The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-01-26

VARIETIES OF FOOD While farm ami
mails, as compared to their owners, are
very plain livers, doing well on two
kinds of feed, still, as with men, they
vary in digestive and assimllative pow
ers ; and it is well to consider the win
ter season as the trying period for farm
stock, for there is no denying that upon
nearly all farms it is such. Farmers do
moi usually overstock during the pas
turing season, provided it is favorable
for grass, but when winter comes then
it is different. The flesh and fat made
from grass alone are invariably of that
character termed soft and when win
ter first comes, this soft deposit, the
fatto portion, shrinks, and unless the
feed be generous, it is quickly absor-
bed, going into the blood to meet
the demands made by the Indictment con-
ditlons.
Wheat is said to contain ten pr rts of
fiesh-forming material and 20 per cent.
of starchy matter. Upon this latter the
ability OF animals to stand cold largely
depends hence the value of wheat
offal, especially the richer portions of
1t, should be estimated at high figure.
While nothing approaches oats for
horses, in conjunction with small al
lowance CT hay. If they are required to
make time upon the road or pull heavy
loads; so nothing excels the ofial Of
wheat, with small sprinkling OF corn
meal and oil cake or cottonseed meal, for
cattle. and the same is true for swine.
FIRE WooD.-In all wood lots of
much size there is more or less wood
that has fallen down, consisting Of bro.
ken branches, dead trees, etc., which
can be cut ready for the stove. This
can be done when the ground is bare,
and can only be half done, or but poor
ly done if left until covered with snow.
If not desired for winter use, it will be
sufficient for summer use, and more ac-
ceptable than harder wood, since but
little fuel is required In summer, and
that of lighter and more combustible
nature. In case no wood of the charac-
ter indicated is found upon the farm,
there are many farms in New England
that are we'll supplied with what will
make excellent summer wood, in the
shape OF white birches and alders. The
latter grow very rapidly, require but
little trimming, and when dry are very
combustible. The same is also true of
the former, save the trimming, woich ia
little more laborious, but there is pro-
badly no wood that, when seasoned and
dry, Will start fire quicker than white
birch. Some offer objections to this
wood when green, because it is produc-
tive Of large quantities of smoke, caus-
ing an excessive cracking OF kettles,
ETC., which are over the fire, but this
objection is usually overcome because
OF Its freedom in burning.
CURING SEED CoRN.-If you have not
good room to cure the corn in, fix
some racks in the smoke house so as to
fill 1t loosely, SO the smoke can circulate
through it. Then ut in an old stove
without any pipe and make a fire every
day, enough to heat up the room and
fill 1t with smoke. Follow this up till
the corn is so dry that it will shell ca.
silly, and then it can Ds put away in
barrels or sacks. 1t Is claimed by those
who have tried this plan that not only
Is the smoke distasteful to worms, but
! that it also fertillzes the grain 30 thai
the plant comes up stronger aud of bet
ter color. am inclined to believe tina
smoking the corn is an advantage fol
when l have smoked my seed corn
r have had a perfect stand and q very
strong growth.
1t takes so little corn to plant an acr,
only four or five quarts-that there Ii
/ no excuse for not having the best-a
i least the best that your own farm pro
duees. have little doubt that on man,
! farms the yield OF corn could be increa
! sed from 10 to 20 per cent. in tire
years, by careful selection of seed, AM
, there is no other way in which as larg
4 an increase can be had at so little ex
/ pense.
Y POTATOES, as farm crop, pay as we
j as almost any other crop that can b
named, one year with another, On
9 farmer near Clevelond sold from on
5 acre this year over $3.50 worth, and h
counts 800 of it profit, which Is a yer
!. liberal allowance for culture, harvestin
$ and marketing. The average value {
e the potato crop in Ohio last year wa
e S52 per acre, and it was poor year fC
potatoes. 1t is grand staple crop, a
Q ways i'll demand, good for man or beas
L and makes good preparation for whel
No better crop for cleaning land.
b WHILE guinea lUwls are esteemed I,
d their beauty they are not very commo
t on the farm. They are great birds
" fly, aud they are very severe on youn
Is chickens, and often make 1t unpleasal
for older fowls. They are great for
gers, and delight IN stealing their mes
Is where they can rear their brOods unm
ID Tested. In rearing these fowls 1t is be
is to procure eggs and put them under
Ie common men, since the guinea hen is
IS great rover and will expose her broC
ID to this wet grass or to proving en-
mics.
N IT appears that merlno sheep shipp,
" from America to Australia have prov
:, profitable for the purpose Of "rossiI
y. | with the fna-uoo1n1 nativaa vvhila ~