500 
AMEEICAK AGEIOULTUEIST. 
[NoVEMBEja, 
A Superior Shorthorn. 
The accompanying engraving is a striking por¬ 
trait of ‘‘Kinglet Fifth,” one of the finest Shorthorn 
cows in England. It is difficult to conceive of 
much better beef animals than some individuals of 
this breed. They grow with astonisliing rapidity, 
may be made ripe-fat at two and a half to three 
years old, at which time they have nearly their full 
size. They fatten evenly, and the beef is marbled 
admirably in many families—that is, it shows the 
“streak of fat and streak 
of lean,” so much ad¬ 
mired by butchers, and 
sought after by buyers, 
because it makes the 
meat so juicy and rich 
when cooked. The 
Shorthorns are the fa¬ 
vorite stock of the West 
and of the Plains, and 
well they may be, for 
their grades of the first 
and second cross look 
almost like thorough¬ 
breds, and with the 
hardiness of the native 
cows, they combine the 
quick growth and rapid 
fattening of the Short¬ 
horn. When the West¬ 
ern farmers want milk 
instead of beef, he will 
really have little trouble 
to breed it, for the Short¬ 
horn is as naturally a 
milk as a beef-producer, 
and all that is necessary 
is to encourage lactation 
from the first. Recent 
investigations collated 
by Mr. E. S. Tisdale, 
and read before a Dairy Conference at Gloucester, 
England, indicate very clearly that as bred for 
milk-producers, the Shorthorns are superior to all 
other breeds. He gives the following figures as to 
yield: Shorthorns average seven hundred gallons 
a year, Dutch (Holsteins) average six hundred 
and fifty, Guernseys four hundred and sixty. Jer¬ 
seys five hundred and twenty. While as to quality 
the order is changed, thus the milk of the Guern¬ 
seys averaged 14.09 per cent of solids, of which 
4.80 was butter-fat; that of the Jerseys 13.6 per 
cent, of which 4.26 was fat; that of Shorthorns 
averaged 12.7 per cent, with 3.79 fat; while the 
Dutch showed an average of only 11.8 per cent, 
with only 2.97 per cent of fat in the tested milk. 
A Clod Crusher and Smoother, 
Among the home-made implements in use among 
the readers of the American Agriculturist, the clod 
crusher here represented seems likely to do good 
work. Its construction is simple ; two-inch oak 
planks are pinned together with tree-nails, or 
spiked, the forward ends resting upon a broad 
plank of the same thickness, and a narrower one be¬ 
ing spiked, or pinned upon the rear ends. The rear 
cross plank serves as a cleat or rave for holding 
stones or logs, to give additional weight. Harrow 
teeth, also of oak, or other equally hard and tough 
wood, are set in front. They are a foot long and 
six inches apart, with a slight backward slope, so 
as to move nearly upright. The implement may be 
drawn with one or two horses, according to the 
weight placed upon it, and the work to be done. 
The teeth may also be made longer or shorter, ac¬ 
cording to the ground. On weedy land it rakes off 
the weeds, which may be dumped by lifting up the 
rear end by a ring, or by a short rope attached to 
it. To secure this raking action, the implement 
must be drawn square, but if it be desired that it 
should clear itself of weeds, etc., it must be drawn 
obliquely, by attaching the horses nearer to one end 
of the draft chain. The dimensions are as fol¬ 
lows : planks, four or five feet long; front cleat, 
eight feet long and ten inches wide; rear cleat, 
four inches wide ; teeth, two inehes through for 
ordinary use, and set six inches between centres. 
For very rough ground with stones and hard clods, 
roots, etc., the teeth should be stronger, say two 
aud a half inches through, and eight inehes be¬ 
tween centres. The other parts to remain the same. 
Is your Poultry House ready for Winter? 
Cleanliness in all the details of the management 
of poultry is absolutely necessary to success. Un¬ 
less there be perfect cleanliness, the fowls will not 
only be constantly infested and worried by vermin, 
but they will be liable to many troublesome and 
dangerous diseases w’hich check growth, develop¬ 
ment and productiveness in the birds, and even 
cause death. This should prove, even to the 
most thoughtless person, that it does not pay to 
neglect the poultry in the matter of cleanliness. 
Now is the best time to make a thoi'ough cleans¬ 
ing of the house, if it has not been done before. If 
the roosts and the nesting boxes are movable, as 
they should be, the work is much easier, and can 
be done much more thoroughly. Take everything 
from the house that is movable ; burn the old 
nests to destroy the lice and mites, and then, with 
a broom, sweep down the ceiling and sides or walls; 
clean the floor thoroughly, and remove the drop¬ 
pings and other accumulations. Get ready some 
good stone lime, making a moderately thick white¬ 
wash. With a good brush go over the entire inside 
of the house, working the wash into the cracks and 
crevices. When the first coat is dry, if it is not 
heavy enough, go over a seeond time, and w'hen 
this is dry—not before, let the birds occupy the 
house. Scrub off the roosting poles, and when 
dry, smear them well with kerosene. Whitewash 
the nesting boxes inside and out, make new nests 
of fresh, well broken straw, and give them a good 
dusting of Flowers of Sulphur, and plaee tobacco 
stems in the bottom of the boxes before making 
the nests. Seatter sand and air slacked lime liber¬ 
ally over the floors, and repeat the operation as of¬ 
ten as neeessary to insure pure air and cleanliness. 
Which are the Best Fowls? 
Which are the best fowls depends entirely upon 
circumstances; and vrhat may be best for one man, 
may not be for another. Some raise the birds for 
pleasure and others mainly for pj’oflt, and of the 
latter class some wish eggs principally, while 
others desire the heavy weights. As there are 
now breeds which will meet nearly all requirements, 
one can make a selection to suit his wishes. It 
remains principally with himself, whether the flock 
proves profitable or not, 
as there is always as 
much in the food and 
care as there is in the 
breed. W'here ornament 
and pleasure are mainly 
the object, we can rec¬ 
ommend the White 
Crested Black Polish, 
which are handsome, 
attractive, and good. 
While they are largely 
bred and sold for orna¬ 
mental purposes, they 
can readily be made to 
pay their way, at least 
some breeders claim 
that they pay them bet¬ 
ter than any other breed 
as egg-producers. They 
are not large-bodied 
fowls, but they lay good 
sized eggs and plenty of 
them. They are gener¬ 
ally hardy and active, 
while their heavy wests 
prevent them from fly¬ 
ing high, and they can 
readily be kept within 
bounds. For eggs prin¬ 
cipally, the White as 
w'ell as the Brown Leghorns deservedly stand at the 
head of the list. We have invariably had good re¬ 
sults from them, and under proper management 
others are sure to have the same good results. The 
great reason for so much disappointment with fowls 
as egg-producers, is not with the breed or the hens, 
but with their owner, who expeets them to pro¬ 
duce eggs at all seasons without giving them 
espeeial good care, attention and food. They 
must not only be fed liberally, and at regular inter¬ 
vals, but be protected during cold weather. In 
some localities it is desirable to have the building 
heated moderately, if a large one, and the winter 
is unusually severe. In most cases this is not neees¬ 
sary, as a well made house will generally afford suf¬ 
ficient warmth and protection. D. Z. Evans, Jr. 
A Wagon Jack. 
Mr. J. R. L. Dean, Greene Co., Ohio, considers 
his wagon jack, shown in the engraving, superior 
to any previously described in the American Agri- 
culturist. The hoisting movement is a toggle joint. 
There are two upright pieces of the desired flight, 
firmly bolted to the base. The toggle joint is three 
and one-half Inehes wide, aud snugly fits between 
the uprights. An iron hook is fastened to the joint 
for adjusting the jack to different flights. A pin 
through the uprights keeps the joint in position. 
An iron brace supports the handle. This jack is 
not as easily made as are some others, but the 
extra work of construction will be amply repaid. 
THE SHORTHORN COW “RINGLET FIFTH.’ 
He-Engravid for the American Agriculturist from the Agricultural Gazette, London. 
