AND SILK MANUAL. 



yokes they are apt to haul, as it is termed, — that 

 !s, draw from each other, and to such a degree, 

 in some instances, as to cross their fore legs, and 

 destroy their power and greatly impede their pro- 

 gress. I once oivned a pair made totally useless by 

 this habit, and afterwards entirely corrected by the 

 application of a yoke 18 inches longer. A short 

 yoke is necessary only in snow paths, where cat- 

 tle would otherwise crowd against each other, the 

 opposite of hauling, but of the same mischievous 

 effect. 



In respect to what oxen are niafle to do in a 

 short time, or as an experiment upon their strength 

 I must refer you to the results of our plough- 

 ing matches. With us they are but little used up- 

 on the road, except in the transportation of heavy 

 loads for short distances in the same town, or be- 

 tween neighboring towns. One reason why hor- 

 ses are preferred for wagoning on the road, may 

 be that they can be made to travel quicker, and 

 that from the construction of the hoof they are 

 less Fiable to lameness, than the cloven footed ox, 

 by becoming foot-sore. On the other hand, the 

 patient and steady labor of the ox, finds no sub- 

 stitute in the horse for the service of the farm ; 

 and the latter is seldom seen there except in oc- 

 casional aid of the ox team, or with the light 

 plough between the rows of corn. The value of 

 a yoke of oxen, or a pair of horses, for use in all 

 the business of a form, admits of no comparison, 

 So decided is the preference for the former, that 

 I do not believe a single farmer can be found in 

 this extensive agricultural county who performs 

 iiis labor by horses without oxen ; while there 

 are hundreds, I had almost said thousands, who 

 make 710 othei" use of horses in husbandry, than to 

 fuiTOW for jdanting, and plough among their corn 

 for hoeing. 



Oiir oxen are kept in a cheaper and less expen- 

 sive manner than horses. In the summer they are 

 imiformly grazed in the pastures. In the cold 

 and winter seasons they are put into the bsirns, 

 and fed upon the stock hay, as it is called, that 

 which grows in meadows, and ujwn the fodder of 

 corn stalks, husks, &c. iiuless indeed they are more 

 severely worked than usual, when hay of better 

 iquaJity is given them ; and in all cases, as the 

 spring advances, their keejiing is improved, and 

 with better liay, some grain is added. I gpeak of 

 the general practice of farmers. There are some 

 •who keep their oxen more generously, and others 

 more hardly than I have mentioned. But with a 

 ■clean and warm stable, with daily application of 

 the 'Currycomb and card, and coarse food, without 

 ^eve-re labor, the best farmers will at all times ex- 

 hibit teams of most vigorous and powerful cattle, 

 and their best hay and grain will be saved in tiieir 

 beef and porlc, aiid in the produce of their dairies, 

 for the market. 



CriiTtJRB OF THE MUIiBERRT. 



It seems to be a matter well established, that at 

 least the white mulberry will do well in our state. 

 We wish we could affirm as much of the Morus 

 multicaulis, but our experience compels us to say 

 that its success in the northern sections of this 

 state, is at least doubtful. The next question to be 

 solved is, can the silk business be rendered profit- 

 able ? That it can, in families, who have females 

 and children, who will gather the leaves and take 

 care of the worms, we have no manner of doubt. 

 The last Farmer's Register contains an interesting 

 letter upon the subject of silk culture, translated 

 from the French, which the restricted limits of a 

 monthly sheet prevent our publishing in detail, 

 as it does many other articles of interest. It is 

 written by Mr Carrier of Averyon, into which de- 

 partment the silk business has been recently 

 introduced, to M. Bonafons, director of the royal 

 gai'den at Turin, giving an account among other 

 things, of the j)roducts and profits of his silk 

 business in 1833. This is stated in the follow- 

 ing extract. 



" I will now show you," says the writer, " the 

 account of the sale of my silk of 1832 : I shall 

 take care to suljstract the expense, and you may 

 see the clear profit, 

 29 1-5 kilograms white silk at 65 



francs the kilogram, l,830f. 60c. 



2 11-12 inferior silk, at 18 francs the 



kilogram, 44 95 



Deduct for portage 



l,884f. 55c. 

 16 00 



l,868f. 55.C 

 Value of the different remains, coming 

 from the remains of the filatures 

 used at my house, 115 00 



Sum realized, 



For the expense of manage- 

 ment, 171f 75c. 



For the filature reel- 

 ing, 263 85 



Profit, 



L983 65f 



436 60 



l,548f. 95c. 



«To appreciate the advantages of the culture 

 of the mulberry, one must remember that this 

 •sum 1,548 francs of profit, (after deducting all ex- 

 penses,) is the product of leaves furnished by 

 trees which have occupied for eight years, 011 

 an average, a piece of ground, rather less than 

 half a hectare, or at most two seterees, a local 

 measure." 



The kilogramme is two pounds and two 

 ounces and four grains, avoirdupois ; the franc 



