187?.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
467 
Plan of a "Wood Shed. 
Where fire wood is used, a shed for its storage and 
preparation is a necessary addition to the home¬ 
stead. It may be of any desired size, but 24 feet long 
and 12 to 16 feet wide, are good average dimensions. 
PLAN OP A WOOD SHED. 
A convenient arrangement is shown in the engrav¬ 
ing : at a, are the kitchen steps, at 5, is a saw table, 
with a circular saw driven by the horse power c. 
Outside of the door, d, is the wood pile from which 
the sticks are brought through the doorway to the 
person sawing, who stands at x. As the wood is 
sawn, it is thrown to a heap close by, to be after¬ 
wards split and stored away in compact tiers for use. 
Sheep-Yard and Bam-Pen. 
Where a valuable ram, or a large flock of ewes is 
kept, it is advisable to have the ram confined during 
a 
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--_ 1 
ci 
SHEEP-TABD AND RAM-PEN. 
the day-time, and admit him to the ewes only at 
night; or to turn into his yard, those ewes that are 
ready. A wether kept with the ewes will soon 
single out those which are in season, and di¬ 
rect the shepherd’s attention to them. Under this 
method a full grown ram will be sufficient for 50 to 
70 ewes, if he is kept in a vigorous condition by 
good feeding; the lambing season may be spread 
over one or two months, and the time of each ewe 
foe accurately known. A plan of a yard and pens 
for this system is illustrated herewith. The ewe 
■shed is at a, their yard at b ; the ram’s pen at c, 
and his yard at d. Dotted lines indicate gates. 
Stock-Feeding for Profit. 
“What Shall Eastern Earmers Do to Com¬ 
pete with the West ? ” 
A considerable portion of the beef sold in the 
great markets of England is produced from animals 
brought from Scotland, and fattened in English 
pastures and feeding stalls. Scotch farmers breed 
animals well adapted for fattening, and at two to 
three years of age drive them southward and sell 
them to English farmers who “finish” them for 
market. Many of these are spayed heifers which 
make as good beef as steers—by some considered 
better. These animals are fattened on pasture 
feed, straw, turnips, and oil-cake, which makes a 
complete and'profitable beef-producing food. The 
only thing purchased is the oil-cake (or Indian com) 
which, as shown last month, leaves much of its value 
in the manure-heap. The result is two valuable 
money products : grain and beef, and a constantly 
Increasing fertility of the soil, which is augmented 
by using purchased superphophates on the turnips. 
A similar practice has prevailed more or less in our 
Eastern States. Young cattle, produced at a low 
price further West, are purchased and fed a few 
months, to finish them off for market, and with 
•very satisfactory results. A few cases are re¬ 
ported of parties fattening a large number in this 
way for the European dead meat trade. There is 
good reason to suppose that this practice may be 
profitably extended, and perhaps be a partial solu¬ 
tion of the problem: “What can Eastern farmers 
do in competition with the West?” as it really 
makes each section help the other. At present, the 
animals which are fitted for beef on the Western 
ranches and shipped East, to be slaughtered on ar¬ 
rival, would make far better beef if fed for a month 
or two within 100 miles of the Eastern markets. 
The Eastern farmer has better facilities for this 
part of the work than his Western co-worker, and, 
being nearer, can get the product into market in 
better condition. No animal is really fit for beef 
for some weeks after a long railroad journey. 
Under this mutual arrangement, the Western farmer 
should (to develop the business) breed beef ani¬ 
mals by the use of Shorthorn or Hereford bulls, 
and perhaps will in time introduce the Aberdeen 
or other Scotch polled cattle ; but he is relieved of 
the work of the expensive feeding for which the 
ranch has but poor facilities. The Eastern farmer 
will produce a large amount of the best manure for 
the enrichment of grain and turnip land; he can 
purchase Indian corn and oil-cake at a low price, 
and will have wheat, barley, and beef to sell. 
The most important point to be considered in 
this business is to attempt to fatten only that class 
of animals whose breeding and form are adapted 
to rapid laying on of flesh. We know of a farmer 
who believed in this idea, but he purchased a lot of 
“ scalawag ” cows and scrawny “ stags.” They were 
well fed and gained somewhat during the winter, 
but so little, that when sold they brought no more 
than their first cost; and though the food was not 
wasted, its valuable parts being mostly in the 
manure heap, yet the time and labor expended 
were all thrown away. Another acquaintance, 
within 100 miles of the above, purchased 60 grade 
Shorthorns at a fair price, and made a good profit 
from the in vestment. Fattening beef animals pays ; 
but trying to fatten inferior animals is a waste of 
energy, time, and labor. The animals should be 
selected with special reference to the rapidity with 
which they will fatten ; to the quality of the beef, 
fineness of bone, compactness of body, and small 
amount of offal which the carcass will yield. 
Burning Green Wood greatly Wasteful 
Water in passing into vapor absorbs and hides 
nearly 1,000 degrees of heat. A cord of green wood 
produces just as much heat as a cord of the same 
wood dry. In burning the dry wood we get nearly 
all the heat, but in burning the same wood green, 
from one-half to three-fourths of the heat produced 
goes off latent and useless in the evaporating sap 
or water. Chemistry shows this, and why, very 
plainly. Therefore get the winter’s wood for fuel 
or kindlings, and let it be seasoning, as soon as pos¬ 
sible, and put it under cover in time to be dry when 
used. It will of course season or dry much faster 
when split fine... .A solid foot of green elm wood 
weighs 60 to 65 lbs., of which 80 to 35 lbs. is sap or 
water. As ordinarily piled up, if we allow half of 
a cord to be lost in the spaces between the sticks, 
we still have a weight of about two tons to the 
cord, of which fully one ton is water or sap. Such 
wood affords very little useful heat; it goes off in 
the ton of sap. The great saving of hauling it 
home dry is evident—as we get the same amount 
of real fuel for half the team work. Beech wood 
loses one-eighth to one-fifth its weight in drying ; 
oak, one-quarter to two-fifths. 
Excellent Protection against Busting. 
For farm implements of all kinds, having metal 
surfaces exposed, for knives and forks, and other 
household apparatus, indeed for all metals likely to 
be injured by oxidation or “rusting,” we know of 
no simpler, more effective application than that 
furnished to the American Agriculturist by the late 
Prof. Olmsted, author of Olmsted’s Natural Phi¬ 
losophy, etc. lie used it on air-pumps, telescopes, 
and various other apparatus.—Take any quantity of 
good lard, and to every half pound or so, add of 
common resin (“ rosin ”) an amount about equal to 
half the size of an egg or less—a little more or less 
is of no consequence. Melt them slowly together, 
stirring as they cool. Apply this with a cloth or 
otherwise, just enough to give a thin coating to the 
metal surface to be protected. It can be wiped off 
nearly clean from surfaces where it will be undesi¬ 
rable, as in the case of knives and forks, etc. The 
resin prevents rancidity, and the mixture excludes 
the ready access of air and moisture. A fresh ap¬ 
plication maybe needed when the coating is washed 
off by the friction of beating storms or otherwise. 
This single recipe will be worth many dollars to 
any one in the long run. There was talk of patent¬ 
ing it, at one time, but Prof. Olmsted gave it to 
us to be published for the general public good. 
Some Facts About Lime. 
Several correspondents ask for information con¬ 
cerning the use of lime on land, and all of them 
contain evidence of several commonly accepted but 
false theories. First, lime is not plant-food; or 
rather it is so common in most soils, and incidental¬ 
ly comprises so large a portion of many fertilizers, 
that its application as plant-food is unnecessary. 
We have not seen a soil analysis from which this 
constituent was missing, and there is nearly always 
considerable of it present in available form ; all 
true superphosphates are composed of one-fourth 
part or more of lime, and it is prominent in 
Peruvian and fish guano, in nearly or quite all manu¬ 
factured fertilizers, as well as in barn-yard manure. 
Lime, however, has an important effect aside from 
its action as plant-food. Freshly burned lime 
(known as “ caustic lime ” and “ quicklime ”) has 
a strong affinity for carbonic acid, so that when it 
and organic matter (which always contains a large 
proportion of carbonic acid) are mixed together, the 
lime and carbonic acid unite, promoting the decom¬ 
position of the organic matter. Newly “slaked 
lime”—which is lime united with water—has an 
effect similar to quicklime, though slower, and 
hence is better for farm use. Fresh, undecomposed 
organic substances, especially dung, contain the 
most valuable ingredient of plant-food, nitrogen, in 
its simple form ; but it is veiy soon changed into 
ammonia, which in turn unites at once with car¬ 
bonic acid. Then when lime is brought in contact 
with the mass, it at once combines with the car¬ 
bonic acid, and the valuable ammonia escapes and 
is lost. When, however, the lime is applied before 
the ammonia is formed, the nitrogen is oxydized 
to nitric acid, which unites with the lime to pro¬ 
duce nitrate of lime, and the nitrogen is saved. 
Therefore, lime may be used in stables and house 
privies, or in composting carcasses of dead animals, 
to advantage; but if mixed with manure a day or 
two old, the result is a loss of valuable material. 
The above also shows why, when lime is put into a 
compost, it has such beneficial action in hastening 
decomposition, and why it is necessary to use plenty 
of fresh earth to absorb the escaping ammonia. 
Free acids, and those in easily decomposible sub¬ 
stances, are also readily taken up by lime, and many 
injurious compounds, as of iron in wet lands, are 
rendered harmless. In some soils insoluble sili¬ 
cates, of potash, etc., accumulate; but the action 
of lime will break up these combinations and 6et 
the potash free for use as plant-food. 
The above statements show that the main action of 
lime in the soil is in making available plant-food 
what was before unavailable. Therefore, while it 
may increase the crop-yield of poor land, it will tend 
to bring about its early exhaustion, unless plant- 
food is added. In heavy clay soils, the above 
mentioned chemical reactions of lime, destroys 
their tenacity and makes them friable and porous. 
Soils containing a large proportion of organic mat¬ 
ter are benefited by its application. Wet lands are 
less benefited by lime than the same when drained, 
on account of the water. Light soils arc improved 
by it'when accompanied by a liberal application of 
muck or other organic matter; clays should also 
have the same treatment. As the best effects of 
