Year: 1864

10 keep together the droyeS OF mules, on
journey or at pasture, by putting mare to
the drove, with bell round her neck, and
called the bell-mare. This animal is led
day and night by cord, and the whole
drove is thus kept under control, and will
not leave their queen. II is therefore very
difficult to separate the drove. The man
who leads the mare is Instructed, in case of
an attack from the Indians, to leap upon the
back of the animal, and take refuge in the
wagon oncampnent, whittier the drove is
sure to follow. him. Even if-tlae -InAi&as
-s''soeod in separating any from the drove,
they find it difficult to carry them OFF. The
animals incessantly attempt to turn back,
and the travellers are thus. enabled to over
take the robbers, and recover the stolen ami
mails. The Indians, in consequence, ase
every means to get possession of the mare;
and if they succeed in this, the whole drove
is lost to their owners. If several horses
are in drove of mules, the danger is that
the latter becomes dispersed; and this is
the reason that, in these journeys, saddle
horses are not allowed to 50 loose, but are
led by cord.


WINTER BuTTEE.--The following from the
Genesee Farmer, cannot but prove valuable to
the general reader at this period of the year.
when the question of how to make COED but
ter in winter is constantly discussed:-


1t is not an easy matter to make good but
Ter during the winter months, especially when
you have, as is usually the case, but few cows
that are giving milk.


If the milk was as rich in butter during
the winter as il is in summer, there would
seem to be no reason why it cannot be ex-
tracted. The temperature of the house is
under our control 50 is that of the churn,
the cream, &c. But the fact is that in ma
iority of cases the milk contains little butter.
The good wife may be ever so skillful in her
management, but if the butter is not there,
no amount Of care and labor on her part will
produce it. II the buttor does not '.eome, "
the fault is not hers. Let the cows be well
fed and kept warm and comfortable, and there
viii be little trouble in churning,


Butter, like fat, is derived from the food
If the food contains fat--or carbonaceou
substances, like starch and sugar, they vii
! produce fat4and these are not all consume,
to keep pp tlsa animal heat Of the body, TIA
cow, if literally supplied with it, will eithe
increase in weight or give milk rich in but
| ter.


An English lady who has had much ex
perience in making butter, gives us the fol
lowing hints in regard to her method of pro
cedure in winter:-"Where only few cows
are giving milk, skim the cr.am off every
morning, and scald it BY putting it in tin
immersed in boiling water, and letting it re
main till well heated If the cows are eat
ing turnips, this will take away their un
pleasant flavor from the butter. After scald
ing the cream put it in crock, and add to il
the cream each morning (scalding as before)
till you have enough TO churn, say ene week
If kept longer the cream is apt to become bit
ter. 1t is not desirable to skim the milk for
moro than two days. The cream should be
kept in moderately warm room, or at least
whore it will not freeze. When ready to
churn, scald your churn and pour in the
cream while the churn is hot and churn i'm
mediately."


SHEEP SHEDDING WooL.-Mr. Lewis Clark,
in the Wisconsin Farmor, says the best plan
to keep the wool on sheep is to keep them
ti,t and that il sheep run down" from any
cause, and are fed high at once, their wool
will start Even change Of pasturage, from
poor to q timothy and clover pasture, will
start the wool from a lean sheep. But the
feeding Of corn, beans wheat, rye, barley
oats vegetables, or anything that sheep will
eat that makes fat, avoiding sudden changes
will not only cause the wool to stick, butwil
increase it more than enough opay the addi
tional cost.


CARE OF FARM IWPLEMENTs.-A correspond
ent sends the following 10 the Rivdl AmericaF
on subject which interest all farmers; but
only portion of them, we say, require the
information. He says:-ThJusands of dollar;
are lost by the neglect of farmers to take
care of farming tools, which a little outlay
and care would save. All the tools and i'm
plement4 Of wood used by the farmer shoulC
be kept well painted and housed. They no
only look much nicer, and last years longer
but they show evident signs of thrift an,
taste. One Of the most durable and neates
paints is a light blue. This color may b
made by any farmer. Take white lead an
oil, and mix 10 about the thickness of cream
and then add Prussian blue to suit the tastt
Green paint is made by putting in green il
place of blue. A paint composed of whit
lead and yellow ochre m ixed with oil is yer
desirable, but does not look so neat as blue
green. To one pint Of any paint there shOul
be added one gill of Japan drier or iqGi
lacquer. 1t is equally essential to preserV
tools Of iron and steel from rusting and tn
can lie eGo.tually done by applying coat
three parts of lead 10 one of rosin. Apply
good coat with cloth or brush whenever
tool is set away for while. The preparatio
can be made in anv quantity, and kept for
f long time, if properly made.


CoNsIDERABLE merrimsnt was occasione