256 



Steaming — *^gricu/itiral Societies — Ice Houses. Vol. III. 



proportion is reversed — taking two thirds corn 

 and one third oats or bran. I stable-fatten 

 steers at night, on hay and fodder in winter, 

 (as it is only in winter I do cook feed,) and 

 yard them with plenty of feed through the 

 day ; by keeping the yard well littered, an 

 immense quantity of manure can be made. 

 By this method, cattle and hogs are fattened 

 in half the time that is required on raw grain, 

 with an economy of grain infinitely great. 

 The cattle get a sleek and handsome coat, 

 they void their manure in a proper healthy 

 consistence, exhibiting nothing of a diuretic 

 nature, Tl;e food being thus ready prepared 

 for the stomach, there is little action required 

 from the digestive organs. Nor is the appe- 

 tite liable to be clogged, as on raw grain. Al- 

 though I commenced feeding in a small way, 

 with only eight head of steers and twenty 

 hogs, yet, I soon found 1 could feed more than 

 double the number : in short, my fondest hopes 

 -were more than realized, and expect in fu- 

 ture to profit by the experiment. My cattle 

 have access to salt at all times. I have found 

 about four cords of oak wood sufficient, along 

 with corn cobs, for a whole winter sea- 

 son. Stone coal may be used with advan- 

 tage in the absence of other fuel. Hogs are 

 perhaps our most profitable stock, but we can- 

 not rvoio^ like the pioneer settlers, let them 

 Ifeed fat, on mast Stock hogs I can also win- 

 ter at a mere nominal expense on weak swill. 

 After feeding my cows with a given quantity 

 of raw meal, I boiled and fed them precisely 

 the same quantity — the consequence was, they 

 gave a surprising increase of milk and cream. 

 My whole apparatus cost $35. 



STEAMING. 



This mode of cooking I confine entirely to 

 every variety of roots. With a vessel bored 

 full of holes in the bottom, and fitted on the 

 top of the still, I can steam any quantity with 

 the greatest imaginable ease ; and after re- 

 moving the roots, the water in the still is rea- 

 dy to boil the grain. Potatoes, mangel wurt- 

 zel, and ruta baga have composed our staple 

 roots ; to these we have recently added the 

 citron pumpkin, and rohan or Swiss potato. 

 Their extensive culture is identified with the 

 farmer's interest, affording through our long 

 winters a plentiful supply of succulent food, 

 an important auxiliary to aid the juices of the 

 animal stomach in the performance of their 

 functions, when stock is made to subsist, al- 

 most wholly, on dry fodder. 



DEI^USIONS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



Having been egregiously misled in youth, 

 by endorsing the speculative notions and ul- 

 traisms of agricultural writers, on many very 

 Important subjects, I have long since refused 

 to adopt any radical opiF.ion until I could de- 

 monstrate it by experience and observation. 



Last summer I secured some of the principal 

 depredating insects, and watched them care- 

 fully while undergoing their natural trans- 

 formations. I have traced the cut-worm to 

 its original perfect state, and found, too, the 

 practice of preparing seed wheat with a view 

 to destroy the egg of the Hessian fly in its 

 nidus on the grain, only equalled by the erro- 

 neous notions which prevail relative to \in\e, 

 plaster of paris, stable manure, and other 

 paralleled ab.surdities. The time must come 

 when a deluded and slovenly farmer will be re- 

 garded as one of the greatest enenn'es to the 

 public. At present, the only known security 

 against the Hessian fly is, to sow late, after 

 the fly has been crippled by the autumnal 

 frosts ; yet, if an ignorant neighbor, by early 

 sowing, has nourished the fly through the 

 winter in the chrysalis, our adjoining crop is 

 sure to be attacked by his progeny in the 

 spring ; just so with noxious plants and weeds, 

 a slovenly neighbor can keep our grounds in- 

 fested, maugre all our efforte. Some of our 

 farmers, however, adhere to their delusive 

 notions with wonderful pertinacity ; like the 

 devotees of astrology and alchemy in the days 

 of yore, they are true to their idols. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



What a reproach to Pennsylvania, that its 

 numerous agricultural population are without 

 a State Society ! The fault rests upon the 

 farmers themselves ; they have not united to 

 petition the Legislature. The petition from 

 the farmers of Union county, in 18-37, was 

 favorably received in the Senate, and brought 

 forth an able and encouraging report from 

 Mr. Harper, chairman of the Agricultural 

 Committee. Here, although our county may 

 be fairly ranked, with regard to the natural 

 constituents of soil, the most productive in 

 the commonwealth, the farmers, as yet, have 

 exhibited no general disposition to resolve 

 themselves into a county agricultural .societ)', 

 for the purpose of making a joint stock of 

 their knowledge. The advocates, however, 

 of the new augmenting system, blending the- 

 ory and practice, science and art, are multi- 

 plying amongst us. A wonderful and deci- 

 ded improvement has been effected within a 

 few years in the economical management of 

 productive labor, a source itself, of prosperity 

 to the farmer. Let farmers only be liberal, 

 let them be kind and charitable to mother 

 earth, she in turn, will be sure to requite 

 them with her bounty, and force them to ac- 

 knowledge her as the fertile parent of their 

 daily bread and prosperity. I would here 

 just suggest the idea of holding an Agricul- 

 tural Slate Convention at Harrisburg — who 

 will second the motion 1 



ICE HOUSES. 



With this caption, I communicated an ar^ 



