THE GENESEE FARMER. 



365 



of wool-growing only as a secondary object, that 

 we think farniers near the cities and populous vil- 

 lages will find it profitable to raise sheep and lambs 

 for the butcher. 



Very few understand the proper method of rais- 

 ing mutton, as the great mass of sheep killed and 

 sold at market are only in fit condition for winter- 

 ing. Feeding is as essential to the production of 

 good " mutton-chop," as to the furnishing of supe- 

 rior " sirloin steak," with the difterence that sheep 

 can be fattened, and well fattened too, at much less 

 comparative cost than beeves. For fattening pur- 

 poses, the large-bodied, coarse-wooled sheep, as the 

 South Downs and their grades, with others of sim- 

 ilar character, are preferable. 



We hope to induce farmers to an investigation of 

 the subject, which they will have ample time to do 

 during the winter upon which we are just entering. 

 More correct notions of the propriety and profit of 

 sheep-raising and wool-growing are needed, — not 

 for speculative purposes, but that those who would 

 enter this field may do so with a better understand- 

 ing of the subject. So also of fattening sheep. It 

 is little understood, and practiced less, except in a 

 few iustar.ces. In summer they are easily kept in 

 pastures, growing and fattening, to a certain ex- 

 tent, very cheaply. In the fall and during winter 

 they may be kept with good hay, turnips, barley or 

 corn meal, with the addition of a little oil-cake oc- 

 casionally, and be ready for market at any time 

 during the latter part of winter or early spring. 

 They should have good shelter from storm and 

 cold, and access to clean water, with constant and 

 regular feeding, to ensure success. At another 

 time we propose to treat the subject more in detail. 



Pla-NTIng Potatoes in the same hill with 

 Corn. — Having never seen an account in any agri- 

 cultural paper, as I recollect, of any one having 

 raised patatoes with corn in tliesame hill, I thought 

 I would try the experiment last spring. I had fin- 

 ished the patatoes tliat I was intending to plant, 

 but having some small ones left, I concluded to 

 plant them in the same hills with a patch of corn, 

 and mark the eftect. I planted the corn about the 

 twenty-fifth of May, the season being so wet I 

 could not plant them sooner. I dropped the corn 

 and potatoes together, hoed them the same time, 

 and dug the potatoes soon after cutting up the corn. 

 The ground was not first rate, but the corn was an 

 average crop, full as good as some near by where 

 corn was planted alone. The potatoes were first 

 rate — never saw finer. I shall try this again next 

 spring, and if they succeed as well as they did this 

 year, I shall continue to plant them together. If 

 the two crops do as well together as separate, it 

 makes a great saving of labor to plant them to- 

 gether. Has any one tried planting the two crops 

 together ? if so, give the result through the Farm- 

 er. Emery P. Barnes. — Pharsalia, Oct.., 25. 



KINDNESS TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



At no season of the year can we with more pro- 

 priety ask the attention of our readers to the im- 

 portance of kindness to domestic animals, than the 

 present. The most of your stock has enjoyed the 

 freedom of your ample pastures through the sum- 

 mer, and now that the inclemency of the season 

 renders it necessary they should be brought into 

 the yard and the stall, they will require at youi 

 hands increased attention. They will necessarily 

 be somewhat wild at first, and need the exercise o) 

 all your patience and kindness to get them accus- 

 tomed to their new mode of life and your frequeni 

 handling of them. If they are refractory, do not 

 be thrown off your guard, and by an exhibition o: 

 ill temper become almost unmanageable yourself 

 but by uniform kindness lead them to feel that yoi 

 are with and around them to minister to thei 

 wants, and they will soon, by the quiet sound o 

 recognition and regard, fully manifest that you 

 attentions are appreciated. 



Upon the importance of this subject some of ou 

 correspondents have spoken so wisely and so wel 

 that we prefer to let them be heard. 



"It is the duty of every farmer — yes, of ever 

 person who owns domestic animals, to treat thei 

 with kindness. They are dependent upon him fc 

 care and protection, and would perish if neglectec 

 and the means are within the reach of every ownf 

 to make them comfortable and contented. Ho' 

 would it speak for the character of any man, 1 

 have his domestic animals come at his call, an 

 show by their actions that they are well treate 

 and fed. Notice when you will, the man that bea 

 his horses or his oxen unnecessarily, will do tl 

 same with his child. Horses and oxen need r 

 beating to make them work ; on the contrary, th( 

 work better without it. The man that carries i 

 whip has the best team ; the man that is kind ar 

 gentle to his cows is seldom troubled with the 

 lacking. It certainly is debasing to the man wl 

 is unkind to his animals; it spoils his dispositio 

 and makes him a brute in this respect. Th( 

 should also be well treated, because it increas 

 their value. They grow better, and look better, 

 well cared for and kindly treated. No kind m; 

 will leave any means untried for making the 

 comfortable. The Creator has placed them for o 

 care as well as use, and they should always 

 treated with kindness." E. B. — Pharsalia.^ iV. 



" Has God, thou fool ! \>orked solely for thy good, 

 Thy joy, thy pastime, thy attire, thy food ?" 



"Who is prepared to say that care and kind .' 

 tention to the requirements and comforts of alio 

 domestic animals does not pay, and pay well? 

 there be such, I would say, do not keep them 

 sufi"er, but let some one have them who knows h 

 to make them pay. The thoughtless and tyrani 

 cal are apt to forget the universal dependence 

 all created things upon one another, and to an 

 gate to themselves powers and privileges to whi 

 they have no right. Such would find a portion 



