The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-17
evening sState Sal.rnal.
MONDAY EVEN'G, MARCH II, 1878


Farm Items.
Co,cs.-At calving-time keep the COW
quiet. Be ON hand to render assistance i
necessary, bnt do not be hasty. Pull only
when the COW strains and pull dopHtcdrdS
Draw out all the milk from the udder
Some farmers give it to the cow. We
think bran-mash is better. Give the COW
all the water she will drink, but take the
chill off. Hay-tea is excellent. 1.-THE cow
is much exhausted put blanket over heI
and keep her as quiet and comfortable as
possible. For week or two before calv-
ing, keep the bowels open. This can usual
ly be done by giving bran-mashes or lin
seed tea. And unless the cow is in very
high condition this will be better than TO
give medicine, but the latter must be re-
sorted to if necessary. The bowels must
BE- kept open. EPSON or Glauber salts al Q
the best-say from or. to one h., accord
ing to circumstances. Always give some
ginger or other tonic with the salts. ~
Sheep.--Clean out the sheds or pens.
Nothing is so bad for sheep as to compel
them to stand or lie upon ierlnenting ma.
nure. They will do better in the mud
even than ON fermenting manure. Both,
however, are bad. Give little fresh
straw for bedding every day-just enough
to keep the sheep dry and comfortable.
At this season the fiock.master needs to
exercise all his vigilance, energy, and best
judgment. In our changeable climate it
Is no easy matter to carry large flock Of
sheep through this month and the next.
A great point is to have several apart
ments and 10 grade and feed the sheep ac-
cording to their condition. But avoid sud-
den changes in feeding. For breeding
stock, clover hay, bran and roots are bet
ter than grain. See hints for last months.l
E,oes Hedpy in Lamb should be allowed
plenty Of exercise, but they must not be
driven through drifts Of snow, or allowed
to slip on ice, or jump fences or bitches
and especially avoid crowding at doas or
gates. Treat them gently. If for any
reason you have to catch eve do
not ffighten her, and if possible do not
turn her up on her back.
At Ldmbng Time have plenty of sepa-
rate pens for the ewes and lambs. Let
them be warm and well ventilated, and
above all let them be dry. If all goes
right, sSif the ewes are healthy and the
lambs strong, there is no trouble; but
there is no greater test Of skill, patience,
good judgment, and ingenuity, than to
have a number of weak lambs come during
wet cold weather in the early spring. A
few little lamb-blankets made Of flannel and
tied on with tape will be found very con-
venient. See that the lambs suckle fire.
quently. This must be attended to.
There is no chance for the lamb il it does
not get plenty Of milk. H
Early Lambs Edtteni,ag for the Butcher
should be allowed anything and everything
they will eat in little troughs, placed where
the lambs can, but the ewes cannot, get at
them. Bran, oatmeal, oats, oil.cake, corn
meal, and sliced Swede turnips or mangels,
are all good those are best of which, the
lambs will eat the most. Attwo weeks
old lamb will generally commence to eat
little bran with its mother, and after that
it should be encouraged to eat as much as
possible. Feed the ewes well, and see that
they have plenty Of water. A few roots
for the ewes ale of great value. Feed
plenty of bran an clover hay.
Swme.-Keep the pens clean and dry.
See that they are we'll ventilated.
Young Pigs should be fed all they
will eat and digest. Nothing is better for
them than corn-pudding and milk. As
the pigs get older and the weather warmer,
corn meal, soaked for II or "a hours in
cold water, may take the place ofthe "pud-
ding.Y u d 1i15 4.
Breeding Sons should have as much ex-
ercise as possible. Do not keep more than
three or four in pen. Aud week or SO
before farrowing put the SOW by herself in
warm pen. Feed plenty OF bran. If the
bowels are not loose, give some Glauber's
salt IN the food, say a teaspoonful at each
meal until 1t effects the object. If
the SOW is poor and weak, boiled liDSeed
or oil-cake will be better than the
salts. If the sow is quiet and you can be
with her at narrowing, throw blanket over
her and keep the little pigs under it while
they are sucking. The heat from the sow
will keep them warm, and they will soon be
strong enough to take care of themselves.
Give the SOW bran-mashes, and put in q
little. salt, say half q teaspoonful once a
day. The more warm water and bran
she will take, the better. In three or four
DAYS give little meal with the bran, and
gradually increase the quantity as the. sow
gives more milk. At two weeks old the
pigs will begin to eat, and should have a
trough separate from the sow. .G4.t
VEGETARLE AND FRUIT GARDEN.
If farmers were only aware Of the bene-
fit arising from good vegetable and fruit
garden very few would be willing to do
without them We have known wealthy
farmers who preferred to buy their yegeta-
bles and fruit rather than take the trouble
of raising them. If farmers could enjoy
fresh and varied supply of vegetables for
one season.. they would not, we believe,
forego this luxury, especially when the ex-
pense necessary to keep a garden well cul-
tiyated and stocked with the best varieties
of vegetables is comparatively small. The
varieties of vegetables which are Fest APP
proved are mentioned from time to time in
this department, and there is a list given
on page 90 of the February Agrieulturist
in which select sorts are named. Novelties
should not be relied upon for main crop,
as where one proves valuable ten at least
are worthless, or at most no better than
well-known and older varieties.
Lie ORCHARD AND NURSERY. ~
Grdfiing may be done at the last of this
month in many places, but In this latitude
it is best to wait until April.
ntnno Tint vyhan the traas ara not