230 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SHEEP— DOMESTIC SILK— LUCERNE. 



sign, and give a sum total varying but little from 

 the truth. I would remark, that in consequence 

 of sickness in my flimily last summer, and other 

 causes, my dairy did not receive that attention, 

 and was not nearly so productive as it otherwise 

 would have been. 



DAIRY. 



Most of my butter was sold in Boston by Col. 

 Maynard, and brought from 17 to 28 cents per lb. 

 About 350 lbs., the most sold at any one time, 

 brought 24 cts. — we will call the whole 22 cts. lb. 

 Butter, 3487 lbs. at 22 cts. ^707. 14 

 New Milk Cheese, 1575 lbs. 



at 9 cents, 141.75 



Cheese, 735 lbs. at 4^ cts. 33.07^ 



Do. 1526 lbs. at 3 cts. 45.78 



Veal, and 4 calves that were 



raised, 151.47 

 Total of Dairy, S1139.21J 



BEEF. 



I fatted 9 cows, and one ox that weighed 1005 

 lbs.. One bull six years old, which I raised on 

 skimmed milk, and with his mate a stag, did most 

 of the ox work on my farm for four years. He 

 had 85 lbs. of rough tallow, and weighed 1209 lbs. 

 The ox, bull and 9 cows, amounted to i§308.36.— 

 Four oxen were sold by Col. Fay, at Brighton, to 

 G. Adams, for 39s. cwt. The whole amount for 

 beef was ^603.44 



PORK. 



I fatted 19 hogs which I bought of Theodore 

 Smith, that he drove to Columbia county, N. Y. 

 Their average weight, when I bought them was 

 86 lbs. I kept them through the winter on Eng- 

 lish turnips, boiled with a little, and but a little, 

 corn and cob meal put with it. When slaughter- 

 ed 14 of the best averaged a fraction over 500 lbs. 

 each ; 15 of them were carried to Boston, and sold 

 for 7^ cts. The hogs amounted to ^651.82 



Total of Dairy, Beef and Pork, ^2394.47^ 



The above is the produce of one year, com- 

 mencing March 25, 1832, and ending March 25, 



1833. SAMUEL CHASIBERLAIJV. 



Westhorough, 1833. 



Slicep Husbandry, 



We have heard it remarked by some of the best 

 farmers of Dutchess, will insure the gradual im- 

 provement, in fertility of a farm. The following 

 extract comes in corroboration of this opinion. It is 

 from " Reports of Select Farms'" No. IV., and has 

 reference to a Gloucestershire hill farm : 



" The improvement of the soil which he occu- 

 pies, ought to be the object of every farmer. Land, 

 in a natural state, if dry, undergoes a gradual im- 

 provement from the yearly growth and decay of 

 the vegetable substances which grow upon it. — 

 But if the vegetable substances which grow upon 

 it are eaten off by sheep, which drop their dung in 

 return and in small portions at a place, the im- 

 provement goes on much more rapidly. Hence 

 land that is always pastured by sheep, is always 

 improving, while that which is always mown is 

 deteriorating. The number of sheep, therefore, 

 kept on this farm, tend much to its gradual im- 

 provement ; — and the regulaf deposition of the 

 sheeps's dung over so great a portion of the farm, 

 every year, in consuming the turnip crop, is an 



excellent preparation for the course of cropping 

 tiiat is to follow. The double manuring which 

 the land thus gets, in the same year, may be 

 thought by some to be too much ; but the land of this 

 fiirm and the whole district is so thin and brashy, 

 that it can hardly be overdone with manure." 



Domestic Silk in Virg^inia. 



From the Lynchburg Virginian. 



We are glad to perceive that several persons in 

 this section of country are turning their attention 

 to the culture of silk — an occupation amusing and 

 profitable, while it is not at all laborious. Some 

 weeks ago we saw a beautiful specimen of sewing 

 silk, manufactured in the family of Capt. Lewis 

 Brown, of this place; and on Tuesday morning 

 last, a gentleman called at our office and exhibi- 

 ted a quantity of the same article, manufactured 

 by the lady of Mr. Robert Mills, of Bedford coun- 

 ty. Raising silkworms and the culture of silk is 

 attended with so little trouble and expense, that 

 we hope it will be generally practised by the la- 

 dies, who will find it no inconsiderable source of 

 revenue. 



liUcerne. 



From New York Statesman. 



New- York, Nov. 26, 1827. 



Dear Sir, — AVhen I was at your farm last 

 summer, I observed a field of Lucerne in luxuri- 

 ant growth, and of great promise. Your absence 

 from home prevented my learning the particulars 

 of its culture, uses, and value. 



This grass, I think, is not grown to any con- 

 siderable extent in Great Britain or Ireland. In 

 passing through those countries a iew years ago, 

 I do not recollect to have seen it at all. Perhaps 

 the humidity of the climate, the nature of the soil, 

 and the strong growth of the oX\\er finer grasses, may 

 account for its absence. In France, however, I 

 found it held in greai esteem ; it produced abun- 

 dantly, allowing of four or five cuttings in a sea- 

 son, and was used in its green state for soiling cat- 

 tle. 



Your experiments have, no doubt, been made 

 with care. A detailed statement of them will be 

 of service to our agricultural interests. If you will 

 oblige me by furnishing the statement, it will gra- 

 tify me to be the medium of communicating it to 

 the public. 



Yours, very respectfully, 



I. M. ELY. 



Hon. Jesse Sucl, Albany. 



j^lbany, Bee. 7th, 1827. 



Dear Sir, — I most cheerfully comply with 

 your request, in communicating my experiments 

 in the culture of Lucerne. 



My first essay to cultivate this grass was made 

 in 1820. I sowed it with summer grain, but too 

 thin ; the summer was dry, and not more than a 

 fourth of the plants survived till autumn. I 

 ploughed it up at the end of the second year. 



In 1824, I sowed sixteen pounds of seed on an 

 acre, well prepared by manure and potatoes the 

 preceding year, with half a bushel of winter rye, 

 the whole broadcast. The ground was well har- 

 rowed and rolled after it was sown. The rye soon 

 spread its leaves upon the surface, and protected 

 the Lucerne until its roots had good hold of the soil. 



