CHEAP METHOD OF FATTENING POULTRY. 
27 
the production of the United States for 1849, at 
2,550,000 bales ) and that of the whole world at 
2,800,000 bales, and then adds : “ This exceeds 
considerably the amount of any former year, but as 
prices are yery low, and as the consumption in the 
United States has gone steadily forward, the de¬ 
mand will nearly equal this, in spite of the wars 
and disturbances in Europe. The stocks on hand 
•are not extraordinarily large at present, and this 
slight increase can be borne without further de¬ 
pressing prices.” 
With the above information, we leave this mat¬ 
ter now with our readers, presuming that each one 
is furnished with such data as will enable him sat¬ 
isfactorily to make up his own estimate of the cot¬ 
ton crop. 
CHEAP METHOD OF FATTENING POULTRY. 
Of the great quantity of poultry raised in this 
country, I am surprised that so much of it should 
be of ordinary quality, when so little trouble is re¬ 
quired to make it excellent ’ and, in order to sus¬ 
tain this assertion, I will detail a small experiment 
made by me, solely with a view to convince myself 
of the feasibility of fattening 'poultry cheaply. 
In November, 1844, I had a box- made and divi¬ 
ded into three parts, eight inches by fourteen, just 
large enough to admit one fowl to each division. 
It was made tight enough to exclude the light of 
day mostly, yet I left openings enough for fresh 
air. I then placed two roosters and one hen 
turkey, in the box (one fowl in each division), 
confining their feet to the floor, so that they could 
not move from the position in which I placed them. 
The front of the box, I hung on hinges, for con¬ 
venience of feeding, &e. 
Most people have noticed that at sunrise and sun¬ 
set, all kinds of poultry eat voraciously, and I sup¬ 
posed that if they were kept in the dark (at which 
time of quiet all animals fatten most), and the sun¬ 
light admitted several times during the day. and fed 
at that time, they might be induced to take on fat 
rapidly, and in this I was not disappointed. I fed 
them with rice boiled in milk, and sweetened with 
molasses, giving them water to drink but once 
during their confinement, and at the end of sixteen 
days I killed them—handsomer, and fatter birds I 
never saw. By some such method as' this, 1 have 
no doubt that the income of farmers from this 
source, might be greatly augmented. A series of 
well-conducted experiments of this kind might be 
of benefit to your readers and the public generally. 
^ Who will undertake it % 
In vol. 0, p. 192 of the Agriculturist, “Mr. 
Phares” said he would communicate a simple 
method of caponizing fowls without the usual ar¬ 
ray of implements. I have, in common with the 
rest of your subscribers, waited patiently for it till 
now. Can he not communicate it in your next 
number 1 J. B. D. 
Boston , December , 1848. 
The method pursued by our correspondent, to fatten 
his poultry, is, with the exception of mixing grease 
of some kind with the food, one of the most rapid 
with which we are acquainted; but whether one of 
the best, is quite another question. We never ate 
meat of any kind thus fatted, which was not soft, 
flabby, and tasteless; and we also think, un¬ 
healthy. The system of “box feeding,” as it is 
termed, and at present getting into vogue rapidly in 
England, is very objectionable. They confine fat¬ 
tening cattle in boxes, almost as closely as our cor¬ 
respondent says he did his fowls. What is it that 
gives Southdown and Welch mutton its delicious 
flavor % It is the active habits of the sheep, com¬ 
bined with the superior sweet and nutritious grasses 
they feed on, which grows in their hilly and moun¬ 
tain pastures. The delicacy of the lean, tender 
meat of the game-cock breed of fowls, is owing, in 
a measure, to their active habits, and not being 
too closely confined when fattening. It is this, 
also, which makes the meat of all well-fatted game 
so delicious, such as venison, moose meat, pheas¬ 
ants, grouse, &c. 
NEW VARIETY OF APPLE. 
I herewith send you some samples of an apple 
which is said to have originated in this place, and 
is much esteemed by all my neighbors who have 
cultivated it. I have never seen it in market, -and 
I believe it is unknown out of Norwalk. It is 
called the “Buck-Meadow apple” here, from its 
having first been found in'an old meadow by that 
name, and is supposed to be a seedling. 
If this apple is not known among fruit growers, 
please to describe its qualities under some appro¬ 
priate name, and oblige George Seymour. 
South Norwalk , Ct ., Dec. 4th, 1848. 
The above apple is of an excellent flavor, and 
appears to possess good keeping qualities. We 
have sent a sample to the N. Y. State Agricultural 
Society, which will be examined at their next 
meeting. 
STEAM POWER FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES 
From the variety and space required for most 
operations on the farm, steam power has, thus far, 
scarcely been adopted for agricultural purposes 
generally. Many experiments have been made in 
England and elsewhere with the steam plow, but it 
has not yet been made to work successfully for the 
pulverization or removal of earth to any extent. 
Our recent English exchange periodicals bring 
us a description of a steam excavator , which pro¬ 
mises great results. It can also be worked by 
horse power. It is stated, that when propelled by 
horses, it will cut a ditch at a single operation, 
three to five feet deep, at the rate of four feet in 
length per minute, leaving a finished excavation, 
with smooth bottom to receive the tiles for under¬ 
draining. The width is not stated, but it is sup¬ 
posed to have been only wide enough to admit of 
laying down the draining tiles. This machine has 
also been applied to deep subsoiling and pulveriz¬ 
ing the earth, to the depth of twenty or thirty inches ; 
and also to bringing up so much of the subsoil and 
mixing with the surface as may be required. The 
price in England, is stated at $150. 
We know nothing of the merits of this machine, 
but wish some of our agricultural associations, or 
some liberal and enterprising individuals, would oc¬ 
casionally import similar improvements, and if no* 
entirely adapted to our necessities, Yankee inge 
nswty might soon alter them to suit our wants. 
