26 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



On tht utility and best method of cook- 

 ing FOOD for domestic ANIMALS. — This subject 

 has engaged the attention of the practical men in 

 Europe and in this country for many years, and it 

 is a branch of rural economy at all times wortliy 

 the careful investigation of the farmer. The 

 Highland Society of Scotland have, in annanner, 

 directed the public attention to the comparative 

 advantages of farm-stock with prepared or unpre- 

 pared food, and have, by liberal premiums, induc- 

 ed numerous experiments to be actually made, 

 and elicited much valuable information. The 

 conclusions which have been drawn from these 

 and other experiments seem to be, — 



1. That a great saving, some say one half or 

 more, is effected by cutting tlie dry fodder for 

 horses and neat cattle, and feeding it with their 

 provender or grain, in two or three daily messes, 

 in mangers. Not that the food is thereby enhanc- 

 ed in its inherent properties but that given in this 

 way it all tells — is all consumed, all digested, all 

 converted into nutriment. There is comparative- 

 ly none wasted, or voided, without having benefit- 

 ed the animal. In the ordinary mode of feeding 

 in racks, yards, and in open fields at stacks, it is 

 well known much is lost, from the difficulty of 

 masticating uncut hay -straw and stalks, and from 

 its being trodden under the feet of aninials and 

 spoilt. Much labor is besides saved to the animal, 

 as cut food requires less mastication, and the ani- 

 mal enjoys a long period of rest. 



2. That grain and pulse, as cattle food, is en- 

 hanced in value by being groiuid or bruised before 

 it is fed out, so much as to warrant the expense 

 of sending it to mill, and the deduction of toil. In- 

 dian corn, oats, rye, and other grain, given to 

 farm animals in a dry, unbroken state, it must 

 have been observed by every one, particularly 

 when the animal is high fed, are often voided in 

 a half or wholly undigested state, and virtuidly 

 lost. This does not happen when the grain has 

 been ground. 



3. That although roots, as ruta baga, mangel 

 wurtzel and potatoes, are improved as fiittening 

 materials for neat cattle, by cooking, the advanta- 

 ges hardly counterbplance the extra expense of 

 labor and fuel. 



4. That for working horses, cooking the roots 

 we have enumerated, and feeding them with cut 

 hay and straw, is of manifest advantage ; and that 

 thus fed they supersede the necessity of grain. 



5. That in fattening hogs, there is decided 

 economy in grinding and cooking food. The ex- 

 periments upon this subject are many and conclu- 

 sive. Some estimate the saving at one half tlie 

 quantity of food. — Taking into account the vari- 

 ous materials on a farm, which may thus be turn- 

 ed to account, we are satisfied that one-half the 



cost of making pork may in this way be saved, 

 Swine are voracious animals, and will eat more 

 than their stomachs can digest, unless assisted by 

 the cooking process. There are upon the farm 

 many refuse matters, as pumpkins, squashes, small 

 potatoes, early and defective apples and apple 

 pomace, which are of little value, except as hog- 

 food, but which if well husbanded, cooked and 

 mixed with ground provender, contribute essen- 

 tially to cheapen our pork. It has been question- 

 ed whether the articles we have enumerated are 

 nutritive to pigs, when given in their raw state ; 

 while all admit, who have made the experiment, 

 that they are highly so when cooked. Cooking 

 undoubtedly adds to their nutritive properties, as 

 it does to the nutritive properties of Indian meal. 

 — Albany CiiUivator. 



Presi'dent Dvvight mentions that when he lived 

 on Greenfield Hill, he often noticed that delicate 

 plants which were protected by a fi'nce from the 

 north wind, vvere cut off by spring frosts, while 

 those which were more exposed were u!iinjured. 

 It was observed after the frost last week, that some 

 plants which wore oj)en to the north were saved, 

 though the mercury was at 26 above zero. 



His explanations was that the north wind drives 

 the moisture from the plant and tiuts prevents i 

 from being frozen upon it — so it would seem that 

 in the case of what are called black' as well as 

 white frosts, it is not the juice of the plant which 

 is frozen, but the external moisture. 



Perhaps if observers compared notes on this 

 subject something more might be known. It is 

 desirable to get all information on a j)oint so in- 

 t 'resting to cultivators of gardens and orchards — 

 for fruit is affected in a similar way. — Springfield 



Farmers of Vermont. — Some of the best and most 

 productive farms in the country may be found in tlio 

 valley oC the Connecticut, Tlieir produce in the mar- 

 ket always commands a high price. The amount of 

 butter, heef, and pork, sold since the first of October 

 last, by farmers of the single town of Barnet, Caledonia 

 county, Vt. brought the snug sum of $26,340 88. Dur- 

 ing the four months mentioned, they sold 349 head of 

 beef cattle for $5,745 ; 68,147 lbs of butter for $12,876- 

 12, and 123,525 lbs. of pork for ^7,719. One (armer sold 

 three tiiousand pounds of butter and the same of pork' — 

 1 ,600 lbs. of butter sold at an average of 20 cts per pound. 

 The butter that was sold in Barnet in the montii of Oc- 

 tober, averaged about a shilhng per pound, while that 

 carried to the Boston market, brought, during the same 

 time from 22 to 26 cents — which one would think ought 

 to pay handsomely for the cost of transportation. Anoth- 

 er of the Barnet farmers sold 836 lbs. of butler, amount- 

 ing to over two hundred and fiftysix dollars. Truly the 

 Barnet Farmers have been living in fine clover during 

 the past season. Several of them carried off premiums 

 offered for the best butter by the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Society at their last exhibition — and one of 

 them, the first premium of fifty dollars. We gathered 

 these facts from a statement in the last number of the 

 Vermont Farmer. — Eagle. 



