0. 8. 



AND GARDE.\EU'S JOURNAL 



rJ3 



i ol as hii^'h a gnulo in l>Io xi as the n.ufnrc of novr 

 I and the climatic tcill permit. The (Klniitsione 

 ,do bel'iie ihc; close cif ibis |)Tiagrn|ili, ol' ilie enor- 

 )ii3 vveiijlils of tbe l)»rlmni ox Willi goori keeping, 

 tnit to the Ciil'eft cx'.ent till llinl wc claim, when 

 iincl'iuce of I'ccJ is given lo ili" nninial. 

 In the C)ih and In^-t parograiih, Mr. C. doiihte 

 sthcr the Diirhnind are, iifiei nil. not the hctt ptoel; 

 ne to have, and candidly adniitf. ihnt his mind is 

 t open In cojsviction. Now ihie, after ninliiny ilie 

 md nsseriiona and dcninla tl;Qt are above cxlubiied, 

 :iot exactiv what we t-houid expect f.oni one ol his 

 servati^n and natiiteness It is indeed too nineh iit 

 ! vein pf the old ndngc: " I lane hun lirct, nno" try 

 afterwards." Jr this Inst parn^rniih ail ic; ml- 

 tted that ihe ndvoealoa of Shori Ii')rn8 dct^ire. We 

 never n:^sertcd that liiey wonlil produce nrcni 

 amities of beef, or of mdk, without enfjiuient find; 

 r w nkl they thrive under contiiinni ill treatment. 

 Jeot and abuse; nor indeed, will they boar .sn mucli 

 rvaliiin and ill treatment as some of our n.nlive cnl- 

 ; but v.-e do fcfirIe.-.-ly asscit tl-.at cither thorough 

 id or gtndo Sh.'^rt Ilorns will produce m(»re beef, 

 J more nidk, ench in their own proper time, with 

 ienmo quniuilies of grass, hoy, or other proper feed, 

 in any breed of eat'.le ever int.-oduccd into this 

 intry; and so have they thus far done in Eng- 

 d. 



My own catile have never been highly kept. On 

 ! contrary, o.viiig to my farm being at some few 

 les distTince from my residence, and therefore not 

 ving my dnily attention, my herd always received 

 t ordinary care, and sometimes, I regret to sav, not 

 an that. ]?ut I do say, that so I'ar as my e.\-perience 

 3 proved, ihey h«vo from the highest bred Herd 

 lok -heifer, down to tbe lowest grade, (never less 

 m half Idood,) been as licnUhy and as hardy as the 

 nmon stock ol the country, kept sids by side with 

 ;m. The opinion, therefore that Durhanis are to 

 rejected for want of hardihood or constitution, is 

 t a prejudice that deserves :o l>e exploded. 

 Still I am no enihiHiast in this mu'ler. I wonid 

 t recommend every farmer to introduce into his 

 m the Durham cow. On the contrary, on very 

 n and light soils, I would not introduce them; nor 

 y thing else lliat ever lived on a luxuriant one. 

 It I do siy, on lands natural to grosf, which olTUrd 

 air yield ofpsstmeaud of hay, where either the 

 iry or the fatting of beef, or even the rearing of 

 t'e for sale, be the object, judging from my own 

 leritnce, and corroborated by that of oiiiera who 

 :e tried a single cross upon our native, or any ot'i- 

 brecd of cattle, no matter what, even np to high 

 ides.tlie D.irhams nrs altogether the most desirable, 

 .h for appearance and fir j rolit; with the exception 

 ■haps, of the Devonshire, if tbe climate be very 

 id; and they are no milkers. Were I a dairyman. 

 d 3e=ired to grow np a race of the best and most 

 ifitabte milkers, I would select the best native cows 

 th'n my reach, then oi>tain a thorough bred Short 

 )rn bull of a good milking family, and raise my 

 ifers to as high grades as in their nnturnl course 

 mid be produced, always using a thorough bred bull. 

 in no other wny can the excellence and tbe true 

 iracieristics of the lace be perpetuated. Did I how- 

 jr, admit of any other foreign admixture, it should 

 a crofsof the D;von to give additional snugness to 

 i form: and then hut a single cro.s.«, for more than 

 It would degrade the milking qualities of the herd. 

 These animals, bred as they would be from native 

 W8^ would inherit their constitutions and habits: 

 d become identified, as ranch ns the mo^t ordinary 

 •ck, with oursoilsand our (abits of keeping. In 

 is way should we al once coin all we desire, with- 

 IBuddenor prejudicial change." » • • • » 



SHsrar Beet for Spring Feeding. 

 SlB^I have for n long time been balling between 

 '0 flpinions, as to the value of the sugar bc( t ns win- 

 ■ food forelock, and realh have been puzzled %vith 

 s .conSiciing testimony of pariiee, f'H* and ngninst 

 Tisit to a friend in nn adjoining st.ite, whicii ] 

 .ve been induced to take at the puggcstion of your 

 rr'eeponde it at p. 205 of the Cabinet for January, 

 'lid whom I c.Tn bear out in the remark, that such a 

 lod^ of eXtiniifi-ng a small sum is the cheapest and 

 rstway in which a min can study the science of 

 riculturc, has, however, brought me short alont, a 

 ■ "ong advoc.nte for its cultivation, and I will tell you 

 hy. 



Ijefore I left home, I was wondering within my- 

 If, how my poor stock were to subsist another month 

 ilhout a supply of fresh provender: my hQy.b;,rn an 1 

 rn-crib began to show signs of atrophy, the ribs of 

 « hltar rattling in the wind lik« a dried skeleton; 



with scnicely a h ade oj gta^s to bo seen in tbe pus- 

 tules, into \vhit ii however, 1 had been Ci.>nipelled to 

 turn the poor creatures, in the Inipe that they niiglit 

 be able to pick up a litile t" help out; kiaiwin^i ail tlie 

 while, tbiii what ibey could extinct In in ;Le Kuti. if 

 the *od must be at the cxptnse ol tbe cumiiiy crop ol 

 hay. In this state of nuiirl and feeling, 1 icnched my 

 Iiicnd'e bullae, and was iiuiuitcly 8iiipi!.^i.d to liud 

 him leediiig all his cimlc lu.d hbu p, end iiidud 1 

 might mhi hogt, vibiLh ali^o came in for a ehnr.-./w 

 tltcJ'idUimd. as i;e termed it, with huijar beet, which 

 ue hud leaorved lijr this particular season, ns a link 

 bvlwe 11 the winter and summer crops, ihe value Uir 

 which purpose, to use his own words, was "quile 

 aliovc all price."' Said he — " ^Vhile ninny are tie- 

 liating r.bout the ijuaUty i-l tiic beet, and niu not ubic 

 te determine whcti:er its ciiliivatjon be ihc greatest 

 (;ood or the mojt considerabiu oi evils, 1 have gone 

 quietly on, sowing regulaiiy tl.o (luanliiy najesaary 

 lor my winter consumption, .i .iig careful to prcforve 

 a full supply for the whole nio;i;h ol Apiil, wuhoui 

 regard lo the stones thai are told about its dill, rent 

 and very dissimilar properiie>: and now you see me 

 «ilh plenty of food for every living thinj; about me 

 for a month lo come, obtained at a mott ir.fiing cost 

 of productior,; for, from iibout nn ecre of land, I har- 

 vi"6:ed a mounlnjn of green food, to mix with my hny 

 and straw, which have now become dry and hard from 

 keeping: and by these means I am able to keep all 

 i;iy stock Iroin the meadows anil pasture until iNlay — 

 a perfectly incidculoblc advnntngt; for thus I am not 

 only feeding iheiii Ihie yair, but adding astonishingly 

 to my m-aiis tiir the next winter, as I almoLt fancy 

 that by so doing I am able to mow double ihc qucn- 

 liiy of hay tlm; 1 used to do. And tliis is not all; 

 lor the large quantity and excellent qualiiy of the nia- 

 iiurc which 1 thereby obtain, is of lar more value lo 

 mc iliiin all the liibor a]id expense of cidiivuting the 

 heels, twice told. You see that my slock nic in 

 good condition, contented and happy, conliiied to 

 their winter quarters, and not permitted to roam 

 libroad, to ihe destiuction of ihe knees, tbe Icsdol 

 thtir dung, and the abs.dule nnnihilalion of the luiure 

 crops of hay; and ifthiseure net advantages sulKci- 

 cnl to induce ns to go tbrwiird with the ciillivaiion ol 

 the beet, I shouM be glad to be told what more we 

 iiave a right toc.xpeci/ Let others argue what is the 

 value of such a crop for winter food, and especially 

 lor spring use, while 1 am too happy to be , ble to cre- 

 ate a summer nmongst my stock during the most 

 dreary wiiiier, and preserve my spring crop of grass; 

 hy tbe very Iri'Iing devotion of about a tingle acre of 

 land to their cultivation. I repeat, my exiiu manure 

 pays me for all my extra expense; and my peace of 

 mind is above all price." 1 thought of my poor star- 

 ving animals at home, and shortened my visit hut 1 

 might rettirn and be prepared to practice ihe doctrine 

 which my friend had been preaching. — Far. Cabinet. 



JoH.N LlCY. 



Schvylkill County, April I, 1841. 



The following remarks, from the N. E. Farmer, 

 should be read in connection with the article on Hny 

 iVIaking in our last number . — 



Drink iug in Hot Weather. 



Mk. Kliitor — In your number for June 23d, is an 

 Gxcclieut article on IJtiy making. I rejoice lo see so 

 iiinny of the.e jilftn, pr.iclical articles in your pajier; 

 and hope they will be read extensively, and be as ex- 

 lensively Ueeful. 



There are one or two thoughts, however, in the 

 concluding paragraphs of the article to which I al- 

 lude, which do not stem to me so much in acconi- 

 tmce with generni experience as I wish they were. 

 You sn\ — mid 1 know others hn-.e also tuid it — 

 ".\one but ihe iniempcraie are injured by dnnUiiig 

 cold water." 



Now, unless you mean that the excessive drinking 

 01 cold water is iteelf intemperance, I am confident 

 this sictement cannot be tiue. Tbit intempciaie 

 men are injured most readily by cold \v:uer, 1 have no 

 doab:: but that any man, who is at once over hentci 

 and over-futigued, may be injured by drinking cold 

 water in large quantities, is al least equally cei tain. 

 Indeed, ii is certuJu that be who ia either over iicnted 

 or over- fatigued, may he injured in this wny. Cases 

 of injury troin the former cause are of almost every 

 day occurrence. 



I know whai is the main thing intended hy the 

 writer of the article in question, in the remarks to 

 which I have here alluded: and I reioice at the effort. 

 To pvt dnirn the use of bad or even doubtlul drinks. 

 nnd/).v< lip cold water, is noble — and may God speed 

 him who dae« it, or asa'sta in doing il NevcrtUeloas, 



we must avoid doing evil, if we eiiji. oi our efforts lo 

 • \o good. And insead ol saying, '• There is no don- 

 ^; 1 U'A\\friqi:ent drinkii.;; in the lu.tte.-i W' aiherr 

 tckr ctildiriitir ns olun and ns ficcly ns >i u pUni-c — 

 lliiie IS I'o danger Irom it, ifycu have not been too 

 long wiiii"ut drink," &,c.; instead ol this nilvice, I 

 wish with all my henityou had said eonitthii.g like 

 the folh wing — that is, had yni belieeid it; "There 

 iunofiptcinl danger Irom frcqut-ni drinking, in the 

 iiotiest weather, prov.ded yoii ii!.e the following cau- 

 tions: 1. To dnnk veiy tlowly. S. To diiiik l:nt 

 :itlle al a time. 3. To tune jour drink, though ■ col, 

 not excessively cold.- 4. To use but little drink with 

 or near y'"'r nieal.'j. ,'>. To dunk but little, veiy 

 little, when over-fatigued and over- 1. ran d. 



With thrse lesiiicnons, jou might have snid, ns 

 y.ni have— "Cold wil.r is tl-.e hc»t i.f .nil drinks tor 

 slaking thirst; there is no danger from it (with tho 

 rc-iiieiions .ihove.J if you have not been too long 

 without dr.nk," &c. 



You say, " The bay maker must have a full supply 

 of drink: pciepiralion will be frte, and he niiibt have 

 something 10 support it." Yet 1 can point you to a 

 laborer now o'.erfO, and hcnliby and sliong. who- 

 hn&dir.nk almoii, nothing at all between hie meals nil " 

 bis Ills long, thoiigi he has perspired veiy freely, and 

 no man has enjoyed his hi,,- innre. Yet obstive, his 

 meals rue belter ihnn those nI the avernge of nit n. I 

 can t'jll yon of aniither individual, «h(se enijiloy- 

 nienls are pnrtly agricultural, and who.>-e lobi rs are 

 very severe — calculated to elicii thiist, in the common 

 v»ayol thinking; who can labor ibrough tbcsumn:er and 

 drink nothing at c'], and who ioi iicaily itn n inths, 

 begiiuii:;g with August H, It'iO, did so. And not 

 only so, but he suOcred lets from tliirtt (luting the 

 time, than he ever did belori" in any of the months of 

 his lile. ]3ut then he Urol right othcrtcise. 



These facts are nut nieniiLncd, Mr. Editor, to in- 

 duce your readers to go without drinking nt nil. foi- I 

 cannot advise a person in ihe world to do that — al 

 Icasi ns long as he retains his prcstni hobits in other 

 respects. My object was simply to show that we 

 ne.d far Ices drink than is usually supjiosed, if he on- 

 ly exercise, eat. sleep and think as wo ought. 



But I am extending those remarks too far peihaps. 

 Excuse the ireedom — well meant, 1 am sure — which 

 1 have inken. I was brought up a fnrmer — and, 

 thank God, sn intelligent one for tl e time — nnd 1 still 

 love farming and the farming interest, nnd tbe wel- 

 fare and hniipiiiese of the fanner. Would that 1 had 

 the means of being a New England Inrmer now, on a 

 small, but truly rational scale and sven m. 



Yours, &c.. WM.'A. ALCOTT. 



Pcdhirm, June'i'Sth, 1841. 



[CJ* We thank Dr. Alcott for his sfriclures upon 

 the remarks we made last week. His long continued 

 atlention lo matters pcrlaining to health, entitles his 

 opinions 10 much weight. Wc most cheerfully make 

 them public. But nt the same lime wc are far from 

 receding an inch Irom the ground we took last week. 

 Will the over-heat and over fatigue occur, if cold wa- 

 ter is taken with sufficient frequencyl It is possible 

 that the orcrfittignc may; but if it should, we ques- 

 tion vvhelher cold water, to any extint which the ap- 

 petite craved, would be instantlij and ezcesaircl-y in- 

 jurious; (lor the injury dreaded in these cases is the 

 violent poin which oltcn pjoves faml in a short time.) 

 Our hclieif is, that if cold wo'er is taken so friquent- 

 ly ns to iirevent the ocerhcuf, there is no dangei from 

 its freest use. We reler. uf course, to danger of se- 

 vere attacks of pain. Whether it would not bepcr- 

 manenl.hj better for our laboring people generally to 

 use less diink, IS a quci-t'on to which wc hud na re- 

 ference. 



riom the London Varmers' Magazine. 

 Ucstrc) ing Rats. 



Sin — Ti;e following is a reply to your coriespon- 

 deni's inquiry as to the best mode of destroying r:iis. 

 .Should ho lind either ol these me'hoda succeed, he 

 Will oblige by a reply thiough your i_aper. 

 1st — Corlis, cut as ih n nssix; ences. rorsted, or stew- 

 ed in grease, rind placed in their tracks. 

 or — Dried sponge in small pieces, fiiid or d'p]icd in 



honey, with a Inileoilof rhodiym. 

 or — Bird-lime, laid in their haunts, will stick to their 

 fu* nnd enUfC their departure. 



II a live rat beciiughi, and wfil rubbed or brushed 

 over wlih ta' and trnin-oil. h.'kI nfiemards put lo 

 escape in the holes ol" (■ilurs, they wdi rlit-ap|ienr. 



Poisoning is a very dongcrous and objeciionoblc 

 mode. 



The proudest man on earth is but a pauper, fed and 

 clothed by tii« bomilyxtf^ Ueavieii. 



