Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-05
FACTS EOR FARMERS.
OF Notable Interest and vsine to the Averag,
Agriculturist.


Agriculturtst.
Out of total population of 81, 900 600 tho
farming population of Japan numbers 15,-
OOO, 200. During the last ten years the i'm
proved breeds of horses, cattle and sheep
have been introduced with good results.
The stocks seems to thrive as well as in other
countries. The farmers live principally
upon cereals and fruits Oats, corn, barley
wheat and rice are the chief grain products,
rice Of course being the largest.
The Maryland Farmer takes strong
ground in favor OF feeding cattle in yards
and sheds instead OF letting them roam over
large pastures, which must be fenced at great
expense. 1T Is so much cheaper for a farmer
to fence in his own stock than to fence out all
the stock OF his neighbors, and then an acre
will yield three or four times az much cattle
food If it IL cultivated and the crops cut in
stead of being gnawed off by t!smping AMI
mails The cost Of fences Is usually more
than the value of the animals pastured, and
sometimes more than the land enclosed.
No kind OF fruit trees need pruning more
than the peach Its tendency Is to extend
the branches, making struggling growth,
with fruit spurs only at the extremities,
where alone the new wood will he found.
This not only renders the tree unsightly,
but diminishes both its productiveness and
vitality. To keep peach trees In proper
shape, at least one-half of the new wood
should be cut away every season. This will
diminish the number or fruit buds and
blossoms, but enough will be set so that
there wili be no real loss. In fact, the fruit
will need thinning after this shortening in,
unless the cold OF winter destroys part OF the
fruit buds.
UphoIsterIng Cow stall
From the New York Farmer.
A nsighbor who uses an old horse barn for
keeping his one cow, found that when the
thermometer indicated from 10 to 20 degrees
below zero his COW stood shivering in her
stall, even with an abundance OF good food to
eat and warm water to drink, and that the
quantity Of milk gwen was also reduced be-
low the usual flow. Being ingenious az well
ss merciful, he went to work, with such ma
terials az he could find at hand, to make his
animal more comfortable The stalls were
ten feet high, the stable large, and the out
side boarding somewhat loose. In other
words the ventilation was abundantly
provided for. To recover the entire building
was out of the question, and even were the
outside fairly tight, so large barn with only
single animal In 1t would still be exces
sively cold with such temperature outside,
The better way seemed to be to make small
room for the COW, In which her own anima
heat would be better retained.
Accordingly, single horse stall wai
fioored over with loose boards above tn,
cow, giving just room for the attendant Il
stand. This floor was then covered with old
hay and straw to the scaffold floor above
The sides of the stall were made tight by
bsttens and stufiing, and the front close,
up with u door that could be opened for put
ting In the food at feeding time. At tn
rear, the supply OF boards having been on
hausted, old carpets, sacking, etc, were hum
in several thicknesses across the stall from
side TO side, being tackled securely to tn
staging above. The COW was thus shut int
q room but lite more than large enough I
contain her with comfort, and comfortable
was compared TO the large open space sh
had previously occupied. Much might /
done in this, or other ways, TO render fari
stock more comfortable and more protitab
to keep during these excessively cold spell
II stables are tight, and not too large In pr
portion to the number OF animals, their ow
bodies will warm the air sufficiently for cor
fort There Is little occasion to worl
gets below zero. The danger, in nine cas-
out Of ten, 10 In having too much rather tn,
too little.