12 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



LAST DOCUMENT 

 TIMOTHY 



For the Sew England Farmer. 



OF THE LATE HON. 

 PICKERISTG. 



Mh. Editor: — Sir, — On looking o\ ex old papers, 

 I find the following petition drafted by the late 

 Timothy Pickering; — which is valuable, as con- 

 taining his views, and interesting, as being the last 

 docuni'Mt of a pul)lic nature, that he ever wrote. 

 Having been present when it was written, I can 

 b3ar testimony to the fact. If you think it worthy 

 a place in your journal, it is at your service. 

 Very truly and respectfully yours, 



J. W. Proctor. 



Dancers, Dec. 20, 1850. 



To the Honorable the Legislature of the Common- 

 loealth of Massachusetts. 



The Essex Agricultural Society respectfully rep- 

 resent. 



That experience having convinced them of the 

 utility of this, and similar institutions, in promot- 

 ing improvemants in husbandry, by the mutual 

 communication of information, and the exhibition 

 of successful results in practice; — and that premi- 

 ums have materially contributed to produce those 

 improvements, by exciting the desire to obtain the 

 honors due to every kind of excellence; — while the 

 pecuniary value of the premiums compensate, in 

 some degree, the expense of time and money, in ex- 

 ecuting promising experiments; — and the pecuni- 

 ary aid derived from the public treasury being a 

 most important addition to their own funds; — the 

 said society believing the public interest involved 

 in the measure, have thought it to be their duty, 

 to pray the legislature to renew, for such term as 

 to its wisdom shall appear proper, the provisions 

 heretofore made for this object; to encourage 

 further improvements, in the most important of all 

 arts, that on which human life, as well as human 

 comfort, essentially depend. 



Ti.MOTHY Pickering, ) Committee 

 Benjamin Pickman, > of the 

 John W. Proctor, ) Trustees. 



Salem, January 13, 1829.* 



* Col. rickcring died at Salem, on the 25th of the same 

 month of January, aj,'ed 8.3 years, 6 months, 12 days, havii.g 

 beew sick about a fortnight, and this his first sicl;ness; and the 

 only occasion for using medicine for more th:in fifty years. 



For the I\'cw England Farmer. 

 FATTEl^ING SHEEP. 



Mr. Editor: — Will you please to inform me 

 (Vom some practical feeder, the best mode of fatten- 

 ing sheep. Having on hand one hundred wethers 

 of a superior quality, and never having fed any, I 

 would respectfully inquire of you what kind of grain 

 is best for them, what quantity to give them, and 

 whether it is best to mix different kinds of grain or 

 to keep them separate. Please inibrm me also whe- 

 ther water is important in feeding grain and hay. I 

 make these requests in order to turn my feed to the 

 best account. If you will insert in your next num- 

 ber an article from some practical man on this sub- 

 ject, or give me some information l)y mail, you will 

 much oblige a practical farmer and one of your sub- 

 scribers. J. C SiS.SON. 



Hartford, Ct., Dec. 16, 1850. 



Remarks. — Among the grains generally raised 

 in t'jia s ■ 't^r>"> of th? roM"try. In^l'^r c«m prs-*'^'* 



es the greatest fattening properties. This would 

 doubtless be much more valuable for grinding, and 

 cooking — making it into hasty-pudding — would also 

 add much to its value. Sheep and cattle will fatten 

 fast on ruta baga turnips, carrots, or parsnips. 



If sheep are fed on cooked meal, in a rnoist state, 

 or meal mixed with water, or on roots, they will 

 need but little water, but if fed cm dry fodder and 

 grain or meal, they will need much water; under 

 any course of feeding, we think they should have a 

 good supply of pure water, and they should have 

 constant access to it, to prevent their drinking to ex- 

 cess. 



When animals are fed on oil meal, called also 

 linseed oil cake, it should be soaked and diluted in 

 water, and then it will create thirst, notwithstand- 

 ing much water is taken with a small quantity. 

 This substance possesses great fattening qualities, 

 and, in small quantities, it keeps animals in good 

 condition. It is only adapted to animals of hard 

 fat, such as horses, cattle and sheep. It is not good 

 for hogs, and probably not for fowls. 



We copy the following articles on the fattening 

 of sheep in cold weather, from a late work by Hen- 

 ry J. Canfield, Salem, Ohio: 



In fattening sheep to the best advantage in win- 

 ter, it is necessary that they should have good shel- 

 ters, and that these shelters should often be sup- 

 plied with fresh litter, so as to make them quiet and 

 comfortable; and, also, that proper allowances of 

 food, water, and condiments should be regularly 

 supplied to them. 



The observations of Mr. Spooner will illustrate 

 this subject as follows: "Quictudeaud warmth con- 

 tribute greatly to the fattening process. This is a 

 fact which has not only been developed by science, 

 but proved by actual practice. The manner in which 

 these agents operate, is simple, and easily explained. 

 Motion increases respiration, and the excess of oxy- 

 gen thus taken, requires an iucreabed quantity of 

 carbon, which would otherwise be expended in pro- 

 ducing fat. So, likewise, cold robs the system of 

 animal heat; to supply which, more oxygen and 

 more carbon must be employed in extra combustion^ 

 to restore the diminution of temperature. Nature 

 enforces the restoration of warmth, by causing cold 

 to produce both hunger and a disposition for motion, 

 supplying carbon by the gratification of the former, 

 and oxygen by the indulgence of the latter. The 

 above facts are illustrated by Lord Ducie: 



"One hundred sheep were placed in a shed, ami 

 ate twenty pounds of Swedish turnips each, per day: 

 whilst another hundred, in the open air, ate twen- 

 ty-five pounds each, and at the rate of a: certain pe- 

 riod, the former animals weighed eacl". thirty pounds 

 more than the latter; plainly showing that, to a cer- 

 tain extent, warmth is a substitute for food. Thia 

 was also proved, by the same nobleman, in other 

 experiments, which also illustrated the effect of ex- 

 ercise. 



No. 1. Five sheep were ieA in the open air, be- 

 tween the 21st of November, and the 1st of Decem- 

 ber. They consumed ninety pounds of food per day, 

 the temperature being 44 deg.; at the end of thus 

 timo, tlioy weighed two pounds less, than when first 



