The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-20
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
POLISH EnWIR-

portant side Of large industry in this country.
| More money has been made in breeding fancy
| fowls than in raising the ordinary poultry for
market and yet the matter docs not seem TO
| DO overdOne. The demand for eggs Of pure
i breeds is still great and the prices which they
bring is astonishing. Three or four dol
lars dozen is frequently obtained for the
| eggs OF fancy breeds, and the poultry them
| selves sell from five 10 20 cents a pound more
than the ordinary breeds. Among these fancy
breeds tho Polish fowls stand very nigh, and
| as they combine the ornamental and useful
traits in singular degree, extraordinary prices
are sometimes obtained for them. With very
| few faults, and many valuable traits. they de-
| scrvcdly stand as worry popular breeds. As
class they are very prolific, easily raised, and
| quick Of maturity. They bear confinement
we'll, and are just the kind OF fowls 10 suit tho
| lover of fancy breeds. There are several va
| rieties which suit the tastes Of different ones.
| The Golden Crested has rich and exquisitely
marked plumage and is great faYorite among
lovers Of beautiful markings. The White are
also very attractive, while the Silver commands
! admiration when placed i'm with Others. The
White Crested Black is universally held in
high esteem for its ornamental appearance, and
usefulness in the poultry yard, for laying, ard
for meat. When full grown they will average
nine or 10 pounds, and produce meat peculiarly
sweet and tendeT.-The Practical Farmer.
PUncrUALIrY IN MILKING.
Punctuality in milking hours, SAYS tho h
diana Farmer, is OF tho utmost Importance, and
for best results is quite essential as regularity
in feeding. The time for morning and evening
! milking should be divided as equally as tho
/ season Of the year will permit. and the hours
selected DO adhered TO rigidiy. strict OBJ
! servance Of this rule will result-all other
things being in accord-in a constant even
! flow during the entire milking term and in
rrF sod will bsa ff,a
attention is given 20 this feature on the dairy
farm. The cows are MIXED, especially in busy
seasons, at any time most convenient after
other work is attended to; this is invariably
attended with loss, and causes a shrinkags in
milk that is not easily regained. Method and
system both In milking and feeding must 10
carefully observed, TO secure the highest meas
ures OF return from tho cows; and upon the
faithful performance Of these duties depend in
a high degree the success or failure Of tho
business.
FEEDING BEEs.
At certain periods OF the year It bs-
comes necessary TO feed the bees especially
when the season has been unfruitful IN sup
plying honey food. A good bee food Is i'm
pOTtant. q. VI. DOOlittle recommends a strip
prepared as follows: Put - pounds Of water in
4 vessel that will hold about 25 quarts. and
bring the water TO n boil. When boiling slowly
stir in 30 pounds Of granulated sugar. so that
il will dissolve, instead OF settling at the bot
tom and burning Now bring to a boil again.
when it is to he set from the fire and five pounds
Of good honey stirred in. This gives about
80 pounds Of feed, Of about the consistency Of
honey.
THE ENGLISH SPARROW.
To get rid of these pestiferous birds, Prof.
Emery. Of the Now York Experiment Station,
recommends the psssagH Of bird law so framed
us 10 collect a second special tax in the usual
way for the public fund from every property
holder who harbOTs them or fails TO make act
i've efforts TO destroy them. first, in the Winter,
when they eau DO baited and shot by the Dozen
and again in the nesting season, when they can
not only be prevented from increasing. but be
reduced in numbers by destroying the nests
with eggs IN them.
BANKING UP CELLARS.
The custom OF banking up around the stills Of
buildings in the cellars OF which roots and
apples are stored is n necessary precaution in
most places. The ordinary way Of doing T. h
10 set up some boards about a foot wide ~ a
distance Of about two feet from the SILL sup
porting them by stakes driven on both sides
into the ground aud then filling up the space
between the board aud sill with forest leaves
Gel grass, tan bark. or cOTn-stalks. This gives
rather adisagrceable appearance TO the build
Ing, which would be Of little consequence in
y
like 10 have things neat well rs comfortable
around the dwelling houses BY taking little
more pains tho cellar wall can DO banked up
on the inside by building box Of rough boards
is inches wide and deep, hung from the under
side OF the floor and filling this with leaves
When the frost works into q cellar it is always
at the top Of the wall where it is exposed to
the wind. and If this is protected there will be
no tr0uble.-MGssqehusetts Pi0ughmGR.
If the stock owner will be careful to provide
ventilation for his stables roots or ensilage for
portion OF the ration, and give his animals
what exercise they need he will not find it
necessary 30 doctor the stock toward Spring.
IL you feed dry, fat forming food TO sheep
right along. you must expect that they will
become constipated. No creature living can
eat such food without producing that result.
The fat-f0rming foods are lacking in moisture.
A dairyman who thought his COW did not
pay for her feed. put her in a stall and began
feeding her for the butcher, says an exchange.
lio kept on milking her because he did not
like to lose the little milk she gave. Very soon
the cow improved so much in milk that he
gave her more feed, and in return she gave
more milk, aud SO the cow kept on until before
she was Fat enough % kill she had made moro
butter than her meat would have been worth.
There good many cows of this kind if their
owners only knew it.
Sheep feeding, to DO profitable, should be
crowded 10 its utmost limit says a writer; but
| 60 days is less time than sheep can DO made fit
| for market, unless they are we'll on their grain
and in thriving condition. so or 30 days is
| usually short enough 10 feed for profit.
Fruit trees may be planted with more safety
| in the Fall than b heel them in all Winter.
| But they should be well planted. and then they
| will make early start in the Spring, and
with good Spring and Summer care will grow
| rapidly.
The alfalfa fields Of the West are becoming
| the bee-keepers paradise. Even California
| must now take a back seat IL is reported that
| alfalfa will not secrete nectar or furnish honey
| In the Eastern States, owing TO the nature OF
| the soil. This may be the case, as it is often
\ true that honey-producing plants will in some
1 localities produce honey and in others not.
While there is time everything about the
| stables should be put in good order for the Win
ter. Above all things, harbors for rats and
mice should be opened up and the light let in
| upon them. A little leak may sink a ship. and
a rat-hole will make quite a leak, through
\ which considerable waste will run. Half-a-
dozen rats will eat and spoil as much corn as
| would supply n cOw.-FTaciicai Farmer.
The following directions are given for max
i ing the several mashes recommended for sick
| or delicate horses, says the National Stockmda
Bran mash: Put two quarts of good, sweet
! bran into pail, pour boiling water over it, mix
| thoroughly with a clean stick or iron spoon
aud let stand until cool. Bread mash: Break
\ up loaf of bread and soak it in fresh milk
aud add little salt. This is nOurshing feed
/ for weak and delicate animals Linseed mash:
A naI half -. IL.