Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-08-24
Farm, Garden and Household.

CRACKED HEELS, OR GREASE. This
complaint, when neglected, becomes very
troublesome. Filth is its chief cause,
and without the cause being removed
it is impossible to cure it. In some
cases the leg is swollen to the knee, and
discharges offensive matter from sup
purating cracks, which are open at every
movement of the horses foot. No care
full horse-man, however, would permit
his beast to become afflicted to this de-
gree, for earl y treatment brings about q
speedy and easy cure. Carbolic soap
and warm water, applied three times q
day, and little glycerlne to protect the
clcanscd surface from exposure to the
air, will effect q cure. This unsightly
disease should not be permitted to exist
moment longer than necessary to
eradicate it. We can not imagine man
of proper self-respect allowing himself
to be seen in public driving horse suf-
fering from it.-HearM and Home.
HINTS TO HoRsEMEN AND FARMERS. -
Wash the beasts and all places on your
horses and working cattle with q strong
decoction of white-oak bark boiled down
very strong Wash few times where
the harness comes, and it will tougher
the skin and prevent gals. If tho har-
ness wears the hair from your horse,
have the harness properly and thorough
ly soaped and cleaned, and then oiled
with neats-foot oil blackened with two
tablcspoonfuls of ivory-blacll to quart
of oil. After the oil has been on few
hours, take sponge, soap, and water.
and wash off the surplus oil, and your
harness will be clean to handle. Use
sweet oil on patent-leather pads and
binders. Give your horses warm
bran-mash, mixed with little salt,
every Saturday night, except when green
grass is fed. Clean out the gravel stones
and dirt from the shoes every night with
stable hook, made of inch round
iron, six inches long. The hook needs
to be bent only half round. Stuff the
horses forefoet with COW manure, clay,
and salt twice week in dry weather.
Have him shod monthly by the best of
farricrs, although you drive ten miles to
find him. No horse can be driven freely
unless his feet are in tirst-class order.
The feet, like the foundation of build
ing, are the first thing to look at in
purchasing, and if the horses feet are
unsound, don't buy at any price. Your
time is too valuable to lose with ten
dcr-footcd animal. If the horse is taken
sick you will prescribe the same course
of treatment and medicines you would
do for yourselves in similar cases, and
then send for your family physician who
will do better than the quacks styled
horse-doctors or veterinary-surgeons
Discharge any man who has no judg-
ment and fidelity in the care and use of
q horse..' Curiaqe topS.-Use oil extract
ed from the entrails and cooking of
fowls, and add little ivory black. 1t is
better than neat's-foot or other oil, aud
an occasional application will keep your
carriage-cover in perfect order. Soap
off the oil after it has been applied
few hours. For the axles, Use castcr-oil
in warm weather, and sperm-oil in cold
weather, and wipe surplus from axles and
nuts clean before and after using"
HINTS FOR THE SEASON. Weeds in
Pastures and Fence Corners should not
on any account be suffered to 90 to seed.
Let them be moved at once.
Subtle Laod especially after barley,
is often full of weeds ; q mowingmachin
may be used with advantage to cut them.
Also, in pastures where thistles and other
weeds are abundant, moving machine
affords an easy method of checking or
destroying them.
Mich CoCS are apt to fall off rapidly in
their milk this month, and that dairy
man Is fortunate, or, more correctly
speaking, prudent and enterprising, who
has good supply of corn fodder. There
is little profit in keeping COWS, unless
they have all they can eat and digest. The
trouble with corn is that it is too bulky.
Tho cows are capable of digesting more
Of it than their stomachs will hold. They
need, if the grass is of poor quality,
little corn-meal in addition to the fodder.
Horses suffer greatly from flies this
month"; and should be provided with nets
OF light cotton covers. Washing them
with water containing little crude car
bolic acid is temporary relief.
Sheep frequently suffer greatly this
month for want of water If there is no
water in their pasture lot, let them be
put at night in a lot where there is water,
or else be driven to water night and
morning allow them plenty of time to
drink. If the weather is wet and the
grass long and succulent, it is good
plan to NOW portion of it occasionally.
The sheep will eat and thrive on the
dried grass. Lambs, ifnot done already,
should now be weaned. Let them have
the best of pasture after weaving, and
place the ewes on poor pasture until dry.
Examine the bags for few days, and, if
necessary draw out the milk. When
dry, and if early lambs are desired next
spring, the ewes, should begin to have
abundance of good food. Strong,
healthy lambs can only be expected from
ewes in good condition.
Smine.-Feed the pigs at night, but
not in the morning. They are then
hungry enough to search for their food,
to run on the stubbles, to pick up wormy
fruit in the orchard, and to eat weeds
and grass. At night they have feed of
soaked corn, and go to sleep contentedly
with full stomach. They should have
constant access to fresh water, and IN
external application will be gratefully
received.
Reneacing Old Pastures, by narrowing
them and sowing timothy, can be done
any time this month, or the beginning of
the next.
Manure may be drawn out and spread
on the pastures and meadows, or on
grass or clover land intended for corn
next spring. Many farmers are afraid
that the hot sun will evaporate all the
ammonia. 1t would do so if there was
any free ammonia in the manure, but
such is rarely the case. Spread the