130 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Ho-%v to milli.— John K. Busteed, a milker 
of 25 years' experience, says he always milks his cows 
in the same order, and that is llie order of iheir cahing. 
so that eacli cow knows her turn. lie wipes the teats oH 
with dry hands, and taking hold X-fiisliion, milks t«o 
teats dry; then takes the uiuers— always keeps his hamis 
dry, nnl irevcr has any tronole about the cows holding up 
their rnilk. IIu tiunks the practice of ciiangins from one 
cow to anotlier (or from one pair of teats to the other), 
gets both milker and cows in bad habits E. Dobie 
praciises very much in Ihe same way, never changing 
Ins hands to the oilier teats before the first two are 
milkeii tliy, except in stripping The philosophy of this 
p-actice seems t^i be tlialas the cow gets no rcdief «ir but 
little before tiie second pair of teals is partly milked, 
until that time at least, she will not wilhhuM lier milk. 
Fccclinn: yo»ng^ Calves is attended with 
some difficulty, because they will knock over the pail 
unless it is held. Mr. M. Hester, Huron Co.. Ohio, has 
pieces of hoHow log?, cut one fool long, into which he sets 
the pails firmly about half way.— A good idea. 
Ijong^ Cnt Feed better than Short. 
A correspondent reasons as follows : When a boy, tve 
weie tautrtit to cut ttraw ami hay for iiorses as short as 
possible, and the reason assigned uas. tlial horses would 
eat it sooner, and with greater avidity. In afterlife, «e 
observed that it was not so good fur the horses. Straw 
and liny cut one inch long, for animals ihat do not chew 
the cud, is far belter than if rut to (me-fnurlh incli. 
When slraw is cut very slinrt, mueh of it goes into the 
Elomarh without being cruslied. For this leason, a great 
deal of it does not digest, though Ihe juices of the 
stomach would have dissolved it, Jiad it been properly 
masticated. When a horse begins to eat, the salivary 
glands send aftreamof saliva inio the animal's mouth, to 
moisten and soften the feed an I to prepare it for more 
easy digestion. Therefore it is important that every piece 
of straw or hay should be cruslie I and macerated betv\een 
the teeili, and tiie saliva thoroughly min^ilcd with what- 
ever is eaten before it is swallowed. As saliva Is a pow- 
erful solvent, the organic structure of all feed should be 
broken iin by the teetli, and the saliva and all the small 
fragments brought in contact with the liquid. 
Fee«l Sheep Kegtilarly. — '* Sheppard," 
ivriting from Berlin Heights, Ohio, truly says: " We 
who have the care '»f domestic animals, cannot be too 
particular with ihem. especi-iUy in legard to ?el litnes of 
feeding.'' He adils: " L'-H any one who h.is had no le^ju- 
lar time f.>r feeding sheep, now commence, and see if 
there will not be a' once an improvement in the disposl- 
ti<in and condition of the flock. Regularity of f'^eding 
sheep is an essentia! point in keeping them in a thriving 
condi:io:i. but one which is overlooked or untieeded by 
many. Sheep fed at irregular times know not when to 
expeei thfir food , Ihey liierefore wander about and are 
uneasy, not quiet an I peaccabie as Ihey should be and 
will be iftreateil in Ihe right way, and fed morning and 
evening a perfectly regular hour. 
Hew d-o-ws Kill E^nnihs. — Mr. !>. F, 
Maynard, an old farmer, says ■ He was living on Fisher's 
Island (in Long Island Si)und olT Nl-w London) some 25 
years since, and often found young lambs de.id. all of 
them wiih llieir eyes out. and could not account for it, 
bui supposed the eyes were picked by the crows n/ter the 
lamb had died. One day. hov\cver. he saw a sheep witii 
a latnb just dinppe.l by her side, w hen a crow marciied 
tip, and before he i^ould interfe:e, picked out botii eyes of 
the live lamb. Of course the lamb died, :ind Mr. J!, has 
known of the same thing occurring repeatedly since. 
Several farmers, towhuni we have mentioned tin?, sub- 
stantiate it, from their own or their neighbors' experience. 
Alhaityi) I^e'^r Y'orh, and Boston 
Live Stock. ITlartets.— '* Subscriber." New York 
ttTui Bnsion are teiminal markets, so to speak. Albany, 
houever, is not, and a lar^c numt'cr of liie animals 
offered there, or sold there pci haps, are rcshipped to New 
York and Co&ton ; in fact they do not leave the cars. 
IVool or Grease. — " Wc cnn't mtsc xvool 
for less than 75c. a lb," So say the Ohio AYool Growers, 
in Convention assembled. Is it possible? To tins com- 
plexion have we come at last ? Where are tlie '* Im- 
proved American Merinos?" Have the manufacturers 
learnel to '■ i-'iscriminate ?" Won't they pay as much 
foi- grease as fir won! ? There is something wioni; some- 
where. Weie we not I(7ld that if we wimld pay a 
thOMsand or fifteen hundre I dollars for an Jnfantgifo, we 
could raise wool for little more than the expense of 
shearing. It is not two years ago liiat. at one i.f the 
fneelings for Discussion in the Evenings during ihc N. 
Y. State Fair at Rochester, Lewis F. Allen cautioned 
farmers against rusiiing thoughtlessly into .'■heep specula- 
tion, saying that he had known wool sold far 25c. per lb., 
and probably it vnouIJ not be many years befme we should 
witness the same tiling again. Whereupon up rose an 
Honorable gentleman from Iowa, and reinarked " Weil, 
wc can raise wnol f»'r twenty-five cents a pound." Is he 
of the same opinion still, or does it cost more to pro- 
duce grease than he calculated ? 
So-ws Ikying on their Pigs.— It mny be 
well at this season to again remind the readers of the 
Agriculturist, [hai all danger from sows lying on their 
young can be obviated by simply fastening poles on the 
Sides of ihe pen, say a foot frorn the sides, and a foot from 
the floor. Tlie sow rarely, if ever, /ies on her youns. she 
crushes them against tlie sides of the pen. The poles, by 
keeping tlie SOW a foot or so f.om the sides, prevent all 
danger. It is a simple inalter. Anyone who can cut 
down a pnle in the woods, and knows how to use a saw 
and a hammer, can spike them togetlier and to the sides 
of the pen. and the thing is done. It is exceedingly r.n- 
noying to htse two or three little pigs out of a ni.-e litter, 
when half an hour's work wouM have prevented it. It 
is not merely the loss now. Next fall tliey will be worth 
$20, $30, or perhaps $40 a piece, at little cost for keeping. 
Contrivanee to Prevent ** Inter- 
fering,"— We have noticed in use upon the Third 
Avenue Raibdad in this city the rontrivance illustraied 
below to prevent hoises interfeiing with their fue feet. 
It consists of a piece <if 
oak board. J^ inch thick, 
of about the shape in- 
dicated, bound With an 
iron hoop, and with the 
center cut out for light- 
ness. Tlds is of a width 
sufiicient to go easily 
beiwecn the fore-legs ; 
yei to touch both, and be 
a perpetual hint to the 
Imrsc to carry Ids feet 
f.utlier apart. This piece 
of wood is suspended 
upon Ihe martin gale 
strap, as shown, au'l 
connected with the girth 
by two small straps, kept abmit two inches apart by a bit 
of hof'p iron rivited to eacli. The martingale strap, or a 
broad strap connecting it with the collar, is attached to 
the opposite and forward end. In use. this is allowed to 
sv\iiig fieely u few inches below the breast, and is said to 
be very efifectual in preventing interfering. 
Ashes and Piaster.— "G. II. L. H." has 
12 acres upland giass land, from which he cut 25 tons of 
fiist quality Timothy hist year. He wants to top-diess it 
with ashes and plaster, but neither knows how much nor 
in w hat propoi tions to apply them. As to the proportion 
of the two, hardly twu farmers will agrre, or have the 
same reason for preferring any pailiculai" proportion, 
while all agree that such an application will add often 
half a ton to the acre. As to quantity, he can afford to pay 
as much for iIjIS manure as the additional value of the crop 
will amount to,— because its effect will be seen for years. 
I\epaul (flaked) Barley.— Mr. Henry 
Fleming, of Canada West, sends us the following in- 
teresting collection of facts about nal;ed barley: "In 
May. 1;C2. I obtained o( the Agriculturist some of the 
' Nepaul Barley.' From that small amount of seed I 
have now, by repeated sowings, upwards of 'iOO bushels of 
most beautiful barley. Will you not slate why it is not 
more cultivate,!. I find it weighs 01 pouniis per bushel. If 
this be the ' iiakel barley.' or * w heat barley," desctibed in 
•Johnson's Fai mers' Encyc!opa;dia,' you will find he says : 
* The six-rowed naked barley is cultivated in various 
parts of Europe, and is greatly esteemed for its feitiiity. 
In some paits of Germany it is regarded as the most 
valuable kind of barley, and by the Frent li. on aecount 
of its supposed produrti\eness. it has been termed 
'celestial barbey,' or "heavenly barley.' — .M. Mazuceo, 
in a French paper, earnesily lecommends the more gen- 
eral cuhivaiion <if naked barley, as he slates that it 
weighs as much as the best wheat, and its quality 
resembles them so much that it may he used for the pur- 
pose of making good bread, and also for peail barley. 
In mountainous countries its produce is twenty-four to 
one.— Warren Ila'^tinss said, after twelve ye.irs' ex- 
perience in tlie cultivation of naked barley, that it is of the 
greatest importance lo promote the culture of this sort of 
grain. ' It is.' he adds, • the corn that, next to rice, gives 
the greatest weight of flour per acre, an 1 it may be eaten 
wilh no other preparation than ihat of boiling. It requires 
little or no dressing when sent to liie mill, having no husk, 
aad consiequenily produces no bran. It is gathered into 
the barn, and may even be consnn>ed. when the seasons 
are favurable, in about SO or 90 days after being sown; 
and there is no species of grain better calcuIalQtt for 
countries where the summer is short, provided the vege- 
tation be rapid.' * Naked barley, or wheat barley, is so 
termed in consequence of the grain separating readily 
from Ihe chaff when thl■a^hcd. It is a native of the north, 
and wid bear sowing early in the season ; it makes stiong 
malt, and is excellent fnr the fatten Ing of ho2? and cattle.' 
The above descripti«.n corresponds very well with my 
'Xepanl Barley.' It is very prolific and hardy, .'■lands 
drouth well, and is not attacked by insects, smut, or 
other diseases. It makes good mush, bread, etc," 
M'heat Cliaff for PacUing: lee.— 
"S. L. P.," of Gloucester Co.. N. J., writes: "I have 
seen at tiifferent times in various agricultural journals, 
materials recommeruled for keeping ice, such as saw- 
dust, turning shavings, tan. salt hay, etc.. but among 
them all I ha\e never teen, I believe, wheat chafi" re- 
commeniled. I have tried that for the past three years, 
and prefer it to any of lliem ; it is readily obtained, espe- 
cially by all farmers ; is iight and easily liantiled. and not 
good for much else, excepting to throw in the barn-yard 
as an absoi bent, which can be done wiili it after it has 
done its office in the ice-house, so it is not lost in lliis 
respect. With a common dung fork the liouse is easily 
cleaned out much easier than whcc saw d'lst Is used. 
Those w ho try it. will. I think, find it much morciaiisfac- 
tory than saw dust, shavings, or tan. My plan is, to cover 
the ice well with it eailyin the spring, an I as the ice 
melts away from the walls of tiie house, I push down the 
chaff all around as solid as I can, Af:er I have suc- 
ceeded in celling it down solid in this way. I find the ice 
wasies quite slowly by me-ling. e\en in ihe uaimest 
weather. I prefer the ch;4ir of bold white wheat, as it 
has no beards on it, but the other will answer admirably. 
ITIoles E^atin^r otT Yonns;;: Trees. (7) 
— H. R. A.. Steinsbuig. Pa., writes : "I have a n'ce lot of 
young apple trees, two years old. and moles aliack them 
and eat ihem entirely off below tlie surface. Piease give 
hints for destroying them." It is not moles, but piobably 
borers that eat the stems, and tli* moles, if in the soil 
near the trees, a^e there to eat some of the insects, 
which may be living on the roots of tlie trees, or which 
are ready to ascend when the warm season comes. 
A Cellar a1>o've <wronnd.— Mr. Pfeffer, 
of Shelby Co., Iowa, asks how he can build n good, cheap 
cellar on the flat prairie. We prcstnne he cannot get 
good drainage ami £0 his cellar most be aljove gionnd 
for the most part. If one can dig two feet and .'■till se- 
cure a dry bottom, it is easy to use Ihc earth f»r walls, 
and making th.m some G feet tliiek (2 at the top and 4 at 
Ihe bottom), have a cellar or 7 feet in the clear— cool in 
j-ummer and warm in winter. Wc saw in Richmond 
Co. (Staten Islanil) last summer, on a low part of ihc 
island, an ice hou?e and mi. It house together, almost 
altogether abovegro'ind. the whole of whieh was covered 
with several feet of earth, beautifully sodded, and looli- 
ing very much like tlie bomb-pioof uf a fori. 
Building Stone Fences. — In a recent 
conversation with Ihe Hon. John McLean, of Wheal Wind, 
one of Ihe most experienced fainier^ in the State, he re- 
marked that he formerly had trouble with his stone 
fences being thrown down by the fmsl. but since he had 
adopted the plan of building Ihem on a ridge thrown up 
a foot or eighteen inches high, they h..d stood very well. 
The plan has a double advantage- The soil thrown out 
from the side of the wall lowers the ground, while at the 
same time it raises the fence, and thus saves stones and 
expense in buiKling. Knowinc; the imporiance of details 
in all such operations, we should be gl id if lie would be 
kind enough to write them out for the A^icttlturtst. And 
at the same time, we should like to hear from others. 
Crrain I>rill or Ifii-oad-Cast Sower. 
J. C. S., Fond du Lac Co., Wis. We certaitdy recom- 
mend to you to buy the drill rather than the broadcast 
sower. Except on very rough or stony land, onr common 
grains are better drilled than sown broadcast. The dis- 
tribution is more uniform; the depth is accurately gauged; 
the amount of seed required is less, the stand is more 
even, and the yield better. 
Xo dra^r a rn«ited I^ail or SpiUe.— 
First drive it in a little which breaks the hold, and then 
it may be drawn out much easier. 
Chloride of l^ime.— " Cayn2:a Co. Scbool- 
girl." This term as used to express the Bleaching powder 
is in common use and correct enough, but In a chemical 
nomenclature is incorrect. If your text book employs 
it thus, so much the worse for the text book. 
