184 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



OCT. 3G, lRf«. 



AND )IOBTICULTUKAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, October 26, 1842. 



GOOD COWS AND GOOD KEEPING. 



Some unknown correspondent has furnished us with a 

 communication describing the way in which cows are 

 kept along the hanks of a rertnin unnamed river. Such 

 communications are valuable as suggnstivo of topics for 

 remark, and sometimes ihey are. valuable treatises upon 

 the subjects to which they refer. We make no com- 

 plaint at the withholding of the name of the writer and 

 of the place referred to ; but we must remark, th:it when 

 names are given, the articles carry with ihem much 

 more force, and are more valuable. 



We often hear farmers blamed fur keeping poor cows. 

 Facta and arguments are put forth to prove — and they 

 do prove, thai there is much more profit in i<eeping one 

 good cow than two poor ones. This position we are 

 perfectly willing lo take, believing that we can maintain 

 it without difficulty. But if wo make the inference 

 from tliis that all farmers are blind lo their own interests 

 who will coniinue to keep cows that are not emphati- 

 cally goodj we are rxpoHcd to the ciiarcre of presuming 

 that there are good coics enovgh to he had, if one will 

 take pains to look for, and will hand over the cash to 

 purchase them. Such a presumption seems to be the 

 basis of many communications that have been printed in 

 relation lo this subject. But the nature of the present 

 generation of cows is fixed; asmall portion of them only 

 are decidedly good for either the pail or the churn. 

 Most people must keep cows not remarkably good, or 

 go without cows. With the greatest care and with a 

 willingness lo pay good prices, a farmer is fortunate if 

 he can get a herd in which half the cows shall be good. 

 There c;in bo no cliange in regard to ilie natural pro- 

 perties of the cows in a state or country, without paying 

 particular attention to the Jrccfii/io' animals, and taking 

 time 10 bring up an improved breed. This U a slow 

 process, and if resorted to will forever result in producing 

 cows some of wliich will bo much better milkers than 

 others. 



There is not much meaning in a charge of folly in 

 men because they keep many poor cows :-"this must he 

 the case ; — no care of man cm make it otherwise. Years 

 of attention may Icssim the relative ratios of the poo" to 

 the good, but there always will be jioor ones left, and 

 many comparatively poor ones must be kept. Tliis, 

 however, is no argument against the closest and best at- 

 tention to breeding, or against eflViris to make the race 

 of cows as good naturally or conslilutionally as possible. 

 The point in which farmers are most al laull, and 

 that for which our correspondent, and liumlrcds of olh 

 ers blame them, and with reason too, is, that they over- 

 stock their farms — only half fceii their onim."ls— let skel- 

 eton cow-fi ames drag themselves over the premises, and 

 complain because the dry bones do not give milk abun 

 dantly. Wherever cows are kept for the dairy, it is 

 possible, and proper — yes, it is a duty — to keep them 

 well. Tliis may be done. If you cannot keep four 

 well, try <iCo. The two, well kept, will give more in- 

 come than the four half slarved ones. The goodness of 

 the cow is determined partly by her native properties — 

 but the food also has much, and very much, to do in 

 making her good or otherwise. Keep no more than you 

 can feed well — very well. 



How far the farmers i.re wrong who keep cows mostly 

 on fresh tueadow hay, in the particular section of coun- 

 try alluded to by our correspondent, where such hay 

 is verv abundant, we c.mnoi determine, until we arc 



furnished with more particulars. Where such is the 

 only hay to be had, a reduction of the number of cows 

 kept would not cause those thai are left to do well. 



The subjoined is the communication above alluded to : 

 To the Editor nf the X. E. Farmer : 



Sm — It has been for some time a source of surprise to 

 me, that some — in other respects very tolerable farmers 

 — should deny themselves the entire profit of their farm 

 stock, simply by keeping poor cattle, and those poorly 

 fed. This remark will apply, I think you will allow, to 

 a considerable portion of our farmers But it is so re- 

 marknbly exemplified in a certain part of this State, 

 which has fallen under my immediate observation, that 

 I cannot refrain from givingyou a short description of it. 

 The district of which I speak is a portion (/f some four 

 or live contiguous towns intersected by the riv- 

 er, which in its course traverses an interval of some 

 IhousTnd acres of fiesh meadow, producing a mixture of 

 coarse grass, cranberry vines, brakes, and skunk's cab- 

 bage, which mixture when dried in the sun, is called 

 ** fresh bay '* 



That none of this production is a wholesome or profita- 

 ble Piod, for any of the brute creation, I am fully satis- 

 fied, both from observation and something of experiment ; 

 but that it will sustain the breath of life for a period, in 

 neat cattle, has been proved to be a fact. Profiting by 

 this fact, the farmers of the district alluded lo above, are 

 accustomed to keep large stocks of cattle through the 

 winter, entirely on this extensive morass. 



It is quite amusing to witness the enterprise with 

 which the business of /rcsA //«?/mo^ ii carried on in its 

 season — the entire male population of the community 

 being called upon to lend a Jiand in lliis all engrossing 

 temporal occupation, and their joyous looks when return- 

 ing to the shore in the evening, with their gondolas 

 freiiihted with the ■preciuns commodity, pictures lo one's 

 imagination, Ihe expressions on the countenances of the 

 servants of Solomon when returning from a golden expe- 

 dition to the ancient Ophir. 



The result of all this misspent labor is, that not only 

 the barns are filled with the drug, hut huge stacks of it 

 are seen towering in all directions ; every man taking 

 care to provide himself with a supply, notwithstanding 

 the majority of them are possessed of good strong grounds 

 above the tide, which with a moderate outlay of labor 

 and expense, would supply their cattle with wholesome 

 and nutritious fodder. The cattle are taken to the barn 

 in the fall, having had during the summer's pasturage 

 scarcely time to recover from ihc last winter's " fresh 

 hay" campaign, and are doomed to another siege ; and 

 in the spring they are again returned to the pasture fam- 

 ished and emaciMled, their projecting bones and sunken 

 eyes giving melancholy evidences of the trying times 

 tltey have had the fortune to survive. 



In that community are persons keeping four, five or 

 six cows, the entire produce of which does not equal in 

 quantity and quality, that of one good cow pro|ierly fed. 

 And yeljhrso men who thus praclice are not to be set 

 down entiiely as bad farmers; they raife good crops of 

 grain, have fine orclrirds, productive gardens, &c., but 

 they are so influenced by prejudice and former custom, 

 that they cannot he led to consider those semi-deluged 

 prairies, which have been the greatest bars lo their agri- 

 cultural enterprise and improvement, in any other light 

 than as mines of gold situated in their midst. 



OBSERVATOR. 



WINTER PRESERVATION OF ROOTS. 



Those who have good barn cellars for storing carrot *" , 

 beets, ruta bagas, &c., for use in the winter, will find 

 most convenient to put their roots in them row. B 

 there are no?many cellars in which they will be preser 

 ed in g-ooi/ condition for use in April and May. 



A nietliod adopted by many cultivators of much exp 

 ncnce in this vicinity, is to dig a trench in the ground 

 (if the ground should slope a little, all the better;) — d 

 a trench about four feet wide and eight inches deep, at 

 of any desirable length. Then take the roots and lay 

 bed of them in the trench three and an half feet wide, 

 lay more and more upon this bed, drawing in at tl 

 sides, until the pile takes the form of a common roc 

 Then cover the roots with sea-weed, old h%, leaves 

 whatever is most convenient. Over this covering put 

 coating of earth an incii thick. If the weather is war 

 you may open a few small holes in the lop ilirou| 

 the covering. The pile sliould be left in this stale f 

 some days or weeks, according to the weather. B 

 when the thin coating of earth that is over the roots shs 

 have become frozen, then put on another covering 

 sea-weed, hay or whalever else you have at hand — 1 

 this covering be five or six inches thick ; then upon if 

 put four or five inches of earth. Thus placed, the riic 

 will escape the action of frost and will come out in fii 

 order in the spring. 



Carrots and ruta bagas should be left in the ground 

 long as they can be without danger of becoming frozt 

 in. They keep better when thus lefl, than when hi 

 vested early. One experienced feeder on the Connec 

 cut river, tells us that he pulls and tops his ruta bagi 

 and lets them lie on the ground for a week or ten daj 

 and lliat if a little frozen while thus exposed, they ai 

 not injured. We should rather avoid the freezing. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FRniTS. 



Saturday, Oct. 22, 1842. 



From the President of the Society, fine specimens 

 the following Pears : Capiaumont, Buffuin, Autumn 5 

 perb. Pope's Russet. 



From S. Pond — Beurre Die! and Fix Pears — large a 

 fine. Aho, Isabella Grapes. 



From Hall J. How, South Boston — Isabella Grapes. 



From John Cass, Boston — Uabella and White Frc 

 tignac Grapes. 



From J. F. Allen, Salem — specimens of the JllackF 

 and Black Prince Grapes — the latter of fine flavor a 

 sweet ; and rarely met with in this vicinity. 



From S. W. Cole— Jewell's fine Red Apple — a ban 

 some fruit. 



From the Pomological Garden, Salem — handsoi 

 specimens of the following Pears, viz : Jalousie, Duim 

 tier, Marie Louise, Urbanisle, Pope's Russet, Beur 

 Bosc, Brown Beurre, Fulton and Dundas. 



From John Howland, New Bedford: Beurre Be 

 Pears — fine specimens — and six varieties for nririK 

 wliich llie committee report as follows: No. 1, llioci 

 Bergamol.' No. 2, Pope's Russet ? No 3, Biown li. uii. 

 No. 4, Passe Colmar;" No. .5, St. Germain ; No. 0, .M,n 

 Louise. 



From John C. Gray, an Apple having the appe.iinn 

 of being part Baldwin and purt Russel, and called : ' 

 Gray, Baldwin and Russet— but the russet appear, 

 doubtless owing to ihe dark, wet weather in Aug;. 

 Seplember, as other fruits have been noticed lo iiu 

 been affected in n similar manner. 

 For the Coiiimiltee, 



P. B. HOVEY, Jr. 



A harmless hilarity, and a buoyant cheerfulness, are 

 nol infrequent concoinilanls of both genius and goodness ; 

 and we are never more deceived than wlien we mistake 

 gravity for greatness, solemnity for piety, and pomposity 

 for erudition. — Lacun. 



Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of i 

 things : the past is gone, the future ii not come, and tl 

 present becomes the past even wliile wc attempt lo d 

 fine it, and like the flash of the lightning, at once exis 

 and expires. Time is the measurer of all things, but 

 itself immeasurable — the disoloser of all things, but is i 

 self undisclosed. — Lacon. 



