Cheap Beef and Tallow.—Turning Hogs into Corn Fields.—Crossing Different Breeds. 
Here, then, are 160 acres of as rich soil as it is possi¬ 
ble to imagine, all ready for the emigrant to take pos¬ 
session of and put in a crop, for the sum of $800. The 
first crop of corn will average about 15 bushels; in 
oats, about 20 bushels; in wheat, about 10 bushels; 
potatoes about 150; turnips, or rutabagas, 300 ; buck¬ 
wheat, 25; beans, peas, millet, pumpkins, mellons, 
&c. &c. “ a right smart chance,” and some of the lat¬ 
ter, as big “ as a good sizeable boy can tote.” The 
second crop will be some better, though the sods will 
yet be in the way of cultivation. After this you have 
a deep, loose, rich black soil, which as you do unto it, 
so it will do unto you. The practice generally adopted, 
is to take the skin and starve the body—burning straw 
and wasting manure—“ running over” four times as 
much land as can be cultivated. In my statement of 
prices, I have taken this county (the Northwestern one 
in Indiana) for a basis. In others there may be a 
slight variation. Both in this State and Illinois, Mis¬ 
souri and Iowa Territories, there are thousands of lo¬ 
cations to be had at about the rates stated. 
If such “ information from the prairies” is such as 
you want, you can be furnished from time to time by 
“ Your old friend,” Solon Robinson. 
Lake Co. H., Ia., November 25, 1842. 
Agreeably to Mr. Robinson’s request, we 
have given on page 335 of this paper, the 
best method of English stacking which fell 
under our observation while abroad. It is 
the same we have frequently seen practiced 
in our own country, with the exception of 
the stone, or cast iron blocks, for the founda¬ 
tion of the stack to rest upon, which are a 
sure guaranty against rats or mice getting 
at the grain. In a subsequent letter from 
Mr. R., we quote a paragraph below, giving 
an account of a great yield of tallow from a 
grass-fed cow; but if this is all the Hoosiers 
have to offer, we think they are bound to 
strike their “ banners,” and reverse their 
u corn-stalk wands” before their eastern 
rivals; for Mr. Ambrose T. Grey, of Pine 
Plains, Duchess County, has recently killed 
a cow grass-fed also, which gave 180 lbs. 
rough, making 160 lbs. of tried tallow. We 
are not advised of the weight of hide and 
four quarters of Mr. Grey’s cow. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Cheap Beef and Tallow. 
As an illustration of the virtue of prairie grass for 
making beef, allow me to state that I killed a cow the 
past fall, entirely grass fed upon the prairie, the quar¬ 
ters of which weighed about 140 lbs. each, hide 72 lbs., 
and she made 110 lbs. of clean tried tallow. 
The common selling price of such a cow alive, is 
about $8. 
Solon Robinson. 
Turning Hogs into Corn Fields at the West. 
A good deal has been said pro and con, 
about turning hogs into corn fields to fatten 
upon the grain, and we must confess that we 
have hitherto considered it rather a waste¬ 
ful practice; but the extract which follows 
from a letter of Judge Beatty, addressed 
us a short time since, places the system in 
rather a different light than we have hitherto 
looked upon it; and enclosing them with 
moveable fences, is similar to the English 
practice of feeding off vetches clover, and 
not unfrequently turnips, with sheep, fenced 
in with hurdles or netting. Now corn at the 
west is not as dear as green food is in Eng¬ 
land ; we cannot see therefore, under suitable 
regulations, why turning hogs into the fields 
to consume it raw, may not be considered 
good husbandry as practiced in Kentucky ; at 
least as long as grain is so cheap, and labor 
so disproportionably dear as is now the case. 
For the American Agriculturist . 
In relation to turning hogs into fields among growing 
corn to fatten, you were correct, so far, at least, as it 
relates to Mason, Fleming, Nicholas, and Bourbon 
Counties, where I know that practice prevails. Nor 
do I think it a wasteful practice, when it is applied 
only to feeding hogs for an early market , that is, for 
drove hogs. For this purpose corn should be planted 
early, so as to turn in hogs from the 20th to the last 
of August, and to have them fit for driving, from the 
1st to the 15th October. During this season, we have 
but little rain, and if hogs are turned only into small 
fields, (and for this purpose a portion of a large one 
may be fenced off by a low temporary fence as occasion 
requires,) it is surprising how little corn will be left 
on the ground. Besides, when the fatting hogs are 
turned into the second field, stock hogs may follow to 
clean up what the fatting hogs have left. When the 
hogs are turned into corn late in August, there is 
much saccharine matter in the stalks, and the hogs 
will not only eat the corn, but will chew much of the 
stalk, sucking the juice therefrom; and as nothing is 
taken from the land, it will of course be greatly en¬ 
riched. For late feeding, when the grain is fully ma¬ 
tured, and when the rains are more abundant, we pre¬ 
fer gathering the corn, or shucking it out of the cut 
up shocks. A. Beatty. 
Crossing Different Breeds of Animals. 
We have a letter from Mr. Z. B. Wakeman, of Her¬ 
kimer, this State, giving details of his experience in 
crossing animals of different kinds, and asking various 
questions of us as to ours, and concludes by saying, 
“ that breeders generally differ in relation to this point, 
that the male should be of a larger breed than the fe¬ 
male, while others contend for the contrary. The 
cross of the Canadian pony with English mares no 
doubt is a good specimen of the latter. I have crossed 
a few Anglo-Merino sheep for my own diversion, with 
South Down, and Bakewell bucks, but still I should 
prefer the reverse.” 
What little experience we have had, coincides en¬ 
tirely with that of Mr. Wakeman, viz : that when ani¬ 
mals of different breeds are crossed, the best produce 
comes from a male of a smaller breed, on a female of a 
larger one; but then the disproportion must not be too 
great. Yet we must confess, when the reverse has 
been the case, we have seen some quite perfect ani¬ 
mals as the result, and will instance particularly, that 
of a powerful 16 hand trotting stallion, upon a Cana¬ 
dian mare not over 13 hands high; a Durham bull 
