Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-02-16
AGRICULTURE.

AGRICULTURE.
RAISING Cows FOR THE DARY.-In the
best dairy regions of the country but very
few calves are raised. Farmers who make
a business of producing milk for supplying
the city market or for the manufacture of
butter and cheese generally state that it is
more economical to keep up the size of
their herds by purchasing cows than by
raising them. They want to sell all the
milk they can, and If they are obliged to
feed calves, large proportion of that pro-
duced is consumed at home. Land IN re-
gions long devoted to dalrying is 90 costly
10 devote to raising stock, and the majori
ty of dairy farmers desire to sell their cows
when they begin to fail in their yield of
milk, and to purchase those that are young
and promising. The demand for good
milk cows is increasing rapidly, and the
prices paid for them are higher from year
to year. AS rule COW three or four years
old. in ordinary flesh, but heavy with calf,
or with calf by her side, will sell for
more than q steer of the same age that will
weigh several hundred pounds more and is
in a condition Of fatneSs TO furnish mess
beef. The expense of raising the latter is
much less than that of the former. In a
part of the country where many animals
are raised for beef, female calves sell for
less than males and are in smaller demand.
IL viii take less food to support them till a
given age, owing to their smaller size. The
steers must be we'll fed on corn in order to
fit them tor the market. The cows, how
ever, If designed for the dairy, will require
no more expensive food than grass and hay,
Again. the market for dairy COWS is nearer
the homes of Western farmers than that for
beef cattle. BY selecting bulls of family
of shorthorns or Ayrshires, noted for the
milking qualities, there is no more expense
involved III breeding cattle for the dairy
than for the slaughter pen. The males can
be raised fer beef, and the females for pro.
ducing milk. If it Is the case, as 1t is not
likely to be, that cattle bring more for
Slaughtering than for dairy purposes, the
cows can be fattened.
MIXING OF CoRN.-lt appears from ex-
periments that while some appearance of
mixing in two sorts of corn takes place the
first year, the complete crossing is appar-
ent only the second year in the crop grown
from these mixed ears. Every farmer Is
familiar with the variegated ears where two
sorts Of two colors are planted near each
other. Prof. Beal reports an experiment
where he planted an early, eight, rowed
yellow dent, add through it a single row of
yellow flint. Before Towering, the tassels
CT the flint corn were all cut off, making
impregnation by the dent on this row ne
ceSsity. There was no trace on the ears
of the flint of any crossing with the dent
the first year. The next year, however,
the flint corn showed all gradations from
the dent TO the flint. He reports some va
rletes as being less affected with crossing
than others, and names the red or brown
varieties as having the greatest fxity of
type, which accerds with our own obser-
vations. To prove the influence Of climate
and locality in changing corn without eros
sing, he says that the King Philip corn
went TO Kansas and in three years was sent
back well marked with dent.
A CRACKED loot can only be Tepairedby
new growth from the coronet, where the
new horn Is secreted. Horn consists of
precisely the same elements as hair, and is
really solid, compact form of hair growth
the hair of the skin ends where the growth
of horn begins, and this goes on downward
to repair the constant wear at the sole oil
the hocf-crust. But q crack in the hoof
Will always extend up into the new and
weak growth because the horn is expanded
by the pressure of the horses weight upon
the foot. To prevent this the sides of the
crack must be supported and held together
by some means. This may be done by
boring holes through the horn on each side
of the crack and putting horse shoe nails
through and drawing the hoof together
and clinching the ends of these nails on
each SIDE. The top of the crack thould then
be burned across so as to Obliterate the
epehing and form a solid starting place for
the new grewtb. The hoof should be kept
oft and elastic by frequent dres sings of equal
parts of glycerine and water.
HOME MADE FERTILIZERS. For potatoes
Irish or sweet-work well together sui
phate OF potash, 500 pounds; ground bone,
loo pounds: sulpbate of ammonia, 200
pounds; oil of Vltriol, 40 pounds; LAND plas-
ter, 120 pounds; sulphate of soda, 40
pounds; making in all 1,o5O pounds; For
onions -Sulphate of ammonia, 210 pounds
ground bone, 150 pounds; oil of vitriol, 90
pounds; sulphate of potash $50 pounds;
and land plaster, 128 pounds, making in
all 800 pounds. For turnips, Ground
bone, 100 pounds; oil of vitriol, 40 pounds
sulphate of ammonia, 275 pounds; sulphate
of potash, 600 pounds; land plaster, $50
and sulphate CT soda, 50 pounns; the total
amount beng 1,100 pounds. For peas
Muriate Of potash, 80 pounds; sulphate of
ammonia, $50 pounds; ground bones 100
pounds; oil of vitriol, 40 pounds; sulphate
OF soda 60younds; land plaster, ITO pounds
making in all TOO pounds.
MIXED FRED.-One of the points in fav-
or OF the much praised ensllage is that
animals eat it with relish. No food, how
ever rich it may be IN rood elements, will
prove profitable if the farm stock cannot
be made to take 10 1t kindly 1t Is on this
account that q mixing of feed has been so
successful. Sameness pals upon the ap-
petite-a change of diet encourages and
sharpens it. A few roots cut, or better,
pulped and given to the animals, will make
them eat the corn fodder or cut straw with
ell the greater relish. Try and make 1T
tie change in the diet Of the ANIMALS, even
though it be only once week, with some
roots, potatoes, apples, etc.; it will pay
WHEN young poultry have been allowed
TO contract the habit of roosting in the
trees, no time should be lost IN breaking
them of il. Confinement to the poultry
house for day or two will generally effect