The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-03
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

AMI lVOo1nVhDs
The FooD OF SwINE.-If there is any
one thing in rural practice which needs
reforming more than another, 1t is the
manner of raising and feeding swine.
From the day they are large enough to
eat they are offered all manner of refuse
about the place, such as rank weeds,
filthy sl0ps, spoiled vegetables and meat,
dead fowl, etc. They are allowed to
rummage the dung-yard and CLEAN the
refuse Of food in the faces of cattle and
horses, on the ground of economy. But
we imagine that the quantity Of food
saved in this way is. very Insignificant
not to exceed the value of a bushel OF
shelled corn a year among the whole
stock OF an ordinary sized farm. The
objections to the practice of keeping
swine in this way are 80 serious, how
ever, that the reasons in favor OF 1T have
no force at all. The origin of trichinosis
in swine may be always traced to the
consumption of vile stuis in their food,
or to being housed and yarded amid filth
and foul air. Every few months the pa
pers announce case of trichin@ in an in
dividual or whole family, with all the
horrible details and sufferings which at
tend the parasite attack. Only lately
some new cases are reported in the West
which are alarming. We are quite sure
that every farmer and every ohe who
feeds and fattens q pig, will only need TO
have their attention called III 80 I'M
p6rtant and serious matter to seizure a
complete reform in the practice Ut feed
ing an animal which will take whatever
is offered to it, and will live in the most
filthy holes and yards. On the farm the
swine should have clover pasture, and
for swill only milk and corn meal; nc
dish-water or meat scraps from the table
as these are sure to purify and poison
the mass in the barrel or tank. Pure
water, with little meal added, is prefer
able. The dish-water may go to the
compost heap, and the scraps from the
table to the poultry, while they are
fresh. Spoiled meats should be buried OF
mixed with cOmposted materials; they
should never be given to any domestic
animal. Large numbers of swine are
frequently confined in small quarters
with very little regard to cleanliness OF
pure air. Of course some of them will
lose appetite, the first sign of the de-
rangement of the organs of nutrition and
assimilation. They do not thrive, but
they are kept along till slaughterine
time, and are dressed and packed among
the lot. Such animals are extremely
liable to be infested with trichine and
other parasites; and those who consume
them as food expose themselves to sick
ness, diseases of lingering nature, anC
to death in a most horrible form.
Interests, therefore, as dear as health
and life, require a thorough reform il
keeping and feeding swine. Let thei
food be as pure as that which other ami
mails consume. Let them be kept il
clean quarters and have pure air. lie
diseased or unthrifty animals be sepa
rated from those in health, and we ma.
have no fears of trichinosis among eithe
swine or human beings.
CRUSHED BONES FOR POULTRY.-A
hens, turkeys, geese and ducks are no
provided with incisof, canine nor mola
teeth, it is folly to feed bones to then
unless the hard substances are first re
duced to small fragments. Fresh bone
are valuable food for poultry of any sort
provided the fragments are so small tina
the birds can swallow them. Once il
the crop of fowl, bits of bone will sool
be changed into soft and palatable food
Our own practice is to have dish in tn
kitchen especially to receive the bone
that are purchased with the beefsteak
mutton and other meat. Then ever
day those pieces are taken TO choppin
lock, and, with an old AK having
sharp edge, they are crushed with tn
head of the axe and cut into pieces no
larger than kernels of Indian corn. TIL
fowls devour them with ravenous appe
tite. Bones are worth more to fee,
fowls than the same number of pound
of prime grain. For chopping block
small log about two feet long, wit
square ends, is placed on one end, as tn
end of block is far better forsuch
purpose than the side of log. Bone
are usually cast out of the back door o
in a garbage barrel to feed WORTHLESS
dogs. But if prepared for fowls as sug
gested, every pound is worth two o
three cents, which will be returned ger
erously in the form of luscious eggs an
juicy meat for the table.
HIRED HELP ON THE FARM.-Latcl
there has been a great deal of nonsens
written about hired help on the farm
Farm hands, as rule, are not all tina
could be wished for. The reason tn
farmer cannot get good, reliable help
this: Men who are reliable and tru
and have the genuine mettle, soon az
quire sufficiency to buy a farm 70
themselves, and hence cease to live on
for a livelihood; while the sliiftless an
questionable men fail to save enough I
purchase farm and are left to hire on
to farmers. The proof of this statemen
is in the observation of the readers O
this article. The men who to-day ar
working for wages are composed of tw
classes: the frugal, economical and TEN
perate, and the shiftless and extravagant
The first class will in a few years b
farmers themselves; the latter will b
hired men, doing the bidding of tn
former. The first class are pleasant, &C
commodating and manly; the secon'
are cross, unobliging and fault-fndine
The same rule holds true in the kitchen
with hired help. The good and obligin
young women who work out will 500
cease to be servants and become mis-
tresses of their own homes, as che youn
men are in quest of just such girls. Blu
the poor, goOd-for-nOthing young womel
who are cross, afraid that they will d.
too much or accommodate somebody
will remain in single blessedness unit
they can. by great perseverance, ensnar
some young MAD who is as yet inexperi
enced in the worlds ways. The younl
men who are now working at home o
are working out and are saving and tenn
perate will be the future farm-owners
The young men who to-day spend thei
wages or their fathers money in extrav