416 
A.M.EEIOAX AGRIC RLTURIST. 
[October, 
Our Dog. 
We keep a clog, and love Lira too. He is a 
Scotch Colley of royal mien, as seen from his por¬ 
trait. He answers quickly to the name of “Rover,” 
and has no end.of admirers. Tlie Scotch Highlands 
are the home of Rover’s ancestors, where the Col¬ 
ley breed is found in its best estate. Here in the 
grassy vulley.s, and on the rocky table-lands this 
dog renders the labors of the shepherd profitable ! 
and easy. The pure-blooded 
Scotch Colley is a medium¬ 
sized dog with a clean, foxy 
face, half-pricked ears, bright 
eyes, and a shrewd expression. 
He has no superiors in canine 
intelligence. The coat is long 
and silky, and in color varies 
greatly ; black and tan with a 
white collar, legs and belly is 
not infrequently seen. The 
fore legs are feathered, and 
the hind ones are short-haired 
below the hocks. The shoul¬ 
ders are deep, back rather 
short, and the tail long, grace¬ 
fully curled up at the ei.d and 
heavily feathered. The con¬ 
stant and intimate association 
with the gentle milkmaids of 
their native island, has molded 
the character of the far-famed 
peace-loving Jersey cow. In 
like manner the Gaelic shep¬ 
herds have most thoroughly 
developed the desirable quali¬ 
ties of the genuine Scotch 
Colley. “Rover” is a living 
monument of the molding 
power of man as exercised in 
the development of a shepherd dog. He is not a dog 
for idle tricks ; though fully able to learn them, he 
prefers to render more important service. His su¬ 
preme delight is to reign at the head of a flock. 
There his language and movements are better 
understood than those of his master. He guards 
and guides with great prudence and judgment, 
and only uses harsh means when peace and or¬ 
der demand them. His good disposition quickly 
gains him the confidence of the flock in his charge. 
The Colley resents changes of ownership, but is 
most faithful to a time-tested and beloved master. 
Wherever sheepi are kept, the Colley is useful. The 
good services he will render are without number, 
and many of them prove the possession of a high 
order of intellect. The achievements in herding 
wild sheep at the prize competitions are simply 
wonderful. We do not know the full extent of 
“ Rover’s ” abilities, but it is cetfain that he is an 
important fixture of a farm that is well regulated 
in one particular at least—the possession of a 
faithful, thoughtful, labor-saving, peace-loving, 
affectionate, and handsome Scotch Colley dog. 
A Swine Feeding Pen for Corn. 
A convenient corn pen which we have used in 
our fattening lot for swine is shown in the engrav¬ 
ing. It is used for corn fed directly from the field. 
In the center of the feeding floor four stout forked 
posts are sot at the corners of a square, the sides 
of which are eight feet long. The forks support 
two poles, and on these is placed a floor of planks 
or rails, with a square rail pen upon it a couple 
of feet high. The posts should be just long 
enough to admit the ho.gs under the pen. A wagon 
load of corn, when gathered, is thrown into this 
pen. As the corn remains in the pen only a short 
time, no roof is necessary. The pen can easily be 
made to hold one hundred bushels, if desired. As 
the hogs can get under the pen no corn is lost by 
falling through the floor. There is no loss from 
rats and mice, as they cannot burrow under the 
pen. The farmer can stand in the pen and throw 
OUE SCOTCH COLLET “HOVER.” 
Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
the corn by handfuls on the feeding floor, without 
striking the swine. The flesh of fat hogs is easily 
bruised. The corn can be assorted as it is fed to 
the pigs, the bad ears being tbrown into one cor¬ 
ner. It is easy to unload the wagon into the pen, 
and as one is about on a level with the other, the 
corn shells but little when thrown into the pen. 
The posts must be stout and set well into the 
ground, otherwise the corn may break the pen 
down upon the swine. If the posts are set shallow 
or loosely, the hogs will rub the pen down. Pens 
like this are sometimes set upon stones, but we 
cannot recommend this, as the hogs are liable to 
bring the structure down upon themselves by 
scratching against the stones of the foundation. 
What Crops shall we Gather First? 
Every farmer at this season of the year frequently 
asks the above question. A few suggestions will 
not be unacceptable—even to the writer 1 It is 
a fact that no matter how old a farmer may be, 
and how much experience he may have had, he 
will often find it to his advantage to set down with 
a paper and pencil, as we are now doing, and think 
out a question of this kind, and write down his 
conclusions. We have been farming for half a 
century, but could not off-hand tell you which 
crops to harvest first, or what job it is best to go at 
on the morrow. Let us think a moment. Of all 
the root crops, parsnips and salsify are the hardiest, 
and beets and mangolds the tenderest. Beets 
either for the table or stock, and especially if any 
of them are to be set out for seed, should be 
gathered before a severe frost. If the crop is 
growing vigorously, and the leaves full of sap, a 
slight frost will bring no harm, and even a severe 
frost will do comparatively little damage. The 
leaves protect the roots. Nevertheless it is well 
not to run too much risk. After the first of Octo-. 
her the farmer who has many beets or mangels to 
harvest, should keep a close watch of the daily 
weather report, and if a severe cold wave or frost 
is approaching, harvest the crop. If in a hurry the 
roots may be drawn into heaps, tops and all, and 
covered wdth a little straw. In f.act, little dam¬ 
age will be done if the heaps are not covered at all. 
He must not forget the apples. On our farm we \ 
are generally picking apples and harvesting beets 
at the same time. When dry, pick the apples; 
while the dew is on gather the beets or pick up the 
rvindfalls. As a rule, many farmers gather their 
winter apples too early. So at least the buyers tell 
us—but then they have not to run the risk of a 
high wind blowing off the fruit. Greenings should 
be picked before the Baldwins and the Northern 
Spies and Russets last. We usually let the cider 
apples hang as long as they 
will, or until the buyers want 
them. Autumn pears should 
be gathered as soon as the 
stems, when the pears are lift¬ 
ed, part readily from the 
branches ; winter pears are 
rarely allowed to remain hang¬ 
ing on the trees too long. 
Cucumbers for pickles should 
be picked at least twice a week 
as long as they last, and as 
soon as they are large enough. 
Make sure of enough for your 
own use. Some morning you 
will wake up and find the cu¬ 
cumber pickle business ended 
for this year. Winter squashes 
can remain out as long as the 
fruit is covered with leaves. 
Onions, if you are unfor¬ 
tunate enough to have any still 
in the ground, should be pull¬ 
ed and dried on the land in the 
field, or spread out on a floor. 
After these crops are attend¬ 
ed to, we can suit our own 
convenience as to whether we 
shall first dig potatoes, husk 
corn, or pull carrots. It is a 
question of weather, convenience and condition of 
the land or marketing the crop. He is a fortunate 
farmer who keeps up with his work at this season. 
Turnips and cabbages stand quite a freezing. Celery, 
earthed up, is rarely injured before Thauksgiving. 
Salt and Ashes for Swine. 
At all times, but especially when fattening, hogs 
should have a constant supply of salt and clean 
wood ashes. AVhen kept continually before them, 
they will not eat too much salt. It is only when 
deprived of salt for some time that swine will take 
it to excess. The engraving shows a very con¬ 
venient arrangement for providing hogs with salt 
and ashes. It is an ordinary box with an opening 
left all around at the bottom. This opening should 
be three inches wide, with slats nailed across it 
from two to four inches apart, making a succession 
of holes. The bo.x is partly filled with salt and 
ashes mixed, and firmly stamped in the box. 
A SALT AND ASH BOX. 
The hogs will lick the mixture out through the 
holes along the bottom. A roof of boards, not 
.sbowu in the cut, is placed over the box to keep its 
contents dry. The more charcoal in the ashes the 
better. Salt assists in the digestion of the food ; 
ashes rid the intestines of worms,and strengthen the ^ 
appetite. Hogs must have an abundance of water, j 
