The Osceola times., 1880-11-27
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
Bedding Cattte-Materials for koads-An
txcess OF Appies-Agricuiturni Notes.
BEDDING FOR CATTLE.

There is no farm work, considering the
OUTLAY, that pays so large dividends as
the procuring OF some sort OF bedding Tor
the cattle, for it not only keeps them
clean-a great point in itself-but also
promotes their growth and thriftiness,
and the additional accumulation for the
manure pile will more than pay Tor the
labor. There Is usually large amount
of litter that goes to waste, that II tnus
utilized would be Of great service, Suav,
oats, cut corn buts, ETC., are valuable. ana
fine sand is not Objectionable, for In IT.
self il is one of the most cleanly OF beds,
and as it is large absorber OF liquids,
and is of real benefit to clay land, there
is no solid reason why few loads oil IL
may not be judiciously used. A farmer
of our acquaintance late in the fall takes
his trucks, puts in long stakes, and makes
four foot deep box and gathers forest
leaves. One man gathers them WIN
rake and basket These leaves are stored
away in an unused stable, and, what
can be crowded Into bushel basket,
makes Q fine bed for stable OF cows ior
II couple of nights, and are fine absorb
ents. There is no farmer but that can
pr wide bedding of some kind. and also
have dry, wholesome stables for his cat.
lie. and, IL he consults his interests, and
once fully tests the value OF plenty OF
bedding. he will alwavs in the future
practice bedding his cattle and stock.
The rain ordinarily washes from roads
the droppings of horses and cattle, and
the soft earth that should not have
been placed ON them. In this re-
spect it improves roads more than 1t
Injuries them. The material washed OIL
should not be put back. 1t is a good
-anure, and it Will paw to haul and
spread it on fields that are near the
bitches where it accumulates. 1t is an
excel. mt manure for sandy soils, and can
be easily handled when il is neither very
wet nor very dry. II farmers will not
move il for manure, it should be thrown
away from the road, and not upon 1t.
road should be composed OF materials
that will readily wash away; that will
not absorb much water, and which Will
become tolerably compact by the tread
Of animals and the pressure made by the
wheels of vehicles. The material that Is
cheapest and most available IN the ma
iority of locations is clean gravel. The
substance that often passes by the name
of gravel, but which is mixture OF
small stones, sticky clay, and mud, is
entirely unsuitable for covering roads.
The hest gravel is obtained from the
banks of running streams or from the
beds of streams that are now dry. Ii
meets every requirement.
MATERIALS FOR ROADS.
II is the practice Of many highway sur
yeyors to have the bitches by the sides
OF roads cleaned out in the tall of the
ear. and the earth that has washed into
them thrown on top OF the road-bed.
They think it is advantageous t. have
the top of the road rai.ed as high a.
possible, and they know that it is neces'
sary TO have the bitches cleared out so
that the water may have chance to run.
They have AN idea that they can accom-
plish TWO desirable things at the same
time, il in taking the washings from the
bitches they throw them on top of the
road. In point of fact they are doing
verv great injury to the road. An tx
animation of the compost ion OF the ma
terial removed from the bitches will
show that it is entirely unsuited for
forming q good road.bed, II consists
largely of forest leaves and grass blown
toy the wind, and of manure and soft soil
washed down by the rain. Ii holds
water like sponge. When wet it has
the same consistency as barnyard man
ure. A slight rain converts II into mud;
a continuous drought causes it to be
reduced to fine dust by passing wagons.
In the winter it freezes, and in the
spring it thaws ont, leaving the road in
the condition OF mire.
AN ExcEo OF APPLES.
One Of the most singular complaints
coming from the cultivator Of the soil
this year, IS of having too many APPLE!
One farmer in Massachusetts IL about to
cut down one.hali his trees, which will
give him more than he can use or dis
pose of. But probably he forgets that
next year his trees may hear poorly and
he may need the product of all his trees
and then not have half enough. Only a
few years ago the complaint was general
in this State that apple growing had come
TO an end; but now we have more than
we know what TO do with. The apples
can be at least converted into cider. and
the cider into vinegar, and then we shall
have supply OF what We have been 30
long craving ior-pure cider vinegar.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
The Home Journal, published at LOUIS
vile, KY, says that malignant disease
has broken out among the cows at Port
land, a suburb of that city. Several have
died suddenly, and others are suffering.
Some say that 1t comes from eating cat
erpillars that swarm in the grass, and
others believe it to be meningitis, while
others yet say it il from poison of some
kind
A letter from Pennington, Mich, mar
rates the following remarkable occur
renee: Rex Woodwork, OF Pennington,
has COW fifteen years old that gave birth
to two calves under rather peculiar cir
cumstances. On Tuesday, September 10,
she dropped fine heif-r calf, nothing
unusual being noticed at the time. Two
days after she gave birth TO another, also
n heifer calf. B Ith calves are of the
same size and well matched, and are the
second pair of twins from the COW.
In the Indiana Farmer mention is made
of the Bokhara clover, now on trial in
the experimental plats OF Indiana State
Agricultural College, and spoken of as
bidding fair to become valuable addi-
ton to the forage plants Of the States. 1t
is of remarkable thrifty growth, and
can be cut two or three times dutng the
season. 1t is also an excellent bee plant
The Fdrmer recommends it to the atten-
ton of farmers who are desirous Of grow
ing cheaper fodder for stock.
A curious experiment has lately been
performed BY NJ Lambotte, the follow
ing account of which is taken from the
Repue Horticole M. Lambotte tells us
tnat in the spring OF the year, while