56 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
is cut and sliced by the knives, and as the flat 
blades are made to slope somewhat backwards 
the clay is gradually pressed downwards to- 
wards an opening on the platform, where it es- 
capes ready to be molded. Generally there is 
■water sufficient in the clay as it is fed into the 
mill to make it work easily. It is dug and 
moistened a few days previously, and this short 
Fig. 1. — MILL FOR WORKING CLAY. 
exposure very much assists in the tempering. 
As the soft clay comes from the mill it is 
taken in wheelbarrows to the molding-bencb, 
or it might be molded at the mill if desired, if 
the yard is not a very large one. The barrows 
are dusted over with sand before the clay is 
put into them; it can then be dumped out with- 
out sticking. The molding is the next pro- 
cess. This is done very rapidly by an expert 
workman, seven bricks per minute being the 
asuul quantity molded, but ive have seen four- 
teen molded in that time. The molds are of 
wood. They are merely a box without top or 
bottom, the sides of whicli project about an 
inch beyond the ends for the purpose of lifting 
them up easily when filled, and are a little 
larger than the brick to be made, to allow for 
the shrinking of the clay in drying. The 
molds are dropped, by the boy who lays the 
brick on the floor, into a trough of water at the 
molder's right hand. He takes one from the 
trough, dashes a handful of sand over it, with 
both hands digs into the pile of clay before him, 
and, taking up a proper quantity, throws it 
into the mold with force enough to make it fill 
all the corners. He then presses the clay down 
to make it compact, scrapes off what is super- 
! 
g. 2. — MAKING BRICKS BT HAND. 
Suous with a small, smooth stick, and pushes 
fcfae mold to the boy at his left baud, who 
turns it on its side and carries it in this position 
to the drying floor, where it is dropped out on 
to the smooth, hard, prepared ground to dry. 
- ■ — ■•■- » - 
Feeding Lambs. 
• — 
One of the greatest difficulties in raising early 
lambs, more especially with some breeds which 
are not naturally good mo- 
thers, is the disposition of 
the ewe to disown or neglect 
the lamb. When she has 
twin lambs this not seldom 
happens. Without great at- 
tention at yeaning time a 
farmer ma)' lose some fine 
lambs which might easily be 
saved. We have experi- 
enced this ourselves and 
have saved many early lambs 
by feeding with cow's-milk. 
It has been said that cow's- 
milk is poisonous to a lamb. 
We never found it so, but 
have had very good suc- 
cess, even with that veiy 
tender breed, the Leicesters. 
The critical time with a 
lamb, more especially in 
cold weather, is the first day of its life. Often 
the ewe may be as good a nurse as possible, 
but the lamb may be weak and chilled. A 
mouthful of warm milk will 
often revive a lamb when it 
is not able to get up to suck. 
To feed a lamb that has been 
altogether disowned by the 
ewe, we used a tin can, a 
common kerosene-oil can (as 
in fig. 2), with a piece of 
sponge wound round the 
end of tlie spout and cover- 
ed with a cotton bag, shaped 
like a teat, which was tied 
on. The milk was made 
warm and a little sugar dis- 
solved in it. The teat be- 
ing put in the lamb's mouth 
it will immediately suck 
eagerly, and will soon get 
accustomed to the strange 
method. When a ewe is 
weak and has but little 
milk, a few spoonfuls a day 
will help the lamb very much. When a ewe 
will not own her lamb, it is best to take her as 
shown in fig. 1, and with 
one hand hold up the wool 
v so that the lamb can get to 
the teat. Let the sheep be 
held so that she can turn her 
head and smell the lamb, 
and if a little salt be sprin- 
kled on it, she will com- 
mence to lick it and her 
unmotherly objections be 
soon removed. Such a ewe 
should be placed with -her 
lamb in a small stall by her- 
self. As soon as the lamb 
is strong enough, it will, by 
dint of perseverance — when 
the sheep can not escape — 
learn to help itself. In two 
or three days the ewe will 
have become friendly to it. 
The sheep-pens should be visited several times 
a day, and the last thing at night and the 
first in the morning, as soon as lambs begin 
to appear. The ewes should be removed a day 
or two previous to this event, into a pen by 
themselves, where more care and a little extra 
feed can be given them. It should be remem- 
bered that when a can or bottle is used to feed 
the lamb, it should be carefully rinsed with 
Fig. 1. — MAKING AN EWE OWN HER LAMB. 
scalding water immediately after using, lest any 
sourness should occur. Sour milk will kill 
lambs very quickly. In case diarrhea should 
occur from any neglect in this respect, it may 
be stopped at once by administering the follow- 
Fig. 2. — FEEDING YOUNG LAMBS. 
ing cordial: One pint of peppermint water with 
one ounce of prepared chalk, in doses of half a 
teaspoonful or more, according to the age of 
the lamb, three times a day. It is very rarely, 
however, that this will be needed if care is 
used. It is also very important that warm, dry 
quarters with clean straw bedding be furnished. 
Tighteners for Fence Wires. 
A proper method of tightening the wires is 
of great advantage where wire fences are 
used. One of our Kansas friends sends us a 
sketch of a plan he uses, which we illustrate. 
The straining post is firmly set in the ground, 
and has two braces to help support the strain. 
The wires to be tightened pass through holes 
bored through the post, and are attached to 
small rollers, which have holes bored in the 
ends to receive the stakes, by which the rollers 
are turned and the wires wound up. As the 
rollers are turned b}- the stakes the wires are 
drawn up and tightened, and when a sufficient 
