The National tribune., 1886-03-11
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
CARE OF POULTRY.

| CARE OF POULTRY.
One of the most important adiuncts to the
| thrift and comfort of fowls is dust bath, and
no careful poultry keeper will neglect to pro-
vide one during the Winter when the frost or
mud prevent the creatures from seeking the
bath in the fields or barnyard. This, of course,
should have been provided for in the Fall, by
laying in a good supply of road dust, but if such
provision was neglected, sifted coal ashes may
be substituted, and even wood ashes is much
better than nothing, although pretty severe, If
the feathers of the fowl are damp The dust or
| ashes should be placed in some dry, sammy ex-
posure where the fowls can enjoy it at their
| leisure.
The farmer must always keep in mind that
the hen is without teeth to grind her food, and
that if left during the Winter, or while confined
in poultry houses at any time of the year, with
out suitable suppy of gravel, she will be in a
| sorry plight 1t must also be remembered that
| the hen requires lime for the shells of her eggs,
| and that this must always be placed in her
reach, either in the form of crushed oyster
shells, ground bone, or lime itself. Many
poultry keepers give their fowls egg shells, but
this is objected to by some on the ground that
it creates disposition on the part Of the hens
to eat their eggs. This danger, however, could
most likely be obviated by breaking up the
shells so fine as to destroy their identity.
Plenty of good, clear fresh water should at
all times be provided, as drinking impure water
| is a prolific source of disease. In Winter, as a
rule, twice day is often enough to feed, with
breakfast of cooked vegetables of any kind or
| variety, mixed with middlings or ground oats
] nd ni rio nf
whole grain as You have at command, fed early
in the evening, or even i'll the middle Of the
afternoon, providing you can contrive some way
to make them work for it. Exercise means
thrift and, for young stock, growth; so hide
the grain beneath forest leavcs-gathered in
the Autumn for the purpoSe-or, lacking that,
use clover hay, gravel, saw-dust, or anything
that thee IN scratch about.
| Asa general thing it is waste of time and
trouble 10 attempt 20 doct2r n really sick fowl.
The hatchet, unless the biru>i" one OF great
value, is the quickest aud most ef1eu, we medl-
cine that can be used But, of course, the>2aeest
medicine of ali is prevention. and if due care IS
observed in regard to the chickens, and they
| are subjected to a common-senSe management,
sickness Will be quite rare among them.
RAISING PIGS FOR PROFIT.
Our farmers are becoming more and more
satisfied, says an exchange, that it is better to
grow pork, beef and mutton with our immense
corn crops, than TO export the grain, and the
result will inevitably be that much less grain
will be exported and more meat. We can sell
! them pork lor less than European farmers can
produce it. 2-'
Ia the meantime our farmers are learning
! the important lesson that pork should be prin-
| cipally produced in warm weather. And to
! this end more litters farrowed in Spring
and fewer in the FalL 1t is not exaggeratng
TO say that under our present system of open-
air feeding in Winter, the Winter-made pork
costs fully 90 per cent. more than the Summer
| made pork. This renders it certain that there
is really no profit on Winter-made pork at
present prices.
We hope that all our readers will make n
! special effort to push their pigs during the
warm weather, and have them ready for sale
| at the be@inning0f the cold season, instead of
feeding till january or February. Two hun
dred and fifty to two hundred and scventy-fve
comes nearer TO the requirements Of the market
I than any other weight. And when the feeder
| remembers that it costs more to put on
| 4 pound of weight the pig grows older
and heavier, he will see that after reaching the
/ above weight, il is probable that the additional
weight costs more than it brings on the scale.
PaStaring should never be omitted except in
cases ot absolute necessity. and then green food
should he brought to them in the yard. This
green food is necessary to health, and young
pigs should be fed but little corn. Oats and
! bran or middiings are much better to develop
the frame and muscle of pigs. When they get
safely grown into rangy shOtes, then corn will
bc safe.
With proper feeding and care. pigs will put
on an average OF one and quarter pounds per
day, and they may be finished for market in
! November, or early in December. This will
leave the best profit.
NOrELETs
- An Ohio daryman, speaking of the profit
| ablencss of Winter dairying, remarks that the
! time viii never come when Winter dairying shall
! be Overdone. With warm well-lighted, clean
| stables, plenty of eary-cut and well-cured
/ grass, supplemented with the contents of a
/ good sil0 and we'll filled root cellar, the COM
fort, health aud profit of the cows should be 10
/ more problcmatical III Winter than in Summer
| - The value of your horses three or four
years hence Will depend greatly upon the class of
stations you breed to this Spring. The few
dollars extra that the service fee of good
/ horse will cost will bear interest if properly
I placed.
-- 1t costs just somuch TO put pound of meat
/ on an animal, and if it is lost during the Winter
/ from low feeding or exposure, it is just that
much extracted from the owners pocket.
- success in tarmngis rapidly resolving itself
into success III making, saving and applying
! manure
- Happy is the farmer who was able to pow
| last Fa.l, and who ha, distributed the manure
/ directly from the stable. i he Spring work Will
be shortened ana cascd.
The best condition powder for horse is
/ good, wholesome food.
/ - tobacco refuse, like the stems, is power
/ tuI and quick-act.ug fertilizer, particularly
rich in mineral elements and at the same time
. d.SIaslnul To insects. Used literally as
. mulch for gooscDcrrv and currant bushes it gen
. critiy protects them from the attacks of the
( Troublesome worm. Applied in the same way