The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-08 00:00:00

THE CHRISTMAS ROSE.

This is • most useful hard_y plant for bringing on to
bloom at Christmas time. The common variety is the
best for the purpose, but there are undoubtedly vary.
ing strains of it. am some flower much more fully than
others, and it has been notice that the blossoms are
In some cases much purer in colour than in others.
But little ceremony is required in potting for forcing
purposes The roots may be lifted and thrust into
pots with but little soil adhering to them, and they
are sure to throw up their flowers. If wanted quickly
and plentifully the plants should be stood on a shelf
near the glans in a stove; but this takes a great deal
out of the plants. so that when planted out in the
spring in nob soil they should be allowed to have some
manure-water during the summer, and also be
permitted to rest for one winter. If the plants be
placed In a cold frame, and not subject to the prweure
of • brisk heat, the flowers come more slowly, but the
process is not so exhausting, and the plants can be
employed in this way successionally. The P
whiteness of the flowers of the Christmas Roee,e6M
the long time it will last in • cut state, makes it a
great and deserved favourite.
FATTING PIG&
Wood ashes with the bits of charcoal in them, sad
coal ashes too, are imoellent for the fattening=
PILE cannot staff themselves, week attar Ina ,
tioir stomachs getting out of °odor. sad 1k 11k of

charcoal check acidity and moiste them sad help to
Improve their appetites. We think our pigs cannot
get &tong without the little pits of 'shim in one ,orner
of the pen to root over awl pick the charcml out of.
It is their dispensary.—(New York Rural.)

Some time since "item" haring shown itself in the
stables of the George Hotel, Winchester, Mr. W. E.
Palmer, the proprietor, caused horses, harness, and
stable fittings. ((f the value of £7OO, to be destroyed.
in order to prevent the spread of the disease. In token
of appre.tiation of thia act of self.sacrlfiee a cum of
k.KOO was rained by the friends of Mr. Palmer, and
was on Thursday presented to him lay Mr. T. SloPer,
in a mile, accompanied by an illuminated whim',
executed by Mr. Clarke, of Southampton. Mr.
Palmer acknowledged the gift in a brief and feeling
speech.
THE COLORADO BEETLE.

A correspondent writing from the State of Wis-
consin, U.S.A., and who has resided for several years
both in England and America, is of opinion that the
danger of the Colorado Beetle becoming established in
England is not nearly so great as represented. He
states that the district where he resides that it is only
during exceptionally bright and hot summers that the
" bug" does serious damage; in ordinary seasons they
"take no notice of it." The English climate he con-
siders to be to cool and moist for the beetle to increase
to anything like the extent it has done during the long
tropical summers of America. lie describes the
"bug" as a tropical insect that will not " suceed" in a
temperate clime. We hope he may be right, but at
the same time shall consider it prudent to adopt every
possible means to prevent the experiment being tried
In our gardens.
MODE OF FEEDING STOCK.

This should be regulated by the age and previous
condition of the animaL Half-starved store stock
require very moderate and not rich feeding, for all their
vessels have been adapted to poor thin circulating
juices, and they are, consequently, of small capacity,
unsuited for rich thick blood. Norfolk farmers, who
go in for lots of cake and corn, will not wait for lain
animals, but buy them well fleshed and in good condi-
tion, so that good feeding is no novelty to them. A
friend of mine always bought in the autumn high-prioed
lambs, almost or quite fit for the butcher, and then he
could at once feed them on the best of food, and tkus
fatten his land and his growing animals at one andfilhe
same time._ !Ann stock make starved and lean crops.
_ . .

The condition of animal void-a7ces—i's ;—p;eity certiin
evidence of the moults that are being produced.
Turnips are either food or physic according to the
quantity eaten. Excessive purgation is incodsletent
with fat production. Instead of the usual three
bushels, from 30 to 50 lbs. to MI I allow, in addition to
other and drier food. Succulent turnips alone cause
immense lames in our breeding Rocks.
An admixture of cut hay, cut straw. pulped roots.
' bean or oatmeal, cake, malt mimic and bran with •
little crushed linseed or linseed soup is semi,' mixture.
II generally add some condimental food which contains
fenugreek. Hay of fine quality is in knelt condimen.
tal, owing to some of its fine grasses. My cattle have
always access to water and rock salt in lumps in their
manger; rock salt is also in our horse mangers. In
covered and enclosed yards there are no draughts.
Nothing will give cattle pleuro sooner than • draught
of cold air in • warm place. The temperature should
be as uniform as possible.
Why are ladies lap dogs almost always fat' Because
they are well fed and kindly treated, warm and coin.
foetal:de, and not unfrequently washed and combed.
I know that where cows are groomed daily they
thrive. We all know that if they can get aroma to a
haulm wall, or a clipped wheat stack, they will
groom themselves most heartily and vigorously. I
once clipped some cattle on boards and then brushed
them, and they fattened quickly. We are too sparing
of a little expense in these matters. Many of those
grand svecimens of obesity at our great cattle shows are
washed and groomed, and carefully and delicately
fed. In fact, we see their attendants thus feeding
them at the show. An ill-tempered, brutal stockman
should have immediate notice to quit. A bulb-k's
tongue is a sort of brush or currycomb, which it
frequently uses. but down the back and other parts he
cannot reach, and therefore he feels truly grateful for
a 'womb or scratch on these parts. Sometimes they
oblige each other in this matter.—J. J. Muni (al tAt
London Partners' Club).