The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-01-08
OUR RURAL TOPICS
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
TO RID CALVES or LICE.

TO RID CALVES or LICE.
1t is claimed by some. says an exchange, that
II calves and all animals of the neat-stock tribe
are kept in good, thrifty condition, they will
never be troubled with ycrmin. Many stock
growers however. know this to be mistake. fla
lousy animal gets into a herd Of fat cattle during
the Winter tie entire herd will soon be afflicted
with these parasites. There are several kinds
of these pests, the most common Of which are
blush in color, large and plump as the largest
kernels OF wheat. They collect in largest num-
bers around the ears, the base OF the horns,
the neck and the bFisket. Some may be found
around the roots o! the tail and inside the
thighs. There is a large number Of rene
dies, but for calves, in cold weather good Per-
sian insect powder, which can lie procured Of
a@y druggist, is as safe a remedy as can be
employed; that IS, its application causes as
little Inconvenience, both 10 the sufferer and
s;Ockmastcr as any. IL can be applied by means
of a small bellows used for blowing the powder
ia the creyce5 Of bedsteals, or may be rubbed
into the hair by hand. 1t should be applied
thoroughly and often. 10 will rot kill the nits,
but will destroy the lice that il comes in con.
tact Nth. BY applying it every other day FOR
a week or two, the young lice will be destroyed
before they have time 20 multiply. These
ycrmin breathe through pores or holes in their
sides. The fine powder, which il an irritaut
poison 10 vcTmin, is taken into the pores and
cluscs sufficient inflammation to produce death.
Some persons have thought that the powder
merely drove the vermin from the animals to
which il is applied, and that they soon end
their way TO some other victim. Possibly a
portion Of the parasites may loosen their hold,
drop from the creature to the floor or ground,
and afterwards recover. Most Of them, how
ever, will be stone dead in a short time. pro-
vided the powder be pure and fresh. Tobacco
smoke is the most effective remedy, but in
49, e. Dr. NVuer
with bellows attached IS required, the first cost
of which is great that most farmers do not
like to invest in such implement. Ii IS not adj
vsable TO wash animals in cold weather, and
they are seldom troubled with lice when run
ming 10 pasture By washing thoroughly in n
strong decOetion of quassia chips, applied warm
all the lice, and nts too, may be destroyed 1T
once. If this application is made in Winter
the patient will stand a good chance Of being
killed. by mixing common sulphur powder
with the salt given the stock in the Winter in
the proportion of one part OF the sulphur 20
five of pure SALT 10 will have tendency TO
Keep lice from the stock. Cedar b0ughs
spriukled freely around the staHehi0Hs and
upon the floor where the cattle lie, Is an ex-
ce!lent preventive. Cattle which run IN
swamp5 or among trees where cedar shrubs are
plenty. are never troubled with liCe.-OraRge
Judd Farmer.
SPREADING MANURE N WINTER.
] used to be sceptical in regard to the pro-
pricty of drawing and spreading manure in
Winter, but am convinced that little loss re-
suits, even on quite rolling ground. Last year
i had an acre of corn stubblc destined 10 be
planted with strawberries. About oRe-fifth Of
II was q gravel knoll, which showed by the
growth Of corn that it is not 50 rich as It should
/ be. On this j drew in January six loads Of
manure direct from the stable and spread from
/ the wagon. When / plOwed tie soil in Spring
I tho manure had hattcued out and looked so
| scant and uupTOmsing that did not expect %
/ see any favorable result, although / noticed
/ that the ground had black appearance Just at
/ the surface. After Midsummer, however. the
/ growth Of the Strawberries showed Just where
| the manure was applied, ard / think got as
! good as If il had been kept until Spring and
\ spread just before blowing. Drawing direct
| from the stable saved once handling. and all
/ loss from fTelaug and rains. it was drawn in
/ intervals oil leisure, and Tainwater did not con-
/ stitute One-half the weight. l notice that some
| OF the most prosperous market gardeners spread
| directly from the wagon the manure they haul
| in Winter, instead Of leaving it in heaps 10
| alternate teaching and drying, as was formerly
l the fashion. Just now i am bedding very
I heavy with straw and eOrnstalks, spreading the
| manure evenly under the stock with view 10
! mulchng patch of strawberries that is along
I side the railroad and liable 10 burn over il
/ muched in the usual way with straw. This
coarse manure will be spread thinly on the
/ rows, will prevent sudden thawing, and retain
| the snow in measure. By next June the or
/ gInic matter will have been leached into the
/ earth aud assimiiated, resulting possibly in IN
4 increased size Of fruit. although the ground is
4 quite rich. Jerry Knox OF Jucuuda strawberry
/ fame, used 10 mulch three inches deep with
/ shavings manure taken from the Pittsburg
! horse-stables, taking of the cOarsest in April,
nd ina fffar TUfn thn afsft he
/ tween the rows. That taken Off was then re-
turned, to keep the berries clean and the ground
moist and cool.-NeW York Tribune.
TO GET RID OF yEEMIS.
Clean up remove the filth, sweep down the
c0bwcbs, wash the windows, make the house
/ clean 20 the eye, whiteWash the walls, fill the
cracks aud crcvices with lime inject kerosene
into the roost supports, oil the roOsts them
| selves. These arc necessary steps says the
| ARcricn, Poultry Yard. But something more
i is needed. Fumigate, fumigate, fumigate
| Drive out ali the fowls, close the windows and
| doors, shut up the entrances and the exits. and
/ then, provided with tin pan, a package OF
/ sulphur, a newspaper, a keTO5eHe-cau, and a
| bunch of matches, enter the house, set the pan
in the middle OF the floor, and if it is u wooden
/ ilOOT IN tub of water 70 prevent any danger
from FIRE; in the bottom OF the pan place the
! newspaper crumpled up, and over il pour
enough kerosene to syturate the paper. Upon
the paper pour a couple of pounds of sulphur,
then strike match touch with its blaze the
paper saturated with kerosene, and stay IN the
house if you think best, but our advice is to
get out quickly and leave the house closed for
several hours. When you open it and air il
out for the fowls, there will not be u live louise
| in the house, and the germs of disease which
| have been lurking about will have persisted
Then take the fowls themselves, hold each by
the legs, head down, and work insect powder
through the plumage; put insect powder into
| the nests into which the hens resort and add
it to the dust-bath freely. Repeat this opera
ton at intervals Of three or four days for
period Of one or two weeks, and you will BIZ
troubled with no more lice.