368 



THE GENESEE FARRIER. 



BACKS FOR FEEDING SHEEP. 



Ens. Genesee Fakmer: — In the November num- 

 ber for 1856, a correspondent furnished you with a 

 figure and description of one of the most convenient 

 sheep racks with which I have any acquaintance. 

 Please re-insert the cut in connection with my de- 

 scription, as it will make plainer an improvement I 

 have effected. 



The posts, 40 inches high, are 3 inch scantling. 

 The top board 5 inches wide — the lower board 6 

 inches, and one foot from the ground. Bottom 

 boards about 8 inches wide, are nailed on each side 

 against the lower edge of the side boards; and two 

 boards, about ten inches wide, the edges nailed to- 

 gether at right angles, are placed upon these in the 

 centre of the rack, forming the remainder of the bot- 

 tom. My improvement consists in putting in a 

 wedge-shaped piece against the side of each post, so 

 as to make the top of the rack flaring, and 4 inches 

 wider than above represented. The top boards for 

 the end? of the rack should be sawed diagonally at 

 each end, (upper edge 30 inches — lower 26 inches,) 

 instead of square as above. The frame is now ready 

 for the slats, 2 inches wide and 22 inches long, head- 

 ed at the top, and nailed against the lower part of 

 the top board, inside, and to the slanting bottom 

 boards in the centre. They are placed three inches 

 apart, and I find sixpenny nails better than eights 

 for nailing them. Ten feet long is perhaps as con- 

 venient as any length, on account of moving. 



This " trough and rack combined " will pay for its 

 cost by the saving of fodder in two months' use. — 

 There can be no more wasteful method of farming 

 than scattering hay about the yards for the sheep to 

 trample upon until they utterly refuse to eat it. Last 

 year I fed several hundred bushels of oat chaff to my 

 sheep, in the-se racks, also bean straw, clover hay, 

 oats and refuse beans, without a shilling's waste of 

 fodder. Making the racks wider across the top ren- 

 ders them easier to fill — without increasing the 

 chance for the falling of chaff and grass seed into the 

 necks of the sheep. 1 hope other farmers will try them 

 — I will warrant them to please. S. F. T. 



Niagara Co., JY. Y., JYov., 1857. 



Cheap Farm-Laborer. — Farmers find it difficult 

 to get laborers; but there is one chap, who so far as 

 he goes, is an admirable workman, whose services 

 may be had for nothing. That is Jack Frost — who 

 if allowed to operate, will reduce much hard, clavey 

 soil of autumn, into a fine mellow condition 'by 

 spring, if turned up by the plow for his harrow to 

 pulverize. This tool of his is remarkable for its 

 myriads of fine, needle-like teeth, which enter be 

 tween the minutest particles and tear them assunder 

 into powder. — [Tucker's Annual Register. 



THE WEATHER AND CROPS OF 1857. 



If your numerous contributors, in diiFerent parts 

 of the country, would give an aeconnt of the wea- 

 ther and crops in their vicinity, it would aid us all in 

 forming a correct estimate of the year's productive- 

 ness, and of the effects of diflferent atmospherical 

 conditions upon the same. 



In this section, the early part of the season was 

 wet and cold, — vegetation very backward. In June 

 the lowlands were flooded, drowning out much of the 

 growing crops. 



Most of the months of July and August were 

 quite dry, baking hard the heavy soils that were 

 worked when wet in the spring. The months of 

 September and October were mild and pleasant, (a 

 little too much rain during the latter,) affording the 

 corn crop the opportunity so much needed for matu- 

 ring. Killing frosts held off until the l*Jth of Octo- 

 ber. On warm, naturally drained soils, corn i5 

 heavy; on cold, wet pieces, it is poor. 



Wheat — a light yield of grHin; straw heavy; ber- 

 ry, much injured by the niidge. Fields drilled in, 

 the best. 



I wonder that a farmer of the intelligence and sa- 

 gacity of John Johnston, had not discovered the 

 merits of the grain- drill before this. I consider it 

 one of the most useful of our many labor-saving 

 farm implements. 



Barley was less than half an average crop. There 

 was an unusual breadth sown. 



Oats — a fair yield, but barley had scarcely left it 

 a growing place on the farm. 



Buckwheat — a good crop,, and an unusual large 

 breadth sown, as there was much land too wet for 

 spring sowing. 



The hay crop has been the largest and most profit- 

 able one of the season. And now, if farmers are 

 not too stupid to profit by the sad lessons of experi- 

 ence, stock will not look so miserable next spring as 

 they did last. 



I'otatoes are a light yield, and on most farms 

 badly diseased. Farmers must learn to plant pota- 

 toes on dry, sandy loam, that has not been recently 

 manured. I never lose potatoes by the rot, except 

 when I plant on sod or freshly manured ground. 

 There is the briskest demand for potatoes in our 

 market — Palmyra — of anything the farmer has to 

 sell. I have just sold my Mercers and Garters for 

 fifty cents per bushel, to be shipped to New York. 



The products of the garden were not very abun- 

 dant, especially early vegetables. Later ones were 

 more plentiful. 



There has been a rather scanty snpyly of fruit in 

 this vicinity. Cherries were a failure. Strawberries 

 nearly so. Other berries quite abundant. Peaches, 

 in some favoied localities, were a fair yield, but as a 

 general thing the earlier and better varieties were 

 scarce. Pears pretty good. Apples, except in or- 

 chards located on the east side of hills, were the 

 lightest yield that I ever knew. 



In the northern part of Wayne county, bordering 

 the lake, I understand the apple crop was good. 

 They have a grand fruit region down there. 



Now, Messrs. Editors, I believe I have made quite 

 a general view of the season now drawing to a close, 

 as observed in the counties of Ontario and Wayne, 

 (N. Y.) 



I think we have a plenty of food to sustaia as 



