316 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRIL. 5, 1843. 



From Ihe Farmer's Cabinet. 



COMPARATIVE NOURISHMENT OF DIF- 

 FERENT VEGETABLES. 

 If, as an article in tlie last Cabinet, signed Vir, 

 states, ''the differences of opinion with rojfard to 

 the value of root crops, as caltle feed, are indeed 

 about as difibront as light is from darkness," the 

 following table, showing the comparative nonrish- 

 rnent of some of the principal hinds of vegetable 

 food, may possess interest. The table was formed 

 by Boussingault, an eminent French chemist — and 

 he tells us that lie compared the result of his e.x- 

 periments with the practical e.xperience of farmers 

 in feeding cattle, and found " a most remarkable 

 coincidence between the theoretical and practical 

 inference." The table is from a late number of 

 the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, and is as 

 follows : 



While French beans, 100 



Yellow peas, ]20 



Farina of cabbage, 148 



" of carrots, 170 



" of wheat, 175 



Wheat, 191 



French wheat, 193 



Rye, 200 



Farina of barley, 212 



" of potatoes, 225 



IJarJey, 232 



Indian corn, 240 



Potatoes, 1096 



Carrots, 1351 



White cabbage, 144(i 



Turnips, 2383 



"Thus we see that 100 parts of white French 

 beans are equivalent in nutritive power to 120 parts 

 of yellow peas — to 1096 of potatoes, and 2383 of 

 turnips. A farmer, for example, in feeding cattle, 

 would find that 120 parts of yellow peas, would go 

 as far in keeping up the strength and efficacy of 

 his cattle, as 2383 parts of turnips." Or it would 

 require more than 23 bushels of turnips, or two 

 bushels of rye, to be equal in nutritive power to 

 one busliel of white French beans. 



These statements, it is believed, may be relied 

 upon as approximating the truth ; though the fact, 

 that itsliould require nearly two busliels of wheat 

 to equal in nutrition one of beans, may be a little 

 to many. When farina is given, as of cabbage, 

 potatoes, &.C., the meaning ia, that the article was 

 dried and reduced to flour, by grinding, or other- 

 wise. INDEX. 



HorlicuUure, the attendant and embellisher of 

 agriculture, which provides so many palatable and 

 healthful additions to the substantial produce of 

 the field, and correctors of the undue stimulus and 

 acrimony of much animal food, merits all the 

 fostering care which an uncorrupted and yet edu- 

 cated and refined taste has ever extended to it. A 

 well cultivated garden, in due alternation of vege- 

 table, fruit and flower, gives us poetry without its 

 illusions — nature divested of her ruggedness, and 

 art of its constraint Dr. Belt. 



In most quarrels there is a fault on both sides. 

 A quarrel may be compared to a spark, which can- 

 not be produced without a flint as well as a steel : 

 either of them may hammer on wood forever, no 

 fire will follow. — Lacon. 



From the Plyinoulh Rook. i 



MUCK— LIME IN COMPOST. ! 



Having attempted in my last to point out some 

 of the advantages derived from a compost of lime 

 and muck, I will now give the results of a few un- 

 successful experiments with muck alone in its raw 

 state, when taken directly from its original loca- 

 tion and applied lo crops. 



Early in the fall of 1838, I had about forty loads 

 of muck drawn from a pond-hole in the woods, 

 which had received the wash from surrounding up- 

 lands for ages, togetlier with the leaves of the fo- 

 rest, and the annual spontaneous growth of coarse 

 herbage. This was applied on about an acre of 

 land, the soil of ivhich was a light sandy loam, in 

 good condition. Ten loads were composted on 

 the field with four casks of lime. On the J8th of 

 September, the ground was harrowed, and sowed 

 with winter rye — grass seed was sown, and the 

 work completed with the roller. 



The rye vegetated well, and early the ensuing 

 spring it appeared luxuriant and promised a boun- 

 tiful harvest. But it failed to keep pace with the 

 season or to fulfil its early promise. It seemed to 

 come to a stand as if struck with a mildew or rust, 

 and before the heads shot out, it exhibited the ef- 

 fects of some fatal disease. At harvesting, liie 

 grain was small and shriveled, and we had less 

 than half the ordinary crop of fields in the vicinity. 

 There is no land in this vicinity more natural for 

 grain crops than this. I had known it for twenty 

 years, and it had never before failed to produce a 

 bountiful crop ; and when braiding-straw has been 

 in demand, I have frequently sold from twenty to 

 thirty dollars wortli of straw, and then harvested 

 more grain from what was left, than I received 

 this year. 



The next season, the grass took an early start 

 and looked well ; but the roots had no sooner pene- 

 trated to the unfermented muck, than its growth 

 was retarded. The herds-grass refused to head 

 out, and seemed to be struck with a rust, and I 

 cut less than a ton of poor fodder, little better than 

 fresh bog-meadow hay. The succeeding crops 

 have been more or less affected, but are yearly 

 better as ihe acidity of tlie muck becomes neutral- 

 ized. 



Another experiment was tried on a similar soil 

 in 1839. During the mild weather in January and 

 February ol that year, I had about twentyfive loads 

 ofthiskindof muck carted on an acre of land, 

 where a crop of corn had been taken off the pre- 

 vious year. Early in the spring this was spread, 

 plowed and harrowed in, sowed with spring grain 

 and grass seed, and rolled down. An adjoining 

 acre was laid down at the same time, which had 

 received no dressing of muck — otherwise in the 

 same condition. 



The early appearance, after the grain had vege- 

 tated, was much the same at a late period. We 

 imagined the part dressed with muck exhibited a 

 darker green appearance, indicative of the health- 

 ful nourishment derived from the muck ; but this 

 was of short duration. It was subsequently effect- 

 ed with the same appearance of mildew or rust, as 

 was observable on the rye ; it failed to fill out, and 

 gave a scanty crop, while the other part of the field 

 yielded an average one, of fair, plump grain. The 

 suceeeding grass crop, in like manner, failed to 

 come to maturity, and was little better than rowen ; 

 the next crop was some better, but still not equal 

 to the other part of the same field. And now, al- 



though three years have elapsed since the muck 

 was applied, I can point out where every heap was 

 dropped, which ia still barren of every vestige ol 

 vegetation e,\cept sorrel. 



In the spring of 1842, we gave this acre a dress, 

 ing of three barrels of ashes and lime, which hai 

 nearly restored it to its former fertility. 



It would be impossible to calculate with any de< 

 gree of certainty, the loss we have thus sustainoc 

 by the application of muck undivested of its acidi 

 ty by fermentation with lime, the alkalies or ban 

 manure; and altliough we believe the soil will bi 

 ultimately benefited, yut had this n'luck in the out 

 set been judiciously composted with some of tin 

 above ingredients, the soil would have received im 

 mediate and permanent benefit without any draw 

 back. 



Dr. Jackson, in his Geological and Agricultura 

 Survey of Rhode Island, says : 



"The pulpy matter of both peat and swam] 

 muck, consists chiefly of the apocrenic acid ii 

 part combined with the earthly bases and metallii 

 oxides. The crenic acid is frequently united witi 

 lime. Manganese, iron and magnesia occur ii 

 several of the peats I have analyzed. Phosphorii 

 acid also exists in them, both in its free state am 

 in combination with lime and magnesia. In somi 

 peats I have found traces of oxalic acid and oxa 

 lates. Lime is employed to decompose, the peat 

 neutralize the acids, &,c." 



And again : 



"There is one method of introducing lime tha 

 never fails to prove serviceable, and that is to mi: 

 it with our compost manures. In composts, it act 

 as a powerful decomposing re-agent, and render 

 the formerly inert matters soluble and powerfull; 

 active. Mr Phinney, of Lexington, says: Peat 

 in this region are also supposed to contain portion 

 of sulphate of iron or copperas, oxide of iron, &c 

 This opinion is formed from noticing the differerc 

 between the effect produced by using the pea 

 mud on the ground when first taken from the mea 

 dow^ and that which is produced after fermenta 

 lion with stable manure, or by mixing with lime." 



In my next, I shall endeavor to point out som 

 of the errors committed by agriculturists in th 

 application of lime, &c. C. 



Pembroke, Feb. 1843. 



PLANTING CORN. 

 A correspondent of the Farmers' Cabinet says 

 " Immediately after planting, I go over the groun- 

 with a large harrow, to level it. This I find 

 great advantage, in regard to economy of time, a 

 with the large harrow the work can be better don« 

 in one-fourth the time it will take to go twice i 

 the row, with the common scraper. There .is a 

 advantage, too, in doing it immediately after th 

 corn is planted, for the ground soon gets a crust o 

 It, when it does not break up so nicely. And if i 

 is left till the corn comes up, a hand is then re 

 quired to uncover the plants — a job which is eel 

 dom well done. And the ground too, being entire 

 ly level, you may afterwards work much nearer th 

 corn. I have also found it an excellent plan t 

 pass over the ground after the harrow, with a ligli 

 roller. It makes the earth compact around th 

 corn, and hastens its sprouting. Further, I woul 

 say, drop plenty of grains in a hill — it ia far bette 

 to pull up, than to replant." 



" The hand of the diligent maketh rich." 



