The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-18
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
N.H1Y4
Agricultural Readers
MORE LIGHT ON sLABBERINa.

MORE LIGHT ON sLkBBERINa.
So far we have received several answers on
this question: but no two are alike. The only
ones which seemed to bear out one another
were those about tho bug and the web, but all
the rest attribute the cause to something else.
A practical farmer visited us last week, and
whom we asked him the cause of slabbering
he said that the second crop of clover was
great deal finer than the first crop, and when
the horse ate it IL all united in his stomach and
formed one solid mass, thus making it hard to
digest. In fact, he said that slabbering was
nothing more nor less than indigestion in the
horse. When asked If the clover was all right
after heavy FROST he replied that the slabber-
ing continued, no matter whether the frost
touched the clover or not This seemed to BIO
an absurd theory, but tho farmer vouched for
its truthfulness. When O person has indi-
gesion he does not slabber, and for that reason
we do not think horse would sabber If affected
that way. The following is from one of our
correspondents, and he has an altogether diff
ercnt theory:
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: am surprised
to sec in your Rural Topics, under the caption
what Makes Horses Sabber2 2" that some say
that il is caused by fly. ] have lived and
farmed for 81 years, and / nor no other man
ever saw q horse slabber when there were no
seed in the clover, and one feed of clover with
seed in 1t will give horse the slabbers Now,
the best and surost remedy is to give him
feed of dry bran and put him on different pas
ture, where there is no clover-s seed. and he will
soon get well.-HARvEY LYON, st. Johns,
Mich.
HAY FOR POULTRY.
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: In looking
over the Rural Topics of Sept ! see, under
Notes, that hay can now be- used prohtably for
chickens. This is nothing new, for ] have
boon using 10 Tor several Winters Some people
tell me the advanta ses Of using eusilage, but
think that my way IS better than any onsilage.
got tho hay and cut it up in pieces about half
an inch long, and | use peck for morning
meal for % chickens. When | have the hay
cut tho desired length, | place it in pot Of
boiling water and lot IL boil for 10 minutes,
When | take il from the stove there is d great
deal of liquor in the pot which contains o
large amount of nOurishing matter, and, to
prevent the loss of this, add enough bran
and corn 10 tho mixture so az to absorb all the
liquor. Tho hons make this disappear with re-
markable quickness and it can bo plainly seen
that they relish IL. Now. | think that many
of your leaders will agree with mo when say
that this is great deal better than ensilage
The cost of feeding my chickens is very small
indeed. for utilize al the peeiing5 of potatoes,
turnips, apples, and, IN !lct everything that is
waste on the table. The hens acem to love tho
tops Of bccts, which ! cook for them, and the
Feelings from potatoes aud turnips boil aud
lot the chickens do the rest. / would like 10
see tho opinions of some OF your readers as TO
IF.gsF ,s.I he.
poultry. Mrs. J. d., Hagorstown Sid.
now LIME ASD SALT ACT IN THE SOIL.
Lime and salt arc two OF the best and cheap
cst Of fertilizers known. The matter of apply
ing these fertilizers TO the land has received a
good doal Of discussion, some contending for
great profits and others for none at all In a
discussion of the subject before tho Boston
Market Gardeners Association, printed in the
Prairie FarmeT, It's action Is thus explained:
First among chemical products not needed as
plant food which act ~ solvent u upon the plant
food already in tho soil, rendering 1t suitable
FOR use, t. limo. IL acts as a Chonical agent In
libcratinR potash, soda and ammonia from vari-
Gus compositions which occur In our soils and
arc not otherwise available, aud 1t also improves
the mechanical condition OF peat or heavy clay
land. II may be applied either as quicklime
mari or powdered oyster shells, at the rate Of
1000 to 1000 pounds per acre, spread in the
i All once Ia Two OF buIc3 years, another
article useful In "A similar way is common salt.
IL acts a solvent Of certain chemical COM
pounds in the soil, IL absorhs moisture in damp
weather and retains IL, and distributes other
soluble substances through the soil. IL should
not DO used for most plants more than 400 or
500 pounds per acre.
NOTES. \
One thing Is sure, says F. D. Curtis IN the
Amerioan Agricp'i'"i". there is no food that will
make better pigs or put the sow in better con-
diiion for bearing young than graat 1t seems
to be rs natural food for swine rs for any class
Of animals. Fruits arc also natural for swine,
and aowa will DO well II fed on nothing but ap.
pies.
Lime has the advantage OF being beneficial
nj AL seasons. though It's effects in tho soil may
not bg Immediate. II never Injuries land If
properly applied aud though its results may be-
Unsatisfactory at frat yet the effects arc lnsting
tho lime applied this year proving beneficial in
tho future. Limo is cheap aud should DO used
freely
Tho Jersey Bulletin remarks: After cows have
been MIXED in the morning, they may be fed
cabbages or other strong favored foods without
imparting their diangreeablc odor or tasto 10 tho
evenings milk. OF course 1t Ia much better to
have IA full supply Of butter making foods and
allow the cabbage and other garden scraps to
70 TO the pig trough, but rather than have COWS
fall of in milk whom the pastures fail il is bot
tor 10 feed those articles that are not hrst-rato
butter fooda, taking precaution to feed always
Just after milking.
A scrub calf Eve years ago was bought for rs
cents says tho Practical Farmer tho mother
could have been bought for $l2. She gave four
quarts OF milk day. The calf was woll fed
aud cared for she was kept warm and had n
bellyiul Of good food every day until she had a
calf She gave eight quarts OF milk day, and
seven pounds of butter week. So she pro-
crossed until now, with calf two weeks old
she is giving 90 quarts Of milk day, and the
past week made l0l pounds OF butter. Scrubs
are made; 80 are good cows.
it is not very long now before those who OK
peCt TO do Winter dairying will have cows
ready 10 calve These cows just before aud
after giving birth 10 offspring must be looked
after every three or four hours during the day
time, aud much oftener through the night, for
they are moro apt to- undergo parturition then
than In the day time. At this period the COW
is more or less fevorish aud restless, requiring
frequent drink. II the COW or the weather IL
cold, do not fail TO have the wator luke warm
every time ii IL given. As to the feed, il il
safe 10 give hay. bright and well cured aud If
green food Is allowed 1t must DO mixed with
hay or straw, in order to cause no injurious
effect NJ this important time and then il must
be fed moderately. For sop, or mash food,
use shorts or wheat bran. Look TO tho udder
until it becomes pliable and out of danger.-
Orange Judd Farmer.
The horticultural department of the Geneva
On. " Agricultural Station made expert
ma 10 unit l.r lsaI. \