The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-01-27

herd of magnificent cows True we can
not make prize stock of scrub cows, but
We can get out of them all they are cap
able of if we go about 1t right. 1t has been
demonstrated time and again that 1t pays
in actual increased flow of milk to groom
the cows and Ii also materially saves on
the feed bill, for grooming eXcitcs better
skin action as well as a more proper flow
of the blood, hence the animal does not
require so much food to sustain bodily
warmth Start in by keeping the stables
ciean with a gutter back of each COW SO
that the liquid eXcrement may be con-
Quoted into some vat and be saved and the
cows kept out of 1t. Then start the loom
ing. gently at first. for the COW that has
never been groomed will be considerably
astonishcd at the process. Use a "a ther
soft brush at first and spend only few
minutes each morning on each COWS for a
week, extending the time as they get used
to the operation. Later sitter brush or
eve nthc curry may be used and the cows
VIII enjoy the operation Do tho work
thorouhgly as would be done with horses
and you will have better cows in more
ways than one
SULPHUR IN POULTRY HOUSES
Even In the cleanest poultry houses
there is likely to be more or less vermin,
and certainly plenty of bad air that can
be gotten rid of only by fumigatng. The
plan OF using sulphur for this purpose is
not new one by any means, but it is
none the less desirable and effective. Work
1t In this way: During the pleasant part
of the day turn the fowls out into shed
or into the yard. then close up all win
doWs, doors and cracks in the poultry
house, take an old tin pan and in it place
a quantity of sulphur, from one-half to z
pound, according to the size of the house
wrapped in cloth and over the cloth
newspaper Set fire to this, after placing
the pan in the middle of the floor where
i! will not be likely to do any damage.
Then leave the house. shutting the door
closely behind you. Let the sulphur burn
until it dies out, which will be in an hour
or so. then, about an hour before roosting
time go into the house and open all the
windows and doors SO that the fumes of
the sulphur may escape. In the morning
place little dry sulphur in each nest
box ara sprinkle some dry lime through
the busting boxes and you will have done
more to rid the house of disease breeding
mites than anything else possible. OF
course, ii is understood that this fumga
ton does not, in any way take the place
of the usual cleaning and embarrassing.
EXERCISE FOR HEAVY HENS.
If one wishes to prove the statement
that exercise is essential to the best egg
production during the winter let him take
a flock of any of the heavy breeds and
keep them in confinement with little or
no opportunity for exercise and he will
find the egg production materially re-
duced; not because the hens are injured
in any way from lack of exercise but be-
cause they get too fat. The lighter breeds
and especially the Leghorns do not suffer
so much in this way because they are ma
turally of a nervous disposition and will
voluntarily exercise even in a small space
n he tar of hon nf Ia sre
breeds to exercise has been found than
combining their midday meal to a light
ration of grain scattered through the
chaif where they will be forced to
scratch for it. A good plan is to feed this
grain in large shed scattering it thinly
over the entire length of the shed. so
that the hens will be forced to do consid-
cradle travelling TO get the grain. An
other good plan is to hang a cabbage head
or u bunch of some other green stuff just
high enough so that the hens will have to
jump Il little to get at it. The heavy
breeds must be forced to take exercise
and some way must be provided or there
will be a falling off in the egg production.
A STATIONARY BAG HOLDER.
While it is admitted that the so-called
spring poor animal is largely the result
of poor winter rations and lack of care,
the trouble goes back of this to the pas
turc period. 1t is not possible at any rea-
| sonable cost, at any rate, TO carry an ami
nal through the winter in good shape
when it has had anly Indifferent pasture
and no grain during the summer. So it
is no wonder that cows which are forced
| to a combination of poor pasture and light
rations during the winter come out spring.
poor. There will always be a difference
of opinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY Of grain
ing COWS on pasture during the summer,
but this much is certain that IL the pas
ture is not rich ard ample the COWS should
be grained Regarding the winter feed
it is not policy for a writer to lay down
hard and fast rule as to rations, for
every dairyman knows better what his
! cows ,need than any stranger and it is
his business to give them as nearly what
| they should have as he can afford. The
| rstions must however be more than suf-
| ficient to simply sustain life or the cow
| will be of little value in a few years and
especially if she goes from scanty barn
ration to a lean pasture
| A STATIONERY BAG HOLDER.
Another of the handy things which may
| be had on any farm If one is of the mind
| to construct it is here described. To fill
loose, 1ilmsy bag is a difficult operation
and the time-worn plan of placing one side
of the bag over a nail and holding the
other side with the hand while filling it
! will not always work to advantage. Try
| the plan of building a device for the pur-
pose by making base of a Pinch
plank - inches long. In one end of this
plank make an opening into which q post