i854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



51 



cows, on the Merrimack. The richest produce 

 that I have ever known from a cow, and she was 

 the best cow I ever knew, was one found of but- 

 ter to one and a quarter gallons of milk, taken from 

 the cow, under circumstances most favorable. 



I do not say, Mr. Editor, that what Mr. B. says 

 of his Devon stock is not true, — but I do say, 

 that I will find the man, able and willing to pur- 

 chase as many animals as he will bring on, that 

 will yield a pound of butter to every five quarts 

 of their milk, at anytime within /owr mo7iths oi 

 their calving ; — and pay therefor, double the fair 

 market price for such cows. 



This is not vain-boasting — but is an offer made 

 in good faith. Come, friend, will you stand your 

 hand] 



Dec. 15, 1853. Essex. 



DRY FOOD. 



most animals will winter as well as upon the best ^ 

 English hay. 



Pumpkins and squashes, as well as roots and ap- 

 ples, are often prepared and mixed with refuse 

 fodder in this way. 



But— as we believe, the true way of preparing 

 feed for farm stock of all kinds is not yet practised 

 in the country. We believe the time will come 

 when steam may be used, so that after paying the 

 interest of the cost of the fixtures and fuel, a sav- 

 ing of nearly or quite one-fourth of all the hay, 

 roots and grain may be made, and that the far- 

 mer may have that surplus over and above what 

 he now has, to sell. vVho, among our enterpris- 

 ing farmers, will commence the experiment ? 



There are numei'ous disadvantages necessarily 

 attending the feeding of neat stock exclusively on 

 dry food. Horses, oxen — and in short, all domes 

 tic animals — fed on cut hay in a dry state, obsti 

 nately refuse, after a time, to consume all that is 

 given them. They become fastidious, and conse- 

 quently less healthy and thrifty in condition than 

 when fed partly on moist or succulent food. 



The process which experience has demonstrated 

 to be the most judicious and economical, and, at 

 the same time, the best adapted to promote the 

 several objects contemplated by the feeder is the 

 following : — 



A trough, or other suitable vessel of sufficient 

 capacity, is to be provided, and into which a suffi- 

 ciency of cut oat, rye, or wheat straw, stalks or 

 hay, is to be put, to furnish all the animals with a 

 single meal. For every three animals to be fed, 

 add four quarts of meal with just enough water to 

 moisten it, and let it stand for several hours, or 

 if practicable, till incipient fermentation has com- 

 menced, and a slight acidity is perceptible. In 

 this state feed it to your animals, and you will find 

 that not a particle will be refused by them, and 

 that they will continue in better condition than 

 when fed exclusively on any other feed. If desir- 

 able, the process of preparing the food may be 

 further systematized by having several troughs for 

 mixing the ingredients. This will enable the feed- 

 er to prepare food in advance of his wants, and 

 consequently to have a feed always ready at the 

 hour it is wanted. A straw-cutter of the latest 

 and most improved pattern, should be found on 

 every farm. It will enable the husbandman to 

 work up, to good advantage, a large amount of 

 material that would otherwise possess no actual 

 value except for manure. By cutting corn stalks, 

 tops and butts, fine, mixing with them a quan- 

 tity of roots or apples chopt into small pieces, or 

 raspt with a rasping machine, and scattering over 

 them a very small quantity of meal of any kind, 

 together with a little salt, a very palatable and 

 nutritious food will be secured, and one on which 



THE RAT AND THE WEASEL. 



My informant states that a farmer in the State 

 of Maine of his acquaintance, had noticed at dif- 

 ferent times for the period of two weeks, combats 

 between a large rat and a weasel in his barn ; 

 from which encounters the latter invariably came 

 off second best. One day, being at work near his 

 barn, his attention was attracted to the weasel 

 very busily engaged in digging a hole in a dung 

 heap. He watched the weasel until he had "tun- 

 nelled" the heap ; and made a hole of considera- 

 ble size at the entrance and about half way 

 through the heap ; the rest of the hole was ta- 

 pered off, so that; at the place of egress it was of 

 barely sufficient size for the slim little body of the 

 weasel to pass through. "When the plotter had 

 finished his hole, he went into the barn and en- 

 gaged his antagonist ratship. Beaten, of course, 

 again in the encounter, the weasel ran, pursued 

 by the rat, into the hole of the dung-hill, the 

 grain-eater little suspicious of the snare laid for 

 him. Like many unfortunate human beings, the 

 poor rat was "stuck," and halted sadly between 

 the two extremes ; while his cunning little foe 

 emerged from the small end, and whipping round 

 briskly to the larger entrance, "brought up the 

 rear," and that was soon a dead rat. Here now 

 was a regular plan laid, a shrewd design carried 

 out successfully on the part of the weasel for de- 

 stroying a foe which was too much for him in a 

 fair fight. It showed forethought and contrivance, 

 and these are very strong symptoms of something 

 more than mere instinct, — reason. — Valley Far- 



THE MICHIGAN DOUBLE PLOW. 



We perceive that the Neio England Farmer, in 

 consequence of too brief an explanation on our 

 part, has entirely misunderstood our remarks in 

 relation to the team required for this plow. Our 

 experience in this matter gives precisely the same 

 results as those found by the New England Far- 

 mer, with the exception, perhaps, that we think 

 decidedly less draught required than for a common 

 plow cutting the same width and depth. 



A Michigan plow of a size corresponding with 

 a common plow, will cut a furrow one-half deeper, 

 or as three is to two, and consequently must run 

 harder than the latter. For plowing nine or ten 

 inches deep, two yoke of oxen or two pair of com- 

 mon horses are required ; for one foot in depth, 



