The Forrest City times., 1892-01-22
THE FARM AND HOME.
FOR THE ANIMALS AT
 ALL SEASONS.
h the Spring, Summer and Fall as Well as in the winter-Fsrm Partner ship-Poultry Pickings and
 Home Hints.

shelter Your Animals at All seasons-
 All farmers are agreed upon one point and that is the better care do- mestic animals receive the better they will flourish; still care can be made so expensive that it would not be com
 pensated for by enhanced returns The science of farming would teach that all possible care should be be- slowed at the least possible expense. It Is we'll enough for those who can af- fore 1t to have mahogany finished horse stables and COW stables fur nished like parlors for undoubtedly the animals really enjoy them, but the masses can only seek the comfort Of their animals by the least expensive means. Years ago. and within the memory of those in middle life. 1t was the rule. rather than the exception as now, not to provide either in winter or summer. adequate shelter for live stock other than horses. Agricultural
 papers saw this egregious error. and
 began a persistent fusilade against the omission. and among the first to advo-
 cate letter shelter was the Practical
 Farmer. Now we may travel about the country in winter and find stock
 generally we'll sheltered against the inclemency of the weather. This IS gratifying to all humane persons. and the press should have the credit.
 But how IS it in spring, summer and
 fall? Is shelter ever needed then, and
 if SO is it provided? A good dairy man said if his cows were out in
 soaking rain'' at any time of year they shrank in their milk perceptibly for a day or two. Shelter is certainly
 required at .all times of year. A
 broiling hot sun is about as bad as
 severe rain. In hot sunny day this
 year a man saw a COW in a field with out the shelter even of tree. She
 tried to get in the shade of tele- graph pole near the fence. She
 stepped about until the shade ot 1t
 covered her spinal column and moved
 along as the shade did. That COW
 undoubtedly gave less milk that night
 Cattle and horses should not only have
 sufficiency of dense shade in their pastures but ba should be down or
 gates open so they can proceed to the barn or shed for shelter whenever they desire to do SO A good old
 farmer of my acquaintance had large rough field that was pasture. He considerably erected long. open shed in a corner of it for the use of
 his stock at any time. But the best
 way to manage horses and cattle In
 hot sunny days especially in fly time. is to keep them in their stalls between 9 and o'clock, with n bite to eat. and the stable made dark. This Is care that compensates.
 If mature animals suffer from heat storm and flies how must 1t be with
 the young and tenderer animals? 1 have seen calves almost frantic with
 heat and annoyance from flies. Sheep suffer worse from heat than other ami mals because of their coat of wool. Place them in field without shade on
 hot day and they will seek the shady side of fence. Their efforts to crawl down close in the corners are both painful and amusing to behold.
 The gad-fy which produces the grub in the head is abroad only in the mid l dle of the day. It is to escape these that the sheep seek dark corners and rest their noses near the ground. Run ming across field when these flies are
 about they always go with their
 noses near the ground. and they will
 not venture out unless compelled to. To o5viate some Of these difficulties
 ] recommend style of shelter which Ihad when kept sheep. The two long sills are runners-round sticks cut in the woods when the bark will peal The frame is made of two by | four scantling. and to make 1t light the covering is half inch lumber. There is an open doorway at each end
 l forgot the dimensions of the shelter. but 1t Is low and narrow enough to
 pass through gateway. One team moves it from place to place. Notches
 are sawed in the front end of the rum
 ners and a stiff pole laid across them, and secured at each end with chains
 wrapped around The team is hitched | to the pole.
 Sheep and calves both found protec-
 ton in this from flies and the burning
 sun. In fact it was their resting place
 every hot or rainy day. It is so dark
 flies will not enter. These animals
 chose it in preference to dense shsde
 It paid to see the animals more com fortable and it paid in their after I growth. Winters this shelter was
 drawn to the barn. and was put to
 various uses Sometimes temporary
 pig or calf pen, hospital for small
 stock and quarters for lambing ewes.
 When in the field summers. salt box
 with lump of salt in it was kept in-