The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-11-10
EMPoRIA NEWS.
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 10, 1876.
RurnITopEes.

Rural Topics.
Written for the News by a
farmer and fruit grower of great
practical experience.
SELECTING COWS.
First,says an experienced dairy
man, / get broadside view of the
animal at distance of two rods.
as / have noticed for years that
there was a great similarity in
the general proportions of all first
class mixers; being very small in
girth lust back of their forward
legs as compared with the girth
just forward of their hips. /
have never known a first rate
mixer, of any breed, not thus
proportional; so that if this form
is wantingiing an animal have
recommended to me, i do not care
to look at her more, unless ! want
a breeder for some other purpose
than the dairy. For breeding OK
en- should want a COW of reverse
proportions, i. E., larger girth for
ward. I next feel the size of the
'milk veins" and trace them to
their entrance into the chest,
which, in superior cows, are large,
admitting the ball of the largest
finger; il divided, or sub-divided,
as is sometimes the case. l judge
of the size OF each orifice, as /
care less for the size of the vein
itself, than the orifice. Next, i
examine, by sight and touch, the
udder or bag, which must be
capacious, in order to hold much
milk. with teats wide apart and
free from large seed warts or sores
OF any kind; / then inquire how
long she goes dry before calving,
as / don't want . family COW to
give milk less than 46 weeks out
OF every 50; also as to the quality
Of the milk; and to close, | milk
her with my own hands.
PRUNING GRAPE VINES.
The proper time to prune grape
vines is early in November, after
the leaves have fallen; hut If no
wood is to be saved to propagate
vines by cuttings, the pruning
may be done as early as the frosts
cause the leaves to fail, often in
October. The rule for pruning is
to leave the best and largest canes
for the years growth for fruit
next year, or for the shoots that
produce the next crop. Gener-
ally about one-thIrd of the entire
wood of the vines should be cut
ont, giving them a better shape
by removing the small canes here
and there. and the wood where
there is to much of it. Some
vines will require, perhaps, but
very little pruning, If young, while
old vines will need a good deal.
A WORD OF CAUTION.
1t frequently happens that men
go around among the farmers to
establish agencies for the sale OF
something pertaining to agricul-
ture, or they offer to leave some
implement on trial; but then they
ask you to sign ga little paper
just to shcw where the article is
Or if you receive a consignment
of something to sell as agent, you
may be askedto 'sign this little
note" to show what has been
done.
SIT is understood, Of course
that all not sold are to be taken
back" says the travelling agent
but if you sign such a paper, sec
that 1t is only a receipt for the ar
ticles received, adding; cit i:
agreed and understood that al
not sold by me are to he taken
back, paying only for what / SELL
These sharpers sometimes sci
farmers to sign papers, without
reading them carefully, and they
turn out to be valid promissory
notes, that are sold in the vicinity
and that is the last you hear from
the travelling agent in that part o
the country.
LICE on FOWLS.
Lice are. the greatest pests o
the poultry House, and are thu
primary cause of sickness anC
Ticss where they infest the fowls
bin large numbers, unless speedily
destroyed. 1t is not possible t
have hens profitable when they
are covered with vermin, and NJ
man should attempt to keep poul
try, especially in numbers, unless
he sufficiently understands the bu
siness to keep them free from lice
1t Is not enough to take measures
to- destroy these vermln whel
fowls and their roosting houses
are infested by them; hut means
should be used to prevent thei
breeding on the premises. Lie,
generate in cracks and crevices o
poultry houses; ;. then they infes
the perches, and from the perche
they find their way to the hens
and nothing short of thorough ex
termination will remove the evil
The remedies are: first don
crowd one hundred fowls into :
roosing- house large enough fol
only fifty; give them ample space
ed good ventilation, and wheI
they are first pat into the building
see that they are free from lice
Mix lard, flour of sulphur anC
kerosene oil together to the con
sistency OF a soft paste, and rub :
little under the fowls wings, anC
also on the tops OF their heads
Then dust them all over among
their feathers with dry flour of sui
phur. This should be done fol