The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-07-29
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
straw for Horses.

dIgestible matter of good meadow hay. |
horse fed on good hay will keep in |
good condition when worked only |
enough to give sufficient exercise. Ii fed |
cut straw only he should have from six |
to eight quarts of oats per diem with |
his straw, and if he has much work to |
do the grain ration should be increased
to ten, twelve or more quarts daily. In
some livery stables when straw vs. fed, q
mixture of oats, bran and corn meal is
fed, which keeps the animals looking
and doing better than when fed only oats
and straw. 1t would be near enough
for all practical purposes to call the
straw worth half as much as good hay,
and the other half must be supplied in
the shape of grain. Country Gentleman.
The Econ omy or soiiing,
Soiling saves feed and labor. One
acre of oats will feed twenty-five COWS
for a week. An acre of good clover
and orchard grass has fed the same
number four days. An acre of half
grown corn, planted in rows three feet
apart, will feed them for ten days, and
when full-g grown will last for twenty
days. Twenty-Five COWS will use up
one acre of good pasture in one day.
But in soiling all the ground can be
made to produce two crops, a ID some
of it three, and although the pasture
will keep on growing, yet it will not
grow so fast as crops-on plowed ground,
and the surface soon becomes soiled and
spoiled by the droppings. On the other
| hand, when cows are soiled, all the
manure is saved, and can be gathered
and p ut out on the fields as it may be
wanted. There is economy in feeding
and in saving manure; and in practice
f,rr@ nrn lnra to- h
| ling the stock which any number Of
acres can carry. 1t is practice adapted
especially for dairy farming on high
priced Ian Is, and where there is a
market for all kinds of produce. There
are no panaceas or specifics which will
suit every case, and those persons who
make hobbies of things which are use
full or practicable in suitable cases, and
insist they are applicable everywhere,
will be apt to disappoint themselves and
those who listen to them. The wise
course is to find out what suits each
particular case and then persevere with
it until it is made successful.
DuckIings.
Ducklings are as liable to die of
chills and cramps as young turkeys, and
for that reason must be kept from ex-
posure to cold rains and heavy dews,
and away from the streams and ponds
until they are month or six weeks old.
When the eggs are Matched by duck
she will strike bee.line for the water
with her web-footed children almost as
soon as they are out of the shell, and as
young ducks are not overburdened with
sense they are apt to stay in the water
until they are "wet through" then
about one-half of them will die with
chills, and the mother duck will wander
around in the dewy grass until most of
the remainding half die from exposure.
If by chance any survive this course of
treatment you will find that constant
exposure has stunted their growth, and
that they will never make as large birds
as they would have been had they been
properly cared for. Hen mothers do
not show such marked anxiety to get
rid of their charges, and for that reason
are preferred. AS soon as the ducklings
are well out of the 81 ell keep them in a
coop for about week. Water that has
had the chill taken off may be supplied
in shallow pans, and the ducklings will
dahhle around in it and enjoy it. Have
from the stream or pond, and they must
be moved at least three times week to
fresh ground. After the ducklings are q
week old, if they had u hen mother,
the pen may be opened on pleasant days
after the dew is off the grass, and the
mother and her brood al owed liberty
to wander around in search of food.
By the time they are six weeks old their
under feathers will be well out, and they
may be allowed unlimited range. Duck.
lings are great eaters, and will eat almost
anything in the shape Of food. Give
cooked food, with plenty Of green food
until they are Old enough to have free
range. Almost any kind of food that
you would give chicks and young tur.
keys is good for ducklings. Until they
take to the pond or stream, unless insect
forage is plenty, give q little cooked
meat. Feed them often, but never give
all they can possibly swallow; some
times ducklings will eat until they xii
themselves After they take to thu
water they will pick up large amount
of the food that suits them best, and fol
this reason ducks are economically raise.
in the heighborhood of ponds, streams
wet marshes, or near the sea.-PTniTit
Farmer.
- Household Hints.
HANGING UP CoATs.-A heavy gar
ment like an overcoat, if hung by tn,
loop at the back of the collar will soor
, stretch out of shape by its own weight
To avoid this, various devices have beer
made, some of wire and others of wood
A piece of hard wood, long enough t,
reach from the outside of one sleeve Il
the other, will answer this purpose; i
should have hole bored through th
center, or loop of strong cord to ham,
it upon the nail or hook. Under-coat
and vests may be hung in the same way
For the "best suits" this little matter i
of considerable Importance to all win
desire their coats to not be full in tn
, back of the neck, and therefore out @
l shape.
To MAKE Doors WATERPRoOF.-On
, simple plan for making boots and shoe
proof against snow-water is nothin
, more than a little beeswax and muttol
suet warmed in pipkin until in
!, liquid state. Then rub some of it light
I over the edges of the sole where tn
. stitches are, which will repel the we
and not in the least prevent the blackin
o from having the usual effect.
/ CHEAP SCREENs.-Very pretty an
f useful screens are made of the commo
u laundry clothes-frames, which open
Q leaves, by painting the uprights blac
: and gliding them, and covering The side
n with crash, canvas or gray linen.
e screen covered with large fiowere
), cretonne put on plain is entirely usefu
= and may be set off with fluted frill
n bands or plain stuff of coarse lace.
K Does the Eucalyptus Prevent Fever