242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEBRUARY S 18 7. 



PATTENIKG ANI.IIAIiS. 



Tlie liigli pi'ice of grain tlin present season has 

 Uroiight tlie question home to the business and bo- 

 soms of farmers, whether merchantable grain of 

 anv kind can pmtitahly he used in fattening beef 

 or pork for sale. We think that it cannot ; and 

 we have no doubt the verdict of practical far- 

 mers will, in general, be with us, even when 

 the high prices of meat are taken into considera- 

 tion. 



The confessions of some of the most celebrated 

 dealers in cattle, in England, admit that where 

 cattie are purchased for fattening, and fed in the 

 most accurate and scientific manner, from the best 

 materials, that there is oftcner a loss than a gain 

 by the process ; and that most of the compen- 

 sation consists in the pleasure of seeing a number 

 of beautiful and stall-fed cattle. Where the pro- 

 cess of fattening in this country is carried on in 

 the same way, with merchantable grain, the re- 

 sult has, in general, been found very similar. — 

 Where the feeding has commenced on grass, been 

 carried on with roots, and tinislied with these, or 

 with meal, a handsome profit is frequently real- 

 ized by the feeder. 



So with pork. The farmer, who commences 

 with sound corn, and finishes with the same, as 

 he must, if he begins with it — will have, most 

 likely, good ])ork, but of a price which will more 

 than compensate for any superior excellence it 

 may possess. On the contrary, tho farmer who 

 allows his pigs a clover field, the gleanings of his 

 orchard, and the benefit of his dairy through the 

 summer, things that are worth little in themselves, 

 will find them, when the time arrives for fatten- 

 ing, well grown, and in good condition, in attain- 

 ing which two things, nearly one half the corn 

 given pigs, is usually consumed. In this state, 

 when put up, little of valuable food is lost in the 

 fattening ; but the peas, barley or corn, given them 

 ground or steamed, tells at once and perceptibly, 



Tiie introduction of the root culture, es|jecially 

 the ruta baga, has effected a comjilete revolution 

 in the manner and profits of fattening cattle among 

 farmers, who are widing to be taught by experi- 

 ence. The saving in time and expense given in 

 this way to tlte feeder, and the ra[)idity witl 



WINTER POOD P 'R SHEEP. 



Every farmer is aware, that one of the chief 

 difficulties in the raising and management of sheep 

 consists in preserving them through winter, with- 

 out disease or loss. Hence every fact or hint in 

 relation to their winter management becomes of 

 the first importance. It is indispensably neces- 

 sary that sheep shoirld be ke|)t in good Condition 

 in order to prevent disease ; and it is a secon- 

 dary point, yet one to which much attention 

 should be paid, to make use of the cheapest kinds 



I of foo.-i. 



J With regard to the quaniity and nature of food, 

 it should t^e such as to keep them in a .strong, 

 healthy stale, and rather full of flesh, yet not par- 

 taking too much ot/atiuss. T his good condition 

 even if maintained at considerably greater imme- 

 diate cost, will be found by far the most profita- 

 ble in the end ; for independently of the constant 

 danger of loss by death, when sheep are ill kept, 

 they shear much less wool, and the future proge- 

 ny is n)uch weaker, in consequence of such im- 

 perfect management. 



One of the most necessary requisites to be ob- 

 served is constant and regular feeding. Sudden 

 changes, from scanty to plentiful food, are highly 

 detrimental, as is also the reverse. Perha|)S the 

 only exception to this remark, is the case of ewes 

 rearing lambs, which require better feeding than 

 in ordinary times. 



The quality of the food is a thing of much con- 

 Sequence, and the quantity must be adapted to the 

 quality. It is sati.-<tactorily ascertained, that hay 

 alone, is not adapted to keeping sheep in the best 

 condition. Still less is it if they are not allowed 

 a constant supply of water. lint the intermixture 

 of roots, and particularly mangel wurtzel, is lound 

 to |)roduce an ex( client effect. A very successful 

 manager of sheep, whenever he feeds any kind of 

 roots, or grain, to them, first gives them a fodder- 

 ing of straw ia order to fill them, as he does not 

 consider the roots digest so well on an empty 

 stomach. Ill order to be able to projiortiou the 

 diflerent kinds of roots, grain, &c. according to 

 their nutritive qualities, it is necessary to know in 

 what i)rot)ortions those qualities exist in them re- 

 spectively. The following table exhibits the re- 



which fat will be taken on by the animal that eats [ suits of the experiments of the distinguished agri- 



freely, would surprise one who had not tried the 

 experiment. There existed at one time a sense- 

 less prejuilice against the ruta baga for fattening 

 cattle, gi-ounded on the assumption, that the roots 

 gave an unpleasant flavor to the beef. This no- 

 tion may still exist among those who have not 

 tried them, but twenty years experience in Eng- 

 land and in this country, has shown the fallacy of 

 such a supposition. 



We saw a small cow knocked down the other 

 day, that had been dried off late in autumn, put 

 into good clover feed f<jr a month, and then fed 

 with rutu baga for about the same time. She 

 would eat a bushel in live morning and another 

 in the evening; and had a supply of good hay 

 and salt, with occasionally a basket of soft corn in 

 the room of the turnips. Tlie beef was of a very 

 superior quality, and she gave 140 lbs. of tried 

 tallow. We do not mention tliis as any thing 

 extraordinary ; hut, since the turnips at the most 

 did not cost over six cents per bushel, it is evi- 

 dent the profits of this mode of feeding must be 

 much greater, as well as made far less trouble- 

 some, than that formerly practiced. — Genesee 

 Farmer. 



culturalist I>e Haumer, on the effects produced by 

 an equal quantity of several substances in increas 

 ing the flesh, tallow and wool of sheep. 



lbs. 



lbs 



lbs. 



1000 lbs. potatoes, raw, with 

 salt, 



do potatoes, without salt, 



do mangel wurtzel, raw, 



do wheat, 



do oats, 



do barley, 



do peas, 



do rye, with salt, 



do do without salt, 



do meal, wet, 



do buckwheat. 



do good hay, 



do hay with straw, without 

 other fodder, 

 These results agree with those of De Dombale, 

 and other agriculturists. — Genesee Far. 



Potato Bread. — "Seeing is believing;" as 

 says the old adage. And so is tasting, as all will 

 admit who try it. And if any one is in particu- 

 lar want of a subject to make the trial on, we ad- 

 vise him, especially if he has a family and can't 

 cheerfully pay fourteen dollars a barrel for f5our, 

 and nine shillings for corn, and twelve cents for 

 pork, to make trial of potato bread. " 15ah ! cries 

 one; "'tis heavy stuff — can't eat it any more 

 than I can eat lead." "Pooh !" says another ; "I 

 wouldn't eat potato bread — the poor may eat it, 

 who can get nothing else !" Friends, don't be 

 so fast. If you are not particularly circumspect, 

 you may eat it unawares ; for depend upon it, 

 you would be puzzled to tell it from bread made 

 entirely of flour. We speak from personal knowl- 

 edge. Our own "better half" has tried the ex- 

 periment, and succeeded to a charm. Somewhat 

 more than half of the bread was of potato, which 

 was crushed after being boiled, and mixed with 

 the flour. It rose quick, and when baked, came 

 out " as light as a feather," and sweet as the best 

 wheat. The experiment has also been tried in 

 the family of a friend, with a like result. We 

 say then, if any body wishes to live in a frugal 

 way and live well too, tug away at your )iotato 

 bin as much as at your flour barrel, nnd snap your 

 fingers at the speculators who would fill their 

 pockets at the expense of yours. 



P. S. Since writing the above, we have receiv- 

 ed fiom a friend, some very nice dough nuts, 

 made of potatoes and flour, half and half. Try 

 it. Ladies. — Franklin Mer. 



Top-PRF.ssiNG Grass Lands. — An iinportant 

 fact in regard to this matter, has been comini.mi- 

 cateil to us by an intelligent visitor, viz : that the 

 same quantity of manure is twice or thrice as ben- 

 eficial on young as it is on old meadow. Plants, 

 like animals, if stinted or half starved when young 

 seldom acquire great vigor or luxuriance after- 

 wards ; the organs of nutrition become adapted to 

 the early supply of food, and caimot be readily 

 enlarged, on its being increased in advanced age. 

 Hence the advantage of employing rich soils for 

 nurseries — of keeping young farm-stock well — 

 and of applying manures to young grass. A gen- 

 tleman top-dressed some grass lands at one, two, 

 and three years old, and he found the benefit to 

 the first, double what it was the second, and treble 

 that shown by the third. The hint is one of 

 some importance to husbandry, and we hope it 

 will be improved upon. The rule does hold good 

 in regard to animals. — Cult. 



31 



15.' 



61 



Notice on the Beet Sugar. — Mr J. H. But- 

 ler has published a compendious manual on tho 

 cultiu'eand preservation of the sugar beet, and the 

 mode of manufacturing sugar from it. We like 

 this " Notice," inasmuch as it is cheap, and any 

 body can buy it ; and its instructions are brief 

 and simple, and the results of experience. Far- 

 mers who intend to turn theirattentitm to the beet 

 culture, will find it aa assistant to their labors. It 

 was compiled by Air Church, of Northamjitou, 

 who has resided several years in France, and while 

 there gave particular attention to this branch of 

 industry. Mr C. is the gentleman who introdiiced 

 the steamboat into the (ieueva lake. — Franklin 

 Mercury. 



Honey and milk is very good for worms, so is 

 strong salt water. 



