34:8 



THE ILLINOIS F^HIMER. 



mers to train their steers to back, but as 

 they become able to draw a considerable 

 load forward, they are often unuiurcifully 

 beaten on the head and face, because they 

 will not back a cart or sled with as large a 

 load as they can draw forward, forgetting 

 that much pains has been taken to teach 

 them to draw forward, but none to teach 

 them to push backward. To remedy the 

 occasion of this thumping, as soon as I have 

 taught my steers to be handy, as it is called, 

 and to draw forward, I place them on a cart 

 where the land is a little descending; in this 

 situation they will soon learn to back it. 

 Then I place them on level land and exer- 

 cise tbem. Then I teach them to back a 

 cart up land that is a little rising, the cart 

 having no load in as yet. When I have 

 taught them to stand up to the tongue as 

 they otrght, and back an empty cart, I next 

 cither put a small load in the cait, or take 

 them to where the land rises faster, which 

 answers the same purpose ; thus in a few 

 days they can be taught to back well, and to 

 know how to do it, which, by a little use af- 

 terward, they never forget. This may ap- 

 pear of little consequence to some, but when 

 it is remembered how frequently we want to 

 back a load, when wo are at work with our 

 cattle, and how convenient it is to have our 

 cattle back well, why" should we not teach 

 them for the time when we want them thus 

 to lay out their strength ? Besides, it often 

 saves blows and vexation, which is consider- 

 able when one is in a hurry. I never con- 

 sidered a pair of oxen well broke until they 

 would back with case any reasonable load, 

 and I would give a very considerable sum 

 more for a yoke thus trained. 



Sdiiimer Care of Colts. 

 The following practical hints on this sub- 

 ject we copy from the Genesee Farmer : 



Mares with foals by their sides are always 

 better kept in pasture, even if they are 

 worked occasionally, and it is desirable, 

 where they are to be worked, that they 

 should be accustomed to leave their foals in 

 the pasture while they are at work, allowing 

 the foal to get to them only at noon, and 

 aflcr working hours. It is well to give the 

 mare a feed of oats daily for a short time 

 previous to weaning the foal. Let it be giv- 

 en to her in such a manner that the foal can 

 be induced to partake of it, that the feed 

 may be continued to him when weaned, as it 

 is then essential to compensate him for the 

 loss of the milk of his dam. If the colt is 

 expected to turn out a superior animal, and 

 the mare is not wanted to work, it will be 

 conducive to that end that he should be al- 

 lowed to run' with the dam till he is a year 

 old, before weaning, and then have a drink 

 of new milk, fresh from the cow, given to 

 him daily during the ensuing season. Two 

 year olds are by no means to be so much 

 cared for. Give them good pasture, plenty 

 of room and water, and they are sure, if 

 healthy, to grow, and become fat. If inten- 

 ded for sale at tlie end of the season, they 

 may be pushed forward still more by a feed 

 of oats given daily. Young colts kept at 

 grass should bo placed at pasture cither 

 among cattle or sheep, but not older horses, 

 as they love to graze those precise spots not 



well relished by other stock, hnd from their 

 playfulness they are apt to get kicked or 

 bitten. 



*•*- 



Camels for Plantation Work. 



It will be remembered that the United 

 States Government has made two importa- 

 tions of camels, to be used as beasts of bur- 

 den over our great western plains. This 

 enterprise seems to have proved successful, 

 and the animals every way adapted to the 

 labors they were purchased to perform. 

 These experiments on Government account 

 have led to private enterprise in the same 

 line. Mr. J. A. Machado, of Texas, having 

 imported and safely landed ninety-two at 

 Galveston, twelve of these have been shipped 

 to New Orleans, with the view of their in- 

 troduction to plantation labor, packing cotton 

 bales, &c., in Louisiana. 



Mr. Machado is ready to prove that for 

 all purposes of labor and drought, one camel 

 is equal to four mules ; that he is more do- 

 cile ; that ho requires less food, less care, 

 lives to a much greater ago than the mule, 

 and besides is a breeding animal, which the 

 mule is not. One of these animals weighs 

 eighteen hundred pounds, and measures 

 eight and a half feet in height. Any of the 

 full grown ones are capable of bearing bur- 

 dens of fifteen or sixteen hundred pounds , 

 they kneel at the word of command and 

 easily rise with this load on their backs. 

 Saddles are constructed -for them, upon 

 which three or four persons can ride com- 

 fortably. 



As pack animals across the mountains and 

 plains, for the transportation of the mails 

 and similar uses, we have no doubt the camel 

 will be found admirably adapted, until the 

 further progress of improvements more in 

 accordance with the spirit of the age are 

 completed, but for plantation use, on land of 

 the character of that Louisiana, we hardly 

 believe they will be made to supercede the 

 means now employed. 

 lai 



How to Fatten Chickens. 



We make the following extracts from an 

 article in the London Cottage Gardener, 

 and commend them to our readers : 



It is hopeless to attempt to fatten them 

 while they are at liberty. They must be 

 put in a proper coop ; and this, like most 

 other poultry appurtenances, need not be 

 expensive. To fatten twelve fowls, a coop 

 may be three feet long, eighteen inches 

 high, and eighteen inches deep, made entire- 

 ly of bars ; no part of it solid, neither top, 

 sides nor bottom. Discretion must bo used 

 according to the size of the chickens put up. 

 They do not want room ; indeed, the closer 

 they are the better; provided they can all 

 stand up at the same time. Care must be 

 taken to put up such as have been accustom- 

 ed to be together, or they will fight. If one 

 is quarrelsome, it is better to remove it at 

 once; as, like other bad examples, it soon 

 finds imitators. A diseased chicken should 

 not be put up. 



The food should be ground oats, and may 

 either be put in a trough, or on a flat board 

 running along the front of the coop. It may 

 be mixed with water or milk ; the latter is 

 best. It should be well slaked, forming a 



pulp as loose as can be, provided it does not 

 run off the board. They must be well fed 

 three or four times per day, the first time aa 

 soon after daybreak as may be possible or 

 convenient, and then at intervals of four 

 hours. Each meal should be as much and 

 no more than they can eat up clean. When 

 they have done feeding, the board should be 

 wiped and some gravel may be spread. It 

 causes them to feed and thrive. 



After a fortnight of this treatment jou 

 will have good fat fowls. If, however, there 

 are but four or six to be fatted, they must 

 not have as much room as though there 

 were twelve. Nothing is easier than to allot 

 them the proper space; as it is only necessa- 

 ry to have two or three pieces of wood to 

 pass between the bars and form a partition. 

 This may also serve when fowls are up at 

 different degrees of fatness. This requires 

 attention, or fowls will not keep fat and 

 healthy. As soon as the fowl is sufficiently 

 fatted it must be killed; otherwise it will 

 still get fat, but it will lose flesh. If fowls 

 are intended for market, of «purse they are, 

 or may be, all fatted at once ; but if for 

 home consvmption, it is best to put them up 

 at such intervals aa will best suit the time 

 when they will be required for table. When 

 the time arrives for killing, whether they are 

 meant for the market or otherwise, they 

 should be fasted, without food or water for 

 twelve or fifteen hours. This enables them 

 to be kept for some time after being killed, 

 even in hot weather. 



CHAPTER ON THE SUGAR CANE. 



As it will soon be time for the manufac- 

 turing of the sugar cane, and inasmuch as 

 there are a great many questions asked, re- 

 lative to the time, the process, the kind of 

 materials, &c. ; and as there is also a great 

 many speculative theories on the subject, we 

 will offer a few suggestions, principally from 

 practical experience. 



In the fii-st place, after the crop is raised, 

 it is necessary to make the proper arrange- 

 ments with the right kind of machinery, 

 buildings, wood, &c., so as to be ready to 

 cammence operation as soon as the cane will 

 answer. What would you think of the 

 farmer, who, when he ought to be plowing 

 his land, sowing and planting his seed, if 

 you would find him running about the coun- 

 try, hunting up an extra horse, harness, feed, 

 seed, plows, and other? implements You 

 would say at once, such a man is a poor cal- 

 culator. You would find him out of patience, 

 and when harvest came, out of a crop — con- 

 sequently out of money, and probably out of 

 credit. We might apply the above to the 

 man who has, at this date, made no prepa- 

 rations for harvesting his sugar cane. To 

 commence, we would say, liave you got a good 

 supply of seasoned wood on hand ? Have you 

 suitable buildings or sheds for machi- 

 nery, and to store away your cane, &c. 

 Have you barrels and other vessels, 

 for holding your juice, molasses, vine- 

 gar, &c. ? Have yon engaged your mill for 

 crushing, your boiling apparatus, and the 

 necessary accompaniments ? Do you know 

 when is the best time to commence cutting 

 your cane ? Do you know how to grind, 

 boil, clear it, &c. ? Now, if you will bear 



