The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-02-08
FARM AND FIREsIDE.

IHE CORRECT WAY TO MAKE A HOG
TRoUGH.-It is an egregious error to
assert, as many farmers have done, that
a hog is predisposed to plant his fore
feet in the trough while eating. Moth
ing is more absurd. A hog is no more
inclined to put his forward feet in the
trough than a horse is went to put his
feet into his manger. The great fault is
in the construction of the hogs trough.
Almost always the trough is so deep and
the front side so high that the feed can
not be reached by either large hog or
pig until the fore feet are planted in the
middle of the trough. Small pigs are
required to mount into the trough with
every foot before they can reach the feed.
These are the reasons why a hog puts
his fore feet in the trough. Let the front
part of the trough be made SO low that
the animal can walk up to it and reach
the feed without resting his throat on
the edge of the trough, and he will stand
up to it as a horse does to his manger.
There is no necessity for making a
hogs trough so broad and deep that it
will contain four times as much feed as
will ever be put into the trough at any
n time. If the front is three inches
deep and the bottom ten inches broad in
the clear, the trough will hold all the
swill and other feed that can be eaten at
n feeding by as many swine as can
stand in front of the trough. The cor
rect disposition of the trough is to place
it between the feeding apartment and
the space appropriated to the animals.
Then let the partition be made in the
form of a flap or a gate, and be hung by
hinges above the through, with the lower
end of the flap hanging in the trough,
SO that it a play from one side of the
trough to the other. By this arrange
ment the flap can be fastened by a bolt
to the front side until the feed is put
into the trough. Then, as soon as the
feed is properly distributed, unbolt the
lower edge of the flap, draw it to the
other side, and fasten it. By this plan
the swine will stand up to the trough like
a row of horses at their managers.
A GOOD FARM GATE.-A correspond
emit of the american Farm Journal says i:
A good farm gate, which will last in use
for twenty years, must be built in a
frame on stills, and we'll painted, in the
following manner: The gate must be
built, nearly like any other gate, of
light wood, such as pine, and swing by
the bottom, in a frame. The frame must
be set on two plank stills, twelve feet
long and eight inches wide, and at each
end must be let into cross sub-sills, three
inches deep and six inches apart, that
the width of the gate bottom may swing
easily through; then bore an inch and a
quarter hole through both of the long
stills, six inches from the front. end and
three inches from the bottom side, and
two more the same way, five feet and six
inches back, or near the middle, for'pins
On which the walking-legs must stand to
swing the gate.
Then take four upright walking-posts,
seven feet long, four inches wide, and
one inch thick, and four more for swing.
ing legs, only they must be seven inches
shorter at the lower end. Bore them all
for half inch bolts, two inches from each
end, then bore them nine inches again
from the topholes, for the braces, which
must be six feet and one-half inch in
length, and five feet eight inches and a
half in between the bolt heles. Bore
the bottom of the gate same as the stills,
i've feet six inches apart, with half-inch
holes. and then bolt your frame together
with four halfinch carriage bolts, eight
inches long, at top and swing your gate
between, on the bottom pins, with four
o bolts, FIVE inches long, in the bot
tom and braces; then you will have a
gate which will not wear out until it
rots down, and will be the handiest gate
in the world. 1t will run back and open
from the center, and also when swung
past center forward will shut itself and
remain securely shut without any more
fastening.
TREATMENT OF BEEs.-In winter or
early spring, after bees have been con-
strained to remain within their houses
for ten days or a fortnight stocks may be
moved with comparative immunity from
n part of the apiary to any other part
of it, but at a later period of the year,
when much activity prevails, they can
not, unless certain precautions are used,
be moved even few yards without caus-
ing them to suffer great loss and injury.
A newly housed swarm may be set down
anywhere, for every bee, when it first
leaves its!hive, carefully observes the sit
uation. As soon as it rises on the wing
it turns round and inspects the entrance,
and its examination is continued in
gradually enlarging circles, until it be-
comes familiar with surroundings, which
enable it to recognize the place selected
for its dwelling. Its first flights are al
short, and obviously undertaken
the purpose of making itself &C.
quainted with the locality of its abode
and all those landmarks which will guide
it Enthusiastically back to its home. But
the path, a few times travelled, is after
ward remembered, and those bees that
nave learned it go straight off to the
fields without taking notes, and may be
seen returning with unerring aim to the
mall aperture of the hive by which they
made their exit. Indeed, bees accustomed
% a particular spot, and more especially
f they axe in the habit of daily going
rom and returning to it, pay no atten-
ion to the position of their hive when
out on their labors. Unless the
distance to which their house is shifted
,e considerable, they fail to notice that
t has been interfered with; they ex-
,ect it to be where they have always
ound it, and, consequently, when re-
home with their loads, go direct
their well known stands. There, they
weary themselves out with repeating the s
inc Of A;rbf that {ornooriu oo-l,o1aJk 6