The Osceola times., 1880-12-18
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
Zoo, Disease In a Cow-Wheat and Lime
Sheep in the Orchard.
FOOT DISEASE IN A COW.


feet and between the claws of the hoof,
followed by raw spots which are difficult
to heal, is known as amphithous fever.
Sometimes ii is accompanied by similar
blisters on the lips and tongue, when 1t
is called foot and mouth disease. IL is
fever or blood di,ease, and is contagious
and troublesome, but not serious, and
easily submits TO treatment as follows:
Give one pound Of salts, and when it has
operated, give one ounce of hyposulphite
OF soda daily; wash the sore spots with
water and soap, and dress them with an
ointment as follows, viz: Melt four
ounces of lard and one ounce OF copper
| (verdigris), and stir thoroughly, and
while still fluid add one ounce of turpen-
tine and stir until cold. Keep for use.
The ointment is excellent for any raw
sores or gals, and may be useluily kept
in any stable.
WHEAT AND LIME.
| Last year fallowed lot of thirty-fuur
acres that spring oats were made on;
finished seeding it in peas five pecks
per acre. the 9Th day of August. BY the
latter part of October the peas were two
and halt feet high and in full bloom.
! then plougbed them in, and spread on
| the land 80 bushels per acre of gas lime,
/ fresh from the city gas works. | then
| dragged in the lime and drilled one
| bushel OF amber wheat pei acre; it came
up well and grew off finely, and in the
| spring put on 100 sheep every dav to
| craze until the 18th of April and part of
the time forty head of cattle. We had
some lily and green louise that did some
damage. The wheat when thrashed
| yielded twenty bushels of good grain per
acre, weighing 62 l-2 pounds to the
busbel. Now say where is the harm IN
using as-lme?
+. Guy, Chesterfield Co., Va.
SHEEP IN THE ORCHARD.
The practice Of keeping sheep in the
apple orchard from the time the fruit
begins to fall till the approach of cold
weather, is gaining favor wherever it has
| been introduced. Most orchardists rec
commended seeding an orchard to grass as
soon as the trees are sufficiently large to
produce Il fair crop of fruit. In fact 1t is
| difficult to cultivate the soil after this
period without doing more harm than
good to the trees. Constant plowing is
| likely TO result in barking the trur ks of
| the trees, in breaking limbs that are
near the ground and in injuling the
roots that are near the surface. No crop
of any considerable value an be raised
after the trees are large enough TO shade
most OF the land. 1t is difficult to gather
! apples in an orchard where the ground
| between the trees has been recently
plowed.
Apples are most easily harvested in an
| orchard where the surface of the ground
is covered with short, soft grass. Ii rs
difficult to NOW the grass in the orchard
either with machine or band.scythe.
If "a machine is used it is likely to be
injured. The grass that grows in AN
| orchard is wanted as fertilizer for the
trees, and should be employed for that
purpose. By keeping sheep in an orchard
The grass will be kept short, and nearly
all the weeds and suckers destroyed.
Sheep will sometimes eat the bark OF
trees if there is a scarcity of food and
water, but this habit may be prevented
by occasionally smearing the trunks Of
the trees with some substance that will
render the bark dIstasteful. Sheep viii
keep the grass in an orchard short, and
cause it to become thick and soft, SO that
apples falling upon it at harvest time
will not be injured.
DN tNllue SuCcp III an blNllaIu lllt
fertility of the soil is insured, and the
trees kept ina thrifty state. If not more
than ten sheep are kept on each acre in
trees, the grass and the apples that fell
in consequence OF being bitten by insects,
or on account of the winds, will furnish
them sufficient supply of food The
number of sheep may be increased to
supplying some grain which may be
L.. cl. IL
case from the ground or placed directly
on the grass. A daily ration of grain
will be very beneficial to sheep that ale
eating succulent food as grass that grows
in the shade and juicy apples, as il sup
plies the elements Of food that are lack
ing in these substances. In fact thele can
be no better variety presented than
grass, apples, and corn or oats.
BY feeding considerable grain a large
number Of sheep may be kept in an
orchard with the greatest advantage both
to the animals and trees. The manure
of sheep is not only very rich in fertil
izing materials, but it is well distributed.
The presence of the droppines of sheep
under trees where fruit is to be gathered
is not Objectionable as is that of the
droppings of cattle and horses. When
SlteD are htDl Ill OftudIus pdllS sHOuIu
be taken to supply them with salt and
water. Ii there is no water on the
ground, and there is none In the majority
of cases, the sheep should be let out at
least once a day and allowed to 90 to
spring, stream, or well. If they are fed
grain on their return from watering they
will require no driving.
Sheep are of great advantage to an
orchard in destroying the codling moth,
which is at present the worst pest of the
apple. A large portion of the apples
that fall from the time they first set till
they get ripe contain worms, which are
the cause of their becoming detached
from the tree. Sheep eat all these apples
and thereby prevent new brood of
moths from returning to the trees. 1t is
true that all the apples that contain
worms do not fall before they are ripe.
| Many remain on the tree till harvest
time and are gathered and taken to the
cellar. Still, sheep, when they have the
run of an orchard, keep the moths in
| check.
The Scarcity OF Good Cooks.