Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-09-10
FARM AND PRESIDE.

FARM AND PRESIDE.
a 81 tz -------,.W
NOTICE THE SHEEP DAILY.-One rea-
son why we are so taken aback once in a
while byour sheep suddenly dying and
doing badly is that. we have not carefully
noticed them every day and they have got
ten badly out of whack before we saw any
thing amiss. They need to be watched
every day to see how each one eats, drinks
and gets up and goes of in the morning.
l think more time and sheep can be saved
by few minutes notice early in the morn
ing than any other time in the day. Often
sheep will come in in the evening full to
bursting, and seem to t3 all right, but in
the morning there is a changed appearance
altogether. The ears hang down and their
eyes are waterY, and the general appear.
ance is languid and dropping. It is a sure
indication of going annis Their health
demands attention at once. Lambs are
sure to show by cough aud grating Of
their teeth and a sickly look appearance
of what we call worms, which are SO much
to be dreaded in the fall after a wet sea-
son. Notice the sheep every chance you
get. Learn the individual habits Of each
sheep. Some Of them have individuality
strongly marked in them, and some of
them are like other folks, nob0dies in the
flock. Notice the dainty eaters, and if
they have poor chance at the grain and
hay put them off from the strong ones so
they can can go slow if they want to. No
tice the ewes at lambing time. Some
always have milk for their lambs to begin
with and some don't. Some never raise
lambs that amount to anything. These
you want to find out sure and sell to the
butcher. Notice the sheep that are sue
cess in raising lambs and in shearing heavy
leehes, and, being vigorous and healthy,
impart the same to their progeny. And
notice the feeble, imbecile sheep in your
flock that raise few or no lambs, and shear
light, dry feeces that cost you each year
a little more than they bring in to you, and
actually make you poorer. It don't pay to
raise feeble or deformed lamb. It don't
pay to keep old sheep. 1t don't pay to sell
the tops off your fiocks. It don't pay to
buy the tail end of somebody s flock. It
don't pay to keep scallawag end in your
flock. Notice what pays and what don't.
PROFIT IN HoGs.-In raising hogs, as
in other departments of live stock hus-
bandry the interest of the farmer is to get
!, 10 1o1, nd
feed. It has been shown repeatedly by
experiments that well-bred Berkshires and
Poland China swine will, under favorable
circumstances, produce IL pounds of pork
for bushel of corn. These instances may
not be very numerous, but show what can
be done without difficulty. From list of
experiments in feeding swine made in sew
eral States, the lowest average was five
and three-quarter pounds of pork to BUSH
81 of corn fed on the ground, and the high
est an average of twenty pounds, made by
feeding pair of pigs. green corn in the
ear. From thirteen experiments made,
the average was for every bushel of corn
10 pounds of pork. With good breed of
swine properly cared for, five and one
sixteenth pounds Of corn ought to produce
one pound of pork. This is a better aver
age than is generally obtained, but it is
both possible and practicable. Instead of
six pounds to the bushel-which is a fair
estimate with inferior animals to consume
the grain-the farmer ought not to be con-
tent with less than ten pounds. It is not
difficult to calculate what one is doing in
feeding corn to hogs in the way Of returns.
If one bushel of corn represents ten pounds
Of pork, and the price of pork is So per
hundred. the farmer is receiving 80 cts.
bushel for his corn, and if pork is 81
hundred he is getting 40 cents for corn.
8
BOIL A HAM.-Scrape well, and unless
fresh enough, soak it for four hours, then
wrap in coarse towel and place it in a
kettle of cold water. Add handful of
clean timothy hay, a carrot, two celery
roots, two medium sized onions, two bay
leaves, six cloves. and little parsley and
thyme. If the kettle is Of porcelain or
granite, or even bright tin one, put in
teacup of good cider vinegar, but do not
use vinegar in an iron kettle. Bring the
water to a boil and do not let it stop for
three or four hours. according to the size
Of the ham. Leave it in the water until
little cool, then skim, trim and sift thin
layer Of finely rolled crackers over it,
Bake for two hours in a moderate oven.-
A poor ham cooked in this way is made
passable and good one is rendered four
fold better than by simple boiling. At
least I think SO. Try it and see if you
don't too.
CHEAP AND GOOD VMEaAR.-Very
good vinegar can be made by mixing one
part good New Orleans molasses with four
or five times its measure Of water, and to
commence it, put in little yeast; set it in
warm place, cover it with gauze of
muslin to keep out the flies and give it air;
stir it often-the oftener the better, as it
will acidify the more rapjdly-and in a few
weeks it will be sharp. It is nice for
pickles. When it is once started it is very
little trouble or expense to add to it and
keep'a supply.
DRIED PEACH PUDDING.-Take one
pint of dried peaches and scald and stew
,,,,k;l loro houo v1Jorkp :,.s..