1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



43 



from lonof experience, to be amply sufficient in this 

 mode.) These stalls are formed of a scries of light 

 gates, or rather each side of the stall is a single gate, 

 swinging — not upon hinges likely to be broken — but 

 upon a wooden pivot, made on the upper and lower 

 end of the frame post at one end, 2, of the gate. 

 Supposing the cows entering the door b, fig. 4, to be 

 stalled for the night — the gates being all swung 

 open (as tlie three first are represented,) the first cow 

 enters — the gate shuts behind her, and thus forms 

 her stall — then another, and the gate is shut, and 

 another, until all the gates are closed, and the cows 

 stalled for the night, as represented on the other 

 side, c. These gates are made of oak, framed so as 

 to be light and strong ; and as the pivot post, at the 

 end on which the gate swings, rests in a hole or 

 socket at the bottom, by raising it a couple of inches 

 the gate can be unshipped and taken out in a mo- 

 ment. . In this way a double stall can readily be 

 made for a cow about to ca'.ve. 



Fig. 4. PLAN OF THE BASEMENT FLOOR. 



Next, on the right, see fig. 4, is the stable, 14 feet 

 wide, with stalls (5 feet wide) for six horses. To 

 the left of this is the carriage house also, 14 feet 

 wide. At the side of the door, on entering this 

 apartment, is the pump, c, a large cistern, which 

 takes all the water from this side of the roof, being 

 built under the floor here. There is a spout running 

 through the wall and another through the stable, to 

 convey water both into the cattle yai-d and the stables. 



The space of 14 feet wide, to the right of the car- 

 riage-house, is occupied by a small root cellar, R ; a 

 place for straw used for jitter, S ; and a spare stall, 

 P, for the occasional use of a pair of horses or oxen. 

 Here, also, is a broad flight of stairs, o, which as- 

 cends to a store room for grain, etc., on the barn 

 floor above. 



WnSTTERING STOCK. 



Mes-Srs. Editors : — T observe that some of my 

 neighbors let their cattle run in pastures late in the 

 fall, in snow and hail storms, endeavoring to get a 

 scanty subsistence from the half frozen ground. 

 Now we think there is neither kindness nor economy 

 in such treatment of our domestic animals. They 

 must, of course, suffer more or less from exposure to 

 the cold rains, and rigorous nights of this season of 

 the year, even without snow. The drizzling storm 

 penetrates the hair, or the fleece, to the skin, chills 

 their limbs and retards the circulation of the "blood, 

 whiclr is the life," whilst the .feed, frost bitten and 

 withered, its juicy sweetness gone, is scarcely worth 

 picking. 



The opinion of the cattle may be gathered, from 

 their wandering wistfuLy aooutthe fields, or gather- 

 ing in the vicinity of the barn, turning up manure 

 heaps for the few straws they can pick out of them. 



and by their lowing, plaintively preferinir their re- 

 quests for better food and shelter. The farmer who 

 pursues this plan of Ir.te pnsturing, without any feed- 

 ing, may save a few stalks and a little hay, but loses 

 more, I imagine, in the condition of his stock. 

 When cattle find so little nourishment in the frost- 

 bitten grass, that they turn eagerly to dry hay, or 

 even straw, have we not a right to conclude that it 

 is high time to commence feeding them ? 



Nor can a farmer be guilty of more thriftless 

 waste and cruelty, than, after commencing to fodder 

 his stock, to scatter his hay or straw about the barn 

 yard and leave them to stand and shiver in the bleak 

 winds and storms of winter. Cattle appreciate kind 

 care and good shelter, and thrive under them, more 

 than ever entered into the dreams of some men. 

 Their increased flesh, smooth, glossy .skin, and sale- 

 ableness next spring, if desired, would amply com- 

 pensate for ^he trouble and expense of warm sheds 

 and stall-feeding. In addition to this, the hay saved 

 that was formerly trodden under foot, and the 

 diminished quantity consumed, it is believed, 

 would pay the cost of all the lumber required 

 to erect comfortahle shelter for them, perhaps 

 in a single winter, la the case of large herds. 

 Every body knows, or ought to know, that 

 animals in good condition, and warmly 

 housed, not only thrive, but thrive on two- 

 thirds, perhaps less, the amount of food that 

 is otherwise demanded. I know this is an 

 old story, Messrs. Editors, but a "continual 

 dropping will wear even stones." 

 I have in view, at this moment, two farmers. 

 One of them has a select herd, which, at this season, he 

 shuts up in convenient stalls every afternoon at about 

 3 o'clock, fastening eaeh animal to a po.st with a " cat- 

 tle-tie" and sliding ring, which is far safer and more 

 comfortable than the stanchell, feeding them in man- 

 gers, and letting them out, for water and exercise, in 

 the morning, say at 9 or 10 o'clock. His cattle are 

 always in condition, come out fine in the spring, and 

 command a ready sale ; while the saving of hay, he 

 has been heard to say, is nearly one half. The other 

 leaves his animals to shift for themselves in a storm 

 of sleet, or gale of wind, protecting themselves, as 

 many as can, and as well as they may, under the lee 

 of the barn yard fence. He feeds them abundantly, 

 but scatters the hay on the ground. A good part of 

 it is destroyed, and what is consumed is not sufficient 

 to counterbalance the piercing cold. Consequently, 

 when spring open5, his cattle are poor, rough and 

 gaunt, and likely spend half the summer before they 

 get over their hard fare. Nobody, of course, cares 

 to buy such cattle. D. — Gilberlvillc, A'. Y., 1851. 



Rkmedy for Vegatablk Poiso.ns. — As almost 

 every farmer is more or less troubled with poison ivy, 

 sumach, parsnip and the like, from which I have suf- 

 fered very much myself, and after trying a great var- 

 iety of remedies, have found that a poultice made of 

 buckwheat flour and butter milk, witli a piece of blue 

 vitriol the size of a pea, pulverized and dissolved, add- 

 ed to the mixture, has had the happy effect of remov- 

 ing the trouble, and eftecting a cure in a short time. 

 Some of your numerous patrons may find this receipt 

 worth ten times the cost of a yearly subscription of 

 the Farmer. E. S. Fox. — likens, JY. Y., 1851. 



If you mean to be happy when you arc old, be 

 temperate and industrious when you are young. 



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