Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-10
agricultural.


TIE BEST FooD FOR HENS IN WINTER.
The value of warm food, and variety of
kinds for hens, has often been reiterated, but
the following record of experience is fur
nished the American Agriculturist by cor
respondent: 4g
have twenty.eight chickens, large and
2 small several of them fall chickens. | OBJ
tanned but few eggs for the fore part OF
the winter-not more than one or two day.
The feed was corn and oats. In January |
tried the experiment of hot feed once day,
in the morning. As soon as the fire was
started in the cook stove put quart or so
of small potatoes in an old dripping nan.
and set them in the oven. After breakfast
took quart or more of wheat and buck
wheat. bran, mixed, put it in the swill pail,
and mixed into thin mush with boiling water
then added about one quart of live Goals
from the stove, and put in the potatoes hot
from the oven, adding all the egg-shell on
hand, and sometimes little salt, and some
times little sulphur.
These mashed together are fed dimmediately
in q trough prepared for the purpose made
about ten feet long, of two boards six in
ches wide. nailed together, and two short
pieces nailed on the ends, with7a narrow
strip nailed lengthwise on the top, and two
bearers under. The object Of this was to
keep the hens out of the trough, and leave
room to eat each side of the narrow strip.
AT noon fed six ears of corn cut up in
pieces an inch long; and in the evening oats
and wheat screenings about a quart. Now
for the result. In about week the number
ofeggs increased six fold, and in about two
weeks, and since, they have ranged from
twelve to twenty eggs per day. The coolest
weather made no difference When it was
cold and stormy, kept them in the hem
house all day, and generally until ten or
twelve o'clock. Such singing over the corn
at noon never heard from hens before--a
concert of music that would have done any
lover of eggs good to hear.
THE PICKING AND BARREL1SG OF Ap-
PLEs.-A little more attention says Moores
Rural NeW Yorker, to the picking and
barreling of apples, we think, would be
of great advantage both to the grow
ers and purchasers of this fruit. A few
years ago nearly all the apples were shaken
from the trees. The consequence was more
than one-haf were bruised and rotted. OF
late this has been corrected, and growers for
market pick their apples by hand. Another
difficulty is the packing in barrels. Apples,
If put into barrels in the ordinary way and
the bead gently pressed on, move in shipping
and rolling about, aud become injured. Az
most every specimen will be found bruised.
To prevent this, screws have been used for
pressing on the heads of barrels. This bruises
and destroys about peck on the top, but
Keeps those below in place, so that they come
out sound, unless kept too long in barrels,
until those on top become rotten and the de-
cay spreads and Injuries them below. This
is somewhat of an Improvement, but is a
very defective plan after ALL We need some
better method. If some elastic material
were placed at the bottom and top of the
barrel, and perhaps layer in the center, we
nTnlr afa.l,k h.
without injury to single specimen.
METHOD OF TRAINING CoLITrss TO WALK AND
DRIVE. "A correspondent of the Stock
Journal says; "Phe gait at which colts are
driven in taking their first lessons should be
moderate, "A good walk is of great import
ance, and for the sake of acquiring this, the
horse with which they are driven should be
q fast walker. 1t is best to teach one thing
at a time, and the colt should be taught to
walk well before he is pushed in his trot-
otherwise, in his hurry, his gait viii become
awkward and confused. Indeed, believe
the principle will hold good in all cases, that
the horse should not be hurried in his gait,
whatever it may be- faster than he has learned
to perform it well; its practice invariably
produces shuffiing, scrambling movement,
inimical to speed and beauty of action. Be-
fore the colt has been driven many times he
should be shod, particularly the fore-feet,
because if they get tender or sore, he will be
inclined 10 paddle, habit difficult to be cor
reeted, and should therefore be well guarded
against
teracolt is we'll broke to drive in double
harness, he may be geared singly to a light
carriage, Of what is better, a sulky, using the
same care as when first commencing to drive
him double. Riding on horse-b back, although
very pleasant and healthful exercise, is so
much out Of fashion, that it is scarcely neces-
q EQrNT In. caW anNT hi Il a
general rule, colts are ridden too young, and
if / was going to break a colt to ride, should
not commence until he was FIVE or six years
old. The practice of fast driving down hill,
and carrying heavy loads upon their backs
while young, Injuries more horses in their
shoulders, knees and feet, than any other
causes with which / am acquainted, and can
not be too strongly condemned"
FATTENIEe CATTLE UPON HAY.-speaking
upon this subject Committee of the Massa-
chusetts Board of Agriculture remark;
Fattening cattle in winter upon hay alone
is resort Of many farmers, and where hay
is plenty and distant from market, the prac-
tiee is not inconsistent with economy. If
well attended, good animals consuming four
per cent, of their live weight Of good hay
daily, viii gain daily two pounds of flesh.
Suppose the flesh gained to be worth sixteen
cents, il win be equal to So per tun for the
hay. The better practice, however, is to
give only three per cent. Of the live weight
q ths animal in hay daily, and an equiya-
lent for the other one per cent. in Indian
meal OF roots. The gain would be greater
for the same cost Of food.
Another remark worth quoting is the fol-
lowing ;-.rhe best age for feeding cattle
for beef Is from four TO eight years. Young
growing cattle may be fattened, but it will
require more food in proportion, and longer
timen ilt.l
THk RHMsDY ron scURE on. ASeE OK cA7-
TLR.-The remedy Is given in the Ifish Farm
ey's Gazette Curry and brush the parts
affected well, to remove the scurf, then wash
well with warm water and soap, and when
dry rub with mixture Of hogs lard, sulphur,
and spirits Of tar. Wash clean with warm
water and soap, and rub with ointment every
second or third day till Weh."