The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-02-08
Correspondence.
Correspondence of The Cecil Wing
LETTER FROM "AGRICOLA.''-No. 2,
Bic Elk, Feb. 9Th, 49,

LETTER FROM "AGRICOLA.''-No. 2.
BIC Elk, Feb. 9TH, go.
Mr.. EDIToR Your structures on that
part of my letter relating to stock. illuStra-
ties the propricty othav ng fixed aud uniform
meanings for our words for doubt not.
that many fierce disputes have occurred.
not because there was really any difference
Of opinion between the parties thereto. but
because they had different meanings for the
same words. by common stock | mean the
native brceds-now don't tell me we have
no native breed of do.Ncsiic cattle in this
county, for fear ! might be obliged to write
another letter to explain what mean by
! tins, and you have written enough to know
that ii is no easy task for IL writer to explain
himself always, particularly when he don
know exactly what he does mean. BIZ
native then, | mean the descendants of the
original importalions by the early settlers.
contradistngulshcd from those of more
recent importation, and which remind me
ofthe nobility of England: with their long
lines of distinguished ancestry running back
into remote antiquity claiming kindred. Il
mean the cattle and not the nobiIity.) for
ought know, with the Bull Apis the bel
lowin: god Of the ancient Egyptians. BY
fine stock you mean, ! presume, smooth,
tleshy animals but this character is pccu-
liar to no particular breed but may be found
among them all, and i. the only kind worth
keeping particularly for beef; but some of
the opposite form are fine mixers. In
selecting stock, the farmer must choose
them ia reference to the object in view, and
1t is safest for him to consult his owl judg-
mcnt, for no general rules can be of much
| value the grazing of beef cattle appears to
be permanently frustrated as II business, on
the Atlantic slope of the United States and
the sooner our farmers makeup their minds to
| that fact, the less money they will loose,
| unless they can raise their own stock il this
can be done cheaper than buying poor stock,
three years old, the business may be revived
and increased but who knows anything
about anything ON the farm? You can
find farmer who can tell you the cost of
raisinga calf, till he is three years old they
can guess, some nearer and some less near.
but not one of them can tell ask Tom
Smith how much it costs to make ton of
| iron and he will out with his chalk and i'll
two minutes he will tell you to the smallest
! fraction of II cent. How is that? Because
he knows something about his business the
only guaranty of success in any undertaking.
| But farmers know absolutely nothing about
| their own business : the most ancient, the
most honorable, the most useful and the
most neglected business in the world. Now
don't get riied brother farmer. because
talk so plain. for include myself in the
category and don't mean to accuse the
farming community of general ignorance ;
and before am done you will agree with
me that we are shametully ignorant of the
business that most nearly concerns our
material interests.
| And here let me PROFOUND few intcrro-
| | t,, ,,L
in the next issue of The Wing by every sub
scribcr and if any considerable number
return the same, and IA correct answer
| will raise my standard Of the intelligence
of the farmers of Cecil county.
| LIST. How many quarts Of milk will
make pound of butter?
end. How many pounds of beef or pork
Will bushel of corn make, or hon many
bushels Of corn make a pound ef BEEF or pork.
"rd. How many bushels of all, or any Of
the crops common to the county, can be
produced ON an acre of land?
4th. What is the cheapest and best man
ure for each or all the crops?
9Th. will end the list for the present
With the first or what is the cost Of raising
and the best manner of raising a calf till he
Is three years old?
On the answer to this last question the
future Of the whole beef culture depends :;
for take it for granted that buying poor
steers, and after keeping them year, sell
ling them for cost or a little more, or Il
| little less as has been the case frequently.
is about played out. Many causes have
conspired to deprcss this branch of agricul-
ture in this section the most prominent
among which, is the first cost ofpoor stock
the other causes are prominent, while the
last admits of but one remedy; the first step
| towards which is to do like Smith-take
out your chalk and calculate whether it is
cheaper to raise calf three or four years
old than it is to buy one at that age.
But the chalk will not do it all YOU must
first ascertain how much your calf is worth
ut the usual aye for veal mot very large
item, at present y next. how much milk
will feed it till it is able to do without milk ::
then, if you know how much the milk is
worth, or, in other words, if you know how
much will make a pound of butter; the
chalk i'll right hands will do the rest up to
this point; then you have to calculate or
guess at the value of the grass and other
feed necessary to keep him till he atains
the required age. If on inquiry, you find
that you can raise your stock. cheaper than
it can be bought, and enough cheaper to
make profit, then you know where you
stand If our grazcrs would undertake to
raise their stock, they would have to dimn-
ish the number tatted yearly or increase
the number on the farm three or fourto one.
But think this rambling letter has been
drawn out too long already, and ought to be
closed but just want to tell you one thing
that know; | know how to make MARYLAND
land "hold grass" you know the opinion
of nearly all of our Pennsylvania citizens
that Maryland land will not hold grass, bu,
| have discovered that to be a mistake for
have field that has been moved four
times, the crop improving at every cutting,
and will bet a new hat that it will be better
next year, should the season be good, than
ever sefore. Now this is secret worth
knowing. Some one has said that the man
who could make two blades Of grass grow
where one formerly grew, was benofactor
OF the human race now can tell you how
to do this, and more, to continue it to an
indefinite period the whole secret is in
making the ground rich before you seed it
with grass, and then top dress it with good,
well rottcd manure about once in three
years. let any one try the experiment and
if his grass runs out let him call me a
knownothing. AGRlcoLA.