THE GENESEE FARMER. 



SOS 



SPIRIT OF THE AGRICtJLTUEAL PRESS. 



SoRGno INJURIOUS AS FoDDER. — The Marquis de 

 Vibrave states, in the French Journal of Practical 

 Agriculture^ that although sorgho is not poisonous 

 to cattle, yet he has observed, since he commenced 

 feeding it to his cattle, that it reduces the quantity 

 of milk given by the cows, one-half; and that it 

 also has the effect of inducing sterility, when cows 

 are fed regularly upon it. 



Burning the Prairies.— A correspondent of the 

 Indi^jna Farmer says that in very dry seasons the 

 wet mucky spots on the prairies have in many in- 

 stances been burned out to the depth of two feet ; 

 and that, instead of the result being a crop, next 

 season, of waving pasture grasses, these spots have 

 become overgrown with swamp willows, from three 

 to tea feet high; and he strongly condemns the 

 practice of burning such land, as mistaken economy. 



Kidney- Worms in Swine. — The Gennantown 

 Telegraph says this disease may generally be known 

 by the animal appearing weak across the loins, and 

 sometimes by a weakness in one or both hind legs. 

 As soon as these symptoms appear, give the animal 

 corn that is soaked in lye of wood ashes or strong 

 soap-suds, and at the same time rub the loins with 

 turpentine. An Ohio farmer cures this disease by 

 giving one ounce of copperas daily, for six or eight 

 • days, dissolved in warm water, and mixed with two 

 quarts of corn meal and dish-water. 



Alpacas in Australia. — By the Sydney Morn- 

 ing Herald, of June 13, 1859, we learn that the 

 alpacas imported into Sydney, at so much expense, 

 by Mr. Ledger, have finally been purchased by the 

 New South Wales government for $75,000, and the 

 sum of $5,000 per annum allowed for the expense 

 of keeping them at the public domain till it is de- 

 cided that they can be successfully acclimated and 

 disseminated among the flock masters of that coun- 

 try with profitable returns. "We believe there were 

 280 in the flock, and it is said Mr. Ledger has lost 

 $35,000 by the operation. 



Keeping Milk Sweet. — A correspondent of the 

 Homestead found that, in sending milk to market, 

 though it left the dairy perfectly sweet, it was often 

 curdled on delivery to customers. To remedy this, 

 the cans were covered with cotton cloth soaked in 

 salt water. By this method the curdling of the 

 itdlk was entirely prevented. 



Old Radish Seed. — A correspondent of the 

 Prairie Farmer says that radish seed that has been 

 kept six years or more, will produce radishes of a 

 belter quality than new seed. 



Management of Milk. — The Homestead says: 

 The milk-room and dairy management have some- 

 thing to do with the production of butter, and 

 thinks an improved style of milk-room would be 

 quite as likely to increase the yield of butter as an 

 improved breed of cows. There is much truth in 

 this; thougli there is no reason why we should not 

 have improved breeds of cattle as well as improved 

 dairy-houses and more skillful mai.ageraent. In 

 fact, they often go together. 



Hogs fed on Acokns. — A correspondent of the 

 Country Gentleman asks why hogs fed on acorns 

 for weeks will not gain anything for the same 

 length of time if afterwards fed on com. Is such 

 the case? lie has killed hogs from the woods, and 

 found that their insides were completely black. 

 He attributes this to the astringency of the acorns. 



English Beans. — Col. B. P. Johnson mentions, 

 in the Journal of the New York State Agricultural 

 Society, that Mr. Wainwrigiit, of Dutchess county, 

 has been raising English beans for feeding stock. 

 His crop last year succeeded well, and thiis year it 

 promises an abundant yield. 



Brine poisonous to Animals. — The KentueJiy 

 Turf Register says a gentleman at Lawrenceport, 

 Indiana, recently emptied brine from a pork barrel 

 into the yard. A number of hogs, and also one 

 horse, partook of it. The result was that the horse 

 and seven hogs died in less than six hours after the 

 barrel was emptied. 



Charcoal for Fatting Animals. — The Valley 

 Farmer advocates the use of finely powdered char- 

 coal mixed with the food of fatting animals, 

 especially hogs, once or twice a week. It says that 

 it serves as a medicine, and is also extremely fatten- 

 ing, either in itself or by rendering the food more 

 available by strengthening and stimulating the di- 

 gestive powers. We can not believe that it is, in 

 itself, nutritious. 



Linseed Cake for Heifers before Calting. — 

 C. S. Flint, in his new and valuable work, Milch 

 Cows and Dairy Farming, says that heifers fed 

 with a little linseed cake, in addition to their other 

 fodder, for three months before calving, acquire a 

 larger developmfeiit of the milk vessels, and yield 

 more milk afterward, than others fed as usual. He 

 thinks cotton-seed cake would answer equally well. 



Heaves in Horses. — It is said, in a recent num- 

 ber of an agricultural paper, that a quart of a de- 

 coction of smart-weed, given every day to a heavy 

 horse, will cure the heaves. W© doubt it; but 

 there is no harm in trying. 



