The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-01-21
CRUMBS SWEPT UP.

| Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Knowledge is cumulative. Anyone
in a lifetime can acquire much of it.
But it cannot be transmitted from
father to son, as common inheritance,
The best anyone car do is to put it
down in print; then anyone may read
and learn within a short time what oc
cupied or required almost the lifetime
of another to learn from experience.
Scarcely a year has passed since l
reached manhood but what l have
known some friend or neighbOr to u
tain the loss of stock, poultry or the
life of some member of the family
which might have been easily proven
ted by the use of a little printers ink
and a little careful reading.
For months past l have been intend
ing to write a communication for THE
PROGRESSIVE FARMER, which if l had,
perhaps my friend would not have
given his hogs half a bushel of salt, and
lost a dozen. Salt in proper quantities
is good for animals and fowls, but if
fed in excessive quantities will cause
death. Salt in large quantities, or
briny Stops will kill hogs. 1t will cause
brood sows to drop their pigs prema-
turely. 1t will also cause COWS or brood
mares to abort. It will kill chickens
and I suppose it will kill other fowls as
we'll. I rec0llect that when I was a
small boy, my father directed one of
his boys to give the sheep salt and meal
after he had turned them out from
shearing. The sheep ran off and left
the meal and salt. My mothers spring
chickens ate it, and in less than an
hour thirty broilers we're dead. Ny
thoughtless hired boy in going to feed
the horses set down a bucket full of
meal with a hand full of salt in it.
Within a few minutes fifteen Of Mrs.
Whites chickens we're dead. A near
neighbor threw out a small lot of corn
that by some means got saltod about
the smoke house, and it killed a large
number of chickens. Two of my ear
neighbors have lost valuable brood
sows by feeding them salty slops. The
late Rev. A. G. Hughes came near
killing a fine lots of hogs by giving
them salt.
ON sPEYING AND C~AsTRATIONs.
In speying or castraTion l do not,
from experience, regard the signs of
the moon as of any Importance. 1t is
seldom too cold to castrate or o hot
to spey. Do not spey a SOW when she
is in heat, for she will come in heat
as though she had not been speyed.
Pigs should be castrated when quite
young. Bears should not be castrated
soon after service. Several days should
elapse. Nor should they for several
days thereafter be allowed to run with
sows. Calves and lambs should be
castrated when only a few days old by
cutting off the scotum and testacles
with a pair of sheep shears or a sharp
knife. Cd rams may be safely cas-
trated in cold weather. It cannot be
safely done in warm weather. Colts
should not be castrated till two and a
half or three years old. This will pre-
vent a foul sheath" A conestoga or
cold blooded coltshould be "cut proud"
A fiery or vicious colt should be cut
tame or clean. After castration a colt
should not be allo we'd to run with other
horses until it is we'll.
Bots are found in greater or less
numbers in all horses; but never in
jure a horse in a healthy condition.
A horse over driven, irregularly fed,
or subject to collie is more apt to be
affected than others. Their presence
in hurtful numbers is indicated by the
horse stamping and switching his legs
with his tail and looking around at his
side.
Remedies (N0. y: Drench with a
strong tea made from Tansy, into which
put half a pint of molasses, one table
spoonful of Laudanum and two spoon
fuls of soda. NO. q A tea made of
sage, ~sweetened with molasses, into
which put soda and Laudanum.
No. 81 A teacupful of weak lye in a
q quart of sweet milk. In drenching
use a cows horn with the little end
cut off, or use a very strong bottle. A
thin glass bottle is easily broken and a
horses life may be endangered. Slip
the bit from the mouth, or use a halter.
Draw the reins or halter over a limb.
joist or pole s } as to elevate the animals
head. If it refuses to swallow, press
the throat and stroke it downward. A