392 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Sheep Shedding Wool. 



A correspondent at Bethel, Vt., inquires what are the causes of 

 sheep losing their wool, and if to withhold salt would be a remedy. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — Sheep which are poorly kept oftenest lose 

 their wool. The complaint is very rare with good flock-masters. 

 Salt does not cause it. Some have said that feeding corn heavily 

 produces this result. This may be true wheu corn is fed in the 

 winter for the purpose of recruiting sheep which are run down. 

 One having no more than ten sheep should get Randall's Practical 

 Shepherd. 



Sowing Seed. 



Mr. E. S. Smith, Hammondsport, Steuben Co., N. Y. — With 

 over twenty years' experience, I believe the true principle in 

 In'oadcast sowing is to throw the seed all one way. This may be 

 done by using the left hand at every other cast, which is much 

 easier after a little practice. Choose a strong wind and throw 

 your seed with the wind. Instance — supposing the wind to blow 

 from the west; place your yargetts at the north and south sides of 

 your piece to l>e sown. When facing the north yargett, sow with 

 the left hand, and vice versa. You will at a glance perceive that 

 seed can be sown faster on this principle, especially all small 

 seeds and oats, which, Avith a strong Avind, can be sown sixteen or 

 twenty feet in width at a cast; but the great advantage is in hav- 

 ing your grain come up even. I have frequently' set those to sow- 

 ing, on the above prhiciple, that had no experience whatever, 

 with perfect success. Sow from a basket or pail. Sow plaster 

 the same way, but where 3'ou can consistently, drive your team 

 with one hand and sow with the other from a wagon or sled, a 

 rnau with team will sow forty or fifty acres in a day in this way. 



A Cheap Cisteen. 

 Mr. W. J. Robbins, Pleasant Valley, Nebraska. — Farmers are 

 enslaving their housekeepers by using hard water, when a small 

 outlay will build a cistern. Any able-bodied man, Avith a little 

 ingenuity, can do the work himself. First, dig a hole, circular — 

 say eleven feet across and tAvo or two and a half feet deep: now 

 strike a cii'cle on the bottom of this seven feet across, and dig 

 seven or eight feet deep, digging straight and smoothly doAA'n, and 

 shaping the bottom like the large end of an egg; get one l)arrel 

 of Avater lime and some good sharp sand; mix tAvo and a half 

 measures of sand Avith one measure of lime of the right consist^- 



