354 
MOOllE’S EURAl NEW-YORKEE: AN AGEICULTUEAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL 
✓ 
THE TWO WAYS. 
) ^ - 
) / There is a right way, and a wrong way 
I ( to do things. Such as have learned the 
) riglit way and practice it, whether from 
tradition oi- from knowledge acquired oth- 
< erwise, are said to be lucky, because suc- 
^ cess crowns their labors and investments. 
^ Those who practice the wrong way, are 
} ^ said to be M/i-lucky in almost every enter- 
■ ' prise they engage in. These persons not 
^ unfrequently envy those whom they look 
^ upon as their lucky neighbors. 
Now what is attributed here to luck, 
! [■ may in most cases be traced to knowledge 
' and skill. These are acquired in various 
/ ways. Tradition, observation, the study of 
1 / books, and experience furnish the chief 
/ sources of knowledge. While some draw 
) only from one or two of these, others draw 
) from them all, and become not only intelli- 
) gent but successful in whatever vocation 
> they enlist. 
^ i If such a man engage in agriculture he 
] ' is always on the look out for the ways and 
{ ' means for the improvement of his farm— 
^ " experimenting in order to ascertain how to 
^ ' obtain the greatest amount of production 
from the labor employed, and money ex- 
) pended or invested. The great inquiry 
\ ; with such a man is, how can I improve my 
^ farm and sell off my crops annually ? 
' lie learns that “ manures are the riches 
I of the field,”—how to obtain these so as to 
render farming productive is the desidera¬ 
tum. Stable manures he knows are good. 
So of many of the composts. But the 
moving of them, or preparing or otherwise 
^ procuring them, is attended with labor and 
expense—so much, in some places, as to 
/ render their use impracticable. For exam- 
^ pie the farmers in Massachusetts can pre- 
r pare the soil Avith fertilizers, so that they 
( can raise good wheat—GO bushels to the 
j ' acre —wheat that Avill make as good flour 
( i as the Grenesee wheat. The reason Avhy 
( they do not do this, is, because the fcrtili- 
< ' zers requisite to furnish the pabulum for the 
^ ^ wheat plant cost so much. 
< ( It is not unfrequently the case that you 
find two farmers situated very nearly alike, 
so far as quantity and quality of soil are 
concerned—and each expending about the 
^ , same amount of labor annually — the one 
^ I producing forty bushels of wheat to the 
' acre and seventy bushels of corn, and other 
i erops in proportion, while the other raises 
) about, twenty bushels of wheat and forty of 
) corn, and other crops in the same ratio.— 
; By the former every thing is done prompt- 
i ly, completely and seasonably—by the lat¬ 
ter this order is little regarded. The for¬ 
mer is prosperous and “ lucky ” and grows 
. rich—tlie latter struggles along scarcely 
^ acquiring the necessaries of life. 
' So it is the world over in every kind of 
business. There is a way that seemeth to 
be right unto many—but the end thereof 
( is degredation, misery and ruin—while the 
( right way is strown with riches and honor; 
\ and peace and pleasantness are the attend- 
^ ants of all that walk according to her pre- 
( cepts. ■ w. 
S A Family Reaiuno Paiity. —On Satur- 
' day, in a wheat-field situated near the cross 
-- gate, adjacent to the town of lllminster, 
/ were to be seen a father and his ten sons 
! reaping. The field is rented by one of the 
f' sons, and, by his request, his father and his 
I brothers help to reap, iiie fixther is an 
^ athletic man. named Wm. Mullins, aged G5 
< years, llis sons’ names and ages arc— 
) John, 40; William, 38; Noah, and James 
> (twins,) 3G; Esau and Jacob (twins,) 34; 
\ Mathew, 32; Henry, 30; Rober, 28; and 
] Emanuel, 23 ycar-s. The sons are all fine 
robust men, and, on an average, stand 5 
^ feet 11 inches each. A great many per- 
; sons went from the town to see them reap, 
^ and the bell of our venerable church rang 
f " two peals on the occasion.— Wealern Fly- 
[ ; ing Post. 
^ Method OF Skinning Calves. —As most 
dair}^men are in the habit of killing their 
calves as soon as the milk is good, and as 
^ buyers of skins have frequent occasion to 
;! complain of cuts and hacks, I give the fol- 
lowing method of skinning. First rip the 
^ ' skin as usual, and start it from the fore legs 
I ■ and neck, sufficient to fasten a small chain 
j ^ around the neck of the skin, and with 
< another, chain the neck of the calf to some- 
) > thing permanent, and with a small windlass 
/ attached to the side of the barn or some- 
thing where you wish to do your work, draw 
') off the skin by means of small levers or 
/ ; arms of your windlass.—G. A. IIanchet, 
\ in Cvlt. 
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, 
{ but in rising every time we fall. 
TKEATMENT OF BIRDS- 
Mr. Moore :—As several correspondents 
of the Rural have each had their say about 
birds and insects—some of them assuming 
rather ultra positions—I send you the fol¬ 
lowing which sustains my view of the sub¬ 
ject, and which may, by many others, be 
considered about right as between the two 
extremes. The article is from the last 
number of the Albany Cultivator, and ap¬ 
pears under the above heading. From the 
initials I infer that it emanated from David 
Thomas, whose knowledge of and large ex¬ 
perience in rural affairs eminently qualify 
him to judge correctly and write advisedly 
upon this and kindred subjects. 
Yours, h. l. m. 
In looking over a bundle of old letters, 
&c., the other day, I found the following 
sketch, written about ten years ago, to a 
correspondent. Of course, it was not in¬ 
tended for publication. At this time, how¬ 
ever, when some very ultra notions on the 
subject of birds arc taking the rounds of 
the newspapers, perhaps your readers 
would be willing to hear something on the 
right side. — ]). T. 7 mo. 30. 
I am fond of ornithology, but not of all 
its subjects. There are great villians that 
fly as well as walk. For practical purpo¬ 
ses, birds should be divided into three clas¬ 
ses ; and we ought to regulate our enmity 
or favor accordingly. 
]. Such as live on the products of our 
labor, and render no benefits in return. 
2. Such as prey on those products in 
part, and in part of destructive insects, <fec. 
3. Such as assist us without committing 
any trespass. » 
Of the first class, perhaps there are 
very few, but the cedar bird certainly ranks 
among them; and 1 shoxild name in the 
same indictment the larger hawks, and the 
larger owls. 
The second is a very large class, and 
contains the smaller hawks and smaller 
owls, both useful to some extent in catch¬ 
ing mice, besides the crow which eats grubs. 
In selecting from this class, such as should 
be fostered or repelled, liowevcr, much dis¬ 
crimination is necessary. Many birds that 
are useful, claim high wages; and we must 
judge whether we can afford to employe 
them, or not. Of this kind are the robin, 
the cat-bird, and the w^oodpecker, who 
work some and plunder some. 
My rule is, if but few come, I bear with 
them; if many, I thin them—I have no i 
notion of giving the -whole crop to pay for I 
for destroying a few insects; and it is but 
few insects that wc care much about, that 
they do destroy. The worst kinds they 
generally leave untouched. 
I know some people say, “you should 
not kill the birds.” “ Doctor,” said a lady 
in my presence, to an M. D., “ I have never 
thought so Avell of you since I heard of 
your throwing stones at the birds that came 
to eat your cherries.” Yet I am confident 
that lady herself would throw a stone at a 
hawk that came to eat her chickens, or 
broomstick a rat from her meal-tub or 
pantry'. 
“Oh, that is a different affair!” 
Is it? Now let us be consistent, and 
carry out our principles fairly. Rats are 
useful—they eat worms and even one an¬ 
other, when they are very hungry ; and 
xvhy should they be punished when birds 
equally predatory are allowed to escape ? 
“ Rats are nasty things.” 
Then they are killed for being nasty ! 
and birds are saved for being pretty 1 “ It 
appears, then, \\\dX ymrtiality or prejudice, 
and not ywinciple, rules. Do as you like, 
but ascribe the action to its proper motive, 
and try to be charitable towards others who 
differ from you. 
The third class is worthy of all our care 
and protection. This includes all our spar¬ 
rows, all our swallows, all our fly-catchers, 
(for the king-bird only eats the drones) and 
many others. In regard to such, I should 
say most emphatically, “ Fowler, spare that 
bird !” 
The “ IIoo Croi*.”— A correspondent of 
a mercantile house in Louisville, having re¬ 
cently visited the pork-packing points on 
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, says, the 
number of hogs will fall very little, if any, 
short of last season. The number near the 
river will fall short on account of the scarci¬ 
ty and high price of corn last year, but the 
country back will make up this deficiency. 
The corn crop was never finer, he adds, 
and this will enable feeders to bring all 
their small hogs to market by late feeding. 
The estimate of hogs packed on the Illinois 
and Mississippi rivers, last season, is 500,- 
000, including St. Louis. The general in¬ 
crease in Iowa, Mississippi, and Illinois, will 
make up for any deficiency from last year. 
A Farmer’s Bank. — Vault —Mother 
Earth. Exchanges —The transplantings of 
the nursery and gardens. Deposits —Hap¬ 
piness, sobriety and manly independence. 
Assets —Smiling fields, waving with a good 
harvest Liabilities — Indebted to God 
alone, who sends the sunshine and the rain. 
Dividends — Health, wealth, and honest, 
patriotic hearts. 
FATTENING ANIMALS. 
There is a great advantage in commenc¬ 
ing the fattening of animals early in the 
‘fall. There are many articles on a farm 
which may be profitably used at this sea¬ 
son, but which, from their perishable na¬ 
ture, would be lost, or greatly depreciated 
in value, by long keeping. Early apples, 
squashes, pumpkins, unmerchantable pota¬ 
toes, and unsound corn should be used first. 
But besides the. ad vantage in' saving these 
kinds of food, there is another important 
argument in favor of early fattening; the 
same amount and quality of food will go 
farther, or will produce a greater amount of 
meat, in mild weather, than in cold—less 
food being required to supply the waste of 
the animal system under a mild tempera¬ 
ture, than under a low one. 
Experiments have established the fact 
that for swine there is a great advantage in 
cooking food. This advantage results in 
two ways; first, from the aid which the 
cooking process affords to the' organs of di¬ 
gestion, by bringing the nutritive properties 
of the food into a condition in wlxich they 
may be more easily assimilated; second, by 
rendering food more palatable, so that some 
articles, which would be rejected in a raw 
state, are, when cooked, eaten with avidity. 
The actual saving or gain by cooking, de¬ 
pends on many circuinstances, and perhaps 
has never been ascertained with mathemat¬ 
ical accuracy. Indian corn may be fed 
liberally to hogs, in a raw state, before it 
becomes fully hardened, and they will ex¬ 
tract the nutriment from it pretty thor¬ 
oughly; but after it is seasoned and dried, 
it cannot be used to advantage (except 
when fed in very small quantities) without 
being ground, or softened by soaking or 
cooking. The grinding is doubtless best; 
and if swine are full fed, there would then 
be considerable saving in cooking the 
meal over feeding it'raw. Some observing 
and careful jiersons have estimated this sa¬ 
ving at one-lifth the value of the food, and 
others at more. The remarks in regard to 
Indian corn, will apply to other kinds of 
grain that may be used as food for swine. 
I n fact the general advantages of cooking- 
food for these animals, is admitted by most 
authorities. The Book of the Farm ob¬ 
serves—“by direct experiment, it has been 
ascei'tained that pigs fatten much better on 
cooked than on raw food. This being the 
case, it is only a waste of time and materi¬ 
al, as also loss of flesh to attempt to fatten 
pigs on raw food of whatever kind; for al- 
tphough some sorts of food fatten better 
than others in the same state, yet the same 
sort, when cooked, fattens much faster and 
Letter than in » .r.i w ctato. TEo <j\j.cot\on, 
therefore, simply is—what is the best sort 
of food to cook for the purpose of fattening 
pigs ? Roots and grains of all kinds, when 
cooked, will fatten pigs. Potatoes, turnips, 
carrots, parsnips, mangel-wurtzel, as rooLs; 
and barley, oats, peas, beans, rice, Indian 
corn, as grain, will fatten them when prepared. 
Swine are benefited by being fed with 
different kinds of food. They, like most 
animals, when left to themselves, feed on 
various plants and substances. This varie¬ 
ty, is doubtless promotive of their health 
anil thrift: it excites the appetite, and their 
food is consumed with less waste. We be¬ 
lieve, also, that the quality of the pork is 
improved by a mixture of food—that swine 
fed with food composed of vegetables, 
fruits, and grains of meal, with dairy slops, 
will make much better pork than those 
which are fed entirely on Indian corn.— 
The cooking of food probably tends further 
to the improvement of the quality of the pork. 
Indian corn contains a large proportion of oil, 
and when swine are fed with a large quan¬ 
tity of this grain in a raw state, it is not 
improbable that the oil is assimilated in a 
greater proportion, comparatively, than the 
other constituents; and this may partly 
account for the fact, that “ western pork,” 
which is produced almost entirely from 
corn, is generally more oily than eastern. 
The feeding of swine with fermented 
food has been frequently recommended, 
and some who have practiced it have spo¬ 
ken favorably of its advantages. We ap¬ 
prehend, however, that erroneous ideas on 
this point are often entertained—especially 
in regard to the degree to which fomenta¬ 
tion should be carried in food. Chemistry 
teaches that fat may be derived from sugar, 
and hence the presence of sugar in the 
food of animals, is important. 
Now the result of the first fermentation 
of vegetable substances—the saccharine— 
is the production of sugar; it is obvious, 
therefore, that the development of this 
property in the food may tend to the accu¬ 
mulation of fat in the animal. 
The remarks of Dr. Thomson, in regard 
to the formation of fat may be properly in¬ 
troduced here. He says—“ There is anoth¬ 
er constituent of the animal body, namely, 
fat, the production of which deserves no¬ 
tice. It is not an organised tissue, but is 
formed and collected in the cellular tissue 
under certain circumstances. These are 
rest and confinement,—that is, a deficiency 
of oxygen, and abundance of food contain¬ 
ing a considerable proportion of non-azo- 
tised matter, such as starch, sugar, &c. Now 
the chief source of fat is sugar, the cornpo- 
sition of which is such that when deprived 
of oxygen fat remains.” 
From this reasoning it is evident that the 
fermentative process, in substance designed 
for food, should not be carried too far; it 
should not be allowed to run into the ace¬ 
tous stage, as that would convert the sugar 
into vineg-iir, a substance which can afford 
no fat It is well to prepare the food be¬ 
forehand, and in such quantities that it may 
be brought into the proper state at the time 
it is given to the animals. 
As to the manner of cooking, and appa¬ 
ratus for the same, perhaps there is nothing- 
preferable to Mott’s Portable Furnace, a 
cut of which is herewith given: 
■r&i 
MOTT S KURiVACE. 
It will answer either for boiling or for 
steaming. “ It is formed of cast iron, and is 
of itself both stove and boiler. Its form is 
such that the fire passes completely round 
the kettle or boiler, the space being some 
two to three inches between the outside or 
stove and the boiler. This causes the water 
to boil very quickly, and with very little 
fuel, saves all the expense of masonry and 
brickwork, as a funnel or stove pipe is all that 
is necessary to give it a draft for all purposes.” 
As a general rule, we think boiling is 
quite as convenient and economical as 
steaming, and where meal is to be mixed 
with vegetables or fruits, the former is pref¬ 
erable, as meal can be added xvhen the 
mass is sufficiently cooked to admit of a 
ready mixture. The water xvill be taken 
up by the meal, which, being thoroughly 
stirred in, will become cooked with the rest. 
In' moderate weather, the food may be 
transferred from the boiler to wooden vats, 
as soon as it is cooked. A considerable 
(quantity may be thus prepared at a time, 
and it may be allowed to pass into that 
stage of fermentation which is proper for 
developing its nutrient properties. 
Articles which are of the most perisha¬ 
ble nature should be used first Squashes 
and pumpkins, when well ripened, consti¬ 
tute a nourishing food, for cattle or swine. 
For the latter, it is best to cook them.— 
They should be boiled in as little water as 
will answer, and when soft, they should 
be smashed fine, and about one-fourth of 
iKolir of xvioo-l liitliiiHtcly Jlllxcd ill.— 
This kind of food, with a little skimmed milk 
or whey, will fatten swine vei-y fast; and 
for two months, or from the middle of Sep¬ 
tember to the midle of October, we scarce¬ 
ly know a better article for feeding stock, 
taking cost of production and value. 
It has been before observed that a vari¬ 
ety of food is useful for fattening animals; 
and in fattening hogs, xve prefer mixing the 
different articles at the time of cooking.— 
The writer has formerly used the following 
mixtures with good success: 1. Two parts 
potatoes and two parts pumpkins: boil to¬ 
gether till they can be easily mashed fine 
-then add one part meal, stirring and mix¬ 
ing intimately together. 2. Two parts po¬ 
tatoes, and two of ripe palatable apples— 
either sxveet or sour; boil till they can be 
mashed fine; then add one part meal— 
(either that from Indian corn, barley, or oats 
and peas, allow'ing the same weights)—mix 
the whole together while the potatoes and 
apples are hot. 'Whatever dairy slops are 
to be used, may be mixed with the other 
cooked food when it is taken from the boil¬ 
er, and the whole may be fed together. 
The above remarks on feeding with cook¬ 
ed food refer to swine: for fattening cattle, 
it is not certain that the use of cooked, food 
would be attended with results sufficiently 
advantageous to defray the extra expenses. 
Except xvhen fed with whole grain, it is be¬ 
lieved that cattle extract the nutriment from 
their food, more perfectly than swine. We 
may not be able to assign the direct cause 
of this,_though it results, doubtless, from the 
different organization of tlip animal. The 
intestines of the ox tribe, are much longer 
than those of swine, which probably increases 
the absorption of nutriment; and the pro¬ 
cess of rumination may afford still further 
advantages in this respect. 
There is, however, one kind of cooked food 
for cattle, which seems to have been used 
with advantage in England. It is common¬ 
ly known as “Wariies’ Compound.” It is 
prepared, with little variation, both for sheep 
and cattle, as follows:— 
For sheep a quantity of flax-seed is first 
reduced by a mill or a machine. Put 1G8 
lbs. of w'ater into an iron boiler, and as soon 
as it boils, stir in 21 lbs. of linseed meal; 
continue to stir it for about five minutes, 
then let G3 lbs. of crushed barley or Indian 
corn meal be sprinkled by the hand of 
one person upon the boiling mucilage, while 
another rapidly stirs and crams it in. Af¬ 
ter the whole lias been carefully incorpor¬ 
ated, which will not occupy more than five 
or ten minutes, cover it down and throw the 
furnace-door open. If much fire, put it out. 
For cattle, the same process is to be ob¬ 
served, but the quantity of water is reduced 
to about 150 lbs. It is stated, also, that the 
seed and grain should be more finely re¬ 
duced for cattle than for sheep, as sheep 
chew their food better, and more thorough¬ 
ly digest it. The compound is put while 
hot into shapes like brick moulds. Several 
of the boxes are made together, in one 
frame—the frame being about 28 inches 
long, and ten wide, with neither top nor bot¬ 
tom. When used, it is placed on a board, 
which should be a little longer and wider 
than the frame. The “compound” is press¬ 
ed into these mould.s, and afterwards left to 
dry. Potatoes, carrots, turnips, or mangel- 
wurtzels, boiled and incorporated with the 
linseed meal, form a compound upon which 
cattle fatten with great rapidity. 
The compound is given in small quantities 
at first. During the first week five to seven 
pounds per day are allowed to each bullock, 
and after that time, the quantity may be in¬ 
creased to fourteen, and finally to twenty- 
five pounds per day. 
Mr. Colman, who, while in England, saw 
the “ compound” prepared, and had some 
opportunity to learn its value, observes—“I 
place the fullest confidence in the statements 
of Mr. Warnes. From my own experience 
and observation, I am convinced that no 
more nutritious or fattening food can be giv¬ 
en to animals, swine excepted, (as it gives 
an unpleasant taste to the pork,) than cook¬ 
ed linseed or flax-seed jelly, in certain pro¬ 
portions; and it may be mixed with cut 
hay, or with various other articles of food, 
with equal success.” 
We have known some trials made with 
flax-seed prepared in a manner similar to the 
above, in fattening cattle, and the results 
have been very favorable. But the article 
commonly used in stall-feeding, in this coun¬ 
try, is Indian corn meal. In the Western 
States the corn is usually fed with the stalk 
—being cut up and placed in shocks for 
that purpose, soon after the grain begins to 
harden. Raw Indian meal is, however, a 
very hearty food, and when an animal is fed 
with a large quantity, day after da}', it is 
very apt to cloy. This is owing in a great 
degree to its lying in too solid a mass in the 
stomach, and to its not affording sufficient 
distension to the intestines, to produce a 
proper action of the absorbent vessels. 'Fo 
remedy this, it has been found useful to mix 
the meal with some light substance, which 
permits the juices of the stomach to pene¬ 
trate it; and which will at the same time 
give the requisite bulk to produce a healthy 
action of the viscera. This ensures the 
thorough extraction of the nutriment of the 
food, and the greatest thrift of the animal. 
The grinding of the cob with the grain 
answers, in a good degree, the purpose above 
mentioned. It has been ascertained, also, 
that the cob of itself is capable of affording 
considerable nourishment to the animal.— 
Dr._Salisbury in his Prize Essay on Indian 
Corn, observes: — “ By rejecting the cobs of 
1,000 lbs. of dry ears, about 200 lbs. of or¬ 
ganic matter is lost, which consists of 134- 
lbs. of sugar and extract, 127-4 lbs. of fibre, 
45-4 lbs. of matter separated from fibre by a 
weak solution of potash, 1-4- lbs. of albumen, 
.288 of a pound of casein, 2.31 lbs. of gum 
or dextrine, 1.8 lbs. of resin, and 7.4 lbs. of 
glutinous matter. Hence the cob, although 
not rich in nutritive matter, can by no means 
be said to be destitute of those proximate 
prineijiles which go to support respiration 
and sustain animal heat, and those which 
are capable of being transformed into nerve, 
muscle, &c., and the phosphates which con¬ 
tribute so largely to the formation of bone.” 
By the mixture of the cob with the meal, 
therefore, we obtain the tivo-fold advantage 
of having the meal more thoroughly digest¬ 
ed, and of saving tlie nutrient (pialities of 
the cob. Mixing meal with cut hay, straw, 
or chaff answers a good purpose. It is 
necessary that the fodder should be damp¬ 
ened with water, so that the meal will ad¬ 
here to it, and it may be easily mixed to¬ 
gether with a fork. 
A full-grown ox will eat from eight to ten 
quarts of meal per day, which is usually 
divided into two equal parts, one given in 
the morning and the other in the evening. 
If the meal has the cob mixed with it, oris 
mixed with cut hay, the quantity may be 
somewhat increased. The feeder should, 
however, carefully watch the appetite of 
each animal, and be sure to give no more 
than is eaten. 
The feeding of vegetables to cattle in con¬ 
nection with meal, is beneficial. Potatoes, 
turnips, beets, or apples, tend to prevent the 
heating effect of the meal—they sharpen 
the appetite, assist digestion, and promote 
the general heatlh of the animal. It is the 
opinion of some observing feeders, that half 
a bushel per day of either of these articles, 
given in addition to the usual quantity of 
meal, will increase the grain 30 per cent. 
To obtain the greatest benefit from the 
food eaten, the utmost regularity should be 
‘observed in feeding. The quantity given 
at a time should be just what the animal 
will eat with a good appetite and no more, 
and the meals should be at regular inter¬ 
vals. It is believed that cattle constantly 
in the stall and in a temperature of about 
70 ® F., will fatten faster than those which 
run in yards with sheds for shelter. At all 
events, the animals should be kept easy and 
quiet, as quietude conduces much to the 
secretion of fat,— Albany Cultivator. 
