Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

the soil is exhausted of that constituent quality which produces it, and I believe through all time, if duly manured, without reseeding. From my experience, I am convinced that spring harrowing is as necessary to the best production of grasses and small grain as ploughing is to the greatest production of corn. It must be apparent to all, that the loading. or weighting of the harrow must be in proportion to the closeness and hardness of the soil, and that in light soils the harrow itself must belight, without any additional weight.

Yours, most respectfully,

Hon. THOMAS EWBANK,

Commissioner of Patents.

KENTUCKY.

P. V. MARR.

GREAT CROSSINGS, KENTUCKY,

January 21, 1852.

SIR: A press of business is not a lawful excuse for a man to plead why he has not furnished something for your Annual Report, if he professes any interest in your operations. I, therefore, at this late day, can only plead guilty of gross neglect of a plain duty.

Wheat. Owing to the peculiar winter, a considerable portion of wheat froze out, and was consequently too thin; that which matured was geneally full and plump, and, where this freezing did not occur, made a fair yield.

Corn, in this part of the county, was unusually fine; and, although we have more stock than common in the county, (mules especially,) we will have a surplus. Some of our corn has been sold to go to New Orleans-from 17 to 25 cents a bushel having been paid.

Oats are finer than I ever knew them in this county; they not only grew taller, but thicker and heavier.

Barley. My first crop is now green. Owing to the unusually dry fall, small grain of all kinds were sown late; consequently, my barley and wheat are not promising.

Rye has almost ceased to be cultivated.

No effort in my neighborhood has been made to cultivate root crops as a substitute for corn-fodder. I intended to make a trial this season with sugar beet or ruta-baga, but was discouraged by a gentleman who had tried them and failed. He recommended the common turnip as the best substitute. I accordingly sowed more seed than usual with me, with a view to use them; but, owing to the dry weather during the months of August and September, they did not succeed well. I will try them again the coming season.

I expected to give you in this the result of some experiments in reference to the relative value of raw and cooked food for hogs, and of ground and unground food for mules; but my public duties so frequently call me from home, that I cannot give that close personal attention to an experi ment that its importance demands. Suffice it to say, that, after nearly two years have elapsed since I commenced the use of ground food, I am

fully satisfied that there is economy in its use. Every intelligent agriculturist must deplore the present state of things that exists in the western country in reference to agriculture. The general indifference in regard to improvement of implements, as well as the soil itself, greatly discourages the efforts of the few.

The deep-rooted prejudice against book farming, the difficulty of geting up a combined effort for improvement, and the determination on the part of some to do as their fathers did, joined to that slothful adage, "let well enough alone "--all render it a difficult matter to enlist the energies of agriculturists in any effort to improve. Such is the power of habit, or the influence of prejudice, that, if an effort be made to introduce improved implements of husbandry, the person making the effort is regarded as an innovator. Custom is law. Custom is law. "My father raised as good hogs and had as good bacon as anybody," says one, "and he always turned his hogs in the corn-field, and they staid there until he was ready to kill; and, therefore, I'll fatten my hogs in the corn field." Another uses the same remark, and concludes by saying, his father always fattened his hogs in a close pen, and he will do the same. As to the best method, such farmers are deaf. Whether it is cheaper to fatten the one way or the other, or to abandon both and adopt a different system, is a matter that such men never pry into. It is so in reference to feeding cattle. It is not a question whether a certain quantity of corn will yield more to the grower in beef, by cutting it up and feeding in the shock or grinding it in a trough; but somebody has done well at feeding cattle with cut up corn, and, therefore, it is a good business. Success in business is the criterion, and the consequence is, our farmers are constantly changing their mode of operation.

As farmers, we must for the present, and for some time to come, remain a stock-growing people. And how shall we remedy the defects of habit of which I have spoken? First, we must diffuse information; agricultural papers must be read, and your valuable Annual Report widely circulated. It has always exercised a most happy influence on agricultural operations; and its influence must not only continue for good, but increased good.

I suggest, as a means of improvement, county or district clubs of farmers, formed where they may impart to each other the results of experiments tried; of modes of culture adopted; compare the results of each other's system of feeding, with a view to the adoption of the best; and, in every way best suited in their judgment, to promote the interests of agriculture. Prejudices, under such a system, would give way; bad habits would be corrected; a healthy spirit of improvement would be cherished; and, in the opinion of the writer, the farming interest would be permanently benefited. Let the farmers composing such clubs meet once a month, (or not so frequent, or more frequent,) at some central point agreed on. Some of them might prepare essays to be read to the club; others gather statistical information; and all, in some way, endeavor to promote the interest of farmers. I throw out these hints; if you think them worth printing, use them; if not, throw the paper under the table.

With my most ardent wishes for your success in this undertaking, and a sincere desire for your personal welfare, I subscribe myself, respectfully, yours,

To the COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS.

Y. R. PITTS.

NEAR COLBYVILLE, CLARK COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
December, 1851.

SIR: In answer to your inquiries about wheat, I would state that I do not know that guano has ever been used in this county. I suppose the average product is about 10 bushels to the acre. Sometimes we have 25 or 30 bushels per acre, and then again the crop is almost a failure. The chief cause of the failure is the Hessian fly, or the rust. If sown too early, it will likely be injured by the fly; and if too late, by the rust. It is therefore important that it should be sown too late for the fly, and soon enough to prevent its injury by the rust. But it is impossible always to do this, unless we could tell what the weather would be after the sowing; for, if it keeps warm, although late, it will be liable to be injured by the fly. Our usual time of sowing is from the 15th of September to the last of October. The time of harvesting depends somewhat upon the kind; the early ripening kinds, being less liable to the rust, are generally harvested in June; the later kinds, in July. The average price was about 50 cents a bushel.

Corn.-The average product is between 50 and 60 bushels per acre. The cost of production, or the selling price, is generally about 20 cents. I have known men hired to do all the work of raising a crop of corn for $2 per acre. The corn land is generally ploughed as deep as it can be conveniently; after which it is laid off from 3 to 4 feet, and planted in hills. Some prefer drilling. Soon after the corn comes up, a large harrow or roller is run over it—a person following with a small rake to take off any clods that may be left on the corn; and shortly afterwards, a small plough is run as close as possible to the corn, throwing the dirt from it. As soon as the corn will bear it, the plough is again run near it, throwing the loose dirt against it, and in the hill. About this time, the corn is thinned, leaving 3 or 4 stalks in a hill, and pulling out any large weeds that may be there. After this, it is ploughed both ways, if planted in hills, still throwing the soil towards the corn, and splitting the middle of the rows; when, if the weeds have been well subdued, and the corn has grown 4 or 5 feet high, it is "laid by."

I have no experience in saving manure from a particular measure of grain; but believe that 100 barrels of corn, fed to hogs, upon 10 acres of "tired" ground, will add 50 barrels to the next year's crop. By tired is meant land that has frequently borne the same grain in successive years until the product is materially diminished.

My usual rotation is, corn, two years; wheat, rye, or oats, and clover seed; two years in clover pasture; and corn again as before.

Outs.-I consider oats the next most profitable grain to corn; upon my land the average product is about the same number of bushels per acre. I usually use from 2 to 3 bushels of seed per acre.

Grasses.-Timothy is almost universally preferred for meadows, clover for rotation, and blue-grass for pasture.

Neat Cattle. The price of cattle varies very much as to quality; and in different years, the same kind of cattle vary much in price. Generally the cost to the purchaser is about 50 cents per month. Thus, a two-yearold steer will be worth $12, and a three-year old $18. But some are much higher, and others lower. I have no experience with Devon. cattle, but much with Durhams and natives (scrubs, we call them) and some with Herefords.

I will relate two experiments that I made many years ago. I purchased 20 native calves of one of my neighbors, mostly heifers; these I spayed; and 20 heifers that were of a mixture of the Durham, Hereford, and Patton stock. They were all spayed at once, and pastured and fed together. They were sold when about 30 months old. The natives averaged about 350 pounds each, and were mostly weighed. The Durhams were sold for 750 pounds each. The butcher afterwards told me they exceeded our estimate.

I purchased 20 four-year-old steers of the native stock. I had raised 15, and purchased 5 mixed Durhams that were two years old. These cattle were all grazed together during spring and summer, and in the fall and winter they were separated and fed out of the same field, with the same allowance of corn, during the week; and every Sunday they were all turned into a lot, into which the allowance for both had been hauled the day before. At Christmas, I killed, for a beef, one out of the Durhams; so that after that time the Durhams had one-twentieth more than the natives. I sold the Durhams in April for $31 96 each; and sold the natives in May for $20 91 each. The natives were not weighed; but I sold them for the best price I had ever been offered. I never could get any offer for them until the Durhams went away. We killed an average of the Durhams, and they weighed 799 pounds. I have just sold 18 four-year old Durham steers, averaging 1,202 pounds for $66 21 each.

At the time I made the above experiment, I had no experience in feeding cattle, but asked a neighbor who had been engaged in the business which lot he thought I should make the most upon, and he said, upon the natives, as they were two years older than the Durhams. The natives fattened, but did not grow; the Durhams fattened, and grew, too, and were fatter, when sold, than the natives. Of the Durhams, there were no full-bloods, but were all mixtures; but they had enough of the Durham and Hereford blood to give them fattening qualities. Had they been thorough-bred Durhams, the result would have been greatly inore in their favor.

I have usually employed one of the following plans in breaking steers; I first get a strong rope around their horns, and tie them by the side of the stable or barn, so that they cannot hurt themselves by getting the rope around them. They are fed there, and, after a day or two, are led off to water. As soon as they can be led, they are put in the yoke; if very strong, a yoke is used with three bows. A pair of strong oxen are brought one on each side, and all three fastened in the yoke, and turned loose. A boy is told to drive them about in an open pasture during the day. The next day a common yoke is put on; one of the broken oxen is put with him, and they are set to work behind a pair that are well broken. If the steer is not very strong, he is taken, as soon as he has been learned to lead, and put with a well-broken ox to work. The two should be about the same strength. After having worked each of the new pair in this way for some time, they are then put together.

Wool.-Wool-growing is said to be profitable by those who are extensively engaged in it. I have found it very unprofitable. I have kept from 100 to 200 merino sheep, that averaged about 4 pounds of wool each in the fleece, which I have sold for from 16 to 20 cents per pound. This would give from 64 to 80 cents the sheep. In consequence of the low price of wool, I have reduced my flock to 50, and

am using a Cotswold buck to give me larger lainbs for mutton. The coarse and fine wool sells at the same price; the coarse wool is in rather more demand, as it does not lose as much in washing, and is more easily manufactured into coarse jeans than the fine.

Hogs.-There has been considerable controversy about the relative value of the different breeds of hogs; and there have been a number of experiments made to test their fattening qualities. These experiments have been made principally between the Woburns and Berkshires; and have uniformly resulted in favor of the Woburns. The Irish grazier hogs, imported by James Letton, have added greatly to the value of our hogs. The cross of the Woburn and the Irish upon the Berkshires has greatly improved the latter. There have been various other breeds that have had their advocates. The Neapolitan improves the meat and fattening qualities of all the breeds with which I have seen them crossed; but they impart a wildness, which more than counterbalances any good qualities that may be communicated by them. The cross would be valuable to persons who keep their pigs in sties or small enclosures. I do not know that our method of raising pork is the cheapest; but it is a cheap method, which I will detail. We try to have one set of pigs early in the spring, and another in the fall. The sows are fed in the spring upon corn, whilst suckling their pigs; about one ear of corn for each pig she may have, each day. As soon as the clover is sufficiently grown, they are turned into the clover-field, where they still have a little corn. After the pigs get large enough to begin to eat corn, some is put into a small pen, into which only the pigs can get, that they may have a little corn every day, in addition to the clover. Here they stay until the rye is ripe, or the wheat has been cut; they are then removed to the rye field; or, after the wheat has been removed, to the wheat-stubble, to glean the fields. By this time the oats are ripe enough to turn upon. After they have finished the oats, they are again put into the clover field; and the apple orchard, if near the clover-field, is of considerable advantage. If there are no apples, a little corn will keep them from falling back until they are put into the corn field (or have the corn gathered for them) for fattening. The larger of the spring pigs are killed, by many persons, in the following fall, for family use. The balance, and the fall pigs, are wintered after cattle; that is, the ca'tle that are intended for fattening are put into a field that is in grass, and have corn hauled out to them and thrown upon the grass. After the cattle have done eat. ing, the hogs (that had been previously turned out) are turned into the field after them. Three hogs can thus be wintered after one steer. They gather much that would be lost. March pigs, raised in the above way, killed in November, will average about 200 pounds dressed. The larger hogs are frequently sold. Our corn is generally cut up and shocked in the field, 16 hills square, or 256 hills to the shock; and one shock of good corn is enough for 10 steers a day; and 30 hogs will be well wintered after them.

Hemp.-The culture of hemp is on the increase in this neighborhood. There is no new process, except that cutting has almost entirely superseded the old method of pulling, and the roller is much more used in putting in the crop than formerly. The hemp crop ranges from 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre. I suppose the average is about 750 pounds. I make the average cost of producing an acre of hemp about $31.

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »