Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-26

reqaired ; but the important savps g
|pfoyender, quadruply repays it. '.
= A comparative statement resneo,;,
the use Of Chat, and the common 'r,
tice Of serving horses, SC, with bau
by Thomas Williamson, ESQ. ;n'.'
letter to the secretary Bath sos
papers, vol. Is, p. lO4 '''
Slr-Permit me to solicit that vor
lay before the society the following CON- M
|parat!ve statement respecting the use Of
Chat, and the common practice Of ser,N
ing horses &c. with hay.
Il have throughout the summer ken.
lmy horses in the stable feeding them
with good hay and beans. My oxen
have, On the contrary, always been Turn.
ed out to grass when liberated from tbei,
work; they have had the range CT coed
pastures and the benefit oil some less va
Iuable hay, previous to ter euirg to
their labour. My horses, tive in E1m
Der, have been regularly worked in pairs,
latterly, after n,ucIi opposition un tie
lpart Ut my servants, with ieins. The
oxen, four in number, have worked ia
collars, drawing generally s.olt BE,
yerstone plow, OF alarge drag ard scut.
fer their labor has been colstaDtand
rather severe. AS our metlows begaE
TO lasl US towards the end Of September,
owing to the quality ofstpck upon them,
it became necessary to a.Cw tho oxen
morca and better hay.
| The increased expenditure alarmed
tne as the four oxen and tive horses.
consumed no less than four tons within
one month. This caused me to plobi.,
bit the use Of hay in the racks, and to
feed all the cattle with chalf Of which
a boy can cut sufficient for daily use in
1.-TWO hours.
" My servants not only rid;cu}cd The
change but SO far as they dared, opposed
lit, i'll an under hand manner, by yarious
eyasiOns and pretexts. Aided by the
care and vigilance of the young gentle.
men with me, the system Of chat feeding
was fully established aud the quaint
ty needful for the horses, and lie oxen,
ascertained.
" One hundred weight of Hay WIS
found yield 90 bushels Of Chat, press
ed into the measure and piled as hish as
it could safely be carried consequently,
each bushcl weighed about 5 l-2pound:.
1t was found, that the FIVE horses would
eat twelve bushels of chaf during tie
"a hours and that the four oxen would
consume an equal quantity in the same
time. Ever since the oxen have beea
fed with chaa only, they have very cyi.
IDENTITY improved in condition as haze
also the horses, although their work has
Iatterly been on heavier soil, and Of
course more severe than FORMERLY.
Twenty -four bushels oil chat, at CO.
to the hundred weight, amount to about
Fl l-9 tons yearly: which deducted
from 43 tons, the quantity We were cor"
saning within the year, gives savingct
about 26 1-2 tons, or more rhaD halt.
81 have, however, carried the he.
trenchments farther by cutting in bean
stalks TO the extent Of ahouta quarter
Of the chisE, these being laid uppermost
in the cutting through, keep the hay well
pressed, and cause il to be cut mare re-.
rularly. Thus, we ROW use about 1863
weight Of hay monthly, instead OF foGt
tons!
" 1t is customary, in our quarter, 10
throw bean stalks under the cattle, Is
practice which cannot be toy spee,Giya'
polished. Mine had suffered much from
standing cut full month in the late
rainy weather: yet al my cattle s!e the
chali, cut from them alone, without hesl.
tahon, indeed, rather in psete,ehse.
" I am, &c.
THOMAS WILLIAMS.
g Writhlington, Nov, 9; 1872"