The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-26

a SuluGutTN UO WIS )tsttICu WIFI llOiCS
in his flower beds. where he could not,
without injuring his carpet bedding"
place traps to catch them, succeeded in
getting rid of them by boring small holes
over the mole tracts and pouring into
them water mixed with kerosene oil, at
the rate of gill to four gallons of water,
after which he had no trouble from the
animals.
An English gardener writes that it is
better to use poultry manure as top
dressing in garden than to mix it with
ordinary manure and dig it into the land;
and that unless the quantity is large, it
would not make much difference on a
farm. If the quantity is small, the most
economical mode of using it is to put n
portion in an old cask then fill it up
with water.
Cholera among fowls is not found
where cool shade, clean vines, fresh
water and green feed are provided. 1t
is the result of carelessncss or ignorance.
The symptoms are greenish droppings,
afterward thin and whitish, sudden and
violent thirst. diarrhpa, extreme weak
ness, staggering or falling, with cramp,
and an anxious look about the face.
Death comes in twelve or fifteen hours.
''Soil sickness" disease indicated by
the failure of clover, beets and some
other plants to grow satisfactory, is
pretty certainly settled to be due to in
sect parasites on the roots, and not to
a deficiency of proper mineral elements
in the soil, as was supposed by Liebig.
In Germany it has been found that cover
ing the ground with some light material
and then burning it off will destroy the
parasites.
There has been an immense amount of
breaking of harvesting machines this
year This was partly due to the fact
that grain is very heavy, and much of it
badly beaten down and tangled Reap
ers had to cut very low to reach this fall
len grain, and in many places wheat fields
were badly quilted by rains last winter.
The worst of al was that when break
ages occurred there was in some cases no
way to get repairs.
Unthinking farmers will sometimes
place a colt or young horse by the side
of a horse of more mature years, and ex-
pect it to do an equal amount of work
without injury. Such thing is not only
cruel but unwise. Many promising
horses have been ruined by such treat
ment. No young horse should be ex-
pected to stand the work that horses
which have been accustomed to hard
usage are able to undergo.
To insure a good catch With winter
grain, timothy seed should be grown in
the fall. If sown very early it may
crowd the wheat, especially if the winter
is severe. 1t will endure freezing and
thawing, which will entirely destroy
wheat. 1t is customary to add a little
clover in the spring to fill gaps where
timothy seed has missed. The two to-
gether make good hay for home use, but
it is not so salable as timothy alone.
With many farmers oat straw is early
as important part of the crop as the
grain. Where this is the case oats should
be cut rather green, bound and put in
stocks with capped top to prevent the
rain getting inside. The stock is built
rounding with peaked top and a sheaf of
oats opened at the butt and spread over
the point. They will cure perfectly in
this shape, and when thoroughly dry
may be drawn to the barn and threshed.
Many farmers who are particular to
get the best reapcrs and binders allow
their hired help to use broken, dull or
otherwise inferior small tools. In this,
as in every other case, the best are the
cheapest. In one weeks use of a sharp,
new hoe enough more will be done to
pay for its cost. Some of the wheel
hoes costing few dollars will pay for
themselves in a single season for any
farmer who grows roots or other hood
crops.
In the effort to keep stables for horses
dark, especially those underground, ven
tilation is often neglected. The large
amount of ammonia given off from horse
urine when fermenting is very injurious
to the eyes. More horses go blind from
this cause than from any other. The
escape of ammonia may and should be
prevented by free use of absorbents, but
this will not obviate the need of ventila-
ton so as to keep horses in good health
in every respect.