vol.. XX. TiO.-tH. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGLSTER, 



197 



,h lonj; oxporiencc, clo»e obscrvalinn, niul a jii- 

 iou« exercise of tho fy' ""'' '""•'', •""» boon oiia- 

 to rour » race oraminalH, coiiibiomg, in R great 

 free, all thc«e propprties ; — BiiiiiialH, wliich ore 

 nonnced by tlic best jiid-jen in this couiilry, 



111, if not superior lo any known. 



Hr Henry Colman, Coniinissioner for (ho Agri- 



nriil Survey of llie Slate of Miissachusclts, in 



2d Report pp. t>l to 70, gives some further nc- 

 nt ul° lliis stock. But for u more full pedigree, 



rente can be bad 16 the Herd Dook, kept by 



Ja(|UOs. 



South Dow.n SnErp. 

 t the same time will be sold, about twenty 

 South Doirn Rama and Ewes. The original 

 his slock WIS selected in England with great 

 They arc probably butter adapted, for all 

 ful purposes, to this country, than any other 

 p ever introduced ; and ore too well known to 

 d further remark. 



From ihe .Albany Cullirator. 



LONDON I.ACrARIES. 

 'o those unacquainted with this vast metropolis, 

 the almost incalculable amount of supplies the 

 iber of its inhabitants must necessarily require, 

 article of milk must not appear the least strik- 



he writer of this little notics — an invalid, 

 ding an interval in the vicinity — is enabled to 

 the following description of Laycock's dairy 

 linglon, near London. The lactary covers a 

 e of sixteen acres, including the layers, grain 

 rick yardss &.c. It contains nine cow-houees, 

 about one hundred and forty feet in length, 

 wenlyfour feet broad ; either of these contains 

 r cows, ihirtytwo on a side. There are 

 falling pens, and an infirmary for such of them 

 ay happen to require temporary separation ; 

 D instances, however, considering the great 

 bei kept, and the artificial mode of treatment, 

 >ut rare, the writer being assured by the resi- 

 vcterinary surgeon, Mr Stavley, to whose po- 

 ess the former is indebted for his information, 

 nearly the only inconvenience felt is, that aris- 

 Vom lameness. The animals, all of the finest! 

 ription, are constantly kept in their houses I 

 day and night, in the summer season only be- I 

 urned out for a few hours daily into the layers. 

 3 are rarely kept here longer than twelve 

 hs, during which period they are regularly I 

 id, and what may appear extraordinary to those 

 ant of the management, the process of foiling 

 on with the milking; so that by the time they 

 me what is termed "dry," most of them arc fit 

 mithfield market, and but few of the number 

 lundred constantly kept,) require stalling after 

 criod of milking is at an end. 

 le writer has viewed several in an extraordi- 

 y high state of condition, (almost fit for a 

 itmas show,) at the time the Cambrian and Hi- 

 an women were sitting upon their stools, each 

 ;ising, with inconceivable volubility her ver- 

 lar tongue, and "filling her milking pail." 

 lis number affords twelve hundred gallons of 

 per diem, upon the average: it is taken away 

 early hour of the morning and afternoon by 

 enders, who purchase here to retail in the mo- 

 llis. 



he average worth of each cow is about It*/., 

 h, assuming the number kept always to ave- 



rage six luiiulrod. (tho ininimiini riillicr than oilier- 

 wise,) gives a capital of IO,!l(K)/. iilwnVH nlloat to 

 "lock this stiipcndoim dairy with cows only. 



Their feed consists of grains, inangin wnrtzel, 

 iho Swedish turnip (llio latter in fatting,) ind hoy ; 

 at the rate of 



1 huahel of grains ; 

 "J."; lbs of mangel wurtzel, or turnip ; 

 13 lbs. of hay, 

 lo each ; or 



Kit) bushels of grains; 

 I.'i tons of wurtzel and turnip; 

 :i ()-28 tons of hay, 

 per day, to the total number. 



The quantity of butter madn here is, for an ob- 

 vious reason small ; and rarely exceeds 100 lbs. 

 per week. 



The number of pig? kept here is about 400, some 

 bred, others bought in, but all fatted here. 



Forty horses are always required, and constantly 

 employed upon the dairy. 



The layers are capable of receiving ItiOD head 

 of fat cattle, exclusive of sheep; and the overage 

 number for Smithficld market resting here weekly, 

 is 800 ; the charge of Inyerage being 3d. per head, 

 and fodder at the rale of lis. per 2.5 lbs. or truss. 



Such is one of the London Lactaries: — there nre 

 many of iheni, some of larger, several of equal, and 

 a few of inferior extent. 



From this brief description of one, however, some 

 idea may be formed of the consumption of this nu- 

 tritious article of our food, but which, nevertheltrss, 

 forms so inconsiderable a portion of it, called m\U. 



J. R. ■ " 



From tho Yankee F.irmer. 



COUCH OR WITCH GRASS. 



Mr Editok — I noticed in your paper of Novem- 

 ber 2.5th, No. 45, an e.\tract from the .Maine Par- 

 mer, informing farmers how to eradicate couch, 

 wilch grass, joint grass, or wild rye. It is aston- 

 ishing to sec how tenacious people are lo slight 

 the best blessings that Providence confers upon 

 them. Some time ago, within one or two years, I 

 wrote a long article fur the Yankee Farmer, ex- 

 plaining the superior properties and value of this 

 grass above all others. The sum of these good 

 qualities is, superior quality of the hay, and supe- 

 rior quantity. 



The very things which are alleged against this 

 kind of grass, are the very things which will re- 

 commend it tn the favor of every one who wishes 

 to raise good hay, whenever its properties shall be 

 fully understood. 



It is a great complaint that it cannot be gotten 

 out of the soil when once in. This is one of 

 the recommendations that it has, because the ex- 

 pense and risk of rc-sceding are avoided, which, on 

 an average are probably .50 per cent, to every far- 

 mer, taking into the amount tl'.e loss by drought and 

 frost, of all other grasses, neither of which ever de- 

 stroys witch-grass. 



The only misfortune, and which creates all this 

 odium against this species of grass is, the want of 

 B proper knowledge of Ihe proper manner of culti- 

 vating witch-grass lands. If properly managed, 

 they would undoubtedly bo found most convenient 

 and profitable of any. I will remark here, that if 

 any other grass now known, should be treated with 

 the like abuse, not a spice of it would remain on 

 the earth. This one fact shows that this grass in 

 itself is superior to any other. I likewise remark 



I thai, in rough lands, whore tho plow cannot bo 

 I freely used, it is not so cniivenicnt to cuhivale, 

 because it cannot be worked to so good advanlagn. 

 1 The way I propose to farmers l« cultivate where 

 I this grass abouiidn, is this; Whenever tno crop of 

 'gro-sH indicoles decay, as all grasses will in a few 

 years, turn Iho ground over and raise ono crop, and 

 then let the field go again lo mowing. And I pro. 

 pose this method : If corn is tn bo raisod, let the 

 land be, till it is timu lo plant. Then spread what 

 manure is to bo put into lliu land, and turn it over 

 with a broad, deep furrow, and plant the corn im- 

 mediately. The land will need no hoeing, as there 

 will be no weeds, nnd tho griiss will not be up so 

 as to injure the growth of the corn. Uy iho fall, 

 this grass will be np so us to make a good fall feed, 

 and next year it will bo fit for the scythe. If turn, 

 ed over thick, with tin even furrow, the rains and 

 frost will make it siilVicienlly muoolh for mowing. 

 The turf iieing turned under, an<l kept under, serves 

 to keep the ground moist and loose. So, if the 

 owner wishes for a crop of any kind of grain, turn 

 the ground over and sow the grain immediately. 

 The grass will not re-appear so as to injure Iho 

 crop, but will give a good fall feed, and be ready 

 for the scythe the following year. 



To raise potatoes on turf land of this grass, drop 

 the potatoes in rows on tho grass, and cover them 

 by turning two back furrows upon each row. Then, 

 when the potatoes are gathered, break up and level 

 the ground, and it will be fit for mowing the next 

 season. And I remark, generally, that ground 

 once filled with this grass, never needs re-seeding. 

 It only wants to be loosened lo give the roots a 

 chance to firm and grow anew. No olher grass 

 can be renewed in this way ; but must be re-seed- 

 ed. This is a great saving to Ihe farmer, especial- 

 ly as h(^fl^^u;el loved from all the risk and loss 

 by droi^^^^Vrost, that is, the loss by drought-kill 

 and wintCT^^^ which losses are very great upon 

 all other kinds of grasses. 



In the article alluded to, it is stated that the best 

 way to eradicate this grass, is to put in hogs, and 

 let them root it up and eat the roots, because they 

 are very fond of them. It is true that hogs arc 

 very fond of the roots of this grass, and will thrive 

 well on them. This is an additional proof of the 

 value and richness of this grass, and it is to be re- 

 gretted that the farmers have not as much sense 

 concerning this grass, as the hogs have. If they 

 had, they would be as careful to protect and keep 

 it, as the hogs are to uproot and eat it. 



This grass will grow ond flourish well upon a 

 greater variety of soil than any oilier known grass, 

 and the hay, when made, requires but about two 

 thirds the barn room to house it. These advanta- 

 ges are worth something to the farmer. 



Suppose the farmer wants a. crop of English tur- 

 nips. He may mow or turn in the crop of grass, 

 and then sow his turnips. The field will be fit to 

 mow the next season. 



Lands that can be taken up and cropped once 

 and then returned to mowing the following year, 

 would be much more profitable to ihc farmer than 

 those which have tn be kept up for several years to 

 fit thein for reseeding. 



Taking all these advantages into view which 

 this grass presents over all others, I do confidently 

 hope and believe that some few formers, at least, 

 will have enlerprisc enough to so far outrun these 

 vulgar prejudices against witch grass, as to give it 

 a full and fair trial. Philo. 



Portland, Dec. 2, 1841. 



