172 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
1,5354 lbs. of cheese, at $8 per cwt. 122 82 
280 bushels of potatoes, at 25 cents per bush.... 70 00 
200 bushels of ruta baga turnips, at 25 cents per bush...... 50 00 
200 bushels of ears of poor corn, at 25 cents per bush. 50 00 
2 bushels of tvhite beans, at $1.50 per bush.... 3 00 
3 bushels of onions, at 75 cents per bush... 2 25 
200 bushels of oats, at 50 cents per bush. 100 00 
1,482 lbs. of pork, $7 per cwt.... 103 74 
108| lbs. of butter, sold at $18 per cwt. 19 54 
Growth on ten head of two years old cattle,. 80 00 
Growth on five head year old cattle,. 25 00 
Total,..$1,639 09 
I would remark, that my young cattle, with the exception of one, has 
pastured on the commons; but as an offset, I have pastured a span of 
horses, till about the 10th of June, three cows and thirteen sheep all 
summer, two pair of oxen and one cow about one month ; all the butter 
and cheese eaten in the family, the butter on hand, garden vegetables. 
&c. not brought into this account. And I consider my mulberry yard 
worth as much as it was last spring, before the sale of trees. I am 
aware that various opinions will be manifested by those who peruse 
this statement. Some will think it falls short of what it ought to be : 
while others may think it extravagantly large. The fact is, my wheat 
crop was no more than half a good crop, and my corn almost wholly 
lost, my beans, onions and peas poor, flax not so good as usual. The 
loss of my wheat and corn I attribute in a large measure to bad ma 
nagement. My wheat ground fitted too wet, and my seed corn bad and 
planted too late, which left it wholly exposed to the frosts. 
There are other substantial reasons why farmers ought to know the 
value of their products; in this way they may ascertain the value of 
their lands. It is commonly supposed that land is worth as much as 
money ; therefore, if your land will payfor cultivating and the interest, 
that is the real value of your land. Forinstance, you value your farm 
at sixty dollars per acre, it must pay the cultivation and repairs, and 
produce an income of seven per cent. Another reason is, that wc may 
know what branches of farming are the most profitable. Dairymen 
commonly know very nearly their produce, while those who have til¬ 
lage of various kinds, are ignorant of the value of their products, and 
consequently suppose their neighbors are going ahead of them, and 
they lose no time in converting a good tillage farm to grass wholly, ei¬ 
ther for the dairy or sheep entire. I would query, is not this one rea¬ 
son of the scarcity and high price of bread stuffs? And under existing 
circumstances, whether we had not better put the best of our tillage 
lands in high cultivation, and pursue the culture of wheat, corn, roots, 
&c. which will support our cows, and our sheep, and our families, while 
our cows, sheep and young cattle will support our farms? 
ASA CARTER. 
Champion , Jefferson Co. New-York, Dec. 1836. 
STALL FEEDING—MANURE—RUTA BAGA. 
J. Bcel, —Sir,—I have been a subscriber to your agricultural paper 
for the past year, and always feel rejoiced when the day of its reception 
arrives. I feel so much interest in my profession, that it is pleasing to 
know able men sometimes contribute their experience and knowledge 
to the world, through the channel of periodicals. Yet I am sometimes 
constrained to smile at their want of foresight,when treating of any 
particular subject on agriculture. 
Manures and green crops are, to a farm, the two indispensables, with¬ 
out which no poor farm can be recruited, or good constitutioned land be 
“ kept up.” A correct estimate of the value of the former seems to be 
but little considered in the view of most farmers, though all will admit 
it to be of the utmost importance. Our farmers, too, think too much of 
the opinion of Europeans, without exercising their own judgment. I 
do not wish to condemn British husbandry; far from it; I only desire 
that our own agriculturists may depend more on the dictates of nature, 
If she is rightly followed, all agricultural proceedings will be perfect. 
A communication on “Winter Stall Feeding” is, in my opinion, the 
wrong way to fat cattle profitably in this country. If nature ties her 
bullocks by the neck, I will then admit it to be correct. English au 
thorities are quoted who ought to know, and do know, how to fat cat¬ 
tle ; but, sir, bear in mind, we are not in England. Providence here 
provides the animals with a coat sufficient to stand the severities of our 
winter.* In our western wilds, thick woods, whose leaves hang till 
spring opens, protect them from the rains and winds—all that is neces¬ 
sary in our Atlantic states. Good food, good buildings, and sheds ex¬ 
posed to the south, sufficiently protected from our cold winds and driv¬ 
* Admitted, so far as regards health, but not so far as to favor the propensi¬ 
ty to fatten. Providence has provided neither winter food nor shelter for neat 
cattle in lat. 42; they are not indignous to this climate, and must depend on 
man for aid. Admitting that open sheds and exercise are most conducive to the 
health and hardiness of stock cattle, it does not follow, nor do we think thatsuch 
is the fact, that they are most favorable, to the conversion of food into flesh. 
ing rains, up to their knees in clean litter, is the only way to fat cattle 
in America. Give,cattle all this, they will not move about more than 
is consistent with a healthy state of body. Confine them in stalls 
12 months, they will have the liver complaint, and perhaps some other 
disease incumbent upon confinement. All domestic animals, when fat¬ 
tening, will generally lie down after eating, and keep sufficiently quiet 
to admit the process of “ taking on fat” to go on as fast as habits, con¬ 
stitution, &c. of the beast will allow. But the great point to be gained, 
even admitting that loose cattle will consume one-third more food, to 
obtain the same weight of beef, (as for destroying food, that is the mas¬ 
ter’s faull, not the animal’s,) you must bear in mind, that two-thirds 
more manure are made by proper management, over stall feeding. A 
steer or other animal ought to manure from two to two and a half 
acres per year. This is not theory, it has, is, and can he done again. 
Stall feeding will not do one-half of this. When farmers can see far 
enough ahead to combine two or more qualities together, there will be 
some hopes of agriculture improving with rapid strides. 
I am glad to find the Swedish turnip has got into vogue. I hope far¬ 
mers will not be disappointed, or too sanguine respecting its compara-’ 
tive value with corn. The two combined are by far the best and quick¬ 
est mode of fattening. Two bushels of Swedes are not Avorth one of 
corn. I was educated with a turnip grower; have always considered 
them the staple of cattle crops; but in point of nutriment would be 
willing to exchange four of turnips for one of corn. Another great ad¬ 
vantage in the turnip, is the increase in the barn yard. Although cat¬ 
tle do not consume one-third as much fodder, and often refuse drink, 
the manure heap is increased one-half over dry leeding, and is infinite¬ 
ly better. 
My turnip crop last year, seven acres, and that in a thickly planted 
orchard, paid me $23 per acre, and fed seven head of stock, and eight 
pigs, until April. What crop pays better? This year, for the first 
time during my agricultural experience, it has been a total failure, not 
producing sufficient to pay the expense. 
You will find me but a poor writer, hut as I write from pure motives, 
and a desire of imparting what I know, as the result of strict observa¬ 
tion and experience, must excuse errors, &c. Yours &c. 
New-Jersey, January 8, 1837. A. B. C. 
MAXIMS. 
Virtue is the only true nobility.— Juv. The insolence of pedigree, the 
pomp of titles and the pride of wealth, are reduced to nothing, when 
contrasted with the dignity of genuine virtue. 
Let nothing foul or indecent, either to the eye or the ear, enter those 
doors where youth inhabits.— Juv. 
Flemish maxim.— 11 No forage, no cattle; without cattle, no manure, 
and without manure no crop.” Upon the cultivation of clover, in the 
alternating system, says Radcliffe, hinges apparently, the whole of the 
farmer’s prosperity. It is the summer support of all his stock, which 
are kept in paved stables summer and winter. The first cutting of 
clover is used for soiling, and the second for seed. Two cuttings from 
an acre will support lour cattle from May to October. Ashes are 
sown upon clover in February, at the rate of forty-five bushels the acre. 
Without clover, continues our author, no man in Flanders would pre¬ 
sume to call himself a farmer. 
Do not reckon any thing your own that can be given away.— Pub. 
Syr. All worldly possessions are of doubtful tenure, but virtue, philo¬ 
sophy and an enlightened mind, we may call our own. 
You do not value it greatly, because it came by accident.— Hor. The 
windfalls of fortune are less valued, and dissipated more profusely 
than property which is the fruit of our own industrious operations. ’ 
It should be our care not to lead a long, but rather a good life. So- 
neca. The true estimate is to be formed, not from the number of our 
years, but from our good actions. The prolongation of life depends 
not on man, but the glory and credit of virtuous conduct is all his own. 
There is no period of life to which the exercises of the faculty of 
learning is limited.— Lat. In every stage of existence, our faculties may 
be improved, and our minds expanded by learning. 
Nothing is bestowed on man in this life, without great labor. Hor. 
Wealth, fame, influence and power, can none of them be attained with¬ 
out much pain and application. 
Those who have few affairs to attend to are great speakers. The 
less men think, the more they talk.— Montesque. A maxim which, if 
inculcated in our legislative halls, would greatly shorten their session. 
Labor relieves us from three great evils, indolence, vice, and want. 
■Voltaire. 
He who swears to obtain credence, does not know how even to coun¬ 
terfeit the man of worth.— La Bruyer. 
Instruction inculcated by precipt is tedious, by example it is quick 
and effectual.— Seneca. 
