92 THE CULTIVATOR. March 
potatoes and some raw apples—I should think not to 
exceed $5 in value—and about 50 bushels of ears of 
corn, half of which was of an inferior quality—the 
whole of the corn being worth probably $12. On the 
16th of November I butchered four of them—sold these 
in Rochester—two of them for $3.75 per hundred, and 
the other two for $3.50 per hundred—the weight of 
the four 685 lbs.; the amount received for them $24.86. 
The other five I killed on the first of December, and 
they weighed 977 lbs., which I laid down for family use; 
but the pork was worth at the time $4 per hundred. 
' The sow and shoat I kept to winter, and they were 
worth $8. This ends the first year; and now for the 
second: 
The result of the present year I shall not be able to 
give with as much accuracy, perhaps, as I did those of 
the first, as I had grain of my own raising to feed, and 
did not measure it as I did the first year when I had it 
to buy. But judging from the improvement of the two 
lots, I should think the expense of feed about the same. 
About the first of April my tw T o sows had pigs; the 
old one had 13, ten of which I raised, arid the young one 
had 7, which I sold with the mother when about three 
weeks old for $9. After harvest this year, my pigs 
had a better chance in the orchard than last year, but 
not so good a run in the stubble. Last year they were 
not permitted to run in the orchard at all, on account 
of my having corn on the same lot. About the first of 
November I shut up the ten shoats and fed them prin¬ 
cipally on corn until the 30th November, when four of 
them were butchered, which weighed 878 lbs.; and 
sold for $5 per hundred—and on the 9th of December 
the other five were slaughtered, and weighed 1012lbs.; 
which were worth $5 per hundred also. On the 22d 
of December, killed the old one, after having her shut 
up only about five weeks—she weighing 357 lbs., which 
was sold for -$5 per hundred. This ends the account of 
both years, except the summing up. 
Dr. Cost of sow and pigs, April 11th, 1846,.$12.25 
Expense of summer feed and fattening, 8 bush oats, 
at 2s.. 6d , 4 do. corn, 4s , 25 do. corn, 3s. Gd., and 
bran from 15 bush, wheat, $2,... 18.06 
30.31 
Cr. By sale of 685 lbs. of pork,... $24.86 
Value of 977 lbs., at 4c., per lb.,.. 39 .08 
Value of old sow and shoat to winter,......., 8.00 71.94 
Leaves to pay for milk, whey, pasture, care, &c., $41.63 
SECOND YEAR. 
Dr. 
Cr. 
Value of sow and pigs same as 
when purchased,.,_$12.25 
Expense of summer feed, 7.50 
Of corn in fattening, 100 
bush, at 50c. per bush., 50.00 
By 878 lbs. of pork, sold for 5c. 
per lb.,.$43 90 
By 1012 lbs., worth 5c ,. 50.60 
By 357 lbs., sold for 5c., 17 85 
69.75 
112.35 
69.75 
$42.60 
S. S. Morehouse. 
Again, I think a medium-sized horse, weighing from 
ten to twelve hundred, is best even for draft. They 
are easier to keep, and though they may not be able 
to draw as much at a load, they are quicker, and gen¬ 
erally more tractable. I am in favor of rearing good 
horses, as they cost no more than long legged, slab- 
sided, worthless animals. 
I do not understand Mr. Burnet’s objection to hav¬ 
ing a mare well ribbed up. He says :—“ I would not 
have her too closely ribbed up, for this is objectionable 
in either mare or horse.I do not understand wherein 
he thinks this an objection, especially as he says it is 
desirable that the foal should be close in this respect. 
Junius. Farmington, Ct., 1848. 
Subsoil Plowing. 
Elias Phinney, Esq., Lexington, Mass., is of opin¬ 
ion that a great benefit would be derived from sub- 
soiling on •“ hard New England soils,” as a protection 
against drouth. The stirring apd deepening of the 
,subsoil gives plants an ( opportunity to extend their 
roots, so that more moisture is brought within their 
reach. Mr. P. observes, that on fields which have been 
long cultivated, a crust is formed at the depth to which 
the land is usually plowed, which becomes almost as 
impenetrable as the highway which has been travelled 
over for a like number of years. He has practiced 
subsoiling considerably for several years, and states 
that the increase of crops in consequence of this ope¬ 
ration has never been less than 25 per cent. He de¬ 
rived less benefit from subsoiling last year than usual, 
owing to the more regular supply of rain through the 
season; yet on a dry loamy soil, with a hard, gravelly 
subsoil, he obtained a greater yield of potatoes by one- 
fourth, from subsoiled rows, though planted side by 
side with others not subsoiled. This was not the only 
difference—for the potatoes from the subsoiled portion 
were so much superior in appearance, that they actually 
sold in market for 25 per cent, more than the others—• 
making an advantage from subsoiling, in both quality 
and quantity, of 50 per cent. 
Dean Robinson, of West Newbury, Mass., also 
states that he has used the subsoil , plow on land which 
has a very hard subsoil, f‘ composed of clay, gravel, 
and small stones.” His custom has been to follow the 
sward plow with the subsoil plow, both of which stir 
the ground to the depth of 20 inches. He considers 
the cost of this mode double that of common plowing; 
but he thinks the extra expense is fully eompensated in 
the saving of labor in after cultivation, as the land is 
much lighter and is easier worked after subsoiling. 
He also uses the subsoil plow on his garden, and on all 
land designed for the growth of tap-rooted vegetables. 
We gather these facts from the Transactions of the 
Essex (Mass.) Ag. Society. 
Breeding Horses, 
I have read Mr. Burnett’s remarks in the Cultivator 
on the subject of breeding horses. He advocates the 
use of thorough-bred stallions with our common mares. 
As far as my observation has gone,* the great error of 
breeders has been that they have consented to use any 
horse they meet with, provided he has a long pedigree. 
Mr. B. seems to think there can be no such thing as 
a tl horse of all work.” I think the farmer wants a 
horse of that kind; he does not want one merely for 
the carriage or the cart, but for various uses. 
As to the saddle-horse, the less the farmer has to do 
with him the better. Of what use is such a horse but 
to prance up and down a few minutes in a day 'for 
amusement? 
And the “ three-minute” horse—the farmer does not 
want him, neither does any one but a fop or jockey. 
Good Cows. 
From the statement of competitors at the show of 
the Worcester County (Mass.) Ag. Society, we gather 
the following:—M. G. Maynard, of Westborough, of¬ 
fered a cow eight years old, one-fourth Durham, which 
calved the 12th of May. In ten days, from the 10th to 
the 20th of June, she gave an average of eighteen five- 
eighths quarts per day. In the same length of time, 
from the 10th to the 20th September, she gave an ave¬ 
rage of 13 5-8ths quarts per day. Her feed was pas¬ 
ture, in common with other cows. 
Charles Wilcox, of New Braintree, offered two 
cows. One of them, eight years old, oalved 11th May. 
In ten days, from 1st to 10th June, gave an average of 
20 6-10th quarts. In ten days, from 1st to 10th Sep¬ 
tember, she gave an average of 142 quarts per day. 
j The other cow offered was of the same age, and calved 
