1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



47 



ed to leave the animal to his fate. At the termi- ] 

 nation of the voyage his pig-ship was not only 

 found to be alive and vf ell, but very considerably 

 improved in condition, though with the exception 

 of charcoal, there was nothing within his reach 

 which he could have svyallowed from the com- 

 mencement to the conclusion of the voyage— a pe- 

 riod of nearly thirty days. 



"A family being driven from the city of New 

 York by the fever, were absent six or eight weeks 

 before it was deemed prudent to return. A num- 

 ber of fowls confined in the loft of a work-shop, 

 were forgotten at the time of leaving, and as it 

 was known that there was nothing provided for 

 their subsistence, it was expected on their return 

 that they would be found starved to death. To the 

 astonishment of all, the fowls were found alive and 

 fat, though there was nothing upon which they 

 could have fed, except a quantity of charcoal and 

 shavings ; water being supplied from the grind- 

 stone trough." 



The following experiment was made by a gen- 

 tleman of New York, to whom the foregoing facts 

 were communicated by a friend. 



"He placed a turkey in a box or enclosure, four 

 feet long, two feet wide, and three or four feet 

 high, excluded light as much as could be done, 

 and allowed a free circulation of air, and fed the 

 turkey with soft brick broken fine, pounded char- 

 coal, and six grains of corn per day The box was 

 kept locked. At the end of the month, the turkey 

 was killed in the presence of several gentlemen, 

 was large and heavy, and on being opened was 

 found filled with fat. Nothing, on dissection was 

 found in the gizzard and entrails but charcoal and 

 brick. Last winter the experiment was repeated, 

 and with the same success." 



A late writer on this subject says: — "When it 

 is remembered that wood, sugar, and several oth- 

 er substances, some of which are most nutritive, 

 are compounded of nearly the same original ele- 

 ments, it would seem possible, by animal chemis- 

 try, to convert them to the purpose of sustaining 

 animal life ; though all experiments with wood or 

 charcoal have failed." 



of even lid. (22 cts.) per score, will realize Os. 

 lOd. ($2,40) per hen. Breed: Evidently the best 

 are the Dorking, and "fowls which have black 

 legs are the best for roasting, while those with 

 white legs are the best for boiling." For laying, 

 the Dutch every-day layers or the Spanish are ex- 

 cellent. Sitting : Having observed that the ear- 

 liest chicks in the neighborhood were every year 

 in possession of the same person, we were induced 

 to ascertain the cause. We found that the eggs 

 were not taken from the nest, and as soon as she 

 had about 13 she commenced to sit. Fowls, in- 

 deed, in their native haunts, never lay more eggs 

 in a season than they can hatch. Those who 

 keep Dutch every-day layers, or the Spanish hen, 

 should keep three or four Dorking hens to do the 

 hatching business. Remember that no success 

 can be expected from poultry keeping— 1st. If 

 their houses be damp, cold, unclean or badly ven- 

 tilated ; 2d. If the food they eat does not close- 

 ly approximate to that which they get in a state 

 of nature, viz. : a mixture of vegetable and animal 

 food; 3d. If the water they drink be stagnant, 

 the drainage of the manure heaps, &c. ; 4th. If 

 the strongest and handsomest be not bred from. 



MANAGEMBNT OF POULTRY. 



Farmers may gather some useful information 

 upon the subject i'rom the following extract from 

 an English paper : — 



Poultry House. — The floor should be cleaned at 

 any rate once a week. It should be sprinkled with 

 sawdust, ashes, peat, or, best of all, peat charcoal. 

 The nests should be lined with moss, heath, or 

 short straw ; neither long straw nor hay should 

 be used — the darkest nests are preferred by the 

 hens. A poultry yard should contain : 1. A grass 

 plot; 2. Fine gravel ; 3. Slaked lime or other cal- 

 careous matter ; 4. Ashes kept dry by being 

 placed under cover ; 5. Pure water. Eggs : Hens 

 of the best variety will lay in a season from IGOto 

 210 each, or an average of 185, which, at the rate 



For the New England Farmer. 



DOUBIiS PLOW. 



Mr. Editor : — I have just read in your paper 

 of this date, a letter from that genuine Yankee 

 farmer, Mr. S., of Wilmington. His remarks al- 

 ways indicate careful observation and sterling com- 

 mon sense. When he says that it takes one-third 

 more power to operate the double plow, split- 

 ting the furrow slice into two parts, say one three 

 inches thick, and the other five — than it does to 

 turn a furrow slice of the same width and_ depth, 

 with a single plow — his remark is not in accord- 

 ance with my observation. I have tried the same 

 experiment with considerable care, and came to 

 the conclusion that the double plows required no 

 additional power. 



In proof of this, a dynamometer was applied to 

 both, and the power estimated in several consecu- 

 tive furrows, and the best opinion that could be 

 formed at the time, was, that the double plow 

 went the easier of the two. I cannot perceive 

 the force of the illustration drawn from friend S.'s 

 split stone — though I freely admit he knows much 

 better about handling stone, than I do. With the 

 other nropoiitions in his letter, I fully accord. 

 Observatioi!* from such men, drawn from the 

 farm itsslf, are what are wanted for instruction. 

 I am glad that the farmer of Wilmington has ta- 

 ken hold of this double plow. He has long since 

 shown the public how to grow the best orchard 

 in his county ; I hope he will continue to use his 

 plow, until he points out the way to improve the 

 average of the crops of Indian corn, tliroughout 

 the county, from 35 to 50 bushels to the acre — as 

 I am confident can readily be done, with proper 

 attention. *«* 



Dec. 10, 1853. 



Remarks. — In another column, we have given 

 some remarks on the same subject from the 

 Country Gentleman. The double plow is gaining 

 friends, and it is important that it should be well 

 understood. 



