The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-11-07
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
The Farmer and the Fnx.-There

TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
The Farmer and the Fox.-There was
once a farmer who greatly desired to
keep a sufficient number of hens to sup
ply him with fresh eggs for breakfast
every morning, and also that he might
have pullet for dinner occasionally,
when the minister called, or when a
brother farmer dropped in to chat of the
weather and prospect in rise in
wheat, or kindred subjects. But though
he procured the best breeds that were
advertised in his agricultural papers,
and gave them all the corn they could
eat, with an occasional feed of other
grain, and full liberty to roam about the
farm at will and catch bugs and grass
hoppers to the extent of their ability,
yet he found that their number did not
increase, though he refrained from max
ing any inroads upon them himself, even
to the extent of single pot-pie.
BY some mysterious means their num-
bers decreased instead of increasing, un-
til at last he conceived the idea of put
ting fence about the barn-yard, so
high that no chicken could fly over it,
and SO tight that no vermin could get
through or under it; but scarcely had
he, with the assistance of a neighbor, got
| the first board nailed in its place when
a fox approached from his residence in
stone wall near by and begged to know
| the meaning of SO unusual q proceeding,
and what the intention was in going to
| the trouble and expense of building a
tight fence around the barn-yard.
Being informed thai it was for the
protection of his poultry interests, the
| fox smiled in bland and patronizing
kind of manner, and proceeded to tell
| the farmer that all that labor was use
less.
Go back TO your plow," said he,
and leave your poultry interests to me
and my friends. We have made this
matter a study, and know all about it.
| You are about to ruin yourself by your
action in this matter. 1t is a very deli
cate and complicated affair, this chicken
business, and is entirely beyond your
comprehension, [ see; you should not
attempt to act in such matters for your
self, but should leave it to us, who have
made the question of poultry the study
of our lives, as our fathers and grand.
fathers did before us. We are as directly
in crested in the matter as you are, and
understanding it better, it should be
left entirely to us"
Deceived by the reasoning, and RELY.
ing upon the promises of the fox, the
farmer ceased his labor on the fence
and returned to his plow, leaving the
fox to carry out the plans which he had
formed for conducting the business in
which he declared himself as much in.
terested as any one. But while still
providing the grain upon which they
feed, the farmer is still short of full
supply Of eggs for his breakfast, and the
expectation of dining with his friends
off pullets grows less and less as tht
years go by. The fox, however, bott
dimes and sups on chicken daily, holds
high carnival with his friends, anc
nightly sleeps on bed of down.
Fat and sleek and being understood t.
have sure income, obtained in tn,
poultry business, he is looked up to a
one competent to teach others, and dali,
writes long articles for the most widell
circulating newspapers upon the scienc
of raising poultry, which articles tn
farmer reads, and remembering that b
has himself failed to succeed fn tha
line, while the fox has succeeded, i
more than ever convinced that he doe
not and can not understand it; an
when the fox is nominated for Congress
throws up his hat and cheers, puts i
his ballot to help elect him, and IT
turns to his work of raising corn t
feed the chickens which he is never
eat.
Moral-Do your own thinking, rea
the best agricultural papers, and don
trust to any fox who only has his ow
interests at stake.
Disinfecting Cellars and OuthOuses.-
The article commonly used to disinfee
foul places is chloride of lime, but i
reality it is not of much value. 1t ma
and generally removes bad smells, BIT
the cause remains as the chloride sin
r ply destroys the gaseous emanation
5 The much advertised disinfectant
the old-fashioned 'copperas." or sulphat
= of iron, which can be had very chea1
t A barrel of copperas would weigh prol
ably three hundred pounds, and can |
) purchased at wholesale price for Gel
and half pound; and every famil
i ought, especially in warm weather,
have supply Of it on hand. A coup
), of handfuls of copperas thrown into
: bucket of water will soon dissolve and
d can then be used freely and is valuab
: disinfectant. The best plan is to fill
e half barrel or keg with water and su
|, pend within it moderate sized bask
Il of copperas. In this way it dissolv
more rapidly than when thrown to t
e bottom of the wooden vessel, and t
o supply is always at hand ready for US