1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



107 



but as long before milking as convenient. "While 

 eating turnips the cows should be well supplied 

 with salt. Cooking is said to prevent all taste. 

 By adding to, say, half a bushel of boiled turnips, 

 while hot, four or five quarts of shorts, which will 

 be well swelled by the time they are cooled, you 

 will have a very acceptable mess. In a prize 

 essay, written by Mr. "William Anderson, of Rock- 

 ford, 111., on the cultivation and use of turnips, 

 and published in the Country Gentleman, it is said 

 that the turnip taste may be completely neutral- 

 ized by adding to the milk before it is strained "a 

 very small quantity of nitre (saltpetre) dissolved 

 in hot water." He gives no explanation of the 

 amount of nitre to be used, further than the words 

 "very small," and the remark that "the quantity 

 of nitre must necessarily be regulated according to 

 the number of cows kept." Mr. Anderson says he 

 has fed cows all wiater on turnips and had no 

 complaint of turnip taste in the butter, from those 

 who used it. We are perhaps prejudiced against 

 saltpetre, but as we don't want much of it in our 

 food, we should use the least possible quantity 

 that would answer the purpose in deodorizing 

 milk. Better taste a little of turnip than too much 

 of nitre, we should say. 



POULTRY ACCOUNT. 



I commenced the year 1869 with twenty-five 

 hens. I prefer the Brabmas for chickens, and the 

 Leghorns for eggs. I think a cross better than 

 pure breeds of either blood. In reply to the ques- 

 tion often put to me, "Is there any profit in poul- 

 try ?" I offer the following account current which 

 I "have kept with my little flock during the year 

 past : — 



1869. Hens, Dr. 



Jan. 1. To value of 25 hens $25 00 



To food for hens and chickens 80.90 



$105.90 



1869. Hens, Cr 



Dec. 26. By 25 large hens $ 25 00 



" 15 small hens or pullets . . 15 00 

 " 155 dozen eggs, at 36o . . . 55 80 

 " Dressed poultry sold . , .111.50 



$207.30 



Profit $101.40 



Franklin, Mass., Dec. 20, 1869. S. S. Cook. 



EGGS OUT OF PL.\CE — PACKING POULTRY. 



Keeping about thirty hens this winter, I always 

 read with interest every article in your valuable 

 journal relating to their treatment, &c. I now 

 wish to ask if you can inform me why I find eggs 

 on the ground when I have nests — both on the 

 pround and raised up three or four feet, with a 

 walk to enable the hens to reach them easily. One 

 side of my hen house, which is quite large, has a 

 floor of loam, and in this part the hens generally 

 roost. The other side, which was once used for 

 keeping pigs, is covered about a foot deep with 

 straw and hay, which was swept from the lofts 

 above. In this latter part the hens stay nearly all 

 the time in cold weather, and eggs are often picked 

 up on the straw, with no appearance of a nest hav- 

 ing been made. 



I also wish to dissent from the opinion of "S. O. 

 J-" concerning the packing of poultry for the mar- 

 ket. Havifls been in the transportation business for 

 many years, I have always observed that poultry 

 meat or eggs, packed in barrels or caiks, arrive at 



market in much better order than that packed in 

 boxes, as advised by^er. Any careful observer 

 will always notice that the employees of railroads 

 or express companies generally roll barrels on the 

 "chime," and in so doing, keep the weight evenly 

 distributed through the whole package, and with 

 but very little shock to the contents, while boxes 

 are "cut" from corner to corner, or wheeled on 

 trucks and tipped off in a manner that throws the 

 whole weight into diSerent places, much to the 

 detriment of the looks of the contents when opened. 

 Again, barrels very seldom get broken open if 

 they are strong when started ; while boxes, unless 

 very securely strapped, often split or lose off pieces, 

 thus exposing the contents to the dirt and dust of 

 railroad travel, to say nothing of the temptation 

 to pilfer on the part of those who have to handle 

 them. Railroad. 



Boston, Dec. 25, 1869. 



Remarks. — It is not uncommon for hens to drop 

 eggs when not on their nests, perhaps sometimes 

 nearly unconsciously. It is one of those irregu- 

 larities, or exceptions to general rules, for which 

 it is not easy to assign a satisfactory cause. 



AMOUNT OF CLOVER SEED FOR PLOUGHING IN. 



I have not seen the answer to the questions, how 

 much clover seed should be sowed to the acre for 

 ploughing in the crop green, and what is the best 

 time or season to sov/ it ? c. k. p. 



Wardsboro', Vt., Dec, 1869. 



Remarks. — We hope some practical farmer wil! 

 answer these questions fully. We believe that the 

 frosts of spring destroy a large number of plants 

 sown, as often directed, upon the late snows. Mr. 

 Allen says, in the yeio American Fann Book, that 

 clover may be sown in August or September, but 

 much better and surer early in the spring, with 

 most of the grains or the cultivated grasses. 

 The quantity of seed required per acre depends 

 on the kind of soil. On well prepared loams, ten 

 or twelve pounds of good seed will give a full cov- 

 ering to the land, while on clay from twelve to 

 sixteen pounds are necessary to an acre. When 

 sown with the grasses, four to six pounds on the 

 first and eight to twelve pounds on the last will 

 sufiice. When intended for turning under, the 

 clover is often mowed and hayed the first year and 

 ploughed in the second year when in full blossom. 



CATARRH IN SHEEP. 



I have some sheep that are troubled with a dis- 

 ease of the head. They run at the nose, which 

 sometimes is so stopped up as nearly to prevent 

 their breathing. I lost two last spring before I 

 turned them out to grass. It seems to be conta- 

 gious. Do yon know the disease and a remedy 

 for it ? H. L. SovvLES. 



Alburgh, Vt., Dec. 24, 1869. 



Remarks. — We have placed the word catarrhal 

 the head of your inquiries, thinking from your de- 

 scription that that is the disease with which your 



, sheep are troubled. Generally the sheep recover, 



j as people do with colds, without much doctoring ; 



i but sometimes this disease assumes a malignant 

 type and proves very fatal. Nutritious and varied 



, food, warm, well-ventilated shelter, and good care, 

 are the only remedies wo can prescribe. Will ex- 



