Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-07-07
FARM NOTES.

The man who neglects to purchase
a pure bred ram because it costs more
than common one, is the man who
always insists that sheep are very un-
profitable.
1t does not require heavy pastures
for sheep. They are great foragers,
and weeds, leaves, and even stubble
enters into their bill of fare. They
equal the goat in that respect.
Some Texas farmers will try the ex-
pertinent of importing the Lubbock
beetles from Russia. These beetles are
very vOracious, and live on grasshoppers,
locusts, cotton worms, and everything
that destroy crops.
On the extensive seed farm of Messrs.
Landreth 81 Sons not chicken is to be
found, but large number of guinea
fowls are allowed the freedom of the
grounds, which destroy insects of ev-
cry kind, and are considered invaluable
in this respect.
When fattening an animal fer beef.
let the process be quick as possible.
Any stint in feeding will make the
meat tough and dry. Stall fed animals
will fatten more readily than others.
and young animals require richer foci
than older ones.
Sheep raising in Texas continues to
be profitable. In 1875 Mr.. Mckenzie
started in the business in Maverick
county, with capital of $40. AS the
result of five years business his clear
profits above all expenses are $40, 187.
During this time he has maintained a
family and schooled four children.
An experiment of remarkable pa
thence is mentioned in the report of the
Aberdeenshice Agricultural Associa-
ton (Scotland) for 18791880. One
hundred and thirty-six thousand grains
of oats were shelled by hand in order to
determine the proportion of husk to
kernel in crops grown on various pieces
Of land.
George w. HallOck, who has a farm
of forty-five acres on LoEg Island,
raised last year 1900 quarts
of Strawberries, 10000 heads of
cauliflower, $500 bushels of onions,
5000 bushels of potatoes, 173 bushels
of wheat, 100 bushels of corn, $4,000
cucumbeIs, $500 bushels of Brussels
sprouts, $500 bushels of carrots and
10000 cabbages.
The largest pasture in the world is
on the border between New Mexico and
Texas. The Indian Territory bounds
it on one side and Colorado on the
other. On one side there are folty
miles of perpendicular rock fence, and
yet it will require two hundred miles
of fencing to enclose it. The owner,
Taylor Mandolin, has sown 1000 tons of
oats. He will feed on it 100000 head
of cattle.
For some years the Pennsylvania
Railroad company has endeavored to
relieve the barren dreariness of the Or
binary railway station by surrounding
their country station houses with flow
er beds. More attention to this matter
is being paid this year than ever be-
fore, and recently the company pur-
chased $4,000 plants for the adorn-
ment of the stations of the New York
and Philadelphia division of the road.
The practice is worthy of general iri-
tatiOn.
Most of our readers must be famil-
lar with the common English sparrow,
first introduced into this country a few
years ago on account of its supposed
insectivorous habits, and now so abun-
dant; but all may not be aware that
another sparrow from England has he
come acclimatized in the United Staves,
though it is by no means so frequently
met with. This is the tree sparrow
(PGSSer montcnttS) which, as its name
indicates, prefers country districts to
towns and cities.
Colonel Skinner, of Colorado Springs
Col, had recently added to his flock of
sheep two-headed lamb. The two
heads unite just back of the ears, and
the neck and body are of usual size and
form. No two of tie four eyes are of
the same color. A veterinary surgeon
was called in but could give no expla-
nation of the phenomenon. "That's
easy enough explained" said herds
man standing by, there's whole herd
of twO-headed mountain sheep grazing
over there just west of the peak"
Hon. Eli Stilson, of Oshkosh, Wis,
and Mr.. ChacO, of Racine, have opened
up n large stock rancho near San
Angela, Tex. Their land amounts to
10000 acres, on which they have at
present over 10000 sheep. They are
constantly adding to the number, and
will soon engage in raising cattle.
They have Just completed an artesian
well, finding an inexhaustible supply OF
water at the distance of 1874 feet. They
will continue to sink wells till every
portion of their tract is supplied with
stock water.
Says the Rural Messenger: The
spaying of COWS when in full flow of
milk is not to be relied upon for per-
petuating that flow for years. In the
best cows, with the strongest propen-
sity to heavy yield of milk, the flow
may be kept up for year or two by
feeding sloppy, stimulating food all the
time, such as brewers or distillers'
grains, beets, turnips and other succu-
lent roots or ensilage with grain; but
in spite of all, the milk gradually fails,
and if once dried up can never be
restored, as in the perfect cow. In
cases on which so high an authority as
Professor Law experimental, the flow
only continued through the flush of
summer grass, and failed almost as
speedily as in other cows when the sub
jects went on to dry winter-f feeding,
The drawbacks are serious.