The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-12-10
HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.

"A man is hardly fit for farmer I'M
less he has heart to love those confiding
and grateful brutes that feed from his
hands and love those that feed them.
"A German agricultural journal has
lately published an article upon the pro-
lection of manure heaps from rain by
roofs, from reasoning based upon obser-
vations by Meister. So long as the
manure heap is well protected from
flowing and stationary surface water it
will receive no injury from ordinary rain
falls.
"A man on Long Island, famous for
his hogs, was asked what was the secret
of his success. He answered: II al
ways choose good-natured pig. Those
that when they eat are constantly rum
ming from one trough to another and
knocking their shouts against the next
pig I sell to my neighbors, who don't
know better than to buy such trouble
some animals, while my contented pigs
get fat"
-Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert, of Roth
amstead, England, have been making
some experiments upon the value of In
dian corn as food for pigs. The corn
meal alone appeared to be a defective
diet. With addition of mineral matters
the increase in live weight was quite sat-
isfactory in proportion to the amount of
food consumed. 1t is recommended to
mix Indian meal with food rich in nitro
gen and mineral matters, in which form
its use will be judicious.
The following is taken from the
Household: Permit me to inquire of your
readers if they possess oleander plants.
If SO my advice is to destroy them "root
and branch" (the surest way is to burn
them), which may be Thought unwelcome
advice, but when the following true in
cident is read they may think otherwise:
A gentleman of our place, after trimming
off his Oleander this winter, threw the
leaves out on the sidewalk, thinking no
harm. Soon aftefa valuable horse was
hitched near by, and ate them, no doubt
relishing the green, undried leaves in the
depth of winter, but he died from the
effects of it before the next morning.
Since this casualty they are being de
stroyed in this vicinity, though some are
to stand in a room where small children
are running about, not knowing that the
drop that is left where leaf: is broken
off las have been toldD is sufficient to
cause the death OF a person if taken into
the stomach.
Perhaps some farmers who are
troubled by that little pest, the wood
chuck, are not aware that the oil of this |
animal is excellent for oiling harness,
boots, shoes and all kinds of leather re-
quiring a simple oil. Several observing,
practical farmers with whom am we'll |
acquainted say it is equal to or better
than heats foot oil for this purpose; and |
l know of my own experience that it
makes leather very soft and pliable. 1t
is also useful for many other purposes
instead of lard oil, which it very much |
resembles. There is no doubt but that |
it would sell for fair price if its good |
qualities were generally known. The |
woodchuck is very fat late in the fall,
and a good-sized one will yield full |
quart of oil. Sometimes the oil is OBJ
tanned by baking the whole animal but |
a still better way is to take off the fat, as
free from bloody and tleshy parts as pos
sible, cut it into small pieces and try it
over slow fire; then strain, bottle up
and keep in cool place.-Cor. Ioaen
Suite Register.