The National tribune., 1886-10-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
FATTESING SWINE.

that swine should be pushed forward now IN
mild weather as fast as possible, as they will
gain flesh much more rapidly on the same
quantity of food than in freezing weather.
During the fattening process it has been found
highly beneficial to feed n moderate quantity
of pumpkins, for when this is done they assist
the digestion of the grain or meal given the
swine, and enable them to more perfectly and
economically turn it into flesh, thus saving
considerable percentage in the consumption of
food. Pumpkins, or, what are richer and bet
ter, Winter squashes, ought to be grown espe-
cially for this purpose by all swine keepers
Aside from this, they are excellent for the
store stock, rs they will do well if fed alone on
these-that is, provided they are of good, quiet
breed.
When pumpkins are not on hand, few roots
may be given raw of which beets and carrots are
better than potatoes, a-bagas or common tur-
nips. The last are very poor feed for this pur-
pose, being better for cattle. Grass, and espe-
cially clover is an excellent substitute for roots,
so long as it remains green and growing in
Autumn, but when turned out to this, the swine
ought TO have a warm shed, into which they
can come when fed and to protect themselves
from dew and frost during the night, as well as
from storms.
TOmake superior hams and bacon, corn should
be mixed with oats or barley, or perhaps rye
might answer, at the rate Of one-half to a third
of the latter to one of the former. and ground
thus together Such feed increases the proper
ton of tender. juicy, lean streaking the fat,
which is essential to produce q fine quality of
hams and bacon. If fat pork for sailing aud
barreling alone is wanted. then pure corn, whole
or ground into coarse meal, is best feed, Joined
with some pumpkin or roots, barley or rye, as
recommended above.
SURFACE DITCHING.
A farmer who has much experience in ditch
ing says: 1.-THE more we use the plOw for
making wide surface bitches on low lands the
better we like the plam We get the bitches
deeper and wider every time we plow. We
have bitches over four feet deep that we drive
across with q wagon, moving maching, cuti-
vator, etc. These bitches are made by simply
turning the land away from them every time
we pillow. They carry OFF great quantities of
water in the Spring, but in the Summer are so
dry that grass and crops will grow almost to
the center of the ditch. We do the work with
large pillow and three good horses abreast, and
turn over a deep. wide furrow. 1t is often
rough work at the first. We have gone through
places where the weeds were as high as the
horses heads, and old logs and brush-heaps
were in the way. But when you once get the
horses or oxen to pillow through the work is es-
sentially accomplished. Every furrow is easier
than the preceding and every year afterwards
you can make better and better work. The
great point is to make a beginning and stick to
il. 1t is better TO make the ditch with spades
and shovels sometimes. But make the ditch"
NOTFITTs
DO not send any turkeys to market until
they have been first penned up and fattened.
1t adds to both the weight and price.
"A warm and comfortable poultry house
can be built Of three-ply tarred felt and it will
greatly assist in keeping off vermin. Such a
| house can be whitewashed and made to look as
bright and cheerful as one made of boards
- Clean up the weeds and burn them. A hay.
rake will take up the weeds and dead grass
| after they become dry, and they can be put in
large piles and consumed. Thousands of seeds
| will be thus destroyed and the work OF blowing
! the field rendered easier.
In trimming hedge som hing else should
| be considered as well as the matter of cutting
| off the extra growth. Some kind of shape
should be given it. There is nothing at
| tractiye or ornamental as a shapely, well-kept
hedge and it adds value to the farm.
- During 30 year since sorghum was intro
duced into this country has SO little attention
been paid to it AS during the present season.
| The New Hampshire Mirror says that there
| is a habit of retiring the old hens and using
pullets under the suppositiOn that the formel
are useless after their second year. This Is 1
mistake. The hen is in her prime in her fourth
year and her eggs will hatch larger percent
/ age of chicks than will eggs from pullets.
The price Of draft horses does not go dowr
| with the breeding of increased numbers; tn;
| more there are the more demand. People arr
finding out that it is better 10 go slower anC
take larger loads. The wear and tear of hors
aud vehicle are not 80 great.
| The larger portion OF our annual corn croI
is consumed by animals. The Agriculture
Bureau estimates that 1S0,0OO,0OO bushels ar
used for human food, 100000 bushels for seed
62I, 100000 bushels for working animals 100,
100000 bushels for the production of glucose
etc, o.. 100000 bushels for export and 100000,
coo bushels for producing animals.
A widely-knOwu firm Of breeders of Hol
stein cattle claim that their herd of matur
COWS has given an average yield of l7.l6
pounds of milk during the past year. Thi
would be AZ pounds, or about 81 gallons per da.
for 800 days, and would imply yield of 10 o
II gallons per day from individual cows durin
part of the time.
A writer in the Indiana Farmer says: Las
year i put II molcs in my strawberry patch O
five acres 10 catch the grubs, and they did tn
work. i never had a dozen plants iniure
during the Summer, either by the grubs o
molcs. i know some people do not care 70
moles on their farms, but want them in m
strawberry patch"
- The best cider apple is the old well-know
crab apple. 1t still holds its place as the bes
for that purpose and preserving. 1t finds
ready sale when marketed, and is being NOR
extensively grown. 1t is not very sour appl
as many suppose, but is rather tart, though We
favored.
When cornstalks are to be used for fOdde
husk the corn As soon rs hard and the stalk
are cured and haul the stalks at once. or if tina
be not possible stack them carefully temperate
and allow them To be exposed as little pOss
BILE TO rain, rs the butt ends pump the water u
from the ground and ruin the fodder. kee
them in a NOV. and if convenient mix theI
with little dry straw. They are sweet an
nourishing.
1t is a well-Anown fact that oil meal mike
with other feed will greatly increase the ricl
ness of tbs milk and the yield of butter, an
at the sa..Ie time il Will promote the health an
thrift of the cows. Dr. T.. Lewis SturtevaI
says that "Oilmclll is one of the healthiei
. foods that can be fed 20 horned cattle. Thel
I Is scarcely any doubt that the feeding
cornmeal in excess is productive of garget
the mich COW aud indigestion and a feveris
state when the disease is not located"
: If straw is run through a cutter before b
!. ing used for bedding il more easily Absorb
! droppngs, more quickly, decomp0ses In tf
! manure pile, Is more evenly and readily sprea
1 upon the soil with the manure when il
Y actually used. and is more easily plowed
than when left in its original lengths.
, There have been great many remedi