Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-22

Gentle treatment and rapid and close
milking will tend to the greatest develop
ment of the milk in COWS. while the con-
trary practices will have the effect of
materially reducing the quantity. Above
all do not expect full returns without
furnishing an abundance Of the best feed.
y continuous use of Merino bucks
builds up, upon II stock of inferior ewes,
II flock Of fine and densely- wooed ami
mails, with marvellous rapidty. A Next
can eve shearing one pound of coarse
wool. if bred to pure Merino buck, will
produce p lamb, which when IL year old
will shear at least three pounds of much
finer wool; and the produce of this lamb,
if 1t eve and bred to the Merno, will go
up to four and four and one.llalf OF five
pounds of still finer wool.
When harness loses its lustre and turns
brown. which almost any leather will do
after long exposure to the air, the harness
should be given II new coat of grain
black. Before using this grain black, the
grain surface should be well washed with
potash water until all the grease is killed,
and after the application of the grain
black, oil and tallow should be applied to
the surface. This will not only ftsten the
color, but make the leather flexible. Har-
ness which is grained can be kept clean
with kerosene or spirits of turpentine.
Within few days of the same date.
chicks were Matched out at the Ruru
grounds from Partridge Cochins, Black
Hamburghs and Plymouth Rocks. The
last mentioned were the first to lay-the
s,,t r,,,t ,I,1 10 Il ,I>
mature OF the brood of ten, two are
black-largcr than the others and the first
to lay Of the Plymouth Rock brood. If
the Plymouth Rock can be considered u
fixed variety, these two black hens may
he considered sports" or rs revertng
back to one of the original progeniors.--
RHrai NctO Yorker.
The Alfalfa, now so famous, is only the
Iucerne of England, acclimated in Chill,
and from thence was transferred to Cali
fornia. In England it had the advantages
of a very humid climate; in Chill. the
disadvantages of Il very dry one. But
when it had been made to thrive there, it
was just the grass for the dry climate of
California 1t would not flourish every
where. 1t was very sensitive to frost in
the early stages of its growth. Yet in
England, and in Pennsylvania where it is
produced, we hear little about its being
killed by frost In Chill its character was
changed. 1t did not make The battle
against frost, but against drought. 1t
bears the same character in California
San Francisco Bulletin.
VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT
The thoroughness with which the Yer
monters carry out their work generally is
cXempl!tied by the character of the annual
report of the State Board of Agriculture,
which we have received by the kindness
ef IL. NJ. Seely, of Middlebury. secretary
of the board. The report forms neat
volume of four hendred pages, which are
filled with useful practical matter, mainly
in the shape of exceedingly short and
pithy essays upon various subjects per-
tanning to agriculture. These include,
among others, horse culture, dairy cows,
dairy operations, sugar making, merino
sheep-all Of them closely connected with
Vermont special industries; and in addi-
ton there are papers upon injurious in
sects and the pestferous weed Danthonia,
II useless grass which is rapidly covering
the pastures in portions of the state, and
many other subjects too numerous to men,
lion. The report contains also the pro-
ceedngs of the Vermont Darvmen's
Association. and is a valuable book both
for study and reference York Times.
The WAY GERMAN ARMY HORSES ARE
FED.-The horses of the German army are
now fed with biscuits. These consist of
thirty parts of oat flour, thirty parts of
deXtrinated pea flour, thirty parts of rye
flour, ten parts of linseed flour; sometimes
of twenty parts OF pea flour, twenty parts
of wheat flour, twenty parts corn meal,
twenty parts Of grated bread, and ten
parts OF linseod flour. The ingredients
are made into biscuits. The first named
mixture is the best. These biscuits are
made with hole in the middle of each, SO
they can be strung on string and hang TO
the saddle bow, or be carried by the troop
cr around his waist. Each biscuit weighs
when baked dry and hard, about two
ounces. Seven biscuits are broken up and
given to the horse in the morning. moist
ened with water if convenient, otherwise
dry-twelvo at noon, and seven ut night.
After careful experiment in camp on the
march, and campaigning, they are report
ed by all the cavalry and artillery officers
better than oats. A trooper can easily car
ry thirty pounds Of these biscuits, which
will furnish his horse with full rations for
eight days, or will serve, with forage, for
twelve days hard marching.