No. 11. Fat Muttoji — Roots — Decay of Peach and Pear Trees. 351 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Fat Mutton — Roots. 



It is to be resetted that fo little attention 

 is paid to the proper sheltering of cattle in 

 this country. One would naturally suppose 

 that the interests of owners would point out 

 a proper course ; and that once sy.«tcinatized, 

 and the advantaijes of strictly attendins^ to 

 the comfort and convenience of our cattle 

 made manifest, even to the most sceptical, that 

 whole neitrhborhoods would adopt the system, 

 and that, in a reasonable Icntjth of time, it 

 would very extensively, if not universally, 

 prevail. It is lamentable to say that this is 

 not the case. For some reason or other, 

 w^hich I have not as yet been able to ascer- 

 tain, improvements make but slow advances 

 amonnf our farmers. It may be, that they 

 consider improvements as innovations in those 

 customs which have "grown with tiieir 

 yrowth." Some, with the evidence before 

 their eyes, evidence which they cannot pos- 

 sibly resist or gainsay, refuse to profit by the 

 experience of others. I have several cases 

 in point, one of which I will note. For a 

 number of years I have been in the habit of 

 attending the Philadelphia market, principally 

 with mutton, and as I always personally su- 

 perintended my sheep and other animals on 

 the farm, an4 saw that they were regularly 

 and sufficiently fed, I generally brought meat 

 which I was not ashamed of, and which by 

 its good quality recommended itself to pur- 

 chasers, insomuch that I had no difficulty in 

 securing a regular set of good customers, 

 who cheerfully paid a fair price for a good 

 article. Some of my neighbors attended the 

 same market — but as I generally sold out 

 first they thought f was "uncommonly lucky." 

 Four years since I obtained a quantity of the 

 seed of the French sugar beet, and put in an 

 acre by way of experiment, not in the way 

 of making siJ^'ar, but the making of /«;. — 

 This first trial fixed me. My cows, sheep, 

 and hoes were very fond of them, during the 

 long and severe winter which followed. They 

 all kept in good heart and condition; what 

 surprised me most was the rapid manner in 

 which my sheep, fed on the sugar beet, took 

 on fat ; and when carried to market the sad- 

 dles e.\cited particular attention, from their 

 very superior appearance. But it was not 

 in appearance only ; the meat was of a much 

 better quality, more juicy, and exceedingly 

 tender. The inquiry was, " why, sir, on what 

 do vou fatten your sheep !" And when I re- 

 plied, on the sugar beet, hay, and a small 

 portion of corn, it would generally call forth 

 an exclamation of surprise. Ever since I 

 have been a grower of sugar beet, the meat 

 I take to market is always in demand, and 

 brings several cents more per pound than tliat 



fattened in tlie old way ; and yet, strange to 

 say, some of my neighbors although I have 

 urged them, will not plant the beet for their 

 stock. I have been benefited to the extent 

 of several hundred dollars by the introduction 

 of this root — the eii'ects are visible — my neigh- 

 bors know it — and yet they stand lookers on, 

 iialting between two opinions. But light is 

 breaking in upon us, and of one thing you 

 may be assured, that i.*, that the time is not 

 far distant lehen every extensive stock feeder 

 ivill be an extensive root grower. 



To the delinquents, and there are many in 

 my vicinity, I would say, "rouse ye from 

 your lethargy, and although for the present 

 season you have lost the advantage of plant- 

 ing the sugar beet and the mano-el wurtzel, 

 yet you may in some measure atone for your 

 past neglect, by putting in immediately a suf- 

 ficient quantity of ruta baga. You have time 

 enough for this, but none to lose. The ruta 

 baga is an excellent root — plant it liberally 

 — cultivate it thoroughly — and you will find 

 your account in it in more ways than one, if 

 you are spared until the ensuing winter. — 

 Depend upon it, there is nothing better for 

 cattle than roots, properly prepared. I put 

 in some of almost all kinds; and I find car- 

 rots answer well for a change. But with me 

 the sugar beet is superior to all others. My 

 way of feeding is simple. When the cattlo 

 are housed they are kept constantly furnished 

 with good hay, have roots three times a day, 

 with an occasional change to corn or cut feed. 

 I find great benefit from curiying my cows — 

 indeed, it seems to me as necessary to curry 

 a cow as a horse — and if any one will make 

 the experiment as I did on two oxen, it will 

 remove every doubt. They were both put 

 up at the same time — fed precisely alike — 

 and the treatment throughout was similar in 

 every respect, except in the use of the curry 

 comb, and the ox on which it was used was 

 in reality, as well as in appearance, six per 

 cent, better than his fellow. The cause of 

 this must be apparent to every reflecting 

 mind. N. I. 



Delaware county, May 18lh, 1839. 



Decay of Pcacli and Pear Trees. 



To tlie Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The " Old Farmer" has set himself the 

 task of going over the pages of the Cabinet, 

 from the commencement, for the purpose of 

 noting the papers which recommend the use 

 of alkaline substances for the prevention or 

 cure of the premature decay of pear and peach 

 trees : he finds them to be 18 in number ; but 

 none are more decidedly to the purpose than 

 that which is contained in the number for 

 May, p. 314. He still considers the princi- 

 ple and practice to be consistent with com- 

 mon sense and reason, fur " as oxygen is the 



