The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-04
General Farm, Notes.

Rubbing wet horses and other animals
dry is very useful, not only to save heat,
but TO save cold taking.
Fat hens rarely lay. If hens are fed
SO much or SO often that they begin to
fatten rapidly, they will soon stop lay
ing.
Parsnips and satisfy are not injured
by freezing, and may remain in the
ground and be dug as wanted, or during
q midwinter thaw.
Charred corn is one of the best things
which can be fed to hens to make them
lay, not as regular diet, but in limited
quantities each day.
Anybody can have grape vines by
cutting them properly. Trim off por-
ton of the old vine and leave bud at
each end. Stick one end in the ground
and it will take root.
Sheltering all animals from cold
weather, from chilling winds which by
their rapid motion carry off heat more
rapidly, is the way to save food and to
save waste of flesh.
In all eases a COW should be MIXED
regularly and stripped clean. No doubt
this has much to do in forming good
milking tribes of cattle, by encouraging
a full development of the milk glands.
An application of 100 pounds of nj
trate of soda to an acre of wheat, where
the crop looks weak, will show its bene-
fit in a few days, not only improving it
in growth but largely increasing the
yield.
One cow well fed and comfortably
cared for will produce as much milk
and butter as two that are allowed to
run at large, lie on the wet ground, and
be subject to the exposure of the
weather.
Ensilage is nothing new, as far as
preservation is concerned. 1t is simply
keeping green food through the winter
by exclusion of the air. 1t is on the
same principle as canning, only on q
larger scale.
An application of a bushel and half
of plaster to the acre on clover early
this spring, will infuse new life into it.
If wood ashes are added, it will be still
better. Ashes and plaster are special
fertilizers for clover.
Alum water is recommended for pre-
venting bugs and worms from infesting
flour mills. Dissolve two pounds of alum
in three quarts of warm water, and APP
ply with brush to crevices where in
sects may be concealed.
A moderate freezing does celery no
harm, but it should not be allowed to
weather sets in, the covering of hay
which until then had been slight-should
be increased until it is one foot in thick
ness.
Onions are the first vegetables that
get in the ground. The land should be
very rich. They can be grown in the
same place every year, as they are very
nearly equally proportioned in the con-
stituent elements derived from the soil.
A small quantity of ashes given to
pigs while fattening is found very benc-
fetal, as their food is generally rich in
phosphoric acid and deficient in lime,
which ashes supply; and in this way
the phosphoric acid is made available as
food.
The premature growth of colts by
high feeding and severe training, has
the tendency to degenerate the breed, by
entailing the overworked debility on
| their issue, which may become heredi-
| tary, and be transmitted to future gen
crations.
Some farmers must think that cow
must eat all the time when confined in
| the stall. 1t is a poor economy which
| puts fresh hay into manager on top of
| older hay A little tossing of the hay
left in the manger will dry it and make
it seem of renewed niceness to cows or
| horses.
Distemper in colt takes about three
weeks to run its course. All the medi-
cine required is a light dose of Epson
salts-say four to six ounces-and good
nursing. Give warm bran mashes, lin
seed or oatmeal Cruel; keep the animal
warm, and rub the legs with cloth
! dipped in hot water; a tablespoonful of
mustard in the water would be benefi-
cial, for the legs seem TO be weak and