184 



Mode of Fattening Calves near London. 



Vol. Iir. 



with sea weed, acquires a very peculiar 

 flavor, very unlike that cured by the smoke 

 of wood, and that it is much sooner cured, a 

 few days beintr sufficient for the purpose. 



Father. It is true, and this difference 

 might, in a measure, arise from the circum- 

 stance, that the alkali from sea weed and all 

 other marine plants, is soda, while that from 

 wood, and all land vegfetables, is pot ash; 

 they also contain much animal matter, as 

 well as marine salt; certain it is, the smoke 

 which arises during tlieir combustion, is much 

 more pungent than that arising from the 

 burning of wood. 



Perhaps the Island of Jersey is one of the 

 most fertile spots in Europe; its climate too 

 is proverbially healthy, although it has the 

 character of being very moist, many persons 

 declaring that it rains there 300 days in the 

 year ; these rains are, however, chiefly con- 

 fined to the nights, the succeeding days being 

 bright and sunny. This circumstance has, 

 however, compelled them to adopt a peculiar 

 mode of management in the saving of their 

 crops, which it would be well to adopt in 

 many other places: none of their grain is 

 permitted to lie abroad after it is cut, even 

 for a single night ; it is carefully tied in 

 sheaves, and is built up into small stacks in 

 the field, every evening, so much as has been 

 cut during the day; and here it is permitted 

 to remain until it is perfectly dry, when it is 

 removed to the barn; they, however, adopt! 

 the same mode with their hay, which is im- 

 proper, for the removal of these stacks, puts a 

 stop to the fermentation of the hay, and is 

 higlily detrimental to its quality. | 



Frank. I have heard that in Jersey there 

 are no taxes; that their own magistrates 

 frame the laws, and that the government is 

 independent of England — that it is, in fact, al 

 little republic ! 



Father. In some respects it is — much 

 that relates to it is peculiar and extremely | 

 interesting, and I shall feel pleasure in 

 renewing the conversation at some future, 

 opportunity. In the mean time we must! 

 practice what we preach; we must make, 

 hay while the sun shines. J. P. 



fSi!G pags 2Q of the present volume of the Parmer's 

 Cabinet.] 



The working classes are the pillars of the 

 Constitution. When those pillars become 

 incapable of sustaining the superstructure, 

 it must fall, and great will be the fall thereof. 

 ]jet the working classes lay tills to heart. 

 L"t tiicm remember that on them devolves 

 the responsibility of sustaining this grand and 

 beautiful fabric. Let them remember that 

 when that fabric falLs, they too mu-t fall with 

 it, "and be trodd;^n under the foot of men." 

 het them remember th it from tl'.is fall tlierc 

 can be no resurrection. 



For tho Farmers' Cabinet. 



Some Account of the J>Iocie of Fattening 



Calves in llie Nei^Iiborltood of Londoii.* 



BY MR. MAIN, CHELSEA. 



Supposing that the following account of the mode of 

 fattening calves near London, might interest and 

 perhaps instruct some of the readers of the Cabinet, 

 I forward it for insertion. C. 



Local circumstances must determine the 

 grazier or farmer whether \ie shall turn the 

 milk of his cows into butter or cheese, or into 

 pork, bacon or veal. For the last mentioned 

 purpose he must be near a good market, 

 where there is a constant demand for butch- 

 ers' meat of this description. If at too great 

 a distance, the expense of carriage (because 

 fat calves cannot, at least should not, be driv- 

 en) deducts too much from the profit, and is 

 often otherwise inconvenient. So much does 

 the circumstance of distance from market 

 govern the trade, that the whole country round 

 London is divided into zo??es, in each of which 

 the different busines;? of milking, calf and 

 house-lamb fattening, butter making, cheese 

 and pork fattening, are carried on. Milking, 

 for the supply of the metropolis, is carried on 

 within a circuit of six or eight miles from the 

 city, either by cow-keepers in the vicinity, 

 who have establishments for that purpose, or 

 by farmers, v;ho send the milk in large up- 

 right tin cans, by spring-vans, to the retailers 

 in town. Beyond, and- surrounding this cir- 

 cle, lies the veal and lamb suckling country, 

 extending from ten to thirty miles. Still far- 

 ther ofl'is the fresh butter district, extending 

 to the distance of seventy or fourscore miles 

 from London, numerous heavy broad wheeled 

 wagons being employed to bring up the but- 

 ter and other provisions vve."kly, and load back 

 with goods of all descriptions. Every farmer 

 in the suckling district, keeping from six to a 

 dozen cows, or more, makes veal of all his 

 milk. By proper management of his cows, 

 and by selling off barreners, and buying in 

 calves, he always contrives to have a flow of 

 milk, to the quantity of which, the number of 

 calves arc apportioned. The byers or cow- 

 houses are single or doable; if the former, the 

 building is wide enough to admit a rank of 

 calt-pens being fitted up behind the cows. If 

 it be a double cow-house, the pens occupy the 

 centre from end to end, between the stalls or 

 standings for the cows. 



The calf-pons are boarded inclosures, but 

 no larger than will just allow the calf to turn 

 within ; the sides and partitions are seven feet 

 high, the fioor boarded and pierced with holes, 

 and raised at least one foot above the earthen 

 fioor of the inclosure, for the purpose of keep- 

 ing the pen dry and clean, as much depends 

 on cleanliness, nnd frequent clean wheat straw 

 i;]r the calf to lie on. There is a little bo.x 

 or mangor in every pen, in which is kept a 



