NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



n 



-Fium llu Phugk Boi/. 



F.iTTIXG CATTLE. 

 Mr. UoMEsprfi, 



1 have lately rend an es:;ay of Mr. Landon, ot" 

 Conneclicnt, on what he deems the clieapest 

 method of preitarinsr cattle for tlje stall, the sub- 

 stance of which is here arivcn. 



In the winter of 1817, Mr. L. fatted an ox, and 

 a heifer, in a way that he found cheaper than 

 even conimon keeping. He fatted the heifer 

 first. Her food for the purpose was chopped 

 straw, scalded and seasoned with salt, to which 

 was a<lded a little meal of Indian corn and oats, 

 and a small allowance of oil cake, or boiled -flax- 

 jtpcd — I lie whole mixed up so as to form a mash. 

 Of this about three pecks was given at a time. 

 In fatting the heifer, she only eat a bushel of 

 boiled flax-seed. Some boiled hay was also giv- 

 en her. The ox was afterwards fatted in pretty 

 much the same manner, as nearly as we are a- 

 ble to understand the report of the two cases ; 

 for Mr. L. appears to have been more of an 

 adept in fatting, than in describing the manner 

 with clearness and precision. According to this 

 account, however, it appears that his protits in 

 pursuing this mode were very uncommon, and he 

 says that the tatting of these cattle aftbrded him 

 more clear profit than he had derived from all 

 the cattle he had ever before fatted. It would 

 seem, indeed, that he considerably more than 

 doubled the price of his cattle in fatting' them, 

 and that the expensfe of it was very inconsider- 

 able. 



This being the usual time for commencing 

 the business of fatting for the winter store, 1 

 have thought proper to exhibit the plan of Mr. 

 L. from a belief that it is excellently adapted 

 Tor falling cattle with the least expense. It will 

 readily be perceived, however, that the fall pas- 

 ure is calculated to obviate the expense of us- 

 ng boiled hay ; but I have no doubt that when 

 jood hay is steam-boiled, which may be done 

 ivith a little expense, it is just as nutritious for 

 ;attle as when in its green state. 



A PLOUGH BOY. 



FARMER'S CAPITAL. 

 There is, perhaps, nothing; in which o\vc farmers 

 nore frequently irr than in undertaking; to extend 

 their farming; operations beyond the reach of their 

 means. The following remarks from Sir John Sin- 

 clair's Code of Ag;ricultnre, though written for Great 

 Britain, will apply to this country, with such varia- 

 tions, and allowances for circumstances, as the g;ood 

 sense of the practical farmer will not fail to sug;g;est. 



It is indispensable for the success of every 

 undertaking, that a sufficient capital to carry it 

 on, should be at command ; and for that of farm- 

 ing in particular. When there is any deficiency 

 with respect to that important particular, the 

 fanner cannot flcrive sufficient prolit from his 

 exertions ; for he may often be obliged to dis- 

 pose of his crops at an under value, to procure 

 ready money ; or he may be prevented from 

 purchasmg the articles he may require, though 

 a favorable op|)ortunity may present itself. An 

 industrious, frugal and intelligent farmer, who 

 is pnnct\inl in his pa^'mcnts, and hence in good 

 credit, will strive with m^my difficulties, and get 

 on with less money, than a man of a different 

 character. But if he has not sutlicient stock to 

 work his lands properly ; — nor sufficiency of 

 cattle to raise manure ; — nor money to purchase 

 Ihe articles he ought to possess, he must, under 

 ijrdiaary circumstances, live in a state of poiiury 



and hard labor; and on the tii-st unfavorable 

 season, or other incidental misfortune, he will 

 probalily sink under the weight of his accumu- 

 lated hurdons. In general, farmers are apt to 

 begin with too small a capital. Thev arc de- 

 sirous of taking large farms, without possessing 

 the moans to cultivate them. This is a great 

 error ; lor it makes many a person poor upon a 

 large farm, who might live in comfort, and ac- 

 quire property upon a small one. No tenant 

 can be secure without a surplus at command, 

 not only for defraying the common expences of 

 labor, but in case any untoward circumstance 

 should occur. When a farmer, on the other 

 hand, farms within his capital, he is enabled to 

 embrace every favorable opportunity of buying 

 with advantage, while he is not compelled it' the 

 markets are low, to sell with loss. 



The amount of capital required, must depend 

 upon a variety of circumstances ; as 1. Wheth- 

 er it is necessary for the farmer to expend any 

 sum in the erection, or in the repair of his farm- 

 house and offices ; 2. What sum an incoming 

 tenant has to pay to his predecessor, for the 

 straw of the crop, the dung left upon the farm, 

 and other articles of a similar nature ; 3. The 

 condition of the form at the commencement of 

 lease, and whether any sums must be laid out in 

 drainage, enclosure, irrigation, levelling ridges, 

 &c. ; 4. Whether it is necessary to purchase 

 lime, or other extraneous manures, and to what 

 extent ; 5. On the term of entry, and the peri- 

 od at which the rent becomes payable, as this is 

 sometimes exacted, before there is any return 

 from the lands out of the actual produce of which 

 it ought to be paid ; and, lastly on its being 1. a 

 grazing, or 2. an arable farm, or 3. a mixture of 

 both. 



1. Grazing Farms. — In pasture districts, the 

 common mode of estimating the amount of cap- 

 ital necessary, is according to the amount of 

 the rent ; and it is calculated, that in ordinary 

 pastures, every farmer ought to have at his 

 command, from three to five times the rent he 

 has agreed to pay. But in the more fertile 

 grazing districts, carrying stock worth from 30/. 

 to 40/. per acre, (as is the case in many parts of 

 England,) five rents are evidently insufficient. 

 When prices are high, ten rents will frequently 

 be required, by those who breed superior stock, 

 and enter with spirit, into the new field of spec- 

 ulation and enterprise. 



2. Arable farms. — The capital required by 

 an arable farmer, varies, according to circum- 

 stances, from 4/. As. to 10/. or 12/. per English 

 acre. An ignorant, timid, and penurious farmer 

 lays out the least sum he can possibly contrive ; 

 and thence obtains the smallest produce or pro- 

 fit, from his farm. These, however, will al- 

 ways increase, when accompanied by skill, spir- 

 it and industry, in proportion to the capital em- 

 ployed, if judiciously expended. At the same 

 time, attention and economy cannot be dispens- 

 ed with. It is ill-judged to purchase a horse at 

 sixty guineas, where one worth thirty can ex- 

 ecute the labor of the farm ; or to lay out sums 

 in expensive harness, loaded with unnecessary 

 ornaments. Prudent farmers also, who have 

 not a large capital at command, when they com- 

 mence business, often purchase some horses still 

 fit for labour though past their prime, and some 

 breeding mares, or colts ; and in five or six 

 years, they are fully supplied with good stock, 

 and can sometimes sell their old horses without 



mucii loss. In every case such shifts must be 

 resorted to, where there is a deficiency of caijw 

 ital. ^ ' 



.3. A mixture of Arable and Grass Farming.-^ 

 This, on the whole, is the most profitable nieth- 

 od of farming. Independently of the advanta- 

 ges derived from the alternate husbandry, (which 

 are always considerable,) the chances of profit 

 are much more numerous, from a varied system, 

 than where one object is exclusively followed. 

 Where this mixed mode of farming is practised, 

 the farmer will frequently rely on the purchase 

 of lean stock, instead of breeding his own ; and 

 derives great advantage, from the quickness 

 with which capital thus employed is returned. 

 But, in that case, much must depend upon judi- 

 cious selection. 



It is not necessary to enter into any detailed 

 estimates of the capital required for stocking 

 arable or mixed farms, as they have been al- 

 ready detailed in former publications. In gen- 

 eral it may be said, that to stock a turnip land 

 arable farm, will require, at this time, from 5i. 

 to 6/, and a clay land farm from 11. to 8/. per 

 English acre. 



This capital is necessarily divided into two 

 parts. The one is partly expended on imple- 

 ments, or stock of a more or less perishable na- 

 ture, and partly vested in the soil ; for this the 

 farmer is entitled to a certain annual gain, ade- 

 quate to replace, within a given number of 

 years, the sum thus laid out. The other is em- 

 ployed in defraying tlie necessary charges of la- 

 bor, &.C. as they occur throughout the year ; 

 the whole of which should be replaced by the 

 yearly produce. These two branches of ex- 

 pense on a farm, arc the first to be attended to, 

 both in order of time, and magnitude of amount. 



The most satisfactory statement hitherto giv- 

 en, of the profit derived from the expenditure 

 of an adequate capital in arable farming, is that 

 furnished by George Rennie, Esq. of Phantassie, 

 in East Lothian. On a mixed soil of 702 Eng- 

 lish acres, he states the profits at 1/. 5s. an acre, 

 or about 1 4 per cent, on the capital employed. On 

 this subject it has been well observed, that un- 

 less something commensurate to their skill, cap- 

 ital, and industry, is made by intelligent and in- 

 dustrious farmers, it would injure both the pro- 

 prietors of land and the public. Adventurers 

 who possess but little capital, would occupy the 

 farms, probably at too high rents ; they would 

 exhaust the soil, instead of improving it ; and 

 while the rapacious landlord would be pnnished 

 the public would suffer. 



From the importance of capital to the farmer, 

 it is evident, that where he unites prudence to 

 energy, it would be of very great utility, to en- 

 able him to procure the use of capital, on as easy 

 terms, as the manufacturer or the merchant. He 

 ought to gain from 10 to 15 per cent, on the 

 capital he lays out. He can easily therefore 

 pay 5 per cent, for the money he may have oc- 

 casion to borrow. As the best means of enabling- 

 him to give adequate security, it has been sug- 

 gested, that the farmer shall have the power of 

 sub-letting his farm, or assigning his lease, al- 

 ways securing a preference to the landlord on 

 equal terms. A prudent farmer, of respectable 

 character, would in that case, never want credit 

 when necessary ; and his difiiculties regarding 

 capital would in a great measure be done away. 

 If this .system were encouraged by liberal pro- 

 prietors, persons possessed of ardent minds, <ind 



