PRACTICAL FARMER. 



71 



some doubt whether the certainty of its living 

 through our winters is sufficiently established to 

 warrant exclusive dependence upon it. One of 

 my friends transplanted several thousand trees, 

 und in three winters lost them all, although they 

 were placed on different kinds of soil and in dif- 

 ferent exposures. 



Another friend planted 800 and lost all but 130. 

 That 130 I took and planted in different places, 75 

 in one spot, and the remaining 55 in another. 

 The former all died, of the latter about one in five 

 lived, but were very much injured. Another 

 friend bought one or two about four years since, 

 and has since successfully jiropagated them from 

 cuitings, layings, inoculating and engraftings, and 

 has now on hand several thousands which lived 

 through the winter as well as the white mulberry 

 tree beside which they grew. It is worthy of re- 

 mark, however, that the greatest propagation, those 

 which I last named, were engrafted in the white 

 mulberry stock. How much this affected the case 

 it is impossible to determine without more experi- 

 ment. As the facts are now, it would seem to be 

 more prudent to depend upon the white mulberry 

 tree, which we do know is hardy, and seems to 

 withstand the cold of our severest winters, and 

 affords food nearly or quite as good as the Chi- 

 nese' mulberry, and at but little more expense. 

 Besides, it is believed that the Chinese Mulberry 

 is more hardy when growing on the white mul- 

 berry stock, so that it will certainly be .better, and 

 probably cheaper, to plant the white mulberry, if 

 the object is to have eventually a plantation of the 

 Chinese tree. If it is decided to plant white mul- 

 berry trees, the next thing is to decide whether 

 they shall be planted close in rows, leaving room 

 enough between the rows for the trees to spread 

 laterally, and for picking and carrying away the 

 leaves, or whether they shall be plalited in the or- 

 chard form. The former Ls the best for many 

 reasons. By that mode, from one to three thou- 

 sand trees may be planted on the acre, which will 

 furnish a large amount of foliage in a short time, 

 and in the latter it would be many years before 

 the produce would begin to pay for the invest- 

 ment. In the former mode the leaves would be 

 picked from the ground, and the time which would 

 be required in the orchard would be saved, and 

 the danger of falls, &c. would be avoided. 



Yours, respectfully, S. VV. Brown. 



RELATIVE EXPENSES OP ANIMAIi LABOR, 



AS PERFORMED BV HORSES OR OXEN. 



Animal labor is one of the most important items 

 in the expenses of the farm, whether performed 

 by horses oi; oxen ; but as it will really be admit- 

 ted, there is a difference in the amount, as per- 

 formed by one or the other, and that difference I 

 conceive to be altogether in favor of the latter. 



The horse is said to be one of the most expen- 

 sive animals kept on a farm. In order that he 

 may be kept in condition for work, it is necessary 

 that he should have a great deal of the best food 

 together, a warm stable, and hourly and almost 

 constant attendance, and whilst the ox requires as 

 little and as ])lain food as other animals of its size, 

 and less attendance. Tjie horse is more liable to 

 disease and casualty than any other animal, the ox 

 less, — it is a very common thing for a farmer to 

 lose a horse, but a very rare one to lose an ox. 

 Likewise the horse, when airived at maturity, or 

 an age which fits him for a farmer's team, begins 

 soon to depreciate in value, and is at length worth 

 little or nothing more than his hide — Avhile the 

 ox at any age, if fat, is worth to the butcher more 

 than he even costs in his prime. 



The only objection urged against an ox is their 

 slowness. But in most of the ordinary business 

 of the farm, this can scarcely bean objection. In 

 drawing, into the barn hay and grain in the time 

 of harvest; drawing manure from the yard on the 

 farm ; drawing wood to the door; ploughing and 

 clearing ditches for draining land ; drawing rails 

 for the repair offences, &c. &c. oxen are conce- 

 ded by all, to be the safest and best of teams. And 

 even before the plough the difference of speed is 

 not sufficient to make good the difference in the 

 expense of keeping and attendance. A man with 

 a pair of oxen may put in twenty or twenty-five 

 acres of wheat in one season, while with a pair of 

 horses he cau but little exceed thirty acres. 



I shall here add a comparative view of the ex- 

 pense of keeping a pair of horses and a pair of 

 oxen for eight years, I shall suppose them both 

 five years old, the first pair of oxen to be fattened 

 and sold when nine years old, and their place sup- 

 plied by another pair five years old, and then to 

 be kept four years, and then flittened and sold 

 together with the horses, which will then be thir- 

 teen years old. 



A yoke of oxen 5 years old will cost $80,00 

 Interest 4 years 22,40 



Keep 4 years 160,00 



