The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-12-08
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

celIenU 1rulU SedSODS ub UueTe has Detn
the two past ones. 1t has been very un-
fortunate for rival systems of fruit grow
ing. Fruit has been produced equally
we'll under the best systems, under care
less management, and under no system
at all. Along fence-rows, in gardens,
and in orchards, everybody has had fruit. !
How nice it is to be SO favored of ma
turel We cannot expect it always to be
so. 1t may be worth while to inquire
why it has been SO, and try to initiate
the favorable circumstances which have
brought SO much fruit about.
1t is quite likely that much of this
good fortune was due to the comparative
ly mild winters of the past two years,
and in the absence of cold dry winds in
the spring of each year. Cold, dry
weather is very destructive to the health
of trees. Of course everything living
contains moisture. A dry stick has no
life. Whatever has moisture parts with
it in dry time, and there are few things
SO drying as u high wind under low
temperature. Thus the sap, under such
circumstances, is dri, out of a piece of
living wood much faster than the roots
can supply it in winter, and in such
cases the flower buds, being the largest
and best developed, are the first to suffer.
If, therefore, we would prevent this in
jury, we must plant the orchard where
cold, dry wintry winds have little effect
on it or if we have not the power of
selecting such sheltered situations, we
must shelter it by artificial means.
In the far West, where CONTINUED ex-
posure to prairie winds has brought un-
der notice more prominently the evils
of dry cold, which follow these gales, pro-
vision to shelter the orchard is now COM
monty held as part of the process of
planting. A belt of evergreens is now
general feature of fruit garden.
In our own climate, though winds are
still find protection belts great advan-
tage where there are no natural woods
already favoring us.
1t is worth reflection that these belts
of timber are not only profitable in the
shelter they afford the fruit trees, but
pay for themselves in an incredibly short
space of time by the timber they afford.
Only few days ago the writer of this
passed through piece of land, about
ten acres, which, fifteen years ago, was
waste, but now covered with pines about
twenty five feet high. This piece is in
the city limits of Philadelphia, and
could have been sold at that time for
5000 per acre. The trees are now most
of them over three feet in circumference,
though standing very thick, and if now
cut down for tirewood would bring over
ten per cent. per annum profit, over all
expenses; besides, the land could be
sold for largely increased price. Yet
the whole cost was under ten dollars for
the seed, which was simply sown on the
rough ground. Some might say that
fifteen years was long time to wait,
but there has never been q year since
these pines grew up that this increased
annual interest could not have been
readily obtained on the prospects OF the
wood alone.
OF course this consideration would
have no weight in those districts where
wood is abundant, or where shelter for
orchards naturally exists but there are
numbers who are not so situated, and
whom these remarks may aid.-Forney'S
Press.
TREATMENT OF Cows IN WINTER
This, from an essay by j. III. Case, of
Cold Spring, Wisconsin, is sensible ad-
vice: "As matter of economy and
comfort, the stable should be kept warm ;
should prefer temperature of about 90
degrees. Stock require less food in warm
than in cold stables. They should be
well ventilated and kept clean. The
manure should be removed each day to
pile or compost heap, some little dis
tance from the stable. We find the best
way of removing is to use Il wheel-bar-
row with a large wheel. The floor on
which the COWS stand should be of earth
rather than plank. A mixture of clay
and sand, covered with thin coat of
sawdust, or refuse straw, is very good.
The trough for the drippings should be
made of plank and tight, SO as to pre-
vent the filtering of the urine. In
stormy weather the cows should be kept
in the stalls, but in weather that is suit
able they should be let out three or four
hours a day for exercise. If possible,
we would arrange it so as to give water
twice day in the stable. If this can
not be done in very cold weather, we
would feed in the morning before turn
ing out, in order to lessen the quantity
of cold water they would drink ON COM
ing out of the warm stable. A free use
of the currycomb would add much to
the comfort and appearance OF the stock,
especially in the spring. Special care
will be necessary to keep clear of YER
min, or their tortures will lessen seri-
ously the receipts of the dairy"
ANIMAL INsTINcT.-The instinct of
animals is sometimes really surprising.
There was once in the possession of a
farmer in Cloumel, goose that by ac-
cident was left without mate or offspring,
male or female. Now it CHANGED that
the good wife had set a number of duck S
| eggs under hen, which in due time
were incubated, and of course the duck
lings took to water, at which the moth
erly old hen was in sad pucker-her
maternity urged her to follow the brood,
and her seltishness to remain on dry
land In the meantime up sailed the
goose with clack and clatter, which in
terpreted "Let me take care of them
She swan up and down with the young
sters, and when they were wearied OF
their aquatic excursions recommitted
them to the guardianship of the hen.
In the morning down came the ducks,
there was the goose, and the hen in
great fusti alton. On this occasion we
do not know if the goose invited the
hen for friendly sail, but it is fact
| tha4 hainor noar tho chnra thn non