The National tribune., 1885-02-12
OUR RURbL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
CARE Oh HqHsEs' HOOPS.

removed with an ointment so as to prevent
and oppo; &c the evaporation Of moisture. Grease
is generally employed IS an impermeable SUBJ
stance. but it is bad agent; besides it does
not soften the dry crust and by penetrating
into the nail holes, compromises the security
of the shoes, and when rancid it acts as an
irritant TO the coronary Iigament. Alkaline
substances, such as soda, potash and ammonia,
possess the property of softening the hoof, and
of disuniting its clements The knowledge of
this fact shows at once the mistake of allowing
horses to stand in wet or dung impregnated
with the ammonia of the urine, or in the barn
ward covered with a thick layer of manure.
The moisture thus imbibed is loaded with am
| monia, or the elements which constitute it. and
which by their alkaline properties soften the
horn, dissolve that also of the sole and frog and
| cause liberation. The new horn is dissolved
almost as soon as formed, and the Irritating
| fluid, acting on the denuded parts, causes ulti-
| matey a sort of fungus growth. 1t is evident
from these facts that COW or horse dung ought
not to be used for stopping the feet, or for poui
| ticing. In preference, when there is an ind1-
cation for restoring the lost moisture of the
horn of the feet, use clay, linseed poultice CT
| clear water.
In conclusion, to preserve the horses feet in
as healthy state as possible, it is necessary,
first, to have coed shoeing second. to avoid the
pairing or rasping of the feet in the too COM
monty ruinous fashion; third, to keep the feet
and legs clean; fourth, to abstain from trimming
the hair off the legs in Winter; fifth to wash the
feet every day with clean water; sixth, to allow
| the horse moderate work Or exercise; and, sew
enth, when the outerdelcate and glossy cover
| ing is accidently destroyed, to replace it by
some impermeable agent.-Prdirie Farmer.
MISTAKES OF FARMERS.
An exchange furnishes us with the following
| list:
L. To think that anyone can farm; that
man who has starved as a canvassar for patent
tooth-pick has been unsuccessful as a car
penter, can jump into business requiring high
| intelligence and persevering efforts, aud being
unfamiliar with details, be able to make money.
2. The idea that large farm, half stocked
and poorly cultivated pays better than few
acres well and carefully titled.
). 1t is the worst kind of a mistake to
pay hundreds of dollars for good farm ma
chinery. and allow it for want of proper shelter
to rot and become useless year or SO sooner
than it should?
T. 1t is mistake to let year after year pass
by with no attempt to improve the quality of
the farm stock. Blooded cattle pay. They
make beef quicker, and the cows give more and
richer milk. Better blood in horses pays A
Norman or part Norman colt is valuable piece
| of property.
s. To let foolish pride or narrow minded
jealousy prevent the adoption OF new methods
when they have been proved by practical men.
g. TO get up afteF the sun. lean the fork
handle, speculate fer an hour or two on what
the weather is going TO be, let the weeds get
good start, and then wonder why farming
doesn't pay. r
Z. To leave LOT OF unchopped, wet or half
split wood at the pile, a lot of old harness
| hanging in the kitchen and muddy tracks in
the dining room, and expect too see the women
folks good natured,
g. To have a lot OF half-fed emaciated,
lonesome looking fowls roosting, Gejectedly in
some old cottonwood tree, when few good,
healthy Plymouth Rock or Brahma chickens,
properly housed would make the poultry yard
an honor instead Of disgrace
SHEEP FOR THE BUTCHER.
There is no stock which in fitting for the
butcher gives better returns in increased weight,
for the food consumed, than sheep of we'll
selected nation breels, or grades of The same.
\ moderate consumption of grain during the
Winter months in addition to rdinary rations,
puts them in prime condition for the butcher
in the Spring. But the early Spring lamb
probably pays the largest profit on the cost of
production, and nothing which is offered in
the markets meets a more ready sale. As 4
matter of fact very few are offered in the
market, for the reason that they contracted
for beforehand by the hotels, restaurants and
retail butchers, who make speciality of sup
plying choice meats. Lambs of the mutton
breed dropped in December and well cared for
during the Winter given ground feed in addi-
tiOn to the milk OF the mother, readily COM
mand from $3.50 TO $3.50 per head in the
Spring. and at slight cost TO the owner. In the
New York and Philadelphia markets they
sometimes bring Sl0 per head. There is not
the liability OF loss in raising Winter lambs
that many might suppose. Sheep will stand
severe cold with apparent impunity if kept
dry and not exposed TO storms. and the same is
largely true of lambs. Ii the lamb is dropped
III comparatively warm and well-sheltered
place, is once dry and on its feet, and has hold
OF the teat, there is little TO fear for IL, well
sheltered from storms and cold winds The
| mothers III such case require rations specially
fitted to produce the largest flow of milk, so as
to induce rapid growth in the lamb, like
daily ration OF roots, with cornmeal and bran;
a ration OF ensilage would also be excellent for
promoting flow of milk. The writer, when q
boy on a New England farm, has more than
once on going out TO do the chores on q cold
Winter morning, found lively young lamb
dropped during the previous night, the pro-
duct of a population before the rams were sep
arated from the ewes in the Fall, and there
was seldom any trouble in raising such lambs.
The manure of sheep is of more value in pro-
portion to the food consumed than that of any
other stock, which fact led to the Spanish
proverb that " the foot of the sheep is golden"
Up to this time mutton sheep have never com
manded tho attention in this country which
| they have in Great Britain IN Canada Our
people have not learned as yet to appreciate
the value of mutton in comparison with other
meats as an article of food. But they are learn
ing now, and prime mutton is going to be more
in demand than ever before. Through the en-
terprise of importers and breeders all the valu-
able breeds OF mutton sheep are becoming well
represented in this country, and breeding ami
mais either for raising pure bred or crossing
with the native, are becoming available for
any who desire them. Sheep breed so rapidly
that, starting with a pure-bred buck and native
ewes it takes but few years to produce three
fourth or seven-eighth grades, which for NUT
ton production are scarcely inferior to the pure
blo0d.-FdrmerS Review,
NOTELETS.
Feeding of stock during the Winter months
should always be done at regular hours
One of the best remedies for diarrhea in fowls
is as follows: Give tcaspoonful of raw linseed
oil, repeating the dose the second day after
Then give one scrnple each of powdered Peru
Wan bark and hyposulphite of soda, made into
pills with common soap, once day for three or
four days. Keep the fowls clean and feed them
Oh cooked oatmeal until they fully recover.
Sugar is fed to the cows a large dairy
farm near London, Eng, with good results
1t induces the cattle to eat every mouthiul of
food IN the manger instead of leaving part as
cattle usually do. The sugar also improves the