The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-04-22
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
Shooting HORSES.

work in that particular. One practice above all
| should be ntenanced and positively pro.
| hibited by the farmers: that is allowing the
| blacksmith to put hot shoe on the hoof This
| is to a great extent the result of lazness, as
| the hoof can be burned to the shape Of the shoe
than it can be CIT. This practice of burning
| is probably more or less painful to the animal
and there can be no doubt of the fact that ii
dries up the hoof, makes it brittle, thereby
| causing cracks, and frequently making it
| necessary to lay the animal off for repairs,
thus entailing serious loss especially in the
busy season, even if it does not permanently
injure the hoof. 1t is true it would take few
minutes more to shoe horse if the shoes were
all put on cold, but the blacksmith who is not
willing to 20 to this extra trouble is not fit
man to patronize. If farmers were to frowa on
this practice there would be plenty of men
found willing to put shoe on in proper and
humane manner.
While on this subject we may also mention a
practice very prevalent among blacksmiths
that of making hoof fit the shoe instead OF
the shoe fitting the hoof. This cramps and
dstorts tho foot and destroys that springy
action SO necessary to the comfort and well
being of horse.
If horses could he allowed to run barefooted
for few months only in the year it would be
of great benefit to them by getting the hooi
| in good shape and hardening it. This. we
| think, could be done withoutany delay to work,
| Is, for instance, when season of blowing
| commences, if the land is toerably soft and
| free from stones, and the horse would not be
required to pull heavy loads on hard roads for
sometime, the shoes might be carefully taken
off, all the rough and jagged edges of the hoof
filed round, and there would be little danger to
apprehend from broken hoof. The animals
would greatly enjoy the change; and on the
| score of economy, at any rate, it should appeal
| to the farmer.
Under no circumstances should horses shoe
| be left ON longer than five weeks The fact of
| the shoe not being worn out and still adhering
| firmly has nothing to do with the case Far
mers must bear in mind that while the shoe
| remains upon the foot the hoof grows with con-
siderable rapidity as there is no wear whatever,
and the horse, walking on long hoOfs and being
compelled to pull load, is about as uncosnforta-
BILE as man walking on stills TIE leg is
thrown out of shape and the knees soon spring
if the unfortunate animal is compelled to work
on hoos an inch greater in length than nature
ever proposed they should be- Of course it is
| not necessary to supply new shoes The old
| shoes can be carefully taken of, the hoofs pared
down TO the right length, and the same shoes
refitted Do not allow the blacksmith to cut
down the frog of the hoof. This tough, springy
substance acts as buffer and prevents the
bruising OF the foot by stones or other hard SUBJ
stances.
little care in these particulars may save
months of inconvenience and loss of labor by
reason of disabled animals.
GIRDLED TREES.
To THE EDITOR: The article in recent issue
Of your valuable paper saying there is no help
for trees that have been girdled by rabbits,
mice, or from any other source, is incorrect
and, as | am a reader OF THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE, you will please let here correct the
same, or, rather, give my remedy for treating
such cases.
Take from the same tree, or any other healthy
tree, sprout of last YEARS growth the size of
pencil, of proper length to reach above and
across the injured parts whittle the said sprout
at each end to fit gimlet holes to be bored
slanting upwards for the top hole, and in the
opposite direction for the lower hole. Three of
these scions at least for each tree must be used.
Care must be taken to place the scions properly,
30 that the sap of the scions meets properly
with the sap of the tree. Then wax the Joined
parts. 1t is good plan to tie an old rag around
the tree to keep the sprouts from drying up. To
make this wax take four parts resin, one bees
wax, one tallow, melted together. When melted
rolls in sizes to suit 1t is then ready for useA In
warm weather it is well to use piece of tallow
in your hand to prevent sticking. This forms,
too an excellent salve for any sore or cut.-B.
j. STANLY, Springdale, Mich.
While the operation referred to above by Mr..
Stanly has frequently been performed with
success, we do not think it thoroughly practical,
as it certainly would not pay to treat number
of trees in that way and besides, if the tree on
which the experiment was tried was not one of
great vigOr it would most likely fail. We
think that it would not be worth while to treat
. tree in that way unless it was one of great
worth or value as an ornamental or shade tree.
Would it be possible to connect the separated
bark by binding on to the naked trunk pieces
of healthy, live bark cut from other trees? We
do not think however, that this would be as
practical way of treating an in ured tree as
the one referred to above, but as experiments in
such matters are always interesting, we should
like to know if any of our readers have ever
tried IT'D
CARRIAGES FOR STOCK.
Few farmers have given any attention to
cabbages as food for animals and fowls. They
throw the loose leaves taken from the heads
that are eaten in the house into the poultry
yard, and notice that tho fowls leave their grain
to pick at them. If cattle or sheep find their
way into the garden, they eat cabbage in pref
erence to any other vegetable they find there.
Hogs at any age are fond of cabbages. Ducks
and geese will eat them, both in the raw and
cooked state. That cabbages are very valuable
food all admit. That they are not generally
raised for animals and fowls seems somewhat
strange Much less labor is required to pro-
duce crop of cabbages than one of roots.
Nearly all the work of cultivation can be done
with a horse. The seed for a crop of roots must
be planted very early in the Spring, when there
are not many things on the farm that require
attention. The thinning and wedding of beets,
turnips and parsnips must be done by hand,
and at time when several other crops make
demands on the farmers time. Cabbages de-
signed for stock food should not be set out till
after other field and garden crops are planted,
as it is not desirable to have them come to ma
turity till very late in the Fall On this &C.
count cabbages constitute convenient as well
rs a valuable crop.
The soil for cabbages should be we'll drained |
tolerably dry and friable.e A tenacious clayey
soil is unsuited for this crop. 1t is very hard
to work, and will give poor return for the |
labor bestowed upon it. A light loan is much
better than hard clay soil. The ordinary soil
of the prairies is good; it is so situated that |
water will not stand ON its surface after heavy
rain. 1t should be plowed deep and well pull |
verified. 1t is best to plow land intended to |
produce cabbages in the Fall. and to plow it |
again a few days before the plants are set out. |
By adopting this course the soil becomes well |
and is free from weeds at the time |
the young plants are set out The seed for |
late cabbages should be planted about the last |
of May. 1t is best to sow the seed in long rows