126 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FOR THE NEW ENULAND FARMER. 



Mr. Editor, — As your paper is almost exclu- 

 sively devoted to the subject of agriculture, I 

 beg leave to submit, through the medium of 

 it, a few observations upon a subject which 

 though long since introduced, and by some few 

 claimed some small share of attention, is, per- 

 haps, susceptible of as much improvement as 

 any one branch of agriculture. — I allude to the 

 subject of cutting hay, straw, &c. for fodder and 

 other uses. 



In the first place it is evident beyond a doubt 

 that a great saving may be made by cutting hay 

 • — as by this means it is more generally mi.ied 

 together — i. e. the best locks with the poorest 

 — the heads, seed, leaves, stalks, &.c. become a 

 general mixture — so, that the animal cannot se- 

 lect the best locks, and tread the remainder un- 

 der foot ; as is frequently the case ; especially 

 when you would keep them full of feed and in 

 high rtesli. And as no farmer can avoid having 

 different qualities of ha}-, he can cut a small 

 quantity of good, with some of his poorer, indif- 

 ferent quality, and thus mixed it will be as rea- 

 dily eaten as the best without cutting — or even 

 take washed hay with a trifle of brine sprinkled 

 upon it, or when it is to be had a small quanti- 

 ty of salt hay cut with it; and it is equal to, 

 and will go as far as the average quality of hay 

 fed in the common wa\'. And if hay is scarce, 

 as is often the case, add a portion of cut straw 

 with the best quality of hay and when well mix- 

 ed together it will go much farther by the ad- 

 dition of the straw. 



I think that no one of any experience or ob- 

 servation, in feeding stock will attempt to deny 

 these facts and that these alone would at least 

 warrant the expense of the experiment. But 

 notwithstanding the evident importance of what 

 has been said respecting hay, it is still more evi- 

 dent that with the article of straw still greater 

 savings and improvements may be made. In 

 the first place it is universally admitted that cut 

 straw mixed with meal or provender is an ex- 

 cellent substitute for hay, and in many cases su- 

 persedes the use of hay to those who have their 

 fodder to buy, because the same expended 

 for grain and straw (as the prices of hay and 

 grain usually are) will go farther than it would 

 if expended for hay — and jirove better to those 

 that raise their fodder, because more can be 

 raised with the same expense. 



But besides the utility of using it for fodder, 

 it may be used with much more profit for ma- 

 nure by cutting it than it can without — for 

 instead of throwing it, in large quantities, into 

 the yard, as is usually the case, to undergo a 

 decomposition by being exposed to the wet and 

 dry weather through the summer season thereby 

 losing one half or mere of its real worth, which 

 is carried away in the atmosphere to enrich the 

 distant hills and mountains. I say instead of 

 this, cut the Straw fine and strew it liberally in- 

 to your stables— it affords a soft and agreeable 

 bed for your cattle which is very necessary in 

 cold weather; il also absorbs and retains all the 

 valuable moisture of stall and dro[)pings of the 

 cattle and prevents it from freezing in large and 

 troublesome heaps to the fioor, and is easily 

 shovelled out and mixed with the stable manure 

 and no doubt adds to the value of the manure 

 exclusive of the addition of the straw and is 

 much more fit lor use in the spring by reason of 

 its fineness and capaMe of being more equally 



spread and mixed with the soil, besides being 

 doubled in quantity and quality by the addition 

 of straw ; or if more is raised than can be dis- 

 posed of in this way supply your hog-styes with 

 it ; or even if (brown into the yard, it abundant- 

 ly pays the expense of cutting ; for by sprin- 

 kling a small quantity of brine upon it, your cat- 

 lie will eat more of it, than they would if it 

 were whole ; and the surplus is ready in the 

 spring to be applied as manure ; but if thrown 

 out whole it is almost impossible to take it from 

 the yard or spread it upon the land on account 

 of its tough and entangled state. 



It may also be used with great advantage by 

 sovving it at broad casts over the fields either in 

 grass or ploughing lands, the latter of which is 

 preferable. It has a valuable effect, as by spread- 

 ing it even and bj' ploughing it in, it mixes 

 evenly with the soil and renders it light and fer- 

 tile. 



It furnishes an excellent manure for potatoes; 

 — put a half peck, or more, of cut straw to a hill 

 and your crop will be greatly increased and the 

 land improved for the next crop in consequence 

 of it. 



That straw is worth five or ten times more 

 for manure by being applied before rotted is evi- 

 dent beyond a doubt from the fact that stubble 

 when tuincd in immediately after reaping, will 

 not only support a long succession of crops, but 

 will actually improve the soil. But when it is 

 suffered to remain standing six or eight weeks, 

 it is well known that it is much lessened in va- 

 lue and that a short course of such practice will 

 unfit the land for cultivation unless sustained 

 from other sources. 



Oats in the sheaf may also be cut to great ad- 

 vantage as it is cheaper than threshing and 

 makes more consistent food than oats alone. 



The foregoing observations are made with a 

 view to excite a greater attention to this sub- 

 ject. If they have this effect upon the farmer, 

 I shall feel myself amply rewarded for my trou- 

 ble : — satisfied, as I am, that when he has made 

 a fair and thorough experiment he will no lon- 

 ger adhere to the course pursued, in this respect, 

 by his father and grandfather. A Suescribt.r. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1823. 



THE PRESERVATION OF ICE. 

 In a prpcecling page of this liay's paper we have giv- 

 en an article, (copied from the American Farmer) on 

 the construction of Ice Houses, which we believe will 

 be found worthy the attention of all who wish to pre- 

 serve that article, especially in cases where a closet for 

 the preservation of fresh meat is wished to be attached 

 to the premises. We would suggest in addition the 

 convenience and utility of making use of carpenler^s 

 or joiner''s shavings instead of slraw for the preservation 

 of the ice. We are assured by gentlemen of the first 

 intelligence and respectability, who have repeatedly 

 tried the experiment, that shavings are much superior 

 to straw for the purpose of surrounding and covering 

 the ice which you wish to preserve. Ten or twelve 

 tons of ice preserved in shavings have been found to 

 go farther and last longer than three times that quanti- 

 ty, when straw v,fas made use of. It is hardly necessa- 

 ry to add that shavings generally cost nothing but the 

 trouble of their removal, and application, but straw 

 costs something, and is worth something for other pur- 

 poses. 



Those persons who may wish to preserve ice, and ;fc 

 unable or unwilling to be at the expense of constru 

 ing icehouses, may, perhaps, derive some advants 

 from the following extract from an " Address to 

 Essex Agricultural Society, by Andrew Nichols, Esi 

 which'states a mode of keeping ice in a common < 

 lar ; and which we republish from our first volut 

 p. 1)4, for the benefit of those among our subscribe 

 who may not be in possession of that volume. 



" In the middle or one corner of the cellar may 

 built a bin. Throw down some boards, and cover t 

 bottom with straw ; or what is better, the spent b» 

 of tanneries, generally known by the name of tan, 

 sufficient quantity to leave it a foot in thickness un« 

 the common pressure. In the mouth of February 

 March, go to the most convenient pond of fresh wall 

 and obtain a sufficient quantity of ice, cutting or sa\ 

 ing it up in blocks as large as can be convenienf 

 handled, and pile it up as compactly as possible 

 the bin, leaving a space of one foot or more all arou; 

 it ; fill this space, aud cover the whole with tan 

 straw, [or shavings] and the ice, unless the cellar! 

 uncommonly open will keep the -whole summer. Ti' 

 men, and one pair of oxen, will perform all the 1; 

 necessary to lay in such a store of ice in one day. 

 round this ice let the pans of milk be set, and place 

 pots of cream and butter upon it. Place two or thr<| 

 pounds of ice in each box when the butter is sent 

 market." v«/<^ 



Mr. Fessendek — Having prepared for the Trusts 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society a list of tl 

 Touns in this state which received premiums at our la 

 Brighton Show, I was directed by them to publish 

 in your next "Farmer" — it will prove to our roiuit 

 friends, that although omt funds are derived whol 

 from subscriptions in Boston and its immediate vicinit 

 yet a very trifling part of the premiums are awardi 

 near our " Head Quarters" but are ditfused very ge 

 erally through the stale. — It is also lobe recolkcli 

 that a large additional sum is yet to be awarded in I) 

 ceniber for .Agricultural Experiments and Crops, whi< 

 will principally go to the interior townf. 



Those persons to whom premiums were awarded 

 the late sliow and have not received them, are reque; 

 ed to call on the Treasurer for the same and to be: 

 in mind that if not called for within six months, (lu y v 

 be forfeited aud abandoned to the use of our Society. 

 JOHN PRINCE, T cyiir'er 

 of Ike Massachustlls Jlgricullural ,'<ociel. 



LIST OF T0WK3 WHICH R ECEIVED PHEMll'MS. 



N. B. It is requested of Printers of Newspapers ii 

 Massachusetts to republish the above. 



