670 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[November 



arguments lack coherence and force, and we 

 are compelled to record our experience 

 against the position. We believe them, on 

 the contrary, to be conducive to health, not 

 only by their soothing and cheerful in- 

 fluence on the mind, but as purifiers of the 

 air, so that all may indulge their tastes 

 without the least apprehension of injury to 

 their health. We have no room for an 

 argument here, but we believe that every 

 vegetable physiologist will sustain our 

 position; if he will not, then, in our 

 opinion, he has something to learn. We 

 commend room plants to all who- have a 

 room in which to grow them, and especially 

 to the ladies, who are necessarily much con- 

 fined to the house: they will cheer many a 

 lonely hour, and afford balm to many a 

 wounded heart. The world cannot seem 

 utterly a blank while the love of flowers is 

 left to console us. — Horticulturist. 



From the New England Farmer. 



70 Years' Experience in Farming*. 



Mr. Editor: — Farming from youth to 

 seventy years of age has not convinced me 

 that it is a losing business. I shall not 

 undertake to solve Mr. Pinkhani's questions, 

 since the old rule of practice is superseded 

 by a rule which takes less figures, and herds- 

 grass hay has taken the place of pod and 

 bog-grass. 



Such cows as I have kept for the last 

 twenty years, nearly all of which I have 

 raised myself, have consumed, by the steel- 

 yards, an average of 20 pounds good hay 

 per day, when in milk, and 15 pounds per 

 day when dry. Twenty years ago, and 

 many times since, I weighed for my cows, 

 commencing two months before calving, and 

 continuing four months after, as nearly as 

 my cows came in together; of course, vary- 

 ing some one week to four weeks. Now I 

 think I shall be allowing a full price for hay 

 to call it 80 cents per cwt. in the barn. 



20 lbs. per day for 6 months, or 183 clays, 



is 3,660 lbs., at 80 cents. . . $29,28 



Summer, 26 weeks, at 50 cents per week, 



is 13,00 



$42,28 



If you please, add to this 5 pounds grain, 

 at cente per pound, and deduct 5 pounds 

 from the hay, the keeping for the year 

 stands $48 69. Now, if I can get $48 69 

 from my cows per year, I shall lose nothing 



but taxes and interest, and I think I can 

 get even that, so that I can stand it one 

 year more. I will say nothing about calves. 

 They are sold for about 50 cents to $1, at 

 three days old. 



Milk, for 6 months after calving, 8 qts. per 

 day, at a yearly average of 3| cents per 

 quart, is $45,75 



6 months before calving, 4 qts. per day, is 22,74 



$68,49 



Keeping 48,69 



Profit ...$19.80 



If I have a cow that will not do as well as 

 the above, I put her to one peck corn- 

 meal per day, and milk her till the butcher 

 wants her. 



And now I want to tell you how much I 

 lose in. raising my own cows. Within twenty 

 years I have raised seventy-one cows; all 

 but four have been milked and proved. 

 But four of them have failed of making 

 good cows. I have about come to the late 

 Mr. Jaquith's opinion, "that a cow can be 

 raised to order." I choose to have a calf to 

 raise born in November to January. I let 

 them take from the cow 4 quarts milk per 

 day, 8 weeks — 56 days. 



4 qts per day is 224 qts., at 3 cents per 



qt., is ..- $6,72 



2 lbs. shorts per day, 127 days, at 1^ cts. 



per lb., is 3,81 



1 cwt. hay, at 80 cts 80 



26 weeks' pasturing, at 10 cts. per week. . . .2,60 

 This brings up the first year, and for the 

 second year I give 20 cts. per week, 52 

 weeks, is 10,40 



$24,33 



Now there is no more expense, for the calf 

 is now a cow and will pay her own way, and 

 at 3 or 4 years old will sell for from $40 to 

 $60. I have raised calves without any milk, 

 but l find it best to begin with a good calf, 

 keep it well until it becomes a cow, and 

 then keep well; and I can get what I call 

 good pay for all given calves and cows, 

 and $20, or more than that, on each calf, 

 and about that yearly on each cow. If a 

 young man can do as well as an old one, I 

 cannot see why he may not live by farming. 



Otis Brigham. 

 Westboroucfh, Feb. 9, 1860. 



The Bee Protector. 



Within the year past, we noticed the in- 

 genious contrivance of Mr. Steele for ex- 

 cluding the bee moth, while the honey bee 



