The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-03-15
TOPICS FOR TIE FARM.
How to Air Apartments.-It is


How to Air Apartments.-It is the
general practice to open only the lower
part of the windows of a room in ventil-
ating it, whereas if the upper part
were also opened, the object would be
more speedily effected. The air in an
apartment is usually heated to a higher
temperature than the outer air, and it
is thus rendered lighter, and as the
outer air rushes in, the warmer and
lighter air is forced upward, and find
ing no outlet remains in the room. If a
candle be held in the doorway near the
door, it will be found that the flame
will be blown inward; but, if itbe raised
nearly to the top of the doorway, it will
go outward the warm air flowing out at
the top, while the cold air flows in at
the bottom. A current of warm air
from the room is generally rushing up
the fue of the chimney if the fue be
open, even though there should be no
fire in the stove; therefore open fire.
places are the best ventilators we can
have for chamber, with an opening
arranged in the chimney near the
ceiling.
Breeding for a Specific Purpose
We quote from an article on this subject,
by Alexander Hyde, in New York
paper: We have spoken of the peculiar
specially Of the Jerseys, but the prin-
ciple applies to all the specialties for
which we breed animals. For long
time after the introduction of the Dur
hams-the beef makers-the am was to
get strains of blood that would furnish
milk as well as beef. The struggle in
this direction is still continued in some
parts of the country, but the inherited
tendency of this breed is 20 strong for
putting on fat and flesh that most breed
ers of Durhams find it better economy
to keep few Ayrshires or Jerseys to
supply what milk they need, and to
devote the energies of their Durhams to
beef. AS Prof. Miles, in his recent val
liable treatise on stock breeding, puts it,
Breeders who have been most success
full in improving the various pure breeds
have endeavored to obtain the highest
development OF some one quality, while
others which they looked upon as of
secondary Importance have been quite
generally neglected. And he adds,
When the entire energies of the system
are acting in particular direction, as
they must do to insure the highest
development of single quality, there is
no residuum of force for the development
of other qualities that is not strictly
correlated with the one that is made
dominant"
This is sound philosophy, and breed
ers are more and more convinced that
it is good practice. Not that different
good qualities in the same animal are
wholly incompatible, nor that very
respectable degree of excellence in diff
ferent qualities is not desirable and
attainable; but as a general rule, the
animal that is bred with reference to
ex ellence in all points would turn out
as " the jack of all trades, good for
none" The breeder of Jerseys who
should endeayor to incorporate with his
stock tendency to fatten would make
great mistake. If the hereditary ten
dency is to convert the carbon of the
food into butter, it is foolish to try and
divert it into beef. Butter is more
valuable than tallow. Wool and mutton
are more compatible than beef and but
ter, but, to the producer of No. l NUT
ton, wool must be secondary consider
alton, and the wool grower must breed
animals whose skin, face, legs, and all
are covered, and if he can breed
wrlnkled sheep so as to double the wool
bearing surface, all the better for wool,
but not so good for mutton.
On this point, Prof. Brewer, of Yale
College, makes these sensible remarks:
" We hear SO much said about animals
for general use being better than those
for special use by farmers, otherwise
sensible and thrifty. that | must dwell
a moment on it, and insist that there is
no such thing as the best animal for
general use. The farmer who tries to
breed horse for all work will as surely
fail as if he were searching for the
philosophers stone. A dog that would
hunt foxes, kill wolves, tend sheep, kill
rats, course rabbits, and watch the
house equally well, would be a wonder.
No one expects to have sheep for gen.
eral use-for fine wool, coarse wool and
mutton. Why should we ask similar
impossibility of horse or a cow
We must not be understood as advis-
ing all farmers to go into the business
of raising thoroughbred stock. Not
every one has the capital or the taste
requisite for success in this fancy sort
of business. Besides, if all were breed
ers of fancy stock, whence would come
the fancy profits? Let the rich
amateurs give their attention to breed
ing thoroughbreds. For all the prac-
tical purposes of the common farmer, ex-
ceptfor sale as breeders, grade animals are
Just as good as thoroughbreds. By ju-
dicious and persevering use of,thorough-
bred males for crossing, as good beef,
butter, wool, and pork can be produced
as any breeder of thoroughbred animals
can exhibit. The high grade is equal to
the task Of yielding any desired speciality
in the fullness of its perfection.