IJ 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



manure. It is said, liovvever, to be diOicult to 

 cause the seed to grow unless on a surface 

 which has been burned or ploughed over. 



It is frequently best to let drained binds lie 

 over one summer to ferment and rot, Iiefore 

 any attempt to cultiyate them. Flooding them 

 completely in the winter, and drawing the wa- 

 ter quite otr rather late in the spring, will like- 

 wise greatly expedite ti>e business of rotting 

 the sod. 



Burning the moss from drained land is a prac- 

 tice strongly recommended by some writers, 

 and as strongly re^nobated by otliers. Mr. El- 

 liot says, " it is common in swamps to find the 

 moss two or three feet deep — but when the 

 ■water is drawn o9" by ditches, the moss will 

 grow 90 dry that in a hot summer season it will 

 burn quite down to the ground. To burn this 

 or any other trash that you would consume up- 

 on the ground, set fire to it when the weather 

 is quite clear, the sun hot, and a strong south- 

 erly wind blows, which makes fire rage more 

 fiercely and do much more execution than a 

 northerly or westerly wind. In a northerly 

 wind the air is thin and light, so that the fire is 

 not strongly compressed : the most heavy south 

 wind prevents the dissipation of the fire, and 

 renders it more compact. Thus we see a smith 

 swab and wet his coals, by which means the 

 heat is greatly increased. Whether this reason- 

 ing be just or not, the fact is certain, and this is 

 the chief concern of the farmer." 



Burning the moss and other vegetable sub- 

 stances of a swamp or bog may sometimes bo 

 expedient, but it causes a great waste of matter 

 which is capable of becoming good manure or 

 food for plants. If it is possible to subdue the 

 tract by other means, burning should be avoid- 

 ed. If a farmer has a small piece of marshy 

 land, consisting of mud, peat or moss, he may 

 as well in many instances transport, from time 

 to time, these substances into his barn yard and 

 hog pen, to receive the liquid manure of his 

 cattle, swine, &c. and to form composts with 

 dung, for which they afford excellent materials. 

 And while he thus digs out a slough, bog or 

 morass, he may perhaps be forming an useful 

 water pond for his cattle. A spot of this kind, 

 which has for ages received the wash of adja- 

 cent land, and I'ormed a lodgment for fallen 

 leaves, &.c. may prove a mine af manure^ very 

 valuable to the farmer who knows how to ap- 

 preciate its benefits. Scooping out a part of 

 such a slough, will, perhaps, so far drain the 

 rest that foul meadow grass, or some other val- 

 uable product, may be made to grow on it. — 

 Thus the cultivator may at the same time pro- 

 cure a rich material for compost, form a pond 

 for watering his cattle, and drain the ground in 

 its vicinit}'. 



We have now completed, for the present, our 

 remarks on this important branch of husbandry. 

 We hope we have suggested some useful ideas 

 which were not before familiar to every farmer 

 who may have occasion to drain and cultivate 

 the kind of land of which we have treated. — 

 The modes of making Turf-covered Drains in 

 particular, were new to us, till we began the 

 investigations preparatory to penning this arti- 

 cle. We hope that in this part of the essay, at 

 least, we may have communicated some ideas 

 which may prove new as well as useful to some 

 of our readers. To those who complain that 

 our essays waul novelty, we would reply, that 



under the head " Remembrancer," we aspire 

 to nothing more than to put the rural economist 

 in mind of what it is presumed he knew before, 

 but which, in the hurry of business, may have 

 escaped his attention. We are perfectly sensi- 

 ble that practical farmers might suggest many 

 important amendments and improvements to 

 our observations on this as well as other bran- 

 ches of the important art to which our paper is 

 devoted ; and we hope our doing what we can 

 may induce others more able to perform more 

 than we can, by way of adding to the public 

 stock of agricultural knowledge. 



FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS RKLATIKG TO 



AGRICULTURE & DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARiMER. 



ON FATTENING FOWLS, TURKIES, &.C. 



R. Weston, Esq. an English writer of reputa- 

 tion in a work entitled Tracts on Practical Ag- 

 riculture and Gardening has the following ob- 

 servations on this subject, which may be worth 

 the attention of those who wish to find an early, 

 and of course a profitable market for poultry. 



" Boil some rice in water, gently, till it be 

 plumped up and very tender; add about two 

 ounces of very brown sugar to every pound of 

 rice, just before it be boiled enough ; let the 

 fowls be fed with it throe times every day ; in 

 ten or twelve days they will be fat, but if they 

 were in good condition when put up to fatten, 

 they will be ready in seven or eight days; they 

 must, by no means, have any water given th?m ; 

 in summer, too much rice must not be boiled 

 together, because of its soon turning sour ; nor 

 is milk so good for that reason, as water only ; 

 besides, the milk is very liable to make the 

 rice burn to the pot. 



" Frequently olTal-rice is to be bought very 

 cheap of the grocers, in the city. The rice 

 causes the flesh to be remarkably white, and to 

 have a fine delicate flavor." 



The Complete Farmer observes, that " if 

 fowls are fed with buck wheat, or with hemp 

 seed, it is said they will lay more eggs than 

 ordinary ; and buck wheat, either whole or 

 ground, made into a paste, which is the best 

 way, is a grain that will fatten fowls ©r hogs 

 very speedily ; but the common food used is 

 barley raeal, with milk or water ; but wheat 

 flour moistened is best." 



Indian corn boiled or made into paste or 

 hasty pudding, would, no doubt, answer as good 

 a purpose as rice or any other food; but, we 

 believe the addition of something sweet, such 

 as molasses, or maple sugar, or probably boil- 

 ing with the grain a portion vi' corn-stalks, red 

 beets, ripe pumpkins or squashes, or something 

 which would sweeten the food, mrs,ht quicken 

 the process of fattening. Boiled or steamed 

 potatoes are said to make an excellent food lor 

 poultry. 



For fattening ducks and geese, Mr. Westoii 

 gives the following directions: — ''Mix some 

 ground malt with warm water, or rather skim- 

 med milk, and feed your geese and ducks with 

 it three times a day, at the same time let them 

 have plenty of clean water, as it causes them to 

 drink freely ; two gallons of malt are in general 

 more than enough for a young goose, and less 

 than one is sulficient for a duck ; it has an 

 amazing quality in fattening them when young, 

 and causes the flesh to be very delicate ; when 



they are old they readily fatten with almost a 

 food ; but for the flavor it gives the flesh 

 should always prefer malt before any thing el 

 Before they have been put up to fatten, I ha 

 given both ducks and geese plenty of lettuc 

 which they are exceedingly fond of; they ; 

 very cheap food for thera, as they need th 

 have but little corn." 



In speaking of fattening turkeys, the sai 

 author has the following observations : 



" The method here proposed, may appear 

 some persons very odd, and scarcely to be c 

 dited ; but having frequently practised it, I c 

 assert the truth of it. 



" Pitch on such turkeys as are in loleral 

 good condition ; to prepare them for being 1. 

 led about the sixteenth day, give them ev( 

 morning about the time when they have j 

 eaten their corn, a walnut, the bitter husk 

 which only shall have been first taken off, ( 

 the shell must not be cracked, lest the rou 

 edges tear their throats;) pick out the wain 

 according to the size of the turkey ; on t 

 second morning give them tvvo ; on the thi 

 three ; on the fourth, four; on the fifth, fiv 

 on the sixth, six; on the seventh, seven; ii 

 continue to give them seven for two days , 

 then decrease the quantity, and give them 

 the ninth day only six; on the tenth, five ; 

 the eleventh, (our; on the twelfth, three; 

 the thirteenth, two ; on the fourteenth, oa 

 thi»n put them up, and after making them fl 

 tor one day, kill them. 



" They are to continue in the yard, with tt 

 other fowls, all the time ; but about the fouii 

 or fifth day they will have little relish for ai 

 corn, but rather choose to retire into sni 

 warm corner, and there set down ; therefo 

 •here should be a shed for that purpose oj. 

 to the south. 



" This method takes exactly fifty-six wain 

 for each turkey, and 1 have scarce ever foi 

 it necessary to have it altered; but their be 

 continued to have seven walnuts for two, th 

 or four days, makes no great difference, an 

 little experience will soon teach each per 

 that part of the practice. The reason for 

 giving them more at first, is to use the stomi 

 of the fowl to them by degrees. If the wain 

 be rubbed with a piece of butter or hog's la 

 they slip down the easier. 



" The time 1 have had turkeys fed in t 

 manner, has been from October to January, ; 

 they have always succeeded very well ; 

 eilect the walnuts causeii on the flesh was 

 make it of a fine silver white color, particula 

 the fat, and of a remarkably delicate flav 

 quite superior to its usual taste when fed W' 

 any other kind of food. 



" Were the attempt made to fatten fowls w 

 walnuts, the shells should be cracked, and o 

 ibe kernels given thera. The fattening coi 

 sfiould always be set in a very airy dry pla> 

 land cleaned every day, else the smell of thi 

 e^ang will take away their appetite ; vvhenei 

 ibat should be the case, they should be tat 

 out of their coops, and sutfered to run about I 

 poultry yard, to recover their health befi 

 they are pui up again. If the coops be kept 

 a dark place, or covered with mats or cloths 

 exclude the light, tjir: fowls will the soof 

 fatten, but care must be taicen that there bi 

 free circulation of air." 



We do not pretend to say that it wil'. £•■£ V"^' 



