187S.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



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LIVE STOCK. 



The Management of Horses. 

 They ehoulil he fcil in proiiorlinii ti) tlicir work. 

 An iiile team iii.iy be wiiilercil updn ;;ooii liiiy alone ; 

 when workin;: lia;htly a feed of urain ar n<ion will lie 

 Bullicieni, with hay inornins anil nii;hl. Willi hi'avy 

 work, ten qnarlKofijrcinnil eorii anil oats, anil ehalleil 

 straw or eornfbililer, will he i;ooii leeiliiiir, anil in 

 many cates, for small horses, less will Jo. (looii 

 proominn is necessary for health in winter, (ironnil 

 pypsuni spread upon thejloors will prevent the pnn- 

 pent oilor eoninion to stahlcs. This vapor^of aiiiino- 

 nia is liiirtful to horses' eyes, anil the freiiuent eanse 

 of ophthalmia, and resultinir in lilindness, with whleh 

 so many hoaees are troubled. Throw a few pailsful 

 of water upon the floor first, and then.seatter around 

 a shovelful of the gypsum. Fresh air should enter 

 the slaliles at the bottom and the foul air escape at 

 the top. Make small sliding doors for ventilation, 

 and cover them with wire nettinsj ou laths, to ex- 

 clude vermin. — AgrifiMiirisl. 



Raising Calves by Hand. 



In reply to a question as to the liest way to bring: 

 up calves by liand, the editor of the ^raxmc?iMsetls 

 I'longhman ijives his own experience and practice. 

 He began by allowing the calf to suek four or five 

 days, until the meconium had passed ofl', after which 

 nothing but skimmed milk was given, on which the 

 calf grew well tind maintained good condition ; in no 

 instance was there any sickness, while many of his 

 neighbors who thought skimmed milk too poor, and 

 gave their calves the milk direct from tlie cows, 

 often sufl'ercd in consequence, losing more or less 

 from staggers, the stomach after death revealing its 

 engorgement with caked milk. Doubtless the result 

 was partly due to the rapid swallowing; had the 

 animal drawn the milkJ"rom the teats, it would not 

 as often have been fatal. Possibly in some cases 

 skimmed milk does not contain a suflieient amount 

 of nourishment to support the animal ; we then 

 shoul#add a little oatmeal or linseed, but care should 

 be taken not to give too stimulating food. 



The Texas Cattle Plague. 



The Spanish fever, or Texas cattle plague, is a 

 disease peculiar to the cattle breed of Texas and 

 Spsiin. The symptoms of the malady are very simi- 

 lar to the rinderpest, or cattle plague of Europe, aiid 

 the results have proved to be equally as fatal. The 

 symptoms are a dull, stupid, stifl appearance, an in- 

 clination to separate from the herd drooping of the 

 head, disinclination to eat, trembling, cramping, 

 staggering, falling, and, in some cases, compression 

 of the jaws; some become perfectly blind. The best 

 preventive measures are complete isolation. The 

 diseased and healthy stock should be kept wide apart. 

 All dead animals should be immediately burned or 

 buried deep in the ground. Disinfectants should be 

 freely used, both internally and externally. The 

 chloride of lime, carbolic aeid, permanganate of 

 potash, &c., are said to be excellent remedies. 



Among the Points 



In judging of the quality of a lean ox is the nature 

 of the bone. A round, thick bone indicates both a 

 slow feeder and an inferior description of flesh. A 

 Hat bone, when seen on a side view, and narrow 

 when viewed either from behind or before the ani- 

 mal, indicates the opposite properties of a round 

 bone. The whole bones in a carcass sliould bear a 

 small proportion in size and weight to the flesh, the 

 bone being only required as a support to the flesh. 



The Average Age of the Horse, 



When allowed to live without the risk of accidents 

 and disease which he incurs in his usual work. Is 

 about twenty-live 'years. Instances of Igreate 

 longevity are recorded on good authority, and, there 

 is reason to believe that occasionally he has reached 

 thirty-rtve oreven forty years, but these are rare ex- 

 ceptions, and few live beyond the twenty- 

 eighth year, while a large proportion die before the 

 twenty-fifth. 



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Remedy for Choking Cattle. 

 Kemedy for choking cattle is opportune about this 

 time when they are more than usually exposed to 

 the danger of getting an apple, potato, or small 

 turnip stuck in the gullet. A certain remedy is said 

 to be to open the mouth of the choking animal and 

 throw upon its tongue, away back, a tablespoonful 

 of saltpetre, then let the beast go and the obstacle 

 will either pass out or in, in a very short time. 



If You "Want 

 to keep your hogs, horses, cattle and sheep healthy, 

 give them salt regularly. There is no better vermi- 

 fuge than salt. Much of the so-called bog cliolera 

 is due to intestinal worms. Plenty of salt would 

 prevent the accumul.ation of these worms. All ani- 

 mals desire salt, showing that it is a want of their 

 nature, and undoubtedly for wise purposes. 



POULTRY. 



Care of Fowls in Transportation. 



Among the numerous Instances of cruelty to the 

 lower animals, we have bad special occasion to re- 

 mark the inexcusable negligence of lirccdcrs in send- 

 ing fowls an ay on long journeys Illy provided, or not 

 at all, with food and drink. The negligence is cul- 

 pable and, moreover, I'oolish, for thereby the great- 

 est injury is done to the I'owls themselves, and if the 

 fact that the animals will suffer painfully has no 

 inlluenee upon the owner, it woxUd seem as if the 

 sellish wish to avoid loss should have some weight. 

 For a prolonged abstinence in an animal, feeding so 

 frequently as the domestic fowl, and subject to sui'h 

 extensive draughts on the system, is often followed 

 by irremediable injury to the constitution. We would 

 avoid breeding from a bird that we knew had been 

 thus treated, just as we would avoid one that bad 

 any great defect, such as a bad form, producing 

 weakly chicks and the like. The evils of all under- 

 feeding are well enough understood ; in this ease, 

 however, the dillicully is increased by the suddenness 

 of the shock, the fowl not having time to accustom 

 itself to it. What is said of feeding is also true of 

 the supply of water. A healthy fowl will drink 

 fifteen to twenty times per day, and In a close coop, 

 or in hot weather, still oftencr. Therefore all possi- 

 ble pains should be taken to properly fasten water- 

 cups in the traveling cages. 



If, however, a fowl comes to hand — for we will do 

 the reader the honor of supposing that he would not 

 be guilty of such an olfenee — that has been deprived 

 of.food and drink for a longtime, we must remember, 

 that the powers of the system arc lowered, that the 

 ability to digest is diminished, together with the 

 general nervous power, and that from the lack of 

 material the amount of gastric juice is also lessened. 

 We must, therefore, for a time, limit the supply both 

 of solids and liquids, and the fbod first given should 

 be quite wet. "Sopped bread" is recommended, 

 and this is probably as good as anything else. We 

 would also endorse the recommendation to soften 

 bread in ale, if there appears to be unusual depres- 

 sion. This care ought to be extended during, at 

 least, a couple of days. — The Poultry World. 



Hen Roosts. 



"Young Farmer" in the Hosfon Journal, comes 

 to the front again with another new idea. This time 

 it concerns hen's roosts. He says : 



Seeing a farmer near me building a new hen house 

 the other day, I took occasion to give him a new 

 idea. He was putting in his roosts in the old-fash- 

 ioned way, one being above the other ou an angle of 

 about forty-five degrees. In this way the fowls arc 

 led to attempt to all get upon the highest roost, and 

 as it gets full the weaker ones are crowded off and 

 fall to the ground ; they begin again to climb up, 

 only to repeat the same performance until it gets so 

 dark that they stop elimbing, resting contented upon 

 a lower roost, or even npon the ground under the 

 roosts. In the morning the fowls will not go down 

 as they went up, from one roost to another, but fly 

 from the roost to the ground. In this way, and by 

 falling from the roost to the ground at night, heavy 

 fowls, especially when very fat or very full of eggs, 

 are often crippled in the legs or otherwise injured. 

 Many likely hens I have seen completely spoiled in 

 this way. I told him that 1 should build the roosts 

 all of the same height, and no more than two and a 

 half feet from the lloor, putting them about fifteen 

 inches ajiart. Before I left 1 had the satisfaction of 

 seeing him commence to undo the work he had done, 

 and to t)uilil his roosts as I suggested, and of hearing 

 an old farmer who was present declare his intention 

 of taking out his roosts, which were of the " ladder " 

 style, and putting in new ones level and lower. I 

 think they w ill save hens enough before spring by so 

 doing to more than piiy for the labor it will take. 



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Feeding Fowls. 



Where fowls have free range it is the most eco- 

 nomical to feed them twice a day. The fowls should 

 lie left out early in the morning ; in fact if there is 

 no fear of enemies or thieves the hen roost had bet- 

 ter be left open, so that the birds can come out at 

 will. This they will do at daybreak, and by wander- 

 ing over the fields secure a large amount of worm 

 and insect food. They should receive their morning 

 meal at a fixed hour, and immediately after break- 

 fast is a convenient time. So much depends on the 

 size of the birds that it is impossible to give a pre- 

 cise rule as to the quantity of grain to be given to 

 each. It is obvious a Dorkintr of ten pounds weight 

 and a game fowl of four pounds would rcipiire very 

 different quantities of food, .\gain, more food is re- 

 quired to keep up animal heat in winter than in 

 summer. When a hen is producing eggs she will eat 

 nearly twice the amount of food that she requires at 

 another time. Hence, the successful poultry-breeder 

 will need to observe carefully the requirements of his 

 fowls, and govern himself accordingly. The best 

 rule, both as to quantity and time, is to irive fowls a 

 full meal in the morning, a second shortly before 

 going to roost. There is one important advantage 

 dependent ou having fixed hours of feeding, namely, 



that the birds soon become accustomed to them and 

 do not hang about the house door all day long, ai 

 they do if irregularly and frequently fed. They con- 

 st anily obtain a greater amount of* food for them- 

 selves, and are less Iroublesonie than they otlicrwlso 

 would be. 



To Tell the Age of Fowls. 



If a hen's spur is hard and the scales of the legs 

 are rough, she Is old, whether you see her head or 

 not ; but her bead will corroborate your observation. 

 If the underbill is so slilf that you cannot bend It 

 down, and the comb thick and rough, leave her, no 

 matter how fat and pluin|i, for some one less jiar- 

 lieular. A young hen has only the riidinienlB of 

 spurs; the scales on the legs are smooth, glossy and 

 fresh colored, whatever the color may be, the claws 

 lender and short, the nails sharp, the under bill soft, 

 and I be comb I bin and smooth. 



An old turkey has rough scales on the legs, callos- 

 ities on the souls of the feet, and long strong cluws ; 

 a young one the reverse of all these marks. When 

 the feathers arc on, the old turkey cock has a long 

 tuft or beard ; a young one but a sprouting one, and 

 when they are off, the smooth scales on the legs de- 

 eidelhe point, beside the dilfcrenee in size of the wat- 

 tles of the neck and in the elastic shoot ujion the 

 neck. 



An old goose when alive is known by the rough 

 legs, the strength of the wings, particularly at the 

 pinions, the thickness and strength of the bill and 

 fineness of the feathers, and, when plucked by the 

 legs, the tenderness of thcskin under the wings, by 

 the piuious and the bill, and the coarseness of the 

 9kin. 



Ducks are distlngushcd by the same means, but 

 there is the difference that a duckling's bill Is much 

 longer in proportion to the breadth of the liead than 

 the old duck's. 



To Make Hens Lay. 

 Put two or more quarts of water in a kettle, and 

 one large seed pepper or two small ones, then put the 

 kettle over the fire. When the water boils stir in 

 coarse Indian meal until you have a thick mush. 

 Let it cook an hour or so; feed hot. Horse-radish 

 chopped fine and stirred into mush as prepared in the 

 above directions, and for results we arc gelling from 

 five to ten eggs per day ; whereas, previous to feed- 

 ing we bad not had eggs for a long time. Wc hear 

 a good deal of complaint from other people about 

 not getting eggs. To such we would warmly recom- 

 mend cooked feed fed hot. Boiled a[iple skins, sea- 

 soned with red pepper, or boiled potatoes seasoned 

 with horse-radish are good for feed ; much better 

 than uncooked food. Corn, when fed to the hen by 

 itself, has a tendency to fatten rather than produce 

 the more iirofitabic egg laying. A spoonful of sul- 

 phurstirred with their feed occasionally will rid them 

 of vermin and tone up their systems. It is especiallv 

 good for young chickens or turkeys. Out of a flock 

 of ten hatched last November wc have lost but one. 

 They have tieen fed cooked feed mostly and are grow- 

 ing finely. — Ohio Farmer. 



The Langshans. 



Says the .itncrU-au .igricnltnrUt : Sometime ago 

 we introduced to the notice of our readers the 

 Langshan, a variety of fowl that had been recently 

 imported into England from a part of the Chinese 

 Empire. Since then further ex[ierienee with these 

 fowls has given them a favorable reputation, and wc 

 sec it noticed in English jiapers that they are jiroving 

 to he very early layers and excellent table fowls. A 

 correspondent of the Lotulon Lii<r Stock Journal re- 

 ports that be has bad eggs from pullets only four 

 and one-half months old, which Is remarkable, even 

 with the most precocious specimens of the breeds 

 noted for early laying. An Importation of these 

 fowls has been made by Mr. Edward A. Sanuiels, of 

 Waltham, Mass., and if the reputation they have 

 made in England is maintained in this country, wo 

 expect them to become very popular. 



Eggs in Wtnter. 



A eorrcsiHindent of the Country (Iriillctnnn gives 

 the following recipe for keeping egirs through winter, 

 and says; "It has never failed during the twenty- 

 five yeiirs that 1 have used it. It is simply to set the 

 eggs on end as soon as gathered and keep them in a 

 cool place. I have kept eggs laid In September until 

 April, and they were just as nice to fry with ham, or 

 any other use, as new eggs. There is no use of any 

 pickle. If fhe eggs are good and fresh whcu put In 

 imsition they will be good all winter." 



Doctoring Sick Fowls. 



Doctoring chickens is a poor business at the best. 

 It is I rue that valuable mature fowls arc worth sav- 

 ing if they fall ill, when we know what their trouble 

 is, and have a remedy for the malady they may be 

 sulfcring with. Hut the al tempt to doctor sick young 

 chickens w ill scarcely pay. If the birds do not grow 

 thriftily in the first three or four months after hatch- 

 ing they will never pay for the raising for any purpose. 



