266 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



time of our visit, (July 31,) they were fed with 

 oorn, aud the avidity with which they eat it 

 showed that it was " not bad to take." 



WmTBBlNG 00W8. 



Mr. C01XIN8 provides the village of CoUinsville 

 with milk, and it is very desirable to keep a rega- 

 lar supply summer and winter. In the winter the 

 cows are provided with steamed food. Mr. 0. 

 has a steam engine which he uses to cut the fod- 

 der, grind the grain, saw the wood and for other 

 purposes. The waste steam is used to cook the feed 

 for the cows. Six large hogsheads are nsed for the 

 purpose. The steamed food consists of two-thirds 

 corn fodder and one-third straw. In addition to 

 this each cow is allowed a bushel of beets or carrots 

 per day and some bran, corn meal or oil cake. The 

 quantity allowed varies according to the amount of 

 milk the cow is giving. A cow in full milk will 

 eat a daily ration of 



5 bushels steamed feed, (com fodder and straw.) 



6 quarts bran. 



2. pounds of oil cake or cotton seed cake. 

 Ibushel beets or carrots. 



AYKSHIEK cows. 



Mr. Collins has quite a number of thoroughbred 

 Ayrshire cows, and finds them, of course, excel- 

 lent milkers. He mentioned one fact as tendinir to 

 show the ^tendency of this breed to produce milk. 

 He had some half bred Ayrshire and native two 

 year old heifers in calf, and their udders enlarged 

 so much for some time before they calved that he 

 was obliged to milk them. One of them gave ten 

 quarts of milk per day far some time before calv- 

 ing! 



WORKING BULLS. 



Bulls are generally a " bill of expense" — eating 

 much and doing nothing. But Mr. Collins makes 

 them earn their living. He has two thoroughbred 

 Ayrshire bulls that be has trained to work. He 

 has two carts for them, and regular cart harnesses. 

 The old bull will draw a very heavy load and per- 

 form any kind of labor, while the younger one 

 runs on errands to the village, carts green food to 

 the yards, hoes out the corn, and if you want a 

 ride you can jump on his back and he will carry 

 you " with safety and dispatch." 



SEEDING DOWN GRASS LAND. 



We have rarely seen anything handsomer than 

 the three acres of grass land or lawn that sur- 

 rotmds Mr. Collins' house. It was seeded down 

 two years ago in the autumn, having been previ- 

 ously well cultivated, and manured with one hun- 

 dred and fifty loads of well rotted manure, bar- 

 rowed in on the surface. Fifty loads of manure 

 to the acre ought to give good grass — and it did. 



Mr. Collins believes in sowing plenty of gi 

 seed, and of different varieties. He seeded do 

 this land with the following mixture per acre; 



4 lbs. Red Top. 



8 lbs. Perennial Rye Urass. 



7 lbs. White Clover. 

 4 lbs. June Grass. 



4 lbs. Meadow Fescue. 



2 lbs. Vernal Grass. 



3 lbs. Hard Fescue. 



1 lb. Sheep Fescue. 



3 lbs. Rou^h Stalk Meadow. 



4 lbs. Rhode Island Bent Grass. 



Forty pounds per acre. This is heavy seed 

 American farmers make a mistake in not sowii 

 greater variety of grass seed. For hay, Mr. C 

 LIN8 sows the following mixture per acre : 



9 lbs. Timothy. 



9 lbs. Orchard Grass. 



8 lbs. Red Clorer. 

 3 lbs. Red Top. 



7 lbs. Italian Rye Grass. 



3 lbs. Perennial Rye Grass. 



2 lbs. Tall Meadow Oat Grass. 



4 lbs. White Clorer. 



This is also forty pounds per acre. 



Mr. Collins esteems orchard grass very hig 

 He sows twenty-four pounds of this grass 

 twelve pounds of jred clover per acre. He has 

 as much as four tons per acre of hay from 

 i grass. 



IRRIQATION. 



There is no section of the country so admir 

 suited to irrigation as the hill sides of Conn 

 cut — and it is a matter of surprise, considering 

 enterprise which has turned all their stream 

 such excellent account in manufacturing, tha 

 little use has been made of them to irrigate 

 enrich the land. The farmers are not as ei 

 prising as the manufacturers. At "West "Wir 

 there is a beautiful lake, some miles in exten 

 the top of the hill, one hundred and fifty 

 above the village. An outlay of a few dci 

 would conduct this water on to the grass land 1! 

 between the lake and the village — and so it 

 other places. Now there can be no doubt thai 

 rigation would douUe and treble the grass on 1 

 lands ; and the hay obtained from them woulc 

 able the fanner to keep more stock and make n 

 manure, and thus enrich the other portions of 

 farm. 



A CnANCK COMPANION. 



We confess to a disinclination to talk much w> 

 traveling on the cars. We prefer to look at( 

 country. But at Waterbury we saw a man ge 

 the cars whose appearance indicated that he w 

 fanner— and one of intelligence. Happening 

 have a spare seat we invited him to occup 

 We felt convinced he was a man worth talking 

 but how to commence the conversation and tni 



