1881.; 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



191 



Fattening Hogs. 

 Fatteniiiff is accomplished most prontably as the 

 cool weather atlvai ces, with cood shelter, and warm 

 quarters in which to lie. The fcedlns; place should 

 be kept clean, and corn in the ear or shelled fed 

 night and morning, as much as they will eat up 

 clean, and slop of meal at noon with pure, clean 

 water night and morning. The fatter they become 

 the closer their quarters may be. In the early 

 stages of fattening they need room for exercise, witli 

 wheat bran, charcoal, and sulphur occasionally to 

 keep them in condition and increase the size of bone 

 and muscle, for when quite heavy they need only 

 rest. 



Signs of a Good Cow. 



A long, slender tail is not in itself any indication of 

 a good cow. It Is a sign of good breeding, and well- 

 bred cows arc geuerally better cows than scrubs. In 

 a good cow there arc several physical marks of excel- 

 Icijce ; the head is long and thin, the face broad and 

 dished, the eyes large, the- neck thin and long, the 

 dewlap is light, the shoulders small , the back straight 

 and broad, the belly large and deep, the udderlarge, 

 broad and extended forward, teats set well apart, the 

 limbs slender, the rump broad and bony, the tail long 

 and fine, the skin soft and mellow; If one of these be 

 lacking the chain is broken and tlie cow's character 

 doubtful. 



A Prolific Mule. 

 The Arabs have a proverb to the clfcct tluit " when 

 the mule has young, men will become women and 

 women men." The muledoes not, as a rule, repro- 

 duce its kind. In this hybrid between the horse and 

 the ass, the power of reproduction is lost ; at least 

 the instances are exceedingly rare in which it is 

 fertile. The London Live Stock Journal recently 

 published the following in which the fertility of a 

 mule is well authenticated : " One of the curiosities 

 in the Paris Jardin d'Acclimation is a mule, named 

 Catharine, which was purchased several years ago 

 while on her way through Paris with a Barb stallion 

 and a foal by this horse, to the exhibition at Vienna. 

 When purchased by the Paris society she was again 

 in foal to the same horse. Since she has been in 

 Paris she has thrown two more foals (bj a jackass) 

 which are named Salem and Atham, and which may 

 lie seen every day drawing the small tramway cars 

 from the Jardin d'Acclimation to the gates of Paris. 

 Her fifth and last produce is a four-months' colt foal 

 liy the Barb sire referred to above, and has been 

 named Kroumir. 



Catarrh in Sheep 



When sheep arc exposed to the hot sun and then a 

 sudden shower, or to the hot sun with wool soaked 

 with a shower, they take cold, and the frequent re-- 

 suit is catarrah, with sneezing and discharge at the 

 nose. If not stopped by effective remedies the in- 

 flammation often spreads to the lungs and causes 

 pneumonia or pleurisy. The reincily is tn keep the 

 sheep in a sheltered place for a U-\\ .1m\ .- ami i;ive a 

 pint of tar-water once a day. Tu.j; i,- niiiK' by 

 stirring a tablespoonfu! of piiir lar in ,i gallon of 

 water. It may be kept in ajar loi n.,r, an^l i.-. always 

 valuable in a flock. 



Killing Lice on Stock. 



" One pound of tobacco and six ounces of borax 

 boiled in two ounces of water, to which add soft soap 

 enough to make a thick paste," says the American 

 Agriculturist " has proven a good vermin salve. A 

 mixture of carliolic acid and soft soap, in the propor- 

 tion of one to four, makes a compound easy to apply, 

 and veiy effectually. Shortly after, the parts to 

 which the soap mixture has been applied should be 

 washed with pure warer and a non-drying oil rub- 

 bed on. Oil of turpentine and lard oil, equal parts, 

 with a little carbolic acid, is perhaps the most con- 

 venient mixture to make, and effectual in its applica- 

 tion. Animals that are affected with vermin need 

 liettei care and higher feeding to overcome the drain 

 that those parasites make upon the system. 



The Shropshire Sheep. 



The development of great industries In iron and 

 coal in the districts of Shropshire, at the beginning 

 of the century, gave rise to a large and increasing 

 demand for mutlon. To meet this demand the far- 

 mers of that part of the country turned their atten- 

 tion to the raising of mutton sheep. Breeding ewes 

 were sought for from the midland and southern 

 counties, and in time Shropshiae became not only a 

 leading sheep-raising region, but also the home of 

 an important breed. In which the " natives " of the 

 districts, Cotswold, and later the Leicester and 

 Southdown, have been combined. On account of 

 this complex admixture of blood, the Shropshire 

 breed is one that varies somewhat in character. The 

 original sheep was horned, black or brown-faced, 

 hardy and free from disease, producing 44 to .56 

 pounds of mutton to a carcass, and a fleece of two 



pounds of moderately fine wool. The present Sbrop- | 

 shires arc without horns, the legs and face dark or ; 

 spotted with gray, the neck thick, the head well ] 

 shaped, care neat, breast broud,back straight, barrel 

 round, and the legs strong. They are easy keepers, ! 

 hardy, fatten quickly, and at the age of two years [ 

 give 100 to 120 pounds of excellent flesh. The fleece 1 

 is longer, heavier, averaging 7 pounds, and more I 

 glossy than that of the Southdown. The Shropshire 

 Is a valuablcsheep for American farmers. — American 

 AtjrienUurint. 



Sulphur for Sheep. 



Mix a little sulphur with salt aud feedoccasslonally 

 to sheep. It will effectually destroy sheep ticks. The 

 same remedy applied to cattle troubled with lice will 

 goon rid them of vermin. The use of sulphu'- with 

 salt well repays the trouble of keeping a supply for 

 cattle and sheep. If a mixlureof one part of sulphur 

 with seven of sail be freely applied there will be no 

 trouble with vermin. 



POULTRY. 



Care of Chickens. 



Proper care is essential to success ; for a person 

 may have the best known breeds and If they are not 

 properly cared for they will prove a failure. The 

 management and care of chickens is of more import 

 ance than is generally considered, although it is sup- 

 posed to be the easiest thing in poultry culture. In 

 this age of sclf-conceJt, every poultry keeper knows, 

 or at least" pretends to know, how the thing is done ; 

 but after all no specialty receives as much qulpable 

 neglect. 



One great error In the management of chicks is 

 feeding them from the start with too much coru- 

 meal. It is to that cause, in a great measure, that 

 there are so many young chicks which die early — 

 ofien before they have fully feathered up. We know 

 there are many persons keeping poultry who cling to 

 the old habits and follow In the ruts of their prede- 

 cessors because they have been used to it ; and al- 

 though some good chickens have been raised to ma- 

 turity on cornmeal dough and hard corn, hundreds 

 of young chicks which started their existence with 

 cornmeal dropped off one by one under this regimen. 



The first food lor chicks should be as near the na 

 ture of the yolk as we can obtain. They should not 

 have corn in any f(Trm until they are three or four 

 weeks old, unless it be a little scalded or cooked 

 meal, fed occassionally. Hard lioiied eggs at first, 

 supplemented with stale breadcrumbs and milk, then 

 a little oatmeal cake soaked in milk, wheat screen- 

 ings, cottage cheese and bits of vegetables and cooked 

 meat daily, have usually given the best results.— 

 Poultry Monthly. 



Fattening for Market. 



November is usually the last month of the season 

 fowls enjoy outdoor range. When we are obliged 

 to shelter a hundred or two full-grown, lusty cock- 

 owls and pullets in eontracteJ places our labors be- 

 come much increased, and the profits decrease the 

 longer we keep them. We are, of course, speaking 

 of discarded young stock that flrst-class breeders 

 consider not up to their standard. These should be 

 two or three weeks cooped in shady and airy places 

 and fed liberally with good chop-feed and vegetables 

 cooked thoroughly, three or four times a day, when 

 they will be Jeady to slaughter. 



It is not profitable to keep old hens after their 

 second year, unless in particular cases, when you 

 know them to be the best layers and breeders. 

 Young stock should be raised every year to taki: the 

 place of older birds. By following this plan you will 

 have fowls both healthy and profitable. 



In most of the poultry-raising countries of Europe 

 they never think of such a thing as picking up fowls 

 from their runs and selling them in market, as they 

 usually do in this country. Fowls arc fattened be- 

 fore being slaughtered ; consequently the value of 

 poultry flesh as a delicacy over other meat is realized 

 by the demand and increase going on steadily year 

 alter ya&t.— Poultry Monthly. 



Effect of Food on Eggs. 

 All varieties of poultry can be kept well and 

 economically upon screenings corajKised of all seeds. 

 They can hi- also kept upon table refuse, sour milk 

 and decaying meat scraps and musty grain. This 

 may be an Inducement for keeping poultry, but the 

 question arises whether it is the best way to keep 

 where an excellent quantity of eggs and flesh Is de- 

 sired. Beef may be fed on distillery slops, but the 

 quality is very ijiuch Inferior to corn fed beef. 

 Onions, cabbage, cover and filthy water affect the 

 taste and quality of the butter and milk of the cows 

 to which they are fed. Pork made from corn is very 

 much superior to the ewill-fed article. When a fine 

 quality of eggs and chickens is desired poultry 

 should be vigorous and healthy In order that their 

 digestive organs may do their duty. Care should be 

 taken to see that the poultry house Is properly venti- 



lated and not kept too w«rm, as a vitiated atmos- 

 phere has very much to ih) with the profit and health 

 of the (li)ek. Poultry, to bo kept profltably, must be 

 watered, liou'ed and led abundantly, with frequent 

 changes In diet. The poultry keeper who attends to 

 these details may reasonably ex|)ect to realize con- 

 siderable profit. .Some profit may, however, be 

 realized when kept simply as the scavengers of the 

 fairnir ordinary eare is taken to sec that they pet 

 sufflelent f(K>d anil shelter, but the quality of the 

 protluct Is Inferior. Corn aud wheat pn>duee the 

 richest flesh and eggs, and should be the principal 

 food employed. Buckwheat and decaying vegetable* 

 are the ixjorest foods, not only for quality, but color 

 of flesh anil egirs.— CorrM/)om/«H« Country Oentle- 



Scaly Legs. 

 An authority says that hens badly ullllcled with 

 scaly legs should not be used as sitters, us the disease 

 wlllbe communicated to the chicks. The dl>ease Is 

 caused by a parasite, and so It would be iH-ttcr uut 

 to allow til* lien to hooil the clilcks, even If she 

 hatched the eggs. It is always well to set several 

 hens at once, and give all the chicks to one beo. 

 Early broods, however, had better each be taken care 

 of by their own mother, as during the cold weather 

 one hen cannot keep more than ten or twelve chicks 

 warm. 



Hen Lice and Kerosene. 

 I wish to tell your readers not to be afraid of using 

 kerosene in poultry houses. • It has killed all the lice 

 and bed-bugs In my hen-houses, and did not Injure 

 the fowls in the least. I was in Europe In I»78, and 

 both these vermin got lu'o my poultry-houses In 

 some way, and last year there was lens of thousands 

 of red and grey lice and the common bed-bug. Every 

 crevice and nest was literally alive with the fllthy 

 creatures, and my poultry looked to be (and were) 

 In a sorry plight. I could not go into my houses (or 

 months without getting covered with the small gray 

 lice. I really dreaded to go near my imultry or to 

 touch them. I tried all the remedies and failed. My 

 own minil suggested common kerosene, and I tried it 

 quite cautiously at first. I found It certain death to 

 the bugs and lice, I feared It would Injure the hens 

 also. The results were, however, that In a few 

 weeks (not one or two dressings) I utterly destroyed 

 the foe, and now there is not a louse In the nests, or 

 on the roos's or fowls. I use the kerosene quite fear- 

 lessly, as I have not found the least indications of in- 

 jury to my fowls, old or young. I pay ten cents a 

 gallon for the common kerosene ; keep a two-gallon 

 can in my hen-house, and every lime I clean It out 

 (twice a week,) I sprinkle the liquid on the perches 

 and over the floor, through a small hole In the cork 

 of the can. I have proved by actual lest that kero- 

 sene will kill lice, etc., but will not hurt thelowls.— 

 CoHulry Gciillcman. 



LITERARY AND PERSONAL. 



Papers Received. 



The SnEi'Hi!ui>.'<' Natiosal Jot?RNAi., Extra ; 

 devoted to the wool warket. Chester Hill, Ohio. %\ 

 a year ; monthly, .\ddre6s P. O. Box 8. 



The New Noutuwest.— Devoted to the interests 

 of railroad investments, land and setllemCDt. Phila- 

 delphia, Pa. 8 page quarto; monthly, 50 ccnU a 

 year. HI South Third si reel. 



The Chukch .Mihkok, Boston, .Mass., demi-follo ; 

 60 cents a year ; monthly. Ol course, as Its title Im- 

 ports, this Is a religions paper; and. If we were too 

 obtuse to apprehend this much from the title alone, 

 the editorials, "How to read the Bible" and "How 

 to love God," would sunielcuily indicate its character 

 in that respect. Its typography is good, and Its edi- 

 torials, contributions and selections arc good; but, 

 there is something discordant In its list of premiums. 

 Abstractly speaking, premiumt at best are not far 

 removed from hribo. They are so many inducements 

 thrown out for people to do something they would 

 nol think of doing but for the preitium. Publishers 

 may justify themselves with the reflection thai they 

 have been iustruinenlal in getting a good pajicr Into 

 the hands of a sinner that could not have tiecn ac- 

 complishc<l Id any other way ; but the man who will 

 only subscribe for a paper by reason of such a bribe, 

 won't give a fig for the paper, and values only the 

 bribe. Be tlial as.it may, however, the custom is a 

 very geueral one, whether it Is right or wrong. In 

 the list aforesaid the editor (presumably) says ;— 

 " We have made arrangements with Wm. Reed & 

 Sons, by which we are enabled to offer three styles of 



