The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-01-27
FARM AND GARDEN NOTES.

handled too much.
In winter it is quite an item to have
the poultry nests as warm as possible.
Have the chicken nests reasonably
deep and plentifully supplied with clean
straw.
The object in caponizing is to improve
the quality and increase the weight OF
the fowl.
To keep the chickens healthy the
brooder must be kept clean. Use dry
sand or bran to sprinkle over the floor.
and this should be changed offer
enough to keep clean. Feed soft feed
in vessels.
To dry-pick fowls without tearing
them the work must be done as soon as
possible after they are killed and while
the bodies are still warm. If properly
done the fowls will present a plumper
appearance.
Moisture is the agency which destroys
most shingle roofs, and moss encourages
moisture. If we'll seasoned shingles be
dipped in lime wash and dried before
laying they will last much longer, never
allowing the growth of moss.
On the farm we have 'slife free from
conversational restraints, plenty Of fresh
air, sunshine, butter, eggs, and cream,
glorious sunsets-these are among the
charms that do not lose their attractive.
ness in the vistas of memory"
If trees are heeled in the fall foI
spring setting, care must be taken to
separate ana to see that the soil is well
| flied in around the roots and that thor
ough drainage is provided. If this il
done this is the best plan to follow.
The beneficial effects of a clover sod
are not confined to the nitrogen it con.
tains; the mechanical effect in loosenlne
the soil, especially heavy soils, is an i'm
portant item, and it also serves as a mulch
in retaining moisture in time of drought
Ducks are growing in popularity
among our farmers, some keeping fewer
chickens and increasing the number oil
ducks. Rightly maj aged the duck is a
wonderful fowl, one that makes for the
farmer a good deal more than he feeds
it.
Many a nice calf skin is sold for fifty
cents or less, an especially 'green" one
often as low as twenty-five cents. Tanned
with the hair on, by the aid OF alum
and salt, it would be excellent for nit
tens, vests to keep out wind, and for
caps.
Turn a ram IN with a lot of ewes and
never take him out to feed and water
the result is you have q lot of small,
weak, sickly lambs; besides you ruin
your ram for future use as a lamb getter
and at lambing time you will have lots
of trouble.
Axtell, when a colt, was fed during
| the winter on corn stalks and oats. The
stalks do not seem to have injured his
wind or speed; still there are many who
claim that stalks are unfit tor horse feed
and should be thrown away rather than
used for that purpose.
A breeder declares that if COW should
be born without a tail she might be used
as the founder of a family of tailIess
cattle. A pure bred Shorthorn heifer
was born hornless. Several of her calls
were also born polled; these were care
fully saved, aud in time a strain of polled
Shorthorns were produced.
When you are short of funds don't try
to raise them by an increase of acreage,
but by increase of care bestowed in put
ting in crop. There is nothing gained
by killing your teams aud your soil.
Plow deeper, harrow finer, sort over your
seed better, cultivate better, and your
crops will bring more money.
When horses are going into the barn
it is we'll to give a little food, such as
roots or mashes. During the summer
horses are liable to take into the stomach
parasites which change into different
kinds of worms. These must be expelled
or the horse will not thrive during the
winter, and il is necessary to keep young
horses growing all the time.
For horses timothy hay is preferred,
but clover is better for cows. Cows will
| give more milk from clover and thrive
better than upon timothy, but in order to
keep them in full flow Of milk they should
have a variety, and if ensilage can be
provided it will be found an excellent
| addition to the ration. If not ensilage,
| they will relish roots, turnips, mangels,
or carrots.
The Houdan and white Plymouth rocks
make a good cross for excellent layers
end table poultry. Where there is a de-
mand for cross-breeds this cross will be
found a good one, and a few pens of such
fowls will be useful and profitable.
Usually the demand for market chickens
exceeds the supply, and few farmers or
breeders care to place their surplus of
high.cla stock in the market at market
rates.
Feeding like any other investment of
money, should pay the proper interests
on the capital used. If the animal fed
cannot pay back a fair interest on the
cos. of food, both should be applied to
more remunerative uses-the capital
transferred and the animal converted
into cash to be pro6tably applied.
Nearly every farmer in America and else.
where lcses the interest of the money in