Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1879-10-01
Farm. Garden and Household.
WHICH PAYS BEST =?

How often do we hear farmers ask
this question Which will pay me
best, cattle or sheep? Now, there is
much difference of opinion on this
question. Those that keep cattle claim
that they are the most profitable, and
those that keep sheep think the same
of their hocks. / claim that sheep are
the most profitable, and l will try and
prove it. Take, for instance, a two
year-old steer, weighing 1000 pounds,
worth 4 cents pound, or $40; what
is the cost of raising to that age!
First year to milk, grain and hay,
xl2: one summers pasture, S4; SIX
months feeding hay and grain, SIS
making the total cost $32. This Is
yery low estimate, everything being
down to the lowest notch. Now, you
see that it has cost $32 to raise this
steer, and be is sold for $40. Subtract
his keeping from what be sold for and
you have the profit of S8. This Is
counting nothing for trouble, allowing
the manure to balance that.
Now for the sheep. 1t will cost to
raise and keep eight lambs until they
are one year old, for pasture, hay and
grain, $40; making their total cost
from birth until two years old s32;
Now for the other side. Eight head
of sheep, weighing l25 pounds per
head, making 1000 pounds at 4 cents
per pound, is $40. Two clips of wool,
l6 feeces, weighing 5 pounds per
fleece makes 80 pounds of wool at
/ 80 cents per pound, $3.50. Now
take the $40 that the sheep sold for,
and YOU have $3.50 as total receipts.
Subtract cost from this and you have
s33. 60 profit on eight sheep against 50
profit on steer, both weighing the same
at the same age, and both costing the
same for keep, leaving balance OF
S25. so in favor of the sheep, showing
clearly that it is better to keep sheep
than cattle, especially where we have
small farms. / think that this estl-
mate is correct, taking prices in this
neighborhood as basis.-Er.
COW CHOKING.
A veteran farmer told me few days
ago of a method of relieving choking
COW. which he assured me was unfail-
ing. 1t is worthy of trial at any rate.
A round stick, Two or three incnes
long, is put into the cows mouth, like
a bit into horses mouth. A string
is then fastened to each end of the
stick and tied to the horns or up over
the head This forces her to keep her
mouth open and allows the gas which
forms in the stomach, and is the cause
of the severe pain and rapid swelling
which accompanies choking IN cow,
to escape. The effort also Of trying to
rid the mouth of its unusual encum-
brance is the best help toward freeing
the passage of the throat; if the trou-
BILE is not removed in this way the cow
may be kept alive until help is OBJ
tanned for trying other measures ior
her relief. In such cases time is OF
great Importance. He assures me has
seen his plan tried in many cases, and
in none had it ever failed of complete
cure in less than half an hour.-ET.
WINTER TREATMENT OF POULTRY.
A correspondent in addressing US on
this subject, says in brief, that each
fowl ought to produce l60 eggs year;
that in winter warmth is indispensa-
BILE; that the fowls must have some OF
the food they find at other seasons
when at large; that they must have
plenty of room in their house, and it
and the laying boxes kept clean; that
they must be fed with corn, barley,
oats, have box of sand, oyster or
clam shells pounded up, or old mortar,
or bones dried and pounded fine; that
mashed boiled potatoes and corn meal
are excellent that fatty matter of any
kind, fresh beef or pork scraps, &c,
must form portion of their diet; that
hens are fond of vegetable matter dur
ing winter and will eat cabbage, &c;
and that they must be kept free from
vermin, which nearly always follows
entire cleanliness. In case, however,
vermin should still make their appear
ance, there is nothing so effective in
removing them as rubbing the top of
the head, under the wings and upon
the back with lard. These sugges-
tions we have made time and again,
and have only to add now that all
who desire complete success, and, OF
course, satisfactory profit from poultry
raising, must adopt them.
TO KEEP APPLES.
Apples to be good keepers must be
free from bruise or blemish. They
must be spread out on shelves or
packed in barrels, and kept in an at
mosphere of from forty to fifty de-
grces, better from forty to forty-ivc-
that is at temperature as equable as
possible. Some cellars are just the
thing, and preserve them beautifully.
Others are too moist. Where this is
the case few bushels of stone lime
should be used Sliding shelves, six
inches apart, latticed bottom with
single layer of fruit, are extremely
convenient, as they allow of constant
examination without disturbing the
fruit.
TO TIGHTEN WAGON TIRES.
The following way of tightening
wagon tires will be found to be sue
cessful. Apply leather rings between
the shoulders on the outer ends of the
spokes and the corresponding portions
Of the felloes, which may be done as
follows: Procure a number of small
pieces of leather from an inch and a
half to two inches in diameter; with q
sharp knife and compasses or with a
cutting punch make round holes in the
centres of these pieces, and make a
straight cut from the holes to the outer
edge of the pieces, so as to form open
rings. The holes must be made of O
size that will nicely fit the lemons on
the outer ends of the spokes. Place a
fulcrum on the top of the hub, on
which place your lever, with its short
end under the felloe, near spoke !;
have nm aeeistant haar dnwn on Tho