NbO.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
509 
A Fodder Back for Sheep. 
Mr. J. B. Hawley, Hamden, N. Y., sends a very 
neatly made model of a Fodder Rack for sheep, 
and says, he has used this kind of Rack for thirteen 
years, and likes it better than any other that he has 
seen. It will take to pieces and fold in a very 6mall 
space, a very important consideration. The com¬ 
pactness of the 
folded rack is 
evident from 
the very closely 
folded model. 
„ _ 1 The bottom 
Fig. 1. THE BOTTOM PIECE. pIece8) fl&ure J, 
are made of two-inch stuff. Two iron pins on 
each side of the top part hold the rack in position. 
Two of these bottom pieces are enough for a 12 
or 14-foot rack—a much longer rack will need one 
in the middle. Figure 2 shows one of the end 
pieces, with three #-inch iron pins projecting to fit 
in holes that are bored in the center of the end of 
each of the three boards 
that make the bottom of 
the manger. One end of 
the rack is shown in figure 
3. The top and bottom 
pieces should be two inches 
square of good timber; bore 1-inch holes, 9 inches 
from center to center, and fit 24-inch rods in all the 
holes but the end ones. One side of the rack is 
shown in figure 4; its construction is the same as 
the ends, with the exception that the rods are not 
so close together, and the end rods are longer than 
the others and draw out so as to be used to hold the 
rack together. The 
bottom pieces and 
manger may be of 
undressed lumber, 
but the whole rack 
that stands on the 
manger should be of 
good timber, like oak 
or ash, carefully 
dressed and cornered 
so as not to catch the 
wool. The rack complete is shown in figure 5. In 
use, the sheep put their heads through the rack, and 
eat from the manger much as cows do in stanchions. 
Mr. H. is satisfied that this rack will pay the ex¬ 
pense of making, in one winter, rather than feed 
on the ground, as most farmers do in his section. 
Fig. 2.—END PIECE. 
Fig. 3.— END OF RACK. 
The Care of Sheep and Lambs at Yeaning. 
It used to be considered a calamity to have lambs 
come in the winter or early spring. 
Three-fourths, at least, of all that 
were dropped before April died, and 
their carcasses were food for crows. 
The 6heep took their chances in the 
same yard with cattle, and often had 
not even the shelter of a shed. This 
“slaughter of the innocents” was 
not strange, as they were dropped 
upon the frozen earth, and had little 
care of the flock-master. With suita¬ 
ble quarters, and care, it is not dif¬ 
ficult to save winter lambs, aud the 
advantages of an early start and an 
early market are so great, that many 
of the best sheep men, who cater for 
the butchers, plan to have the yean¬ 
ing time commence as early as the 
middle of February. Even in the Northern States, 
to be successful with early lambs, it is essential that 
the sheep should have quarters by themselves. If 
will be prematurely dropped, or still-born. The 
quarters should be in a sheltered position, with the 
full benefit of the sun. A large open shed facing 
to the south will do, or a barn cellar, if perfectly 
dry and kept well littered. One of the best flock- 
masters we know of has a barn about 40 by 20 for 
the accommodation of fifty sheep. He thinks it of 
a good deal of importance that the sheep have a 
board floor under them. This floor is kept well 
littered with straw. 
The sheep are fed in 
this bam, and kept in 
it at night, and during 
stormy and severe 
weather. There is a 
comfortable dry yard 
attached to the bam, 
and in this they have 
their liberty in mild, 
sunny weather. An¬ 
other essential thing is 
the seclusion of the 
sheep at yeaning time, 
that the mothers may 
not be disturbed in 
their care for the 
lambs. A row of small 
pens upon one side of 
the barn, about four 
feet square, answers a 
very good purpose. The ewe should be kept in one 
of these pens for three or four days until the lamb 
has learned to nurse, and can follow the mother. 
The utmost vigilance is needed during the whole 
of the yeaning period. Six times a day is none 
too often to visit the flock, and look after the 
lambs. It should be the first thing iD the 
morning, and the last thing at night, and 
in critical times, where many lambs are expected 
at the same time, it may be necessary to have 
a night watch and visit the fold every two hours. 
Ordinarily the ewe needs no assistance, and the 
more quiet she can be kept the better. Sometimes 
a little timely aid saves the life of both mother and 
lamb. Such ram lambs as are not wanted for ser¬ 
vice can be altered more safely when three or four 
days old than at a later period. Sheep want a por¬ 
tion of green succulent fodder during the winter. 
Nothing is better for this purpose than turnips. 
What does the soil need? This answered, more 
than half of the work of securing good crops is don0> 
Handling Heavy Hogs at Butchering; 
Mr. Geo. W. Bronson, Oneida Co., N. Y., sendsa 
sketch and description of his method of handling 
heavy hogs. Mr. B. writes : “ It may be of use to 
some of your subscribers who may be (as I am) 
Barn-Yard manure vs. Artificial Fer¬ 
tilizers.— Unless the special wants of any given 
soil are well understood, barn-yard manure is much 
more reliable than any special fertilizer. The ma¬ 
nure, when well made in the yard, furnishes all the 
elements, that are or can be lacking in a soil, and in 
Fig. 4.— ONE SIDE OF THE SHEEP RACK. 
left to ran with other animals, they are exposed 
to many injuries, and not infrequently the lambs 
Fig. 5.— THE FEED RACK COMPLETE. 
a very acceptable form. But the question may be 
asked: “How are we to know the special wants of 
our soil ?” This must be answered by direct exper¬ 
iments ; and in putting this question to 
the soil it will be necessary to follow 
much the same plan as that proposed by 
Prof. Atwater in the American Agricul¬ 
turist for April last—a plan that many 
are now following with satisfactory re¬ 
sults. It is only by similar, thoroughly 
conducted experiments that the special 
wants of any soil can be discovered, 
and when once known, the remedy in special fertil¬ 
izers is comparatively easy. The great question is : 
Fig. 1.— EAST METHOD OF HANDLING HEAVY HOGS. 
too old to enjoy a heavy lift on a * porker ’ of four 
or five hundred pounds. Having a lot of this kind 
to handle from year to year, I made the arrangement 
shown in figure 1. The hogs are scalded in a box, 
which is an improvement over the half hogshead 
or large kettle, as it takes less water and scalds the 
whole hog at once, thus avoiding much lifting that 
js necessary when only half of the hog is scalded 
at a time.” A table for scraping is placed beside the 
scalding box, and a track is arranged beyond the 
table an d overhead, with two pulleys fastened to the 
rafters above, and near the ends of the track. A 
rope passes, from the hog to be raised, over these 
pulleys and down to a windlass attached to the 
floo r as shown in the larger engraving. Mr. B. 
desc bes the use of the arrangement as follows: 
“Th hog is taken from the pen, driven to or near 
the door of the dressing room, stuck and kept as 
near as possible in the same spot. When dead, take 
the hook attached to the wind¬ 
lass, and use it as a hog-hook 
A man at the windlass soon 
brings the hog upon the plank 
at the end of the scalding box, 
where it rests until the water 
is ready, and is then put into 
the scalding box. When to be 
removed, the ‘ man at the j-j g 
wheel’ soon lands the hog 
upon the table again. After being scraped, etc., the 
gambrel is put in place and the hook in the end of 
the rope placed near its middle, when it is hoisted 
up to the hook attached to the movable block. 
[The hook and sliding block is shown separate in 
fig. 2 .—Ed.J When the hog is finished off, the man 
turns the wheel, and the block with the ‘ porker* 
attached is moved along the track as far as it is 
necessary. The track is made of scantling, fast¬ 
ened to the joist above, leaving a space of two 
inches between for the passage of the hook which 
runs downward from the movable block. The 
blocks have a two-inch notch removed to keep 
them in place on the track. The size of the wheel- 
shaft is five inches; horse hay-fork rope and its 
pulleys will answer for the work above described.” 
liittle Things of Great Moment.— It is a 
small matter to take the horses across the field 
for their water ; it seems to cost nothing, yet if a 
farmer’s time, or that of his hired man, is worth 
anything, it costs a great deal in the course of a 
year. It is a small matter to chop each day’s wood 
upon the day it is used, and thus have it all fresh ; 
but fifteen minutes in harvest time is worth more 
than in January; besides, there are vastly more 
economical methods of making fire wood than 
with an axe. It is a very little matter to tighten 
a loose nut, but it sometimes costs life and limb 
