Year: 1873




This is good rule, except during the
coupling season. The coupling season
varies with different flock masters.
Some like very early lambs; the others
desire the lambs dropped after warm
weather has come in spring. The
period of CESSATION with ewes is about
l52 days. Knowing this the shepherd
can regulate the time when the lambs
shall be dropped. A single ram to IS
or 100 sheep should be taken from
the flock at night, during the coup
ling season and well fed. 1t is not
wise nor at all good practice to allow
two rams in the same flock. If two
rams are to be used, the flock should
be divided.


REMEDY FOR STRETCHES IN SHEEP.
The following is said to be an infallible
remedy for this disease which, it is as
serted, is caused by costiveness brought
on by long use of dry food and want
of salt: To one pint of milk add five
or six tablespoonfuls of ashes; set over
the fire and gently warm. Dose-four
to six tablespoonfuls once in half an
hour, until you hear a rumbling or
looseness in the bowels. As soon as
the costiveness is removed the sheep
will recover gradually, but change of
food will be necessary.


| KEEPING APPLEs.-A correspondent
of the Cultivator states that he kept
200 bushels of apples, mostly Bald
wins, through the past winter and spring
in his cellar. He claims that By his
mode apples may be kept the year
round, without losing their juiciness or
crispness. His theory is that the early
rotting and decay of apples is due. to a
great extent, to vegetable miasma in
the air, which is communicated to it by
vegetable evaporation under certain
conditions. The effect of this miasma
is first seen in minute speck; some
times as many as a dozen may be count
ed on the same apple. His remedy is
a daily airing of the cellar or place
where the apples are stored, arranging
so as to have brisk circulation, until
all the stagnant air is expelled, and its
place occupied by pure, healthy air.
His success proves that his views are at
least worthy of consideration.


USE EoR FRUIT, VEGETABLE, AND
OYSTER CANs.-A Californian says ::
Throw them into the fire, and let them
unsolder. They will spring open about
one inch. Punch holes through each of
the four corners, large enough. Take
a piece of twine, put through the holes
and tie the can together. Set it on a
piece of board or shingle cut just large
enough for it to rest upon. Fill up the
can with prepared soil, and you have a
superb pot, or can, to start flowers or
other plants in. When your plant is
large enough to put out, dig hole
large enough to set the can in take
away the bottom, set the can in it, cut
the strings, and the can springs open,
slip it up over your plant, fill up with
dirt, and your plant won't know it has
been disturbed. The old way, we
sometimes ruin the plants by jarring
the pots to loosen the dirt, so that it
will come out. With the cans / have
never lost any, nor even checked their
growth in the least. l even start pop
py, larkspurs, ETC., in them.


THE FEEDING OF YOUNG TURKEYS.
Why is it that one farmer will raise
nearly every turkey-chick that comes
out of the shell, and do this nine years
out of ten, without much respect to
wet or dry seasons, while another loses
from half to three-quarters with about
the same uniformity We know of
men with whom success is the estab-
lished rule. They are very systematic
in this, as in all their other business.
We visited one. of these thrifty farmers,
who raised one hundred and sixty five
turkeys last year from nine hens, and
upon inquiry found that he did about
the same thing every year. We want
ed to know just how he managed to Sc
cure this uniform result, and found him
communicative. He insists upon good
stock to begin with-the best always
selected to breed from. Then he places
great reliance upon regular feeding dur
the fall and winter, SO that the flock
becomes very gentle, and the hens make
their nest Immediately about the sheds
and barns in places prepared for them.
This is great safeguard against foxes,
skunks, crows, hawks and other crea-
lures that destroy the birds or their
eggs. When the young first come off
the nest they are confined in pens for a
few days until they are strong enough
to fly over board inclosure one foot
high. He feeds frequently with coarse
cornmeal and sour milk until four
o'clock in the afternoon. He found in
his experience that he lost a great many
chicks from the food hardening in the
crop. There is danger from over feed
ing. AS the chicks grow, the sour
milk diet is increased, and during the
summer it is kept constantly in trough
for them. They are exceedingly fond
of sour milk and buttermilk, and they
grow very rapidly upon this diet. An
incidental advantage, and very i'm
portant one he thinks, is that the young
birds are prevented from straying very
far from the house. They return many
times during the day to the buttermilk
trough for their favorite food. This,