Year: 1879

No fowl over two years old should be kept in the poultry ya'd, except for some special reason. An extra good mother, or finely feathered bird that is desirable as breeder, may be pre- served until ten years old with apvan- tage, or at least so long as it is service able. But ordinary hens and cocks should be fattened at the end of the second year for market. Feeding for this purpose may be begun now. When there is room or shed that can be closed, the fowls may be confined there. The floor should be covered with two or three inches of fine sawdust, dry earth, sifted coal ashes, or clean sand. The food should be given four times day, and clean water be always before the fowls. A dozen or more fowls may be put at once in this apartment, so that there may not be too many ready to sell at one time. The best food for rapid fattening, for producing well favored flesh and rich fat, is buckwheat meal, mixed with sweet skinned milk, into thick mush. A teaspoonful of salt should be stirred in the food for dozen fowls. Two weeks feeding is sufficient to fatten the fowls, when they should be shipped for sale without delay, and another lot put up for feeding. If the shed is kept dark and cool, as it should be, the fowls will fatten all the quicker for it.

 THE COST OF so1LINa CATTLE.

 The supposed large amount of extra labor involved in soiling cattle upon green fodder crops, cut and carried to them in yards or barns, is the greatest objection urged against the system. While certain amount of extra labor is needed, this is by no means so oner- ous or so costly, as to overcome the ad- vantages of the system. By the use of a one-horse mower, hay rake and wagon, green rye, clover, oats or millet, sufi- cient for days fodder for twenty COWS, can be moved, gathered, loaded and hauled quarter of mile to the stable in one hour, by smart boy of IA or 15 years. The labor of feeding, watering and cleaning the cattle, will occupy two hours more. If half day is thus taken up, it will cost about cent and a-half day per COW, for the labor. The saving of manure will more than pay this, and there are other savings about the sys- tenn which will sum up in all to re- spectable profit. It is on small farms that the advantage of soiling is the greatest.

 FIGS FROM TOMATOES.

 First remove the skins; then add one pound of white sugar for every pound of fruit. Place in stone jar and al- low to remain for twenty-four hours. Pour off the syrup and boil, skimming until clear. Return the syrup to the fruit and let it stand twenty-four hours; pour it off, boil and skim as before. After the third time the tomatoes are ready to dry. Place them on earthen plates and set them in the sun. When we'll lsdried pack in small jars or wooden boxes with fine white sugar sprinkled between each layer.

 WHICH IS THE MOST PROLIFIC ooRN9

 It is a question worth considering in what direction we shall "breed" our seed corn. Whether it is better to en- courage growth of one large ear upon each monstrous coarse stalk, or aim at getting two or more small ears, upon a medium sized talk, one which may be used for fodder, and thus allow the whole plant to be utilized. In the West, the aim is to have one large ear, of which 100 will produce bushel of shelled corn at least. In the East, some corn growers are striving to "breed" a corr which shall produce three or more ears upon stalk, of which 15O will yield g bushel of shelled corn. With three ears upon stalk of this character, it is evi. dent that the product will be at least double that of the large-eared variety. In addition to this gain, the stalk of the smaller variety is not so coarse, and may be nearly all consumed, and the ears are better fitted for feeding whole, or for cutting into chaff together with the stalks. These items should all be taken into account, in determining to what end we shall direct our efforts, in the improvement of this, the most valuable of all our crops.-Agriculturist. 

 Vnu fh Fu1 An,hiiinn