1877.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4.59 
and chlorine compounds, which latter, though generally 
beneficial, may in certain cases be harmful. 
3. The higher grades will he, In general, most profita- 
ble for use in this country, because they fnruish the most 
potaseiam with the least admixture of inferior materials, 
on which costs of freight and handling mui't be paid. 
The chlorides (muriates) with 80 to 81 per cent of chlor- 
ide of potassium, corresponding to 50 to 52 per cent ac- 
tual potash, and the sulphates, with TO to 80 per cent of 
sulphate of potash, or from 38 to 4-1 per cent actual pot- 
ash, are to be especially recotnmendcd. 
4. For potatoes, sugar beets, or tobacco, the sulphates 
are preferable ; for other crops, or on wet lands, the 
chlorides, which are cheaper, are equally good. 
5. Potash salts have proven especially useful for fod- 
der crops, as grass and rye : for leguminous crops, as 
clover, beans, peas, and vetches, and for corn, potatoes, 
roots, tobacco, and fruits. 
(i. Potash is most apt to be lacking in light, sandy, and 
calcareous (lime) soils, in those consisting largely of 
vegetable matters, like peat, muck beds, and moors, and 
in those where guanos, phosphates, bone, etc., which 
nupply nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and lime, but little 
or no potash, do not bring as large returns as formerly. 
7. In order to secure uniform difl'usion through the 
soil, the potash salts should bo applied as long as possi- 
ble before the crop is sown. It is well to mix with earth, 
or to compost, before applying, especially if used shortly 
before sowing the seed, otherwise they may injure the 
crops. And. in general, potash salts are well adapted 
for composting with muck, earth, stable manure, phos- 
phates, fish, and the like. 
8. The best results are generally obtained by using 
potash salts not alone, but with other fertilizers, as su- 
perphosphates, guanos, and fish. Mixtures of these with 
potash salt form '• complete fertilizers." The proper 
use of potash salts is as adjuncts to other fertilizers. 
9. From 200 lbs., to 4C0 or 500 lbs. per acre of the 
higher, and 300 to GOO lbs. of the lower grades, arc appro- 
priate quantities. 
10. The question of the need of potash in a given soil, 
can be best decided by actual trial. It will be generally 
advisable to test the question by experiments ou a small 
scale, before making largo purchases. 
W. 0. Atwater. 
' Wesleyan V/iiversity, Miclilhtoum, Conn. 
Ogden Farm Papers.— ITo. 94. 
BY GEOItGB E. W.VRINO, JII. 
I will now f ,ike up the Live-Stock account of the 
farm, and show, somewhat in detail, what our trans- 
actions have been. Durin}^ the whole ten years of 
our enterprise — from September 6, 1867, to Septem- 
ber 6, 1877— the total footing of this account are : 
All disbursements, including purchase of ani- 
mals, medicines, incidental expenses, etc.. .§120,551 05 
Receipts, including eggs, poultry, 
beet cattle, etc $32,531 80 
Live stock on h.ind Sept. (i, ISTi. .. 13,339 00- 4."),870 80 
Amount to credit of this account $25^19 75 
Several of the items are worth examining : 
1. Piiidtyy — In this wo liave made a pretty uni- 
form failure, owini^ to the heavy (damp) condition 
of the soil. We have repeatedly tried to pet some 
breed of fowls or other poultry that would thrive 
with us, but have come to the conclusion that, 
while our neighbors, whose land is dry, can make 
money in the poultry business, we cannot do so. 
The account stands thus ; 
Purchases of stock 8490 5-t 
Sale of eggs, dressed poultry, etc 1,061 M 
Amount to credit of this account $.562 00 
This is not enough to pay for food bought, to say 
nothing of building a poultry house. The Tailure 
is due to our tryini; to keep poultry on land en- 
tirely unsuitcd to it— to bad judgment, in fact. 
2. Horses and ifidcs : 
Purchases have amounted to $2,r69 2i) 
Total sales $1,781 50 
Stock ou hand. Septouiber «, 1S7T.. .550 00— 2,28150 
Amount to debit of this account $'J8S 10 
Tliis makes a cost of $28.80 j)er annum for the 
cost of teams, aside from the cost of keep. It is, 
on the whole, less than we miglit reasonably liavo 
expected, but it is ipiite dillerent from what we did 
expect. Indeed, it is not a fair showing, because 
the credit shows the wliolc amount received for a 
number of colts sold, and the debit does not in- 
clude the cost of raising these. ^Ye raised in all 
some o or 10 colts, every one of which cost more 
than he came to, and most o£ them a good deal 
more. Indeed, our experience indicates that in a 
region where feed costs bo much as it does here. 
the raising of colts is a losing business. I think it 
is demonstrable that every colt well raised here- 
about to the age of four years and well trained, 
costs more than $200. It is only now and then that 
it can be sold at the age of four years for over $200, 
and the average price will often be less. The rais- 
ing of fancy horses may pay, but it requires a large 
investment in animals of a class whicli may well be 
called " extra hazardous.'' It is not a good branch 
of industry for an average farmer to engage in. 
3. SiviiK' — In this item our experience has been 
more satisfactory, but stiJl the result has not been 
very brilliant. The item of feed has not been 
very serious (for a guess — we have not kept it sep- 
erate from our general feed account), because we 
have had an enormous amount of .skimmed milk at 
all seasons, and could have made no other use of 
so much of it as has gone into the swill barrel. 
The total disl)ursemcnt3 for pigs, etc., have been. .$963 26 
The total receipts from sales of pigs, 
pork, breeding animals, etc., have 
been $1,028 30 
Stock on hand Sept. 0, 1877 134 00— 2,062 36 
Amount to credit of this account $1,099 10 
We made the radical mistake at the outset of se- 
lecting the "small white" breed, which was not 
suited to our circumstances, and for the progeny 
of which we did not find a ready sale. For our 
first sow of this breed (imported), we paid $188, 
and we never got our money back from the sale of 
her progeny. Then we tried the " Chester White," 
with no better result. Then wo settled ou the 
" Essex," which turned out very much better. In- 
deed, for the two or three years while pork was 
high, and while this breed was in favor, we did 
very well indeed — selling eight-weeks' pigs readily 
at $25 each. I still have a good opinion of this 
breed, especially for crossing on coarse white sows ; 
but for profitable, thorough breeding, I think they 
are too late in coming to profit, and that they are 
not entirely free from the charge of " shy breed- 
ing." I question whether they will ever regain 
the high popularity they enjoyed six or seven years 
ago. For raising grade pig.s, they are as good as 
can be asked, but what is especially needed is a 
breed that, as thoroughbreds, are up to all the de- 
sired conditions. I question whether it will pay in 
the long run to raise an improved breed of any race 
wliose chief value is in its ability to produce a good 
race of grades. If I were going into the breeding of 
pure swine again, I should try to find some race 
which would be in demand among average farmers, 
rather for its own good qualities, than for the good 
qualities of its grade progeny. 
4. Be(?f Cattle — This has been with us a very inci- 
dental item. We have worked oxen to a greater 
or less extent, and have tried to buy such oxen as 
would improve iu value in our hands. Wc should 
have had a very fine record tinder this head, had wo 
not lost our own head at a time when beef was very 
high, and when store cattle could be bought for a 
moderate price. Our barn was full, and it seemed so 
clear that we could add very much to our product 
of manure, and somewhat to our annual return 
of money, that we spent over $1,500 in build- 
ing a long addition to the barn to house some forty 
head of beet cattle. We bought our stock cheaply 
enough, and we bought abundant feed for them. 
After keeping them eight months, on a falling 
market, we sold them for a round loss, and our 
shed has never been of any especial use from that 
day to this, except to shelter the barn-yard from the 
cohl N. W. winds. Thtis our spectilation cost tis 
more money than any other losing one on which 
we ever ventured. But for this speculation, this 
item would have made a respectable appearance — 
for a small one. The actual figures are these : 
Totiil disbursements $2,39S 59 
Tot;il receipts 2,451 93 
Amount to credit of this accouut $56 31 
0. Thoroujhbred Jersegs — This branch of our busi- 
ness we submit to public inspection with no little 
satisfaction. We took it up in the very first year 
of our enterprise, and luave followed it persistently 
to the end, and arc now going ou with it as vigor- 
ously as ever. On full investigation of the ground, 
we decided that the Jersey was the coming./armors' 
enu\ and that, when Ibis fact should come to be 
geueraily recognized, she would be sure to come to 
the front. Up to that time (1867 to 1868), she was 
generally considered as hardly more than a fancy 
animal, or a " gentleman's cow." 
Our theory was that the Jersey must, before 
many years, demonstrate her economical value so 
clearly that the fancg demand would become 
insignificant as compared with the utilitarian de- 
mand. The event has already shown that this 
theory was well founded, and there is reason to be- 
lieve that ten years more wUl show that we had 
greatly underestimated the extent of the change. 
That we were practically correct so far as our own 
interests were concerned, is shown by these figures ; 
Total disbursements for the purchase of thor- 
oughbred .Jerseys $10,326 70 
Total receipts from sales of thor- 
oughbred Jerseys $24,259 75 
Valueof stock on hand Sept. 6, 1877 12,635 00— $.36.894 75 
Amount to credifof this account $26,568 05 
It may be of interest to give the accounts for 
each year by itself : Purchases. Sales. 
Year ending Sept. 6. 1S63 $3,475 00 
' 1869 525 00 $300 00 
1870 1.456 00 1.350 00 
1871 900 00 1.885 00 
1872 645 00 3.670 00 
" " " 1873 200 CO 2,100 00 
" " 18T4 1,238 20 2.950 00 
" " " 1875 1,322 50 6.9.88 75 
1876 425 0:l 2.S.30 50 
1877 150 00 3.185 50 
The estimate of stock on hand is made at fair 
selling rates, much of it is growing in value, and, 
as a whole, it could all be cleared out within a year 
at considerably more than the estimate. 
In considering this result, we should not lose sight 
of the rather undue amount of misfortune that we 
have had. We lost by death two cows, for which 
we paid $700 cash, and calves of the value of at 
least $1,000. Then we have had some still-births 
at full period, and no less than fifteen abortions, 
costing us the value of the calf, and a great reduc- 
tion in the value of the dam. Indeed, it is well with- 
in bounds to say that the epidemic abortion from 
which we suffered iu 1871-2 and 3, cost us $5,000. 
Iu one case an .aborting cow failed to get with calf 
again and was slaughtered. We had refused 
$600 for her. In other cases we have, for the samo 
defects, sold cows at very low rates to go to distant 
points where they have resumed breeding and have 
done well. "Big Duchess" cost us $400, and 
"Theresa" cost us $300. We sold the latter for 
$100, and the former for $50, to go to Illinois, where 
they both turned out well. 
On the whole our losses have been cousiderably 
more than I should expect to sustain in another pe- 
riod of ten years, partly because we have learned 
some things which we did not know at the otitset. 
Forexample : I do not fear ever again to lose a cow 
by milk fever. Judicious starvation just before and 
just after calving seems a sure prevention of that. 
Collating the accounts as well as I can, I get tho 
following rcsult^which is practicably correct, al- 
though tho buying and selling of occasional lots 
for a round sum makes it impossible to be quite ex- 
act. We have bought : 
23 m.alcs for an average of $17.50 
46 females " " 100 55 
We have sold: 
61malea " " 98 75 
S3femalC3 " " 216 BO 
Durini; the last year wo bouglit nothing. The sales 
woio: 
3 males for an average of $170 00 
12femalo8 " ■' 24125 
These averages cover a very wide range of prices. 
Wo sold a cow for $750, and a bull calf for $20. 
Tho grand result of our Jersey business has been 
entirely satisfactory, and, aside from the business 
aspect of the case, it is pleasant to sec that tho 
brccil is now very generally rccognizeil as a sine qua 
lion, not only of the best butter-making, but for the 
most butter-making. It is conceded that no other 
animal, except a goat, will get so much butter out 
of a ton of hay as a good Jersey cow, and that no 
other cow will give the butter such good quality 
Ten years ago the .Jersey was high-priced because 
gentlemen wanted her for their lawns. Todayshe 
is still higher priced, because she Is recognized as 
the founder of the coming race of butterman's cow. 
Ten years ago, high prices depended on deer-llta 
