Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-23
Washing Sheep.

The old fashion of brook-washing sheep
is falling more and more into disuse.
The vital question involved is the COM
parative profit of selling the wool washed
or unwashed. Ii buyers will make only
a fair and equitable allowance for the
difference, the whole question is settled
at once. A correspondent of the Country
Gentleman writes from Central New
York: 81 have just taken new depart
ure, and as far as can be seen at present,
in the right direction. April 25th [ fin
ished shearing my sheep-about 20 head.
[ propose to sell the wool unwashed. [
believe the time for putting the sheep
through the water and calling them
washed is soon to pass away. Wool
should be sold either as secured or un-
washed, then the article will be just what
it purports to be. Many will say it is
too cold yet for shearing. [ contend
that sheep will suffer much more from
the heat for two months to come than
thew will with the cold if shorn now
The great advantages are, that there is
not now in my entire flock one cotted
fleece, nor a sheep with bare belly; the
labor of washing was entirely saved, and,
above all, [ succeeded in getting rid of
the ticks / had several sheep that were
low in flesh and very full of ticks, and
in three days after shearing there was
scarce one to be seen. These sheep have
nothing now to hinder their growth,
whereas, if their fleece had been left on
for two months yet-Or until the Ordi-
nary shearing time-the ticks would
have staid also, and the rapid gain which
sheep usually make when first turned to
grass would have been entirely lost"
Dairy Cows.
The present season, usually called "be-
tween hay and grass, is a critical one
for all live stock, and particularly for
COWS. They should be turned out as soon
asthe ground is thoroughly dry, for few
hours each day, and then driven up to
dry fodder until they are gradually
Injured to the succulent grass of the pas
ture Heating feed of any kind to COWS
before calving will involve great danger
Of milk fever. 1t is a bitterly cruel
thing tohkeep a COW fastened in a STAN
chion while calving. They should be kept
in roomy stalls Or loose boxes. Just as
long as the nights continue cold and raw
the COWS should be kept up nights In
fact there are few if any nights, even
through the warmest months, that cows
would not be better for a shed to lie under
out of the heavy dews Of night. A contem-
porary says farmer asks if there is any
way to . deonionize the milk of COWS
which run in the woods where wild
onions and leeks are plenty. Of course
it can't be done if the COWS eat any rank
weeds; the flavor will remain in the milk
as in the butter and cheese made from it.
1t is a question whether the little
forage COWS get in the woods
pays for tainting the milk in this
way in any case where there is any other
means of subsistence for them. No COW
can produce pure and healthy milk I'M
less she has pure and healthy food and
drink. Whatever may cause an I'M
healthy condition of COW, it will be
sure to determinate her milk, and moth
ing will be more sure to do this than
scanty and poor food and drink, rough
treatment and exposures. A neglected
or thin feverish COW will not only yield a
diminished profit, but she will give fever
ish milk, if any; or if there is anything
wrong about her, it will affect her milk
or if She eats anything that has strong
or disagreeable odor it will surely appear
in her milk cream, and the butter pro-
duced from it, as her milk is one source
she has of casting off filth from her organ
ism. These facts should at all times be
we'll impressed upon the minds of farm
ers but more especially in the spring OF
the year, when COWS are liable to be thin
and more or less feverish. Many farmers
keep their COWS confined in stanchions
too great a portion of the time through
the long winter, and, too, in small i'll
ventilated stables, where they cannot
always get fresh, pure air, neither can
they have proper exercise and water at
all times when desired and needed by
them.
Tomato Culture.
The difficulty in raising tomatoes is.
we make the ground too rich. This IA