--^ 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



(James W. Gamble, Hillsboro, Ohio.) We like 

 much your proposed plan of discussing with your 

 neiglibors the various articles of the Farmer. We 

 should like to hear how far they accord with your 

 experience, &c. 



We do not know whether yoii can raise enough 

 carrots from an acre to purchase twice the amount 

 of corn the "Squire" can raise on an acre, with 

 only oae-third extra cost, but we do know, how- 

 ever, that you can raise a crop of carrots at much 

 less cost of the valuable ingredients of the soil, 

 than in raising a large crop of corn, from the fact 

 that corn destroys ammonia during its growth 

 while carrots do not. 



Of the relative value of turnips, carrots, and 

 beets, we have not experimental means of know- 

 ing; theory, however, indicates that 100 lbs. of 

 hay are equal to 885 lbs. of turnips, 38S lbs. of 

 carrots, and 669 lbs. of white Silesian beet. 



Mr. G. wishes to know the best method of rais- 

 ing parsnips. Will some of our experienced cul- 

 tivators give us their views. 



(J. M. Ceosier, Little Prairie, Wis.) Thorn 

 Hedges. — Place your seed in a " rot pit," or in a 

 hole in the ground ; mix them with a little soil 

 and let them lay there till the spring of 1854; 

 then sow in drills, &c. They will not germinate 

 the first year. 



(Nathan Veatch, Bladensburg, Ohio.) Woeks 

 ON Ageicultueal Chemistry. — There are several 

 good works for you. Norton's Elements would 

 perhaps please you best ; it is plain and practical, 

 and applies chemit'al principles to American agri- 

 culture. It should be in the hands of every 

 farmer. Johnston's Agricultural Chemistry is a 

 most valuable work ; perhaps the most thorough 

 we have on the subject. BoussingaulC s Rural 

 Economy is the best work extant. It embodies the 

 results of some thiry years laborious experiment- 

 ing on a large farm devoted to this especial 

 object, and is deserving of much more attention 

 than it has hitherto received. lAchixJs Agricul- 

 tural Chemistry is an interesting and most popu- 

 lar work. It has perhaps done more good in 

 calling the attention of chemists to agriculture, 

 and agriculturists to the value of chemistry — in 

 leading farmers to experiment in the field in con- 

 junction with the chemist in his laboratory — than 

 all other works on the subject. 



Ltquid Manurk Tank. — Wliich is tho best and cbeapest 

 meansof oatoirmfj \'u\\\u\ manuro, in a vat or cist'Tii? How 

 largo shoulil it hv to liold tlio liquid of 16 (•o\vs during win- 

 ter, and what would it cost? Stei'Uen Landon. — Ene 

 Center, Erie Co., N. Y. 



Will some of our readers be kind enough to 



answer the above. 



Fatting Cattle. — I should like to hear, through the 

 columns of the Farmer, the best mode of fatting cattle — 

 how much exercise, if any V — what quantity of drink on dry 

 feed, or on roots ? Yourself, or some practical farmer, can 

 g-ive us some information respecting it. J. T. Eobbins. — 

 MayciUe, Cliaut. Co., N. Y. 



In fatting animals, the less exercise permitted 

 the better. Exercise is doubtless necessary to 

 insure the health of all animals; but we must 

 recollect that fatting is, in itself, an abnormal 

 condition, that all animals, rapidly accumiilating 

 fat, are more or less diseased. The celebrated 

 breeder, Bakewell, understood this fact, and was 

 in the habit of turning his sheep into marshy 

 meadows for the purpose of getting them diseased. 

 In such a condition they matured earlier and laid 

 on fat with surprising rapidity. 



Salt is good for all animals, and probably is, in 

 some form or other, necessary to health ; but we 

 know that salt is not good for fatting animals, and 

 should never be given if the object be the accu- 

 mulation of fat. Experiment agrees with theory 

 on tliis point. We recollect when conducting 

 some extensive experiments on sheep, a practical 

 friend urged us to give them salt, assuring us that 

 his sheej) did much better with than without salt 

 The sheep on which we were experimenting were 

 doing well at the time, averaging about 2 lbs. in- 

 crease each per week. To please our friend, we 

 gave the sheep salt, of which they partook freely, 

 but in the fortnight during which they were 

 allowed salt, every sheep lost weight. We would 

 give them as much water as they would drink ; 

 if fed roots, they will require, and will drink less. 



In fatting animals, perhaps, the most import- 

 ant point is to obtain such as are well calculated, 

 from breed, disposition, and symmetry, to mature 

 early and fatten rapidly ; then keep them warm, 

 (be careful they are not too warm and that they 

 do not perspire) quiet, ^and clean. Feed them 

 regularly and let their food be highly nitrogenous, 

 with sufiieient available non-nitrogenous matter 

 united with the required bulk. See December 

 number, page 334. 



Sun Flower Sked. — Are sun flower seeds good for poul- 

 try V and at what times, and in what quantities, are they 

 good for fattening in the coop? Would I heir use prove 

 injurious in any way ? J. W. N. — Eurtal, Pa. 



HORTICULTURAL. 



(n. S., Meredith, N. Y.) J3jtsh Alpine Straw- 

 berries may be propagated by division of tiie 

 plants, but (he better way is to raise tlicm from 

 seed. 



Walnuts tuny be ])rofitubly grown where sap- 

 lings sell so well, and are likely to increase in 



