The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-11
The Farm,
HINTS ABOUT WORK.

realize what health is worth until they lose
it. 1t is easier to prevent disease than to
cure it. The character Of our farming is
undergoing great changes. We are using
more machinery, keeping better stock,
raising choicer varieties of fruit, grains,
potatoes, roots, and grasses; are buying
more OF making better manure. Now, all
this requires brains. We are aware that
there is a great deal of nonsense written
on this sugject. But it is undoubtedly
fact that a man cannot long use his brain
as an intelligent enterprising American
farmer is now compelled to do, and work
and worry at the same time, without abun-
dance of nutritious food. If he undertakes
to do it on fat pork, potatoes, bread,
and cake, his health will certainly give
way. The American farmer of to-day
needs and must have more fresh meat
Better patronize the butcher than the doc
tor; better sell fewer eggs and buy less
medicine. We have heard farmer say
Good that is good enough for my men is
good enough for me- He may have been
right But the farmer who thinks and
works too, needs better food and cooking
than he who merely works with his hands.
Don't take doom the .Stoces.-Keep fire
in the living room night and morning. Ii
you have good old-fashioned hearth, so
much the better. Keep good fire on 1t.
Nothing is more pleasant or healthy. But
do not think because you have fire you
must shut the doors. In most localities,
until the land is better drained, people will
suffer more or less from malaria. Hard
work before breakfast should be avoided as
much as possible.
Let tile Children Sleep.-Our bright, in
telligent, active American boys and girls
need good deal of sleep. Make them go
to bed early, and then if they can sleep
until breakfast time let them.
Do not Work the Boys too Hard.-Ever
since boys were, men have been inclined to
abuse them. And the better the boy and
the worse the man, the more likely is the
boy to be "put upon" The poorest tools
are given to him and the most disagreeable
work Did you eyer know an average
man who selected the hardest COWS to milk
and gave the boy the easiest? Did you
ever know man who would go for water
and let the boy sit down and rest in the
field while he was gone?
iue-Stock.-The animals on the farm
need extra care and attention this month,
and yet owing to the pressure of other
work, they are very apt to be neglected.
Recollect that farmers success depends
very much on the Judgment with which he
manages his livestock. Almost any farmer
can raise corn and potatoes, but one farmer
in ten has the qualities necessary to man.
age horses, cows, sheep and pigs to the
best advantage. 1t requires good Judg-
ment, kind disposition, promptness,
systematic regularity, a keen eye to detect
the first symptoms Of lameness, indiges-
ton, want of appetite, sluggishness, want
of yigor, etc. When one animal is taken
sick, it should be taken for granted that.
as a general rule, there is some defect or
neglect in the food or management, not
only of this one, but of all the others. At
any rate, the matter should be investigated.
Indigestion.-In nine cases out Of ten,
especially with horses, sickness in animals
is caused by indigestion. Want of groom
ing, dirty, ill-ventilated stables, starving
one week and overlooking the next, not
feeding at the regular time when on the
road and then giving too much grain when
the horses are exhausted by fasting and
labor, giving too much food at noon and
too little time to eat it in, feeding imml-
ture grain and musty hay-these are among
the causes of Indigestion.
Sheep.-Do not turn out to grass toe
soon; and as long as the grass is succulent
give little hay.
Mich Cops.-At this season grass is often
too succulent. There is not nutriment
in it in proportion to bulk. And it will
generally pay to give the cows in the
yard some hay to eat during the night, and
a little "cut feed say one peck Of hay
and two quarts of fine middlings-the first
thing in the morning. A good cow at this
season gives generous flow of milk, and
it is unwise not to supply her all the food
she can digest.
Horses.-When hosses have been fed
grain all winter and have not worked reg
ularly, it not I'LL frequently happens that
they have little appetite as warm wealth
or approaches, and when put to hard work
on the farm lose flesh rapidly. They need
change of food. If it is possible, give
them a few carrots, or, in the absence OF
these, bran-mash, sufficient to relax the
bowels. If oats have been fed in the win.
ter give little corn in the ear by way OF
change, varied with "cut feed," consist,
ing of chaffed hay and corn-meal or fine
bran, or better still, oatmeal. AS rule,
nothing is so good as oats-and this year
oats are nearly as cheap as corn. Barley
is also cheap, and by way of change there
is nothing better for farm horses than
boiled barley. Boil it until it bursts open,
and add little salt and mix it with chaffed
hay. There is nothing that will fatten a
horse so soon as boiled barley.
TAree-horse Teams should be used where
ever possible. There is economy in it.
One man can drive three horses as well as
two. The "dead weight Of the implement
is the same in either case, and as it not
unfrequently happens that the power Of
one horse is expended in drawing the empty
machine, wagon Or implement, three horses
can do as much again real work as two. II
is great mistake to do heavy blowing OF
narrowing with two horses, and be com,
PEELED to let them rest frequently. Put on
ehree and keep them steadily at work. In
narrowing, especially, rapid gait is much
more effective than slow, dragging pace.
Brisk, steady work, and fewer hours in
the field, with better grooming in the sta
BILE, would accomplish more work with less
fatigue to man and horse.
!S,cine.-The system of feeding should be
adapted to the breed. No pig can grow
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