Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-06-09
FARM NOTES.

FARM NOTES.
WHEN UEIFERS SHOULD COME IN.
Farmers often hesitate whether 10
have their heifers come in at two or
three years old. The purpose held In
view in raising them may decide tins
question, IL the object is to make the
best milking animals, it will be better
to have them come in at two years old.
If the purpose is to make beef animals
as well as mixers, then it would be pre-
ferable to have them come In at three
years old, or even later. The develop
ment of deep milking capacity is an ar
tificial requirement, so to speak. 1t IS
the result largely of training. 1t is also
aided by feed and breeding. Manlpu-
lations of the udder. as In handmllklng,
are the foundation or starting point, for
the very wonderful milking capacity OF
the domestic COW. In wild state, the
cow. like the buffalo, gives only milk
enough to sustain her young, and that
only for few months. No eXtraordl-
nary productions of milk ever occur In
wild animals. though they are as well
fed and as healthful and vigorous as in
domestic state. The cattle which
have been TUNED out on the plains OF
Texas. where they have an abundance
of food the year round, have their milk
ing qualities run down to a low stand
ard in few generations, showing that
hand-milking is as necessary to sustain
ing an abnormal secretion of milk as 1t
is In developing it in the first place.
Cows derive their milk from. the food
they consume. and large quantities OF
milk can only result from high feeding;
but such feeding must be done under
standingly and at the proper time, or it
may have an effect quite the reverse of
that il Is aimed at and desired. To
feed a cow high VIXEN she is not in milk
that is, to give her more food than
would be necessary to maintain q
healthy and vigorous condition-aquan-
tity which would produce fattening or
an extraordinary development of flesh,
tends to check rather than to develop
milk secretion.
HEALTHY Hoes. Pure air helps to
make pure blood, which, in the course
OF nature, builds up healthful bodies.
Out of-door pigs would not show so well
at TIE fairs, and would probably be pas
sed over by judges and people who have
been taught to admire only fat and
helpless things, which get the prizes.
Such pigs are well adapted to fill lard
kegs, whereas the standard of perfec-
tion should be a pig which will make
the most ham with the leas. waste of
fat, the longest and deepest sides, with
the most lean meat. 1t should have
done enough to stand up and help it
self to food, and carry with it the evil
dence of health and natural develop
ment in all its parts. Pigs which run
in a range of pasture have good appe-
titeS-the fresh air and exercise gives
them this-hence they will eat great
variety of food, and much coarser than
when confined In pens. Nothing need
go to waste on a farm for need of
market. They will consume all the re-
fuse fruit, root, pumpkins, and all kinds
of vegetables. which will make them
grow. By extending the root patch,
and planting the fodder corn thinner, so
that nubbins will form on it by putting
in a sweet variety, the number of pigs
may be increased IN proportion. The
pig pasture Will be ready the next year
for any crop, and ten times the advan-
tage accrue to the farmer than if the
pigs are confined to close pens, for, as
pigs are usually managed on farm,
but little manure is ever made from
them.
EXPERIMENTS recenIy made in Eu.
rope with a view to ascertalling the
best method of preserving manure show
that manure allowed to accumulate
under cattle three months or more in
specially constructed deep stalls, was
found In every case, as compared with
that of ordinary manure heaps, in
more workable condition to keep the
ammoniacal salts better preserved and
the useful ingredients in greater pro-
portions.
THERE are SAID to be fifty injurious
insects In our vegetable gardens; in our
vineyards, while seventy-fve attack
our apples trees and more than fifty our
grain fields. Seventy-five million del
lars is estimated as the damaged done
to the wheat in Illinois in one season,
and nearly ten years ago the annual
loss IN the United States from insect
depredations alone was estimated at
nearly S400, 100000.
CORN which is hilled will blow down
more readily than that which has level
culture. This can be accounted for by
the fact that corn roots run very near
the surface, and when hills are made
they are confined to the small space
covered by the hill, while in level cul-
ture the roots run from one row to the
strong, as nature intended, and in no
way liable to be blown down except by
winds of unusual violence.
ANY cause that lnterferes with the
condition of the COW after calving may
produce milk fever. Exposure, too
much exercise or nervous excitement
are sufficient to bring on an attack, and
a recovery is rare. 1t is the ''ounce of
prevention" In this case, as in so many
others, that is worth the pound of cure.
| Keep the animal quiet for a week be-
| fore and after calving and nurse her
well.
1T is common during the summer for
wells in The country to become impure.
One who has thus suffered attributes it
to earth worms, which in dry weather
seek moist places, and thus get to the
| sides of the well. An efIicaciouS reme-
dy is said to be found in trench three
feet dug around the well alongside Of
the stone wall and filled with gravel, no
soil being allowed on top.
LAST year Illinois led the columns of
wheat-bearing states with yield of
81, ,302. 900 bushels, Indiana second,
Ohio third, and Minnesota fourth. In
1881 Ohio led the list with yield of
IS, $50, 900 bushels. Ohio stands first
in five years. average, with Al, ,999,-
3S9 bushels; Indiana second, with A.
AGO, 492; Minnesota third, with 80, 360,-
645 bushels; California standing fourth
and Michigan fifth. Precedence in this
respect seems to be an uncertain homer.