again called the 

 attention of your readers to the importance of growing 

 more largely of leguminous plants-clover, peas, beans, 

 •tc— and if they have not profited by these teachings, 

 you may set them down as incorrigible.— Levi Bartlett 

 Warner, If. If. 



Grapes from Raisin Seeds.— Mr. Charles S. Raci 

 of Canada, writes us that he has seen some beautiful larj 

 white grapes that were produced from plants raised fro 

 the seed of a raisin. He recommends others to expei 

 ment with raisin seeds. Take out the seeds, and wai 

 them, and then plant in a warm soil in the spring. 



Hessian Fly.— J. T. Ferguson, of Clinton Co., Ola 

 writes us that the early sown wheat in his neighborboc 

 is generally destroyed by the fly. 



We are indebted to the Hon. Alfred Elt for the Patei 

 Office Report for 1860, and for the Smithsonian Reporl 

 for 1859 and 1860. 



Special Notices. 



Boston Silver Medal ScREENs.-These Serum have becon 

 celebrated for assorting and cleaning Wheat for seed, Barter 

 Oats, Kye, Buckwheat and Beans'. Two Screens, for wheat * n 

 oats, 15 by 15 inches, with tray, $2.75. One Screen and tray 1 

 by 30 in., for taking oats, cheat, pink, and all foul stuff from when 

 S3.2o. Four Screens and tray,- 15 by 30 in.., for sorting marro* 

 fat, medium aud pea-beans, broken and refuse, 5 ki^da at on 

 operation, $7. 



Orders by mail or express executed at short notice. Manufac 

 tory, 34 North Market Street, Boston, Mass. Sash-or* Awn 

 Inventor aud Proprietor. 



Bean Drill.— If there is a good machine for drilling 

 beans manufactured in your State, I shall be glad to know 

 the address of the maker.— Bucketk. 



American Bb»-Journal.-(C. Sandksow.) This paper 

 i* not now published. 



Coe's Superphosphate of LaiK.-Th* following decisive tet 

 timony to the value of Coe's Superphosphate as a superior fertil 

 umg agent, is from Hon. Ajias-a. Walker, of Massachusetts : 



,, _ . _ ■ ■ Norih Brookpield, Nov. 26. 1S61. 



**" • «** Co-, Boston, ftenllemen :-You may recol'ec 

 Lime ha i d m °L J ; , U '"I V*** B «*** ° f " -Perp&pha?* « 

 £Zt. u ° Me . of " '" se,re, ' a, w «>'3-i» each case with satic 



factory results. First, on corn. 1 planted one part of a del, 

 with the use ot fifteen loads of bam manure to the acre, and th 

 other part with your phosphate-a small handful in each hill pro 

 bahly at the rate of three hundred lbs. to the acre. That whi™ 

 was planted in the latter way was quite as thrifty and vigor™, a 

 in the former, and yielded as largely. This much exceed n* 

 expectations. Secondly, I used the phosphate i» planter pot* 

 toes, and obtained an excellent crop in exhausted patUri land 

 plowed lip for the purpose< Third ,^ , Med artic Vfrra dre» 

 ng for an oat crop-wit* no other manure, and the land previous. 



on nf qn,?H "?"- I B ° l 4 ° bushels t0 the acre . *>y 'ho applic* 

 lion ot <J0'i lbs. phosphate. vv 



Fourihly, I appfted it upon an old and long exhausts pastur* 

 and. a the rate of 8*0 lbs. to the, acre. The effect w*a wonder- 

 ful, and where almost nothing of any kind had previo-wly grown 

 I had a ful growth of white clover, which the cows fed down too 

 closely, and wh:ch showed itself so green, as compared with iU 

 dUlanc" '' W ° Uld b * Plain ' r distin g uisl »«d «' » great 



I made a similar experiment with your phosphate Bve yean 

 since, on a part of the same pasture, and the good »ffects of it 

 were as visible last year as ever. A rich sward is forwed where 

 there was formerly nothing but grey moss and a little strugglm* 

 June grass. 6& * 



From these and other similar experiments made for several 

 years, 1 am satisfied that our old pastures, many of •vhich have 



soexSfeH^" 16 & reater P ar '»' a century, and bi re becoml 

 so exhausted by cropping as to be almost worthless, may be ren- 

 dered very fertile by the application of Superphosphats and other 

 sirmlar fertilizers, and at a cost that will pay. Lean pastures are 



t.Kn"^ UP ° n °°l a * rilllllure ^ 'be ol.Ier parte or 

 New England. To keep cows through the winter and half starv. 



operation SUmmer ' '" not * very P rofl 'able, 'bough very common 



I have this fall sowed my winter wheat with phosphate alone 



for manure at the rate of 800 ibs. to the acre; and although the 



land was he poorest and most exhausted I had on my farm, I 



w",h e Ji? .°" ..!■ a S**** 1 cro P- We nre succeeding admirably 

 with wheat in this part of the State, and artificial fer.ilizers aid us 

 very much. One strong argument In favor of phosphate of lime, 

 and similar manure, is that they can be transported to fields at a 

 considerable distance with little extra cost. 1 apply my barnyard 

 manure and compost in fields near home, and cultivate all distant 

 lots with portable manure. 



My intention now is to use a much larger amount of the Super- 

 phosphate of Lime next year than I have done before, especially 

 on corn and grass land*. 



I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



(Signed) AMASA WALKS*. 



