News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-02-12
FARM AND GARDEN.
Plenty of Work to Do at this Season Of
the Year.

There is plenty of work to be done OF
this season of year, says young farmer
| in the Boston Journal, and would be
even if the weather had not been 80
favorable for draining fields and rebuild
| ing walls. Those who have read these
articles in past years know how think
stock should be taken care of at the
barn, and can understand that to feed,
water and brush them and clean up the
stables in the morning, and if it is cold
or stormy, to tie them again, and to go
through the same process in the after.
noon, is no small task. We have had
much weather when they might stand in
the yard until time to put up and feed
at night, but this is not saving Of
labor, as 1 think the manure dropped in
| the yard should be cleaned up and put
in a heap as regularly as the stable
would be cleaned out if they were in it.
Then there is the corn fodder to cut,
and, as [ believe in cutting it as fine as
possible, it takes considerable time. ]
have no doubt it would pay to steam it
or to moisten it with warm water, il
one could have convenient chance Sc
| to do, but where barn and house are
far apart, and no arrangement at the
barn for heating water, this is out OF
the question.
am not believer in the cooking Of
| food for COWS, as the term cooking used
to be understood, but if I could take
corn fodder or coarse hay and, after cut
ting fine, wet it well in tight box with
hot water, and then cover it up until it
was well steamed, or if I could run a
steam pipe into the bottom of such box
and keep up steam at low pressure for
half hour or so, think it would pay.
Would not cook the meal any more
than it might be cooked by stirring it
into this moist and warm fodder. Per-
haps not even so much as that, as
usually have thought got just as good
results from feeding meal dry as in any
way.
But the masters eye wants to over
look his animals every day. There is
much to be noted that disinterested help
often fail to observe. Do they eat their
fodder equally clean, or is this one a
little dainty, leaving more coats" that
the others? If so. we must give her
little better quality, or, if she is as
thrifty as the rest, we may reduce the
quantity given her little. She may
not be as hearty feeder.
Is this one rough-haired, shivering
and curled up in the morning.? She
has taken little cold and may need to
be kept in and given warm drink and
warm food, with perhaps few drops Of
aconite.
Is this one costive2 Give her few
roots or little change of grain, and see
if she cannot be brought right without
any more powerful medicine.
In fact, it is not only necessary to
watch the animals themselves, but the
feed troughs, the water trough and the
manure heap, if you would know when
they are doing well and when they need
little extra care. An observant eye
and careful attention to little things at
the proper time are worth more than
skillful doctoring with either children OF
animals.
Those who have sheep, swine OF
poultry in large number also need to
keep watchful eye upon them. There
should always be one place as sort of a
hospital where can be put those which
need little extra feed or extra care. II
allowed to run with the others, their
weakness prevents them from getting a
fair share of the food. Instead of the
sick, the aged and the feeble farine
better than the rest, as they should do,
their companions delight in tormentine
them and they fare much worse than the
others.
And the prompt removal of all that
do not seem thrifty may prevent the
spread of some disorder through the
whole number. as the illness may be but
he beginning of some serious disease.