218 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



VOL. I 



this care is especially requisite in case of 

 young cows which are milked for the first 

 season ; for when these are dried up too soon 

 it is apt to cause a permanent sliortening of 

 their time of giving milk for each successive 

 season. If tliey are the first season dried 

 early in the fall, it is difficult to obtain much 

 milk after that period in any year after- 

 wards. 



With careful milking, particularly the first 

 year, and good keeping, cows may be made 

 to give milk for almost any period required, 

 even but a very short time before having a 

 calf. 



Farmers have differed vi'ith regard to the 

 proper time of drying up cows; but this rule 

 we believe to be nearly correct — if they are 

 well fed and in good condition the milking 

 may be continued until nearly the time of 

 having calf; but if they are no< in good condi- 

 tion, they should be dried a month or two 

 before that period, in order to allow them to 

 recover their health and strength. 



Hogs and Hogpens. 



A good sty is of the utmost importance in 

 fatting hogs. Nor is it less important for 

 keeping them in winter ; as the more comforta- 

 bly they are kept the less nourishment they 

 require. The sty should he proportioned in 

 size to the number of swine it is to contain. 

 One of sixteen feet by twelve is probably 

 sufficient for eight fatting swine. It should 

 be divided into two apartments; that in the 

 rear, which should be about six feet wide, 

 should be close and warm for the hogs to lie 

 in. Here they should have a constant supply 

 of dry litter, when the weather is cool ; for it 

 is an essential point to keepthem comfortable. 

 The front part of the sty which would then 

 be about ten feet wide, should have the floor 

 descending on one side for the filth to run off"; 

 and on this side should be an opening. The 

 trough should be on the upper side, covered 

 with one or more lids; and upright pieces 

 fihould be set before it, at such distances apart 

 ,as that one hog only could put his head be- 

 tween any two of them, in order that while 

 leeding, the weaker animals should be pro- 

 tected against the stronger. The whole 

 should be covered with a roof; for it is essen- 

 Xial that they be protected from storms, while 

 they are in the outer or feeding apartment. — 

 According to the foregoing, if sixteen hogs are 

 io be kept or fatted in the sty, it should be 

 thirty-two feet long and twelve wide, and in 

 ihat case there might be a sleeping apart- 

 ment at each end. These apartments should 

 again be subdivided, that, for the quiet of the 

 animals, particularly in fatting, too many 

 may not be forced to lie together. It would 

 probably be best also to divide the feeding 



apartment; for too many hogs kept logethei 

 are not apt to enjoy that peace and quiel 

 which is necessary to their fatting well.— 

 Posts should also be set up in the sty for the 

 hogs to rub themselves. If thirty-two hogs 

 are to be kept or fatted, then, perhaps tht 

 better way is, to liave two styes, of the di 

 mensions last described, placed together, with 

 a roof over the whole, and a passage betweer 

 them for the purpose of carrying food to the 

 trough. If a part of the roof extended consid' 

 erably beyond the sty, it would afford a con^ 

 venient cover for forming a heap of composi 

 from the dung of the swine. 



Grass Seeds, to be Sown. 



Grass seeds are oflen defective in quality; 

 are seldom sown in sufficient quantities, anc 

 they are very rarely put in with proper care 

 Accurate husbandry is more essential for the 

 proper laying down and management of grass 

 lands, than any other branch of the agricultu- 

 ral art. Fine tilth, careful sowing, ample 

 supplies of manure, are especially requisite 

 in a country exposed to extreme cold and 

 excessive drouth. Autumnal sowing has gen- 

 erally been found most successful; but the 

 practice of sowing clover upon wheat and rye 

 crops, must necessarily be continued in the 

 spring. A light harrow, with wooden tines, 

 should, in all seasons, be used for covering 

 grass seeds. In the spring, the wheat and 

 rye crops are benefitted, by its application: 

 their roots, which are often diseased from be- 

 ing thrown out by the frost of the winter, are 

 brought into contact with fresh earth. The 

 grass seeds are covered by the aid of the har- 

 row: a very light roller, after, by slightly 

 compressing the earth, secures to the tender 

 germs nutrition, at the moment when it is 

 most required, and fills up the interstices im- 

 mediately about the roots of the plants, upon 

 the products of which, the farmer's hopes 

 principally depend. — \_Johi Hare Powell.] 



Importance of Mannres. 



Every individual who can make pretensions 

 to a knowledge of farming, is aware of the 

 importance of manures. 



Tiiese ill the opinion of the writer, should 

 be used for summer crops exclusively, except 

 plaster — and the farmer should manure as 

 much as he can thoroughly, at least ten wagon 

 loads to the acre, and when properly done it 

 will answer for ten years — on some soils 

 longer. Long manure is most valuable, when 

 ploughed in. Ridiculous prejudices exist 

 among some farmers, against the use of plas- 

 ter. They erroneously suppose it will injure 

 their land, in lime, by exhausting it. In the 

 river counties it has been freely used for half 



