188 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
June. 
,CI )t (framer. 
Profits of Stall Feeding. 
I notice in a late number of jour paper, a statement 
of the profits of feeding three cows, by 44 Vermonter,” 
with some plain common-sense remarks, inviting far¬ 
mers to transmit their experience to the columns of the 
Cultivator, for the benefit of its readers. He culled 
three cows from his dairy herd, and stall fed them at a 
very fair profit, viz, $23. I am also a Vermonter, and 
hold that we cannot be easily beaten in the profits of 
farming by other localities, whenever we put in requi¬ 
sition the full resources which nature has given us. 
I culled one cow, from my limited number of four, 
dried her 1st Sept.; fed with pumpkins and short grass, 
until 20th Nov., then with corn-stalks, hay and corn in 
the ear, ground, until the 22d of March, when I sold her 
to go to Brighton market, with the following results: 
Value of cow on 1st Sept.,... $15 00 
Grass $2, three cart load pumpkins $2,. 4 00 
Hay and’other coarse feed through the winter,. 7 00 
Corn, with the expense of carrying 3 miles to 
mill,. 24 00 
Total cost of cow when fatted,. $50 00 
Estimated to weigh 1000 lbs.; sale on foot at the 
barn, $72; profits $22. 
Her blood was three-fourths Native, one-fourth Dur¬ 
ham. She was large and very fat, worth at Brighton, 
$7,50 per 100 lbs., which left $3 for drift by railroad, 
just a fair compensation. 
I also stall fed 123 weathers, all of my own raising, 
four years old last May and June; across between the 
full blood Spanish Merino and Saxony; very fine quality 
of fleece, a race which all wool-growers know never attain 
to a large size. I was offered $2 per head for them 
in Nov., and my neighbors considered it a very gene¬ 
rous offer; it was all they could have brought at that 
time. I commenced feeding them with corn unground, 
on the 24th 6f Nov., and followed it without change, 
(except in quantity) until the 29th of March, when 
they went to Cambridge market, with the following re¬ 
sults :— 
Sale, 123 head at $6,60 per head,. $811 80 
Value of sheep in Nov.,. $246 00 
20 tons English hay of good quality,. 200 00 
200 bush, of corn at 80c, (the mar¬ 
ket price,). 160 00 
Cost of getting them to market by 
railroad,..'. 44 28 
- 650 28 
Profit, . $161 52 
Or a fraction over $1,31 per head. 
It is a satisfaction to the grower, to be enabled to 
say, that these sheep, considering the superiority of 
blood for wool-growing purposes only, the fineness in 
texture of fleece, and the number raised and fatted in 
one flock, were deemed by the sheep dealers at Cam¬ 
bridge, equal if not superior to any ever taken to that 
market, from any one flock in Vermont. 
And now a word as to the manner of feeding. My 
sheep and cattle yards have open sheds, with a southern 
or eastern exposure. Cattle are stabled nights and most¬ 
ly in stormy days; sheep go out and in at their pleasure; 
pure, soft aqueduct water in each yard, with a box of 
St. Ubes’ salt constantly supplied, which I consider 
quite as essential in winter as summer; yards and sheds 
kept dry by straw and other coarse litter. A large stable 
connected with my sheep yard, enables me to shut them 
off when putting hay into their racks, or grain into their 
troughs, so that they all go to their feed together, and 
share as equally as possible. I commenced this flock of 
weathers, with twenty quarts of corn per day, and from 
time to time, increased gradually as they would bear it, 
without producing the scours, until they would take 70 
quarts per day, with as much good hay as they would 
eat without waste. It will not pay the cost and trouble 
to grind any kind of grain for sheep, though it always 
should be done for cattle or hogs. No whole grain passes 
the stomach of a sheep undigested. The ewes belong¬ 
ing to this flock of weathers, (tjiose of the same year s 
growth,) were sold when two years old, to go to Wes¬ 
tern New-York, where I have no doubt they will con¬ 
tribute to the improvement tn fine wool. 
Now I am upon the subject of fann profits I will 
further say, that my flock of sheep numbered, one year 
ago, 520, and by reference to my account of sales, I find 
the amount in wool and sheep, to be $1,760.00 from the 
flock during the year; but 1 have reduced the number 
200, and added some extra feed; yet the profit' is re¬ 
munerative and satisfactory. 
I do not, Mr. Editor, make these statements in a spirit 
of egotism or boasting, but 1 have noticed in some of the 
late numbers of the Cultivator, complaints by some of 
your correspondents, about the meagre profits of farm¬ 
ing, and expressing doubts whether it can be made pro¬ 
fitable. It is to be regretted that such erroneous view’s, 
however honestly entertained, should obtain currency. 
This is one reason why so many of our young men are 
averse to the calling. True it is, we cannot become mil¬ 
lionaires or hundred thousanders, by farming; nor 
is there much danger of becoming .bankrupts. I speak 
from experience, and I do say, that on all good soils and 
favorable localities for market,by industry, perseverance, 
and economy, skill and good judgment, farming is re¬ 
munerative and profitable, and if steadily pursued for 
a term years, will result in competency and inde¬ 
pendence. J. W. Colburne. Springfield, I t., April. 
Training Colts. 
I have a good two-year old colt, that I wish to break, 
and not being used to breaking and training colts, I 
should be well pleased, if you would inform me the best 
way. Any information that you may give, will be 
thankfuily received. H. D. Clark. Florida, N. Y. 
We commend to the attention of our correspondent, 
the following judicious directions, which we copy from 
the Valley Farmer. The same course must be pursued 
for a colt two years old as for one younger, only the 
task will be more difficult. This course is strictly train¬ 
ing, not breaking. 
There is no greater mistake than to postpone break¬ 
ing. It should, in fact, be commenced at the very pe¬ 
riod of weaning; it should, in this manner, be com¬ 
menced and prosecuted gradually, with gentleness and 
kindness. Let the young animal be daily handled, ca¬ 
ressed, and led about, and let him occasionally be rub¬ 
bed down, and even at times tied up for an hour or so. 
The man who feeds the colt, should have the entire man¬ 
agement of him at this time, and he should be a respec¬ 
table person, characterised by equanimity of temper and 
a kindly disposition. Half the battle in horse training 
consists in this early management; many a horse is 
spoiled and rendered permanently intractable by early 
harshness or improper treatment, and many a horse that 
might otherwise have turned out a vicious, unmanage¬ 
able brute, has been moulded into a gentle, affectionate, 
and useful servant by the judicious treatment of those 
who first inducted him into the knowledge of his duty. 
For the first year such treatment will suffice; after the 
second winter, the operation of training may commence 
in good earnest. The horse must be first bitted, but the - 
bit at first used must be small, and of such form as will 
not hurt his mouth. The w r ork of bitting may occupy 
three or four days. When the colt becomes accustomed 
to the bit, he may then have tw T o long ropes attached to 
it, slightly fastened to his sides by a loose girth over the 
back, and his feeder may thus drive him as it w r ere, 
round a field, pulling upon him as he proceeds. This 
will act as a first lesson in draught. If intended as a 
saddle horse, a filled bag, may be thrown across his back 
and secured there, and after a while, when he has be¬ 
come used to this, a crotch may be fastened upon his 
