THE GEXESEE FARMER. 



869 



CORN AKD OIL-CAKE. 



I DESIRE, my dear Furmer^ to cxll tlie attention 

 of your thinking readers to tlie fact that now is 

 ■one of tlie times to sell cnrn and Imy oil-cake, or 

 oil-meal (t^roiind linseed-cake). Ootton-seed cake 

 (ilecorlicated,) would probably also pay well, but 

 1 can not speak from experience. 



Corn is sellino; at say |1 ; that is $40 for 2.240 

 pounds. Oil-cake, at the oil mills, at $40 for 2,000 

 pounds. My experience is, that for cattle (bogs 

 and horses not to be taken into account,) and for 

 sheep, oil-meal is worth per tuu at lea*t one tun 

 and a half (my own opinion is two tuns, but I do 

 not want to put it too strong), of Indian-meal, 

 and as we know by analyses you and the Coun- 

 try Gentleman have often published, the manure 

 from cattle led linseed-calie is worth say at least 

 dmible that from aittle fed on corn. Put the two 

 things together : Let us feed our linseed-cake at 

 home, and export our corn. As it is, tlie cake goes 

 abroad. We can get as much money, nearly, for 

 our corn, and save the rich nitnigenous manure 

 for our next season's crops ; besides a jjrotit on the 

 feeding value, aside from the maimrlal value. 



It will be seen that the profit in the feeding value 

 alone (and I appeal to all who have ever fed oil- 

 cake whether I have put it too high,) will pay 

 a large freight bill, and we can keep our nitrogen 

 at home instead of sending it to a foreign soil. 



Tlie intelligence of the farmer has a large field 

 in the growth of crops. There is room, too, for in- 

 telligent action in disposing of the crops. If oats 

 sell for 75 cents, and corn for $1, we sell oats and 

 buy corn if we need it. If barley sells for $1.10, 

 aiid corn for $1, we sell barley. Whenever the 

 difference in price more than balances the differ- 

 ence in feeding value, we sell and buy again — 

 provided the item of cartage and freight does not 

 come too heavily into account. But d(j we often 

 enough reckon the difference in manurial value ? 

 I think not. With corn at $1 and peas at $1, I 

 think I would do " consideralile" carting to make 

 the exchange of corn for peas, and charge the cart- 

 ing to account of manures. Verhum sap. P. Q. 



Use and Abuse of Ageicultueal Fairs. — The 

 Philadelphia Ledger., in an article under this head, 

 remarks : 



" Abuses have been rife during the last few years, 

 and particularly noticeable ttie jiresent season — 

 whicli, if allowed to remain unchecked, will greatly 

 impair, and ullimately destroy the usefulness of 

 our agricultural fairs. In order to increase the at- 

 tractions and swell the profits, various low, if not 

 demoralizing shows have in some cases been >id- 

 mitted on the grounds of the fair — such as jugglers' 

 tricks and negro minstrelsy; and even the faro ta- 

 ble is said to have been seen there — while the race- 

 course is fast becoming a regular feature. We are 

 aware that much is said — and more may be truth- 

 fully said — of the desirableness of improving and 

 extending the race of blood horses. But if a horse 

 race is a necess; ry jiait of these plans of improve- 

 ment, let it be confined to an exclusive 'horse 

 show,' where those may congregate who are par- 

 ticidarly interested, without thrusting upon quiet, 

 well-ordered people, jockeyisin and its attendant 

 iiamoralities." 



To MAKE CiDEE ViNEOAK. — The Michigan Fanner 

 says : 



" Almost every family in the country have the 

 materials fi)r manufai'turing pure cider vinegar, if 

 they will only use them. Common dried apjiles, 

 with a little molasses and brown paper are all you 

 need to make the best kind of cider vinegar; and 

 what is still better, the cider which you extract 

 from the apjdes, does not detract from the value 

 of the apples for any other purpose. Soak your 

 apples a few hours, washing and rubbing them oc- 

 casionally; then take them out of the water and 

 thoroughly strain the latter through a tight-woven 

 cloth; put it into a jug; add half a pint of mo- 

 lasses to a gallon of liquor, and a piece of com- 

 mon brown paper, and set in the sun, or by the 

 fire, and in a few days your vinegar will be fit for 

 use. Have two jugs, and use out of one while the 

 other is working. No family need be destitute of 

 good vinegar, if they will follow the above direc- 

 tions." 



Kindness TO Animals. — Gentleness, like charity, 

 is twice blessed ; the effects of which on the ani- 

 mals around the liomestead are scarcely less notice- 

 able than upon the fjuuily of your household. No man 

 can be truly kind to the latter M'ithout letting his 

 cattle feel the influence of his spirit. Soft words 

 and kind looks turn away wrath among cattle as 

 among mankind. Harshness has its curse in the 

 hatred which the "brute beasts" feel, though they 

 can not utter their scorn, except in occasional 

 kicks or bites, and by general " ugliness," as it is 

 called. An ear of corn, or a little salt, or a lock 

 of hay, or even a kind look or gentle action — such 

 as patting your horse — has infiuence more or less in 

 making your appearance always a source of pleas- 

 ure to the animals around. you. It is a cheap lux- 

 ury, this rendering even the brute beasts around 

 your homestead comfortable. 



Wine-Making.-;— An American having written 

 to a friend in Italy for instructions as to making 

 wine, received the following broken English reply : 



"The way to make wine of grapes is to stomp 

 well them in a tub with a hoi and spicket in the 

 bottum, and put that juse in a barel where haa 

 been wine or whisky or liquors of some kind, 

 otherwise the wine will stink of wood. Let them 

 boil for forty days meanwhile making the barel 

 full every day for in the boiling diminish. Shot 

 up it after the forty days, and longer you let him 

 stay older it comes and better it will be." 



The word "boil" means "ferment." The rest 

 is intelligible, and those who follow the receipt 

 faithfully will find it a good one, says acoteraporary. 



DESTRtrcTiON OF Couoii Geass. — The Massachu- 

 setts Plowman says : 



"In a communication to the Plymouth County 

 Agricultural Society, Mr. Caleb Bates, of Kings- 

 ton, writes that he has found that couch grass can 

 be killeil out by plowing very late in the fall, and 

 then, in a dry time in the following summer, cross 

 plow, stirring it up in hot dry dust. He says if 

 the time to work it is opportune, every veftige of 

 it will be destroyed by this method ! " 



