292 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



MARCH 13, 1S4 



For ilie New England Farmer. 



FARMERS' SONS. 



Mb Editor — The course pursued by farmers' 

 sons in leavinnf their homes to engny:cin other em- 

 ploymenls, is often deprecated bv writers for the 

 agrrcultrral press, as unwise and unnecessary. In 

 some cases it is so. If they are led to this step 

 principally from motives of pride, influenced by 

 the preposterous idea that the labor of cultivating 

 the earth is degrading, it is reprehensible and un- 

 worthy : — if, on the contrary, they leave the pater- 

 nal homestead for the purpose of accuinulatinn 

 means in some more lucrative business, to enable 

 them at some future day to return to their homes 

 and settle down for lile on the acres that may be 

 apportioned them, then the motive and the mea3iire 

 are alike worthy and commendable, and scj far 

 from being censured, should be encourat;ed. 



It is impossible, absolutely impossible, for a 

 young man of spirit and enterprise, to be contented 

 with drudging all his youthful days on the farm, 

 ■with no Btinmlua to exertion and no hope to cheer 

 him, but the certainty of a mere living, in a stale 

 of dependency : and equally impossible is it, as a 

 general thing, fur farmers to give their eons more 

 encouragement than this to renitiin at home. Few 

 farmers, comparatively, have bank deposites to 

 draw upon at pleasure, other than those in trust of 

 mother earth. 



It is quite impossible, where there are several 

 sons, and the parents in humble circumstances, 

 that they can have the prospect of " settling down 

 in life" any thing like independently, with a part- 

 ner to share their sorrows and increase their joys 



it is quite impossible they can have the prospect of 

 being thus desirably circumstanced, while they re- 

 main at home to delve on the farm, year in and 

 year out, with no income accruing upon which 

 they can depend for the means to give them a 

 comfortable "setting out" in life at a future period. 

 They leave their homes, (no doubt reluctantly,) en- 

 gage in some business in the city or manufacturing 

 village, and, after a few years, if frugal and virtu- 

 ous in their habits, they return to the home of their 

 childhood, with the means to enable them to farm 

 it on their "own hook" — or, perhaps, they take 

 the management of the homestead in their own 

 hands, and give their aged parents a respite from 

 labor, and administer to their wants and promote 

 their comfort in their declining years. Such a 

 course is worthy of all praise, and parents should 

 encourage rather than discountenance it. 



For other motives which sometimes (and loo 

 often) lead the sons of farmers to quit the paternal 

 home — such as the silly " notion" that the farmer's 

 business is degrading; — or a desire to follow in the 

 wake of fashion's contemptible serfs, and ape that 

 disgusting embodiment of the ridiculous, the city 

 fop, — for such motives I have no other feelings 



than the most unqualified contempt and dislike, 



but, as they are entertained only by those who 

 have shallow heads or depraved hearts, it is not 

 worth the ink-shed to expose their folly or to show 

 their evil tendencies. Suffice it to say that, nine 

 cases in ten, the young man who leaves his home 

 under the influence of any such motives, turns out 

 in the end either a penniless " loafer" or a graceless 

 scoundrel. 



Farmers, young and old, teach your sons to de- 

 pend upon themselves,— ieocU Ihera that if they 

 would be prosperous and respected, they must bo 

 virtuous, — teach them to respect labor and to honor 



your occupation, — and, enforcing these precepts by 

 your own example, living you will behold your 

 children liappy, and dying you will leave ihem a 

 better patrimony than the treasures of Croesus. 



J. H. D. 



For tlie New England Fanner. 



MANAGEMENT OF COWS AFTER CALV- 

 ING. 



Mr Breck — I send you some observations on 

 the management of cows after calving. Perhaps 

 they are not worth much. If yoi; think so, dispose 

 of them accordingly. They are founded on the 

 experience of many years, 



It was the practice in my younger days, where 

 I was brought up, and it is with many atthe pres- 

 ent time, to give the cow the bitstiyigs, or first 

 drawn milk after calving. It was uniformly the 

 case that the cow lost her appetite, so that she 

 would eat but very little for many days: conse- 

 quently, a very rapid loss of flesh ensued. It was 

 attributed to over feeding, — (the feeding should be 

 light for three or four days after calving,)— which 

 might have been the cause in some instances, but 

 not generally. When I commenced farming, I 

 did as many others have done, and for the same 

 reason, viz: because " father did so," not knowing 

 any other way. I gave my cows the first drawn 

 milk after calving, and there was the same appa- 

 rent indisposition and loss of appetite. I tended 

 my cows myself, and knew this could not be caused 

 by over feeding. The question then was, what 

 could be the cause .' At last, because I could 

 think of no better reason, I concluded it must be 

 the biestings. The practice was immediately dis- 

 continued; and for thirty years, no cow of mine 

 has had biestings given her ; and in no instance 

 has one failed of eating a proper quantity. 



Within the last year, there has one case come 

 to my knowledge, which goes to confirm my opin- 

 ion on this subject. A man who had a very valua- 

 ble cow, gave her, after calving, the biestings. 

 His cow was soon after taken sick, and finally died. 

 He opened and examined her, and found that the 

 milk had gone into (what are called) the many folds, 

 and caused them to stick so closely together that 

 nothing could pass ; and it was his opinion that 

 the milk given, and that only, caused the death of 

 his cow. 



It is a practice with some, to let the calf remain 

 with the cow several days after birth, especially if 

 the cow's bag is swoJien, — as if pounding a cow's 

 bag when swollen hard and feverish, would be 

 good for it. A more effectual way to make a cow's 

 bag swell, could not be taken ; because, in addi- 

 tion to the calf's pounding with its liead, the cow 

 will give little or no more milk than the calf will 

 take: she liolds up the remainder, which causes 

 the bag to swell. So my cows did, when I prac- 

 ticed in that way, — but perhaps they were singular. 



The above is one reason why my calves for 

 raising are taken from the cow young. The cow's 

 bag, if out of order, gets in order much sooner by 

 this course, than it will if the calf is permitted to 

 suck longer. LOVETT PE lERS 



Jfestboro', Feb. 22, 1844. 



Guide Boards. — Some writer says that such is 

 the veneration of the New England people for guide 

 boards, that they leave them untouched for years 

 after they cease to be of any service. 



SPRING WORK. 



There is no season of the year in which ener 

 activity, and good calculation is more requi 

 than the present. Animals of all kinds, yoi 

 and old, and particularly those intended for lal 

 demand increased care and attention. Marc 

 one of the most trying months for animals, as t 

 are, as the saying is, " between hay and gra: 

 and loo often the supply of cither they can obt 

 is barely sufficient to support life. If farn 

 would consider the much greater quantity of c 

 a cow will yield in a season that is in good coi 

 tion in the spring, than one that has " beei 

 lift" through March or April, we are confii 

 there would not be so many skeleton cows on 

 farms as there now is. If too, they would for 

 moment reflect that a large part of an onin 

 power of draft lies in his weight, and that wi 

 this is wanting, and the whole is thrown on n 

 cular exertion, the animal must soon give » 

 they would feel the necessity of having their w, 

 ing stock, horses or cattle, at this season, in g 

 heart, their flesh sound and durable ; and we shi 

 be spared the mortification of seeing so many ] 

 and miserable teams in the field, at a time n 

 all should be life and activity. To work well 

 animal must be kept well ; and the work, in i 

 cases out of ten will be found best done, wl 

 the teams are in the best condition. You m 

 as well expect that an Asiatic team, of a jac 

 and a woman yoked together, would break up 

 ground to the proper depth, as that a pair of sc 

 crow horses or oxen can do it. Nerer under 

 to see on how little food your teams can sub 

 No better criterion is needed of the nature c 

 man's cultivation of his grounds, than is affoi 

 by his animals ; and he who starves them, 

 soon find his land will starve him. At this seai 

 of the year sheep require much attention, and 

 well repay it. Sheep are among our most pro-i 

 ble animals, and on the whole, require less i| 

 than most others ; if the little they demanc 

 given at the proper time. Look out for the la 

 and the weak ones of the flock, and do not suff 

 drove of hardy weathers to pick over and traii 

 upon the fodder, before the ewes and lambs 

 get a taste. 



It 18 an important point in commencing wor 

 the spring, that every implement necessary sin 

 be at hand, and in first rate condition, when v 

 ted. The good farmer has his house for his I 

 implements, as well as for himself or his stock, 

 is careful that all shall be put in their placf 

 fast as the season throws them out of use. In 

 winter, all are carefully examined, and the iie 

 sary repairs are made. The farmer who per 

 this work to pass until the implements are wai 

 in the field, will find he must lose many valu 

 hours, if not days, at a time when one, if lot 

 with difficulty overtaken. 



There is a very great fault among the farn 

 and we feel justified in reprobating it in sti 

 terms, because we have been sometimes guilt 

 it ourselves ; and th.it is, laying out more i 

 than can be done by the force on the farm, tir 

 and properly ; and experience has convince 

 that if work cannot be done as it should be, 

 better not to meddle with it at all. Never is 

 fault more observable, or more injurious, thai 

 putting in the crops of the season. There 

 some culiivated plants, which we may be cer 

 will not mature unless the seeds are in the gro 

 at about such a time — a time, it is true var; 



