The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-05-28
FARM, GARDEN AND HOME.
The NIOtherIess Turkeys.


by MARION DOUGLAS.
The white turkey was dead! The white turkey was
dead!
How the news through the barnyard went Hyingl
or Il mother bcrcit four small turkeys were left,
And their case for assistance was crying.
en- the peacock respectfully folded his tail,
Al Il suitable symbol Of sorrow;
And his palmer wife sad Now the old bird IL dead,
Who will tend her poor chicks on the morrow?
Who above them will watchrulIy hovcr?"
"Two each night will tuck meath my WINGS" fad
the duck,
Thoug, I've eight Of my own / must cover"
~ have so much TO dol For the bugs and the
In the garden, tits tiresomc pickin';
have nothing to tparc-for my own must care"
Said the hen with one chicken.
SHOW wsh," said the goose, ~ could be of some
For my heart is with love oyerbrimming;
The next morning that's fine they shall go with mine
Little yclow-backed gosings out swimming"
~ will do all can" the old Dorlng put in,
"And for help they may call upon me, too;
Though I've ten Of my own that only half-grown,
And great deal Of trouble to see TO.
"But those poor little things, they all head and
wings,
And their bones through their feathers stick
"Very hard, it may be, but, oh, don't to me %
Said the hen with one chicken.
.'Haf my care, suppose, there is nobody knows
I'm the most oyCrburdcned of mothers!
They must learn, little elves how TO scratch for
And not seek to depend upon Others"
She went by with cluck and the goose to the duck
Exclaimed in surprise swell never"
Said the duck, declare, those who have the least
care,
You will find, are complaining forever.
Sand when all things appear to look threatening and
drear,
And when troubles your pathway are thick in,
For aid IN your woe, oh, beware how you go
To hen with one chicken"
Care OF Cows Before and After CaIv.
ing.
National Live Stock Journal
Our readers will remember that we
have ever advised generous feeding of
cows through the winter, and generous
feeding through the whole milking sea-
son. We wish, however, to caution
those who feed well from feeding too
rich food for a week or SO before calving,
and the same time after calving. 1t is
proper to prevent all excitement to the
system at this critical period, and, there
fore, those who keep their cows in fine
condition during the period of non
lactation, should feed very sparingly just
before coming on, giving only cooling
food. The food richest in muscle-form-
ing elements, and poorest in heat and
fat-forming elements, is called cooling
food. Nice clover hay (malt sprouts), a
little bran, etc, may be given, but no
food very rich in oil or starch. But if n
pint of oil meal has been given through
the winter, no harm will come of con-
tinuing this small quantity, for this is a
cooling food and slightly loosening, but
must be given very cautiously near calv-
ing After calving, the food should be
light and cooling. The oil meal may be
increased to "a quart, as it is desired to
keep the bowels open. We never had
any trouble with COWS in cleaning when
fed pint of oil meal through the winter.
Simply hay and thin bran slop is suf.
ticient for six or eight days after calving,
as it is necessary to ward off all danger
of milk fever in heshy cows. After the
system has recovered from parturition,
then the food should be gradually in
creased up to full ration. A large
mixer draws heavily upon the food sup
ply, and, when all danger of milk fever
is passed, can make good use of all the
food she can digest and assimilate. And
when the cow comes up to her flush yield
of milk, great effort should be made to
keep it up.