48 



THE GEXESEE FARMER. 



SELECTING CALVES FOR EEARING. 



Use judgment in selecting sucli heifer calves as 

 are to be reared. Select only those whose mothers 

 are good milkers, and whose sires hare come from 

 good milking stock; at the same time, the calf 

 itself should have those characteristics that indicate 

 an aptitude to develope good milking qualities, viz : 

 small, fine head, rather long in the muzzle, bright 

 eyes, thin, tapering neck, small, well-shaped legs, 

 long body, large hind-quarters, set wide behind, 

 soft skin, fine hair — the color of which is immate- 

 rial — and above all, the milk mirror, or udder veins, 

 should be large and well developed. 



The raising of bull calves for breeders had better 

 be left to those who have time and means to devote 

 their attention to it, and procure the best animals 

 to begin with. It would be no loss to the country 

 were the numerous specimens of scrub bulls, too 

 often seen, condemned to perpetual exile. 



Bui; there is no reason why a portion of the male 

 calves, at least, should not be reared as bullocks, 

 either for the team or the butcher ; and it is impor- 

 tant that such as are reserved, for this purpose, 

 should possess certain points indicative of future 

 excellence, viz : well-shaped head, small ears, 

 Bhort, thick neck, deep brisket, broad chest and 

 shoulders, fine bone, long body, well rounded be- 

 hind the shoulders, straight back, wide loins, full 

 quarters, tail thin and tapering, skin soft and not 

 too thin. 



It is too often the case, that animals are selected 

 for rearing from their being of a pretty color, that 

 takes the fancy of some member of the family ; or 

 the calf of some pet cow of the dairy-maid — with- 

 out attention being paid to its defects or excellencies. 

 Not unfrequently, valuable calves are fattened for 

 veal, simply because their color is unpleasing to 

 the eye. m. 



Knot Kilj-er. — Take of gum shellac half a 

 pound ; alcohol, half a pint ; put the two in a tight 

 bottle, shake occasionally, and in a few hours it is 

 fit for use. Apply with a swab or brush to all 

 knots and gummy places. This will prevent the 

 paint from cleaving off the knots, or the pitch from 

 coloring the paint. With this article on hand, one 

 can use common lumber, if the knots are sound, in 

 the place of clear, and no one is any the wiser. 

 Having obtained the above receipt without paying 

 the live dollars generally asked by painters, with 

 the privilege of telling whom Ip lease, I can do no 

 better than to give it to your readers. — J. 0. Adams, 

 Seymour, iV. Y. 



• I m 



Seed Corn. — Every farmer should know that if 

 ssed corn is frozen before it is dry, its vitality is 

 destroyed. If farmers will take care that their 

 seed corn is gathered in season to get thoroughly 

 dried before it freezes, there will be no danger of a 

 strange and mysterious failure of seed corn, if the 

 corn is ripe, or nearly ripe, when it is gathered. — 

 S. Sharps, Jackson, Mich. 



The Proper Depth of Underdraininq is at the 

 point where the water from springs meets the 

 surface water and becomes stagnant. Experience 

 seems to show that, generally^ drains four feet 

 deep are the best. 



mimtt gi'mm gx\}t (tssap. 



CAN SHEEP BE PROFITABLY FATTENED IN WINTER, 

 AND HOW ? 



That sheep can be profitably fattened in winter, 

 or at least fed to the profit of the owner, we have 

 no doubt. Although we believe that in most ca^es 

 where sheep are fed in winter, they are made to 

 gain but little flesh; the gain to the owner being in 

 the difference of price which sheep generally bring 

 in the months of March, April and May, over the 

 price they can usually be bought for in the months 

 of September, October and November. We have, 

 indeed, known sheep pretended to be fed for four 

 months during cold weather, which were not in as 

 good condition at the end of the four months as at 

 the commencement. The remark of a man to us, 

 whose sheep we were offering to purchase last 

 April, that he had fed them to poorness instead of 

 fatness, would be applicable to many who have 

 done what they call feeding sheep for the butcher. 



We will, however, give our own way of feeding, 

 and its results; premising that without conveni- 

 ences of the right sort, added to all necessary care, 

 it is useless to think of reaping a rich reward. We 

 first erect good sheds of sufficient height, width, 

 etc., to hold the hay we design to feed — putting 

 the hay in such order as will make it convenieni 

 to feed it directly into the racks. The racks w< 

 construct on the back sill of the shed, boring holei 

 with an inch augur on the inner edge of the sill a 

 a distance of about four inches apart. The sticki 

 for the racks should be made smooth, and your sill 

 if about ten inches thick, should be elevated si: 

 inches above the floor. Make your racks of an; 

 desired height. In front of the racks and attachec 

 to the sill, construct your trough in which to fee* 

 your grain. It is well to make the trough o 

 plank two inches thick, that it may be suflncientl; 

 strong. The bottom of the trough should be eigh 

 inches wide. The side of the trough to which th. 

 sheep have access should be two inches high, am 

 the back side six inches. Let the trough be madfl 

 flaring; that is, broader at the top than at th 

 bottom. To the front side of your trough fastei 

 slats made of boards ten inches wide and two ani 

 a half feet long, placing the slats eight inche 

 apart. This will give eighteen inches to eac' 

 sheep, which is about the width required for 

 sheep of one hundred and fifty lbs. weight. 



Let the bottom of your trough be six inches loweK 

 than the top of your sill; all the better if your sil 

 is hewn for the purpose, with the edge next to thi 

 trough depressed, so that the feed shall descem 

 toward the trough. In this way all the leaves o 

 hay, seed, etc., will find their way into the troug] 

 to.be consumed by the sheep. The slats may b 

 secured in their places by simply nailing the hot 

 toms to the side of the trough, or, what is bettei 

 by cutting gains in the side of the trough am 

 fitting them in nicely. At the top they may bi 

 fastened by placing a strip of plank on then 

 and nail thereto. Thus we see, if we wish to fee' 

 one hundred *sheep, we require one hundred am 

 fifty feet length of shed. We lay a good planl 

 floor for the slieep to stand on, and have it a littl 

 descending from the trough, so that their premise! 



