536 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
Proper Housing of Domestic Animals. 
BY PROP. D. D. BLADE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
As winter approaches, when farm animals 
are to be kept housed much of the time, 
it concerns the owner to keep them in as 
perfect a condition as possible, and thus 
contribute not only to their comfort, but to 
his own pecuniary advantage. To this end, 
ventilation and cleanliness are most impor¬ 
tant factors. Yet, in spite of the advance of 
knowledge and education among our people, 
they are still most lamentably neglected. 
Proper ventilation is essential to the well¬ 
being of all animals, the human included. 
Yet, for the sake of convenience and so- 
called economy, how many shut themselves 
up in rooms heated by close stoves, without 
any regard to the admittance of fresh air, so 
abundantly supplied to our fathers by the 
capacious chimney and the fire on the hearth. 
Fortunately for his animals, the carelessness 
of the farmer provides for them what he de¬ 
nies himself, as the pure air makes its way 
through many a crack in his neglected barns 
and stables. It is not necessary to know the 
exact number of cubic feet of air needed by 
each animal ; the odor is sufficient to inform 
any one whether the air is sweet or foul. 
Nor is any special mode of ventilation essen¬ 
tial, so long as a due amount of fresh air is 
admitted without subjecting the animals to 
cold drafts. 
Ill-ventilated bams and stables are often 
•made doubly offensive and destructive to 
health by over-crowding. This is constantly 
seen in large dairy establishments, where the 
cows are so crowded that they can scarcely 
lie down with comfort, and without danger 
of injuring their companions. In livery sta¬ 
bles, also, a large number of horses are 
crowded together into stalls so narrow as 
not to admit of that rest and comfort which 
the animals so sorely need, and into build¬ 
ings without regard to ventilation, especially 
(luring the night. The foul air of such sta¬ 
bles, when first opened in the morning, is 
almost insupportable, and we cannot wonder 
that the bad effects of such a vitiated atmos¬ 
phere is sooner or later shown in the dull¬ 
ness, loss of spirits and of appetite, the un¬ 
explained cough, and the general ill-condition 
of the animals. 
“ Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Many 
years since, in reading the letters of Mr. 
Henry Coleman, upon the agriculture of Eng¬ 
land, I was particularly impressed with his 
frequent allusions to the perfect cleanliness 
of all the cattle which came under his obser¬ 
vation. No wonder that his admiration was 
excited, when it was, and still is, a rare sight 
to see in our own country, during the win¬ 
ter and spring, a cow or ox that does not 
have several inches of hardened compost ad¬ 
hering to the buttocks and tail, a condition 
utterly inexcusable. So common is this neg¬ 
lect of cleanliness among our farmers, that 
it is regarded by them as unavoidable, or at 
least unimportant to the welfare of the ani¬ 
mal. This might be easily avoided by a little 
attention to the proper length and width of 
stall, and the use of suitable litter. The 
length of the platform of a cow’s stall should 
be just sufficient to allow her to rest the 
hind legs upon it comfortably, and the litter 
should not only be under the animal, but 
also behind it. In our climate, and under 
all circumstances, domestic animals should 
have a good bed, not only as contributing to 
their health and comfort, but also as a valu¬ 
able contribution to the manure. This is 
especially the case with milch cows, if we 
desire full returns in the milk-pail, and yet 
there are farmers in every neighborhood who 
never give such matters a passing thought. 
The daily use of the card and brush about 
the head, neck, and body, with the use of 
sponge and water for the tail and buttocks 
when necessary, gives so cleanly and thrifty 
an appearance to the stock, that the farmer, 
after a trial, will never afterwards neglect 
conditions so essential to his animals. 
Forage or Fodder Crops. 
Oats and peas sown together, 2 to 2'U bushels 
of each per acre, on rich land, well tilled, make 
admirable hay for both cows and horses, and 
are off the ground in time to plow and put in 
corn in drills for late green feed and for dry 
fodder or ensiloing. The best plan is, after 
thorough plowing to sow the peas, then to 
harrow flat and sow the oats, harrowing 
again and rolling, providing the land be 
mellow and dry, so as not to pack. This 
double crop is a tax upon the soil, but it is 
ordinarily a very satisfactory one. If com 
follows it must be well manured, of course, 
unless the ground be very fertile. If Hun¬ 
garian grass follows, it will make a crop 
without additional manure, provided the oats 
and peas make such a crop as they should. 
If not rich enough for that, the Hungarian 
or other millet should be encouraged with 
bone dust or superphosphate. 
The yield of the spring-sowed crop ought 
not to be less than three tons to the acre, and 
more is often harvested. If the second crop 
is ten or fifteen tons of green com fodder, or 
two tons of Hungarian grass, hay, or golden 
millet, the owner has the right to think that 
piece of land did its duty. 
The Chinese Primrose. 
We know of no other plant so sure to 
bloom in window culture, as the Chinese 
Primrose. Several years ago, we mentioned 
it as “ Everybody’s Flower,” and were some¬ 
what amused to find that an English author 
had adopted the name in his work on Flori¬ 
culture. It is now too late to start with the 
seeds, as these must be sown in early sum¬ 
mer to raise plants for winter blooming ; but 
plants may be had of the florists at a moder¬ 
ate price. In purchasing, be sure to get 
those which have not been forced, but only 
exposed to the heat of a cool greenhouse; all 
the better if they are without buds. The va¬ 
rieties range from white to dark purple, and 
there are single and double ones of different 
colors. Besides their pleasing flowers, some 
have such beautiful foliage that they would 
be worth growing, did they not bloom. The 
single varieties flower rather more freely 
than the double, though we have had much 
satisfaction from the Double White, when it 
had not been subjected to too much heat. In 
the window they need a sunny place, but do 
best in a room that is not veiy warm. A 
little liquid manure, very weak, will help 
them. Pick off the flowers as soon as they 
are past their prime, as seed-bearing will 
needlessly exhaust the plant. 
Notes on Our Vineyard. 
It is about 20 years since the “Grape- 
boom,” as we should now call it, prevailed,, 
and a new generation of fruit growers has 
appeared. Those who recall the craze of 
the period to which we refer, will remember 
the heated, often acrimonious debates, in 
which men were discussed, as well as the 
fruits they advocated. As we look back 
upon it, we find that the most prominent 
men have departed, and that some of the 
varieties they so strongly advocated are now 
rarely seen. About that time, we put out 
An Experimental Vineyard, 
of some 50 or more varieties. This was not 
done so much for the sake of the fruit, for 
there were several old Concord vines on the 
place that would make sure of that, but that, 
we might study the vines in this location, 
which is some 10 miles northerly from New 
York City, and has the lightest of sandy 
soils. At the outset we planted, among other 
varieties, some 25 each of Iona and Isra- 
ella, for which great claims were made. A 
few years later we planted a dozen or more 
vines of the Eumelan. Probably many of 
our readers can remember when the only 
varieties of grapes generally grown, were 
The Isabclln and Catawba. 
Both were excellent where they would come 
to perfection,but very uncertain. The Isabella 
generally succeeded in city yards, and was 
better known than the Catawba, which at 
this day, in perfection, is ‘‘hard to beat.” 
Some 30 or 40 years ago, the Isabella was 
the popular grape. The Hartford Prolific, 
much earlier than the Isabella, came after a 
while.. This was never properly appreciated, 
as it was always eaten ' before it was 
really ripe. It colors early, and at that time 
is poor, but when really ripe, is a very dif¬ 
ferent fruit. If the vine is neglected and al¬ 
lowed to ramble, the berries will drop from 
the stems, but when the vine is properly 
pruned and trained, this trouble disappears.. 
The great advance in grape culture dates from 
Tbe Introduction of the Concord, 
This, in the estimation of those who have a- 
high standard of quality, is a poor grape, 
but its introduction lias done more for grape 
culture than all others together. Even if 
of second, third, or lower quality, it is a 
grape, and whoever has a Concord vine, will 
have acceptable grapes, and plenty of them. 
The Concord has done a deal of good in show¬ 
ing people that grapes could be easily grown, 
and in abundance. From the first we have 
advocated the Concord, because this would 
surely yield grapes, and then we could lead on 
to better varieties. The Concord is now the 
grape of a large portion of the country, while 
those which were advocated for “high 
quality,” are scarcely known in cultivation.. 
The Iona and Israella. 
There remain of the Israella vines none,, 
of the Iona, just one. The Iona, we admit, 
is easily the very best grape of its class. In 
a few places on the borders of our inland 
lakes it succeeds, but as a grape for general 
culture, it is utterly unreliable. Of the older 
varieties we have three Concord vines, one. 
Hartford Prolific, and one Catawba. 
Wylie’s Hybrid Grapes. 
We have several of these interesting hy¬ 
brids, but find that they are quite useless at. 
the North; they are of excellent quality,, 
and must be of value in. the Southern States.. 
