FARMERS' REGISTER— FOOD FOR SWINE AND CATTLE— CHEMISTRY. ilB 



would not give a fig for all the scientific or prac- 

 tical knowledge which lie will obtain in agriculture, 

 bfeyond that obtained by a common laborer on a 

 farm, however his health may be promoted, and 

 his mind invigorated, by the manly exercises of 

 the field. I commend the school, but dislike the 

 name. Theological school, medical scliool, And 

 law school, are terms that suflicienlly imply the 

 studies which are pursued in them ; and young 

 men who go to them for an education, do not ex- 

 pect to become farmers. And if they do, they 

 Avill seldom find the instruction or the teachers 

 that they stand in need of. 



An agricultural, like other i)roressional schools, 

 should be devoted to a single object: It should he 

 particularly a school for farmers. We should 

 scoff at the pretensions of a surgeon who had ne- 

 ver studied anatomy. Geology is the anatomy of 

 agriculture ; nor is a knowledge of physiological 

 science less important to the husbandman than to 

 the medical practitioner. 1 hope yet to see a truly 

 agricultural school established in our country, and 

 in our state. I hope yet to see all the aid and all 

 the light wliich science can afford given to agri- 

 cultural labor; and I hope yet to see, especially, 

 our young farmers better qualified, in such a 

 school, for the higher duties of civil life, in order 

 that these onerous burdens may no longer rest ex- 

 clusively upon the shoulders of the lav/yers. 



PRKPARATIOX OF FOOD FOR SWIXE AND CAT- 

 TLE. 



From the New England Karmer. 



It has been observed by an English writer on 

 agriculture, that an apparatus for steaming food for 

 cattle should be considered as a necessary appen- 

 dage to every arable and dairy farm, of a moderate 

 size. It has been long known that many sorts oi 

 roots, and particularly the potatoe, become much 

 more valuable by undergoing this sort of prepara- 

 tion. And it is equall)' well known that when 

 thus prepared they have been employed alone as a 

 substitute for hay, and with cut straw both for hay 

 and corn, in the feeding of horses as well as otlier 

 animals. To a farmer who keeps manj- horses or 

 cattle, or even swine or poultry, the practice of 

 boiling their food in steam is so great a saving and 

 advantage, that it deserves the most particular at- 

 tention. Though potatoes have often been given 

 raw to both horses and cattle, they are found to be 

 infinitely ijreferable, when cooked by steam, as 

 they are thereby rendered much drier, and more 

 nutritive. This has been long since shown by the, 

 experiments of Wakefield of Liverpool, who, in 

 order to ascertain it, fed some of his horses on 

 steamed, and some on raw potatoes, and soon found 

 the horses on steamed potatoes had greatly the ad- 

 vantage, in every respect. Those on the steamed 

 potatoes looked perfectly smooth and sleek, while 

 the others were quite rough. 



The following description of a root steamer is 

 from the " F'arrner's jlssistant .•" 



STEAM BOILER. 



This is an implement that no iltrraer or planter 

 should be v/itliout, as potatoes, particularly, are 

 nearly doubled in value, for feeding and fatting, 

 when boiled. Turnips and other roots, and pump- 

 kins, are also much improved, as food for cattle, by 

 a similar process. 



Boiled clover hay is found very good for keeping 

 swine during winter; and we are of opinion, that 

 if fed to milch cows during that season, it would 

 greatly improve the quantity of tlieir milk, and 

 keep them in better order, than when fed dry to 

 them. W^e believe this to be well worthy of a fair 

 experiment, by having a vat, or box, to hold the 

 hay, sufficiently large for the purpose. 



A steam-boiler is commonly made by setting a 

 kettle, holding twelve gallons or more, in a furnacej 

 of brick or stone; and over this a hogshead, with 

 one head taken out, and the other bored full of 

 holes, is set so close that the steam of the kettle, 

 when boiling, can only rise through the holes, and 

 thence ascend among the articles to be boiled in 

 the hogshead, and pass off at the top. In this way 

 a hogshead full of potatoes will be nearly as soon 

 boiled, as a small part of them only could hate 

 been, if placed in the kettle underneath. 



As the kettle must be so closed as to prevent any 

 steam passing off but through the bottom of the 

 hogshead or vat, a pipe or tube must be set in one' 

 side, through which, with the aid of a tunnel, the" 

 water is to be poured into the kettle, as often as 

 occasion may require. When poured in, the tube 

 is to be stopped, with a plug for the purpose. 



Grain of all kinds may be steamboiled to greafi 

 advantage, for feeding and fatting cattle; but, in 

 that case, it is requisite to have the bottom of the 

 hogshead covered with a cloth, to prevent the grain- 

 rumiing dcwn through the holes. 



By experiments which have been accurately 

 made in Pennsylvania upon Indian corn and pota- 

 toes used for fatting swine, it was found that they 

 increased in weight one-third faster on the boiled 

 than on the unboiled food ; or, in other Avords, they 

 gained three pounds when fed on the former, where 

 they only gained two pounds when fed on the latter.- 

 We are fully of opinion that steam-boiling food,- 

 for feeding or fatting all sorts of caltle, generally 

 increases the value of the food, as much ai forty or 

 fifty per cent. 



We are induced to lay this down, as a general 

 rule, that all kinds of food, whether for man or 

 beast, is more or less improved in its nutrimeiitaf 

 qualities by being boiled. This is evidently the' 

 case in regard either to grain or roots ; and we be- 

 lieve that every kind of vegetable matter, even 

 green grass itself, will be found much improved,- 

 as a food for cattle, when it has been sufficiently 

 subjected to the operation of the steam-boiler. But 

 whether the additional ex})ense thus incurred would, 

 in all cases be found overbalanced by the additional 

 value thus given to the food, must depend on the' 

 results of experiments to be fairly and properly 

 made. 



ox THE IMPORTANCE OF CHE3IISTRY, AS 

 CONXECTED WITH AGRICULTURE. 



Prom Parke's Chemical Essays; 



W'ere I addressing myself to the father of a fa^ 

 mily, I would say, — is your son born in opulence ; 

 is he an heir to an extensive domain, — make him 

 an analytical chemist, and you enable him to ap- 

 preciate the real value of his estate, and to turn 

 every acre of it to the best account. Has he a 

 barren tract of country, which has been unpro- 

 ductive from generation to generation ; he will then 

 carefully explore it for hidden treasures, and will 

 probably not explore in vain. By analysing the 

 minerals which he discovers, he will ascertain with 



