346 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



which should be near the top, and closed up over 

 the ice. Double doors with an entry way between 

 tlie outer and inner door, the more effectually 

 ■evcluJ-e warm air. 



An ice-house, similar to tlie one briefly described, 

 may be constructed by any fanner at a moderate 

 expense, and filled by the labor of himself, one 

 hand and a team, when their labor is not urgently 

 required in other farm work. Ice should be put in 

 the house in regular layers, well fitted to each other 

 60 as to exclude air. Many practice pouring water 

 in the cracks between the blocks, which freezing 

 renders the whole mass one block of ice. It will 

 undoubtedly keep better in such a mass. 



Before winter sets in too strongly, is an excellent 

 time to build the ice-house, ready to fill, as winters 

 occasionally occur when it is diflicnlt to obtain a 

 good crop of ice, and delays at the freezing period 

 are fatal. Any one who builds a moderate sized 

 ice-house will find the convenience and luxury of 

 using ample reward. 



ON CUEING CORN FODDER. 



Messes. Editors : — Seeing in the last number of 

 the Farmer an article on cutting and curing corn- 

 fodder, I would state how the farmers in this sec- 

 tion manage that part of their business. As soon 

 as the corn is partly ripe, it is all cut ofl[ close to 

 the ground and put in shocks, — putting about eight 

 rows of corn in one of shocks. After it becomes 

 dry enough, we husk the corn and tie the fodder in 

 ■small bundles, and again put it in shock — four of 

 the former shocks in one — and tie a band around 

 the top. They may then stand till a convenient 

 time to haul and put in a stack near the farm-yard. 

 Tlie stack is commenced by throwing down five or 

 six rails parallel to each other on the ground, and 

 putting the fodder across them all one way, having 

 the butts out. When this platform has been filled", 

 lay down more rails, and continue the stack as long 

 as you have fodder. When we feed in the winter, 

 we commence taking oft' the same way as put on, 

 le.iving as little of it exjjosed to the weather as we 

 can. We feed in the stable, eiiher as it is, or pre- 

 pared by cutting in a feed cutter, to which chop or 

 bran may be added. Cattle feed and thrive better 

 ou it when stacked in the open air than when kept 

 in the barn, as in the barn it becomes too dry. 



Dilhhurg, Pa., Oct., 1S58. J. O. H. 



HOW TO CONQUER VICIOUS COWS AND HORSES. 



I CARE not how vicious or unmanageable the 

 horse or cow may have become, I can conquer 

 them by the application of a strong rope or chain 

 just back of the fore legs, and twisting in a good 

 lever until they yield fully. Baulky horses may be 

 conquered in this manner, so as to need no wliip- 

 jiing, and it Is much more humane than clubbing 

 them or cutting them up with torturing whips. 

 And a horse once conquered hi this manner, will 

 not return to his tricks with the same driver as 

 readily as when overcome by whipping or mauling. 



Cows may be conquered in the same manner, 

 and broken of the habit of kicking, very readily. 



One of my neighbors had a verv vicious cow, last 

 si)ring, w^liich tliey had failed in milking after the 

 most determined efforts to succeed. I happened to 

 hear the fact one day, and told them how to man- 

 age her, whenio! no more trouble was experienced. 

 In the course of the summer they have occasionally 

 laid a cliain across her back wlien she has mani- 

 fested any intention of returning to old habits. — 

 Eftectually as is this manner of overcoming vicious 

 ])ropensities, it is more humane than any other in 

 which force is used. 



This is also a very eftectnal manner of subduing 

 horses ugly in shoeing. The smith can make the 

 wildest mustang stand peaceably by using the chain 

 and lever, and the lesson will not soon be unlearned. 

 Lay aside, then, your clubs and whips for the 

 purposes above named, and resort to the method 

 herein described, and save yourself time, trouble, 

 and vexation of spirit, nor reject it because it was 

 not learned from your lather or in some conversa- 

 tion, instead of from the pages of an agricultural 

 journal. jno. sanfield. 



Imboy, Ml,, Oct., 1S53 



Hay Ricks. — A correspondent of the Gardenen'' 

 Chronicle., traveling on the continent, says : 



" In Holland we noticed a peculiarity in rick 

 making which might be adopted with advantage 

 at home. [It is adopted extensively by the Dutch 

 farmers in this country.] Four upright posts form- 

 ing a square are firndy fixed in the earth, and a 

 scjuare roof raised to a point in the middle is added, 

 its four angles having holes made in them through 

 which the four upright posts are passed. This roof 

 is raised or lowered by a screw, and all that is re- 

 (juired is to keep the hay or straw of which the 

 ricks are composed within the lines of the four 

 posts ; the roof is then let down on the ricks, its 

 weight pressing it down. At Rotterdam and other 

 Dutch towns, we observed that the trees planted 

 along the sides of the canals in the streets had the 

 lower part of their stems protected by a sloping 

 paving of brickwork carried quite up to th'e bark, 

 and about half a yard high. This process, so un- 

 like what we have seen in other parts of our jour- 

 ney, was doubtless adopted in consei|uence of the 

 nature of the soil in these semi-aquatic towns allow- 

 ing the roots of the trees to find moisture enough 

 witliout any additional wet from the surface." 



The Harvest of 1858. —The Kortli British 

 Agriculturist says: "In America grain ci'ops are 

 below an average. The Mediterranean countries 

 have had a good harvest. France has had a good 

 crop of wheat and rye — an inferior crop of oats. 

 Belgium and Holland have had fair crops. In 

 Northern Germany, Russia, and the Baltic coun- 

 tries, corn crops are under an average. Denmark 

 has yielded a Mr average quantity. England gen- 

 erally has yieliled more than an average of wheat. 

 Ireland exceeds the average of wheat, barley, and 

 oats. In Scotland the wheat crop is one of the 

 finest ever known. It may be anticipated that 

 wheat will maintain its price and even exceed it 

 some 3s. or 5s. a (]uarter. Barley Avill probably be 

 higher in price by 6d. a bushel than last year's crop. 

 Oats probably may be higher. Beans will certainly 

 be higher. These estimates seem founded on reason- 

 able inferences from what is yet known of the crop," 



