The National tribune., 1886-10-14
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
CARE OF THE hog,


bars, so that each animal shall be limited to the
space through which it introduces its head
the stronger will overpower and
perhaps drive away the weaker altogether from
the food. The bars will also prevent the ILL
hammered creatures from putting their dirty
feet into the food, which otherwise they will
almost certainly do.
The Berkshire is unquestionably one of the
most valuable breeds, being of strong constitu-
tion aud rapid grower. They are fit to be
killed at about five months old, for pork at
which age they are delicious for the table.
Young pigs of all breeds require good deal
of liberty while growing, and should have the
run of the orchard or some large inclosure. OF
course when the process Of fattening is COM
menced they should be confined in small pens,
which must be kept as clean as possible.
At the commencement of the fattening pro-
cess pigs consume much more food than subse-
quently, and when quite fat very little COM
paratively. The English farmers very fire.
quently give their hogsa thorough brushing
snd washing, which undoubtedly tends much
TO the health and comfort of the animals, and
adds no small amount to the farmers profits.
How, indeed, can the animal be in a thrifty
state with a skin incrusted with scurf and
other deflements?
Like some men, pigs are very intractable
when sick, but rs they will generally eat, there
is little trouble in administering medicine to
them. Medicine, however, would rarely have
to be resOrted TO If the pens were kept clean
and ordinary prudence exercised in regard to
feeding. clean pen, plenty of fresh water,
together with a reasonable amount of green
food, will in 80 cases out Of every hundred keep
away disease If pig refuses food altogether he
may be considered in hopeless condition, and
a blow on the head is about the best medicine to
be recommended.
HANDLING OF COLTS
The horse should be tenderly handled from
the earliest age and familiarized to man so that
il will not contract the dangerous habits of
biting and kicking at him, which are the con-
sequences Of bad education and the natural in
stinctive efforts of self-defense against oppres-
sion.
But though a horse should be handled from
the earliest age, il should not be worked with
regularity or severely before its fourth year,
though it may do light work earlier. Its mus
eular strength ought TO be established before il
is put TO hard labor. Horses Of all sorts pre-
maturely wOrked-and they do not attain full
strength until the fifth year-become wOrn-out
and worthless animals at a time when they
should be full of strength and vigor.
The work of horse should be lin
lieu dl W ilBub duu
the best way TO train colt is to hitch
it alongside of well-trained, steady
animal and teach it to pull by degrees. 1t
is well also to take the young animal from the
wagon when it shows unmistakable signs of
fatigue as to cause the creature uneasiness and
pain at the outset is TO discourage it in a way
which may impair its usefulness in years TO
come. Particular care should also be taken
that the harness is well-ftting and soft, SO as
to cause no unnecessary irritation, as the mere
fact of being restrained Of liberty and put to
labor is of itself no little source Of annoy
ance to the undisciplined creature.
After little practice in light labor, and with
a steady companion, the novitiate will soon
learn to disregard the rattle of the wheels and
the weight of the burden, and may be taught
TO work in single harness. Patience and gen.
tleness on the part Of the trainer are indis-
pensable to the docility of young horse. A
passionate man who forces the collar over its
head, or a snafle or bit into its mouth, hurt
ing its teeth and jaws, or who beats it on the
head, or who 1ays the tender and timid ami
NAL if it makes a false step, when its mex
perienced limbs cannot move with ease and Sc
curity on a rough road, is not fit 70 have charge
of the creature.
The intractability Of the animal may be the
consequence of the ignorance, stupidity or i'll
temper Of its first trainer, who, by his folly and
stupidity, teaches il TO resent his authority, to
which under proper treatment it would easily
have been brought TO submit-unless the poor
thing is SO heart-broken and stupefed by
abuse as TO lose its sagacity.
The dOcility OF the horse under judicious
management is wonderful. No animal except
the dog is SO capable Of being rendered the COM
panion Of man. NOother creature can be brought
by gentleness and patience to face what it
naturally fears extremely. For instance, horses
in battle stand fire unhinchingly and hear the
thunder of cannon without apparent dismay.
So do the horses in circuses exhibit astonishing
feats, which are the results of careful training.
Any horse gently handled in its early years
may be taught to follow its master or remain
steadily by his side, though at liberty all the
time TO escape from him. In short the
horse, like the dog, may be taught to obey
the very gestures of its owner. But fire.
quently everything is done to crush the
spirit Of the sensitive horse. If it exhibits
nervous alarm at some new object it is
whipped or spurred, and as a natural conse-
quence when il next sees the same object it feels
increased terror, because it has not only to
contend with the original apprehension which
the object Of alarm occasoned in the first place.
| but also with the added fear Of whip OF spur.
| The methods of treatment which ignorant and
incorporate men pursue to conquer the nerv-
Gus starting OF n horse are precisely those which
are most likely TO confirm them. Gcntleness.
X,
| appropriate language, which il soon sufficiently
understands, instead of harshneSs of manner
and the crack of whip. should be invariably
exercised. The sounds of gentleness and caress-
ing Kindness are quite ineligible TO all saga
cious domestic animals, and the horse is nc
exception to this fact.
| NOTELETs.
| A writer in the Pdcifc Rural says that dur
| ing the 10 years in which he has been in the
| bee business he does not remember having
bought a single pound of sugar for his own use
lie uses honey as sweetening for tea and coffee
for stewed fruit and anything else wher,
sweetening is required. If a good article o.
honey is used, having no strong or pronounced
flavor, one can soon become accustomed to il
and never miss the sugar. AT the present low
price for extracted honey it ought TO be used il
every bee-keeper's house, If only as n matter o
economy aud To save the expense of sugar.
The calf born in the Fall, fairly well win
tered, and given the vigorous growth that gras
food gives the following Summer, makes bet
ter COW than the Spring raised one. and she il
two years old-the right time for the birth o
her first calf.
The disadvantages of the ordinary system
Of setting milk in shallow pans for raising cream
are that longer period eapses before the sink
ing is completed; too much space is required
aud in Summer the whole of the milk is sou
before the cream is raised.
There are fewer cattle in proportion to tn
population of the country than there were 3
years ago, but the average weight has beer
largely increased
One thousand pounds of dry corncobs will
burn down TO four and one-half pounds of ash
and of this two and one half pounds will b