The National tribune., 1885-12-10
OUR RURAE TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
WORK FOR WINTER.

ISt
WORK FOR WINTER
As this is the season oftthe year when most
farmers have some little leisure time, it would
be well to employ it in cleaning up the fields.
1t is advisable to cut t'the brush even with the
ground or a little beneath the surface thus,
when they sprout again next Spring, they can
easily be cut with an ordinary scythe and this
treatment repeated year after year will finally
free the fields of these pests. Another way in
which the farmers spare time can be proftably
employed at this season of the year is hauling
and storing away old leaves, which can be used
to great advantage during the Winter as bed
ding. This will save large amount of straw,
which can be always used more profitably for
feed than bedding. Leaves, besides, are much
more easily hauled and spread on the land than
straw, and being much shorter they more
readily assimilate with the soil. If this plan
of saving the straw for food was more generally
adopted, very much more stock could be kept
during the Winter. OF couse it would be neces-
sary to take more care of the straw than is
usually done, and it should in every instance be
kept und.- shelter, so as to keep bright and
clean. Cut up and mixed with bran and
food for stock CATTLE and while not particu-
larly strong food for milch cows would insure
far better returns if fed to the animal in
warm stable than allowing them to wander
about in the snow and mud and stand shiver-
ing around the straw and fodder stacks with
an occasional ear Of corn thrown to them as
food.
At this season of the year, also, every farmer
should see that his stables, cow houses and
other buildings where livestock are kept are
in thorough repair, and any little expense he
may be at in this direction will be amply repaid
in the amount of feed that will be saved. An
animal kept in warm, comfortable quar-
ters will thrive on half the feed that one ex-
posed to all kinds of weather would require.
While it is not advisable in all instances to
closely stable young cattle, they should be pro-
vided with places where they can always find
shelter from rain aud cold winds. If these di-
rections in regard to cattle arc followed the
farmer will certainly be pleased at the result
next Spring and he will, besides, if he once
tries it, realize profit which will insure a re-
petition Of the same system next Winter.
KEEP ONLY THE BEST COWS.
1t not unfrequently happens that the profits
on the best cows in the herd go to defray the
losses on the inferior ones, aud the only way to
determine which cows are worth keeping and
which it would be we'll to turn into beef is to
keep separate, say for one week, the milk of
each COW, and thus find out what each one
yields. The farmer could best readily ascertain
which animal it would be profitable to keep,
and he could thus very proitably lessen his
herd or else buy good cattle in the place of the
poorer ones disposed Of
CARE OF YOUNG STOCK.
It Is best not to wean the young stock too
soon, but when done it is advisable to slightly
warm the food. There is also another mistake
frequently made, that Of feeding them only
three times day the same as the older animals.
They do not thrive rs well under this treat
ment as they would if fed oftener and in smaller
quantities Dieting in animals in Winter is
necessary in order to avoid cOstiveness; and,
therefore, both young and old cattle should be
fed at times on pumpkinss roots or ensilage 1t
it is also well to vary. the food as much as pos
sible, in order to insure, the best results in
growth and health.
FRENCH MODE OF KILLING POULTRY.
Open the beak of the fowl, and with sharp
pointed, narrow-bladed knife, make an incision
at the back of the roof of the mouth, which will
divide the vertebra and cause instant death,
after which the fowls are hung up by the legs.
They will bleed perfectly, with no disfgure-
ment; picked while warm, and, If desired,
scaded. In this way the skin presents more
natural appearance than when scalded.
GAPEs IN CHICKENS.
As cure for gapes in chickens, a correspond
ent of the London Agricultural Gazette, as an
experiment. tried sulphur and SALT namely,
two parts of sulphur and one part of salt, mixed
with water to the consistency of thick cream.
Ut is best to use the finger in mixing as sulp phur
will not readily mix with water.) He then ap-
piled it with a feather from fowls wing, dip
ping it in the mixture and putting it down the
chickens throat about three inches, worked the
feather up and down few times, then applied
some more in the same way again. HesoOn found
they were much better aud repeated the opera
tion three or four times, leaving two or three
days between each operation. They were soon
all cured and doing we'll.
CARE OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS.
The time is at hand when the strawberry
beds will need covering. While straw if used,
furnishes good protection, it is Objectionable
OH account of the seeds of weeds aud grasses
which it contains. Clean slough hay is free
from them, and Is on this account much to be
preferred. Forest leaves would make admir-
able covering if they could be kept in place;
but they dry, and the wind scatters them to
the four corners of the earth. For small bed
evergreen boughs make good covering as also
for any other plants or small shrubbery that
can be laid down that need protection. They
furnish shade, prevent freezing and thawing,
and yet allow a circulation of air. The rasp-
berries should have an application of manure
along and between the rows. The rains of
W NlhteF auu opTiiig Will carry us SOiuDio COLI
stituents into the soil Just where the roots can
appropriate them next Spring in making crop
of berries.
- Mr. Spencer Borden, of Fall River, Mass,
has Jersey cow which gave in eight weeks
1850 pounds of milk, which made 140 pounds
OF butter without any extra feeding. This
was more than twice her own weight in milk
and an average of II pounds ounces of butter
for the time
At the Michigan Agricultural College farm
90 tons of first cutting of clover and timothy
and 20 tons of second cutting were taken from
% acres. This is at the rate Of fraction less
than four tons per acre, and was, consequently,
valuable crop compared with wheat or corn.
A strange aud fatal disease has broken out
among the milch cows in Evansville, Ind, and
vicinity. The animals are first affected in the
eyes and become entirely blind. The disease
continues until the eyes are entirely eaten out.
1t then eats on until it results fatally by going
to the brain. -
Flax raising has become one of the leading
industries in Minnesota, 1865 acres having
been devoted to this purpose last year.
Sheep husbandry is steadily declining in
France, the present number of sheep and lambs
being less by 1l,000000. Mutton is imported
from Germany, Algeria aud Eastern Europe,
and sells 20 per cent. higher than beef.
During last year bees in Ohio gathered
d. .Ao.l