Connecticut western news., 1874-03-06
Farm, Garden and Household.
How I Raised Horsas.

AdOLOr EIOubdU10 to l0G ny uolSuDOES keep the mares while raised the colts. found that, on the whole, the money and time expended, the risk run, and the attention needed, before the colt was able to look after itself, was the greater part of the cost of the colt until 1t became horse. therefore changed my plan. disposed of my mares and kept geldings for my farm work, thus getting rid of vast deal of trouble. Then when my neighbors needed $50 or So at any time, which they very often did, they could always sell me year ling colt, or at least a weaned one. It was not long before my reputation as buyer of colts became spread, and I soon had my pick of the colts within dozen miles around. I made shed with loose boxes 16 feet square, in each of which I could keep pair of colts. feed them during the winter upon cut feed and few oats, just as my horses were fed, the feed being either cut sheaf- oats or cut corn-stalks, and meal and bran, with occasionally hay and linseed meal. l curried them daily, and gave them just as much attention as grown horse should have, and many a poor pot-bellied, neglected creature, which I have picked up for song lest it might die, I have brought round into thrifty, hourishing young horse. When pair matched pretty closely put them to- gether, and by training them during leisure times carly, they were broken to light work without much trouble What they ate was really so little that never kept any account of it, but probably three pair of colts cost no more to keep than one pair of horses. In summer their keep was pasture with quart of oats or meal per day only, but they were always brought into their stable at night and fed green cut fodder with the other horses. I kept few of them over the second winter, having more demand for them than I cared to supply unless I got my own price for them. I have, sold a pair of very nearly matched two-year olds, broken, or rather trained to drive double or single, for $500, which cost me a year and half previously $75 for one and but $25 for the other. Their whole keep could not have cost me over $50 up to the day sold them. I give you and produce of few of these colts ta- ken at random; the whole list would be too long, as I had upon the average from eight to ten colts at tune:
 One yearling, cost $55, sold at 2 years old for $125. One weanling, cost $40, sold at 2 years old for $18O. One yearling, cost $60, sold at 14 years old for $50. One yearling, cost $7O, sold at 2 years old for $175. Two weanlipgs, cost $65, sold at 13 years old for $25O.
 The last two colts, as the one above mentioned, costing 1925, were purchased from man who used to keep his stock in very poor condition, and boasted af- ter he had sold them that I would soon have couple of dead colts. The next year, however, they were sold to make room for others at very profitable price. l think have given hint to some of my brother farmers how, by keeping their eyes open, they may turn an honest penny and accommodate their poorer neighbors at the same time.- Keystone.
 Planting Strawberries.
 A correspondent of the Cottaqe Gar- deraer has tried the following method with great success:
 "I did not cut any runners off the old beds, but allowed them to run in a ma ,s. In the autumn I lined strips about nine inches wide and two feet | apart through it's length, and cut them | in squares of nine inches. These took up with spade at three inches deep. | In the bed prepared for them I had trenches dug two feet apart, and placed the squares of strawberry roots in them, at 8 distance of eighteen inches from each other. The roots werenot injured in the least, and the crop was excellent I had the trenches that were made in the old bed filed with one part of we'll rotted manure and two parts of stiff loam, and the bed was soon covered with plants. Thus, by degrees, you can renew the old bed as we'll as form new ones. Certainly, with the old plan of planting single roots, we obtained finer specimens of fruit, but, unless fruit for show is required, I advise every one to try the above plan for quantity, and they will not be disappointed.
 Smut in Wheat.
 Theorists differ in relation to what is generally known as smut in wheat. Jethro Full states that the difficulty was common in England, till some of the wheat taken from a sunken vessel was sown. This produced wheat free from smut, and from that time forward the practice of soaking wheat in ocean brine, or water made artifcially salt, became general. Land that contains salt IS not liable to produce smutty wheat. Applying lime and salt directly to the soil seems to operate to prevent rust, but 1t is better to treat the grain than the soil. Sulphate of copper, commonly known as blue vitriol, or stead of salt, to prevent smut. An ounce and 8 quarter of this salt, dis solved in as much water as will cover the wheat, is regarded by many persons as 8 sufficient quantity for a bushel. The wheat may remain in it an hour. For convenience in sowing, many after wards sprinkle the grain with dry lime.
 Ducks as Egg Producers.
 The number of eggs laid by duck depends very much on the breed to which she belongs. In all poultry the non-sitters lay more than those that are concerned in the rising generation. Thus the Aylesbury will lay greater number of eggs than any other duck. . The black duck, called the Labrador, the East Indian or Buenos Ayres is a good layer. The Rouen is an average layer, and the wild duck lays few com pared to these. An old duck is as rule better than young one, but it is impossible to give the average of any of them. Aylesbury ducks begin to lay in November and December Rou- ems three months later. Both the time when they begin laying, and the num- Der of eggs they lay are influenced by their keep and by judicious manage ment.
 Shad in the Hudson.
 Of the five million and forty-one thousand shad which were successfully