Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-10-16

COuuiUuus uut IL suOutu 10 uouO Ny
more bulky or partially green food.
Fences cost on most farms each
year more than taxes, and they are
becoming more and more costly as
material gets scarce The true poll
cy is to take up interior fences so far
as practicable.
Sheep will effectually clean up q
field filed with weeds, briers, bushes
and other rubbish thereby saving
much labor with the bush scythe and
by their droppings prepare the field
for the plough
Most farmers have learned that
cut hay or even straw wet and sprin-
kled with meal is better feed for
working horses than whole grain and
hay. In this shape the nutriment
in the feed is easily eaten and easily
digested.
A calf will thrive ON milk after the
cream has been taken off. it is bet
ter fed to them sweet and warm.
The cold milk taken from the cream
cry is not good. 1t chills the stom
ach and draws from the vitality OF
the animal to warm it.
All small apples and others defec-
tive in form or damaged by worms
have their best market on the farm
as food for animals. III packed with
sound fruit even in small proportion
they reduce the price of all even to
the point ofloss.
Straw may be rendered more val
liable by being cut into short lengths
and mixed with chopped hay and
grain. 1t will greatly assist in in
creasing the amount of coarse ma
terial If SO fed, and the practice is
much more economical than that of
using it for bedding entirely.
In order to guard against flies the
stable should be thoroughly cleaned
often. A sprinkling of the floors with
mixture Of teaspoonfull of carbol-
ic acid and two gallons of water will
disinfect the stall while the manure
heap may also receive an application
with advantage.
To compel Brahmas and Cochins
to roost high will be cruelty. They
have difficulty not only in getting
upon a high roost but in getting off,
All roosts should be made low and
on the same level. There is no nece-
sity for having them high and as
nearly all diseases of the feet arise
from high roosts they should be
abolished.
Orchards that are in grass contiu-
ally are sometimes injured. The
best method is to pillow under the
grass lime the land, give an applica-
ton of well-rotted manure, and re-
coed. Some orchards do best when
in grass If the soil is rich, but the
peach and plum are exceptions. The
grass should however be plowed I'M
der occasionally.
Few farm crops take up so much
potash as the potato. 1t is an aka
line juice that stains the hands when
pairing potatoes and it is best remov-
ed by oxalic acid. This alone should
be sufficient hint as to the kind OF
fertilizer most needed by potatoes,
and is the reason why this crop soon
est fails on sandy soil, where potash
is usually deficient.
Milk can be fed to poultry in any
condition either as SKINNED milk,
butter milk, curds, or when mixed
with meal and ground grain of any
kind. It is valuable food for egg
production many substances that
may be lacking in others foods. 1t
is cheap on those farms where only
the cream is desired and it will give
better results with poultry than when
fed to pigs
III cows are allowed to dry and rest
abont six weeks before calv;no thav