250 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



FEB. 7, 1844. 



FOURTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING AT 

 THE STATE HOUSE— Jan. SO. 



The suliject under discussion was " The Man- 

 ngeineut of Slock, as relates to the general care 

 and feeding." 



Hon. Josiah Quincy, Jr. occupied tlie chair. 

 The meeting was not so fully attended as were the 

 [irevious ones, occasioned, no doubt, liy the very 

 severe weather. 



Mr Cole, of the Cultivator, commenced the dis- 

 cussion, and occupied about thirty minutes. His 

 remarks opened a wide field, embracing many sub- 

 jects which would aflord abundant matter for many 

 evenings' consideration. He considered the sub- 

 ject a fruitful one, and could only glance at some 

 few particidars connected with it. And first, of 

 neat stock. The ox, he thought of more impor- 

 tance to the farmer than any other animal ; he 

 was far more useful and necessary than the horse, 

 notwithstanding he is not so swift. The horse bet- 

 ter subserved the pleasure of man, but the ox was 

 valuable for his great strength, as well as for other 

 good properties in which the horse is deficient. 

 One great objection to the ox was his slow tnove- 

 ment, which he thought might be in a measure as- 

 cribed to his training : that he miglit be educated 

 to travel much faster. In England, and in this 

 country, the ox was accustomed to travel very 

 slow ; but in Africa he would move at the rate of 

 from three to five miles per hour, with ease. He 

 was also very sagacious, and could be trained like 

 a shepherd's dog. 



He then spoke of raising calves, in which he had 

 some experience. He said it was the general prac- 

 tice to let thetn suck until the time of weaning, but 

 he thought it better to feed them with porridge 

 made with skimmed milk thickened vvitli Indian 

 meal, which he thought better than new milk. On 

 weaning calves that are permitted to suck the cow, 

 they are ajit to fall nfl^, and do not recover till fall ; 

 but when fed on porridge, the change to grass does 

 not aflfect them so injuriously. They should be 

 fed ivith clover and grass as soon as they are dis- 

 jiosed to eat green food. In some few cases, calves 

 thus treated might be troubled with the scours, but 

 this would be cured or i)revented by giving them 

 fresh earth, lime or chalk ; rennet was also very 

 good, when put in their food. Some make use of 

 i'ood made of flaxsee<l, by taking one quart of flax- 

 seed and six quarts of water, which forms a jelly, 

 and given without milk. He said one farmer in 

 England, raised 55 calves in this way, and all did 

 well : the expense of flaxseed to each calf was only 

 about 18 cents. Whey has also been used with 

 success instead of skimmed milk. 



In wintering calves, more attention is requisite 

 the first winter than those succeeding, and more 

 care is necessary to keep them in good condition. 

 They should have good coarse hay and roots, ajid 

 he recommended the practice of keeping them 

 with sheep. The cheep will eat the fine part of 

 the bay, while the calves will pick out the coarse, 

 and they will not be endangered in tlnir conipany 

 as they will be when permitted to run among the 

 large cattle ; nor will ihey he troubled with lice, 

 as the wool of sheep is offensive to these vermin. 



Cattle should be kept warm in the winter : it is 



essential to their comfort, health, and thrift, espe- 

 cially for milch cows, and a great saving of food 

 as every observing farmer well knows. Cattle 

 will eat more fodder in very cold weather: in case 

 of a sudden change to warm, they will not eat 

 more than four-fit'ths they did before the change. 

 He tliought the best method was to have a cellar 

 under the barn, but not an open one, or if it was, 

 there should be a double floor under the cattle. It 

 had been found by experiment that a tight barn 

 would keep hay best. The cow-house should be 

 kept so tight that water would hardly freeze in it. 

 He would not have cattle kept continually in a 

 warm barn, but turn them out every day for air 

 and exercise, in the morning and evening : the 

 house should be bo constructed that fresh air could 

 be freely admitted when necessary, as it is injuri- 

 ous to all animals to breathe impure air. 



As to watering cattle, various modes were prac- 

 ticed : some turn them out at ten o'clock, and then 

 again at night, to drink ; but this he thought a bad 

 practice, as by remaining 17 or 18 hours without 

 drink, they became exceedingly thirsty, and would 

 take so much as to injure them, and make them 

 more susceptible to the cold. He thought it a 

 good plan to carry a little water to them after they 

 had eaten their supper in the evening: they 

 should also be turned out to drink in the morning 

 after Ihey have eaten a part of their breakfast, and 

 then tied np again. 



In feeding, there were some that practiced the 

 course of giving a constant supply, or to give it 

 whenever they were disposed to eat ; but he thought 

 it a better practice to feed twice in the morning 

 and twice at night, with some coarse fodder at 

 noon. 



As to cutting fodder, most persons considered it 

 a good plan, as in this way much coarse fodder 

 can be worked np, which would otherwise be lost, 

 and very few object to this mode. Mr Bloodgood, 

 of New York, kept 20 horses six months on cut 

 feed at two-thirds the cost when kept on uncut the 

 same time. Mr Sheldon, of Beverly, in keeping a 

 stock of 51 head of cattle, considered that 600 lbs. 

 of cut fodder was equal to 1000 lbs. uncut ; that 

 be made ,i great gain in the quantity of milk : from 

 S,5 cows at the rate of (i gallons per day. 



Rlost farmers find it profitable to feed out roots 

 of various kinds to their stock, which are found 

 conducive to their health. He knew of two horses 

 kept on rnta baga and stubble, without grain, that 

 worked every day and kept in good condition. 

 Roots were considered good for cows, particularly 

 when in milk. 



As to cooking food for cuttle, he thought there 

 was but little advantage to he derived from it. 

 The corn fed to cattle he thought it advisable to 

 grind up with the cob, ns being lighter and more 

 economical than when shelled and ground without 

 the cob. 



When cattle are fed on green food, they require 

 more salt than when kept on hay. Some put too 

 much salt on their hay, which though greedily de- 

 voured by the animals, was injurious. Salt should 

 be so placed that it niny at all times be accessible 

 to the cattle. 



Corn fodder, whether green or dry, he considered 

 as very valuable, and good for milch cows. 



In soiling cattle, a cow may be kept on one-half 

 acre of lanil, while it would take three or more 

 acres to pasture one. A Mr (lowen, near Phila- 

 delphia, kept 20 cows on 3 or 4 acres, about four 

 months, until they were turned into the mowing. 



In constructing stables for horses, it is impi 

 tant that the stalls should be so situated as to ; 

 ford them pure air: the stables generally are bu 

 without any regard to this important consideratici 

 He thought the horses' heads should, when tied 

 be towards the barn floor; that ihoy should not 

 permitted to stand on a floor, but on earth or ti, 

 as floors are bad for their feet. 



As to sheep, they should be pastured on hi' 

 lands. He thought it was not necessary that thi 

 should be water in the pasture for them, as th 

 fed in the morning when the dew was on. It w 

 however, necessary that they should have waters 

 the winter, 



Mr Rolibins inquired how old a calf should 

 when taken from the cow ? 



Mr Cole replied that they should be taken aw 

 when two days old, and be first fed with milk fr 

 the cow, then with porridge for six or eight da 

 when clover and grass might be gradually give 

 pure earth, mixed with ashes or salt, should be g 

 en to prevent the scours. 



Mr Dodge said that in undertaking to educ; 

 calves, he found some difficulty in learning th 

 to drink milk, until a hired mon in his employ fr 

 the country, told of a way he had been accuston 

 to, which was, to have a leather cot in the shape 

 a teat, which they will readily suck, which mi; 

 be fastened to the bottom of the trough in wh 

 their food is deposited. Mr Dodge had brou) 

 them np with skim milk with very little new m 

 and they throve very well upon it. The cab 

 would take hold of the cot when one day old. 



He had much difficulty with his cows in calvi 

 time, and had sometimes lost a cow in the sprir 

 they would lose their weathers, take cold and < 

 He supposed the trouble might be attributed par 

 to a cold barn yard, for since he put up a shed p 

 tecting the yard from the cutting winds, he 1 

 been more successful. 



Mr Child, of Conway, inquired how cattle coi 

 be made tQ eat the whole of the stubs of ci 

 stalks. 



Mr Cole replied that if the stalks were lar, 

 they can be cut with a machine, so that the gre: 

 er part would be consumed. 



Mr Merriam, of Auburn, stated that his mode 

 proceeding in raising calves, did not vary esse 

 tially from that of the gentleman who first spol 

 His method was to take the calf from the Ci 

 when two or three days old. He had no difficu] 

 in learning them to drink : first he gave new mi 

 then porridge made of skim milk, and sometin 

 fed them with whey. He then fed them with I 

 dian meal, and afterwards on fine hay, then he 

 them pick their own feed ; he also gave them br! 

 with a proportion of salt. In this way his calv 

 always did well ; and in the fall they looked »■ 

 and made good cattle. He found this plan beti 

 than any other. The first year ho put them wi 

 the sheep — in winter ho fed them on corn fodd 

 &c., and in spring on beans, peas, &c. With i 

 gard to oxen, he kept them on hay, summer a 

 winter. He had not been in the habit of cutti 

 fodder till this winter; his horses ate too rnuc 

 and he found that by cutting the fodder he sav 

 much. Ho cut all his feed fur his stock, exceptii 

 for his sheep and calves. With his cut feed - 

 mixes in his meal (corn and cob ground togetht 

 at the rate of three quarts each for his oxen, ai 

 one pint for his cows per day ; and to his youi 

 cattle nothing but dry feed. In this way he wor 

 up all his straw and corn fodder. He also spol 



