AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
113 
CARROTS FOR HORSES. 
A clerical friend of ours who is more skill¬ 
ed in sermons than horse flesh, very gravely- 
informed us, that he did not think much of 
carrots as a food for horses. He had been 
feeding his with this root, and the result was 
that he was running down. He gave him 
more value in carrots and oats than when 
he fed on oats and hay, and yet he did not 
do as well. On catechising the dominie a 
little, we found that he had withheld hay al¬ 
together, giving no bulky food whatever with 
the carrots. Of course the animal grew poor. 
The food of a gramenivorous animal must 
have bulk as well as nourishment. 
This we presume is a fair sample of those 
experiments which result in the condemna¬ 
tion of carrots. The testimony of careful 
observers goes far to show, that they are 
nearly as valuable as oats, bulk for bulk, 
when fed with them, after two years trial, 
and shall enlarge their cultivation next 
season. 
The American Herd Book. —The favor 
with which the second volume of this valu¬ 
able work has been received by our Ameri¬ 
can cattle breeders has induced them to call 
for the preparation of a third volume at the 
hands of its editor. We have received a full 
and particular circular, addressed to the 
Shorthorn breeders, requesting them to pre¬ 
pare their pedigrees for compilation, and 
send them in by the first of December, 1856, 
that the volume may be ready for delivery 
by the first of May, 1857. Such breeders of 
Shorthorns as may not have received a cir¬ 
cular may obtain them by addressing Lewis 
F. Allen, Black Rock, Erie Co., N. Y. 
Take a Look at the Advertisements.— 
Our business columns are quite full of agri¬ 
cultural information. It is understood, of 
course, that we insert these advertisements 
not only because they give just such infor¬ 
mation as our readers want, but also because 
the advertisers pay for their insertion. We 
assume no responsibility for what each one 
says of his own wares offered for sale, and 
since we charge all alike in proportion to 
the space occupied, though it would give us 
pleasure to respond to the wishes of those 
requesting, and probably deserving special 
attention, we feel bound to content ourselves 
with this general notice. The advertise¬ 
ments are arranged without any reference 
to order of reception or supposed merit, but 
just as the;printer finds it most convenient 
to make up the columns. Let the reader 
look them all through, and see if there is 
not a chance to buy or sell something to his 
own advantage. 
The Louisville Courier pays the following 
tribute to the occupations of a farmer : 
“ If a young man wants to engage in a 
business that will insure him, in middle life, 
the greatest amount of leisure time, there is 
nothing more certain than farming. If he 
has an independent turn of mind, let him be a 
farmei. If he wants to engage in a healthy 
occupation, let him till the soil. In short, if 
he would be independent, let him get a spot 
of earth, keep within his means ; be temper¬ 
ate, to avoid the doctor ; be honest, that he 
may have a clear conscience ; improve the 
soil, so as to leave the world better than he 
found it, and then if he can not live happy 
and die contented, there is no hope for him. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Cancerene. —At the annual meeting of the 
New-Jersey Agricultural Society, held at 
Trenton on the I5th ult., resolutions were 
passed highly commending Jonathan Ingham, 
Esq., of Salem, for his persevering efforts 
in making the king-crab available as a fer¬ 
tilizing substance. This manure is known 
as “ Cancerene,' 5 and was on exhibition at 
the State Fair in Camden, N. J. Fertilizers 
of all sorts are so greatly needed to develop 
the agricultural resources of our country, 
especially in the Atlantic States, that he who 
invents a new one, and succeeds in introduc¬ 
ing it, may be reckoned a benefactor. 
Mercer. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
SOME THOUGHTS ON HENS. 
RESULTS OF EXPERIENCE. 
It is an unquestioned fact that the “ Hen 
Fever” has culminated. The rage for very 
large and very small fowls is passed away, 
and people are now inquiring for such as 
combine both beauty and utility. The public 
ought to be thankful that, at least, a part of 
the people have come to their senses. For 
never was there any thing, unless it be horse¬ 
dealing, which has afforded more and better 
opportunities for cheating and pocketing 
funds without rendering any equivalent, than 
this “ Hen Fever.” A few unscrupulous 
persons have enriched themselves at the ex¬ 
pense of the many—and the many have 
learned a useful, though dear bought lesson. 
Many men from an inherent love for rural 
pursuits, and many from a desire to benefit 
others, have also engaged in the “ fowl ” busi¬ 
ness. And while a love for rural employ¬ 
ment remains, and people have—as the in¬ 
dustrious and prudent in this country always 
have—the means to indugle a well disciplined 
taste, “ biddies ” of real merit need have no 
fear of being neglected. So long, too, as 
fowls can be kept at so great a pecuniary 
profit, yankees will be ready in this way to 
turn “ an honest penny.” 
Early in my “ run of fever, 5 ’ I learned that 
the best way to ascertain the merits of a 
breed of fowl was to experiment myself, and 
though I can not boast of a very large expe¬ 
rience, I can speak with confidence of a 
few kinds. Where you can raise chickens 
and sell them for $3 to $15 per pair, no one 
doubts that it is profitable. But where fancy 
prices can not be obtained, and fowls and 
eggs for the market are the only sources of 
revenue, there has been a variety of opin¬ 
ions as to the profit. My experience and 
observation leads me to the conclusion, that 
farmers can produce chickens and eggs at a 
fair profit. I have doubts whether residents 
of villages and towns can. I conclude that 
producing eggs is generally the most profit¬ 
able—and if this be true the question is 
“ whatjbreed of fowls will give the most 
eggs on the least keep V 5 I believe all agree 
that Asiatic fowls will lay well and that they 
are hardy. I object to them because they are 
such determined setters. The summer past 
my Brahmas have been so broody, that I 
have nearly discarded them. In some cases 
I could not “ break them up 55 —if shut away 
from the rest, the ground was not too good 
for them to hover, and if I filled the nest full 
of water, they set standing, as did the Dutch¬ 
man’s hen. As a general rule, large ani¬ 
mals eat more than small ones, and this I 
think holds true of Asiatic fowls, notwith¬ 
standing the opinion to the contrary ex¬ 
pressed by many who hold them in high es¬ 
teem. At present I give the preference to 
the Black Spanish, as egg producers. They 
are also a very handsome fowl, of medium 
size, their large, very red combs and white 
faces making a very pretty contrast to their 
black feathers. They are hardy and a very 
good table fowl. They do not incline to 
set, which is a good quality, if eggs are the 
sole object. I learn from undoubted authori¬ 
ty, that the Bolton Greys are extraordinary 
layers,but their flesh is'inferior. I have 
known many instances where our native 
fowls have given large profits. One of my 
neighbors has during the last eleven months, 
sold from a flock of a dozen common fowls, 
1,151 eggs, amounting to $19.27. Besides 
this he has raised two broods of chickens. 
I think this is better than most flocks of Asi¬ 
atic fowls will do. I shall next season breed 
Irish Grey Games, and Red Irish Games, and 
Indian Mountain fowl, and can then give 
my opinion of these varieties from experi¬ 
ence.—C. L. A., West Killingly, Ct. 
DRY BROTH. 
Dry broth is a very useful and nutritious 
article. It is very common in Russia, and 
in other countries amid huge forests where 
game is scarce and fuel of great price. In 
traveling in that country, I came to a place ' 
where this broth was manufactured, and re¬ 
mained there three days for the purpose of 
learning the process. It is as follows : 
Take half of an ox, half of a sheep, entire 
ten fowls, ten partridges, and cut all these 
into small pieces. Place it in a copper boiler 
well tinned, and pour six quarts of water to 
one pound of flesh. Cook this in the open 
air or in a basement over a moderate fire, 
skim it carefully, and after the soup is well 
cooked add some vegetables, &c., that is to 
say, celery, pork, parsley cut fine, and cook 
the whole ten hours or more, until the solu¬ 
ble portions of the flesh are dissolved. Then 
strain the liquor through a colander. Place 
the residue under a press and pour what 
flows from it into the soup. The residue of 
the flesh is comparatively tasteless, and may 
be given to dogs, swine, &c. 
The soup which hasbeen strained, is again 
poured into the boiler, and made to boil mod¬ 
erately. It should be taken from the fire at 
such time as, when poured off and allowed 
to cool, it will become a compact mass, re¬ 
sembling chocolate. This moment must be 
determined by repeated trials. The soup 
should then be poured into vessels of tin or 
potter’s ware, and suffered to remain sever¬ 
al days. The mass is then placed in the sun 
