Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-27
The Common Cow.


Ii common chw has the marks OF Il
good mixer, it is wisdom to breed from
her. Whether or not her calf will. in
hcrit her good qualities, time alone can
tell. 1t is right here that the value of
improved stock is greatest Its character
istics are fixed, and will he reproduced.
1t is here too where the value of regis
tered pedigree is apparent. The fact that
book contains the brief statement of
the ancestors of IN animal is nothing of
itself. But the fact that it tells that the
animal has certainly come from a long
line of ancestors, which have regularly
transmitted their characteristics, is every
thing, for it not only shows that the ami
NAL itself possesses the family character
istics to Il greater or less degree, but that
it in turn will be able to transmit them.
The common COW may reproduce herself,
and she may not. The purely bred cow
will reproduce herself, with possibly
slight variation, under proper breeding.
1t is. too often the case that the owners OF
common cows get an erroneous impression
when their attention has been called to
the desirabiity of improving their herds
They are convinced perhaps that 1t would
be to their interest 10 breed up, or rather
to improve the character OF their herds ;
but thinking that the only way to do this
is to purchase outright, they may not feel
like going to the expense. Some of the
best cows i'll the country are crosses of
our common stock with the improved
breeds, and ii Il man owns a common COW
that has proved herself valuable dairy
ANIMAL he has excellent encouragement
to ase her for crossing. 1t is every man 5
duty to breed up. 1t is throwing away
money to keep an inferior animal when
we can Just as well have better one.
Old hens should pe fnttened and killed
off in the fall. A hen two years old has
seen her best days, and should he dis
posed of before she becomes useless.
High manuring, thorough cultivation
and the free usc OF vegetable matter like
muck are the best precautions for pre-
venting, to a considerable extent, the bad
effects of drouths.
Take II little time to 60 around and took
after the scions that we're set last Spring.
The sprouts need clipping of and now is
the time to attend to i, If It has not al
ready been done.
Cracked corn is one of the best feeds
for chickens. after they are tour weeks
old. Until they are four weeks old they
never ought to be led on anything but
cooked food
Continued damp weather often causes
Group i'll fowls. In order to prevent it
the best quarters must he provided.
Dryness, warmth and freedom from
draughts are the best safeguards.
Cut away promptly on the first appear
ance any limbs or shoots of the pear oi
plum affected with diseases. The peai
may not be cured, bat eXcisou will do ne
harm; the knot may be kept of the plum
with entire success, ii promptly attended
to.
Experienced fence-builders and other,
who use wood in the rough for posts, ties
etc, unite in the opinion that timber cut
in Summer, while the bark will yet pee
felled during Winter. There is less OF
soluble sap in the trunk and limbs to alb
sorb moisture, ferment, and induce de
cay.
In husking, be careful to sort ont al
the poor ears and soft nubbins. Put on
ly sound corn in the crib. Give the nub-
bins to the pigs. Ii will not do to feed
such food to horses they need goou
sound grain. Feeding green corn to pig,
and fatting hogs should he begun judici
ously. Don't over-fecd For the best
results, fattening swine should be brought
to full feed with quite as much care rs Il
steer.
Harness should never be kept III the
stable where manure is constantly gener
ating large quantities Of ammonia. This
ammonia is rapidly absorbed by the
leather, and the effect upon the leather
is about the same MS would result from
saturating it with strong lye, In word,
ammonia rots leather, and hence keeping
harness in the stable is sure TO result ii
its damage more or less
Lime acts in double capacity it fur
nishes an important ingredient i'll the
food of roots and leguminous plants, and
in addition it furnishes the key by which
the stores of organic nitrogen i'll the soil
are unlocked, and rendered available OF
plants. But ms lime does not furnish any
of the more important or of the more
costly ingredients which plants require to
form their structure and seed, it is quite
evident that these must be derived from
the soil this being the case, application
of lime should be accompanied by m ap
plication of all those ingredients which
are carried away in the crops or by feeding
with stock.
The farm hand who expects to succeed
in life must be ambitious He shoult
not be content To remain "A farm hand I'll