184a 



GExNESEE FARMER. 



71 



shown most distinctly that sheep are exceedingly 

 sensitive of any sudden change, either in food or 

 temperature ; and that these circumstances, as 

 well as any disturhance, are very disadvan- 

 tageous to their feeding. If it is wished to secure 

 the full benefit of their food, and the greatest 

 profit of their keep, we must avoid exposxire to 

 ■the changes oj the loeather.'''' — SprengeVs Jour. 



We are not aware that the practice of feeding 

 sheep in warm folds has ever been extensively 

 acted upon in this country, though the subject 

 has been frequently noticed. Throughout the 

 whole of Pru-sia and Northern Germany, it is 

 now almost the universal practice. It must how- 

 ever, be remembered that the wintei-s there are 

 much more se#re, and the snow deepei, than 

 in this country. It is also one of the maxims 

 laid down by Liebig, in his " Animal Chem- 

 istry," that warmth is favorable to fattening; 

 and it is at all times interesting to see the theo- 

 ries of science borne out in practice. — Trans. 



Fear op Innovation. — An article is given 

 by Sir Walter Scott, very pleasantly, of a 

 fanning mill introduced into Scotland over a 

 hundred years ago, and the objections to its use : 



"Your ladyship and the Stewart has been 

 pleased to propose, that my son Cuddle should 

 work in the barn wi a new fangled machine for 

 dighting the corn from the chaff, thus impiously 

 thwarting the will of Divine Providence, by 

 raising wind for your ladyship's own particular 

 use, by human art, instead of soliciting it by 

 prayer, or waiting patiently for whatever dis- 

 pensation of wind Providence was pleased to 

 send upon the sheeling hill." 



This fanning mill, it seems, was introduced 

 from Holland in the year 1710, by Fletcher of 

 Saltour, and its use was publicly denounced 

 from the pulpit, as impious. But innovation is 

 not so much feared now ; and to see a farmer 

 plowing in the same furrow, his grandsire turned, 

 is not so common as it was thirty years ago. 



Improvement of Stock. 



There is perhaps no one thing pertaining to 

 the farm that more needs improvement, and 

 which could be pursued by its owner with more 

 pleasure and profit, than the improvement of his 

 stock. That there has been some advances made 

 within a few years, we admit — yet how little is 

 done by the generality of farmers in comparison 

 to what should be. Almost every one knows, (or 

 ■should know,) who keeps perhaps a dozen cows, 

 as farmers generally do, without much regard to 

 selection, that two of his best cows yield him as 

 much clear profit as three of his poorest. Now 

 this should not be. It is a needless throwing 

 away of the expense of raising and keeping one 

 cow without any benefit whatever. A cow that 

 will make 12 or 14 lbs. of butter per week can 



be kept at as little expense as one that will make 

 but 6 or 7 lbs.; and there are many cows kept by 

 farmers that will not do even this, in their best 

 milking season. Only think of it farmers. — 

 Those of you that now keep 12 common cows 

 might realize as much clear profit from 6 or 8 

 superior cows as you now do from your 12 — or, 

 by procuring 12 first rate cows, your income 

 might be increased one half or one third. Are 

 not such stock worth the trouble and expense of 

 procuring ? But the first cost is the great hin- 

 drance to improvement ; $50 or $60 seems a 

 great price to pay for a cow ; and so it is, unless 

 of the improved breeds. But a cow that is worth 

 the $60 is cheaper in the end for a farmer to buy 

 than one that is worth but $20. 



We will suppose that two farmers have just 

 commenced farming. A buys the $60 cow — B 

 buys the $20. At the end of ten years they 

 each have four cows, and one two year old 

 heifer — the remainder being bull calves, have all 

 been slaughtered or sold. How would stand the 

 account at the end of the 10 years with each. 



A has 4 nows, at $60 each, $240 



" 1 two year old heifer, say 30 



$270 

 Deduct $40, thecostof A'eeow more than B's,... 40 



$230 



B has 4 cows, at $20 each,.. $80 



" 1 two year old heifer, say 15 



95 



{balance in favor of A, in stock alone, $135 



In the mean time A has sold his bull calves 

 for more than enough to pay the extra trouble 

 and expense of getting the use of a good bull, 

 which perhaps has cost him $5.00 per year — 

 while B probably has "deaconed," his, which, 

 for one, we should consider no very pleasant 

 recreation. Then compare the amount for which 

 A has sold his butter and cheese, during the 10 

 years, with that of B's, and you would find this 

 nearly double. B's cow has merely paid her 

 keeping, while that of A has yielded him annu- 

 ually quite a profit. We might still add to the 

 above account several head of valuable young 

 stock descended from A's 4 cows, and compare 

 them with B's. But we trust we have already 

 written enough to set farmers thinking, which is 

 our main object in writing this article. The 

 $60 and $20 are perhaps both high prices for 

 the cows supposed ; but you may take them at 

 any other prices, and you will always find the 

 cow that is worth most the cheapest and most 

 profitable. 



For one we long to see the stock of our com- 

 mon farmers advancing more rapidly in im- 

 provement. Let all awake to their interest, and 

 procure such stock as they will take pleasure and 

 pride in viewing themselves and showing to their 

 neighbors and friends. Sell off those " raw- 

 boned," "slab-sided," almost good for nothing 

 animals, and replace them with good ones ; or, 

 if they are something near what they shotild be. 



