Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-04-22
agricultural.
TIE pARoNIp

THE PARSNlP
The parsnip is one Of the most valuable
roots that can be grown. In the Island Of
Jersey 1t is used almost exclusively tor fatten-
ing both cattle and swine. According 10 be-
Contour, the weight Of good crop varies
from thirteen to twenty-seven tons per acre
When parsnips are given to mich cows, with
a little hay, in the winter season, the butter
is found to be Of as fine a color and excellent
flavor as when the animals are feeding in the
best pastures. As psrsnips contain six per
cent. more mucilage than carrots, the differ
ence may be sufficient to account for the fact
that in fattenng Of cattle the parsnip is found
superior to the carrot, performing the business
with more expedition and afording meat Of
exquisite and highly juicy favor the animals
eat it with much greediness. The result Of
experiment has shown that not only in neat
cattle, but in the fattenng Of hogs and poult-
ry, the animals become fat much sooner, and
are more healthy than when fed with any
other root or vegetable. and that, besides, the
meat is more sweet and delicious. The pars-
nip leaves being more bulky than those of car
rots, m y be mown off before taking the roots,
and given to oxen, cows, or horses, by which
they will be grecdily eaten. Another thing
]
the frost does not injure them. They remain
in the ground until spring, when they make
splendid feed, at a time every other kind Of
root is scarce, or they may be slightly buried
where they can be obtained almost any time
during the win.er. On account of their rapid
growth when young, the wedding is less trou-
BILE than wedding carrots.-Michgan Farmer
A friend OF ours, says the Genesee Farmer.
who has great success 10 raising calves on
skinned milk and corn pudding" adopts the
| following method He never let's the calf
suck the COW, but teaches it to drink out of a
pail. When the calf is three or four days
old, he takes teacupful Of corn meal and
pours pint of hot water over it, stirs it up
and let's it scald for "a few minutes lie then
pours on three or four quarts Of skinned
milk, or as much the calf can drink In
the meantime he has piece of iron heating,
which, when red hot, he stirs IN the milk
This scorchng the milk" he considers Of
the greatest importance when calves are fed
on skinned milk-it prevents it from scour-
ing the calves. As the calf grows older he
increases the quantity of oorn-meal. When
three weeks old he gives pint at least, at
each meal. The milk at first is only twelve
hours from milking, but as the calf grows
older, the milk may be allowed to stand "a
OF SO hours before skimming.
Docs VERSUS SHEEP friend furnishes
the following statistics, which will prove in
teresting to those engaged in sheep husband
ry:
Men laugh at the idea Of ex erminating
dogs, and at all dog laws, but if they would
stop to calculate the immense injury they
have inflicted upon the country, they would
be surprised In 1862 more than 10000
sheep were killed and wounded in the single
State of Ohio, by dogs, worth at that time
$l36,000, besides the 10000 pounds of
wool they would have yielded if alive. In the
five years prior to 1862 they killed and woun-
ded in that State alone more than 100000
sheep, worth one half a million of dollars
At the same rate the country loses annually
more than a million of dollars by sheep kill
ed and wounded by dogs.
The loss has been great from this cause
that sheep husbandry has fallen off in some
parts of the country. During ten years past
1t has fallen off about one fifth lie the State of
Ohio, or more than 800 900 in New England, |
which is about one fifth of the whole number /
Any cause which disc jurages sheep husband
ny is calamity. We are importing wool |
very largely. In 1862 the importation was
so millions ofpouuds in wool and 80 millions
in cloths. Our whole production was but |
little more than 60 millions, and our con- !
sumption about lao millions Of pounds of wool |
in manufacturing military goods, and the de- |
mand is not decreasing, and probably will not |
be for years to come. More damage has been
done the past year by dogs than the whole
race on earth are worth They have been OF
very little benefit, if any, and are kept by men
generally who cannot afford it. Let them be
taxed, till all worthless ours are exterminated.
The sanitary commission and it's agents
cry loudly for potatoes, onions and pickles .