1851. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



205 



of a hundred tracts of land, the mill-owner has 

 no right to flow the other, without consent of the 

 owner of the other. 



It has been said that the mill-owner has only 

 such rights as he has purchased. This may, per- 

 haps, require modification. The right to proper- 

 ty, even land, may be acquired by adverse use, 

 or possession as it is commonly termed, for a 

 certain time. So a right to flow land may be ac- 

 quired by adverse use, or prescription. 



The term in most of the States is 20 years, so 

 that if a mill-owner keeps up the water, claiming 

 the right to do so, 20 years, he gains the right. 



The foundation of this principle is this : that 

 if a man allows another to flow his land 20 years, 

 it is fair to presume that he has granted him the 

 right, and been paid for it. 



The principle is Avell enough, but it probably 

 operates more harshly in these cases of flowage 

 than any other, because the rising of water is 

 very insidious, and its efi"ect8 hardly observable 

 at first. 



The object of these suggestions is, 



First — To define clearly the rights of the land- 

 owner. 



Second — To show what rights the mill-owner 

 has, with or without a flowage act. 



Third — To warn the land-owners where no flow- 

 age act exists, to resist such legislation. 



Finally — To guard farmers against losing their 

 land by suS"ering it to be flowed so long as to 

 have lost their remedy. — Country Gentleman and 

 Cultivator. 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 

 ■WINTEB FEEDING- OF MILCH COWS. 



It is doubtful if the majority of our dairy farm- 

 ers have yet fully satisfied themselves as to what 

 description of winter feeding is productive of 

 the best results. They have, however, probably 

 learned one important fact ; that it is not always, 

 if ever, profitable to make use of such articles of 

 food as will ensure the greatest return of milk. 

 An important consideration should be the condi- 

 tion of the herd in the spring ; and if the farmer 

 finds by the use of turnips, and other roots, in- 

 stead of some less economical food, he has se- 

 cured a greater yield of milk, on the whole, his 

 success cannot be regarded as complete, inas- 

 much as the condition of the herd in spring time 

 may be anything but satisfactory to him. 



I may not be sustained by a majority of farm- 

 ers in the assertion that roots for milch cows are 

 not the most economical of food. In this coun 

 try the cost of labor is too great, to say nothing 

 of the present unproductiveness of most soils, 

 to warrant experiments and large outlays in root 

 growing, and it has always seemed to me that 

 most farmers have committed mistakes in their 

 estimate of the cost of feeding either hay or grain, 

 and should a careful account of the weight and 

 cost of hay and other food be kept, it will be 

 found to be considerably greater than is frequent- 

 ly assumed. 



A cow of five years' growth will consume 20 

 to 25 lbs. of hay daily, and will require besides, 

 in order to afi'ord a good supply of milk, one to 

 two quarts of Indian meal. 



From an experiment with a single cow, during 

 the present winter, I have ascertained that 20 lbs. 



of cut hay, 12 quarts of shorts (or wheat bran) 

 and one pint of Indian meal, is a moderate daily 

 consumption, and no more than will keep a young ^ 

 and thrifty cow in good condition. Assuming 

 then 20 lbs. of cut hay, and 12 quarts of shorts, 

 as a minimum, for the daily allowance of a sin- 

 gle cow, it will be found that the cost of such 

 quantities, at present prices, in our section of the 

 country, cannot be less than 40 cents. This is 

 much greater than is usually conceded by most 

 farmers ; and it must be a good cow, indeed, that 

 can repay the owner even the cost of the food. 



But my main object in alluding to the subject 

 is simply to say that it is a matter of regret that 

 among the many experiments now being made, 

 some definite and certain plan of winter feeding, 

 more profitable than all others, has not been set- 

 tled on. F. E. F. 



For the New Ensland Farmer. 



FARMING OPERATIONS MADE PROFI- 

 TABLE. 



F. HoLBUOOK, Esq. — Dear Sir : — If you will 

 not consider it too much of an intrusion upon 

 your time and patience, I would esteem it a par- 

 ticular favor if you would advise me as to the 

 best mode of proceeding with some of my farm- 

 ing operations. The matters about which I need 

 information are not new ; indeed, I fear you have 

 already given the advice which I require, so many 

 times as to be quite "a-weary" of the applicants. 

 Still, if there are many who have profited by the 

 experience of others, or been lucky enough to 

 hit upon a course themselves with which they are 

 satisfied, there are surely thousands now in the 

 field, and yet to be, who desire to be piloted by 

 those who, like yourself, are well versed in all 

 that requires mind and experience for successful 

 agriculture. Will you therefore allow me, as an 

 indication of the kind of information I desire, to 

 propound the following interrogatories, a reply to 

 which at your convenience would gratify me 

 much. 



1. I have a field of several acres of green sward 

 that needs to be plowed up, and I design it for a 

 corn field the coming season. Last August I had 

 a large quantity of muck dug from the swamps, 

 and dumped in large heaps on the nearest dry 

 land. The muck could be drawn directly to this 

 field with much less cartage than if it was first 

 taken to the barn-yards. How will it do to haul 

 the muck directly to the field, and draw manure 

 there from the stables and yards, and mix them in 

 compost heaps ? What proportions of each 

 should be used, and will the heaps have sufficient 

 fermentation before planting time ? How shall the 

 compost be applied, and in what quantity ? 



2. My muck bed embraces several acres ; the 

 deposit varying in depth from one to four or five 

 feet, I judge it might be made a valuable source 

 of fertility for the farm. In what ways can I 

 manage this muck to advantage for the improve- 

 ment of the farm .'* 



3. I always had a fondness for farming, but 

 circumstances in early life turned me into other 

 pursuits. At length I have resumed my favorite 

 occupation, and desire to make a pleasant rural 

 home. I have means to farm it as I please, but 

 still, as a business man, and on principle too, I 

 wish to so manage as to farm for a profit, and set 



