The National tribune., 1886-04-01
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
CURE OF FooT-Ror IN SHEEP.

| CURE OF FOOT ROT IN SHEEP.
A correspondent of the Michigan Farmer
gives the following excellent plan for treating
the foot rot-a disease dreaded more than any
other by the sheep owner: make rack to
hold your sheep, something similar to the old
fashioned saw-horse used for saving wood, only
large enough so that after putting some boards
in it will be large enough to lay sheep in on
its back. Then nail a strap on one side, near
the middle so it will pass over the Sleeps
body just back of the front legs then, with a
hook or some other device on the other side to
hold the other end of the strap, you have some
thing that will hold sheep much easier and
better than man can possibly do it. Then
steep or thoroughly dissolve blue vitriol in soft
water, put in bottle, have quill in the cork
like a pepper sauce bottle. Pare off all loose
hoof and clean out Gas far as possible) all de-
cayed matter from all sore feet, and apply the
vitriol to every foot in the flock, sore or not.
Keep your pens dry and well Uttered By 60
ing over your hocl<s twice week on the start,
as the disease abates, once a week will do until
it is entirely cured. Have them cured in the
Spring, before being turned out TO pasture, and
l will guarantee they will stay SO; at least,
such is my experience"
IMPORTANCE OF CHANGING SEED.
Changing seed has long been practiced by
| farmers and with excellent results, it often
being attended with largely increased crop.
All farmers are acquainted with the fact that if
some kinds of seed are not changed the crop
! will soon run out. This fact is true of grains
but applies to a larger extent to garden vege-
tables. For instance, the onion seed of Con-
| we'll there for one or two crops but if the Gull
tivation is long continued from the original
seed the onions soon are only the size of acOrns
Again, potatoes grow well in Louisiana and as
far south as the Burmudas, if the seed is taken
| there from n cool climate each year. Heavy
oats taken from the cool, moist climates of
| Canada and Northern Europe and grown in the
| Northern or Middle United States will produce
a better yield the first year than if grown on
| their native soil.
One reason, and the principal one, for these
facts is that every plant has a native region
which is limited in extent, and that when at
| tempt is made to grow it out of that range it
soon deteriorates and requires to be renewed
| from seed grown in its native range. This IS
particularly true of Sea Island cotton, seed of
! which has been grown in every cotton growing
| soil in the world but which rapidly degenerates,
| and can only be grown away from its native
region by the constant use of fresh seed. These
| peculiarities of varieties of plants have brought
| the business of growing seed to so large proper
! tions.
Another reason why the change of seed is
often beneficial to the farmer is that the dis
| eases which atllict our crops and the insects
which prey upon them prefer some varieties to
others, and the diseases or insects will become
more abundant III the localities where the
varieties they prefer are most cultivated If,
! then, new variety be introduced, one which
is no better in any way than the other, only in
so far rs it is less subject to the ravages of in
sects, there is advantage to be derived from the
change.-C0rn Miller d
CARE OF MANURE.
The liquids of manure are more valuable
than the solids. being much richer in nitrogen.
If they were carefully saved by some absorbent
material, they would more than pay for the
labor of so doing They are, as rule, usually
wasted, and yet the same farmers who are care
full to save every shovelful of solid matter are
| sometimes guilty of overlooking the liquids.
1t is not difficult matter to save the liquids.
4 drain running the length of the stables, and
at the rear of the stables, may be constructed so
as to lead into a vat, from which the liquid may
be either pumped over the solid manure or over
a mass of earth, leaves refuse absorbent mat
ter OF any kind. To allow them to flow away
is to waste the wealth of the farm. Nitrogen
is the most costly ingredient of all the fertil
iZers made, and yet more nitrogen may be saved
on the farm than is annually purchased, and in
n more available form than that of the CONNER
Cial article.
NOTELETS.
Now is the season when great watchful-
ness should be exercised to avoid danger by
changing feed of cattle. The change induces
over eating, which causes Indigestion; this
poisons the blood, and then fevers of various
kinds result. As the cause is prevalent the
results are common, and the fears of the owners
are excited, and q dread of alarming contagious
diseases arises The remedy is preventive by
great watchfulness in caring for the stock
keeping them out of the meadows until they
are gradually used to the change by an hours
feeding only at one time, and by giving laxa-
tive food, as bran masb occasionally, and never
forgetting regular allowance OF salt.
"A Western man says he keeps the swine
plague from attacking his hogs by the free use
of copperas scattered all about the feeding
places and allowing them to eat all they want.
Copperas is good disinfectant. and is an as
tringent and tonic. 1t is the sulphate of iron,
and iron is a common tonic.
- The Mlryland Farmer is warmly in favor
of feeding cattle in yards and sheds instead of
pasturing them at great expense for fencing
and waste of food. The cost of fences is, it
says, usually more than the value of the animals
pastured, aud sometimes more than the land
lnciOsed.
- Fine manure spread thnly and evenly
upon the moving aud pasture land, will have
an excellent effect. Coarse manure is best
when thoroughly compOsted with either peat
or swamp muck, or even with soil, as it becomes
almost entirely homogeneous.
"A successful feeder of animals is not one
who throws food before them or sets down the
pail of milk, Indifferent as to whether they eat
or drink. A skillful feeder watches the pecu-
larities Of each individual, aud sees to it that
the tyrants do not rob the weaker ones. We
have learned that stock thrive best when they
feel the weight of the masters hand in kind
ness. Cows that calve in the Fall WILL if pre-
viously fed as they ought to have been, DO in
good order to withstand this trial, but are
| likely to lose flesh if not generously cared for.
Timely attention now will keep them hearty
and we'll prepared to do good service in their
Winter quarters
Aside from the looks of the thing dead
limbs on fruit or other trees should be promptly
removed. Where limbs die from blight, the
| cutting should be from below any diseased
part, or it will spread the infection. Prompt
cutting down to healthy wood will check most
cases of blight. The saw used should not be
applied to healthy trees unless first washed
with carbOlic acid and water.
The pruning Of vines and fruit trees can
be carried on now, and it is better this work
should be completed before warm weather
really sets in. a.
No kind Of fruit tree needs pruning more
than the peach. Its tendency is to extend the
branches making q struggling growth, with