48 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



BLANKETS FOE SHEEP. 

 Iw the Highlancls of Scotland it was formerly 

 considered necessary to apply a salve to the wool 

 on the sheep to assist in protecting them from the 

 eeverity of the climate. Latterly it has been found 

 that blankets are nearly as cheap and far more 

 efficacious. Stephens, in his Book of the Farm, 

 gives a description of the mode of making the 

 "brats," as the blankets are called, and placing 

 them on the sheep. The accompanying figure 



A BRATTKD SHEEP. 



represents a bratted sheep. The tie a passes below 

 the belly, immediately behind the shoulder; & im- 

 mediately in front of the hind legs; c under the 

 middle of the belly ; whilst d and e pass unnoticed 

 under the wool across the breast, and those from 

 the hind corners at / may pass behind the hind 

 legs, and be sewed below to the ties of h. 



It is suggested that this thick woolen cloth 

 might be rendered water-proof, and the strings to 

 fasten on the brats might be of vulcanised India 

 rubber, which, while yielding to the motion of the 

 animal, will cause the brat always to adhere firmly 

 to the body. 



Lahge and Smaix Horses.— I do not exactly 

 agree with the Maine Farmer^ as noticed in the 

 January number, in regard to the size of horses 

 best Miitcd for farm work. Many kinds of work, 

 it is true, a span of 900-pound horses will do quite 

 as well as heavier ones; but when put on to tlie 

 plow, on to the wagon-load of manure, potatoes 

 and the like, on to the stone-boat, or as it is called 

 here, "stone-drag," or on to any heavy work, they 

 are found, though willing, unable to do as much as 

 those of 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. 



Fann-w(irk requires the team to move only on 

 the walk, and the Pteadier the movement the bet- 

 ter, when good work is to be accomplished witli 

 the' plow, the cultivator, and such hnpleinents. It 

 will be foimd much easier to plow well, to move 

 fast «nd well with a strong teani than with one 

 •which is loaded down so that every little extra 

 effort will throw them out of a straight course. 



Mim, Tr« Fnrm, Ms. 0. W. Tbbi. 



THE FORMATION OF NITEATES. 



TnK Gardeners' Chronicle of December 20, 

 1862, says: 



" A discovery has lately been made by Sohon- 

 BKiN, which bids fair to be of immense importance 

 in many questions relative to the nutriment of 

 plants. It has been known for some time that 

 they are not capable of appropriating free nitro- 

 gen, aid yet it was very vmcertain how this most 

 necessary element could in many cases he supplied 

 in such a state of combination as might render it 

 available. It appears, however, from the experi- 

 ments of SoHONBEiN, who IS SO keeu an observer 

 of the hidden mysteries of chemical changes, that 

 in every case where water is evaporated, the nitro- 

 gen of the atmosi)here combines with the oxygen 

 and hydrogen of tiie water (0 11,) so ts to form 

 nitrate of ammonia, the formula of which is N 

 Il-t, N 05. . 



"if a piece of perfectly clean linen, or filtenng 

 paper, be dipped in water and dried, thougliper- 

 fectly free before from any such substance, it is_ in 

 every case fouiul to exhibit traces of the nitrite. 

 If again they are dipped in a solution of caustic 

 pota^sh, and exposed to a vapor of water, the ni- 

 trate of anmionia generated during the evaj)ora- 

 tion acts upon the caustic potash and forms nitrate 

 of potash. 



"In countries like our own the nitrate of ammo- 

 nia is soon washed away, but in hot countries, 

 where the earth is alkiiline, a deposit is formed 

 upon the soil, and from this source dlone nitrate of 

 potash (saltpetre) and nitrate of soda are in all 

 probability derived, apart h-om any mere action of 

 the atmospheric nitrogen on the alkalis, especially 

 where no nifrogenousmatters can be derived fn.ir 

 the soil. This is indeed quite conti-ary to oldei 

 notions. Gkkgoky, for example, says: 'There i; 

 no reason to believe that the nitrogei! of the at 

 mosphere is ever oxidised or contributes to nitrifi- 

 cation ; and the minute trace of nitric acid som< 

 times observed in the rain of thunder-storms hai 

 in all probability been formed from the ammonij 

 of the atmosphere.' Sciionbkin's theory, however 

 points evidently to another source, and at onc< 

 shows how thiinder-storms may be peculiarly fer 

 tilising. 



"■ It is, moreover, obvious that the very act ol 

 evaporation in plants, which takes place to such ai 

 enormous extent, would give rise to the productioi 

 of a comhination of nitrogen in the i»recise forn 

 in which it would at once be available for th' 

 necessities of the plant." 



Fattenino Pon.TKT. — My brother and I raisei 

 last year 265 turkeys and 100 chickens. This ii 

 the largest Hock ever raised in the State. We nov 

 have 2,000 Iha. weiglit of our own raiding. Turkey 

 sell hero at 10 cts. per lb., but we have been otfere' 

 12^ cents at our own door. I saw an artiide ii 

 your paper stating that if it paid to fatten at all i 

 paid to do it well. That is our belief and practid 



South Skovihtgan^ Me. F. H. Stbwabd. 



More Beet Sugar was produced in France las 

 year than ever before. The amount has double 

 in ten years. 



