The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-25
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
CARE OF YOUNG ANIMALS.

CARE OF YOUNG ANIMALS
Young animals at this season are very sus-
ceptible to cold and dampness, and any check
through failure TO supply sufiiciency Of food
at regular periods, or exposure to wet and cold,
may produce injurious results. Young colts at
this season should be allowed to remain with
| their dams as long as they will suckle as but
| little work is required Of breeding mares during
the Winter, and if the mares give large quanti-
ties of milk the colts will grow rapidly. Where
\ the young stock is dependent upon the dams
the food must be of kind that produces milk
rich in all the clements necessary for struct-
ural growth. Ground oats twice day, with
plentiful supply of hay, will afford an album
dant amount Of nourishment in the shape of
milk, and on cold days an allowance of corn
meal may be given with advantage.
Young calves are often deprived Of the milk
that naturally should go to them, owing to its
value for market, substitutes being given them
the skim milk usually allowed. Unless judg-
ment is exercised in feeding the calves scours
will result, from the effects of which the calves
do not recover until they have been seriously
injured in growth. Young pigs that have been
suddenly weaned, and especially if taken from
| the sows too soon, are often "stunted" in such
manner as TO debar them from becoming large,
heavy hogs at any time. 1t is important to be
careful in Winter, for the reason that when the
young stock is weakened through mistakes in
feeding the cold weather often comes upon them
at time when they arc physically unable to
| endure it,
1t is best not to wean the young stock too
soon, but if IL becomes necessary to do SO, the
feeding should be done often, and, if possible,
the food should be warm. The younger an ami
NAL, the moro rapid its growth and the more
| frequent its times OF feeding; hence, when they
are allowed only three meals day, the same
as the adults, they do not thrive as they do
wheBsfcd oftener and in smaller quantities
Dieting the animals is necessary in Winter, in
order TO avoid costivcness of the bowels, as well
as indigestion, and therefore the adults and
young stock should receive succulent food
such rs ensilage or roots, but in the case of the
young stock roots without ens;lage may be fed
cooked if they are old enough to eat WELL The
dieting Of young stock by feeding a variety Of
food rs they are gradually weaned will save
them much sickness, as they are easily affected
by sudden changes.
PLANTING NUTS.
The American Garden offers this advice on the
subject: Most nuts will not sprOut after they
have become thoroughly dry, and should there
h
is in proper condition the best plan is to plant
the nuts just where the trees are wanted. A
mellow, moderately rich SOIL covering the nuts
two or three inches deep and packing the earth
firmly over them, is all that is needed. Ii it is
not practicable 10 plant in the Fall, or where
squirrels and field mice abound, which are very
apt TO steal the nuts, IL is better to defer plant
ing until Spring. In this case the nuts have
TO BIO kept in sand over Winter To preserve
nuts over Winter take hOx-which should not
be wateTtight-cover tho bottom with about
three inches of fine sand, spread layer of nuts
over it. cover with sand, and so on, finishing off
with three-inch covering of sand; place out
doors and cover with soil. In Spring as early
as possible, plant in nursery rows, or in the
places where the trees are to remain perma-
nently.
KEEPING TOOLS.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In a recent
issue of your paper a comrade gave his plan for
keeping garden tools from rusting, :. e., by OIL
ing. use barrel half filed with air-slaked
lime. BY placing spades, hoes, etc, in the lime
after cleaning they remain bright-JoHN W.
RAGAS, Fillmore, Ind.
SoTELETs.
1t is useless to hope to destroy the acidity
! Of certain soils by the application of lime and
other supposed correctiyes; only drainage will
accomplish it.
Tho struggle against weeds may be con-
tinued in Autumn with more or less success rs
long as their seeds can be induced to sprout,
ready for destruction by the harrow.
The best drug for poultry is carbolic acid.
Get pint of the crudest for so cents put it at
once into gallon of water and sprinkle it with
broom all over the chicken house and its fur
J niture once month.
Flowers intended for Winter blooming
should be potted at once, if not already attend
ed 10. As IA rule geraniums that have lowered
freely during the Summer cannot be depended
! upon for Winter bloom.
The best bed for pigs is one made of leaves
J Fine litter of any kind is always preferred by
them TO that which is coarse, and the cheapest
. and most convenient is leaves, which require no
preparation for that purpose.
, After frost has pinched the grasses thoy are
no longer sufficient f6f cattle that must be kept
t In good flesh, nor for cows giving milk. Add
enough grain, and the grass will serve much
, better 10 maintain good condition.
Fall blowing, to have the best effect, should
5 be late and the burrows left loOse-set on edge
D that the action OF frost may be complete. Flat
burrows shield the lower soil from frost, thus
impeding its beneficial operation.
If pumpkins are good food for cattle the
best time to feed them is before they are frozen
!, and while the temperature is not low enough
! TO chill animals that take into their stomachs
: 90 pounds of the watery stuff at mess
I AN Illinois woman had a hen which in hel
: | laying season regularly produced two eggs pei
Z day. When she was killed il was found thai
she had two egg sacs, each containing fully
I. formed egg ready to be laid next day. A hen
0 with this popularity should have been saved
= as breeder. Possibly some of her chick:
might inherit her popularity, and thus d valu
2 able breed not based on fanciful points, might
. be established.
r 1t is singular that gypsum or plaster Of
a paris is so little used. The cheapest of all
Q mineral fertilizers and the ono best adapted
q to clover, its use rarely extends far beyond the
y locality where it is dug and ground. There it:
4 cheapness insures large use by neighborins
farmers, who find il very profitable.
The United States Dairyman advises those
: who are bound TO be mere meat raisers to HE
> themselves TO cheap lands and use them for al
s they arc worth till civilization encroaches upon
Z their ranches, but those who have good, high
priced land in our middle West should know
= that on such land making milk is more profit
< able than making meat
& In laying down eggs for Winter use see tC
il that the shell is entirely clean The shell il
= porous and if any filth il attached to il, nc
matter how carefully it is handled otherwise
n the egg will spoil. Any means that will ex
elude the air is sufficient. Packing in salt doe:
!, not leave the eggs SO good for Winter rs keep
r ing in limo water or coating with yarnish, but
! is good way, because so easy, when eggs arr
s TO be kept only a short time.
! 1t IS possible by putting potatoes in a COO
4 place TO keep few over until the second year
lint not - 81 III l..