[Some deductions in genera' may be made from this table. It will be seen that at 60 inches circumference the increase for each inch in length is 5.4 lb; at 61 inches the increase is 5.6 lb; for 62 inches 5.8 lb; at 63 inches it is about 5.7 lb; at 64 inches about 6 lb; at 65 inches about 6.3 lb; åt 66 inches about 6.5 to 6.6 lb; at 67 inches about 6.7 lb; at 68 inches about 6.9 lb. and on; at 69 inches about 7.2 lb; at 70 inches about 7.4 lb; at 71 inches about 7.6 lb; at 72 inches about 7.8 lb; at 73 inches about 7.9 to 8 lb; at 74 inches about 8.2 lb; at 75 inches about 8.4 lb; at 76 inches about 8.6 lb; at 77 inches about 8.9 lb. at 78 inches about 9.1 to 9.2 lb; at 79 inches about 9.3 to 9.4 lb; at 80 inches about 9.6 lb; at 81 inches about 9.7 to 9.9 lb; at 82 inches about 10 lb; at 83 inches about 10.3 lb; at 84 inches about 10.6 lb; at 85 inches about 10.8 lb; at 86 inches about 11.1 lb; at 87 inches about 11.3 to 11.4 lb; at88 inches about 11.6 lb; at 89 inches about 11.8 to 11.9 lb; at 90 inches about 12.2 lb; at 91 inches about 12.4 lb; at 92 inches about 12.6 to 12.7 lb; at 93 inches about 12.9 lb; at 94 inches about 13.4 lb; at 95 inches about 13.4 lb; at 96 inches about 13.8 to 13.9 lb; at 97 inches about 14.1 lb; at 98 inches about 14.4 lb; at 99 inches about 14.7 lb; at 100 inches about 15 lb. The general averages therefore would seem to be, for there are obviously some errors in the figures, an allowance of two-tenths to three-tenths of a lb.⚫ for each additional inch of circumference on the various circumferences, from 61 inches up to 100. The length also for which the calculations are made vary somewhat; thus for 60 to 61 the range is from 35 to 52; for 62, 35 to 53; for 63, 35 to 54; 64, 35 to 55; 65, 36 to 56; 66, 36 to 57; 68 and 69, 37 to 59; 70, 38 to 59; 71, 39 to 61; 72, 39 to 62; 73 and 74, 63; 75, 40 to 64; 76, 41 to 66; 78, 42 to 67; 79, 43 to 68; 80, 44 to 69; 81, 45 to 70; 82, 46 to 71; 83, 47 to 72; 84, 48 to 73; 85, 49 to 74; 86, 50 to 75; 87, 50 to 77; 88, 50 to 77; 89, 51 to 78; 90, 51 to 78; 91, 52 to 79; 92, 53 to 79; 93, 54 to 80; 94, 44 to 80; 95, 55 to 80; 96, 55 to 80; 97, 56 to 80; 98, 56 to 80; 56 to 80; 99, 56 to 80; 100; 57 to 80; making an average of about 1 from the lowest and an addition of one to the highest number of inches under each ratio of circumference.] ON RAISING CALVES. Translated from the German of the Das Neueste in Gebiete der Land und Forstwirthschaft, so wie deren technischen nebenfacher, by E. Goodrich Smith of the Patent Office. At one of the conventions of the German agriculturists and foresters, the following remarks respecting the raising of calves, were made by Baron Von Riedesdel as the result of his experiments: The calf should receive from its birth till it is ten times of its then weight, daily, the same food in hay value, in which we reckon one pound of milk equal to one pound of hay. The food should be changed accordingly to that only in substance and volume, not in nutritive value, up to that time, and therefore be daily one-third hay value of the animal's weight. If for example the calf at its birth weighs ninety pounds, then its food from the beginning must be continually thirty pounds hay value. When the young animals have attained to ten times their bodily weight, which will be the case in a year without labor, then they are nearly of the bodily size of their dams, and may be used for breeding. If it could, therefore, with the other disadvantages, be brought into early use, which is otherwise so strongly prohibited, the advantage on the above mentioned supposition is self-evident, for during every cessation in its growth, every development which is prevented by any deficiency in food, results in a clear loss. Grown up cows, according to Riedesdel, must have the thirtieth part of their live weight in hay value, by which the most satisfactory milk product may be obtained, according to the standard of fodder; so that with such feeding the well kept cow may yield five times her bodily live weight yearly in milk. Baron Riedesdel, also, after acknowledging that he had little success in raising cattle, till on repeating Schweitzer's experiments, he found that the conclusions he derived respecting this subject were correct, lays down the following as his rules:— 1. He set apart no more calves for breeding than were necessary to the perpetuation of his noble herd of cattle, because the raising of them costs him very high. 2. He does not fix on any calf, if it weighs less than one-tenth of its mother's weight at birth. 3. When this is the case, and in every instance, he takes care that the calf should have daily as much milk from its mother as one-third of its own live weight. 4. If deficient in any important respect, he gives up raising it and sells it 5. The same is the case when the calf is affected by any disease or casualty, since disease scarcely ever occurs with the nutriment proportioned justly; it must therefore be an infectious disease. 6. The first four weeks of its life the calf must receive the whole of its mother's milk, because in this period the nutrition contained in the milk in so small volume can be replaced by no other equally nutritious and as easily digestible means of food. 7. After four weeks the milk may be replaced by that means of fodder which contains nutritious substance next to it in equal weight of dry volume, in the greatest possible amount. 8. The withdrawal of milk is to be advised only gradually-one-eighth or one-fourth of the quantity daily. 9. The milk is most easily and advantageously replaced by means of thickened sweet milk. 10. This method of supply is possible only when we make sweet milk cheese, otherwise use meal or groats of grain. 11. But before the calf is four weeks old, it begins to play with hay and straw, and gradually to eat more and more hay. 12. The animal, however, must never be compelled by hunger to eat hay, but give it in place of milk, in dry volume, and in increasing capacity of nutriment every time as much as the milk would contain, that would otherwise have been given. 13. We now advance in the course of feeding, to give the proportion of nutrition in always increasing volume. 14. This process of feeding being always proportionately increased, the animal grows in the same manner as at the beginning, yet, as mentioned, it is always proportionately weaned, until its body has developed the mass, to attain which it was designed at its birth. Formerly Baron Riedesdel caused his heifer calves, at the age of six to seven months, after they had reached the size of their dams, to take the bull, so that they calved at sixteen months old. But observing that his young animals were not yet grown up, when they had reached the size of their dams, and even surpassed them in size, he afterwards caused the heifers to take the bull when at full two years old. Riedesdel was satisfied with this new plan; his heifer calves, now, on completing their second year, at fourteen to fifteen hundred pounds weight, cost him, on each hundred pounds of live weight, a little over fifteen hundred weight of hay value; while before they weighed, on the completion of their third year, at the highest, only one thousand pounds of live weight; and every hundred pounds of live weight cost about eighteen and three-fifth hundred weight of hay value in fodder. The bull for coupling at a year old is perfectly fitted for his work, and on the completion of the second year, when he attains to seventeen hundred to eighteen hundred pounds live weight, he is, in his capacity for service, superior to the stoutest stallion. ON FEEDING SHEEP. Experiments on the proportion of food to be given to sheep, by G. Ockel, director of nusbandry at Frankenfelde, near Berlin-translated from the German by E. Goodrich Smith, of the Patent Office. A respected college of land husbandry in Berlin, in the autumn of last year, honored me with the commission of repeating the interesting, and, for our cattle breeders, most important experiments undertaken by the minister, Herr Von Weckherlin, at Hohenheim, in order to determine the animal production according to the scale of feeding, and also as to the most useful quantity of fodder for sheep; but with this modification, that half of the hay fodder should be supplied by potatoes.* These experiments were made in the period, from the first of January to the twenty-eighth of May, of this year; and I make an extract from the Trans actions of the highly respected convention. On the 30th of December, of last year, the animals necessary for the experiment, viz: two and a half year old ewes and half year old lambs, were selected from the same flock, which, for a course of years, had shorn ten and a half to eleven stone, [a stone equals twenty-two lbs.,] per one hundred head, and the wool of which, in former years, had been valued at 1125 rix dollars, [equal to seventy cents each,] per cwt.; and little wooden tablets with consecutive numbers hung around their necks. Then the whole of them, sheep and lambs, collectively, were shorn, the fleeces accurately weighed, and each one placed in a particular basket, furnished with the number of the animal referred to, in order to be kept locked up till the spring, and then every fleece to be washed separately. Next, all the animals were accurately weighed, and their weight, together with their tablets and tattooed numbers put down in a list, according to which they were then divided into sections as the object of the experiment required. The feeding of the experimental animals were committed to the sheep master, and a trusty scholar of the school of shepherds. This feeding took place in the morning at nine o'clock, and at three o'clock in the afternoon; and was many times, weekly, under my own superintendence. At the weighing of the animals, which was always on the first day of every month before nine o'clock in the morning, I was every time present. On the 27th of May, the experimental animals had their last food, and on the 28th of May, before nine in the morning, they were weighed with the wool, and then immediately shorn. The wool of every animal was weighed unwashed, and then all the fleeces, from December and May shearings, were separately washed in, baskets, and after they were dried they were again weighed. The separate experiments were tried in the method pointed out by Herr Von Weckherlin. EXPERIMENT I.-How the conservation fodder† must be established as to the bodily weight, and in what proportion the fodder aiding the production, i. e. beyond mere conservation, operated for making flesh, i. e. bodily increase, and wool, accordingly as more or less of it was given. Four divisions were set apart, of which each contained four two and a half year old sheep at an average of sixty-eight lbs. bodily weight per head, and to which were apportioned the appointed food, according to the hay * At the general meeting of the tenth convention of German agriculturists, on the 19th of September, 1846, it was resolved, that this communication should be separately printed and distributed to the members of the association, and also sent to the different agricultural associations of Germany. This resolution is a most decisive proof of the importance and interest attached to this paper by that large and respectable body." The feed necessary to keep an animal in its present state is called conservation fodder. All over and above this which tends to increase, production fodder. value, [i. e. a quantity equal in value to a supposed quantity of hay,] one half in clover-hay and the other half in potatoes. The first division received one-sixtieth of bodily weight in hay value; its weight was two hundred and seventy-one pounds and twelve loth, Ja loth is about a half ounce,] therefore, four pounds sixteen loth of potatoes and two pounds eight loth of clover hay, or one pound four loth hay value per head. The animals consumed in 148 days, in hay value,.. Their weight at the close of the experiment, including wool,... And decrease of flesh on 10 lbs. of production fodder,.. The increase of clean washed wool was.... Therefore, on 10 lbs. of production fodder, lbs. loth. 661 16 196 3 80 26 9 22 4 12 174 The second division of bodily weight in hay value, its weight was 272 lbs. 12 loth-therefore, 6 lbs. 2 loth of potatoes, and 3 lbs. 1 loth of clover hay, or 1 lb. 16 loth, hay value, per head. The animals consumed in 148 days, in hay value,.. Their weight at the close of the experiment, including wool,.... And decrease of flesh in 10 lbs. of production fodder,. ... The increase, in clean washed wool was. lbs. loth. 891 6 236 26 42 5 1 18 4 40 Therefore, on 10 lbs. of production fodder,.... The third division received one-tenth of bodily weight in hay value: its weight was 272 lbs. 2 loth-therefore 9 lbs. 2 loth of potatoes, and 3 lbs. 1 loth of clover hay, or 2 lbs. 8 loth, hay value, per head. The animals consumed in 148 days, in hay value,..... lbs. loth: 1332 6 288 14 8 20 44 5 7 The fourth division finally received one-twentieth of bodily weight, in hay value: its weight was 271 lbs. 19 loth-therefore 13 lbs. 18 loth of potatoes, and 6 lbs. 25 loth of clover hay, or 3 lbs. 12 loth of hay value, per head. ..... The animals consumed in 148 days, in hay value,... Therefore, on 10 lbs. production fodder,..... lbs. loth. 1995 20 329 27 49 20 124 5 8 11 The three first divisions fell off very perceptibly, in January, and respec tively so about 59 lbs. 3 loth, 34 lbs. 26 loth, and the fourth division gained only about 29 loth. This, indeed, was the result of the change of fodder, and the change to the rough temperature to which they were exposed by the shearing off of the wool. In April, also, there was exhibited a stronger decrease, or a decidedly smaller increase than in February, March and May; Decause the experimental sheep were much disturbed by the driving out of the other sheep. |