Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-02-21
NO l6
AGRICULTURAL.

for feeding the cows in regard TO quantity
and quality OF food Each COW win have
her special demands, and they must he
complied with
Do I,ot disturb the onions or onion sets
if they are itozen. The handling of them
when they are in a frozen condition is det-
Allow them TO gradually thaw,
and keep them where they were originally
stored
Mulch around the young trees US soon as
the ground is frozen. This will prevent
the ground from thawing too early in the
the spring, TINS delaying the flow of sap,
thereby lessening the liability of injury
from late frosts.
4 steer at the Chicago Fat Stock Show
gained over three pounds per day to the
age of 32a days. The greatest gain with
steers is when they are under two years
old, the average gain being about two
pounds per day to that age.
The enrry-eo is never more useful
than in the winter. II is pretty useful
thing any time. II should be used careful
ly, however, at all times The man who
uses a sharp curry comb as he would
spade in digging had better not use one at
all
Whea milk il unfit for the farmer to
drink it il also unfit for the young calf
Scours frequently result from the calf not
receiving milk that is fresh and sweet. The
natural conditions in feeding young calves
should be observed as closely as possi-
Bile.
The skin Of animals is an excretory Or
gan. Now, if the pores are filled with
dirt the organ cannot perform its office ef-
ficiently. Keep the skin as clean as posi-
bic. This may be done partially by. keep
ing bedding clean, keeping dirt from sift-
ing down from above, currying, etc.
Wagons should be kept well creased.
Grease is cheaper than horse flesh, and as
the roads in the winter season do not al
ways permit OF the use of light wagons the
draught on the horses should be kept at
the minimum point, and greasing the
axles will largely contribute to lessen the
wear and tear Of the wagons as well as
the labor of the horses
Rough land alone will not support
sheep. Sheep will find much that may be
utilized by them on such lands, but good
feed of grain should be given at night Also
As the sheep will eat tender herbage of
all kinds and industriously forage for all
that can be had, they serve to keep down
weeds and suckers, but such food will not
answer for them exclusively.
70 take the ''fshy" smell from your
skillet after frying hsh, put soap and
water in the skillet and let it boil for ten
minutes.
Whtewash should be used in order TO
render the stables cheerful. A light stable
is more comfortable than dark one, and
as the lime partially serves to disinfect
the building its application should be fre-
quent.
Until farmers have generally learned
that good roads are as necessary to their
success as good crops, the country roads
will be generally bad and no legislation
will make them otherwise, unless it will bo
by leyying direct tax tor road purposes
and appointing official road makers with
salaries, whose duties shall be the making
of roads and keeping them in repair.
The question being raised as to whether
it was better To have cows "come in"
every year or to have them bred once in
two years, the Rural Nep Yorker made
inquiries of a number of daiTymen, and
their testimony is in favor of the former
plan.
SMALL HERDS AND FLoCKs.
The maxim "a small farm well titled" is
an old one, and the frequent advice to
cultivate small areas is excellent, bnt this
rule is one that is applicable TO herds and
hocks to a certain sense. To mako
small farm profitable the land must be
brought up TO the highest degree OF fer
tility, and it must be well fed if it is to
produce heavily. The quality Of the soil
is the prime factor TO be considered before
the venture is made. If farmers culti-
vate too much land they also keep larger
herds and Aocks than is necessary TO sue
cess. IL is the well bred herds that gives
the farmer n profit, and the failure to make
stock raising pay is due to the keeping of
large numbers Of Improbable animals in
stead of concentrating the capital and labor
on a small and better class Of stock.
The first item that enters into the cost
Of an animal is its maintenance, which in
cludes the food necessary to keep it alive
without increase of weight. This cost
must always be borne, under all conditions,
and in many casesit is the source OF the
loss. The greater the cost of providing
the animal with warmth bodily and the
material for repair of tissue, the smaller
will be the profit from the animal unless IL
can give a return proportionate to the cost
of maintenance, and greater, in compari-
son with other animals in the herd. This
rule applies also to the soil, for the cost OF
maintenance of the soil (that is, TO avoid
loss of fertility must be estimated in the
cost of the crop. The profit derived by
the farmer is greater in exact proportion
TO the surplus over the total cost, which
includes not only the maintenance Of the
animal but the capital and labor invested
in its mana nagement.
While large herd will give larger re-
turn, under equal conditions, than small
one, yet the profit depends on the amount
from each member Of tho herd. IL is,
therefore, more profitable to keep few
animals that pay than to keep large
numbers at a loss. II is more profitable to
transfer the capital invested in large
herd that does not pay TO small herd,
thereby concentrating the efforts on few,
Just rs "a small plot of land may be made
profitable by applying on it the whole of
the manure The quality OF the animals,
their capacity to convert food into salable
products and the lessening Of the cost and
especially of the cost Of maintenance, are
to be chiefly considered, and when these
matters are fairly given the attention oil
the farmer he will find that he has been
too extrsyagant in attempting TO do that
which IL sometimes considered economical
Economy in raising stock Is TO use the best.
animals to be had, and to properly manage