Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-22
AGRICULTURAL.
Winter Care Of Live stock.

There are few general rules for til,
care of live stock in winter, which arc o
universal application.
First-They should lie dry, whether
beddcd or not. A dry floor is far bette
than wet bedding. Spar or slat floors
through which urine will quickly pass
and which give the animals level stand
ing place, are especially to be advised.
good degree of comfort may be had on
such floors, but full supply of dry lit
tcr-straw, leaves, swamp hay, etc. Ger
tainly makes all kinds of stock more com.
Portable.
Second-Shelter saves fodder, where.
ever lumber can be easily obtained, to q
degree which few practicable men are
aware of. The warmer the stables are,
the better, except perhaps for sheep.
But with close, warm stables, it is essen
tial that the manure heap should be where
it will not contaminate the air, and that
there should not be perfect ventilation,
so arranged as not to cause drafts of air.
Third--As to feed. This should be
given with the utmost regularity and uni
formity-never more than will be all eat
en- up long before the next feeding time.
Then the animals have an appetite for
their food, so that coarse fodder may be
first given, to be followed with better,
and by grain in some form, if this be a
part of the daily ration. This is no doubt
the most economical system, securing the
least waste and best digestion of all kinds
of fodder used in the ordinary way.
Fourth-Groomng and care of the ami
mails are most valuable means of keep
ing them in health as well as of saving
feed. The skin OF an animal existing in
a state of nature is washed by every
shower, brushed and carded by every
bush. licked by its mates, rubbed by the
ground in rolling. aud in various ways
kept free from accumulation of its own
exfoliations, from the stoppage of its
pores by sweat, and from its own inhe-
rent dirt. A healthy skin means warmth,
health, life and vigor, other things being
| about right, and We can secure this only
by grooming. g.-AmericdH Igricnitnrist.
The farmer who keeps farm stock only
| to the extent of teams to till the surface
and to haul the grain and produce to
market, will, in few years, find the best
portion of his possessions gone from
him.
While the cattle nrc being fed pump
kins, carrots, cabbaScs, turnips, beets
and their tops, barley straw may be add
ed, and with their glcaninGs from the
pasture, will help out the milk product,
improve the condition of the stock gen
orally and save the hay nov.
For working oxen. no breed can com
pare with the Devon. They are quick,
large. docilc and easily kept. The colol
is uniformly red, and they can be easily
matched. On heavy roads the oxen OF
this breed are equal to horses in many
respects, and at times superior.
If you haven't got your manure ali ont
yet, You can topdress i'll the winter OF
spring, spreading evenly from sleigh Oh
wagon. SO that the entire surface OF the
land gets the strength, as the rains and
the melting SHOWS wash it ont before the
brush, drag or harrow. at the opening OF
the scason, can be used.
| A member Of the Elmira farmers club
says Il can raise moro pounds of sill
gar bcets to the acre than of mangcls
| stipulatlng that the ground must be very
good, MS mine is. and do not find any diff.
| iiculty in gathering them. Besides sugar
boets will stand drouth much better than
any variety of mangels have ever seen.
kanit, or German potash salts contains
about % per cent of sulphate of potash
II per cent Of sulphatc of mngnesiu, T.
per cent of chloride of magnesia, 33 pei
cent OF common salt, - per cent OF mois
ture and slight traces OF other minerals.
The amount of pure potash contained il
it Is about II per cent. From 200 to IOt
pounds is Il fair application for an acre OF
land.
There is II sure way by which Hat tur.
nips may be kept risp and fresh all win
ter. Prepare II bin, or box, large enough
to hold MS many n may be required fol
use, put in the bottom layer of fin,
earth, then layer of turnips. alternating
till all are in, then cover slightly will
fine earth, and the tu,nips will come out
as fresh aa when pulled, even ii not takei
out until spring.
In soil once fertile, but exhaused by
improyident tlllagr, the loss of fertility
applics chiefly to the surface, and if VT
go below the distance that the roots ot
the grain extended, We may generally tint
II sub soil still rich in the clements thai
give yigor to tine growth Of plants. IL
the approved modes Of agriculture. W,
seek to reach and bring up the sub. soil b,
deep p!owiug.
Air once brenthed should be viewed a,
an cXcrcmont, Tor from the lungs it il
such aud to It drgrcc. it would be ~
proper to expect cattle to take in Other
forms of oScIpiutut und thrive, us to force
them to take air into the lungs which i.
equally noXious So, indoor care is fa
from being what it should be, when fresl
mir is not furnished within the stab!,
equal to all the demands of the system.
Before an animal can lay on fat, til,
, claim made by the body to be kept warn
must be met. In proportion to the de
gree OF warmth nifordeds to the body. il
that proportion will there bc a surplus u
the food given which can go to increas,
the fat deposit. An eminent authority
DIR. Playfair. sniu : THE food is fuel
the cNcremenSs are the ashes, and tin
gases expired from the mouth are of tn
, same composition as those which fly NJ
the chimney OF II furnace.
The surost way to ascertain the age O
sheep is by their front teeth. They ar
eight in number and appear the first yea
4 all of one sze. The next year the tw
a middle teeth fall ont and i'll their stea
grow two large ones. The third year
smaller tooth appears on each side of tn
two large ones. During the next 10
fourthD year, there are six large teeth |
: the fifth wear nll of the front teeth M
: large. After that the only way to deter
: mine the age of sheep, is by the worn al
! pearancc of the teeth.