The National tribune., 1885-08-06
OUR RURBL TOPICS,
! 4fsf
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
DISEASES oE POULTRY.

;
fowls are altogether unknown to birds in their
native state. Cholera, roup and other diseases
carry away every year large percentage of
where birds are crowded together in small pens
they become prey to vermin and other dis
eases, and the only way to keep them healthy
is scrupulous cleanliness. The chicken house
should be frequently cleaned and thoroughly
fumigatcd, especially during this warm weather.
Diluted carbolic acid is excellent being one
Of the best insecticides known. The chickens
should also have plenty of dry ashes to roll in,
which is an excellent means of freeing their
bodies of lice. When one of the fowls becomes
thoroughly infested with vermin it can easily
be freed of this pest by the application of
| mixture of lard and sulphur rubbed we'll in.
1t will also be well to see that the chicken
house is thoroughly ventilated.
KEEP YOUR SHEEP.
We are aware that many of our farmers are
getting rid of their sheep on account of the ex-
ceedingy low price of wool. This we think an
injudicious step, as it is no easy matter to get
together good flock of sheep This valuable
stock costs but little to keep, and is, barring
the extremely low price of wool, one of the best
sources of revenue on the farm.
CARE OF THE HORSE.
Probably no animal shows the effect Of i'll
usage so plainly and to such a marked degree
as the horse. 1t has been frequently remarked,
and with truth, that the currycomb and brush
is half horses keeping and we may add that
horse comparatively ill-fed, but kept in
thoroughly clean condition will show slicker
coat, exhibit more signs of life than horse
whose hide is stranger to these implements,
although his feed may be plentiful and of the
best quality The stable should be kept free of
all bad odors, and under no circumstances should
horse be allowed to stand in fermenting litter.
Besides the injury done to the creatures lungs
and eyes by the action of the ammonia, the
hoofs also suffer, becoming brittle aud apt to
crack from heat. There is also another source
of injury to horses eyes and health, which is
to allow him to stand in pitch-dark stable.
The stable should be thoroughly lighted and
ventilated.
CARE OF FARM IMPLEMENTS.
Many farmers are losing money every minute
of the day and night by leaving implements
exposed to the weather. When the time comes
for moving or doing any other necessary work
about the farm, general overhaulng of i'm
plements has to be made. This frequently en-
tails a trip to the blacksmith and, besides loss
| of time, the expense of having the injured
part renovated. All this loss of money and
time can usually be avoided by very little
care. See that your implements, from the
wagon down to a hoe, are put under cover and
I thoroughly sheltered from the rain and sun. 1t
is always good plan when putting away any
implement to thoroughly coat all the bright
parts with some kind ofsoil. A careful observ-
ance of this rule will prevent great loss of time
temper and money. @
HOW TO TAKEtoFF HIDE
The hides of farin-slaughtered animals have
poor reputation, Ihecaase of the careless way
in which they are stripped. Calf-skins and
sheep-p elts are reduced one half in value by
being cut and gashed, and improperly stretched.
When hide is.,stripped of, it should be
stretched at once, aud pegged out to dry, with
the flesh side upward. IF it is rolled up, or
thrown in heap aud left to dry in that shape,
it is SO mean looking that buyer will offer only
half its real value A few hints in regard to
taking off a hide may he useful. The throat
should never be slit crosswise, either in killing
| or in taking off hide The skin is slit from
the chin down the brisket, in a straight line to
the tail; it is then cut around each hoof; the
hind legs are slit behind, over the gambrel, but
| the front legs are slit up in front, over the
knee. This leaves the skin in good shape for
finishing the leather. The head and legs are
first carefully skinned, and all cutting the skin
is avoided. The skin is then easily drawn OFF
by taking hold of it firmly, and pulling it
LII Is tneu SpTedu OUT evenly Oh q
| floor, and sailed with fine salt. If there arc
more than one, they are laid upon each other and
sailed quite freely, and afterwards they are
thoroughly dried. If the skins are to be kept
Oh hand they shonld be closely watched for
moths and grubs.-American AgricutturiSt.
WATERING ANIMALS.
It should never be forgotten that water is of
more importance to animals than solid food.
Every drop of water taken into the stomach is
| II
system, leaving behind it in the blood whatever
injurious impurities it may have contained.
Moreover, the water swallowed by an animal
goes at once into the stomach and is absorbed
into the blood in a few minutes. If the water
is icy cold it takes from the stomach and blood
a large amount of heat, and chills the system
dangerously. Most of the ailments and dis
eases of CATTLE sheep and horses at this season
are due to improperly in the water supply !;
either it is impure or scant or is too cold, and
all these defects should be carefully guarded
against. In the dairy the water supply is the
most important part of the whole business
En-.
NOTELETs.
1t is always advisable to give no kind of
farm stock more food than they will dispose of
at one feeding, as they invariably waste what
they do not eat at once.
"A correspondent of the Rural Home states
that he tested several methods of keeping milk.
Taking cool milk, and also fresh from the cow
{lukewarm), he sealed them both in jars, and
kept the jars over night in spring water. He
found that the milk which was sealed up when
warm and fresh kept longer and was of better
quality. He believes milk should be rapidly
cooled, but sealed from contact with the sur
rounding air.
Should a COW always be MIXED by the
same person? A writer in the agricultural
Gazette, England, says no; or, to give his own
words: "On no account, if it can possibly be
helped, ought one man constantly to milk the
same cow If he does it often happens that
the cow becomes attached to him, and if any
thing occurs that he is away there is frequently
quite scene in consequence. If cow shows
partiality for anyone, he should milk her as lit
tie as possible"
"A farmer in Cowley County, Kan, sowed
nine acres of wheat and Timothy last Fall. A
peck and a half of wheat was drilled to the acre
and one peck of timothy The latter was put
in the timothy attachnibnt of the drill and
| sowed in right after the wheat. This Spring
| the timothy began to bloom and killed the
wheat entirely out leaving only here and there
| little cheat. The farmer idea was that the
| timothy would just get good start by harvest;
he would then head the wheat and get later on
| a crop of timothy The timothy made over
| two tons to the acre.
Some poultry raisers occasionally attempt
to economic by purchasing damaged grain for
their fowls. Such, co9Ise is about as profit
able as combining a new qilch cow to q diet of
| noOr straw Il -