Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-11-20
WHOLE NUMBER sec.
Comparative Cost of Hay. Roots, For Feeding
stock.


Extract from the address of the Rer. H. Col
man, commissioner eff the agricultural surrey Of
Mas suchuSens.
u wish briefly TO draw the attention OF farmers
10 the value Of hay, compared with Giher crops,
for the feeding Of stock. An OF hay yields
one ton and half of vegetable food. An acre
OF carrots or swedish 'ufnlps, will yield from ten
to twenty tons; say fifteen tons, which is by no
means an exaggerated estimate. II has been as
certaIned, by experiment, tina three working hor-
ses, fifteen aud a half hands high, consumed at
! the rate Of two hundred and twenty -four pounds
ofhay per week, or five tons one thousand and
fort, EIGHT pounds Of hay per year, besides twelve
gallons of oats each per week, or seventy-eight
bushels by the wear. An unworked horse con-
snmed Il, the rate Of fous and one quarter tons OF
hay in tho year. The produce, therefore, of
nearly six acres ot land is necessary TO support n
working horse BY the year; but half an acre OF
carrots al six hundred bushels 10 tho aero with
the addition of chopped straw, while the season
for their lasts, Will do well II not better.
These things do no, admit of doubt. They have
been subject Of exact trial.
at is believe ed that the value of bushel Of
I"dian corn in straw and meal, will keep healthy
horse in good condition for work week An
acre OF Indian corn which yields sixty bushels
will be ample for the support of horse through
the year. Let the farmer, then. consider wheth-
er it be better maintain his horse upon tho
produce of half an acre of carrots, which can be
cultivated at M expense Of halt IN acre OF pota-
toes upon half an acre OF ruiabaga, which
can be raised less expense than potatoes,
or upon grain the produce Of OF Indian
corn, or, on the other hand, upon the produce
Of SIX acres of his hes, land hay and grain; for
six acres will hardly do more than yield nenrly
six of hay and seventy eight bushels of oats.
The sa me economy might be successfully intro
duccd INTO the fe edi;g Of our cattle md sheep.
These facts deserve tho particular attention
Of the farmers who DESTROYS OF improving their
pecunlarv condition. 1t is obvious how much would
he gained by the cultivation which IS here sugges-
ted how much the means Of enrichiug tho land,
and improving the cultivation would be core tna,ly
extending a cd accommodating. But when Tho far
mer cultivated only two acres of potatoes, one
ere OF ru,a baga and perhaps quarter of on aero
Of carrots call this "ge,ng along" in tho
common phrase, but hardly dignity II
with the name of farming. ! nm aware that Ia
Dor Of proper kind is in many cases difficult to
he procured. and with habits, difficult TO
be managed. Farming, likewise, can in few sit
uatons be successfully managed, unless tho far
mer has capital 10 employ equal ut least TO ono
years manure. and one years crop. largo
portion Of cur farmers also from the nature Of
their habits md stvle Of living prosperous
md independent, that they have occasion 10
tend their cultivation beyond what 1t now is, in
order to meet their wants, and to incur all the
trouble, vexation, and risk OF employing more Ia
Dor. expanding more capital, and increasing
their cares. "-Farmcr's Register.