18 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



the large fruits, such as are grown in our orchards, may 

 be profitably cultivated for feeding our domestic animals. 

 Sweet apples have been especially recommended for fat- 

 tening swine, and when fed to cows they increase the flow 

 of milk, or produce fat according to the condition of these 

 animals. Think of the luxury of eating apple-fed pork ! 

 Why, even the strict Rabbi might overcome his preju- 

 dices against such swine flesh ! And then dream of enjoy- 

 ing the luxury of fresh rich milk, yellow cream, and golden 

 butter, from your winter dairy, instead of the sky-blue 

 fluid, and the pallid, or anotto-tinted, but insipid butter, 

 resulting from the meager supplies of nutriment contained 

 in dry hay and fibrous, woody cornstalks. Now this is 

 not unreasonable nor ridiculous. Orchards have been 

 planted with a succession of sweet apples that will sus- 

 tain swine in a state of most perfect health, growing and 

 flattening simultaneously from June to November ; and 

 the later varieties may be cheaply preserved for feeding 

 stock of all kinds during the winter, when they will be 

 best prepared by steaming, and may be fed with the great- 

 est advantage. Our farmers do not appreciate the benefits 

 of having green food for their animals during the winter 

 season. Being blessed with that royal grain, the Indian 

 corn, they do not realize the importance of the provision 

 of roots which is so great a feature in British husbandry ; 

 but they have yet to learn, and they will learn, that for us, 

 and under our conditions of labor and climate, they can 

 do still better, and produce still greater results with a 

 combination of hay or straw, corn meal and apples, all 

 properly prepared by means of steam or hot water. Be- 

 sides, such orchards may be advantageously planted in 



