The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-02-12
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
SHEEP EATING THEIR wool.

Instances of sheep eating their OVID wool
are quite common. especially during the
latter part of the winter and early IN the
spring. Some have thought the habit re-
suited from the presence of small parasites,
as minute as the red spider OF some Tower
,ny plants. which produce au irritation, and
to allay this TIE sheep acquired the habit
! If hitting It's own skin, and thereby eating
it's own wool. 1t is generally believed,
+ however, that the habit Is analogous 20 that
Of hens catiug their oxu shells, and the
abnormal arpetIte Of cows for old bones,
woolen rags, etc, and Is caused by an ex
hLustiou Of tie phosphate in the soil. Old
pastures and fields that h"ve long been
cropped are deficient IN these clements,
hence the absence Of then in feed, and
consequent want Of them by the animals. As
preventive, NIX small quantity Of bone
neal with corn meal, and give them an oc
casional feed. Sulphur also has been found
to be preventive at the habit, and many
farmers keep their stock constantly sup
piled with 1t. 1t, no doubt, assists in Civ.
ins ID healthy tone to the system.-Ia'ne
Farmer.
SHEEP AND Pics IN ORCHARDS.
The best fruit--the cleanest, best grown
and least defortned fruit--l have seen Is
that grown in orchards in which pigs or
sheep have been permitted to range fos
series Of wears up to the time the fruit real
ly begins to mature and drop. 1t is as
toni>h:ng " bat difference it makes in the
aggregate amount Of perfect specimens OF
apples, pears aad plCms that hang on the
trees. They destroy innumerable insects.
Those who admit the pigs to the orchards
ring or rim their noses. They DO net al
low them to break the sod by roofing
Thu. they make them watchful of every
larga and insect which appears on the sur
face, and compel them to eat the stung fruit
which Drops from the trees in the early
part OF the season.
Sheep are more dangerous in an orchard
than swine. They are more liable to gnaw
the lark from the trees-especially if
y-ung, and the pasturage is short. Bat as
rule there is little damage done. Here
is one man who has kept thirty handsome
South Downs in his orchard this seas On,
and not a tree is injured nor can you find
an apple on the ground after 10 o'clock in
the morning, unless you happen to lie tn
der tue tree about the time it drops.
ORCHARDS AS POULTRY YARDS.
Nc orchard that | have seen, however,
su-passes one in which no live stock was
kept other than poultrv--hens, geese, tur-
keys, guinea aud pea fowls. Here is an ex-
tensiye range inclosed by high picket
fer:e. The trees are mulched and manur-
81 every year-sometimes in fall and some
times in spring. Turkeys roost in the trees;
80 DO thc otter fowls. The geese have a
pond fcl by a brook in which to battle. All
the fowls Al KEEP. in this orchard that can
be with profit The crop Of fruit Is
bouutiful and beautiful. The abundance
j. due to care in pruning, washing and
feeding. Is beauty AMI perfectness is
largely att.ibvtej by the owner 70 TIE yigi-
,ance IF the f,wls in hunting insects and
destroying them. The profits from the
fowl, are large l. is claimed that they
are the most productive and profitable ike
stock lac has, 10 proportion to bis invest
ment. Egg, chickens and tlrheys always
bring good price aud the range lie thus
gives them and the comparative freedom,
t;miu,~hes the amount q care required
AMI the Ter cent of loss from disease that
ordinarily obtains where fowls are closely
confined. EruIiy, the orchard, with It's
frnit and poul.ry products, is regarded the
most profitable portion Of his investment
in proportion to tn. expenses Involved in
IL are.-RuraE Nrlc l'olksr.
HONEY LOCALITIES.
Whi,n there are few places where a stock
af bees will not manage to get living, we
believe that in order to make keeping
a proEtmbie pursuit, attention must be paid
70 the choice cr localities. 1t is so in other
departments a iurai inaiustry. Some dis
;licts are specially good for grain growing,
others for dairylnr, other. for sheep hus-
bnndrv. As matter ~ interest, sort Ct
pastlme in natural science, it may do to
keep bees il towns and cities but they will
not reward the apiaran with much surplus
honey, and there will be times when the
grocery and confectionery shopkeepers and
their customers will vote them nuisance,
especially if they are Italians, for If so,
they will forage wherever any sweets at
tract them.
To test the difference between keeping
bees mar town of aboat 5, ZOO inhabitants,
an having them wholly in the country, we
last sen>off took an average stock to board
with farming friend, and it gathered just
our times as much honey as the best OF
our ia town stocks. We have 4 bee keep
my acq uaintance who lives on the edge OF
IN extensive cranberry swamp, and his bees
10 better than those OF any otter apiary
in the whole region. In very early sCrin.,
and even late in the fall, the lees appear
- to find something II 10 IN the swamp.
Oar Minnesota friends owe their extraor.
'iuarY Snec-ss Il the vast stretches al bass
wood near whic;. they i've. We would say