THE GEKESEE FAR^CER. 



principally made cheaper on apples than on grain; 

 or, perhaps, than in any other way. If apples are 

 so profitable for stock purposes, it may be asked, 

 why do not people engage more extensively in their 

 culture? I answer, because the subject is not 

 generally uudei-stood. I look to the time in great 

 confidence, at no distant period, when large orchards 

 of the finest, apples will be planted for stock raising, 

 and with the greatest profit to the planter. 



I have put the period of an orchard coming into 

 bearing at ten years old, but trees will bear profit- 

 able crops long before that time. I have trees 

 planted four years ago, that bore this season, and I 

 hope to get a smart crop from them next year. 

 The subject has only to be brought before the 

 public in a right manner, to induce tJiem to engage 

 in it. People learn more by example than precept. 

 Wben they see the matter tested by demonstration, 

 they will then act. I will remark that orchards, 

 to remain in good bearing aud profitable condition, 

 must be well manured and cultivated. We can not 

 expect to be continually drawing the elements of 

 fertility [from the soil, and not replacing them, 

 without a failure of the trees and in the crops. 



<7/i««Ac/''s Store, Anderson Co., Ky. A. G. MULLINS. 



WOULD IT BE MOKE PEOFITABLE TO EAISE RYE 

 INSTEAD OF OATS FOR FEEDING 1 



I would say not, if the farmers will raise the 

 right kind of oats. We have here, in North Caro- 

 lina, the Egyptian oats. We sow them in Sep- 

 tember, and they stand the winter as well as rye, 

 and mature about the middle of June (about the 

 same time of seeding and harvesting as our rye). 



The Egyptian or winter oats are larger and 

 heavier than the common spring oats. You may 

 sow them on land that would not make more than 

 ten or twelve bushels of rye per acre, and you will 

 get from fifteen to twenty bushels of oats. The 

 oat straw will be better than that of the rye, and 

 equally as long. It may be the best plan to give 

 my remarks in two classes, (as I am writing more 

 for information than for a premium) : first, of rye; 

 second, of oats. 



In North Carolina, rye is but little raised any 

 more. It will not yield more than ten or twelve 

 bushels to the acre, according to the land. The 

 average is about twelve bushels to the acre, and 

 weighing fifty-six lbs. per bushel, worth eighty cents, 

 which is about nine dollars and sixty cents per 

 acre for grain. The rye straw makes good food 

 when cut, if it be cut very short ; but unless it is 

 well frailed in threshing, the straw is rather hard, 

 and rye straw never has as much fodder on in as 

 oat straw, which makes it less useful as a hay for 

 cattle. 



The Egyptian or winter oats are being raised by 

 most farmers in the southern .and middle counties of 

 North Carolina. They were introduced into this 

 (Stanly) county, by Dr. Crone, some eight years 

 since, and, instead of failing, as most new seeds do, 

 they improve and get better. They yield from 

 fifteen to forty bushels per acre, according to the 

 land, — a sure crop on any kind. They grow high 

 enough to save well on the poorest of land, where 

 the common spring oats would have to be pastured, 

 if saved at all. On good land, they grow from five 

 to seven feet high (and I have heard of some stalks 



nine feet), and have heads from ten to eighteen 

 inches long. These oats average about twenty-five 

 bushels to the acre, weigh forty-five lbs., and worth 

 sixty-five cents, thus making sixteen dollars and 

 twenty-five cents per acre for grain. The straw is 

 the best of food when cut and mixed with meal. 

 The straw is soft and has large blades, which 

 make it a good hay for cattle, and horses will eat 

 it from the rack more heartily than they will hay. 

 One bushel per .acre is seed enough to sow, and 

 some farmers have raised three crops from one 

 seeding, by plowing in the scattered heads, instead 

 of pasturing. Mr. Fisher says his crop for 1859, 

 which was tlie third from one time sowing, was 

 better than the first. The time and labor for 

 raising oats will not cost any more than that of 

 rye, and is much pleasanter work in harvest. The 

 farmer will make sixty-seven per cent in weight 

 per acre, by raising oats, and if for sale, seventy- 

 three per cent, in money. At the same time oat 

 straw is worth fifty per cent, more than rye straw 

 for food as a hay, and much better for cutting. 



If you think this will be of any advantage to 

 Northern farmers, you may publish it for their 

 benefit, and if they have mat got the Egyptian or 

 winter oats, I advise them to get some and try 

 them, for they are much better for feeding than 

 rye, and leave the land in better order to fallow 

 for corn, in this Southern country. 



Leo.. Stanli/ Co.. N. C. JOHN T. HOWELL. 



FEEDING CATTLE. 



" Is it better to feed cattle two or three times a day in winter?" 

 Three times. For, when cattle are turned into 

 good pasture, they soon eat their fill, and then 

 lie down to chew their cuds'. This they will do 

 from three to five times a day, if the weather be 

 cool and the flies do not trouble them. When 

 left to take their own course in the matter, they 

 act according to nature's teaching. By this we 

 may learn that they require feeding at least three 

 times each day. If fed but twice a day, they 

 must either be fed so much that a portion of their 

 food will be left lying before them after they are 

 satisfied ; or, if fed only as much as they will eat 

 up clean, they must sutler inconvenience from hun- 

 ger before the next feeding time. Cattle, when 

 ifed more than they can eat at once, leave the 

 coarser portions, and will not eat it until pressed 

 by want. Better feed five times a day than but 

 twice. Cleanliness and regularity are indespensa- 

 ble, let the feedings be few or many. 



M. GAENSET 



IS IT BEST TO HILL CORN, OR N0T1 



From my observations, I conclude that no par- 

 ticular advantage is gained by hilling corn, if the 

 ground could be as' thoroughly and easily stirred 

 without raising a hill. But the cultivator naturally 

 throws the dirt toward the plants, and it would 

 require labor to remove it. As corn has always 

 done well w4ien hilled, and, purhaps, as well when 

 not hilled, it strikes me that it is a question rather 

 of convenience than anything else. Make the soil 

 light and mellow to a great depth, by subsoiling or 

 underdraining, and there will be no trouble from ex- 

 cess of moisture in a wet time, whether hilled or not. 



Attica, JiT. T. ^L S tt 



