smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

In the April number. writer on "feed-
ing sheep" mentions stretches, and advises
giving sulphur. Now this subject is Of suf-
fcient Importance to the sheep raiser to de-
mand more thorough explanation of its
nature, cause and treatment, and as l am
posted on this subject, l thought | would
give your wool growing readers the benefit
of my knowledge Of the veterinary art upon
this topic, so here goes Stretches is the
animals instructive remedy for disease Tor
displacement) Of the intestines, termed in
veterinary science intro Susceptio which is
the insertion of portion of the intestines
into another portion, producing inflammation,
putrefaction, and sometimes rupture of the
intestines; for the latter there is no remedy.
This disease is produced by too long contin-
ued feeding on dry fodder, which produces
constipation Of the bowels, causing uoluuluS
(rolling up) of the intestinal tube, and usual
ly occurs in the small intestines. Take a
glove finger, commence in the middle to turn
it partially wrong side out, and you have
a perfect sample Of the case we are treating
of. Remedy, nauseants sufficient to produce
vomiting is sometimes used with success, but
injections are the safest and surest remedy
that can be used. Take three or four gills
of warm water, one large spoonful of soft
soap, mix well, and with common block tin
syringe inject this into the rectum repeat
necessary. Never give powerful doses Of
physic in case Of stoppage, which is often
done to the human subject, which only makes
a bad case worse. Nauseants, lubricants
and injections are the only safe medicinal
remedies. If the shepherd discovers sheep
stretching and has no medicinal remedies at
hand, he must resort to the following me-
chanical operation to relieve the animal,
which often proves successful /: Lay the sheep
carefully on its back, holding the fore end
with one hand, and with the other rub the
belly, allowing him to kick and struggle
with the hind legs. This operation will al
so assist much in relieving the animal if re-
sorted to in about ten minutes after admin
istering clysters. Preventative-When you
begin to feed on dry fodder commence feed
ing roots once day; carrots are the best,
turnips will do; and here l will give a
general rule to be ali0ayS regarded in feed
ing any kind of roots to any and all kinds of
stock. Begin with small quantities, and as
the animal becomes accustomed to eating
them, increase to the desired amount. Why I?
Because some roots are slightly cathartic,
others slightly diuretic, and over feeding
may prove injurious and thus prejudice the
mind against these valuable crops, which
every man that keeps stock ought to raise.
This chapter ought to have been written last
fall, so your readers could have had the ben
eft of it during the long cold winter through
which we have just passed but l did not
know then that could write for the press
until you told me and others in the Journal
that we could, and you made me believe it..


[Cor. American Farm Journal.
Year: 1875

l am in the habit Of growing caulihowers
for my family and giving few heads annu-
ally to friends, some of whom have been
prompted thereby to attempt the culture of
this vegetable, but generally they shave no
luck in the business" Now, l am aware
there are a great many who would like to
raise cauliAowers if they could only have
good luck enough to succeed, and therefore [
am going to tell them the secret of success !;
and to make the lesson easy to be remem-
bered, will say that three things are essen
tial, each of them having the initial letter
NJ: namely, manure, moisture and mulching.
Select ground that is rich and moist, if possi-
BILE; manure it well, aud then plant at same
time and manner as cabbage; but arrange so
that the row of plants will stand in shall
low furrow, and where there is q descent, so
that when water is poured at one end it will
flow gently to the other, watering each plant
in its course. Then if by means of trough
or garden hose water can be conducted to
the spot, from pump or reservoir, all the
better. Or it may be carried, few buck
etsful daily, and poured in at the upper
end Of the furrow; or, still better, pour it
into tub or barrel having a faucet at
the bottom from which the water will flow
slowly into and along the turrow. The
cauliflower is almost water-plaDt and will
only thrive with plenty of drink; but do
not make the mistake of letting water stag
nate about its roots. Mulching is not SO
essential as manure and moisture, but in our
sunny climate, and where moisture is likely
to be deficient, have found manure on the
surface over the roots Of very great advau-
tage. The same is true of cabbages, which
also naturally belong to cooler climates than
ours. [Ohio Farmer.
Year: 1875

A farmer in Franklin county writes
to the FARMER that he has used various
styles of pans for setting milk, beginning
with earthen pans, from those liaking the
first step to six-quart tin pans. Then he
had ten.quart pans on racks in nice milk
house. These, after time, proving out of
date and behind the age, ave ordered a set of
large pans to be set up on trial. So one day
the agent brought them along and we turned
our nice milk racks out Of doors and set up
the large pans aud they worked like a
charm. 10 strain the milk all into one pan,
and but one pan to wash, was all very nice,
but we soon discovered that they had draw.
backs, and the set proved failure, and one
day on returning from short absence from
home found these new-fangled pans packed
up ready for transportation and the old
racks aud ten.quart pans in their former
position in the milk room. Thus failed two
sets of pans.


"If some of the FARMER correspondents,
having had practical experience with water
pans, will answer the following questions
through the columns Of this paper, for one
will have learned lesson, aud it might be a
benefit to others.


"Having a milk room all right and plenty
Of cold water, and no trouble with butter
coming soft only in the very hottest weather,
and the loss from this cause not averaging
over 81 a year, how large a sum will it pay
to expend on machinery to avoid this draw.
back Can it be made to pay to pump 10
to 40 pals Of water daily through the sea-
sou and carry it 30 to 40 feet through two
doors and up one step into the milk room
aud then lift it four and half feet and pour
into tub? Is the cream soft and spongy
with water pans, requiring third more
churn room than the old way? Does it take
a third to n half longer to churn? Is the
air danp and the milk room all slop aud LA.
BILE to rot out in few years2 What about
getting out the milk, does it spatter over
everything, yourself included ? | suppose
different pans have different advantages, and
where is the harm in farmers exchanging
views ?"
Year: 1875

An accurate farmer has furnished the
Country Gentleman a statement of his ex-
pertinent with feeding cut feed and meal to
his horses accompanied with weighing and
measuring. He cuts oats and straw about
an inch long with a rawhide cylinder ma
chine; and this chopped straw is then treat
ed with corn-meal and bran mixed in
about equal quantities as to weight, so that
each horse has about bushel of cut feed and
three quarts of the meal and bran twice in
each day. Sometimes hay is cut instead of
oat.straw or both are mixed. 1t is found
that two hundred pounds per week of this
mixture Of corn-meal and bran, added to the
cut feed will keep pair of working horses
in the best condition. This, he is satisfied
from experiment, is less than two-thirds
cost of keeping them on uncut dry and whole
grain. The corn meal alone is not so good
for horses as when mixed with bran. An
excellent meal is made of ground oats. The
fodder is cut by horsepower, on stormy or
spare days, and stored in large bins, so as to
furnish always a surplus Cd hand.
Year: 1875

Mr.. Chas II. Gilbert, of Wolcott, takes
any kind OF a moving machine and converts
it into a hay cutter that he says is far better
than any machine made for the purpose that
he ever saw. He takes off the tongue and
sets the machine up on its frame and fastens
it so that the tongue, if attachef, would be
pointing upward. lie ther builds up feed
board that inclines downward toward tie
cutter bar aud puts board over the cutter
bar to keep the hay from falling over, and
that is all there is to it. He says it runs
easily and cuts the hay very fast, even draw
ing it in, and all the trouble there is about
it is that you must keep your fingers out Of
the way or you will lose them. 1t costs less
than a dollar to arrange one.
Year: 1875

President Buckham of the University Of
Vermont and State Agricultural College,
said eloquently in the annual address before
the Vermont Dairymeu's Association at
Montpelier last October:


81 hope to live to see the day when the
farm homes of New England shall be the
best representatives Of our civilization, the
abodes Of industry and refinement, of simple
elegance and plain dignity, of pure moral
ity aud cheerful piety, to which men shall
fly as to haven of rest from the excite
mont and disquietudes Of the city, and from
which they shall look with pity and thank
fulncss for escape upon the conventional
shams and superficial accomplishments Of the
fashionable world"
Year: 1875

family methods could make his butter "git-
edged" When one Of his steers or colts die
through sheer carelessness, he is not incon-
solabe for the beast wasn't worth much"
But the careossness after n very short time
would be Just the same, and far moie costly
il his stock we're thoroughbred.


In great part Of the country only inferior
stock is kept by the majority of farmers,
and only those crops most easily produced
are grown. Possibly for many of these farm
ors this course may be wisest and best.
Such farmers keeping in the old ruts will
work hard at increasing disadvantage in COM
petition with more skilliul cultivators, and at
last die with the old refrain on their lips
that farmer must needs work hard all his
days and lead the life Of a slave, to get
neither honor nor profit in the end.


1t is all false. The life of farmer is not
necessarily hard or slavish. Thought, skill
and care have their reward here as surely as
anywhere, and in as large measure. Men
who lack these find any business hard and
slavish enough. But the fault is in the man,
not in the occupation. 1t is rare to find men
honest enough to see and confess the cause of
their failures. Were they to do so the un.
skilful and Therefore unsuccessful farmer
would be compelled to say, farming is not
a bad business. 1t is, when rightly conducted,
honorable and profitable. Money has been
made in it by men who have the faculty
of making money. Almost any man,
with average skill and Industry, can make
comfortable and honest support by farming.
Ia &, I L. r..l q 4.
business which demands thought, skill and
labor, when | have them not or am not will
ing to give them as the price of success"
When we have men in any business talking
to themselves thus plainly of tho cause of
their failure, the world will have the first
and most needed element in doing away with
incompetency and its natural result in failure.


Rural New Yorker.
Year: 1875

the axle. The pitman is of brass, very
strong, very short and entirely protected
from injury and breakage its play is in line
with the knife, 50 that the tendency to break
the latter is lessened. The knife plays while
in any position. The bar is raised easily,
may be easily removed, and all is adjusted
with facility. The workmanship appears to
be thorough and strong and the finish is good
The gearing is all enclosed. We have not
seen the manufacturers circular or been
worried by agents aud do not know what is
claimed for the machine. 1t is likely that
some now points were overlooked We have
mentioned what were conpsicuous.
Year: 1875

The following device for soaring birds from
fruit trees or vegetable seeds is an old one,
but it is none the less valuable on that ac.
count. Get glass bottle and cut off the
bottom, which can be done by tying around
it a string saturated in turpentine or kero-
sene and burning it. A slight touch will
detach the bottom if it does not part without.
Make hole in the cork aud suspend by
string or fine wire coiled two or three times
to give it a little spring. A good sized nail,
a stone or anything will make clapper for
your glass bell. Then driYe in the cork
securely or wire it down, and leave wire
enough to hang the bottle to some deli
cate bending twig or to a plant sapling
thrust in the gronnd. The bell will ring by
the motion caused by the wind or by the
birds alighting on twigs near it.
Year: 1875

There is nothing new in the following
method of keeping water cool, for the prin-
ciple is used by the Egyptians at the present
day, and, as may be seen by their inscrip-
tions, has been used by them for thousands
Of years. They keep their water in unglazed
vessels, through the pores of which the
water forces itself The evaporation of this
leakage on the outside carries off the heat
from within, precisely in the same way that
the evaporation Of perspiratiou from the hu-
man body enables It to stand heat which
would otherwise be fatal.


If the pail or large vessel containing the
water be enyeloped in cloths that are kept
constantly wet and be placed in the shade,
the water will be found to keep as cool as
water for drinking ought to be. Each per.
son on drinking should empty what is left
10 the dlpper or drinking cups upon the
cloths, so that they will be kept from dry.
ing. Water kept cool in this manner will
be more grateful to the palate and less dan
gerous to the system than ioe-Water.
Year: 1875

their friend and also their master; that so
far as their ncinations are concerned, his
will is supreme, law from which there is
no appeal. 1t is one Of the easiest things in
the world to teach them this, if Que will only
make liberal use of good sense and unfail.
ing patience


The success which has attended the efforts
to subdue and train beasts naturally wild
and ierocious, should be an example to the
farmer who has to train animals that by ma.
ture and habit have acquired dociity until
that character has become hereditary.
Year: 1875

Our old friend, Mr.. John G. Perry, of
Providence the inventor Of the Perry mower,
the man who dared, at the great international
trial at Paris, to go into the trial of mowers
with his machine, without track-clearer,
lit having been broken of by the team back
ing into a ditch) and who, with his machine
in that disabled condition, on a field newly
stocked with clover, having tanglo Of clover
and weeds and no sod, cut the only swath
around his land without clogging and baking
up, has again exercised his great inventive
power and produced the peoples mower"


We have made careful examination OF
this new aspirant for public favor, and find
some features Of decided value. The seat is
80 adjusted that it is very easy to mount and
ride. The connections between the drive
wheels and tho cutting apparatus are so ar
ranged that all is clear under and front Of
Year: 1875

Lambs ought to be weaned soon after
three months old. 1t is better for them aud
the ewes. After they are fully weaned,
which may be done in two or three days if
they are shut up tight, they should be turned
into fall feed or a sweet pasture where the
feed is rather short, aud should have a mess
Of oats and bran every day until they come
to the barn. 1t will be worth twice the
money now that it will at future day. If
there is no separate lot or pasture where
they can be kept, they should be weaned and
then turned back with the ewes, unless they
are early lambs, and the bucks large. II
the milk is stripped" out of the udders Of
the ewes for two days after the lambs are
taken off, and again from those that appear
to need it, they will nurse next year enough
better to pay for the trouble.
Year: 1875

1t is not in England alone that the con-
dition of the agricultural masses is a bad
one, though We, in common with the remain
der Of the press Of this continent, use the
state Of the English laborer to point the
moral when we wish to contrast the oondi-
ton of the Old World serfs with that of our
own producing class. In Silrsia according
to the report of gentleman lately travelling
there, the laborer's condition is anything
but cheerful. The peasants COW is very
badly off, but his wife is not a whit better.
For months every year the men have to seek
work in the mines, and during that time the
women do all the work that has to be done
on their tiny farms or on the farms of en-
ployers. More women than men work on
the fields; aud the women are to be seen
dragging barrows, digging up potato ground,
loading aud emptying manure carts working
as bricklayers' assistants, wheeling clay from
clay pits in brick kins, acting as black
smiths mates at the smithy. Meat is lux
ury enjoyed by some once a week; by more
two or three times year. Bread Is eaten
10 small quantities" The potato is the
chief article OF diet, and milk is not dear;
but eggs are rarely eaten. The circumstances
of the peasantry seem to attract little or no
public attention, in which respect their
English brethren have certainly had the pull
Of them, lately.
Year: 1875

English agricultural journals contain nu-
merous directions about the culture of corn
IA new crop in that country. Some early
ripening varieties have been found which it
is believed will give a crop. At all events
there need be no difficulty in securing corn
Of the early sweet varieties for use while
green. One important discovery our English
friends have made, 1. e., not to hill the corn,
but keep the ground as nearly level as pos
sible. The only effect of hilliug in the damp,
cool climate of England is to mulch the roots,
keeping them still cooler and delaying ripen-
ing, Even in our hot, dry summers corn
does not want earth drawn around the stem
If it seems to do good, it is only because it
necessarily loosens the SOIL allowing the
roots to spread better. Corn needs as trop
ical weather as it can get anywhere, and
would generally be benefited by drawing the
earth away from the plants rather than to
them. Rural New Yorker.
Year: 1875

We are compelled to ask our readers to
excuse any shortcomings in the FARMER
during what we trust is temporary disabil-
ity. For the past two weeks all reading has
been prohibited, and the sweet light of day
is insupportable. 1t is hoped that the term
during which darkness is preferable to
light will be brief
Year: 1875

Weeds should not be suffered to 90 to
seed on the farm. If they have not been
hoed down or rooted out, they should now be
mowu. In the effort to destroy weeds, it
should be remembered that many of the
coarse, hardy kinds have so much vitality
that if pulled up while the seeds are forming,
they will mature the seeds from the sap in
the stem and root and SOW another crop for
next year.
Year: 1875

If oats are cut when "half turned" and
cured without injury by the weather, the
straw will make valuable winter food for
stock and the grain will be nearly as heavy.
We have no doubt that the crop is worth
more.
Year: 1875

Wheat should be cut while the berry is in
the dough and can be mashed between the
thumb and finger The grain cut at this
time will be plumper and make a better
quality of flour and more of it,


Wheat straw is of much value as food for
stock, if other necessary food Is given with
it. The statement of Professor Atwater will
be remembered
Year: 1875

The severest structures that could
be passed upon the Republican major
ty in the Forty.third Congress for Its
reckless neglect OF public business and
its close attention to political legisla-
tion during the greater part of the
last month Of Its session, are contained
in the brief history OF the bounty Dill
which after being tossed about between
the .demagogues and tricksters OF the
two Houses, escaped enactment into
law by the meresl accident. BY refer
ence TO our money article this morning
it will bo seen that this scandalous bill,
according to the estimates OF competent
experts, proposed to legislate out OF an
almost bankrupt Treasury over $3.50, :
900, 600 for the substantial benefit OF
nobody under heaven but Of gushing
statesmen like Wilson aud Logan and
OF very business-like ring of claim
| agents who are accustomed TO use
gushing and demogogue statesmen Tor
their own pecuniary gain. The"equali-
zation" OF soldiers bountics' provided
for in the bill had neither patriotism,
| justice nor common sense TO recon-
mead it. 1t was merely y cheap fraud
to commit the Government to the pay
ment of bountics which is found uD-
necessary to pay when soldiers were
most urgently wanted, and which, In
most instances had been paid by the
several State governments, The mea-
sure was concoctedby the claim agents
who would have been enormously Gu
riched by its enactment into law, while
not one soldier in five Of those fol
whose pretended benefit it was devised
and passed by both Houses Of Congress
would have derived any benefit from
1t. AS soon as it got into Congress Ii
rivalry sprung up between the two
Houses to sec which could display the
most demagoguery about il, while
loading it down with obnoxious pro
visions which would throw the "rC-
| sponsibility" for rejecting it on the
other House. And though neither
| House wanted TO assume the response
bility for so heavy a raid upon the
Treasury, neither House was bold
enough to reject the bill. The Senate
was surprised to find that the House
could not be "blu1fed" by its bold
! amendments, and at the last moment
tabled the bill to get rid Of it, though
| 1t came back from the conference eS-
actly in the shape wherein the Senate
had passed il a short while before. -
Then came Mr.. Logan and Mr. Spencer,
the carpet-bagging Senator from Ala
bama, who owes his seat in the Senate
to the Attorney Generals good offices
in helping to organize the Alabama
Legislature two years ago, and with
theirgamblcr's trick got the bill enrolled
and signed by tho facilc Wilson, and
then hustled it of in hot haste for the
signature of Grant. But happily Grant
was in a sour mood towards the party
and the pestiferous man who is always
"boring him about the party" The
results which would have come to the
public credit from the passage of the
bill into law may be inferred from the
rise of the price of gold which on
Thursday followed tho announcements
that the bill had become a law. Y
| World
Year: 1875

The Radicals in the United Statea
Senate have resolved to put the Gov.
ernment at further expense by continu-
ing tho discussion of the right Of Pinch
back TO a seat in that body. thereby
lengthening the session and keeping
the country, especially Louisiana. in a
state Of feverish anxiety, to say nothing
of the cost for printing buncomb speech
es, such as the people are already sick OF
reading.
Year: 1875

We now enter the field for
the fall and coming Winter
and are furnishing the bee-
paying aud most easily Worked
agency in the world. uur
agents have always been the
most successful, and we nave
lately added ne W and exceed


ingiy taking Inducements, re


quiring only intelligence and
application for any one, young
or old, Of eli her sex, TO make
really first-class paying bust
Year: 1875

THE N. Y. Tribune has habit of going
into raptures over every body who belongs to


IS set. This propensity occasionally betrays
it into extravagant expressions. The other day
it spoke of Carl Shurz as "unquestionably
the first orator in the Senate" Now every
body who knows nything about the matter
is aware that Carl Shurz is not an orator at
all. He writes and reads essays-very able
ones no doubt-but the performance is alto
gether devoid of any semblance of eloquence.
1t is all very well to eulogize ones friends, but
to ascribe to them qualities they do not pos
sess tends to expose them as well as their
panegyrist to ridicule.
Year: 1875

THE time is approaching for the first of
everything. The first base ball match of the
season has been reported. The first fly (no
pun intended) is "buzzing i the window
pane" The first robin and the first may
flower have put in appearances all over New
England, and reporters are looking over the
files of their journals and wondering how
soon it will be safe to introduce the delicious
strawberry and the agile grasshopper to the
notice Of subscribers.