The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-02-04
WHOLE NO. 29I4.
From the Vfscasset Citizen.

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. It is q
fault too general with our farmers, that
they suffer themselves to remain ignorant
of important facts, which they might aseer-
tain from experiment. To CRAFTY our curi-
osity, we have inquired of several expe-
rienced farmers and dairymen, what guam
tity of milk, of common quality, will make
a pound of butter-and how much cheese
given quantity of milk would produce-and
have not been able to obtain any thing like
a satisfactory answer to either question.
We get nothing but conjectures, and they
are extremely various. Now, how easily
these points might be ascertained-only by
measuring two quantities of milk, and max
ing one into butter and the other into
cheese, and weighing-and how important
to judicious decision whether it is more
profitable to make butter or cheese.
Farmers disagree, too, very essentially,
as to the comparative value of different
kinds of food for cattle and swine. One
will say that three bushels Of potatoes will
make as much pork as bushel of corn;
another will say four, and third, living in
the same neighhOrhood, will prefer bushel
OF corn to six bushels of potatoes. One will
say that bushel of peas is worth five pecks
OF corn ter the same purpose-another will
prefer the same quantity Of corn to peas
and third will say that they are just about
OF equal value. One farmer will say that
ton of hay and six bushels of corn are equal
to two tons of hay for keeping neat cattle
another will require seven bushels of corn
another eight-anotber nine-another ten
for the second ton of hay. Now it is evil
dent those farmers have come to their sew
eral conclusions from no data to be relied
on-that they have rot had recourse to
weight and measures yet these disputed
points might be easily ascertained to such
degree ofceftainty as would render the far
mer essential aid in pro6tably applying his
labor and disposing Of its effects.
We venture to suggest the following easy
and cheap experiments Let one farmer
select two sboats as near alike in age, size
and condition as may be, weigh them, make
record of the weight of each, shut them
up IN separate apartments-measure or
rather weigh out las there is a considerable
disparity in the quality Of corn, and some
variety in the rule for measuring potatoes)
quantity Of Indian corn meal for one, and
quantity Of potatoes for the other-after
properly feeding each with his appropriate
food for some weeks, weigh them again, and
record the quantity of food consumed by
each, and the increase in weight in each.
in like manner let an experiment be tried
by the same farmer or his neighbor on two
other shoats, feeding one with peas and the
other with meal and potatoes mixed. Let
a farmer select from his neat stock two ami
mails as hear alike in age, size and condi-
ton, measure them as a farmer does his
A~nn. IS ...<>:e-li-4e- L. -:->>sa-->s:--i
to one and half thH Tie QUANTITY T 10 the ofer
with as much meal as may be judged enough
to supply the deficiency; after a sufficient
time, measure or weigh them again-record
the result with such observations as circum-
stances may suggest. To arrive at greater
degree of certainty, it would be well to re-
peat these experiments. Their utility must
be obvious.