1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



183 



food will it take to support them. To say that all 

 animals of its kind will consume food in proportion 

 to its live weight, is erroneous in the extreme. — 

 This trait In a sheep has been too much overlooked 

 and disregarded. Men have considered this feature 

 in a sheep hardly worth noticing, while the same 

 thing in a horse or an ox would be regarded with 

 peculiar care. I have thought for years that this was 

 one of the essentials in a good sheep. If a man re- 

 gards expense at all, he would value any animal 

 higher that has this trait fully developed. Too many 

 men, who pretend to be celebrated breeders of all 

 kinds of stock, are too much carried away with one 

 prominent trait of an animal, to the covering up of 

 almost all the rest. Fancy goes a great way with 

 too many men, to the exclusion of many valuable 

 points. There are many fancy animals which would 

 sell for high prices, that are perfectly worthless as 

 breeders. I go for an animal that combines the 

 greatest number of good points, and those points 

 finely developed, whether in sheep, cattle, or horses. 

 This ought to be a grand governing principle in a 

 thorough breeder of cither. To breed animals that 

 liave the intrinsic value engendered in them, that will 

 be productive of some good to himself and his coun- 

 try, ought to be the aim of every man. Too many 

 inen go for a cheap thing ; and it oftentimes proves 

 itself to be cheap both in the pocket and out. I think 

 as many as two-thirds of the men who breed sheep, 

 would use a buck to their ewes bought for $5, be- 

 cause it is cheap, rather than pay $50 or a fSlOO for 

 an extra animal ; and it proves to sucli men, in nine 

 cases out of ten, prodigious cheap. I go for the 

 value in the animal — the more the better, — and I 

 contend that a man gets a greater return for his 

 money expende;!, by far. We will take, for illustra- 

 tion. Black Hawk colts. There are many men here 

 who have most excellent breeding mares, who have 

 actually disgraced them by puttinf^ to a horse to 

 warrant a colt for $5 — the colts, when four months 

 old, you could hardly raise a bid for at $15 — while 

 other men have gone to Mr. Hill, the owner of 

 Black Hawk, and paid him §20 for a colt that will 

 sell, when four months old, for f 100 to §200, and 

 even $500. 



There is a man living a few rods from me who 

 has a Black Hawk colt two weeks old ; he lias re- 

 fused $200 for him. Another man, a few rods far- 

 ther, has one three weeks old, and has positively 

 sold him for $500 when four months old. Where is 

 the comparison between the two ? The one pays $5 

 for a colt, and sells for $15 ; the other pays $20, 

 and sells for $500. This is no unusual occurrence. 

 There never has been a single Black Hawk Golt sold, 

 to my knowledge, for less than $100, and from that 

 up to $1500. I say again, where is the comparison ? 

 Eternity will close in upon many a man before he 

 gets his eyes open to these things, or the opportunity 

 of breeding from valuable animals inay be gone by. 

 The same thing holds good in reference to sheep 

 and cattle — it is far the cheapest to breed from the 

 best animals, regardless of expense. I am, for one, 

 in for improvement regardless of expense and the 

 cackling and barking of men. Taintor sheep. Black 

 Hawk colts, Hereford and Durham cattle, — this is 

 the true doctrine, * igether with the improvements in 

 agriculture, commerce, and manufactures. These 

 are the step-slones to our own wealth and happiness, 

 as well as that of our country. A. L. Bingham. — 

 Cormvall, (^t., June, 1850. 



PLAN OF A FARM-HOUSE 



A, Front Kitchen, 18 by 11. B, Bed-roorn, 8 by 10. C, 

 Pantry. F, Closet. E, E, small Cupboards from Pan- 

 try. D, Meal-chest. G, Piazza. I, Hall. H, H, Par- 

 lors with folding doors, each 16 by 1-i, or both 28 by 16. 

 K, Bed-room. L, Back Kitohen. P, ?. Passage. O, 

 Wood-house. 



Mkssks. Editors : — I herewith send you the ground 

 plan of a farm-house, which I think meets the wants 

 of a very large class of your readers better than any 

 I have noticed among the many excellent ones pre- 

 sented in your valuable paper. First, I think a farm- 

 house should be convenient : for convenience saves 

 lime, and time is money. Second, It should be sub- 

 stantial, and exhibit architectural beauty, to some 

 extent at least ; yet the expense should be graduated 

 by one's available means. The great objection to 

 most of the plans offered, is, they are too expensive. 

 A majority of your readers are men of small resour- 

 ces ; very many are largely in debt ; yet many of 

 these must have houses to shelter them, who can ill 

 afford to expend $1500 or $2000 in a house. Right 

 glad am I, Messrs. Editors, that you inculcate upon 

 our farmers the duly of keeping clear of debt as far 

 as possible. The iciea is a good one, and our minds 

 need often to be stirred "up by way of remembrance," 

 on this subject. 



Thinking my house combines convenience, econ- 

 omy, and good taste, to some little extent, 1 place 

 the within plan at your disposal. It is built one and 

 a half stories in height, and very nearly upon the 

 within plan. I am now erecting the wood-house, 

 &c. The main building is 28 by 24 feet ; wing, 20 

 by 18 ; wood-house, &c., 20 by 26. It is bricked 

 between the studs, lined with inch boards, and clap- 

 boarded. The wood-house and b.ick kitchen are to 

 be boarded up and down, and ba.tened with inch 

 stuff. Walls of the lower rooms are mostly hard- 

 finished. Painted inside and out. The cellar extends 

 under the whole house. A very large cistern in the 

 cellar, directly under the pantry and bed-room, with 

 a stop-cock to draw water into the cellar, which, 

 being filtered, is used for dairy purposes. The 

 cellar bottom is plastered with water-lime. The 

 house is well and substantially built, and cost, in- 

 cluding board and team work, about $625. The 



