826 
THE 
AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[Dzc. 12, 
in mind and acquirements, ere he can become the m: 
chine maker, to calculate its motions and adjust its 
parts; and even the farm-servant in whose charge the 
machine is placed, after a short training by the mill- 
wright, is called upon to exercise a superior degree o 
intelligence and attention in equalising the steam, if 
that power be used, and in regulating the operasions in 
any circumstances. In so far, then, it would have the 
effect of substituting a superior class of operatives to 
that which had beefi dismissed by the change. Besides 
which, when the machine is at work some hands are 
the seed crops are collecte: 
Several women and boys are employed to loosen the 
sheaves and hand them to the man at the feeding-board, 
while others are busied in piling up the straw and dress- 
ing and meastiring the corn ; and thus, although quite 
different in kind, much occupation is given to various 
classes of people, who, otherwise, might not have the 
opportunity of doing much for the relief of their fami- 
ies. One comfort, too, for the farmer attends this mode 
of proceeding: when the threshing is done, and the 
corn dressed up, the machine is at rest probably for 
Some days, and his barn is locked up ; whereas, with 
half a dozen barns, occupied with men threshing daily 
with flails, his property is, always exposed to pilfering 
and depredation. Besides, a good machine enables the 
farmer to thresh a quantity of grain at once, to meet a 
call upon him for money, to take advantage of a good 
priee, or to provide seed ; and gives him the means of 
employing people in the time of frost and snow, so as to 
ave them at liberty for field.labour when wanted. 
Another objection to the threshing-machine, which I 
have heard of, is that it bruises the straw too much. 
There may be something in this, where straw is to be 
sold in the London market, or used for thatching houses, 
which use of it cannot be too soon abolished as an ex- 
travagant and wasteful practice—at least, so long as 
the slate quarries of Wales and Westmoreland afford 
in such abundance 2 covering at once light, durable, and 
economical—but, for food, or litter in cattle sheds, this 
can be no objection : while, on the other hand, imple- 
ments for choppiug straw or hay may be worked by 
being attached to the threshing-machine, with less ex- 
pence than in any other way.* It is probable that the 
straw of the northern counties does not break under 
the operation of the threshing-machine so much as that 
of the south, because the custom does not prevail here 
of allowing the corn to stand uncat until it becomes 
ad ripe and sunburnt—a custom which is of very 
doubtful expediency, as grain makes better seed, and is 
found to yield more meal, when cut before it attains its 
last stage of ripeness, and the straw is unquestionably 
better for all purposes. Besides, it does not injure the 
working of the threshing-machine, instead of having 
both rollers fluted, to make the upper one solid and 
smooth, by which means the straw is less broken. The 
upper roller is so easily changed, that it is advisable to 
have one fluted and another plain, to apply as cirenm- 
Stances may require. There is a newly-invented thresh- 
ing-machioe, which works by whas is called a patent 
peg-drum, instead of the flanged drum and rollers,whieh 
is said not to break the straw at all, and in other respects 
to perform its work admirably, and with a saving of 
one-third of the power—in which ease four horses will 
do the work of six ; but not having seen it in opera- 
tion, I ean only speak from report. I have heard also 
that some malisters in the south give a preference to 
Barley threshed by flail—the reason for which I never 
heard assigned ; and it is notorious that in this county, 
and those of the south of Seotland, hardly any other is 
used but what is threshed by machines, and no objec- 
tion is ever made to it. It is possible that grain may 
be bruised in threshing, or broken off so close at the 
end as to injure its germinal powers ; but that must 
arise, I imagine, rather from some defect in particular 
machines than from any fault generally applicable to 
the system. On the other hand, however, it is an estab- 
lished fact, that, in the markets of the north, Wheat 
threshed by machinery commands. a higher price by 
some shillings per quarter than that threshed by flail, 
and for this obvious reason :—take two stacks of Wheat, 
equal in quality and condition ; let one of them be taken 
in and put through the machine, and the grain is dressed 
up and sacked before night: let the other be put, on 
the same day, into a barn to be threshed by flail—it 
takes a man a fortnight to knock out the corn very im- 
perfectly, and each night the produce of the day is 
added to the heap till all is finished: this heap consists 
of chaff and grain, resting all the time on a ground- 
floor, and though the floor he perfectly dry, yet the 
grain is said to acquire, if not actual dampness, still a 
degree of toughness, in grinding, which any miller can 
detect; hence arises his objection, and the difference 
in the price he offers.” * 
THE SUPPLY OF ANIMAL FOOD, 
(Continued from p. 810.) 
Every breeder or grazier ought to be well assured of 
the eapabilities of the land he occupies, as also the con- 
yeniences attaching to it, so as to adapt his practice 
accordingly. If the fields are large they must be sub- 
divided by temporary moveable fences. Are they bleak 
and cold? Shelters must be erected, and plenty of 
them, to remain for shades in summer. Is the lair not 
well littered ? Places or raised platforms must be pro 
* The erection of a steam-engine affords a good opportunity 
for constructing an apparatus for steaming Potatoes and other 
food for cattle. 
'equis 
attended to as to selection and breeding. It is by no 
means necessary to select a small breed of sheep for a 
poor soil, nor on the contrary a large breed for a rich 
one ; nor is it an established fact that small animals 
will fatten faster than large ones, or on proportionably 
less food. It is pretty certain that the more active 
animal will, in one way or another, make away with the 
greatest quantity, either by consuming it as food or by 
destroying it from treading. The quantity of meat 
made will of course be the true criterion of profit, all 
other things being equal; and in reference to field 
management the writer would say that in any esse, or 
whatever may be the breed, the greatest weight of food 
—mutton, will be obtained by placing the animals as 
much as possible in a state of quiet seclusion and com- 
posure. No restless ones will fatten rapidly, nor will 
those of predatory habits thrive fast ; secure content- 
ment and repose, and the result may be anticipated. 
No animal intended for fattening ought at any time to 
be allowed to stand still; they must be kept thriving, 
and while in health this is easy of attainment, in this 
country, at le: by the use of corn, cake, meal, and 
the various esculent roots which have become almost 
indispensable adjunets to good g g; warmth and 
shelter in winter, cool and shade in sunimer, are equally 
desirable, and as easily attainable as the varieties of 
food. It isto these minor but not trivial matters that 
he more particularly wishes to direct attention, as 
being too mueh overlooked or neglected. 
It would take up too much of your valuable space to 
descend into particulars of management, either as 
respects field or shed-feeding, but being a decided con- 
vert to the latter mode, an observation or two may not 
be unacceptable. Unquestionably the system of shed- 
feeding sheep will produce by far the greatest weight of 
mutton in proportion to the quantity of land to be grazed 
or fed off. There can scarcely remain a doubt upon 
the subject; and if properly attended to, at the least 
cost. The larger the breed the greater the increase. 
They will gain the most weight in the shortest time ; in 
one well authenticated instance to the extent of 32 lbs. 
in 28 days. The advantages are in every way great; 
it ereates profitable labour ; it prevents loss of food by 
trampling ; it prevents loss in manure. Most of the 
manure voided by sheep is dried up by the sun in sum- 
mer, while under care it is on the other hand retained 
as a valuable aid; it renders the Grass lands much 
more produetive; the herbage being undisturbed by 
continual cropping is more matured and nutritious; 
the animals rest contentedly and fatten surprisingly fast. 
It is objected that they become unhealthy from confine- 
ment ; that their feet become unmanageable and their 
wool * spoilt ;’’ this is all fidge! The writer’s sheep 
are seldom, if ever injuriously affected, They have 
regular and constant attention ; a good variety of food, 
including "urnips,.Rape, Mangold Wurzel, Cabbage, 
Carrots, with cake, corn, &e., in winter, an rass, 
Clover, Lucerne, Tares, &c., in summer, and always a 
plentiful supply of that very useful condiment— salt, and 
plenty of water. Their hovels are cleaned out and 
fresh littered about three times a week, and those in the 
fold yard are supplied with fresh litter as required, care 
being taken not to allow too great an lation of 
Q 
3a 
ite that these minor matters be changing his plan, be able to keep three, and each one 
of them producing as much manure as three fed in the 
way they have hitherto been accustomed to adopt.—the 
result will be, that you would havé nine times as much 
manure by the new method as you have hitherto had 
by the old. Now, as I do not think there can bea 
single individual among you so blind as not to see at 
once the great advantage it would be to have suci an 
immense addition to his manure-heap, it appears to me 
that the best thing I ean do is, in the first instance; to 
endeavour to impress firm!y upon your minds the eon- 
vietion that this faet, so much entitled to your atten- 
tion, and yet so little attended to, is in reality & truth 
that may be relied on, and may be practically adopted 
with any fear of disappointment, It is upon this foun- 
dation that the practicability of almost every improve- 
ment I mean to suggest in the cropping of your land 
must ultimately depend, and it is, therefore, indis- 
pensable to the success of any arguments I may offer, 
to place it before you in the clearest point of view, and 
remove from your minds every doubt whatever upon 
the subject, 
To draw the necessary proof, therefore, from what 
comes under your own observation (I may say every 
day of your lives, and which must, therefore, have more 
upon which your cattle are now almost universally fed, 
two to three acres of which are often barely sufficient to 
keep one cow alive for the summer months, but by no 
means to afford her a sufficiency of food. ow one 
aere of good Clover and Rye-grass, one rood of Vetches 
and three roods of Turnips (making up in all two aeres 
which are now allottedfor grazing one eow in summer), 
taking a stolen erop of Rape after the Vetches, will 
afford ample provision for three cows the year round. 
For you all know that an aere of good Clover will house- 
feed three cows from the middle of May to the middle 
of October ; and with the help of a rood of Vetches you 
will be able to save half the first cutting for hay to use 
during the winter. Then when the first frosts, about 
the middle of October, may have stripped the Clover 
of its leaves, the early sown Rape, which ought to be 
put in ridge by ridge as the Vetches are cut, and the 
land well manured (if the seed has been sown by tlie 
middle of July), will be ready to eut and feed the cattle 
until the Turnips are ripe. Here then you have plainly 
provision secured until towards the middle of Novem- 
ber, and we have to calculate what remains to feed the 
cattle until the middle of theMay following. For this pur- 
pose there is a rood of Turnips for each cow. » 
aere of the white Globe and yellow Aberdeen Turnip 
ought to produce from 35 to 40 tons per acre ; but sup- 
posing one-half to be of the Swedish kind, let us calcu- 
late only on 28 tons to the acre, which is not more than 
an average produee, even if they were all Swedish, arid 
see what that caleulation will yield per day for 190 days, 
which is rather more than the six months. If an aere 
yields 28 tons, a rood will yield 7 tons, which being 
brought into pounds will amount to 15,680 pounds, and 
this divided by 190 days, will leave 83 pounds of Turnips 
for each cow every day, which with a small portion of ` 
the hay and straw you are possessed of, is a very suffi- 
ient all 
manure so as to cause their feet to become diseased 
from heat, which they will do if neglected ; every foot 
should be examined at least once within 21 days, and a 
cooling lotion or caustic applied as the case may de- 
mand. This fold yard is hollow drained, and the ex- 
cess of moisture drawn into a cesspool, which has the 
effect of preventing any great fermentation of the ma- 
nure, an advantage to the sheep at least; but no great 
injury will arise if they are kept clean, dry, and well 
littered, with regular examinations as above. It must 
be borne in mind, that if any animal is put into con- 
finement, and thus prevented getting that particular 
kind of food which may prove a corrective or alterative 
in its digestive economy, such animal must have this 
provision made for it, and will do away with many ob- 
jeetions by this mode of feeding. It is necessary that 
the animal should be kept quiet and composed ; no rest- 
less ones will fatten rapidly, nor will those of predatory 
habits thrive f secure contentment, feed punctually, 
and the result mayjbe anticipated..—* 
ON STALL-FEEDING COWS. 
By referring to the experience of all good farmers in 
all countries, and under all circumstances, it is ascer- 
tained beyond dispute, that by the practiee of sowing 
green crops, such as Clover and Rye-grass, winter and 
spring Vetehes, Turnips, Mangold Wurzel, &c., the 
same ground which in poor pasture would searcely feed 
one eow in summer, would, under the crops mentioned, 
feed three, or perhaps four, the whole year round,—by 
keeping the eattle in the house and bringing the food 
there to them ; and the manure produced by one of 
these cows so fed, and well bedded with the straw saved 
by the supply of better food, would be more than equal 
to that produced by three cows pastured in summer 
and fed in winter upon dry straw or hay, and badly lit- 
tered. 
Here, then, are two assertions well worthy your se- 
rious attention,—first, that three cows may be provided 
with food in the house all the year from the same quan- 
tity of ground, which would scarcely feed one under 
pasture for the summer ; and, secondly, that one cow 
so fed in the house will give as much manure as three 
fed in the field. I call these important assertions ; for 
if they are really founded in fact, then any of you who 
may now be only able to keep one cow, wouid, by 
or a common sized milch eow ; and 
over and above all this you have the seeond growth of 
the rood of Rape coming forward in March and April, 
which would feed all the three cows much longer than 
would be necessary to meet the coming Clover erop, 
even in the latest season. 
Here then the facts of the case are brought before you 
for your own decision, and I fearlessly appeal to your- 
selves—is ‘it true that two to three acres (I make my 
calculation on two only), are frequently allotted to graze 
one cov during summer? And again—is it true that 
an aere of Clover and Grass-seed, a rood of Vetches, 
and three roods of Turnips, with the stolen erop of 
Rape after the Vetches, will fully supply food for three 
cows the year round? I defy any one of you to reply 
to either of these questions in the negative. The straw 
of the farm in any case belongs to the cattle; but in 
the latter case, where 'l'urnips are provided for food, it 
is chiefly used for bedding, and the additional quantity 
of grain which will be raised by means of the increased 
quantity of manured land, will always keep pace with 
the increase of the stock, and provide the increased 
quantity of bedding required. I think, therefore, I am 
warranted in considering my first assertion proved, 
namely, that the ground generally allotted to feed one 
cow, will in reality supply food for three—and have 
only now to offer some calculations as to the accumu- 
lation of manure, which I hope will be considered 
equally conclusive. 
During the summer months, your cow which is only 
in the house at milking time (and perhaps not even 
then, for the, practice is sometimes to milk her in the 
field), can afford little or no addition to the manure- 
heap, being upon the Grass both day and night ; and 
even in winter and spring, whilst there is amy open 
weather, they are always to be seen ranging over the 
fields in search of food, so that I think you cannot but 
admit (upon a ealeulation for the entire year round), the 
animal is not in the house more than 8 hours out of the 
24, and it is only the manure made during this period 
which ean be reckoned upon ; therefore upon this sup- 
position (which I think is sufficiently correct to show 
the strength of my argument), if there is any truth in 
arithmetic, one cow fed, as I lave calculated on, in ihe 
house for the entire 24 hours, will yield as much manure 
as three cows that are only kept in the house for 8 
hours—the quality of the food being supposed the same 
