1884.] 
AMEEIOA^ AGEIOULTUEIST. 
19T 
Poultry—Breeds for Laying. 
The best breeds of fowls for laying, are those that 
suit the climate in which they are kept. It is an 
oft-repeated inquiry as to which breed is most suit¬ 
able, by those who contemplate poultry keeping. 
Such inquiry can only be answered by those who 
have experimented with different varieties in dif¬ 
ferent locations. There is no doubt chat the Leg¬ 
horns are equal to any other breed for egg-produc¬ 
tion, but it does not follow that they are the most 
profitable fowl under all circumstances. They are 
divided into two classes—the single, and rose- 
combs—and there is a further subdivision, accord¬ 
ing to color. The single-comb varieties of fowls 
are subject to frozen combs in very cold weather, 
but when properly managed they escape harm. 
The difficulty may be overcome by “dubbing” 
them, as is done with Games, but as the principal 
points of the Leghorns are given to the comb, they 
would thereby be disqualified from competition at 
the fairs and poultry show's. A frosted comb 
would not be very objectionable to those who only 
breed fowls for protit and not for exhibition, but 
when the comb becomes frosted, the hen ceases to 
lay until the injured member is completely healed. 
As the comb may be frozen several times during the 
cold season, the loss of time from egg-production, 
owing to the effect of the temperature, would be 
quite an important item. The double-comb varie¬ 
ties, though exposing quite a large surface to the 
1 action of cold, have their combs closer to the head. 
In thus noticing so small a matter as the comb, 
the object is to present one of the difficulties in the 
way of keeping a breed that never sits, but lays 
' well. While the breed may not find favor in cold 
! climates, that is no reason why it should not be 
I popular in other sections. As the Leghorns have 
I their virtues and faults, so do the other breeds of 
I fowls. In raising fowls for mai'ket, many object to 
I the Brahmas and Cochins on account of their slow 
I growth, and this objection may be a strong one if 
] the fowls are to be sent to market as chicks, as 
I they do not feather until well advanced. If ma- 
j tured fowls are intended for shipment, the largest 
carcasses, with fine appearance, may be obtained 
from such breeds. The Plymouth Rocks, which 
grow fast, and are uniform in appearance when 
young, also make good market fowls when grown, 
but, while they are excellent layers, they are liable 
to become excessively fat when highly fed, espec¬ 
ially when they are confined, which is a hindrance 
to egg-production. This may also be an objection 
to the Brahmas and Cochins. The best results are 
derived from Plymouth Rocks when they have free 
range. All breeds do best with freedom, but the 
! larger ones are more contented under restriction. 
;! It is best, therefore, in selecting a breed for laying, 
; to take into consideration its hardiness, fitness for 
market, time of maturity, adaptability to climate, 
and disposition. By selecting that breed which 
possess qualities adapting them to the conditions of 
the particular section of country, the best breed for 
laying as well as for other purposes will be secured. 
Spasmodic Colic. — “J! B.," Lincoln Co., Kan- 
[ sas, writes : “ I have a mare that acts very strange- 
I ly. She paws and lies down about the same as 
‘ though she had spasmodic colic. She eats and 
I drinks not quite so heartily as when well. The at- 
j tacks come two or three times a year.”—The ani- 
I mal undoubtedly suffers from sudden pain of a 
spasmodic character, most probably in the intes¬ 
tines. Spasmodic colic is due to a variety of 
causes, but more especially to food, exccessive in 
quantity or improper in quality, and too much cold 
water immediately after fatiguing exercise. Sud¬ 
den and complete change of food may also bring 
about this condition, as will exposure to wet and 
cold. Of course cramps, or excessive sudden pain, 
may be due to other causes, and may affect other 
organs. It is well to note in this case the exact 
. circumstances under which an attack comes on— 
the kind and quantity of food and drink taken, 
whether it occnrs before or after exercise, the con¬ 
dition of the bowels, and whether food is swal¬ 
lowed greedily without proper mastication. Only 
thus can the cause be arrived at, and the proper 
treatment be selected. Some animals will continue 
to have spasmodic colic for years without appre¬ 
ciable cause. It is very important to keep the 
bowels loose, never costive. Bran mashes or 
roots given at intervals will be generally quite suf¬ 
ficient for this purpose without resort to drugs. 
Very Cheap, Convenient Truck. 
Mr. C. J. Long, Morgantown, W. Va., sends us 
a sketch and description of a cheap, easily made 
truck which he uses in cleaning out stables, etc. 
Selecting a grocery box of suitable size, he cut 
fi’om an old well windlass a roller one inch shorter 
than the width of the box, and bored a hole in each 
end, into which hard-wood pins were driven. A 
half-inch washer was put on each pin. The roller 
is held in place by two small strips of some strong 
wood. These have holes near the ends to fit the pins, 
and are strongly nailed to the sides of the box and 
extend back to a convenient length for handles. Any 
fairly regular round stick of hard-wood from the 
woodpile may take the place of the old windlass. 
Willows and Willow Culture. 
The common Osier, as stated in a former article, 
is not suited to the finer kinds of basket-work. The 
choicer willows are known to the English growers 
by names which give no clue to the species to 
which they belong, such as “Red Dutch,” “ Pack¬ 
thread” and Whip-cord ” willows. The common 
Osier is largely used for making coarse and service¬ 
able baskets, though it is not so good as the Golden- 
willow, which is always seen with us as a tree, but 
when properly cultivated, yields excellent rods. 
It is generally supposed that a damp soil is required 
for willow culture. This is a mistake, as the crop 
thrives best on a good grain land, and such is 
chosen in establishing a plantation. If the land is 
not in good condition, it is manured and prepared 
as fora grain crop. Willows are always propagated 
from cuttings, made from stems of a single year’s 
growth. The cuttings are made .a foot long, and 
sharpened at the lower end. The common Osier is 
set out twelve by twenty inches, and some of the 
finer kinds as close as eight by sixteen inches. 
These are the extremes, and other distances arc 
given to other varieties, according to their size. 
All kinds are set as closely as they will fiourish, in 
order that the shoots may grow up straight and 
ycithout branches. In setting out the cuttings a 
planting frame is used. This is made of slats, held 
in place by end pieces. These slats mark the dis¬ 
tances of the rows, and the places for the cuttings 
in the rows, are shown by notches on the slats. 
The planter sets a cutting opposite each notch, and 
forces it, in a slanting direction, quite into the 
ground with his hand, which is protected by a heavy 
glove. The surface of the plantation must be kept 
elean, using a cultivator at first, and when the 
shoots prevent this, hoes are used. When the 
leaves fall, the crop is cut. A strong curved knife 
is used, and the cut is made close to the ground. 
Though the first year’s crop of rods may be of very 
little value, they must be cut in order to be out of the 
way of the next year’s growth. The second year’s 
crop is usually a profitable one. By this annual 
cutting the roots do not extend far, and are not 
difficult to remove when the soil is required for 
other crops. Every farmer would find it conven¬ 
ient to have a few' willows to furnish rods for 
withes and other uses. By cutting them close to 
the ground each fall, they will last indefinitely. 
Steamed or Cooked Food, Profitable. 
Mr. B. J. Stone, Westboro, Mass., has for twelve 
years fed steamed food to his herd of forty-five an¬ 
imals, from early fall until pasturing time the fol¬ 
lowing spring. He has a twelve horse-pow'er boiler 
in the basement of an L adjoining the barn, over 
wddeh is a six horse-potver engine, a plunge pump 
that raises water into the boiler, and a tank near 
the steam box and mixing trough. In the story a- 
bove there is a large power cutter, that cuts all the 
corn-fodder, straw, and second quality of hay used. 
It is cut into one inch lengths. To three hundred 
lbs. of this cut fodder, one hundred lbs. of grain, 
four qts. of salt, and enough water to moisten it 
are added, and mixed in lots of eighty lbs. each to 
insure thorough mixing. This provender is pitched 
into the steam-box, which holds enough for one 
day’s feeding. The first feeding is at seven P. M., 
the second at seven the following morning. At 
noon the animals are watered, then fed one hun¬ 
dred and twenty-five lbs. best quality of dry hay. 
The w.ater which settles under the false bottom of 
the steam box, from about eighty gallons used at a 
steaming, is converted into a hay tea. This is 
mixed with sufficient wheat bran to make a mash, 
and is fed to milch cow's and young calves. This 
food being well seasoned, is very palatable, readily 
eaten, and quickly digested. The warm food, to¬ 
gether with the warm stable, keep up the animal 
heat, and a large flow of milk is the result. The 
cause of so many failures in steaming food is, in 
part, due to not using any grain, and allow'ing the 
steam to come in contact with the feed direct from 
the boiler. Here the steam is let into the bottom 
of the steam box, and softens the whole mass. The 
cooked grain is taken into the stomach of the ani¬ 
mal, masticated with the cud, and nearly all of its 
nutriment thereby extracted. Below isan estimate 
of the daily cost per head. One-half of the fuel 
consumed, has been deducted and charged to the 
house, as this same boiler supplies steam, and heats 
sixteen rooms. 
300 lbs. luiy, @$10. per ton.! .$1.50 
125 •• •' @20. “ 'l.25 
1(10 “ grain, @ 30. “ 1.50 
75 '• bran, @ 20. “ 75 
125 “ coal, @ 0.40 “ 40 
lf5.40 
Forty five animals at five dollars and forty cents 
daily, gives tw'elve cents per head a day. 
Simple Head-Gear for Vicious Bulls. 
Dr. L. D. B., of Vista, N.T., writes us, that a young 
Jersey bull, inclined to exhibit a cross disposition, 
and to make too free use of his horns, yet being too 
valuable otherwise to part with him, the following 
device rendered him harmless and docile. With a 
quarter-inch auger a hole was bored near the tip of 
each horn. Through these holes a number ten 
copper wire was tightly stretched between the 
horns, and three wires run to the ring in his nose, 
as shown in the engraving. — This will Answer for 
younger animals not very vicious, but very large 
fellows would need something much stronsrer than 
a number ten copper wire ; and even if a half- 
inch steel rod were tised, a very unruly animal 
would crush a man with the rods themselves. 
