198 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DFC. 30, IM1»» 



■^^<w 53Sf^3£.^sr2> mii.^m^^^ 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DEC. 30, 1835. 



Remarks on cooking Food for Cattle, the Econ- 

 omy OF Heat, ^c— In our last, p. 190, we commenced 

 giving notices of certain experiments, instituted under 

 the a°uspices of the Maryland Agricultural Society, for 

 nscertaining the advantages of preparing food for callle, 

 &c. We now continue tills subject. 



Flax Scc<i.— Five ounces of flax seed were next placed 

 on the coals in one pound, ten ounces of water, and twelve 

 ounces more water were added. The mess was very 

 easily excited, and the oil boiled over more than once 

 What was saved made a very rich looking mess of twen- 

 tyfive ounces. But nothing need be said in favor of flax 

 seed jelly — those who have used it, place it even before 

 corn meal for fattening beeves. 



Wheat Shorts— Five ounces of good wheat shorts were 

 cooked in one pound, ten ounces of water, with the addi- 

 tion of eight ounces more during the boiling. When 

 done, the mess looked like a rich loblolly, and weighed 

 thirtyone ounces. 



In all these experiments, that the increase of both bulk 

 and weight was caused and made by the water, aided by 

 tlie agency of heat, there can be no doubt. And when 

 it is considered that water is the greatest ingredient in 

 the richest made soups ; and is the chief agent in the 

 growth not only of herbs and plants, but of huge oaks of 

 the forest, why may it not in an absorbed and solid slate 

 conduce to the growth and increase of a hog ? 



Corn crushed, (to ascertain the yield.)— A tub of five 

 bushels of corn in the ear was shelled, and yielded two 

 Bjid a half bushels and one quart — the cobs were then 

 pounded and ayain mixed with the corn. In this state 

 the whole was ground, and reduced to a fine chop. It 

 now yielded 4 1-2 bushels, wanting one quart. 



If the eightyone quarts of corn had been ground into 

 tolerable meul, they would have yielded by measure one 

 hundred and five quarts of meal, and with the cobs added 

 did make one hundred and fortythree quarts of fine chop. 

 1 regret that the different items of this experiment were 

 not weighed as well as measured. 



Fattening Hogs.— On the first day of December four ] 

 ghoats of the s ime breed, nearly of the same size, and 

 as much iilike in every respect a"s could be selected from 

 a herd of ninety odd hogs, were made choice of; each 

 carefully weighed, and placed in a separate stye, where 

 their food could be exactly regulated. They weighed 

 between 81 pounds and 100. The two whose weights 

 together made 185 pounds, were fed on one gallon of 

 shelled Indian corn weighing seven pounds to each, for 

 every 24 hours, and as much water as they wanted. 

 This quantity of food was a plenty for them ; generally 

 . they about consumed it. Some five or six different days 

 between the first of Ucaember and the 4th January, the 

 time the experiment was going on, they did not eat their 

 ■ iwhole allowance. 



For the two shoats, whose weights together made 173 

 pounds, seven pounds of good Indian corn meal, by mea- 

 sure ten pints were made into good mush, or hasty pud- 

 diirr, and divided between tbeni for every 24 hours. 

 TJiat is, these two had allowed them exactly half the 

 w«ight of meal which the others had olraw corn. The 

 seven pounds of nioal were daily mixed with scalding 

 water, and tlien weN boiled ; the whole process of cook- 

 ing was done on an average in 1 1-2 hours. They were 

 alffed twice a day, and at the same time. The evening 



feed of the shoats, fed on mush, was generally warm — 

 the morning feed, having stood all night, was always 

 cold. The seven pounds, or ten pints of meal, when 

 cooked, weighed an average of 30 pounds, and measured 

 an average of three gallons. There was a difference of 

 nine pounds in the weight of the hitter pair — the small- 

 est had the least appetite, and his allowance of 15 pounds 

 of mush was just as much as he appeared to want, or 

 would eat up clear; the other was greedy, and always 

 sharp set, dispatched his mess quickly, and uanted more. 



Before the experiment had progressed a fiirtnight, 

 there was a very perceptible difference in the appearance 

 of these pigs. Those fed on the mush assumed a more 

 thrifty, healthy, Iresh appearance, particularly of their 

 hair, and this difference became more striking as the ex- 

 periment advanced. 



On the 4th of January, while preparations were ma- 

 king for killing and dressing, they were again weighed 

 on the hoof. One of those, then, whose daily allowance 

 had been seven pounds of corn each, had increased 20 

 pounds in the 34 days : the other, which had had an 

 equal allowance of corn, had increased only five pounds. 

 1 could not account for the difference by anything I 

 could discover, either before or after killing ; the appe- 

 tites of these two were much more alike than of the 

 others ; and their health was apparently equally good. 



Of the pair fed on mush, whose daily allowance had 

 been 3 12 pounds of meal each, the greedy one had 

 gained 23 pounds and the other 21 pounds. 



These are all the material facts in these experiments, 

 except that a very small portion of salt was put into each 

 mess of mush— -and there is no miracle in them. The 

 hogs allowed 3 1-2 pounds of meal each gained less than 

 thrive fourths of a pound daily, and this surely they might 

 have gained from the m«al ; but they gained more than 

 those fed on double that quantity of corn. The saving 

 of one half the immense quantity of corn consumed in 

 raising and fattening hogs in Maryland, would be well 

 worth the offer of a premium to have these experiments 

 accurately repeated and tested by different persons. 



Grain.— About 30,0«0 bushels Corn h;tve arrive J 

 since our last report, mostly within two days: nearly 

 all of which remains afloat unsold : dealers are unwil- 

 ling to purchase, i-xcepi at a viry ronsidirable reduction 

 on our last qiioialions, and as holders are unwilling tw 

 meet their views, no sales have been made since the first 

 ofthe week, when a lot prime old yelTcw fl.it was taken 

 at 1 15, and some lots new while at I OO a 1 03 per bush- 

 el. The market is now in so onselt'ed' a state, it is diffi>- 

 cult to give cornel quotations Seme sales Oats at a 

 small advance on lust week's prices; northern have 

 been taken at G3 a C5c, a lot prime soulhern at 54c, and 

 GOOO bushels of importation per ship Helen Mar, from 

 London, at fiOc per bushel, of 33 lbs; sales Southern 

 Rye at 9:!c. Several thousand bushels Bailey have ar- 

 rived, mostly on account of brewcis; n,o sales have boeO 

 made. — Courier. 



Splitting Fire Wood.— We have lately examined « 

 quantity of fire wood, which was cut and corded Itist 

 winter, and we have become still more strongly im- 

 pressed with the importance of having every stick split 

 that is large enough to receive a stroke ofthe axe, longi- 

 tudinally. It not only dries betler, but some kinds of 

 wood are rendered by this operation nearly of doubl* 

 value ; and we are warranted by our examinations in 

 saying that hickory is one of those kinds. Sticks of six 

 eight inches diameter, which were quirlered at that 

 time, arc now seasoned, hard and solid; while such a» 

 were left to soak in their sap, are most miserably worm. 

 eaten. The round sticks of bass wood escaped theM 

 depredators, hut their value is greatly lessened by incipi- 

 ent decay; and re ain too much moisture to be profitably 

 used without kiln-drying. We are persuaded, that to 

 split all sucn wood, and to let out the sap, is a most ju- 

 dicious investment of capital. — Genesee Farmer. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICIIi:.TURAL SOCIETY, 



Saturday, Dec. 19. 



exhibition of fboits. 

 Apples.— By L. P. Grosvenor, Red Winter, Lewis, 

 and Vandervere. 



By M. P. Wilder, Old Pearmain. 

 Red Winter and Lewis, valuable varieties; the Van- 

 devere was worthless. For the Committee, 



B. V. French. 



Saturday, Dec. 26, 1835. 



EXHIBITION OF FRUITS. 



Apples.— From B. V. French, Boston, the following 

 varieties of Apples, viz :-Moore'3 Red Winter, Mon- 

 strous Pippin (doubtful), Nonsuch, Wells' Pippin, Yel- 

 low Newton Pippin (true), very fine, French's Sweet, 

 Black Apple, Eiig. Scarlet Nonpariel, Burrasoe, very 

 fine. Green Everlasting, MInol's Russet (sometimes 

 called Golden Russet), an excellent Apple, Am. Wine, 

 Pearmain, Bcllflower — also two sorts piesenled for a 

 name. For the Committee, P- B. Hovev, Jr. 



Saltpetre Explosion.— The N. Y. Journal of Com- 

 merce of Saturday, says: " In one of the stores conj 

 sumed on Wednesday night, was a large quantity of sall- 

 petie, which, while it was burning, kept up a succession 

 of violent explosions, resembling an artillery salute, 

 though with a much less powerful report. We mention 

 this fact chiefly for the benefit of the Bostonians, who 

 have never yet settled the question, whether a certain 

 vessel at the head of Central wharf could have exploded 

 as it did by the mere force of saltpetre." 



Wool.— There has been a fair demand for domesti* 

 Wool during the week, without any variation of prices. 

 The recent mild weather and rains will enable a part of 

 the factories that have stopped for want of water to com- 

 mence operations ogiin. We continue quotations with- 

 out any change. — Covrier. 



Silk from Vermont.— Mr Stacy, publisher of the 

 Free Press, Burlington, Vt. has presented us with an 

 elegant specimen of Sewing Silk, manufactured in that 

 place, under his directions. We should imagine, from 

 a view of this specimen, that Vermont may eventually 

 be as much noted for nianufacturiiig silk, as it now is 

 for producing wool. 



Important Arrival.- The large cheese, weighing 

 750 lbs. a present from Col. Meacham, of Richland, N. 

 Y. to the Hon. Daniel Webster, arrived in this city, on 

 Saturday last. — Courier. 



Acknowledgment.- We would return our thanks 10 

 the editors of newspapers, for tlif ir kindness in giving 

 circulation to our prospectus ofthe New England Farmei. 



Gov. Galusha, of Verm.ont, now 03 years old, had an 

 arm broken about a year ago, in atlcrnpting to break a 

 colt. No sooner had the wound healed, than the patri- 

 arch mounted the colt again and subdued him. 



The effect ofthe rains of Saturday was perceptible 10 | 

 an unexpected extent in filling up the springs, reduced j 

 by the drought. 



