Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-23
Agricultural Small Talk.

Spread gas tar around mice or rat
holes; it will drive away the vcrmin.
To prevent a coal oil lamp from
smoking soak the wick in strong
vinegar.
Horse manure should never be
piled, as it will heat and become
worthless.
No farmer ever succeeded unless
he did things at the right time and
the right way.
A man that feeds his stock in mud
knee deep, will generally find him
self knee deep in debt.
Hon. w. S. King, of ST. Paul, re-
Gently sold two short horn COWS, one
for 500 and one for 5000.
Common glycerine obtained at
any drug store, will cure chapped
hands III one or two applications.
California is jubiLant over the COM
ing OF the rain, relieving them from
aprehensions OF suffering from the
drouth.
The best remedy for canker worms
is arsenic water; one pound arsenic
to $50 gallons of water; apply with
"A force pump and hose when worms
are half grown. 1t finishes them at
once.
Farmers who are troubled with
sore fingers while husking corn or
doing other work are recommended
to wear India rubber finger tips.
They can be bought at almost any
country store, and they stay on with
out tying.
Apples are keeping most excellent.
ly this winter we mean such Ms
were carefully picked and handed
atterward. Those which were
brought to market in lumber wagons
got their fate sealed, and among
them you can take out some every
day that are beginning to rot.
A ball, the size of a hens egg,
made of tinc-cut chewing tobacco
and softened with molasses will re
lieve a choked cow or steer; elevate
the animals head, pull out the tongue
and crowd the ball AZ far down the
throat AS possible. In fifteen min
utes it will cause sickness and vom-
iting, relaxing the muscles SO that
the potato, or whatever may be
choking it, will be thrown up.
The farmers in Nebraska have
commenced the domestication OF the
buffalo. Wild animals, while young,
are introduced among herds OF tn"
tame stock, of course one or two at
a time. Half and quarter breeds are
found to be very hardy, and in the
yield Of milk the COWS raised Of mix
ed stock give even more than the av-
erage yield of rich milk. The ex.
pertinent promises we'll.
Mansfield Island, in Lake Erie,
has been bought by man who in
tends to stock it with black cats, and
kill their progeny for their fur. He
will feed them at first on fish caught
off the shore by men who will live
on the island; but after the enter
prise is well started he will utilize the
meat of the slaughtered cats as food
for the living cats. We also read
that Georgian is making an extern
sive business of raising dogs, tanning
their hides, and selling the leather
for glove making and other purposes.
Tragedies like the following some.
times occur in golden California:
'sJohn G. Dawes left two weeks ago
| with his flock of 1000 sheep tor the
| North. While crossing the alkali
lands near Tulare Lake, he camped
for the night, and when he awoke in
the morning he saw his sheep all ly-
ing down but one, and ON exainina.
ton found that there was but that
one alive. They had all died in the
night, causing loss Of about $1,000.
Millions of dollars are lost annual
ly in the United States, by neglect
to paint farm wagons, plows, harroMA,
etc. These things, if well painted
and kept under cover when not in
use, will last three times AZ long as
they will when not repainted after
two or three years use. Any farmer
can paint those things. All that is
needed is Venetian red and linseed
oil, halt raw and half boiled, then