i\o. 5. 



A NDGARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



79 



three dollars per acre, or eight thousand six hundred 

 dollars; so I bad a trifle left, besides twenty-eight 

 acres of wood land. 1 was at once released from my 

 trouble — but the gain — much as it may seem to some, 

 can never recompense me for the intense suffering ot 

 mind which for years I had endured. 



I promised my wife and children that if ever I got 

 will out of that speculation, that they would never 

 find me engaging in another: and I will preserve my 

 word inviolate. I immediately set about arranging for 

 future operations. I was liberal in the application 

 of manures to my old place — my fences were all put 

 in excellent order — outhouses repaired, and all about 

 orarouud the dwelling neatly whitewashed — better ac- 

 commodations were made for cattle, &c., and now the 

 old homestead not only looks as pleasant as ever, but 

 is the abode of real contentment and rural enjoyment. 



But this is not all — reading my agricultural works 

 has stimulated iTie to keep pace with the improvements 

 —and what is a mystery to some of my neighbors is, 

 that now, on the old '•nincty-Jhc," as they call it, I 

 raise mDrc saleable or dieposeable produce than I ever 

 did, with the addition of the large farm. This is a 

 fact. But is easily explained; the three hundred 

 acres were partially cultivated — the homestead is no\\' 

 in the highest state of fertility, and I have, from the 

 free use of lime, been under the necessity of contract- 

 ing for an additional barn on the piemises. Before I 

 purchased the addition, I laid by about two hundred 

 dollars a year, but when I cultivated the whole I could 

 scarcely make both ends meet. Now I am, thnnk 

 Providence, doing better than ever. "1 am doing 

 well, and intend to let well enough alone," and not be 

 led away by a spirit of emigration, the mulberry ma- 

 nia, or tho making of beet sugar. I shun '.hese things 

 as I would a pestilence, but shall content myself with 

 raising the sugar beet for my stock, which is increas- 

 ing, satisfied that nothing is better calculated for them, 

 or more advantageous for the farmer — the stock I'arni- 

 er especially. 



Now I am going ahead without keeping accounts, 

 save certain memorandum books. I feel the want of 

 a correct system, and I hope that your correspondent, 

 *'A. E. T.," or some person competent to the task, 

 will furnish, through the Cabinet, the information de- 

 sired; for I consider it almost as important for the 

 farmer to have a correct system of accounts, as it is 

 for the merchant or mechanic. j»»«*» j»*»«. 



From the American Fanner. 



The Preservation and Use of Roots. 



On this subject our readers could be referred to no 

 better authority than Mr. Barney, the emigrant grazi- 

 er. His experience is as extensive as his judgment is 

 sound — His name kindles up agreeable associations in 

 our mind — He was among our chief counsellors and 

 friends in getting up the American Farmer more than 

 twenty years since, when it was a matter of doubt 

 whether we could get interesting materials or adequate 

 patronage, for a weekly paper, devoted exclusively to 

 Agriculture and Horticulture. A reference to the pa- 

 ges of the first volume will show that Mr. Barney cast 

 much light on the untrodden path, and enabled us to 

 publish many things calculated to awaken attention to 

 « hat had been, and what still might be, done to im- 

 prove the common practice in matters of agriculture, 

 and that very interesting branch of it, rearing, grazing, 

 and fattening domestic animals. 



His testimony in favor of root culture as subsidiary 

 to rearing of cattle and sheep, and preparing them for 

 the oiarket will go far to augment the disposition in 

 every quarter to extend the culture of roots, as evin- 

 ced by cur correspondence. We anticipate more im- 

 provement in this branch of American Husbandry 

 within the nest few years than in any other, and feel 

 convinced that no judicious husbandman, having once 

 enjoyed the benefit of a good supply of roots for his 

 cattle and sheep for the winter, will ever after forego 

 its advantages. But to the extract from Mr. Bar- 

 ney's letter. 



Philadelphia, Feb 24, 1840. 

 J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



Dkar Sir — I was truly pleased to find that you 

 had taken up your old task, and become the Farmer's 

 and Grazier's guide. I have not forgotten the good 

 gone-by times in which you and I held consultation 

 respecting commencing the good work of the first 

 volume of the American Farmer. Well do I remem- 

 ber the hospitality received at your mansion house, in 

 company with your good lady and two little sons; and 

 although I ha\'e now advanced to between three score 

 years and ten, gratitude speaks louder than words. — 

 One little article which you pubUshed in the first vol 

 ume ot the American Farmer, and I have no doubt 

 you were the author of it, and wrote it down with 



your own pen, I horded up in my mind and put in 

 practice, and it has been a source of profit in my cal- 

 ling to this day; and I have thought the least I could 

 do waserer to cont'nme a subsfribcr to this useful pvh- 

 licalion — I have thus far done so, and paid vp all my 

 arrearages, and at this needful time 1 send you a little 

 of the needful, $5, in payment for this present and the 

 ne.\t volume of the Spirit of the Agricultural Jour- 

 nals of the day, with the request, you will in future 

 direct my paper to Port Penn Post Office, Delaware. 



I commenced last year to improve a large tract of 

 marsh land on the river Delaware, about three miles 

 below my former residence, and if spared a little lon- 

 ger, intend spending most of my time there. I want 

 to give you a few bints on my success in raising and 

 manner of preserving and feeding the good Roots, the 

 sugar beet in particular, mangle wurtzel and ruta ba- 

 ga. I sticceeded in raising a large quantity last season 

 of all the three kinds, and fed them to a large num- 

 ber of cattle, sheep and horses; they arc incaciilably 

 valuable to all kinds ef slock, judiciously fed. I use 

 them as follows: — Cut hay of Uic very best kind, oats 

 in the sheaf, the roots chopped fue, a small quantity 

 of Indian meal and oats ground, two-thirds oats, and 

 one-third Indian meal or bran, a small proportion of 

 pure water just to make it moist I preserved them in 

 a large stone vi'all cellar, commencing as follows: — 

 Provided a number of cart loads of sandy lime, pla- 

 ced it so as to be handy, placing my beets three tiers 

 thick against the wall all round the cellar, between 

 every stack of beets a little of the lime eand, aud so on 

 as high as a man could pack them, the middle of the 

 cellar left for the turnips. I have been taking them 

 out cvercince the middle of December, from five to 

 six bushels per day, and expect so to do till grass takes 

 their ploce; as my eice sliecp begin to lamb, I expect 

 my roots will allow me to increase the number of 

 bushels per day. In warm weather 1 open my cellar 

 doors and windows, but am cnrefid in having them 

 closed in cold frosty nights. In this manner I have 

 preserved my roots for several years, and I feel persua- 

 ded it is worthy of patronizing. I wish you much 

 success in your useful calling. 



Yours, most truly, 



JOHN BARNEY. 



On Stripping Cows. 



WINTER PRODUCT OF A DEVON COW. 



Every milk-maid has been cautioned that the last 

 milk yielded by the cow, at any one milking,is richer 

 than that which is first obtained — but this is not the 

 only consideration which shows the importance of 

 thorough milking. The more there is left in the ud- 

 der, the less will the cow give at subsequent times, and 

 the sooner will she 'go dry.' Afteronce going through 

 the cow pen, the milk woman, or man, for in New- 

 England the men milk the cows, ought to be compel- 

 led to go round again and completely strip each cow. 

 The importance of this will be better understood if 

 there be truth in the statement which we have lately 

 read, apparently on good authority. We confess we 

 were not prepared to believe that the difference was so 

 great as there stated, between the first and last portion 

 of the one milkirg. The stotement is that- 

 Several large coffee cups, having been successively 

 filled from one cow, till she was quite dry, the follow- 

 ing results appeared, great care having been taken to 

 weigh the cups when filled, to ascertain that they held 

 exactly the same quantity. 



In every case the quantity of cream was found to 

 increase, in proportion as tho process of milking ad- 

 vanced. In different cows the proportion varied, but 

 in the great number the excess of cream in the last 

 cup, as compaied with the first, was as sixteen to one ! 

 In some it was not so considerable, therefore as an 

 average it may be called as ten or twelve to one. 



The difference in quality of the two sorts of cream 

 was no less striking: the cream given by the first 

 drawn milk, was thin, white and without consistence, 

 while that furnished by the last, was thick, buttery, 

 and of a rich color. 



In the Philadelphia Farmers' Cabinet, we have the 



WINTER PRODUCE OF A DEVON COW. 



Abraham P. Holdrich, of Spencertown, had an ac- 

 curate memorandum kept of the butter made from a 

 Devonshire cow, which calved last autumn. The re- 

 sult was,that from the tenth December to the 10th Jan- 

 uary, including both days, there wos made from her 

 milk 56 lbs. of well worked butter, nearly equal to 

 tv> o pounds a doy. The cow was fed with roots, hay, 

 and buckwheat bran. Estimating itat25cts. a pound, 

 the butler made in the depth of winter was worth 

 $14, and we consider this the average product of eight 

 months in the year, the aggregate amount for that pe- 

 riod would be $112. 



This shows the importance of keeping a good breed, 

 and of keeping it well — Like cultivating rich land in- 

 stead of poor — it takes no more labor to milk ond take 

 care of a good cow than a bad one. — Am. Far. 



Rearing Calves on Milk and Meal. 



Messrs. Editors — In the last number of the Cul- 

 tivator you published some remarks of mine on the 

 mode of feeding calves by Mr. Hearsey, by giving 

 skimmed milk with some meal, &c. 



Mr. Hearsey says that it is necessary to explain the 

 manner of mixing the meal — that if the raw meel ia 

 put into the milk it will scour the calf. He makes 

 the meal into souppaan, heats the milk over sieam to 

 the state of its coming from the cow, and then mixes 

 about one pound of the cold souppaan in the milk, and 

 feeds the animal in this way three meals a day. His 

 calves thus fed, at the end of the year are more than 

 double the size of those calves that suck the cow. — 

 He now makes 12 lbs. butler a week from two cows, 

 and uses six quarts of milk daily from the same cows. 



He adds a pint of boiling water to a pun of milk 

 when set, holding six quarts, and the next doy the 

 cream will all be floating on the top, and skimmed off 

 and churned. " DAVID TOMLINSON. 



Schcneclada, March 10, 1840. [^Cultivator. 



Preserving Hams lor Summer use. 



Messrs. Gavlord & Tucker — As the time is now 

 come to put up hams to bo kept for summer use, I 

 will now state to you my mode. I believe we have 

 tried all the methods in practice, and must prefer the 

 one here described. 



We take a dry cask or box, say an old flour barrel, 

 put a good layer of coarse salt in the bottom, and then 

 put down a ham; cover that with coarse salt, and put 

 down another ham, and so on till the cask is full or the 

 bams all deposited. Set the cask in a cool, dry place, 

 and whenever a ham is wanted, take it out, and it will 

 be every way as clean, clear from vermin and all oth- 

 er impurities, as when put down. This is attended 

 with very little trouble or expense, as the salt is not at 

 all injured for any other use in the fall. My cellar be- 

 ing a very dry one, we put the cask of hams in a cool 

 place in that; but a damp cellar would be apt to dis- 

 solve the salt. The hams should be well dried before 

 being put down. — [lb. Yours, 



CALVIN BUTLER. 



Plijmovth, Conn., Blareh 14, 1840. 



Successful Farming. 



Messrs. Gati.ord & Tucker — I think I have been 

 very successful in farming the last years, and will 

 give you an account of the different crops I have rais- 

 ed and their product from 38 acres ol limestone land. 



1 do ntit mean to boast of raising more from an acre 

 than other farmers, or of having raised any very 

 superior crops; but on the contrary I am awore of hav- 

 ing committed many errors in my system of farming, 

 and am convinced that my crops lost year ought to 

 have been one fourth heavier, and that in future I shall 

 increase the product from year to year above what I 

 have raised last year. 



4 acres of Barley, 180 bueh. 

 7 do do 980 do 



5 do do 225 do 



685 bushels at 70c $479 50 



4 acres L Spring Wheat, 125 bueh. at $1,10 137 12 



5 J " of Rye, 244 bushels at 75 c 1 83 00 



10 " of clear Timothy, 20 tons, $15. . . . 300 00 



2 " Lucerne and red clover, fed green 



for soiling, cut three times and valued 60 00 

 1 J acre in Potatoesand Cabboges, 105 bush- 

 potatoes at 25c 26 25 



700 heads of cabbages at 3c 22 60 



Yours respectfully, $1,208 37 



FREDERICK SEITZ. 

 Easton, Pa.. March, 1840. [lb 



Employment.— Aesnte yourself that employment is 

 one ot the best remedies for the disappointments of 

 life. Let evenyour calamities have the liberal effect 

 of occupying you in some active virtue, so shall you 

 in a manner remember others till you forget yourself. 

 — Pratt. 



It is a false and indolent humility, which makes 

 people sit down and do nothing, because they will not 

 believe that they ore capable of doing much, for every 

 body can do something. Every body can set a good 

 example, be it to many or to few: every body can, in 

 some degree, encourage virtue and religion, ond dis- 

 countenance vice and folly; evesy body has some one 

 whom they can advise ond instruct, or in some way 

 help to guide through life. — Mi3S Taibot. 



