228 



HEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JAN. 10, 1841 



For llie N. E. Farmer. 



CATS FOR FODDER— POT-VrOKS FOR 

 LI (JUT SOILS— CI-OVER. 



ProviJencr, Jan. 10, IS-i'l. 



Alle.n Putnam, Rsq. — Sir — I should be much 

 gratified if I could learn throii^'li you l.'ie opinion I 

 of those wild have cx]ierience, as to the compara- 

 tive value of oat.s cut green for fodder, and good 

 Enjjlish grass, or clover — each well cured — and 

 whether it is iuorc profitable to raise oats for fodder j 

 on light lauds, than to cultivate it with the ditlerent j 

 grassi!.s. Also if oats are sowed for fodder, what; 

 ia the best kind, and what the quantity to be sown. | 



What is the best variety of potato for light lands ? \ 

 By best variety, I would lake into view the quanti- 

 ty likely to be produced, and the quality for home 

 use, or shipment. 



How many years should elapse between the 

 plowing up of a clover .«od and seeding again with 

 clover? or does it make no difference.' 



If you will be kind enough to answer these que- 

 ries through the Furiner, or by letter, if indeed you 

 consider them worthy of notice, you »vill greatly 

 oblige one who has already taxed you in the same 

 way, and recently been encouraged to do the same 

 again. Vuurs very respectfully, 



\VM. C. CHAPIN. 



(JJ~ln reply to Mr Chapin's inquiry as to the 

 ■comparotivc worth of oats cut for fodder, and Eng- 

 lish hay, we think the common opinion is, that they 

 are about equal, ton for ton. We should estimate 

 them alike, excepting in cases where the straw is 

 very rank and the grain upon it comparatively light. 

 When ho asks which is the more profitable on light 

 lands, he goes beyond our ability to give a general 

 reply ; because our observation teaches that some 

 lands rather light, bear oats freely compared witli 

 grass, while on other light lands the crop of either 

 is generally small. We therefore can only say 

 that if the e.fcess of an oat crop above that of hay 

 is more than enongh to pay for the extra expense 

 of cultivation, (annual plowing and seeding,) the 

 oat crop is best. But in most soils we should ex- 

 pect no such result. Ti:e' hay crop, generally, as 

 often and as constantly as one can get a decent 

 growth, is the most profitable on the great majority 

 of farms. No instance has come to our knowledge 

 in which any other than the coninion oat of Now 

 England has been sown for fodder — the relative 

 value of different kinds, as far as we know, has not 

 been proved — (will Mr C. ascertain by experiment ?) 

 The proper quantity of the common oat is from 3 

 to 4 bushels of seed per acre — 3 on lands in good 

 condition — 4 on the poorer fields. We should not 

 ^encraWi/ recommend the oat crop ps a,- suhslitiUe 

 for grass, though such substitution rr>.ai/. be a good 

 course on stmie soils ; whether it wi,ald be so on 

 the soils around Fruvidencc, thoso who reside 

 there and can estimate the usual comparative yield 

 of the two crops, can best judge. 



Our correspondent starts a question relative to 

 potatoes, which we have never seen or heard dis- 

 cussed at any length Indeed, the general ques- 

 tion as to trhich among (til lite vnrlrties of potatoes 

 is litst suited to n particular soil .' is new to us. 

 But if new, it is well worthy of attention among 

 farmers. The Chenango has done better with us 

 upon a very light peaty meadow, than the La Plata 

 (long red,) or than a round blue potato, or a white 

 kidney. The Chenango's propensity to push it- 

 aelf up out the ground, shows its determination to 



live where it can breathe freely, and thus asks us, | duly honored" — which 1 did on the '.J.'ith of sal 

 as plainly as a potato can ask, to plant it in a po- [month ; but the draft was nut " duly honored,") 

 rous soil where the atmosphere circulates freely, i it came back linpairf, and, after waiting about 

 '1 his potato yields well, ripens early, and its quali- | weeks for an explanation, which was not 

 ty is good. In some places this is called Mtrcer. i made, I went to Boston for the piirpo.se of colU 

 On light soils, that iire subject to drought, either , ing the amount, and waited then- several dnyi 

 that variety which would in most seasons attain to | enable Mr Bosson to pay il, which he did; and 

 its growth before the ordinary time of greatest i parted, as / supposed, without a feeling of unkl 

 dryness arrives — or a variety so late that it shall ] ness on cither .«ide, certainly none on my 

 have done but little more than send up its vines to ' (though I may have talked plainly to hiin,) notw| 

 their full height before the early autumn rains fall, j standing his wntit of punctuality — aa well aa 

 is perhaps to be preferred to such as are neither expense and loss of lime in going to Boston 

 early nor late. For should drought pinch when the money. I was not a little surprised on li) 

 the potato is growing, or wishing to grow very | ing over the Yankee Farmer, after my relui 

 rapidly, and this it does as soon as it gels well un- find such a remark from that source. I cnncluj 

 der way, then there is ruin to the crop. Hut this ; however, to let it pass for what it was worth, 

 suggestion may not be worth much until our alma-j siiiniug that a man who would thus use a 

 nac-niakers become more trustworthy prophets of under his control to gratify private resentmeii 

 the weather tliat is to come. After using so many consc(|uence of being required to fulfil his a{ 

 words, we may as well own the truth, and say to ment, would not publish a reply from me; 

 our correspondent, that he has asked a question did not deem it of sufficient importance to troi 

 that we cannot answcT. If any of our corrcspon- 1 either of the other gentlemen connected with 

 dents can, to them we cry help — Mp. Has any agricultural press in Boston. Should you, sir, ( 

 one satisfied himself that there is a particular kind sidcr the subject of sufficient importance to 

 of potato, better suited than any other to a light this slaleinenl an insertion in the Yankee Farii 

 soil .' I or so to refer to it as to place the article prep 



The question relative to clover, w9 will notice by this Company before its readers, who have 

 at some future time. — Ed. l the paragraph referred to, you will greatly obi 



— _ I Your ob't servant. 



We copy the following from the " Massachusetts ^' ^' ^"NOI 



Plowman," for the purpose of saying that we have 



received from Mr Minor .similar statements to the f^™™ '•'* sofe. 



subjoined, in regard to the poudrette manufactured — 



under his direction, and that wo know of no rea- ' ON FATTENING SWINE. 



sons why his statements are not worthy of credit. Siii — In your paper of the J8lh, you have a c^ 

 We should have published them before but for the munication on the cooking of meal for hogs, i 

 fact that his letter contains a request for informa- Now, sir, I have no doubt that it is the best way 



tion which we are not yet able to furnish En. fattening s« ine, both as the most economical an 



also the quickest way ; for in the first place, swjii 

 love the tnste of food thai is boiled or scalde^ 



N. E. F. 

 POUDRETTE 



EDITORIAL HONOR, &c. 

 .Vejo York, Dec. 24, 1841. 

 To the Editor of the Plowman : 



Dear Siu — I perceive by a notice in the Van- 



much better, if we may judge by the way in »hic 

 they take hold at their meals, than when thev 'at 

 the raw article given them, and it follo" -. 

 matter of course, that they will fatten ()uickc r i: 



keo Farmer of the Itith ulL, that you have now the cooking of food renders it more luscious, and 

 charge of that paper in connection with the Massa- takes a less quantity than when used in a la 

 chusetts Plowman, and I am pleased to learn the ' state. I have seen some farmers give their lioj ■, 

 fact, as I am fully satisfied that you will allow me j raw pumpkins, potatoes, and also apples, tin. kin „ 

 to repel an imputation cast upon me in a para- ; to fatten them : the result has been, astir oi , 

 graph which appeared, editorially, in the paper of have observed, a great waste of all these .iiiicle , 

 18th September last, under the article " Poudrette." I and a very small profit. To be sure, a little nhi! 

 In reply to that article, I desire to say that the before killing time comes, they have given iliei 

 " New York Poudrette Company" do not, and have , shelled corn, to finish them off Now I liave c 

 not, in a single instance, mixed either "ffrnie/ or j doubt if they had cooked two thirds, or mayhap 

 tfuf/i mud" with the material of which they luanu- j less quantity, they would have realized u luuei 

 facture poudrette. Such articlo.q only are used as j larger profit, and not heard so much Equaling, fof'l 

 dislnfcclers and absoi bents— anil no " gravel" or hog is not content with raw apples, potatoes,^ 

 other iHjw/iiWe sub-stances are found in the pou- oven a fine pumpkin thrown over in his muddy i 

 drette prepared by this Company, except what camel main, without raising sundry screeches of d 

 from the .link, and are so small that they pass i probation. I once fattened two hogs on cool 

 through the screen used to separate foreign sub- [ apples, that is to say, they were the chief of 

 stances. This statement I make to you, sir, with- j living. The process was this: I filled a laifl 

 out hesitation, and desire that you will give it the i boiler with apples, and then put in water tilli 

 same publicity through the columns of the Fnrmer, [ cams even on the top. After the apples were suf " 

 that was given to the paragraph casting the iinpu- j ficienily boiled, I stirred in cob meal till the watei ° 

 tation— and 1 will simply add, that I know of iio was soaked up ; this was fed out to them tlire- 

 cau.-fe why the late editor should have indulged in i times a day; at first it physiccd them, but in' 

 such a remark, unless it arose out of a business , short time, with the aid of alillle salt, it d:.i icn 

 transaction between us, a short time previous to ' well. My apples were generally the I'cfufu itJu 

 that date, in which he requested mo to send him j barrelling fruit, and of course worth but lilllc. I 

 "sixty barrels of poudrette immediately on receipt 1 kept them on this food from the middle of Septein- 

 of hlH letter, (dated August 18, J84I,) and draw for ! her till about the twentyfifth of December, wber. 

 the amount at /Ar« days sight— the draft will be t we slaughtered them. They appeared all this tilK 



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