Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-08-31
F ARM AND GARDEN.

mixed teeofor sheep, scompoSed OF the dlner
T. ert products which are found most available
and economical, care should be taken to keep
the proportion of nutriinent TO bulk such
tir1t a proper supply car De taken into che
stomach without Expressing that organ. 1t
has been said that 81 PEI cent of the live
weight per diem in hay, about meets the de-
niSnds OF the animal economically and il
probably about fills the stomach to comfort
able state of fullness- It, then, g sheep
weighing 90 pounds received half its nutri-
ment in hay, and half il the better kind of
straw (which contains halls as much uutriment
as hay,1 il would be required to consume Il
pounds of straw and 3 pounds of straw daily
----an aggregate of II pounds, which, think,
could not be daily taken into and digested IN
the stomach of a sheep ot that size There
fore, to put a sheep on half straw feed, it is
necessary that some other portion OF their
feed be more concentrated, or more nutri-
tious in proportion to bulk than hay-as, for
example, grain OF roots -or else they will
not get their proper supply OF Rutriment
Nv own course when feeding straw has
been 10 give feed of hay at morning and
evening, INTENDED TO average about pound
per head each tme,) all the straw the sheep
viii eat and about a pound of cut tuFhips
each 1T noon--the latter being a little IN
creased if the hay and straw are not OF
prime quality. But l do not often give over
TWO bushels, or 12o pounds OF turnips TO "a
hundred. Hay here does not average over
IS To ton; aud though | regard feeding
turnips as economical, my major object in
growing and feeding them is 20 promote the
health and thrift of my breeding ewes, and
the growth of my lambs
Some excellent sheep farmers, on grain and
clover seed farms lying few miles north of
me-wheTe contiguous city market raises
the average price of hay about 80 per cent
higher than here-give their store sheep no
hay until March, feeding them III lieu of it,
bright good straw in abundance clover chaiI
and daily feed of Indian corn ranging from
one and half to two gills per head, accord
ing to their size and other circumstances.
The straw and grain chaf are generally fed
fresh from the threshing floor half a dozen
times day, and the sheep are not required
TO eat it at all close. After the first of March
a full supply of bright clover hay is given
and the grain feed taken off. The sheep, as
have had repeated occasion to observe, win
ter well, and the breeding ewes raise good
lambs. q. III. a. Tar- --
| do not believe that breeding ewes or
lambs could properly be fed enough straw and
turnips-particularly If the straw was dry and
ripe-to obtain the equivalent of full sup
ply of hay. If turnips are fed in excess,
they render the evacuation too thin and ac-
tive for severely cold weather. But pound
a head given to straw fed sLeep, with lit
tie dimunItIOn of the corn otherwise requisite,
would, / think, constitute better and cheap
er feed than entire corn and straw.
The comparative nutriment of the different
kinds of straw has been given in the table of
Nutritive Equivalents. Dat and barley straw
cut quite green and cured bright are highly
relished by sheep. had rather have them
particularly If thraShed with fail so that
few small green kernels remain in the ends
of the heais,l than hay in the situation in
which it is frequently cured for use. Wheat
straw ranks next among the common varie-
ties of straw. Sheep do not relish it, and
Will not eat it very we'll if they get any hay.
But when confined TO il and grain they learn
to eat it and thrive on it.. They must not,
however be compelled to eat it as close as
oat and barley straw. Ripe rye straw, unless
cut fine and mixed with meal, is dry, harsh,
unprohtaDle and wholly unacceptable food
for sheep. All straws are eaten much better
by them when fresh thrashed and fed fire.
quently in small quantities.
Cornstalks are contained in neither of the
preceding tables of nutrition. When cut
and cured bright, before frost, no feed is bet
ter relished by sheep than the leaves and
some finer portions of the stalks and they
thrive admirably on them.
Pea-haulm, if cut and cured green, is high
ly valuable and is highly relished by sheep;
but when not harvested until dried up and
dead, according to the more common mode,
it is utterly worthless for them.
In seasons CT great scarcity of hay and
straw, sheep have been repeatedly and sue
cessfully wintered by feeding them almost
exclusively on grain. Such hay famine "
occurred in the best sheep region of Yer
mont, in the winter of 1S60-61, occasioned
by severe drouth the preceding summer
Flock masters who were determined TO keep
well at all hazards fed their sheep a pound
Tor quartz Of oats per head, with such quan-
titles of hay, straw, ETC., as they could obtain.
la better Indian corn growing regions pound
of corn a day is given under like circumstan-
ces.-Raadalfs Practical Shepherd.
On THINNING OUT GRAPEs.-There are but
very few varieties of grapes, cultivated III
the open air, that require the thinning out Of
the fruit to enable them to ripen. Most of
the native varieties have punches sufficiently
open and loose 10 allow the air to circulate
freely among tie berries and aid them IN rip
ening. If portion of the berries are remoy
ed, those remaining will certainly grow much
larger than if ali were allowed to mature
There are some varieties that have naturally
very compact punches, SO much so that all OF
the berries will seldom ripen unless portion
of them are removed. With such as these it
is best to cut out d part OF the berries as soon
as they are fully formed. This thinning
should be done with paIr of sharp pointed
scissors, cutting out from one-fourth TO one
half the berries, taking them from different
parts OF the bunch, that when it is fully
grown il will be uniform, and the berries will
not be any more crowded upon one part than
another
1t would scarcely be practicable to thin out
the berries Of all the punches in vineyard,
and no one would think Of cultivating exten
sively variety that required it still, there
are varieties which are highly recommended
by some persons, that will seldom mature
more than one half the fruit that sets. The
punches OF these should be thinned
These varieties often possess valuable quail
titles. and if persons have time TO give them
the requisite care, really excellent fruit may
be obtaiReLlA There Is scarcely more beau
tiful grape than the Herbemont, when 1t Is
grown in a warm, protected situation and its
fruit properly thinned, and there is none
more worthless if an opposite course Is pur-
sued
The compactness of the bunch is often
variable with the same variety in different
localities in one the berries may be very
much crowded, and in another comparatively
loose In the former case the berries will
Ia Init h4ar