Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-02-20
For the VERMONT FARMER.
FARM CHATS NO. 20.

passed is one Of the remarkables Of the win.
ter Of 1884.
In this vicinity that oldest inhabitant ="
never saw such January. We had but
three days of good sleighing, and that was
on the first, second, and third Of the month
Rain fell upon twelve days, and mud was
predominant all through the month. More
April than January weather, all through the
month. Some very warm days, and pansies
and dandslions were seen in bloom. The
9Th, 9th and 10th, especially, were very fine,
and quite.a number of teams we're ploWiDg
in this vicinity. Very cold spells were rare,
and the thermometer went below zero but
once. On the Goth, the mercury indicated
4e below. On the 18th and 3lst, the
mercury went down to o and stood at ze-
70 on the 18th.
Hay and Fodder
spends well the present winter, and stock Of
all kinds is doing we'll. The mild winter,
and the good quality of the hay and fOd-
der 60 far to help the stock look fine, and
with the amount now on hand, stock should
come out next spring in nice condition.
Farmers generally are not doing much ex-
cept caring for their stock. 1t has been a
grand time to help enlarge the manure heap,
but as far as my observation extends, but
very little has been done in that direction.
Among all good farmers, l find that the
universal opinion is that the old practice Of
allowing young stock to rough it through the
winter, is fast giving place to the more hu'
name treatment Of the well ventilated and
properly constructed stable. As class, We
are learning that it does not pay to let the
young stock lose in the winter all that il
gained in the summer.
1t should be remembered that when stock
is parting with heat as fast as it must occur
in cold weather, it can only renew it by
consuming larger amount of food. Ii
the saving Of the latter item, good shelter o.
some kind will be well paid for Not simp
ly shelter overhead, but good, close sta
Bile, well covered in and made warm anC
tight, but well ventilated, which should b.
done in such manner as not 10 carry thu
temperature below that in which the anima
can be sustained upon the smallest amount o
food.
DO not feed young stock on fat. YounI
stock kept on short rations of coarse fodde
or poor hay will not thrive, and if So kept i
will be consuming the fat that was laid oil
last summer. Young stock should be liber
ally fed with variety Of good, nutrition
food fed so well that they gain all through
the winter. They should be kept growing il
the winter as well as the summer. A dali.
feed of roots or grains is of much benefit L
young and growing stock.
Do not feed lice. Putting fat upon youh
stock in summer to be fed of by lice in win
ter is poor business. In some instances NOR
food goes to grow lice than to grow the ami
NAL. Young stock, as we'll as older, like +
have the card drawn gently over their bodie
occasionally, and the daily carding and pet
ting is about equal to pint Of oats. Pc
them, and learn them to be quiet and gen
tie.
Kind Treatment.
l find that the handling of young heifer
, helps to make the old COW. As the heifer
brought up, so the COW will mature. Heifer
! carefully handled and petted generally ma
, ture into nice, quiet and docie cows. Heifer
roughly treated, dogged and abused, alway
mature into bad and vicious cows.
l yesterday sold to the butcher one of th
latter kind; she was coming three years ole
dropped calf late in the fall, and it wa
deacOned, and we tried to milk her, bu
, after getting moro kicks and smashed pail
r than were profitable or pleasant conclude
to fat her for tho butcher. Her bringing u
was not of the right kind. The first summe
= she ran with the dam, then wintered in th
yard, with no care except to throw out th
coarse fodder, then pastured again, and the
! another winter in the yard. Last spring sh
went to grass again, and when she came
was SO wild that she would not follow he
own calf. When she first came into IN
charge, it took three or four men to get he
into the stable and tie her, and yesterda
when we took her to the slaughter, it r,
D quired a good strong halter to keep her be
) hind heavy pair Of horses.
Again say pet the young stock and brea
them to the halter. Why Nor.