Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-01-17
A9ritultural.
Timely Hints

We copy the following from the 4ulsi-
icoH Agric5iHuUist.
ANIMALS must receive constant and re-u.
lar attention. They cannot be neglected t.r
single day. Be careful to give them aiura-
ance Of fresh water, and avoid as much
as possible compelling them to drink
water that j. full Of melting snow ur ice
Provide some kind Of shelter TOR all animals.
HoRsEs that are doing nothing can be
wintered on good bright straw with four or
FIVE pounds OF corn per day. cheaper taau On
hay. II they are worked regularly Trey
require higher feeding say ten pounds gram
ten pounds hay, and ten pounds sCaN Per
day On a grain-iarm, where straw or csrn-
stalks are abundant and hay Is scarce, uuc-
third hay, and one-thrd straw and stalk.
cut up together, with enc third etc Wci1. ~
corn-meal mixed with it,, ma ke- q. csfcr
and more nutritious food rb1u more hay and
less grain.
Cows do far better on stalks than 0n straw.
They do not like the latter Ou- stalks
were so well cured last fall that, after rte
COWS were taken from pasture and Eel ID the
stables on stalks. they increased lu milk al1
the quality of butter improved. Cows thar
are giving milk will pay for little z. %
meal. say two quarts per day, IN addition -J
the stalks or hay Keep she stables c.tn
and well ventilated. In stormy wea-le. II.
Is best to keep them 10 stable all the t..ae,
except TO turn them out twice a DAY q w, .er.
Many farmers only water once, and this vjll
do wien they run in the yard loF two er
three hours. but otherwise A. IS i'r 1atte- lJ
water twice. Give them time enough O.
drink. Cows are not Ike horses it, this re-
specl A horse will drink nc once all hc
wants, but herd Of con need q longer nag
and more or less hum0ring.
SHEEP will cat straw better thau any u..er
stock With good bright straw and halt
"A pound Of corn per day, MerlDO sheep can
be kept IN good condition, and with pound
Of corn per day the right kind IF sheep
will get fat. Towards spring the sheep
should have a little hay-say one lydd5riug
day. Merin0 ewes in lamb to a lJng-wo0
South Down ram, should have good keeping
IN order that they may have nourlshmeu-
enough for the large lamb. Nothing j. bet
ter for them than bran and clover hav. Corn
is cheaper food, and half pound per dry
day will not hurt them, unless the ewes are
unusually fat Where roots are scarce It Is
better to reserve them until March and April
than to feed them now Bran j. the best
substitute for them. Cattle, horses and pigs
should be fed in the morning, the first thing
before breakfast, but sheep need nJt be Ted
until after breakfast. 1t Is better 10 let them
lie undisturbed until after breakfast
LETTERING the sheep yards is point 81
great Importance, and requires Judgment
and experience. They Will lie down and rest
as soon as they have little fresh straw
spread IN the yard or under the shed, and
this should be attended TO every day but
especially remember not to get so much
straw and manure under the sheep s &
cause fermentation. Avoid the mud anl
dirty straw on the one hand, and fermcHt-
ing manure on tn other. Both are iulurt
GUS little straw Is often the rule b
careful to throw the straw pulled out from
the racks about the yards every day and mo-
let it accumulate. little attention 70 thE
matter will be amply rewarded.
PIGs.-Young growing pizs should have
abundance Of nutritious food. and warm. dry
comfortable quarters. Feed three times
day and as much as and no more than the
will eat up clean. Our own plan is TO cool
the food, half cOTn-meal and half bran. an,
feed warm. Our breeding sows. at this sea
son, get nothing but bran, soaked in water
and we do not give them quite all they Wi
eat fed twice day. " e soak tie bran Il
water about twelve hours, and get SOM
milky water out of the bran to mix with tn
cooked food for the little pigs The bra
is still nutritious enough for old soWs tina
have nothing to do but live, while the youn
growing pigs need much easily digest d
nutritious food as they can assim:late Pig
well Uttered make great quantity Of manure
We clean out the wet ana soIled part Of III
bed every day and put in a little fresh straw
The butts of corn stalks, LETT by sheep an
cattle, we put into the pig pens at the bOttOI
of the pen and cover with straw. The
serve to keep he pep dry and save muc
straw. When pigs are shut up it is exceed
ipgly important to have the pens well vent
lated.
MANURE-Either draw manure out IN I'll
field as it is made and spread it, or make
into large heap In he yard. On IL
whole, prefer the latter course II pvor
erly attended TO, and the heap is turned
February, the manure will be in good cond
ton for spring crops. II Is not uncOmmo
to see heap of smoking q Jrse manure 0
the stable door, another heap near the COW
house, while that from the pigs lies FRI ze
by itself, half mud and half corn c, bs -
whole should be wheeled or drawn 70 y ca
TO general heap and mixed together. The
will Impro each other. The warm bOu
manure will induce fermentation in the co
cow-dung and the still colder and more SIN
gish pig-manure. Let the whole be careful
shaken to pieces and thrown into loo
heap. During our cold winters there is !
danger Of the heap fermentIDg too ralidl
in fact where there is an abundance OF stra
il would be desirable to sprinkle e lit
dried blood, bone-dust, hen manure ct,
over the heap occasionally, to induce
more active fermentation. A heap so mana
ed, and turned once or twice, will be
admirable condition for root crops in I
spring. Any that is too raw for this on
pose can be used for corn. or kept over
wheat, or top dressing grass, next fall
TENT CATERPILLAR.-The eggs Of the TIE
caterpillar are easily seen at this season
the year, and are much easier DESTROYED n,
than when they have patched. A pair
loDg-handled pruning shears are the best
large trees. as the higher branches can
easily reached with them, cut off, and Il
burned. If there are wild cherry trees
the vicinity of the orchards, they ought
be cut down, as they only serve to barbor
caterpllars.