The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-01
FARM AND GARDEN,

presume 40 not take the relnS III both
hands once in three months, so far as
need Of strength goes, when am driy-
Ing OH the road. or course there are
some horses that we must make trot If
they ever trot at all tor one do not
desire TO have any thing to do with
that sort of horses. But give me a
horse that Is natural trotter, and am
sure he will never 60 except in a trot,
unless by reason Of some pain in his
foot or somewhere else, that may cause
him to break. In that case the best
way is to let him alone. l am driving
tive-year-old colt that is fast. If he
breaks, let him run. After he has
been running six or eight rods, l hint
to him that 1t is just as fashionable for
him to strike his trot, and, If he does
not take that hint, in a little while,
give him another. But l don't yank
him, or jerk him, "pull him back"
"settle him down." "square him." as
phrases that do not mean anything.
The colt means to trot, and l know it,
and If fer some unaccOuntable cause
he breaks, | know the habit naturally
implanted in him will get him back to
his trot just us quick as he can. a
horse can not run awhile and catch
himself suddenly, without hurting
himself; so he will take another lump
or two. When he has jumped two or
three times, give litt,e touch to the
reins. suggesting to him that he may
as well trot. lie generally knows
what mean, but If he don't | tell him
again, and pretty soon l find him going
along with his tail rs straight as Il
spirit-level. l never on such Il horse,
use check rein, never put on martin
gales, but let him go, head up and tail
streaming. These are the ruddcrs in
tended to keep the horse true in his
gait, and you have no right to deprive
80 the rule is, that the hursc, If he is
Il sensible, lcvcl-hcaded horse, knows
great deal more than you do about
trotting, and you should let him have
his own way. This is my bost advice,
briefly put, in regard to driving.
a SIMPLE WAY TO TIGHTEN WAGON
TlREs.-l have found the following
way to tighten wagon tires to be sue
cessfnl: Apply leather rings between
the shoulders on the outer ends of the
spokes l,, ana the corresponding portions
Of the lellOcs, which may be done as
follows: Procure a number of small
pieces of leather, from an inch and Il
half to two inches III diameter; with
sharp knife and compasscs, or with a
cutting punch, make round holes in the
centres of these pieces, and make Il
straight cut from the noles to the outer
edges OF the pieces, SO rs to form open
rings. The holes must be made Of a
size that will nicely fit the lemons on
the outer ends Of the spokes. Place Il
fulcrum on the top of Il hub, on which
place your lever, with its short end
under the felloe, near Il spoke; have an
assistant bear down on the other end
sufficiently to raise the fclloc, and en-
pose the shoulder and tenon Of the
spoke; open your leather and fit it nice
ly around the tenon, holding it to its
place while your assistant relaXes the
lever, and settles the fell0c firmly upon
the lever by blow or two upon the
tire. Having repeated the process
with sufficient number of spokes to
make the tire all right, trim of tlfc
projecting leather even with the sur
face OF the spokcs, and your task will
DC done. If your pieces of leather
should be spongy, hammer them down
some before using.
PRICKLi tOMFREY.-T'rlckly comtrey
is recommended by a correspondent
for the feeding and fattcning of all
farm stock, and for increasing the milk
OF cows; it grows more rapidly and lux
uriantly than any other green soillng
plant, producing five or six corps Of
fifteen to twenty-five tons each per
acre, each season. 10 teach stock to
eat 1t, contine them, and after fasting
over night prepare a mixed choppcu
feed of comfrcy leaves and hay, grass,
corn, fodder or like palatable food.
Sprinkle with meal or bran and little
salt. When this Is eaten, feed drv hay
and turn out for the day. Next morn
ing increase the proportion of comfrcy,
and after few days they will leave al
most any food for the comfrey. About
one-half Of the animals will eat it at
first trial. Pigs and poultry eat II
greedily, and when kept in conflnc-
ment 1t will furnish the cheapest, best
and hardest forage with which to stock
the poultry yard. Comfrcy, being a
dccply-rootcd plant, is independent of
weather and climate, for in the drycst
and hottest seasons 1t will afford sever
al heavy cuttings when all other vege-
tation Is either burned up or at stand
still. 1t also comes in earlier than any
other crop and lasts longer, continu-
ny severe frosts. The roots NAV be
subdivided and planted at all seasons
OF the year, except in frosty weather,
and IN this way only can the plant be
propagated probably. Comfrcy cul-
tute Is simple; any good soil is either
forked or plowcd six or eight inches
deep and well manurcd. The root cut
tlngs, or sets, are then planted like po-
tato sets, three feet apart, say 900 to
quarter of an acre. In winter thc
roots ought to be we'll dressed with
manure or sewage, and when once this
plant Is established no further expense
IS needed.
HOMEMADE GUANO.--Collcct a bar
rel OF bones, crush them; mix with a
barrel Of oak or hickory ashes moisten
with soap.suds, apply a quart or two as
speclai 1ertiiizer on.melons, squashes,
carly corn and cucumbers ALLOWING y
gill to hill.
An Alpino Avalanche.