NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



95 



the carbonic acid that escapes from the lungs, from 

 the carbon in the blood derived directly from food. 

 Although we cannot say that such a per cent, of 

 aliment goes to repair the bones, such a per cent, 

 to make muscles or nerves, or fat ; yet it is easy 

 to determine by experiments, what kind of food, 

 in what condition, and how much, one shouldfeed 

 to obtain the highest profit. As a general propo- 

 sition, it may be truly said that about one-third 

 more are kept than the food to keep them on will 

 warrant. Life is supported, but meat is greatly 

 decreased in quantity and value. The corn that 

 will keep a hog six months without gaining a single 

 pound in flesh, will make 75 lbs. of good pork, or 

 bacon if skilfully fed. The same rule applies to 

 all domestic animals. Instead of using the daily 

 feed of cows to elaborate milk or flesh, the system 

 consumes it all to make the vapor and gases that 

 escape from the wind-pipe, and the excreta from 

 the skin, kidneys and intestines. In keeping dairy 

 coats, and sheep, we have had occasion to investi- 

 gate grass, hay, roots and corn, when eaten by 

 these and other animals. — Genn. Farmer. 



CHEAP ROOFS. 



On a roof formed of light timber, nail on the 

 boarding, consisting of half-inch boards, taking care 

 to have the lumber well seasoned, and boards close- 

 ly joined and firmly nailed. Over this spread a coat 

 of tar, and sift on as much clear sand as can be made 

 to adhere. Over this spread a second coat of tar, 

 and silt on sand as before, and continue so to do — 

 applying tar and sand till the coating is at least half 

 an inch thick. It is very desirable, in order to se- 

 cure greater compactness and solidity, to roll the 

 sand carefully, and see that none of it is left loose 

 on the surface. The more sand you can make ad- 

 here, the more durable will be the roof. It is also 

 a good plan to apply a single coat of tar and sand 

 every spring ; but this is by no means indispensa- 

 bly nx-essary, as a coating half an inch thick, ap- 

 plied as above directed, will endure for many years ; 

 still it improves and freshens the appearance of the 

 roof. It is sometimes considered necessary to cov- 

 er the boards with a laying of common sheathing 

 paper, well tarred, before applying the tar and 

 sand ; but this materially detracts from the cheap- 

 ness of the roofing, and unless in certain anomalous 

 cases, is of little practical utility in any point of 

 view. 



And now, while I am on this subject, permit me 

 to suggest another valuable improvement in board- 

 ing the walls of farm buildings. It is customary 

 to make the side walls of frame stables, barns, 

 sheds, etc. etc., close by boarding and clapboard- 

 ing, and sometimes by shingling. This is always 

 expensive. Now, if the boards are three-fourths 

 of an inch thick, and well planed, and secured to 

 horizontal ribs, instead of studding placed vertical- 

 ly, or up and down, so that the boarding will be 

 vertical, or perpendicular — and if between every 

 two boards, which should be of uniform width as 

 well as thickness, there be left a space of an inch, 

 and the whole be painted, four inch strips, of one- 

 half an inch thickness, well painted on both sides 

 before being put on, will be all that is required to 

 cover these inch spaces, and make a closer wall and 

 a much more elegant and tasty finish, than can 

 ever be given with clapboards, and at less than one- 

 tenth the expense. I have seen large barns finished 

 in this way, also extensive stores, and farm houses, 



as well as smaller and more unimportant structures. 

 Any kind of cheap lumber will answer for this kind 

 of walling, provided it be sound, and well painted 

 and nailed. It is of the utmost importance to have 

 the whole well painted, as the battening would, if 

 left unprotected, be likely to zvarp, and thus frus- 

 trate the design. — Germantovm Telegraph. 



_ Novel Milk Arrangement. — The jV. O. Picayune 

 gives the following account of a milkman's estab- 

 lishment in that city which does away with cows 

 and pumps both. It says : 



"His cows are goats. He may be seen almost 

 any morning in the first or third municipality, slow- 

 ly stepping ahead of his little flock ; the rough- 

 looking but tractable animals following in single 

 file, and now nibbling at the tufts of grass that 

 spring up along the sides of old houses, now an- 

 swering by a plaintive bleat to a low word from 

 their guide. The whole group stops before some 

 door way ; a grinning negro servant appearino-, 

 the man receives from him and fills at once with 

 pure milk from the natural fountain a small tin 

 measure, returns it, pockets his shining recom- 

 penseyand again moves on in a grave, silent and 

 impassible manner. There is evidently a kindly 

 feeling between the milker and milkees. The same 

 quiet, composed look pervades the whole group. — 

 This humble and peaceful industry may make its 

 pursuer as happy and contented as the proudest 

 or wealthiest of his neighbors." 



U2P "We find in the Granite Farmer the follow- 

 ing description of several animal curiosities, ex- 

 hibited at the recent N. II. State Fair. 



There was one singular looking animal, said to 

 be a S. Amer. sheep, having four horns, and wool 

 more than a foot in length, which, it was said, 

 had not been sheared for seven or eight years. It 

 seemed very unwieldly and hardly able to move 

 under its load of clothing. While speaking of cu- 

 riosities we would call to mind a Devon heifer, ex- 

 hibited by Isaac Fox, of Nashville, in the top of 

 whose fore shoulders was a singular growth close- 

 ly resembling the two fore legs of a miniature 

 cow. The animal's horns turned down in front, 

 and it was very prettily ornamented, so that it 

 attracted much attention. 



Vinegar from Beets. — Good vinegar is an al- 

 most indispensable article in every family, many 

 of which purchase it at a considerable annual ex- 

 pense ; while some use but a very indifferent arti- 

 cle ; and others, for want of a little knowledge 

 and less industry, go without. It is an easy mat- 

 ter, however, to be at all times supplied with good 

 vinegar, and that too without much expense. 

 The juice of one bushel of sugar beets, worth 

 twenty-five cents, and which any farmer can raise 

 without cost, will make from five to six gallons of 

 vinegar, equal to the best made of cider or wine. 

 Grate the beets, having first washed them, and 

 express the juice in a cheese-press, or in many 

 other ways which a little ingenuity can suggest, 

 and put the liquor into an empty barrel ; cover the 

 bung-hole with gauze and set it in the sun, and in 

 12 or 15 days it will be ready for use. — Farmer 

 dr Mechanic. 



§3T One of the most agreeable visions the publish- 

 er of a newspaper could have, would be that of his 

 accounts all squared at the end of each year. 



