Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-01-10
COUNTY NEWS.
FROM OUR OWN coRREsPoxDExTs.
ROME,

Eds. Tsl:-For several days past tn,
mercury has been capering around from
five to fifteen degrees below zero, until We
are quite desirouS to see it beginning tC
look up on the other side Of the line.
We have plenty of snow and fine sleigh.
ing, with the exception of general snow
blockade on our north and south roads.
Our farmers were never better prepared
tn meet hard winter, sc far as food fol
stock is concerned.
In view of the depressed state of the
cheese market, both in this country and
Europe, there is a large decline in the
price of dairy COWS. Estimating from the
price paid for COWS last spring, and the net
sales Of dairy products for 1878, it will re-
quire three years to pay for a COW from her
own products. A farmer is not doing a
safe and profitable business when his COWS
cannot be made to pay for themselves in
one season. From our own experience, we
have found that milch COWS, with proper
care. pay better profit in winter than in
summer. We are wintering two COWS on
corn fodder, finely cut, and oats in the
sheaf, with light feed of sugar beets, car
rots and corn in the ear twice a day, and
find no trouble in getting q yield Of two
pounds of butter from each, daily, besides
the little milk and cream used in a small
family. We also find that cut corn fodder
makes difference over feeding it whole, in
the yield of milk of about three quarts each,
daily. We have formerly been largely in
favor of wheat bran for milch COWS, al
though this will cause large increase in
the flow of milk, yet it makes the cream
miserably poor and the butter, if you can
make it come at all, still poorer.
In the line of blooded stock and fine i'm
ported sheep, few, if any, eau boast of a
finer display than R. E. Fillmore, Of this
place, and few can be found who take bet
ter care of their stock; every kind, being
supplied with warm stabling and plenty of
good feed the year round. Mr.. Fillmore
is model farmer, as well as stock raiser.
He is much III favor of the Berkshire pigs
for porkers. He lately dressed nine
months pig of that breed from the Dodges'
late importations from Canada, a fore
quarter of which We were so fortunate as
to obtain weighed, minus the head, ninety
eight aud one-half pounds. and as fine,
sweet DOrk as we ever ate,
On the first day of 1879, we were the
happy recipient of surprise party, con-
sisting of children, grandchildren, and
one great grandchild, and an aged sister,
ranging in ages all the way from fourteen
months to eighty-four years. They came
loaded down with The best products Of the
season, mostly prepared for the table.
Such table as they set for US old folks
eclipsed any donation table that We ever
assisted TO surround. Amongst the fine
cakes, too numerous to mention, was one
five stories high, with untold numbers of
smaller ones clinging to and, apparently,
trying to gain its lofty summit; this cake
with all the hungry crowd we were unable
to reach and it is left over for our future
use. Among the presents none were more
acceptable than blooded rooster from the
trio of fowls of Richard Robertson, of
Cherry Valley, for all of which our friends
have the thanks of Uncle and Aunt.
TIMOTHY.