83 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



A FLOATING Farm Yard. — The following 

 sketch of a family floating down the Ohio, on a 

 raft, is at once highly graphic and characteristic 

 of onr inland emigration : 



" To-day we have passed two large rafts, lashed 

 together, by which simple conveyance several 

 families from New England were transporting 

 themselves and their property to the land of prom- 

 ise in the western woods. Each raft was 80 or 

 90 feet long, with a siriall house erected on it, and 

 on each was a stack of hay, round which several 

 horses and cows were feeding, while the paraph- 

 ernalia of a farm yard, the ploughs, wagons, pigs, 

 children and poultry, carelessly distributed, gave 

 to the whole more the appearance of a permanent 

 residence, than of a caravan of adventures seek- 

 ing a home. A respectable looking old lady, with 

 spectacles on her nose, was seated on a chair at 

 the door of one of the cabins, employed in knit- 

 ting; another female was at the washtub, the men 

 were chewing their tobacco with as much compla- 

 cency as if they had been in the land of steady 

 habits ; and the various avocations seemed to go 

 on with the steadiness of clock work. In this 

 manner our western emigrants travel at slight ex- 

 pense. They carry with them their own provi- 

 sions; their raft floats with the current ; and hon- 

 est Jonathan, surrounded with his scolding, squal- 

 ling, grunting, lowing and neighing dependants, 

 floats to the point proposed, without leaving his 

 own fireside; and on his arrival there, may go on 

 shore with his household and commence business 

 with as little ceremony as a grave personage, who 

 on his marriage with a rich widow, said that he 

 had <' nothing to do but walk in and hang up his 

 hat." 



(From the Genesee Farmer.) 

 Rules to be observed in the Management 



OF Live Stock — the manner of hursing 



Calves. 



To my Son. — Although it is believed the sug- 

 gestions contained in my letter are worthy of your 

 attention, consideration and practical regard, yet I 

 have little expectation that they will be responded 

 to either by yourself or your fellow-citizens, in 

 the manner which, would be most j»leasing to me. 

 It is hard to persuade farmers to alter the course 

 of their proceedings. Ihe American farmers 

 have it in their power to improve their course of 

 husbandry surprisingly, by introducing the best 

 breeds of European stock, I have not the least 

 doubt. Could you obtain for use in your neigh- 

 borhood a fine bullock of the improved Durham 

 Short Horned breed, although it were but half 

 blooded, it would be a valuable acquisition to the 

 husbandry of that place. 



It appears to me the peculiar fitness of 

 your soil for the husbandry of live stock, fur- 



nishes a reason wherefore you and your fellow 

 citizens should set your aims high in regard lo 

 that object. But I will dismiss this subject. It is 

 possible that I have urged the introduction of 

 foreign breeds beyond what its importance re- 

 quires. 



If you cannot obtain the improved breeds of 

 other countries, or if that should not be thought 

 advisable, then make the best use you can of our 

 own native breeds. There are among t.'ie breeds 

 of our own country very many fine animals, and 

 these breeds are susceptible of im|)roveraeiit, per- 

 haps to an indefinite extent. It is believed the 

 principal dairies in the country have hitherto been 

 composed chiefly, if not altogether, of native 

 stock. By taking suitable care at first to make 

 judicious selections of animals, and afterwards to 

 perpetuate and imj)rove their good properties, 

 husbandmen may, in a short time, avail themselves 

 of such home-bred animals as will be highly re- 

 spectable and profitable. In relation to such 

 cases, the suggestions contained in my last letter, 

 relative to emi»loying only the best animals for 

 propagation, will be highly important. It will be 

 important too to exercise much sound judgment 

 and discretion in selecting calves that are inten- 

 ded to be kept and raised. None but the best, or 

 at least none but such as appear to be well bred, 

 healthy, and of good form, should be selected for 

 that use. All such as are under size, feeble, ill 

 shapen, or in any respect unpromising, should be 

 turned over to the butcher, or otherwise disposed 

 of 



There ai-e, in connexion with the husbandry of 

 live stock, other precautionary prudences which 

 are very necessary, but are not in general regard- 

 ed according to their importance. One is- not to 

 undertake to keep too njuch stock. This is a 

 verj' common error, and it is one from which se- 

 rious injuries frequently result. It should be 

 considered that the value of live stock depends 

 much less on its numerical amount, than on the 

 quality of the animals which compose it. Ani- 

 mals, in order to be rendered profitable, must be 

 well fed. The only proper and profitable method 

 of keeping any sort of live stock, is to keep every 

 animal, from the time of its birth onwards, and at 

 all seasons of the year, in perfectly good order, 

 and in a thriving condition. Care then should 

 be taken not to keep more stock than can be kekt 

 in this manner. 



In order to guard against the evils resulting 

 from having more stock than the means of keept 

 ing are suflScient to sustain, much good judgtnent 

 and prudent forecast should be exercised in appor- 

 tioning the amount of stock to the means provid- 

 ed for keeping animals. In the spring, th6 hus- 

 bandman who keeps stock should consider and 

 inquire how many acres of grazing ground he 



