The National tribune., 1885-05-28
OUR RURMr TOPICS
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
FEEDING PIGS ON MILK AND MEAL.


of two lots of pigs upon corn meal and skinned
skinned milk being obtained from the diaries
at the college and the station, the buttermilk
from the Amherst creamery. Six Berkshire
pigs were selected and brought from the col
lege farm. Their weight was from 40 to so
pounds each. They were kept in separate pens,
each lot having one barrow and two sows. The
former gave the best results in both cases. The
skinned milk was rated at two cents per gal
Ion, and the buttermilk at 1877 cents per gal
Ion, the price paid for it at the factory. The
corn meal cost $1.40 per hundred pounds. The
feeding was done three times day, at 6 o'clock
in the morning, at noon, and at 6 o'clock at
| night, one-thrd Of the milk being given at
each feed. At noon no meal was fed, one-half
the allowance of meal being given at each of
the other feelings. Whenever the previous
food was consumed some hours before sue
ceedng feeding time the amount of daily fod
der was gradually increased. At the beginning
of the experiment about two ounces of meal
were fed for each quart of milk, but later three
ounces for every quart. The buttermilk was
doubtless somewhat diluted by the first wash
ings of the butter, for it showed only 7.2i parts
in 100 of solids, while the skinned milk con-
tanned $50 parts of solids in 100 pounds, or
nearly 25 per cent more making the values by
analysis correspond fairly with the respective
prices paid The results, however, show that
the cheaper buttermilk asfed with the corn
meal gave equal increase in weight, the extra
solids in the skinned milk not appearing in
the pork. The pigs were fed Just four months,
and, although there was a difference of between
one and two dollars in the cost of food con-
l., zA.I ota.
corresponding difference in the increase made,
the difference in results from feeding the two
kinds of milk was a mere fraction. The heav-
lest feed for week, in any case. was three
pounds of meal and 14i quarts of milk per day.
but this was only reached two weeks by two of
the pigs. The cost of making the dressed pork
from skinned milk and meal was 5.6 cents per
pound, and from the buttermilk and meal 4.6
cents.-NeW England Farmer.
KEEPING EGGS.
There are probably hundred ways suggested
for keeping eggs, but in this connection we will
remind our readers that hens will lay without
the presence Of cocks, and such eggs being in
fertile will keep three times as long as those
used for Matching purposes. Place the eggs in
a box small enough to be turned over OCCASION
ally, such as a soap candle-box or in a bar
REL packed in such manner that the barrel can
be rolled one half ronnd.i 1t makes but little
difference whether they are packed on sides or
ends Common salt is excellent as packing
material, and so is oats, but the oats should be
we'll dried. Dry earth, sifted fine is excellent,
and so is charcoal -four Kiln-dried sawdust
will answer, and also finely sifted coal ashes.
We mention these several articles because they
may be adapted to di fferept sections. Place on
the bottom of the box an inch of the packing
material, and then put down layer of eggs, no
egg touching another, and fill the spaces be-
tween them. Pack tightly till the receptacle
is full and then press the head close upon the
material so that the contents cannot shake.
Now place the box or, barrel in a location of
even temperature or rather where it will not
be too warm or too cold, but dry, such as a cell
lar Turn the box or barrel two or three times
week, and the eggs should keep we'll for six
months or more The best plan is to pack dozen
eggs, and open an egg every month, which
will give good indication of the length of time
they will keep.-Farni and Freside.
BEE-CULTURE AS A NATIONAL INDUSTRY.
Among the recent industries Of rapid growth
in this country bee-culture stands prominent.
Of course, as a homely art, Bookkeeping is no
modern industry, being as old as history but
in its scientific development it is of recent
growth. In these times, when science is prop
erly taking its place at the helm in all its de-
parments of human industry and activity, it is
not strange that it is promptly assuming the
guidance of bee-culture. This is utilitarian
as well as scientific age and this is why bee
culture is being so rapidly developed, for its
extraordinary growth is only in the ratio of its
utility Though known to commerce for $500
years, hitherto it has been followed and known,
in this country at least, principally as local
industry. But bee culture, from the soundest
economic considerations. ought undoubtedly to
become great national industry fostered and
protected by the State. Agriculture is naturally
a part of and closely allied with agriculture
inasmuch as the nectar gathered by the one is
Immediately derived from the same fields and
forests that yield the abundant ingatherings Of
the other. Indeed, the bulk of the honey crop
of this country (which is in round numbers
about 100,000000 pounds annually comes from
the Bookkeeping which is in connection, more
or less, with farming.-Popular Semi Monthly.
POULTRY FOR PROFIT.
One of the most valuable resources of the farm,
both for profit and manure, is the keeping of
poultry. But to realize the most profitable results
the poultry must be kept under the most favor
able circumstances They should be kept, lodged
and fed as well and as comfortably as the other
stock; not as mere appendage of the house.
keeping, but as regular part of the farm bust
ness. A pasture suitably inelosed p clean, health
full and convenient lodging; distinct separation
OF the young chicks and brooding hens, and ap-
prOpriate arrangements for feeding must be pro-
yided. The fowls should no more have the
range of the fields and garden than sheep or
pigs are permitted to have, and mast be con-
fined to their own proper quarters. When thus
kept the profit from a hen may be quite as
much as that from sheep. inasmuch as 10
dozen eggs are worth as much as an average
fleece of wool, and eight or ten we'll lied chicks
are worth more than one lamb. But one
hen will consume much less than sheep. This
shows how profitable poultry may be made
with good management.-N Y. Times.
NoTELETs.
= Mix the droppings in the poultry house in
thin alternating layers with road dust. dry,
pulverized loan, dead broken turf, powdered
charcoal coal ashes, Or other absorbent, and
after some weeks break it up and pulverize it
well. twill then be ready to apply to the
land, and will be beneficial to almost any crop
which needs yard manure. In the absence of
the above absorbents, which should be at least
double it in bulk, scatter it in thin layers with
common manure, in compost heaps or other
manure heaps. t3s -
"A very simple and Inexpensive trap for
destroying rats in the cellar is made after this
manner: Fill a washtub or caldron with water
almost to the top. then spread wheat bran over
the water to the depth of an inch. Lay some
bits OF boards on two Sides resting the lower
end on the bottom Of the cellar, sprinkling q
little bran on them.
One of the best 'manures for the garden is
made by mixing two bushels of fine bone with
wagon-load of stable manure. The bone makes
the manure heat more quickly. and the man
Cfa,,e l.1-z L. N y