Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-06
NOTES.

Smut in corn is increasing and few fields
are now free from it. As it lives over winter
in corn stubble and corn-bins, great care
should be given to selecting seed and to the
burning of smutty ears as soon as found.
The fact is somewhat paradoxical but east
ly explainable that an abundance of soft corn
favors late keeping of hogs and an increase
in the stock another year. The soft corn is
unfit for sale and can only be used as feed,
and then not to the advantage that hard corn
can be by grinding.
There is no profit in feeding stock past its
prime. 1t is waste of feed and money. As
soon as any animal begins to fail it should be
disposed Of Old COWS, old oxen, old sows,
aud old hens, form the bulk of the stock up
on many farms. The young animals are sold
off. This is the reverse of what is wise and
profitable.
Harness should never be kept in the stable
where manure is constantly generating large
quantities of ammonia. This ammonia is
rapidly absorbed by the leather and the effect
is about the same as would result from sat
urating it with strong I've. In a word, am
monia rots leather, and hence keeping har-
ness in the stable is sure to result in its dam
age, more or less.
Although photographers, says "Criticus"
in the Rural New Yorker, have failed to re-
cord the proper distinction between "stook"
and "shock, yet intelligent farmers all over
the country agree in the appropriate signih-
cation of the two words as employed by the
producers of Indian corn. A stock of Indian
corn consists of the stalks set up on the butt
ends in the form of large gavel, and bound
at the tops. A shock consists of any number
of sheaves or bundles placed together on the
butt ends, and may be long, round or of a
square form. A stack may be made of stocks,
or shocks, or punches or sheaves
For hard putty that will dry in one day,
take the whitening, mash all the Jumps out
on the stone, and mix it into a stiff paste by
adding equal parts of japan and rubbing var
nish then add as much key lead as you think
will make it work free with the knife then
add the rest of the whiting until you have it
to suit you. This will sand paper good with
one days drying. If You want putty that
will dry quicker, take dry white lead and
mix with equal parts of japan and varnish, to
which add few drops of turpentine. This
is very soft for puttying, but can be sand
papered in from one to three hours, it be-
coming perfectly hard in thai time.
Robert Martin of Green Farms, Conn,
says that he works his three horses without
shoes, saying II find that they work better,
are more sure footed, and far less liable to
lameness than when shod, and am satisfied
that horses feet as Nature made them are
all sufficient for ordinary work. After my
long experience 1 should now as soon think
of going to farrier myself to be shod as to
send my horses. Our roads are rough, billy
and stony, much more than the average roads.
To prevent the hoofs from chipping, the toes
should be kept slightly rounded by coarse
file, such as is used by shoers, and the feet
should always be looked to when the horse is
groomed." What surprises us so much in
this matter of horses going without shoes is,
that if this is really correct, why the thing
does not become universal