The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-08-29
FARM AND HOME.
Hints for the Husbandman and House.
wife.
Valuable Advice About Breeding and Feed
ing Sheep Handling the Horse Stock and
Dairy-Poultry Pickings Hints for the
Household.


tendency to weaken the constitution,
although it is a fact that most all the
different breeds of sheep were pro-
duced by in-breeding The truth seems
to be that the close breeding up to a
certain point is unnecessary to secure
a certain type; and. judiciously done,
1t may be the means OF securing most
valuable results. To change the
ram the second year would be on
the side of safety. You may breed a
ram to its own eve lambs with no bad
results, but you should avoid breeding
TO the second generations offspring
TO breed a ram to its eve lambs is
safer and is not as close breeding as
brother and sister.
We must breed for some desired
object and learn to know the charac-
ter OF every ram and eve in his flock
as near as possible. Remember that
the male impresses upon the projeny
most strongly, so it is necessary to be
very careful in securing the ram as
near the desired type,as possible. The
ram is one-half the flock. No matter
how nice flock of ewes you have and
you breed them to a poor ram. you
cannot accomplish an improvement.
On the other hand if you have only a
falr flock of ewes and you head them
with as good ram as you can secure,
you are sure of a good result.
1t Is cheaper to pay good price for
good rams to a capable breeder who
makes the production of breeding ami
mails his business and knows what a
good breeding animal should be than
to attempt to raise one yourself, which,
after all, is akin to your flock, or buy
some cheap ram Of your neighbour.
Breeding lays the foundation and feed
Ing builds upon that.
Success in sheep husbandry is due
arst to good breeding and then good
feeding. We have fed wethers for
several winters and have fed them
several different ways. Our best
results have been obtained by feeding
them a variety of fodder, hay, straw
and corn. feeding them corn and fodder
Getting them do their own shocking
and Smelling of the corn) out on pas
ture we intend to pillow up for corn the
following spring, 50 the manure is not
AO0Vs w ACA ~ ID WOU tuu We
feed them their corn in troughs and
the fodder in racks. At night, in the
stables, we give them clover hay in
racks. After we get them to eating
corn nicely, we increase it slowly until
we give them about all they will eat,
feeding twice day and feeding them
Just what fodder and hay they will
clean up nicely, always keeping tn 9
stable dry with straw. OF course there
will be some litter in the hay they will
not eat, and that we use as bedding.
We give them access through the day
to straw pile and fodder, and at
night to hay in the sheds and barns.
We let them have access to plenty of
water. This is for wethers over 2
years old. -Prairie Farmer.
Handling the Horse.
Have you farm hand who knows
how to take care of a horse and de-
lights in keeping his tenn in order?
If so, you have man whose work
should be with the team as much as
possible. Anyone who employs two or
three or more men will observe that
one is better horseman than the
others, and common sense dictates that
he is the one to whose care the horses
should be consigned. This is not only
better in view Of the amount Of work
likely to be done, but the condition in
which the horses are to be kept.
Many an employe seems to know that
horse is a horse, and that is the ex-
tent of his equine knowledge. His
very first action with the team shows
his ignorance of that kind of work and
the risk of placing it in his hands. No
man who has taken the pains to gather
good horses about him can afford to
take the risk of undoing all his work
by handing them over to a novice to be
ruined. One likes to have supervis-
ion of his horses himself, but with
many busy men this is impracticable.
The next thing is to get an honest and
competent hand-not always an easy
thing to do-and keep him.
Producing Better Cows.
We believe in the purchase of good
COWS, and also improvement by breed.
ing from better stock on the male side.
But one method of improving the
dairy quite as important of either of