Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-09
Why Not?

III you are farmer and dong business,
why not do it as business man should !?
Unless you have kept farm journal this
has not been done, and now is good
time 20 begin one. as daily record of
your doings for the coming year. 1t will
be handy tor you to refer to in the future
for any important events OF the past. 1t
should be record of your cows. time of
calving etc. the age, weight, and sell.
ing price (if sold) of any animal slaugh-
tered; time of planting, cultivation, har-
ves,ing, and quantity Of any crop raised as
well as the amount of labor, the value OF
fertilizers and how applied; note every
thing worth knowing and remembering,
even to your own movements. Why not
know the cost of your productions as far
as is practical as well as the manufactur
er? Thus knowing the profit or loss,
govern yourself accordingly.
For nearly, if not quite, 20 years have
kept diary. and can tell exactly where
was and what was doing (if worthy of
note) on any day during that time: re
ceipts. expenses. business transactions,
help hired, and all items of interest on
the farm and in the family, using several
books for the purpose. 1t takes but few
else and to the point. This may not be
worth anything to others, but to me it is
both valuable and instructive; besides my
autobiography may be wanted and yours
also, by our friends at least.
ANY who have never done this will be
surprised to see how often it is turned to
for information. Now let me ask, can
you tell how many pounds of butter you
sold the past year? What did the hogs
weigh, put in for vourselfp How many
baskets of corn did you get from that five
acre lotP How many of potatoes from the
next lot? If you were unfortunate in
having bills sent from the grocer and
blacksmith. can you tell if the items are
correct? The calf the butcher carried
away last summer, do you know how
much it weighed and what the price per
pound was? These and hundred other
things you should know and to a certainty.
Mirror and Farmer.
Suggestions for the CONSTABLE.
We like to feed each cow about one half
bushcl of rye meal just before calving,
commencing by giving handful of meal
in gallon of boiling water to a feed, at
first, and increasing the quantity daily,
commencing about two weeks before calv-
ing. If the udder should become sore.
swollen and infamed. battle 1t every two
hours during the day with hot soap-suds,
rubbing it long and gently. and drying
with awoolen cloth. The last thing at chit
apply lard as hot as she can bear it. rub.
bing it in well. For sore teats. wash clean
with warm water, and apply glycerine.
For an obstruction in 4 teat, use a silver
milking-tube.
| The best way to manage fresh-calved
COW. as far as the COW herself is con-
cerned. is to allow the calf to suck for
two to five days, or until you are quite
sure the udder is all right. Then take
away the calf and milk the COW five times
day for while, especially if she is fed
| literally for milk. Garget and milk fever
are the two ailments most to be feared in
fresh COW. The former is produced by
overlooking with concentrated or stimu-
lating food. like cotton seed or corn meal
| The best remedy to my knowledge is, one
ounce saltpeter in the feed. Use this med
icine two or three times. and frequently
torment the udder with hot soap suds.
Anything that interIeres with the con
dition of the cow after calving may pro-
duce milk fever Exposure. too much ex
ercise, or nervous excitement. are all
sufficient to bring on an attack, and re-
covery is of rare occurrence. 1t is the
"ounce of prevention" in this case, as in
so many others. that is worth the pound
of cure Keep the animal quiet for week
before and after calving, and nurse her
well.-Amertcdn Agriculturist.