Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-09-07
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

SHEEP FARMING.-Sheep farming is
said to be making great progress in Ore
gon. There are no burrs in the wool, or
scab or foot rot in the sheep; the fleece
is so naturally clean and free from inn
purities that, unwashed, it only loses
five per cent. more than the washed
wool of other States. The pure Colts
| void sheep are coming into great repute,
yielding fleeces that average ten pounds,
and not unfrequently run up to twelve
or fourteen pounds. The sheep in the
Willamette and the upper Columbia
Valleys are unsurpassed in weight, and
as to excellence for meat, as well as in
the weight, length, strength, and fineness
Fof staple of their wool.
A New CATTLE DIsEAsE.-C. ii. Stod-
dard, Rock Island, ILL.,, writes us that
during recent trip through Mercer
county in that State, he learned of dis
heard before, and by which a man lost
thirteen animals out of herd of twenty.
He says: f'The cattle were taken with
pain or itching, about the tail or hind
parts that caused them to rub very v1o-
| lently against anything---even thorny
hedges, and in one case the COW was so
crazy that she caught hold of her own
tail and pulled it off. They pass bloody
substance so strong that it would take
them. They usually die i'm twelve to
| twenty-four hours after taking it.. L
think none recovered that were at
tackled. ."-Rurdl Mem. Yorker. u s-s-
How TO TREAT OLD RosE BUSHES.
Never give up decayiifg rose bush till
You have tried watering it twosoF three
| times a. week with SCOT tea. Make the
| tea from SCOT taken from the chimney or
stove inx whieh5wood is burned. yWhen
lceld, water the bush with it, When it is
used up, pour boiling hot water on the
SCOT a second time. Rose bushes treated
in this way will quickly send out thrifty
shoots, the leaves will become large and
thick, and the blossoms will greatly i'm
prove in size and be more richly tinted
than before. In order to keep the plants
clear of insects, syringe them with Quasia
| tea. The Quasia can be obtained at an
apothecary's. A writer says he has fully
4 tested these directions with satisfactory
results. sa' as1.r
| FARMERS HELPING EACH OTHER SAVE.
There is a Farmers Club at Evanston,
ILL.,, which has an agent who contracts
directly with manufacturers for such
implem ,nts and tools as the members
need, and who also advises and assists in
marketing grain and produce. One OF
the members of this Club asserts that
L
| gle season than it will cost to belong to
i the Club lifetime. He adds: "It seems
/ strange that farmers all over the country
| will not take the matter in hand and
deal mutually together, and work for
each others benefit. Much can be saved
every year in buying implements in this
way, or in selling grain, or other pro-
| duce. Besides, there can be much valu-
able Information gained by these friendly
i foil OH for nd hnx
ought to farm. Farmers, it is greatly to
your interest to organize Clubs for your
mutual benefit. Try it and see for your
| SelveS.'
THE BIG HoGs.--For the curiosity
shop, and for show purposes, the big
hogs are a success, but for bacon they
are failure. Why is it that so much is
being said in favor of the six and eight
hundred pound breed we cannot under
stand. The people are not fools. All
know that hogs weighing three to three
and half hundred, net, are full up to
the measure, for either bacon or barrelled
pork. Where is the farmer who would
not prefer hogs in size even less than this
for bacon? and yet we read in the papers
daily, reports of great huge hogs COM
plimented for their monstrosity, as il
some advantage or improvement was
gained by their great size.
Now, there are dozen reasons why
large hogs are Objectionable, and but one
thing only can be said in their favor, and
that is, they make bigger show than
hogs of two or three hundred pounds
weight. The big hog charges the feeder
for every pound he weighs. The man
who raises him pays as much per pound
+ for the eight hundred in one body, as il
would cost to get the same amount in
three parts. And our experience in hog
feeding said that it cost more to get this
amount of meat from one hog than it die
from three and then the meat was much
, more valuable in three hogs than in one
huge over-grown monster, whose carcas:
would not cool when slaughtered, unless
the weather was freezing colu-and wher
, put down in salt it is most difficult to ge
the big hams and shoulders finished tt
the bone, so as to pack well in the ho
summer weather. Rural World.