212 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAN. 4, 1843. 



Prom the Maine Cultivator. tlie subject, concur in their opinion, both as re- 



— garda its perfect feasibility, and the superior docili- 



WORKING COWS. ty and gentleness of the cow. Tiieir stronyth, 



It seems now to be pretty generally admitted also, is reported to be nearly if not quite equal to 



that the cow after a certain ajre, may, by careful that ol the ox, while in celerity of movement they 



management in drivinf? and feeding, be made near- | are {renorally much superior. A orontleman of our 



ly as°profitable to the fanner as the ox. i acquaintance, and on whose assertions we rely the 



The idea, however, of reducing these noble ani- fullest confidence, a.ssures that he examined a piece 



mals to the servillienco of the yoke, will doubtless of sward land, last autumn, which was broken, by 



be deprecated by many as an innovation upon the four cows, and that the work was e.xceedingly well 



laws of nature, and the long-descended and popu- [and neatly done. 



lar usages of their honored sires. We ought al- 



ways to reflect, however, that many of the practi- 

 ces of our progenitors were the ofl'spring of a dark 

 but pardonable ignorance, and that, notwithstand- 

 ing' they were anxious to adopt the best possible 

 modes of husbandry, in their day, they were pre- 

 vented by their want of knowledge and information 

 from doing so; and consequently that many of 

 their habits and practices, have long since sunk 

 into disuse and disgrace. 



Why the cow should ever have enjoyed an ex- 

 emption from labor, is more than we can decide. 

 The mare does not appear ever to have escaped the 

 yoke of servitude, although it is difficult to ascer- 

 tain perhaps why she has not been so favored as 

 ■well as the cow. A neighbor of ours has recently 

 broken over the bounds of prejudice in this respect, 

 and has regularly worked his cows on the road for 

 several months, with flattering success. He says 

 that he finds them as docile, and in every respect 

 as easy to manage as oxen of the same age. Anoth- 

 er individual adopted the practice last spring, from 

 necessity. He was so unfortunate as to lose a 

 fine three year old, and not having the means to 

 purchase a mate immediately, he yoked up a cou- 

 ple of cows, with which he has since done all his 

 light work on the farm, besides working them fre- 

 quently on the road. In Scotland, the practice of 

 working cows is quite common. They are made 

 to plow, harrow, and cart materials both to and 

 from the fields, in short to perform all the tasks, 

 which, in this country, and ii:deed, even in Scot- 

 land, were, until a late period, imposed exclusively 

 upon the ox or horse. To ns it seems to be per- 

 fectly reasonable in keeping with the usual laws of 

 nature, that those animals should do something to- 

 wards lightening the burden of their support. The 

 mare usually works until a month or so of the lime 

 of foaling. She ia then permitted to lay by for a 

 few weeks, and tlien again resumes her wonted 

 tasks without detriment to hersoJf or foal. There 

 are but few farmer.s who do not keep from three to 

 four cows on their premises, and ol'ten a yoke or 

 two of oxen, and a span of horses besides, to do 

 their work. Now if tlie cows can bo trained to the 

 labor of the yoke — and there is not the least doubt 

 of the fact — the expense, always a heavy one, of 

 wintering the latter, will thus be rendered not only 

 impolitic but uncalled for. 



We trust that our farmers generally will consider 

 this subject as they ought. It is one that very 

 nearly touches their purses, and from a candid con- 

 sideration of which, the most important advanta- 

 ges may speedily result. 



Since writing the above, we have been informed 

 of several instances in which cows have been em- 

 ployed in all the various descriptions of farm work, 

 with the most perfect and flattering success. In 

 no instance, indeed, in which the attempt has been 

 made, has there been any thign like a failure. All 

 those who have adopted the plan, and with whom 

 we have had the satisfaction of conversing upon 



POULTRY BETTER THAN PORK OR BEEF. 

 In this 8ge of improvement in the production of 

 animal and vegetable food, if there is any good rea- 

 son why all the science, skill and enterprise of ag- 

 riculturists, editors, chemists and philosophers, 

 should be applied to the meliorati<m and refinement 

 of one or two classes of animals, to the exclusion 

 of others ns good by nature as they are, we should 

 like to know it. The hog and the bullock, dubbed 

 with the English titles of Berkshire and Durham, 

 seem to walk over the land with a sort of John 

 Bull swagger, that has commanded all attention, 

 and left all their brute brethren in their uncultur- 

 ed native deformity ; while those foreign tiHed 

 gentry have, in the eyes of some, become absolute 

 perfectionists. Now, in the language of our de- 

 claration of rights, " we hold this trulh to be self- 

 evident," tliat (by their constitution) they are all 

 created equal. 



We are aware that the noble Berkshires, by their 

 elaine and stearin, have kindled up a great light in 

 the West, (which we hope may dispel the black 

 cloud of" repudiation" which hovers over that re- 

 gion,) and are about to monopolize all the cure and 

 labor of the farmers thereabouts ; but we can see 

 no reason why the delicate feathered race should 

 thereby be debarred from sharing in the benefits 

 and perfi.'ctionisms of cross breeding, in-and-in 

 breeding, and all other scientific advancements in 

 the world. Tlie noble and ancient family of Chan- 

 ticleer, whose clarion note has been the world's 

 time-piece ever since Peter denied his Master, and 

 has never failed to sound the approach of every 

 rising sun ; the bird that saved old Rome from con- 

 flagration by her warning voice in the dead of night 

 — shall these lose their old established rank, and 

 give place in man's afi'ections to herds of swine, and 

 the sturdy bulls of Bashan .' What are all their 

 uncouth grunts and frightful bellowjngs about the 

 farmer's cottage, compared with all the music of 

 the cheerful chirping, chatting, cackling, crowing, 

 gobbling, quacking, squeaking, squalling, with 

 which his poultry yard resounds from day to day ? 

 But, to come more to sober matter-of-fact, we 

 think this branch of the farmer's concern is deserv- 

 ing of more attention than it has generally received. 

 The profit derived from a well arranged, well man- 

 aged poultry yard, is greater, in proportion to the 

 investment, than that of any other stock, bees ex- 

 cepted. More attention has been devoted to poul- 

 try in the vicinity of Philadelphia, than any other 

 part of our country. The Bucks County poultry 

 iiave acquired a good degree of celebrity, even in 

 the New York market, where they are sometimes 

 found in abundance. They are, however, but mode- 

 rate layers ; but their eggs are large and well fla- 

 vored. Yet they are not considered equal to our 

 dung. hill fowl in all respects. 



The Dor/ling fowl stands first in the estimation 

 of those who have raised them. They will weigh 

 from 5 to 8 pounds. Their bodies are large and 



better proportioned than any others, being lonj: 

 full, and well fleshed in the breast. Have shot 

 legs, and beautiful plumage, with five, instead o 

 four toes ; are good layers, good sitters, and gooi 

 nurses. Their eggs are large, clear wliitc, and c 

 excellent quality. When caponed, in the Engli.'-- 

 custom, they weigh from ten to twelve pounds. M 

 L. F. Allen, of Bufl'alo, to whom we are indebtC' 

 for the Dorking history, has them for sale. 



Our object in writing this article at this time, i 

 chiefly to suggest to our Agricultural Societies tin 

 propriety of ofi'ering liberal premiums for the be.s 

 specimens of the various kinds of poultry, at thci 

 next annual fairs. We need say nothing in favD 

 of the richness and delicacy of this luxury of tlv 

 table. Good premiums will soon bring out ner 

 species and valuable improvements in this, as ii 

 any other branch of agriculture. — Conn. lar. Gm 



CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



The following table shows the population of i- 

 United States, according to the last census, lli 

 square miles of territory, and the period at whic! 

 each State was settled ; 



The poorest of all family goods arc indolent fe. 

 males. 



