78 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



grass, but feed them on dry hay or straw and 

 dry seeds. And the consequence is, that they 

 do not grow or fatten so well, unless such quan- 

 tities are given that a great portion passes un- 

 digested ; irritating the alimentary canal, and 

 ofien causing disease. Besides, these animals 

 will not eat enough dry hay or straw to give 

 the proper degree of distension to the stomach 

 for digestion and assimilation, without the dan- 

 ger of producing inflammation or other injurious 

 effects when expanded in the stomach by heat 

 and moisture. This should be done at least by 

 the latter before it is eaten. Much of the hard, 

 dry grain given to these animals, so different in 

 its condition from that which they gather for 

 themselves, is neither sufficiently masticated nor 

 moistened on entering the stomach, to produce 

 its normal effect. One half the usual quantity, 

 properly prepared, would benefit them more, and 

 all the rest would be saved. Just so much nu- 

 tritive matter as is coniained in the quantity of 

 good rich grass, eaten by one of these animals 

 in a day, should be diffused in as much finely 

 chopped hay, straw or fodder as the animal will 

 eat in the same time, sufficiently moistened some 

 hours before it is given, (the longer the better, 

 provided that it does not ferment or turn sour.) 

 I do not confine the beneficial effects of this 

 method to the mere mechanical effect of the 

 water in softening and distending the mass. — 

 The most important effect, T believe, is produced 

 on the elements of the water itself; one of which 

 enters largely into the composition of flesh and 

 fat, (hydrogen.) We know that cows and sheep 

 will thrive when fed on turnips and straw, yet 

 turnips contain 92£ per cent, of water, according 

 to the analysis of Mons. Boussingault, an accu- 

 rate chemist; and when compared with Indian 

 corn, 138 parts of the latter are equivalent, in 

 nutritive matter, so called, to 1,335 of turnips. 

 The decomposition of water and the appropria- 

 tion of its elements by the organs of nutrition, 

 I believe, to be greatly facilitated by mixing ve- 

 getable matter with it : if so, we gain one of the 

 important constituents of flesh, fat, &c. from the 

 water. And ibis is certainly cheaper than to 

 get it from rich, oily seeds, the proceeds of la- 

 borious cultivation. This is not a mere conjec- 

 ture of my own. Count Rumford entertained 

 the same opinion, and so do Drs. Prout and Per- 

 eira. (Treatise on Food and Diet by Jonathan 

 Pereira, edited by Charles A. Lee, New York, 

 1843, p. 40.) It is well known that gold and 

 silver fishes, and others also, will grow and fat- 

 ten on water alone. It may be said they ob- 

 tain their nourishment from other substances con- 

 tained in the water, and not from the water it- 

 self. This would not alter the case, for the wa- 

 ter mingled with the food of stock contains also 

 these other substances, while haddock has in its 

 composition 82 per cent, of water, carp, 80.1, 

 and trout, 80.5, according to the authority of 



Brande and Schlossberger. Now, this greater 

 quantity of water in fishes than enters into the 

 composition of the mammalia, it is fair to attri- 

 bute to the water itself, on which they seem to 

 live. 



The mill, the straw-cutter, and loater are, in my 

 opinion, the indispensable auxiliaries of those 

 who would feed their stock in the best manner 

 and most economically. We have mills here 

 which grind up unshelled ears of corn. A slight 

 alteration in the common corn grist mills, adapts 

 them to this purpose, without interfering with 

 their fine meal making use. The eye of the up- 

 per stone, instead of being circular, is enlarged 

 on one side, and a removeable lube, large enough 

 to admit any ear of corn, is thrust into this side 

 enlargement. Into the lower stone, beneath ihe 

 end of the tube, two knives are fastened, so that 

 at every revolution of the stone, the ear of corn 

 is swept round over these knives, which slice it 

 up, and then grind it into meal. It is a patent 

 affair, answers admirably, and is added to any 

 common mill for fifteen dollars, patent included. 

 Mr. Robert Wickliffe, of Lexington, has had 

 lately a sort of mill erected, which grinds up 

 oats in the sheaf or corn in the shucks. I have 

 not examined it, but am told that it makes ex- 

 cellent, chop, ready for moistening or feeding dry. 



So you see, sir, that even in this Elk Horn 

 Paradise of hogs, horses, mules, and corn, we 

 are seeking out and pract ising more economical 

 methods of feeding stock. You must not sup- 

 pose, though, that these methods are in general 

 use — far from it ; few as y-et have adopted them. 

 After the adoption of these, another will fol- 

 low for cows and hogs. The cooking of their 

 food, in which there is certainly great gain. — 

 But. our onward course in all these matters is 

 greatly retarded by the want of laborers, and 

 the consequent high price paid for every kind of 

 manipulation. 



Although we are " a match" for the Yankees in 

 horse-swapping, bartering, and stump-speeches, 

 (in the latter, your real corn-cracker can beat the 

 world,) yet in machinery, farm fixtures, and 

 the economical application of labor, we have 

 much to learn from them. The cheapness of 

 grain and the want of a ready market for it, is 

 one cause of its slovenly and lavish use in Ken- 

 tucky. 



Very truly, sir, 



Your friend and obedient servant, 



John Lewis. 



CREOSOTE. 



Creosote, so named from its great antiseptic 

 power, which exceeds, perhaps, that of any 

 other substance, has been long employed to pre- 

 serve animal matters from decay. The only 

 two ways in which creosote is usually applied 

 for this purpose^ consist either in exposing the 



