For mutton the ordinary sheep will excel. These fine wool sheep can only be sold at those prices for stock-sheep, and raising wool. Again, take 100 head of fine three-quarter blood French or Spanish merino, Vermont stock, at $10 each..... $1,000 00 Weight of wool on 100 such sheep, at 6 pounds per head, 600 pounds; 600 pounds, at 50 cents per pound.. 45 lambs, above loss of flock, at $10 each.. Original stock.... Total.... Deducting expenses.. Clear profit... or 59 per cent. on $1,000. 60 00 100 00 1,160 00 $300 00 450 00 1,000 00 1,750 00 1,160 00 590 00 The last mentioned, being large bodied, are considered best for mutton. We offer another calculation on 100 native sheep, at 75 cents per head: Cost.... Interest on $75.... Keeping 100 head native sheep, 75 cents each.. $75 00 4 50 75 00 154 50 Weight of wool on 100 native sheep, allowing 2 pounds each, This calculation is, I think, about correct. It will be noticed that it requires a much larger capital for high priced fine-woolled sheep than the same number of coarse; yet, with the latter, if the wool grower realizes the same amount of money, he must keep many more sheep, and consequently invest more in land, when he would not realize as much profit. Our most noted wool-growers are J. Mosher; Jonathan Wood; Stephen Brown, Mt. Gilead; McKibbor, Smith's Mills; Gilmore, Culmary, & Elliot, of Iberia. I am, most respectfully, yours, SAM'L N. WOOD. Hon. THоs. EWBANK. GALENA, DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO, SIR: The best method of raising wheat in this portion of the State of Ohio is to break a clover sod in the fore part of August, and turn under a half growth of the clover; let it lie from 3 to 5 weeks, then harrow thoroughly lengthwise of the furrow, and sow 13 bushel of seed to the acre, and harrow both ways; all done before the 20th of September. Harvest, from the 4th to 15th of July; average crop, 15 bushels; worth, this year, 50 cents. We have a surplus, and no foreign demand; therefore, a very low price. Soon after the wheat is harvested, the stubble should be ploughed under 6 to 8 inches deep, and lie till the following spring, when one light ploughing will fit the ground for oats or corn. Land thus prepared, and well tended, will average 50 bushels of corn to the acre; and, where it is designed for fattening steers, it is cut and shocked in the fore part of September, and drawn thence to the pasture lots altogether, and fed to cattle once per day during winter, which suffices for fodder and grain, and proves to be a profitable way of feeding corn to cattle. This land is next ploughed in the spring for oats. It is desirable to sow in March, if the land is dry. One ploughing is sufficient. Sow 2 bushels of seed to the acre, and harrow; then sow 4 quarts clover and 4 quarts timothy seed, and harrow once more. This fits the land for posture or mowing, in which state it is to remain 2 or 3 years before. ploughing again. Land thus farmed, if well ploughed and thoroughly tilled, will improve for a succession of years. Oats will produce from 40 to 50 bushels to the acre; worth 16 to 20 cents; and are considered a very exhausting crop. We have here an article of winter barley, which should be sown and treated similar to winter wheat, and will be fit to harvest 10 days sooner; produces 40 to 50 bushels to the acre; weighs heavy, and sells readily at 1 cent per pound. It is considered a very profitable crop. Beans will produce 10 to 12 bushels to the acre; are only raised for home consumption; worth $1 per bushel. Clover and Timothy are our best grasses, and produce most hay or pasture when sown together; quantity of hay, about 1 ton per acre. Clover, as a green crop, is far the best fertilizer, and should be sown early in the spring, 8 quarts per acre; should not be pastured first year. It will then produce a large amount of pasture for 1 or 2 years, and is fit to turn under for wheat. Dairying is rather a new business for profit here; still, it is apparent that it is a money-making business. Neat Cattle. The price of cows varies between fall and spring from $15 to $20 for common stock cows. Durhams or improved breeds here are worth from $35 to $60, and will take on 25 per cent. more flesh, all other things being equal, than other cattle; are more peaceable and more profitable. The best oxen are made by breaking when quite young. Most farmers have boys who can yoke the steers before they are 1 year old. They are then easy to handle, and will do a little work at odd times, and become perfectly handy by the time they are three years old; and then, if well kept two years, will make a fine team. Raising horses and mules is profitable. Colts can be raised until they are 5 years old for $10 per year, and will then be worth $75 to $100. Mares that raise colts should graze in pastures summer and winter, with stacks of hay to eat from in winter. Colts would be benefited by having a little extra care the first winter of their lives; after that, the same range with the mares till five years old. Wool-growing is a profitable business in this portion of Ohio. Sheep are healthy. A grade of wool between coarse and fine is most profitable. It will weigh more to the sheep, or fleece, than most others, and sell at a nearer price to the fine than its reality would seem to indicate; then the sheep are heavier and better for mutton than even the coarse kind. The average weight of fleece 3 pounds, and sold this year at 35 to 40 cents per pound. The proportion of lambs raised, about 75 from 100 ewes. Hemp-growing has been a profitable business, but is less raised on account of scarcity of hands to break and fit it for market. It produces about 600 pounds to the acre, and can be raised for $13 per acre Irish Potatoes are grown only for the table. They produce poorly-in many cases not over 100 bushels to the acre-and sell at 25 cents per bushel, unless scarce; therefore it is much more profitable to raise corn than potatoes. We frequently get as many bushels of corn per acre. can be raised with the same tending, and not half the labor of planting and harvesting. It The Culture of Orchards has met with much attention for a few years. past. Good fruit is not only valuable at home, but commands a good price and ready sale in all the towns and villages. I have no doubt a better profit can be realized from land set in choice orchards, even to feed stock, than from any kind of root crops. We have many kinds of good keeping apples; among them, of good keepers, are the Rhode Island greening, Roxbury russet, golden russet, Spitzenberg; and, finally, some of the Rambo keep well, and are excellent at all times. Grasses.-I am told that, in Seneca county, Ohio, they have found a timothy sod better for wheat than clover, on account of wintering better. If so, it is worthy of particular consideration, for winterkilling is of great damage to our wheat; and not only that, a timothy crop is far more valuable than clover, the hay always selling for 25 per cent. more than any other. I wish it were definitely understood that no grass is so valuable for hay as timothy, or herdsgrass. Respectfully, yours, Hon. THOMAS EWBANK, Commissioner of Patents. NATHAN DUSTIN. SIR: Your Circular was duly received, and I will proceed to answer your inquiries as well as my limited knowledge will permit. Wheat.-Union county grows comparatively little-not much more than her home consumption. Our soil is adapted to grazing. Principal products, corn, beef, pork, butter, cheese, hay, and wool. There is no guano used in the county. Corn.-Average yield per acre, 40 bushels. Cost of production, about 10 cents per bushel. Best mode of culture: plough 8 to 10 inches deep, plant in rows 33 feet each way, or 4 feet one way, and drill 10 to 12 inches; stir the ground often (say twice a week) with plough and cultivator. Best method of feeding where corn is cheap, as it is here, (from 15 to 20 cents per bushel,) is that which requires the least labor; it will not do to grind or cook. Clover and Grasses.-Quantity of hay per acre, 1 ton; grass seeds preferred in laying down are clover and timothy. There should be 8 pounds of each used to the acre. Red-top used on moist land. Cost of hay in the stack, $2. Value of hay per ton, from $3 to $4; difference owing to its being near or remote from a village. Dairy Husbandry.-Average yearly produce of butter and cheese, 300 pounds per cow. There have been instances of obtaining 500. Comparative cost, about 3 pounds of cheese, equal to 2 of butter. Those who follow cheese-making here make very little butter until after the middle of October. They set their milk in pans or crocks, let it stand from 24 to 36 hours, then skim and let the cream stand as much longer, then churn in Crowell's patent thermometer churn. Common sack salt is used; buttermilk all worked out, then put down. No other substance is used. Average price of butter, 12 cents per pound. Cheese, 5 cents at the place where manufactured. Neat Cattle.-Cost of raising till 3 years old, from $12 to $18-average, say $15. Value at that age, from $15 to $30, according to size and quality-average, say $22. Value of good dairy cows in the fall, about $12 50; in spring, $20. I will merely observe, that our best farmers consider it necessary that their stock of all kinds should be furnished with a full supply of straw, &c., in their yards, stalls, or pens; and that the manure, when made, should be protected, as much as possible, from the heat of the sun and drenching rains. corn. Breaking Steers to the Yoke.-My plan is (and I have broken a good many) to break them the winter before they are two years old. First get them into the yard; then into a small pen, so strong that they cannot break out; then feed them corn-nubbing, and handle them gently. Get them yoked, if possible, before they are aware of it; then feed them more corn. Now hitch them behind a steady yoke of cattle; drive them around awhile; then feed them more corn; now make them fast, and then unyoke them, and feed a little more corn. Repeat the whole operation the next day twice, morning and evening; do not forget the The third day put them in the lead. Handle them a little every day, morning and evening; yoke and unyoke every time. Do not beat them. If you cannot make them do as you wish, and get vexed with them, do not abuse them, but feed them corn. You will soon be able to drive them alone. This should be done soon, as they never will be broken right without. Now, if you have a small stock and a light sled, they will haul enough to feed them; and this will be enough for them to do morning and evening, and they will very soon be quite handy. But mind, you must give them corn every time you yoke, and enough, until they become quiet, so that you can handle them and get up to them in any place, and they never will forget it, but continue quiet and gentle all their lives. Wool-growing is a good business. There is comparatively little differ ence in growing coarse or fine wool here. Cost per pound, 20 cents. Merino is more profitable than Saxony, however. The difference in price does not compensate for the difference in weight. We have to depend principally on the fleece here at our distance from market. A company have imported here from France, the past season, a lot of the Rambouillet sheep. Their average weight of fleece (in the dirt) was 13 pounds; live weight of heaviest ewe, 187 pounds; live weight of heaviest buck, 220 pounds. Sold the wool at 30 cents per pound. Wool has ranged (that is, the last clip) from 33 to 48 cents per pound, washed. Proportion of lambs to ewes in small flock, one to the ewe; large flocks, unless there is extraordinary care taken, one-fourth less. A large proportion of Union county is yet comparatively new and unsettled. Some excellent stock are in the south part of it. Respectfully, yours, ELIPHAZ BURNHAM. SIR: I received your Circular of August, 1850, through the politeness of the Hon. Edson B. Olds, representative in Congress from this dis trict, on the 26th of October last. The time being short, and I not aware of being called upon to answer any such questions, and the lack of education, and my imperfect knowledge of agricultural chemistry, I fear will render me incapable of replying in a satisfactory manner; yet the interest I have always taken in agricultural pursuits prompts me to say something. It will be a plain, simple statement of facts, of which you can make such disposition as you think proper. There are four things that all farmers should strictly attend to: 1st, good fences; 2d, good cultivation in good time; 3d, save all manure and everything that will fertilize the soil, and apply it in time; 4th, good care of, and economy with all things. Manure is one of the most particular things that all farmers should pay strict attention to, and see that it is all saved and well applied. I know nothing of agricultural chemistry only what nature and experience have taught me; and do not credit the statements of learned chemists, such as Liebig, and a host of others, who contend that vegetation receives the greatest part of its nourishment by and through the atmosphere-a thing reason and nature will not admit of. If such statements be true, I have toiled and labored with manure 50 years in vain; that is, if 98 loads of manure out of 100 are in vain. In my opinion there is but one way that manure can be kept till it is decomposed without losing some of its virtue, and that is in a manure-cellar. (See Patent Office Report [* No chemist teaches the doctrine that "98 loads of manure out of 100 are in vain" or worthless. Our correspondent is fighting a windmill of his own setting up. His theoretical views are of no value; but his suggestions in farm economy are worthy of attention.] |