Connecticut western news., 1880-06-02
FARM AND GARDEN.
SHEEP.

Ury to udNo GuoIu COuu0 dllIIo SO SdI1y. Began to feed the lambs little oil meal as soon as they could be learned to eat it. Did not give the old sheep any, but put it where the lambs could eat it, and the sheep could not get at it. Lambs ought to average about sixty pounds, live weight, each by the middle of June had often had his early lambs get to that weight in May, and then they used to bring ten dollars each very easily {; had begun shearing his sheep; expected about hundred pounds of wool from eighteen sheep. This, and the lambs, even at present prices, would make sheep about as profitable stock as he could keep, especially for the amount of money invested :; was not particular about his sheep or even the buck being pure bred, though liked about as good as he could get for reasonable price did not breed in, but changed his buck as often as necessary to prevent that, and thought more e-of getting good animal than of long pedigree.
 HENS EATING THEIR FEATHERS.
 Four years ago, says Cape God farmer, I was much troubled by my hens tearing the feathers from each other and eating them with greedy appetite, until they were all nearly naked. Iknew they were well fed, and had 8 good variety of food; plenty of mill feed, scraps, wheat screenings and green feed once day So it was not that. Then I tried fresh meat and several other remedies without avail. At last I thought it might be want of salt, so I fed them chopped salt pork, about two pounds to twenty-five hens, twice 8 week, and that stopped it. Since then fed them once in 8 while g. few clans or herrings, and salt their mill feed once UT twice week, using about 9 tablespoonful of salt to peck of feed !; make it just wet enough to crumble. If t is convenient, load of seaweed in their yards is excellent for them. Hens require about as much salt in their feed as we do to make it palatable, but you must be sure to keep plenty of water by them. This is also necessary to keep them in good health. I think those who try this remedy will have no further trouble.
 A subscriber in Maine, who has been constant reader of the Journal for thirty years, adds his testimony in favo. of salt, by recommending Ga tablespoon ful of salt to two quarts of meal or shorts, scalded and well mixed" He has used it for the last eight years with success Does not say how often he feeds it. I think I prefer the smaller quantity, and fed as recommended above, once or twice | a week.
 DRY COWS.
 It is common practice among some dairymen to give their COWS, when dry, but scanty living. When a COW ceases to give milk, or is dried up, any feed is | considered good enough for her. I think this is 8 great mistake, and the re- suit is diminished product of milk, both quantity and quality, when she does come in. There is large draught on the system to sustain the calf while the COW is carrying it, and, to keep the COW in good condition good food is as impor- tant as when she is giving milk. It is my opinion that one dollars worth of | food when the COW is in calf is worth one and half dollars after she comes in. An animal in poor condition cannot di- gest as much food as an animal in good condition. If COW IS poor when she comes in she will not digest enough food to support the system, and, at the same time, to make large quantity of milk. WASTES OF THE FARM.
 The Farmers Club, of Lakeville, Mass. discussed "The Wastes of the Farm. " D. l.. F. Swift said that among the wastes the first named was paying taxes on un- productive land, of which some farmers have too much. Hedges suffered to grow up on headlands are another :; continued blowing from year to year round field and turning the furrows out is waste. MT. Sampson said what is not utilized is wanted He spoke of his farm and that l of brother, that formerly kept twenty l six head of cattle, two horses and fifty sheep, now keeps seven head and they have to buy hay and grain to get them through. He condemned composing as waste of labor. Pasturing by day and yarding cattle by night is farm waste. It is a waste to keep crops too long; po- tatoes with shrinkage of fifteen per cent. since last fall sell now for forty cents bushel, that would have brought sixty last fall. He thought it waste to put manure for four acres on eight acres. 1 It is 8 waste for land to lie idle, as it grows less productive.
 | LIME WASH.
 A good stone color may be had by add ing lampblack and raw umber to white wash, for outbuildings and fences. I make first the whitewash. I put half a bushel of lime into clean, water-t tight barrel and slack it with boiling hot water, stirring briskly until it is slaked :; then I add pound of salt and two pounds of sulphate of zinc to harden the wash and keep it from rubbing off. To this amount of wash for stone color I add two pounds of lampblack and four pounds of raw umber. For cellars which, by the way, ought to be thor oughly cleaned out now if not already done-I use the plain whitewash on walls and ceilings, for it tends to keep the place sweet and healthy. use the same for the inside of chicken houses. When