14 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[January, 



be provided with a warm and protected shelter for 

 winter where they may be contined except upon ex- 

 ceedingly pleasant and warm days. Their houses 

 should have a southern aspect so that, being supplied 

 with windows, it may receive the heat and light of 

 the sun. It miirht not be an unprofitable thing to 

 have a fire-place and chimney, that in extremely 

 cold and damp or frosty days a tire may be built for 

 the additional comfort of the fowls. At all events 

 the room should be reasonably warm, if possible, 

 above the freezing point, not only for the safety of 

 such eggs as might be laid, but also to admit of the 

 introduction of dry gravel and lime, plaster, ashes, 

 etc., in which the fowls can dust themselves or 

 obtain substance for shellingtheireggs. Thisshould 

 be away from the roost, where it would become 

 mixed with the droppings of the roost, and after be- 

 ing used a time may be used to sprinkle with the 

 manure to preserve all its good qualities as well as 

 to serve as a deodorizer. The saving of the manure 

 of fowls is no small item, and will go far toward 

 payment for the keeping. 



Finally, very much of the laying qualities of hens 

 depends upon the keeping. In the first place, es- 

 pecially if hens are allowed to run at large in the 

 summer, it must be remembered that they are de- 

 prived of such share of animal food as they are able 

 to secure during summer; then to meet this demand, 

 they should be provided, occasionally, with scraps, 

 pieces of meat or something of that nature. Then 

 there should be a variety fo food, such as scalded 

 meal, perhaps wet up with milk, buckwheat, 

 oats, corn, chopped cabbage, apples, boiled potatoes, 

 and in fact anything that will give a relish ; and oc- 

 casionally, to warm up the system, in using the wet 

 up Indianjmeal, stir in a little ginger or ground pep- 

 per or mustard ; it is also a good thing to give, oc- 

 casionally, a little sulphur in order to insure the good 

 health of the fowls. Old scraps of grease will have a 

 very happy effect upon the confined animals, as their 

 music after eating will fully demonstrate. The prin- 

 cipal secret of success in keeping hens in winter is 

 contained in four letters combined in the word cure. — 

 WilUam M. Yeomaits. 



Raise Your Own Cows. 



A writer in the Berks and Schuylkill Journal says' 

 Many dairymen sell their calves, and buy cows when 

 wanted, but that is not a good practice, as I claim 

 that cows can be raised cheaper than they can be 

 bought — that is, really good cows, which have a large 

 flow of milk, and are a breed or grade valuable for 

 beef. Dairymen should breed from stock that is 

 extra valuable for milk. Such cows are obtained by 

 degrees. They may be grades of pure bloods ; but 

 ■when obtained it is very unwise to sell the calves of 

 such cows to the butchers, because in a few years 

 one runs out of such good stock if he sells his calves, 

 and then he is compelled to take cows of an inferior 

 grade, as first-class cows are seldom offered for sale. 

 It does not follow that when good cows are obtained 

 their calves will always make equally good milkers ; 

 but like generally produces like, and farmers can 

 keep up the good qualities of their dairy stock better 

 by raising than by purchasing their cows. For milk, 

 and also for beef, a short-horn and Ayrshire grade, or 

 a short-horn grade crossed on Ayrshire cows make a 

 very valuable dairy stock. An old and feeble cow 

 should never be bred, if her calves are to be raised, as 

 disease is hereditary. In regard to the points of a 

 good cow, in order to perpetuate a healthy constitu- 

 tion in her offspring, I annex the following from the 

 journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England: 

 "The head small; muzzle fine and tapering ; nos- 

 trils large and open ; tho eyes full and lustrous ; the 

 ears small and not too thick ; the head well set on 

 the neck ; the distance between the ear and the angle 

 of the jaw short, but the width behind the ears con- 

 siderable (no dairy cow should have a short thick 

 neck); the chest wide and deep ; the girth, taken 

 immediately behind the shoulder, should correspond 

 with the length from behind the ears to the rise of 

 the tail ; the carcass of a barrel shape, for a thin, 

 flat-ribbed animal eats largely, thrives badlj , and is 

 usually liable to diarrhoea ; there should be but little 

 space between the prominence of the hip and the last 

 rib ; the quarter large ; the measurement from the 

 prominence of the haunch backward to the rise of 

 the tail and downward to the hock as great as possi- 

 ble ; the lower part of the haunch thick and broad ; 

 the hide thick and pliant ; smallness of bone is a sure 

 indication of early maturity and aptitude for fat- 

 tening." 



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Ayrshire Cows. 



The report of the Ayrshire agricultural association 

 gives the following points as the standing of superi- 

 ority in Ayrshire dairy cows : 



Head short, forehead wide, nose fine between the 

 mnzzle and eyes, muzzle moderately large, eyes full 

 and lively, horns wide set on, inclining upward and 

 curving slightly inward. 



Neck long and straight from the head to the top 

 of the shoulders, free from loose skin on the under 

 side, fine at its junction with the head, and the mus- 

 cles symmetrically enlarging toward the shoulders. 



Shoulders thin at the top, brisket light, the whole 



forequartcrs thin in front and gradually increasing 

 in depth and width backward. 



Back short and straight, spine well defined, espec- 

 ially at the shoulder, the short ribs arched, the body 

 deep at the fianks and the milk veins well developed. 



Pelvis long, broad and straight, hock bones (illium) 

 wide apart and not much overlaid with fat, thighs 

 deep and broad, tail long and slender, and set on level 

 with the back. 



Milk vessels capacious and extending well forward, 

 hinder part broad and firmly attached to the body, 

 the sole or under surface nearly level, the teats from 

 two to two and a-half inches in length, equal in thick- 

 ness, and hanging perpendicularly ; their distance 

 apart at the sides should be equal to about one-third 

 of the length of the vessel, and across to about one- 

 half of the breadth. 



Legs short, the bones fine and the joints firm. 



Skin soft and elastic, and covered with soft, close 

 woolly hair. 



The colors preferred are brown, or brown and 

 white, the colors being di&tinctly defined. 



Great value is attached to the above form and 

 points by the dairy farmer, and he quickly takes them 

 in when effecting a purchase, so that a mistake is 

 rarely made. 



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The Leghorn Fowls. 



Undoubtedly this breed produces the most prolific 

 layers known ; and as the sale of eggs at the prices 

 they have been bringing is far more remunerative than 

 that of chickens, it follows that the Leghorn stock is 

 the most profitable to keep. The" White Leghorns," 

 however, are to my mind the most desirable ; in 

 beauty of form and plumage they far excel all others. 

 The purity of their plumage, contrasting so strikingly 

 with the large and brilliant combs and wattles, and 

 thir proud and graceful creatures . There can be no 

 mistaking the points of a pure White Leghorn, while 

 the brown is open to doubt as to its purity, ibr the 

 latter resembles in many points common fowls so 

 closely as to require the judgment of an expert to 

 detect the difference. As egg-producers, the white 

 are even superior to the brown, numerous instances 

 being shown where accurate account has been kept 

 of hens exceeding the production of two hundred and 

 fifty eggs in one year. 



As to the crowing of the young cockerels at the age 

 of six weeks, I am not prepared to vouch, for I think 

 that is putting it rather strong ; but I am satisfied 

 the white mature quite as early as the brown. 



There is no investment, either for pleasure or pro- 

 fit, that yields a larger percentage than this ; and 

 the wonder is, that so many persons who possess all 

 the facilities for raising fowls, are content to buy the 

 stale and too often spoiled barrel eggs at the store, 

 when by a little outlay of time and means they could 

 at all times have an abundant supply of good, fresh 

 eggs ; and the pleasure derived from raising and at- 

 tending fowls would more than compensate for 

 the trouble. — White Leghorn, in Oermantomn Tele- 

 graph. 



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Facilitating Draught of Horses, 



A number of careful experiments have been made 

 on this subject during the bast summer in Switzer- 

 land and Germany. It has long been known that a 

 "dead pull," that is, the drawing of an inelastic and 

 rigid body, was harder than were the body was elas- 

 tic. In the experiments just mentioned an iron 

 tube was filled with circular pieces of rubber, alter- 

 nating with discs of sheet iron. The circles of rubber 

 and those of iron were perforated in the centre, ad- 

 mitting the passage of an iron rod attached to a cap 

 at one end. These tubes were interposed at the at- 

 tachment of the shafts or else were placed between 

 the collar and the tugs, with the effect that the 

 horse, instead ofieing obliged to "throw himself 

 into the collar," starts the vehicle by a gradual ef- 

 fort. 



The force required to start and also that required 

 to pull a vehicle were carefully measured by a dy- 

 namometor, both with and without the elastic tubes. 

 It was found that, for steady traction, the gain with 

 the tubes amounted to seventeen per cent; whilst 

 for stai'ting, the necessary effort was diminished by 

 over twenty per cent. Similar experiments, in 

 which cooled spriners were used, gave analogous re- 

 sults. In view of the great advantage obtained by 

 this simple means, it should come into general use. 

 One object of this publication is to diffuse the infor- 

 mation and prevent this useful principle from being 

 hampered by a patent — J'hiladelphia Ledger. 



How to Buy a Horse. 



It is recommended that in purchasing a horse it 

 should be borne in mind that there is a direct relation 

 between the horse's forehead and his disposition and 

 qualities. The face must be very broad between the 

 eves, but it should taper a little as it approaches the 

 ears. If the breadth is carried all the upwards, the 

 top of the head will be too wide, the ears ill set, and 

 the horse probably sulky. As in the human being, 

 so in th9 horse, a great "deal of the expression of the 

 countenance depends on the eye. It is a most mar- 

 velous index to the working of the mind within. A 

 glance at it will often reveal the benevolent ,feei- 



ing, the surly disposition, or the vicious propensity 

 that is about fo manifest itself. The reason of all 

 this must be most obvious, when we remember that 

 it is in direct communication with the brain — the 

 material instrument through which the mind ope- 

 rates. The eye of the horse should be kindly, strong, 

 bold and fiery, yet gentle-looking. It should not 

 show much white, as that often indicates a vicious 

 disposition. A horse that is looking back so far as to 

 expose the white of his eye, is generally on the alert 

 for mischief, and is not to be trusted with his heels. 

 The eye gives a strong indication both of the temper 

 and temperament of the animal ; and it is easy to 

 judge from it whether activity or sluggishness pre- 

 vails most. 



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Farm Horses. 



Perhaps there is no animal on the farm more in- 

 dispensable than the horse of all work — to plough, 

 to mow, to rake, to go to the mill, or meeting on 

 Sunday, orthedoingof other things quite too numer- 

 ous to mention — when Dobbin must be harnessed, 

 notwithstanding we have the declaration of Holy 

 Writ, that "A horse is a vain thing for safety." 

 How to breed horses that combine good work qual- 

 ities with good road qualities, is a question that 

 deeply concerns farmers, and one that should be 

 more thoroughly and skilfully discussed in our 

 agricultural journals. While columns are filled 

 with the art of breeding trotters and runners, little 

 is said of the art of breeding such horses as we have 

 described above, or in other words, the horse of all 

 work, the kind of horses that all farmers want, 

 must and will have, if there be skill enough de- 

 veloped in the art of breeding to produce them ; and 

 if not, to demand it forthwith, for them it will be 

 forthcoming ; for that demand creates supply, is law 

 in the world of commerce. Shall we hear from our 

 numerous readers and contributors on this very im- 

 portant subject — something that is practical and 

 shall tend to diffuse light where darkness now so 

 universally prevails ? 



Balky Horses. 

 There is a great deal said just now about the balk- 

 ing of horses, the causes of it and the remedies. As 

 long as we can remember, this singular fit of obstin- 

 acy of the horse has been discussed, and all sorts of 

 plans for overcoming it given. But what will answer 

 for one horse may not for another. The cause of it 

 is doubtless neglect and ill-treatment of the colt or 

 when and after it is broken to harness. Sometimes 

 stopping a few moments will be sufficient to start the 

 animal again freely of his own accord. Kind words, 

 pattihg, a handful of grass, an apple, or a little pep- 

 per put upon the tongue will induce him to go ahead 

 as if nothing had been the matter. Whipping at all 

 times, and especially in this case, is the worst resort. 

 We have ourselves induced balky horses to start by 

 some of the means above recorded. Sometimes the 

 mere turning of the head and letting the animal look 

 in a different direction, then rubbing the nose with 

 ths hand, has answered ; so has tying a string around 

 his foreleg, below the knee, and drawing it very 

 tight. Various resorts of this kind should be tried, 

 but never force. — Germantown Telegraph. 



Management of Geese. 



Three or four geese to one gander are all that are 

 advisable, and a less number, even, is perferable. 

 They commence laying in -\pril, though sometimes 

 not until May, and require for a nest a box about 

 three feet square, with a few inches of soil on the 

 bottom. Soft meadow hay forms a good lining for 

 it. Each goose requires a nest, otherwise the eggs 

 must be gathered daily. 



After the goose has laid her litter (from ten to 

 fifteen) , she will arrange her nest in sitting order and 

 line it with feathers. If the eggs have been taken 

 from her, they should now be returned and she al- 

 lowed to cover them. As the process of incubation 

 is of considerable length — from twenty-eight tothirty 

 days — she must be encouraged to leave the nest often 

 for food and exercise. A supply of clean water and 

 vegetable food, raw and cooked, should be given, to 

 keep her in a healthy state. An occasional visit to a 

 pond of water can do no harm, provided it is not 

 prolonged till the eggs become chiWei.— Poultry 

 Journal. 



Rats and Mice. 



The invasion of rats and mice is really getting to 

 be a serious infliction. Walls are undermined, drains 

 are converted into channels or thoroughfares to gain 

 admittance into cellars, and so into the house ; 

 granaries heretofore considered rat-proof are sud- 

 denly invaded and their contents confiscated with- 

 out leave or license. There seems to be little use in 

 waging war upon them, as their numbe rs only in- 

 dicate an increase after each assault. Should there 

 be a heavy fall of snow with prospect of staying 

 long, it would be well for fruit-growers living where 

 these pests abound to protect the bodies of young 

 trees by stamping the snow about them. This will 

 prevent the mice from gaining access to the trees, 

 and break up their run-ways under the snow. 



