The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-01-03
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.

Black Leg.-Hon A. Grey, Secretary
Kansas Board of agriculture, in answer to
an inquiry as to the best method of
treating Black-leg in Cattle wrote as
follows:
The most successful treatment of
which have any knowledge, is to avoid
too stimulating diet, and bleed in the
neck. Calves which have been pampered
are far more likely to have the disease
than those thin in flesh. After the
jellied condition of the legs or neck,
which is characteristic of the disease,
has taken place, / know of no remedy.
Whenever it makes its appearance in a
given herd, it would be well to bleed
ALL both well and sick. until they are
somewhat weakened. l place more con-
fidence in bleeding as a preventive
than remedy. Local bleeding does not
answer the purpose, nor Sitting the
affected parts. These only add cruelty,
without good results.
I shall take special pains to consult
some of the best veterinary authorities
on this subject; and if additional in
formation and treatment is obtained,
will at once transmit the same to you.
Brahmas not Great Eaters.-I often
read articles in the papers from men
who have had little or no experience in
keeping brahma fowls, stating that they
are great eaters. AS | have bred brahmas
since 1852, | claim to know something
about what it costs to feed them, and
this winters feed fer fifty full grown
light brahmas is fair estimate for any
season. | feed daily seven quarts, of
corn and wheat screenings, half of each
and nothing else. My fowls ON this
quantity of feed often get too fat to lay
well and then | cut down the quantity
| for few weeks.
Before l procured the brahmas | kept
them ON less than a gill of grain day
on an average, or about three hundred
and sixty-tiye gills per fowl per year,
being bushel and peck per year.
| Rating seven quarts of grain daily for
fifty full grown brahmas, it amounts to
| fifty-one quarts year for each fowl, or
little over bushel and a half per fowl
and | may safely say that the quantity
of feed required by all the small breeds
of fowls is about bushel and quarter
and by brahmas about a bushel and a
half year.
Potatoes and PloWing.-Among the
papers read at the recent meeting of the
Connecticut Board of Agriculture, two in.
teresting ones were by William Hunt OF
Waterford, on i" The deterioration of the
Potato" and Prof. Levi Stoekbridge ot
Amherst On Flowing" Mr.. Hunt
gave the result of his study in search OF
good tubers. He thought that the fault
in the many poor crops of potatoes was
not that the potato was losing its power
but that the seed planted was generally
of a low quality, selected because il
could not be Sold A lair crop can only
be raised by planting fair seed. 1t il
also necessary to obtain a good and uni
form crop that only one variety of potato
be planted in lot, as the different va
rieties amalgamate through their bios
som and lose their distinctive qualitie
and their value. The speaker though
for the potato.
Stockbridge thought that all heavy o
stiff soil should be plowed in the fall
that the frost might act on it. and max
it more broken, as frost has this power 0
disintegration on such soil when plowed
Light SOILS, tuab Is, tHoSe InpIeSHdte
, with sand, should not be plowed in tn
fall. Turf land should be plowed in tn
+ fall. He would plow lap furrows in tur
soil, and ridged burrows in field thatha
+ been previously cultivated. This woul
: let the frost act on it to greater depth
: and give it the benefit of its action. Th
!, depth to plow is generally ruled by th
soil, but deep blowing is never of benefi
that is, if it goes below the surface {
: agricultural soil. If the agriculture
6 soil was shallow he would add to it grac
. ually, an inch a year, but never>try
y make deep soil all at once. The bes
: plowing is that which most leaves
. shiny surface. He approved of a cappe
furrow on heavy lands, and a fiat furro
= ON loose or sandy soils. The plow to- us
Z is also to be ruled greatly by the natul
, of the soil. Alluvial and sandy so
:, should not be touched by subsoil plol
= Clay loan, and the pan formed by sha
! low plowing, can be benefited by SUI
% soil plowing. He thought a knowleds
;s of arranging the plow needed to NAL
% plowing easy.