Litchfield enquirer., 1836-10-27

sequences would involve discussion of the broadest and most important principles of DO litical economy for which we have neither
 time nor the requisite knowledge ofthat very dubious science. But we may venture to
 ask whether the diversion of so vast quan-
 tity of flour from it's legitimate destination, to
 wit, the ovens of the bakers. has not some eI- feet in creating the scarcity which causes
 the high price and whether, if the 24O.OOU
 barrels were not made into whiskey, the par
 rel would not be sold at five or six dollars
 instead of the nine or ten, at which, we pe-
 lieve, is now held by the dealers.
 We do not enter at present upon the con- sideration of various other highly important topics connected with the serious fact to which we have adverted such as the fatal influ- ence upon society and upon individuals, ex. erted by these 100000 bushels of grain, af- ter their submission to the worm of the still the horrors of intemperance-the corrupted, degraded frames ofits victms-the wretched- ness of their families-the crowded state of penitentiaries, state-prisons and hospitals, mainly imputable to that terrible vice-or the numberleSS offences against the laws of God and of man, of which it is the remote or the immediate cause. We are endeavoring to consider the matter simply as one of dol lars and cents and in doing so, we would ask, if there is any sufficient and practicable remedy! Can any body suggest mode within the compass of legislation, by which, without producing other as great mischicfs, these AO,OOO barrels of flour can be rescued from the mash-tub and brought into the oven? If such mode can be devised, it would prove blessing to the whole country, and perhaps to the world itself. :. '
 The question may be worth asking, by the way, what becomes of all the whiskey, distil- led from these 100000 bushels. We have suspicion. that much the larger portion of 1t IS converted, by an easy but efficient chem- ical process, into good French brandy, and sold at something like four times it's market value as the product of rye or corn. We have seen a glass of whiskey fresh from the still, transmitted in half a minute, by the ad- dition of eight or ten drops from one phial, and twice as many from another, into a high colored, high-fiavored liquid, at which many a veteran topper would smack his lips in the honest belief that it was genuine Cognac.- An chemistry, chemistry what an arrant deceiver art thou playing more tricks than a whole company of magicians, enacting changes as great and as puZzling to all but the initiated, as those of the best conjurer in the land-Blitz, Adrien, or Rahab Ben Mar- chael !-N.- Y. Con- Ado. t,.a ...' .a sr F COMPARATIVE PROFITS OF cows AND SHEEP.
 From my own observation, and other lights on the subject which have been able to ob- tain, judge that on the average, it will re- quire one ton and half of hay, or its equiv- alent in other keeping to winter COW. This will be rarely estimated at less than $12.- To keep her through the summer will require about two and half acres of good pasture- This will be estimated differently according to different valuation of land, but will say it is equal to ss7. The interest on the capital vested in the COW. may be 1,5O. According to this estimate, which I am satisfied does not vary far from the truth, the annual expenses incident to keeping COW, are equal to 20 50. It is generally understood that it costs about as much to keep a COW one year as she is worth. Such appears to be the fact, and yet she is very profitable animal. It is believed none is more so. The value of her produce is next to be estimated. " 9sft ,@sl@U39 sG "A good COW, (and whenIsay good, Tmean no other than an ordinary COW, of the native breed, ) may under proper management be to produce annually at least 200 pounds of butter. This will be yielded at the rate of about four and half pounds week for month, during which time it is suppo- sed the COW will give milk. The butter at nine pence, the lowest price, will be worth 1925. The skinned milk, which may be given to the calf, or to hogs, may be worth $3. The dung which the COW will be the means of making may be worth $1. Ac- cording to this estimate the annual produce of the COW will be equal to $29, and the bal ance standing to her credit after paying the expenses of keeping her, will be $S &c., Nothing is here estimated for the expenses incident to taking care of the COW, and mak- ing the butter. Be these what they may, it is nlnar that O hop pAe ter all charges are paid. Butter making is probably the most profitable use to which dai- | ry cows can be applied, especially when the l scale of business is small, and only few COWS are Kept But when cheese making is |
 .he .h oo!ect, the average produce of COWS, in |
 sna' alucie' IS sald to range between 3 and 4 |
 hundred pounds annually. IVY" O ''''>' 'N.
 III regard to sheep, l assume it as my data. |
 that It costs about the same to keen twelve
 sheep through the year as one COW. Ii re.
 quires also about the same investment of can.
 ltal to gam possession of that number of sheen | as to become the owner of COW. It may
 appear to cost less to winter twelve sheen than one COW, because sheep are not usually
 ted from the barn so long as cattle by several
 weeks. Yet they derive their living from the
 iarm ana are justly chargeable for what they
 consume. If then 1t costs the same to keep
 tWelve sheep as one COW, which am satisfi-
 ed will not vary far from the truth, the ex.
 penses ot keeping that number of sheep thro'
 year will, according to preceding estimates
 amount to $2O 90. Let us see now what will
 be the value ftheir produce. "
 ine @ neeces of twelve sheep may weigh S2
 IDS. thls quantity of wool, at 50 cts a pound.
 may pc worth $l6. The lambs which the
 flock will produce, may be worth $s. The
 annual income then from twelve sheen will
 be $sA, while the expense incident to keening