Steamer fur Cooking Food. I low shall T con¬ 
struct. a steamer lor cooking feed for from forty 
to sixty hogs? I know that I can buy them at 
from $75 to $135; but I think I can build one for 
about $30 that will answer the same purpose, by 
constructing a brick arch and a plank vat, with 
a sheet-iron bottom and a tight cover. Will that 
do?-«. a. 
We have seen potatoes steamed in a vat made 
as above, except that the vat contained a double 
bottom—the lower one of sheet-iron held the 
water, and the upper one of wood, perforated, 
held the potatoes, the steam, escaping into the 
upper chamber through the perforations, cook¬ 
ing the tubers. 
The two-inch openings are for cows or 
large cattle. 
For calves, these strips, or scantling, may 
be two by three inches and one and a half 
inches apart. For sheep, strips one and a 
half by three inches, and one and a quarter 
inches apart. For small pigs and lambs, 
one inch apart. In the deep cellar the 
manure may be left till it is convenient to 
take it to the field, if plenty of diy earth or 
plaster is used to prevent offensive odors. 
Mr. Wi nans’ open floors are raised about 
two feet above the main floor, which in¬ 
clines outward, and has a close - shutting 
swing door on the outside against enoh stall, 
through which the manure can be taken as 
often as desired. A better plan would be, 
where, there is no manure cellar and the 
barn stands up two feet or eo from the 
ground, to prepare a water-tight bottom on 
the ground with tar, sand and gravel con¬ 
crete, just the width of the open floor. It 
will be very easy to take manure from this 
smooth floor of concrete with long-handled 
shovels or forks, and this will prevent any 
leaching or waste. The openings through 
which the manure is taken should be closed 
with well-fitting doors, so as to prevent the 
air from drawing up through the open floor. 
tommy) 
FEEDING ON OPEN STABLE 
FLOORS. 
SWINE: 
Cheshire mid Chester White, 
The old native was the first, and for a 
long time the only breed; and it still has its 
foot in the trough. Succeeding this was the 
Berkshire, (with us,) a good breed; and 
mixing with the common hog, we soon had 
a grade that probably was an improvement 
on both ; at least there followed a good run 
of hogs. Then some other breeds were in¬ 
troduced. 
At last came the Cheshire. This breed is 
the most general of all. But, with all its 
fame, it does not give better satisfaction than 
the previous run, in which the Berkshire 
w as the chief infusion. 
The Cheshire has the advantage of soil, 
but it is not so easily nor cheaply fattened 
as the former mixed breed. It is brawny; 
this is its advantage. The nine hundred 
pounds of the premium hog at the late State 
lair tells this 
The Chester "Wliite is now also but just 
introduced here—we bespeak for this the 
highest success of all. 
The Chester has this one great advantage ; 
it will fatten right along, from its birth up, 
fit for the butcher at any time, and on com¬ 
mon fare, which is to keep, and not to fat¬ 
ten, pigs. 
The Chester White is as large a hog as 
the Cheshire. It will fatten more readily, 
and is therefore its superior, and we think it 
will fatten on less grain. It will fill out 
sooner, cost less in the first six months, and 
weigh more than the Cheshire, or perhaps 
any other breed. This is the great point. 
We want hogs to fatten at once. It will not 
do to winter over for the purpose of fatten¬ 
ing the next year, or the next. This is n 
loss every winter, and can be excused only 
on the ground of securing size, as an experi¬ 
ment, or otherwise. For profit it falls far 
short of the immediate use of the pig for 
pork. But if kept, no one will pay so well 
for the keeping as the Chester. It will keep 
fattening and growing constantly, making 
the larger hog in consequence, and with less 
food, so that at the time when the hog is 
put. up for fattening, it is already fat, and 
costs, comparatively, little to fit it for the 
butcher. 
Besides, the Chesters are a very quiet, do¬ 
mestic kind of hog, that allies it more to 
the cow and the sheep than to the line of 
its old forest parent, the wild hoar. There 
is success with the Ckcsliires. So there was' 
and is with the mixed Berkshire and native. 
The former grows the heaviest, but costs 
most; does not fatten so readily. A spring 
pig will weigh, at killiog time, from two 
hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds, 
and .not very fat at that. Some do better. 
Here all the feed is given that will be eaten. 
The Chester White will weigh from twenty- 
five to fifty pounds more at the same age 
and with the same feed. It wi’l be the best 
fatted hog of the two, though there are ex¬ 
ceptions. 
These things have not been tested here 
side by side, but they have been tested else¬ 
where ; and we have seen sufficient to con¬ 
vince us that this is about the difference. 
Neither of the breeds, we believe, arc 
fully established ; neither may be considered 
pure; therefore, there are variations. We 
have noted these variations. 
Secure pigs early in the spring, and at any 
time during the summer, with ordinary treat¬ 
ment, the table may be graced with them. 
They may be, with good pasture ami some 
grain, killed with profit any time during the 
fall without extra feed,—and there will be a 
carcass of about two hundred to two hun¬ 
dred and fifty pounds. We know of no other 
breed that will do this. With skimmed milk 
and clover pasture alone, the Chester White 
will fatten fit to kill any time during the 
summer, and be a porker of a couple of hun¬ 
dred in the fall. The Cheshire will not do 
this; or, if it reaches the weight, it will not 
be so fat; it will also have cost more. r. o. 
BY E. W. STEWART. 
Animals arc the main resource for keep¬ 
ing up the fertility of the soil; and the great 
problem is, how to feed them at a profit. 
Every economy, both of labor and food, 
must be studied with care. The time and 
labor required to clean stables and bed ani* 
mals is equal to that of feeding them ; and 
the expense for bedding material for a large 
stock is an important item to be saved. 
Straw, hitherto thought most valuable to 
work into manure, has of late, with proper 
management, been found worth two-thirds 
as much us hay for food, and should not be 
wasted iis bedding for animals. Besides, the 
manure made from feeding straw is est imated 
by many as more valuable than straw tram¬ 
pled into manure under stock. If these po¬ 
sitions are true, then any system which will 
save this labor of cleaning stables, and also 
the straw for feeding, is worth the serious 
attention of the stock-raiser. 
<mm 
BEE AUTHORITY, 
BY M. QUIN BY. 
ALSIKE CLOVER, 
A subscriber at New London, Pa., writes: 
“ Having noticed in the Rural frequent ref¬ 
erence to Alsike clover as being superior to 
the old red for herding purposes, 1 am dis¬ 
posed to favor its introduction in our vicini¬ 
ty, and would like in formation for procuring 
seed and other things connected with the 
crop.” To all of which we may say, first, 
Alsike clover is a white flowered species, 
grown extensively in Sweden, in the district 
of Alsike, hence its name. It has the repu¬ 
tation of possessing the strength and vigor 
of the red with the permanency of the white. 
Knowing that, Mr. I. 8. Thompson, Erie Co., 
N. Y., had for some years grown this clover, 
we submitted the matter to him, and through 
his son, G. \\ T . Thompson, received the fol¬ 
lowing interesting statement: 
“ As regards feeding any kind of stock, I 
regard the Alsike far ahead of any other kind 
of clover, cither for pasture or hay. It grows 
so fine and is so sweet that cattle and horses 
are very fond of it. To mix with timothy 
seed I regard it. as also the best, as it is fit to 
cut about, the same time as the timothy, for 
which reason it is preferable to the medium 
red clover, which passes it.s best point for hay 
before the timothy is sufficiently forward to 
bo cut; so loss is suffered on one or both. 
“ For plowing in ns a fertilizer I prefer the 
red. as it grows large quicker than Alsike, 
which makes but small growth the second 
year after seeding. As to tin 1 , land, it. is use¬ 
less to sow Alsike on very dry or poor soil, 
as it delights in a good, moist soil, and on 
such will grow more and better hay after t he 
second year Ilian any other grass 1 know.” 
Thus, our readers have the opinion of in¬ 
telligent, practical farmers who have experi¬ 
ence with this clover, and tire not interested 
in the sale of seed, which, by the way, may 
be had of any of the seedsmen of this city 
ami of others avIio advertise in our columns. 
EMERY’S ALBANY CORN AND SEED PLANT 
Mechi, the famous owner of Tiptrce Hall, 
hdar London, thinks lie has practically 
solved this important question with open 
boarded floors, which consist in laying joists j 
from one to two inches apart, according to 
size of animal, so that the offal passes freely 
through iuto the receptacle below. The 
stable perpetually cleans itself, and leaves 
the animal ns sleek and smooth as in a pas¬ 
ture. Mr. Meciii has proved the safety and 
profit of this style of floor for more than 
ten years, feeding, generally, some 450 sheep, 
lambs, calves, pigs, cows and bullocks. He 
finds that one man can care for as many 
animals, on open hoards, as two men by the 
old system. His pigs are not subject to 
cramp or rheumatism as formerly, do not 
run about so much and fatten faster, and he 
thinks all his animals arc healthier. He 
estimates straw as worth about $10 per ton 
for feeding. 
The only noted instance of this mode of 
feeding in the United States is that of Mr. 
Ross Winans, near Baltimore. He uses a 
plank floor three feet, wide next to the 
manger, with an iron grate floor behind this 
through which the droppings fall, lie has 
kept some two hundred cows in this manner, 
and, -so far as we have ever learned, with 
entire satisfaction. If we allow as bedding five 
pounds of straw per day for a cow it would 
require one hundred and eighty-two tons 
per year to bed Mr. YVinan’s cows, which at 
$8 per ton would cost $1,450; add to this 
the saving of two men’s labor, $700, making 
a saving of $2,150 for a single year. 
Burned or dry earth is the cheapest deo¬ 
dorizer to keep all stables sweet, and will be 
very Important on open boarded floors. A 
little dusted every day over the floor will 
deodorize all unpleasant smells and add 
much to the value of the manure, 
Most stables can be changed to open floors j 
iu this hula expense, and aupyly 
a betr* place for saving manure uuui 
is generally possessed by fanners. We pro¬ 
pose to put twenty cows upon open floors 
the coming summer, for soiling. 
This plan would bo very convenient for 
those who feed cattle upon distillery slops, 
Baving thorn much labor, and keep the cattle 
cleaner. Open floors will not, however, dis¬ 
pense with 
Uroonilnsr- 
No prudent feeder can dispense with that. 
Mechi says:—“ The cost of grooming my 
bullocks is about one farthing per head per 
week, ancl I am sure it pays.” If wc reckon 
the cost at four times this, or two cents per 
week, it,certainly must pay here. Cows need 
grooming as much as liorses not at work. 
The time has come when every considera¬ 
tion, whether of food, labor or condition 
affecting the growth or milk or fatting of ani¬ 
mals, must be carefully weighed and decided 
by the stock feeder. 
The United States is yet to supply the 
deficiency of the world in beef and cheese 
as well as corn and wheat. 
CORN AND SEED PLANTER. 
.\ Good t nrrot Crop.—A correspondent of the 
Mirror and Fanner speaks thus Of his carrot 
crop:—“I have raised about three hundred 
bushels of White Belgian carrots. A rmin, 
with two boys, dug and put Into the cellar one 
hundred bushels in one day. They were taken 
from thirteen rows of one hundred and eighty- 
two feet each In length, which, supposing the 
rows to have been eighteen inches apart, the 
distance usually sown, would be at the rate of 
almost 1,200 bushels per ncro. Many of them 
weighed three and four pounds each.” 
Gypsum 
or plaster should also be kept for Ibis pur¬ 
pose. One peck of plaster to ten cows or 
other cattle per day will deodorize the stable 
and preserve the ammonia. 
How to Construct Open Boarded Floors. 
Stables situated over deep manure cellars 
from which the manure is easily taken are 
very readily changed to open floors. 
It is, probably, as ay ell to have a tight 
floor two and one-half to three feet Avide 
next the mangers or stanchions; this may 
he of two-inch plank. Back of this com¬ 
mences the open floor. Three-by-four scant¬ 
ling, Straight grained, free from sap; soft 
maple, hickory, white oak, cedar, red elm or 
red beach are best, but hemlock may be 
used. Lay these lengthwise of the stable, 
two inches apart., fastening then*so they will 
not slip, by putting a block between them 
over each joist. When these get smooth a 
little plaster or dry earth dusted over them 
each day will prevent animals slipping. 
A Pig Fattening Content.—The following are 
the names of those who have been In a strife to 
see who would have the heaviest pig- when fat¬ 
tened, and the weights of their respective pigs 
dressed. The pigs were about, nine months old. 
If any one village iu the State can beat us, I 
should like to hear from it i tirougb the Rural : 
H. HtritLBCT. 400lbs.; S. COOK.38-* lbs.; E. Cook, 
368K lbs.; EbekCross. 368lbs.; David Robert¬ 
son, 368 lbs.; A. Tanner, 346 lbs.; O. Mathews, 
331 lbs.; Frank Hill, 328 lbs.—S. Cook, Pana¬ 
ma , N. F-, 1870. 
Norway Oat* Defended.—A Wisconsin corres¬ 
pondent thinks the members of the Farmers’ 
Club who denounce these oats do not know 
what they are talking about. He sowed one 
hundred bushels of these oats the postseason, 
seeding with one bushel to the acre, and got as 
product from fifty to one hundred bushels per 
acre. He proposes “ to sow and let next season 
to the amount of five hundred bushels.” 
“Rye Chop” ond Buckwheat for Breeding 
Sow*.—Will some of your experienced readers 
tell me whether “ rye chop ” is good for brood¬ 
ing sows after they have dropped their pigs? If 
not, what Is the best, feed for sows that suckle 
pigs? Last year I fed my Chester sow buck¬ 
wheat, both whole and ground, and as long as I 
fed It the pigs did not do well.—H. R. P., Chary 
Tree, Pit . 
Hnrison Potato.—A Champagne Co.. O., corre¬ 
spondent who has grown this ranety two sea¬ 
sons, says they yield largely, are a smooth and 
beautiful tuber, but ’"'.ion boiled in the best pos¬ 
sible manner are wet, heavy, do not crack open 
and come on Lhe table dry and mealy. He asks 
for the experience of others with this variety. 
Heavy Pigs. —Mr. Amos Hobbs. AVenham, 
Mass., slaughtered seven hogs, all the progeny of 
one mother, and but nine months old, that 
weighed, Avhon dressed, 288>f pounds each— h. a. 
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