1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



181 



Resolved, That ia the death of Mr. Calvert, soci- 

 etj has lost one of its noblest and most honorable 

 ornaments ; the nation a patriotic and able citizen; 

 the United States Agricultural Society one of its 

 best friends and most consistent and ardent sup- 

 porters ; and his family an indulgent, affectionate 

 and beloved husband and father. 



Resolved, That as a mark of respect fot the mem- 

 ory of our deceased friend, we will wear the usual 

 badge of mourning for thirty days. 



Resolved, That the newspapers of this city and 

 Agricultural press throughout the country be re- 

 spectfully requested to publish these proceedings ; 

 and that the Secretary communicate a copy of 

 them to the iamily of the deceased. 



B. B. FRENCH, Frea. U. S. As;. Soc. 



Ben. Perley Poore, Sec. 



Salting Cattle. 



Much carelessness is practiced in this respectr 

 There is liitle system in salting cattle, and this is 

 a great wrong. A creature may be killed by salt. 

 When given in large doses, say a pound or two, it 

 becomes a poison. When given in large but less 

 quantity, it purges, gets up inflamation of the mu- 

 cous membrane of the bowels, and other evils. A 

 proper use is what is wanted. 



Salt always on hand where cattle can lick it at 

 leisure, is a practice with many dairymen, and one 

 of advantage they say. They hold that the crea- 

 ture knows best how much it needs. We shall not 

 gainsay this. But the rule applied by the farmer 

 to all his stock is what is practiced by the most 

 renowned farmers, and with profit. System is what 

 is wanted in this as in other things. The best ef- 

 fects have been obtained by giving to horses about 

 half a pound a week ; cattle double and triple that 

 portion, according to the size, age and feed ; as 

 abundant fresh feed requires more salt. Sheep are 

 more addicted to salt, and require it more than 

 any other animal. Though a small animal, it re- 

 quires half the amount of the horse. The hog al- 

 most the same. Salt is a stimulant. This should 

 always be borne in mind. When given too largely 

 it acts deleteriously. When properly given, as we 

 have pointed out, it aids digestion, adds strength 

 and vigor to the system, and, in addition, seems to 

 extend its preservative effect to the living as well 

 as the dead animal, as it shields it from disease. — 

 This has been proved by experiment, as well as by 

 observation generally. A German savan (Uberac- 

 ker), experimented with sheep, depriving ten of 

 his sheep of salt. The experiment was tried for 

 three years. "In the first year five of them died 

 of rot and worms'; in this year the remainder of 

 the flock, 450 head, lost only four sheep The sec- 

 ond year' a new lot of ten sheep, deprived of salt 

 lost seven individuals ; the remainder of the flock, 

 364 head, lost five only ; a little later the other 

 three died also of diarrhea. The third year was 

 very rainy. Sixteen sheep were selected and de- 

 prived of salt. The whole of them diedjin the 

 course of the year of rot and vermicular pneumo- 

 nia 



Care should be taken, where cattle are salted, 

 that less be given in cases where fodder contains 

 salt, particularly hay, which is often salted to pre- 

 serve it. Allowance should always be made ; bu 

 we fear it is but seldom done. In fact salt is too 



little given in the winter, when it is most needed, 

 and it has a warming effect upon the system. It 

 also corrects the bowels, which are apt to be rigid 

 in winter. — VcMey Farmer. > 



Vitality of Seeds. 



Farmers are often'advised through agricultural 

 papers to gather matured weeds and put them in 

 their compost heaps. Now, I very much doubt the 

 propriety of this advice. Although the decompo- 

 sed weed stalks may be of some vitality I am very 

 certain the seed do not lose theirs. When seeds 

 will stand cold and heat for years, or pass through 

 the stomach of the animal without being the least 

 impaired, I very much doubt the decomposing pro- 

 cess of matter with which they are connected, des- 

 troying them. 



Years ago, there stood a small, thick hemlock 

 forest in a certain locality in Asht.abula county, 

 through which a winding wagon road, from neces- 

 sity was made, and farmers often drew loads of hay 

 through this piece of wood. When the public 

 roads were properly laid out and fitten for use, the 

 wood road was entirely abandoned; twenty years 

 later the forest was cut down, and as soou as the 

 sun's Titys struck the earth here, there came up a 

 beautiful bed of timothy, the whole length and 

 breadth of the old road. I believe people acquain- 

 ted with the circumstances, generally believe that 

 the hay seed scattered there twenty years before, 

 retained its vitality, and when the sun and rain fell 

 upon it, it germinated and grew. 



During the early part of summer, while weeds 

 were in bloom, I dug a large pond-hole in my pas- 

 ture, some three feet deep ; soon after it was finish- 

 ed, there came a light shower and a warm sun ; a 

 week or so after this, the bed of the hollow was 

 covered with small weeds. It was impossible for 

 the seeds to have blown there at the season of the 

 year, and the only conclusion I could come to, was 

 that the seeds had remained for centuries in the 

 earth without losing their vitality. 



I think it far more advisable to gather matured 

 weeds and burn them, rather than to put them into 

 the compost heap. — [Erastus in the Ohio Farmer. 



[From the Country Gent. & Cultivator,] 

 How to cut Asparagus, &c. 



Messrs. Editors — Yesterday, 1st May, we had 

 our first dish of asparagus from an old bed planted 

 some thirty years or more. I have generally had 

 it first from 2*7 th April to 3d of May, and several 

 times on the first of May, showing this about a 

 usual season. Cows and sheep getting a little bite 

 of grass, but not abundant 



Two years ago it was stated in your columns 

 that the proprietor of Congress Hall had asparagus 

 on the Tth of May, which was spoken of as early. 

 Another person in the succeeding number, answer- 

 ed that he had it on the 6th. That year I had it 

 on the first. 



A word about the mode of cutting asparagus. — 

 I have always seen the article in market and at 

 ublic houses, which had been cut about three in- 

 V hes under ground, leaving that length bleache<i 

 and not eatable, and but about one inch and a half 

 at green end useful. Why do they do this so ? 



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