Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-03-21
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"srssD rHs PLov."

|
lcor,>.ro,s.,c. nj, ,r.r,,e., ..y,cunur., souse,
10 solicitsd. Address ali communicated N
tended for thi. department. 70 Hssnr y. Han
Peas H''s"u'~i n A1''' oA'''1
LIVE STOCK INTERESTS OF MAINE,
Mr.. Editor. In my busy life almost
forgot the many readers Of the Maine
Farmer, who for term Of years read
nv reports, and frequently took some
stock In nv advice to the Maine cattle
men. wish to say few words In re
gard to our great live stock Interests.
The future outlook for higher prices on
all classes OF live stock Is very fisttering,
aud sure to come. The Northwest, that
furnishes large percentages OF beef and
mutton, not only to Eastern sections OF
the United States, but other sections Of
the globe, has been infested with heavy
snow falls, billiards., and intense cold to
such an extent as TO cause very large
percentage Of deaths among the cattle
and sheep. The MIX River Valley,
Montana, a section famous for fat cattle
aud finer mutton, has suffered severely.
/ In some sections fifty per cent. Of the
cattle have perished. Horses and sheep
will dig and paw for grass IL the snow 10
deep; but cattle not possessed win TINS
natural instinct, stand aud curl up, anu
As the thermometer ranges down Into the
forties they freeze to death. On our
ranches In Montana we have not come
out unscathed. One storm, or blizzard,
cost Us 800 sheep on q ranch; several
Of our cattle have died; yet with our
New England precaution OF building
corrals and sheep sheds IN which 10
house our stock, We are better on than
our nelghbors. My sons, who are on
the ranches, think, OF the 32,OOO sheep
we are keeping, We shall lose 2oVo, anu
of the 1000 cattle 90 Will perish. we
have already fed over lOOO tons OF nay,
an unusual thing To do In Montana:
The above facts, taxing INTO cohsiuels-
ton with the Tact that TINS winter, Win
the rise on beef and the shortage In nay
In the barns Of Maine farmers, We have
swept the cattle clean To market, SD that
to-day there are less cattle In New Eng
land, with the exception Oh cows, thah
Tor the last twenty years. peluS go.-
erned by the rigorous laws of suppl!
and demand, IL cannot be otherwise than
higher prices for meat will obtain. We
never look To see it 20 back To the
starvation prices ot the last decade.
IL u an evident fact that the Main.
farmers are studying the dairy question,
and as they can plainly see that II Is no'
Ia be oyerdone, prices OF all kinds ol
iairy products having ruled higher thi'
year than ever before, exporters being
tree buyers To such an extent as 10 bui,
our markets and keep up prices to q
lucrative standpoint, they will surely Y,
luto ,iairyiny. As live stock, especiall,
/. attic. IA beginning To be Increased, par
,icularly ,oas, the Maine barns must Il,
remodeled aud enlarged, and IRON mo,l-
cru aud improved ideas. We think suci
improvements should be freely di.-
cussed. Many man In Maine has Ia
vested so much In expensive barns as l.,
int.rfer. with his profits and some Othei
,noiern ideas think 20 far 10 do away
with the oId-fashioned idea of an en-
prnsiye basement-an immense barn for
!, double purpose, the storage Of hay anu
yr,,in. and also the home for the live
.to,k,
Now, taking a sanitary view of Il, we
think each farm should have ample
storage room for hay aud grain, which
nearly every farm has. We think the live
stock, be they horses, cattle, sheep OF
|. .uine. should never be housed In the
.,me buildipy In which the forage L.
stored, The breath aud fumes from the
animals aud excrements We believe un.
dts the hay, or Injuries 1t to large ex-
tent. for animal food. What well reg
uIated family would think of building
mousse with kitchen, cook-room, buttery,
iiniug-room aud bedroom all In one
open spaeer Who does not believe that
such AN arrangement would be attended
with bad, unhealthy results. III 50, the
zane idea holds true In regard To the
health of our animals.
On my farm at Burnham l shall build
next season the largest barn In Maine
namely, 500 feet long, and 50 feet wide.
There will be no basement. Its founds-
tiou will be the soil. IL will be low post
ed, with plenty of ventilation. Its use
will be wholly for tie-up, which will be
located ON either side, Ia feet wide and
feet run between the two strings Of cat
tie. I'm which will be laid railroad track,
with hayrack. The hay coming from
the big hay barn now on the farm can
easily be fed to the stock ON either side.
some Of my Farmer readers will say,
"Libby, you are old-sty led-you need a
basement for manure" To those ! an
swer, l intend to cart out all the uress-
ing each day during the winter on 10 my
fields where IL IL needed In the spriug'
By so doing, give the land all the oen'-
TIC Of the dressing, and 1 nave REMOVER
ali nf fhe had ,,lors that cOtltaIniuate
milk or iDjure the health Of my cattle.
This building will be eheaply made, With