The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-03-13
From thursdays Daily.
AFTERNOON SESSION.

opened in the afternoon with talk
by Supt. Gregg, on the subject of the
Dairy Cow.
Mr.. Moore spoke on the rearing of
sheep: 1t is as important to feed for
good wool as for good mutton. In
this country dogs and wolves inter-
fere very much with sheep raising,
because, on account of them, the
sheep must be shut up during the
most valuable time-the cool hours Of
night. This trouble is greatly in
creased if the sheep have to be driven
80 rods to the pasture, and still worse
if boy and a dog do the job. A good
dog is alright, l have good one my
self, but good dog costs a good deal
of mutton, and it is cheaper to train
him on your neighbours sheep. | fence
my sheep in with a dog proof fence
and leave them out all night. Build
a shed on high knoll: the sheep will
gather about it, and the manure will
be washed out into the surrounding
land instead of being wasted around
the barnyard. Sheep should be dipped
twice year to kill parasites. The
best mixture for this is sulphur and
tobacco. If they have the scab dip
twice about ten days apart. The
second dipping kills all parasites that
have Matched from eggs that survived
the first dip. The dip also fertilizeS
the wool and makes it grow heavier;
while the smell keeps off the flies.
Use a self feeder for the sheep. With
this they eat only when they feel like
it, and then only enough to satisfy
hunger; while the little ones have just
as good a chance as any. The same is
true of watering sheep. 1t is a great
mistake to keep sheep too warm.
Their covering and blood is the warm
est Qof animals, and if kept in too
warm shed will surely take the snuff
fies if they are turned out into the
cold air. To cure snuffies apply tar
to the nOStrils, then fatten and kill.
Trim the toes when they grow long.
For wool and mutton, raise medium
wooded sheep that will give as much
mutton as possible in the least time.
Pea meal makes very heavy mutton,
which always fools the man who buys
it.
Mr.. Louis took up the topic of Sum-
mer Work on the Hog Farm: 1t costs
two-thirds more to make 100 pounds
of pork with hog weighing 200 lbs.
than with one weighing 70 pounds,
and the market does not now call for
heavy hog. / allow the pigs to
nurse three months, giving them other
food all along. Do not feed sour feed
to hogs; much less to young pigs.
Souring destroys the nourishment.
Cook the food, but do not cook it too
much, as that would tend to drive off
some of the nutriment. / use a good
deal of oil meal, on which I have to pay
A cents hundred for freight. You
adv antage in feeding oil meal. Never
put pigs in clover till it is denSely set;
then it is not likely to give out in dry
weather. When they come in from
the clover at night give them sWill
and all the corn they will eat. Soak
the corn from "a to 48 hours, until it
can be denied with the finger. If this
is not done, the corn will make the
teeth sore, especially when, the hogs
run in clover. In weaving, let the
pigs remain in the clover, but shut
the sows up ten or twelve days. If
you get good brood SOW keep her. 1t
doesn't pay to try new ones each year.
Que OF my neighbOrs raised "a pigs
from Is sows. When, in July, the
peas begin to blossom, cut it and take
it to the stable in the wheelbarrow
till the pigs get ''broken in" to eating
it; then turn the pigs into the patch.
They eat the peas but leave the vines
which are almost as valuable for fer
tiliZing as clover. Shut up at night
so as to save the manure, which is
valuable just in proportion to the
value of the food the animals get.
After the peas, turn them into the
sweet corn. Never confine hogs in
fattening. You cannot feed pigs sue
cessfully with old hogs, You cannot
afford to sell your hogs to Iowa men
to fatten, as you do, for you have
more and cheaper feed than they.
In answer to some questions: Make