1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



71 



the principle of draining, irrigation, subsoiling, 

 fallowing, tree raising, training of plants for or- 

 nament or use, or whatever else will beautify or 

 replenish the earth, and at the same time bless 

 mankind. 



The second summer the boys might obtain wa- 

 ges, and then earn something with their own hands 

 to aid in stocking their farm. For one or two 

 winters that succeed their summer labor, they 

 might pursue such studies as would have a dhect 

 bearing upon the cultivation of the soil, and make 

 themselves familiar with the theories or experien- 

 ces of those supposed to understand the matter bet- 

 ter than themselves. One v.-inter, however, should 

 be spent upon the farm where a good stock of 

 cattle is kept, so that a thorough knowledge of 

 the modes of winter feeding and tending of the 

 various kinds of stock should be gained. 



With a proper reading iip of the subject, as the 

 lawyer or the physician reads, and the experience 

 which we have already suggested, we believe a 

 young man may be better qualified to enter upon 

 and manage a farm, than by any other pracess 

 within our knowledge. 



UNITED STATES AGRICULTUIlAIi 

 SOCIETY. 



The Eighth Annual Meeting of the United 

 States Agricultural Society will be held in Wash- 

 ington city, at the Smithsonian Institute, Wednes- 

 day, the eleventh day of January, 1860. Other ag- 

 ricultural societies are invited to send delegates. 



Important agricultural topics will be publicly 

 discussed, among them "The Establishment of a 

 Department of Agriculture ;" "The Steam Plow;" 

 "Physical Geography, in its relation to Agricul- 

 ture ;" "Agricultural Statistics of the next Cen- 

 sus ;" "The Sorgho and Imphee ;" "Under-di'ain- 

 ing ;" and "Forest Trees." 



Gentlemen who may wish to beeomc Life Mem- 

 bers of the Society, can do so by paying or remit- 

 ting ten dollars to the Treasurer, Hon. B. B. 

 French, Washington City. This will entitle them, 

 without any further payments, to the full privi- 

 leges of membership — among these are : free ad- 

 mission to all exhibitions of the Society, the an- 

 nual volumes of published Transactions, \h.e Jour- 

 nal of Agriculture, and the large and elegant Diplo- 

 ma. The fee for Annual Membership is two dol- 

 lars, which ensures the receipt of the Journal oj 

 Agriculture, 



Potatoes from the Ball. — ^Ir. Sa^muel 

 Guild, of West Medway, informs us that in the 

 spring of 1858 he planted several potato balls, 

 and procured from them one pint of potatoes, 

 which he planted in the spring of 1859, the yield 

 from which was one bushel of large, and fine po- 

 tatoes. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 FEEDING CATTLE. 



Mr. Editor : — I observe that a great diversity 

 of habits obtains among farmers, in relation to 

 feeding cattle, hogs, &c. There are some who 

 feed hogs twice each day, others three times, and 

 others more. There are some who seem to pay 

 their porkers for squealing, as they seem not to 

 think of them except when they hear they.- music ; 

 but they pay them for every piece of squealing, 

 as promptly as concert-singers are paid for their 

 performances. Now will the editors and contrib- 

 utors of the Fanner please to inform us which 

 of these habits, in common circumstances, will 

 make the best return for provender ? I caught 

 up my pen to inquhe about cattle ; but it pushed 

 off after the pigs. 



It is of more consequence than the price of a 

 poll-tax, to any man who owns a single cow, to 

 know how to feed that cow in the best manner 

 to secure her health, or growth, or quantity and 

 value of milk. I would confine my inquiry tc the 

 question. How often should she be fed, supposing 

 her common food to be good, dry hay. Is it the 

 case, or not, that frequent feeding, of a little at a 

 time, is unfavorable to a proper digestion of what 

 is eaten ? Is the constant imeasiness of cattle, 

 which are thus kept between hunger and fullness, 

 a drawback on their growth of flesh or fat ? 



I think a man who appeals to the laws of chem- 

 istry^ and physiology, as generally understood and 

 applied, without consulting the man at the barn, 

 will be quick to answer. But what Avill "the old 

 man at the barn" say ? I do not mean old Mr. 

 Skinflint, who thinks it a saving to make his cat- 

 tle eat up their hay so close that they would al- 

 most eat pea-brush, to fill their vacant stomachs ; 

 I mean the man who raises as good, and large and 

 healthy cattle as can be found, and does it by plain 

 feeding. I want to get the opinion of that old 

 barn-taught cattle-grower, on this important topic. 



It looks quite to me as though a good, satisfac- 

 tory meal, with full time to digest it before feed- 

 ing again, would do best ; and I am not satisfied 

 without the opinion of "the old man at the barn;" 

 for nature itself is the only correct chemist and 

 physiologist ; and the old cattlc-gi'ower has had 

 such an opportunity of seeing results following 

 her experiments, as many of us would like to prof- 

 it by. 



Mr. Editor, if you will put the question to that 

 old stable-physiologist, and return us an answer 

 through the columns of the Farmer, j'ou will very 

 much assist some inquirers. In the meantime, 

 will you give us your opinion upon the point ? 



Lee, N. H., Dec, 1859. c. 



Re:marks. — This is the kind of agricultural 

 knowledge that should be well understood. We 

 have no doubt, v/hatever, that regular feeding of 

 three or forir times in twenty-four hours is the 

 best. Begin in the morning with a feed of the 

 poorest hay that you must use, and continue with 

 better hay until the appetite is nearly satisfied. 

 Then leave them clean mangers until noon, feed 

 again, and so at night. We gain this opinion 

 from an actual experience in various ways of feed- 



