The National tribune., 1885-09-17
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
RU6TY FOOLS.

This uses up the metal destroyed by the rust
and il wastes time end labor. There are several
easy ways to prevent rusting of plows and
cutivators, and to keep the teeth bright One
is to give them a coat of thick limewash as
soon rs they are brought in from the field;
another is to dissolve au ounce of resin in four
ounces Of lnseed oil and while hot mix this
with quart Of kerosene and stir WELL This
is laid onto the smooth iron with paint brush.
Another way is to dissolve an ounce of camphor
in some turpeDtime and add this to four ounces
of lard aud one ounce of pulverized blacklead
or stove polish and mix well. This may be
rubbed on with n rag. To remove rust from
ploughs or tools nothing is better than q mix
ture of half pint of oil of vitriol poured slowly
into quart of water and apply this TO the
rusted metal. Wash off with water.
TINE-FLAy0REp BUTTER.
In order to produce the finest favored but
ter, pure and delicate in aroma, it is essential,
! consider, to prevent all approach of sOurness
and to churn sweet cream. Acidty in milk is
incipient decOmposi ton. and it is the more
delicate fiavoring oils which suffer first of all
among the fats Of which butter is composed
Butter made from perfectly fresh cream is, Of
flavor in it; and if full favored butter is de-
sired, which is generally the case, it is neccs-
sary to let the cream "ripcn by keeping it
some days. but keeping it sweet all the time
Some persons desire the cream to be slightly
sour when it is chnrned, and the souring will
make a tough and keeping butter, somewhat
less attractive in favor, and which is more
easily cEurIed, as q rule. But, at the same
-. e Ent
ripened cream that isstill free from rerceptible
acldity.
FEEDING WORK HORSES.
Ground grain is about the cheapest form ip
which nutriment can DC given TO q work horse.
But to produce the best effect it should be mixed
with less concentrated food, such as cut hay or
straw, not to give greater bulk so much as to
render the food more porous, in order that the
gastric juice may penetrate the whole. Meal
alone, especially of corn (Which has but very
little hull, is very art TO compact in the stomach,
and is therefore not SO easily digestible. The
heavy chaf of oats is one of the reasons why
| they are so valuable as horse food. Another
reason is that the oat abounds in nitrogeuous
or muscle-forming material, and it is, therefore,
| worth more, pound for pound, than corn or oil
meal, whose chief constituents are carbouaceous
! or fat-fOrming, while those of cats are better
adapted to iinpart strength. This is one of the
reasons, too why there is so much virtue Ia
| wheat bran and middlings, possessing as they
| do much larger preponderance Of nitrogerous
! than carbonaceous or fat forming material. In
many places wheat bran is sold as cheaply by the
| ton as hay. For giving strength there is no
| comparison between the two while as a divisor
of more concentrated food it is almost rs good,
pound for pound, as that much cut hay. Wheat
middlings are also excellent food for g work
| horse. although it is better that they be mixed
| with more bulky food to guard against the
impaction in the stomach. In feeding horses
another thing is to be taken into consideration.
| The capacity of horses stomach is about Is
quarts yet many farmers 40 not hesitate to
| give eight quarts at afeed, and then supple
ment it with rs much hay as the horse will eat
| By this means the grain is forced out of the
stomach before it is half digested. and its place
taken up by the less nutritious portion of his
| food. In this way much of the nutriment of
the food is forced out Of Che system and is lost;
| whereas, if the horse had been allowed time to
properly digest his grain feed before the hay
was given him, or what is better, gwen little
| good hay before the grain was given, he would
have received the full benefit of the whole
eight quarts.-Baliintofe Sun.
| LOOK TO THE FENCES.
| There is no season of the year that requires
| a closer watch of fences about Enclosures confin-
| ing stock than the early Fall. If the Summer
season has been dry, feed will have become
|
restless and uneasy, and if there are auy weak
places in the fencing they will be sure to find
| them, and more than that, try their strength.
Growing crops in adjoining fields offer tempta-
| ton too strong for resistance, even though the
animal may have no natural tendency to
breachiness. But when an animal once dis
covers that by q little muscular effort it can
procure better feed it will take but short time
to make such animal unruly. Another source
of trouble at this season Of The year is partially
| ripened apples that fall to the ground and give
! Off their fragrance, that can be scented by ami
mails and will be sought after. So examine
carefully the fences and see that they are
| strengthened iii all weak points, thus prevent
ing destruction of crops and the patience of
the owner, as well as inducing an unruiiness
| among cattle.
POULTRY NOTES
The hen houses should be fumigated and
cleaned at once if it has not already been done.
The old laying and sitting nests are alive with
small vermn. Clear out the filthy straw and
burn it up. Wash the nests with kerosene oil
7 in 4 thorough nianser Keep down the lice
and your fowl stock will be comparatively
comfortable these warm nights.
Sell Off the roGsters rs fast as they are fit
for market and give the others better chance.
Otherwise the small ones will always be small.
Chickens should have all the soft feed
they can eat but should not be fed SO much
| In;tJ any Will DC ieiS TO sour. NHcat screenings
and damaged wheat make good food for
| fowls.
Gapes and many of the ills that fowls are
| heir to are often contracted by drinking sewage
or impure water, although this is generally the
effect OF oyer-crowding or rearing too many on
tho same ground, aud especially year after
year.
Chickens generally sell for as much at
three months old during the Spring and Sum
mer as they do during the next Winter at six
to eight months old, as during the latter season
the large city markets are ovcrstocked with
poultry products.
Poultry should have plenty of light. 1t is
| a rather significant fact that the laying season
with most fowls is during the time of year
| when the days are longest. Make them as
warm possible in Winter, but do not do it
by confning hens i'm dark and damp places,
which engcnder disease. If possible, have
south windows, SO that hens may get sunshine
the middle OF the day.
NoTELETs
-Scours or diarrhea in calves is almost al.
ways caused by overlooking aud indigestion
Three quarts of milk is quite enough for one
meal for a calf of any age, and it is better tC
give an extra meal at noon than to increase
the quantity. To treat obstinate cases OF diar.
rhea give only one,qnalt of milk warmed tG
900, with one pint OF we'll boiled rice water
added, stirring in a tsasnoonful of ground GIN
ger, a tablespoonful of sugar, and teaspoonfu
of salt. Give this three times q day, with one
teaspoOnful of castor oil between the meals
three times in the day. %,
- Lice upon q colt or any other cattle may