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arm vkctfttamth 
FARM FENCES. 
BY I.. D. SNOOK. 
[Concluded from page 249, last number.] 
-'*»>Wt»v 
Figure o. 
Figure 0 portrays still another 
laying up 
plan of 
rails to form a harrier to stock. 
Poles” and even logs, In sections where tim¬ 
ber is plenty, are often used satisfactorily In 
this way. When large logs are used for the 
foundation and finished with heavy poles, 
properly staked, and poles for riders the 
length of two panels are used, the fence will 
be much stronger and resist a greater lateral 
strain than if rklers the length of one panel 
only are used. 
The pieces for the short or cross panels 
should be shorter in length at each tier, and 
if rails are used, ono foot long for the top 
ones is a desirable length. In building this, 
as well as other rail fences, an ax should 
always be at hand, and, in fact, a properly 
built fence cannot be made without it to cut 
away portions of rails, that each one may 
lay squarely upon the ono underneath. 
When it is necessary that poles enter into 
the construction of the common rail fence, 
use them only as riders or the top rail of 
fence previous to staking. Many inexperi¬ 
enced persons, in repairing a fence, pick up 
the first rail within their roach; if a pole, it 
enters into and forms the foundation of the 
superstructure. Should the foundation stone 
be email, the polo is liable to, and often docs, 
hill to the ground ere the fence bo finished. 
Only sound and well seasoned rails should 
be used for the foundation, ns their close 
proximity to the earth subjects them to 
rapid decay. Split mils often have bark on 
one side, which should be placed upward, 
that they may dry quicker. 
For foundation, stones weighing from 
twenty-five to one hundred pounds are best; 
a bod should be prepared to receive them, 
their weight rendering them less liable to dis¬ 
arrangement by the Inevitable action of frost. 
carefully driven in the ground, the upper 
portion sawed in the form and for the pur¬ 
pose indicated. 
'I 
and 
HSsh 
Figure 10. Figure 11. 
Figure 11 shows an Isolated cap 
stakes, and the manner of their use. Often 
the portion of the stakes over which the cap 
is placed is too small to fill the space within 
the cap, in which case a wooden wedge 
should be inserted. 
Figure 12. 
Figure 12 exhibits a fence that, in conse¬ 
quence of its neat, tasty appearance, dura¬ 
bility, when properly constructed, the small 
spaco of land occupied and economical use 
of material, is used by many farmers. The 
figures indicate Uio width of rails and space 
between the same, the sura of which jb four 
feet- Posts should be cut in the fall, and 
during the winter, while labor is cheap; 
trim and mortise them, preparatory to setting 
I in the spring. 
—:-==! 
r* 
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Ap- L _— 
FlOCRE 7. 
In figure 7 shown a lenco ch used at 
the West. It is used only to turn homes 
and cattle, as a cheap temporary fence for 
lanes,fencing off a portion of a field for pas¬ 
ture, &c. Owing to its simplicity of con¬ 
struction, it Is a favorite in many sections. 
Crotched sticks four feet in length are ob¬ 
tained, which are inserted In the ground, 
fifteen or moro feet apart, along the line of 
the fence, upon which are laid poles ft'om 
three to six inches in diameter, thirty or 
more feet in length. The mode oi con¬ 
structing the remaining portion is shown in 
the figure. 
Figure 13. 
In Figure 13 is shown a skeleton fence; 
posts are firmly set in the ground. With 
brace and bit bore half-inch hole* through 
the post, at distances to please your fancy 
through which pass a piece of annealed wire 
and around rails upon each side of the post; 
this done, the wire is booked or twisted 
together, retaining the rails iu the position 
shown. IV) perform the labor of securing 
the rails in an expeditious maimer two hands 
are necessary —one to hold the rails at the 
desired height, the other connecting the ends 
of the wire. Do not infer that, because only 
tliroc rails to a panel are used, the port 
should be correspondingly small. Upon the 
firmness and strength of the posts depends 
the value of this fence. 
BPCL*-- 
f.WM J 
■ 
T-. - — , 
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Figure 9. 
Figure 8, in construction, differs materially 
from all others given. It is sometimes used 
for a side hill fence. Boards or slabs from 
the saw-iniil are often used, dispensing with 
many stakes. Whon poloe are used, their 
length should not be less than ten feet, one 
end of which, if entering the soil, will add 
materially to the strength of structure. 
'A.' V 
J 
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Mia 
oultrg'rtarir. 
POULTRY MANAGEMENT. 
A Cheap Hen House. 
I made my hen house eight by ten feet, 
seven feet high. I boarded it with inch 
boards running up and down, and lull a 
light floor of Inch flooring. The first roost 
is three foot from the floor; the second is 
fourteen inches in, and fourteen inches 
higher, and so on up to the peak, so that 
the droppings of the fowls above will not 
fall on those on the lower roosts. 
On the south end 1 have a window with 
a twenty-light sash; the glass are eight by 
ten; this is to let them have sunshine. 1 cut 
nine hole 9 in the south side, at the bottom, 
and a box outside with a lid over it for the 
hen 9 to lay in. I raise the lid and gather the 
eggs outside without having to go in among 
the hens after them. 
I have a small door at the southwest corner, 
at the floor, for them to run out in an out 
yard; and a door in the middle of the north 
side to go in to clean it out; also three holes 
by the side of the door on the north side, 
and a box ontside with a lid for them to lay 
in. These laying boxes have a partition 
between each hole, so that they can lay and 
set without being disturbed by other kens. 
There are three low boxes on the floor on 
the cast side — one for gravel, one for lime, 
and one for aslios. The sills and the plates 
are two-inch plank; the weather boarding 
is spiked to them; there is no hewed tim¬ 
ber or scantling in it. 
My liens are pure, full-blooded Gray and 
Black Dorkings. 
1 see iu the Rural of March 20th an ad¬ 
vertisement of a gentleman who warrants 
fifteen different kinds of eggs each of pure 
blood. 1 should beg leave to differ in opinion 
If he keeps them always shut up they will 
be of little use; if they are let out so an to 
associate once in a year he cannot get pure- 
blooded eggs. 
The Gapes in Chicken*. 
I have no gapes in my chicks. I give my 
hen a clean nest, and while setting she is 
well fed, so that when she leaves her nest to 
air herself she has time to roll herself in 
ashes to keop the lice off her; when the hen 
is not fed she has to run and scratch to get 
her living, and has no time to roll in the 
dust, ancf the vermin get plenty; and when 
her eggs hatch the chicks are sure to take the 
gapes and die. 
When ray chicks hatch, I leave them in 
the nest, tiwenty-four hours. I then put them 
hi a box with slats on one side; the slat9 
make the front side of the box ; they are off 
the ground. I then feed with dry bread 
twenty-four hours. Then I mix up corn 
meal with cold or hot water for three weeks’ 
feed. I then begin to feed small corn; keep 
it in the coop all the time. In this way I 
get no gapes, and in four weeks the old hen 
begins to lay again. 
which prevent movement except of the head 
and wings without occasioning pain. 
When the feeding time comes the bird is 
enveloped in a wooden case, from which the 
head and neck alone appear, and which is 
popularly known as its “ paletot,” by which 
means all unnecessary struggling is avoided. 
The attendant, a young girl, seizes the head 
in her left hand, and gently presses the beak, 
in order to open it; then, with her right, she 
introduces into the gullet, a tin tube about 
the size of a finger. This tube is united to a 
flexible pipe, which communicates with the 
dish in which the food has been placed, and 
from which the desired quantity is instan¬ 
taneously injected into the stomach. The 
feeding process is so short that two hundred 
birds can be fed by ono person in an hour. 
The food is a liquid paste, composed of In¬ 
dian com and barley saturated with milk. 
It is administered three times a day, in 
quantities varying according to the condition 
of each bird. The food seems to be very 
satisfactory, for if any chances to fall they 
devour it all as soon as released from their 
paletots. 
The poultry house is well ventilated; but, 
of course, it i9 impossible for any place 
where six hundred fowls are confined to he 
entirely free from smell. It takes about a 
fortnight to fatten a bird by this method. 
Before being killed, the birds are left in a 
dark but well ventilated chamber for twenty- 
four hours without food. Each fowl is then 
taken up by its feet, is wrapped up so as to 
prevent all struggling, and then bled so 
adroitly in the throat that its death seems 
instantaneous. The blood is then allowed to 
flow from it, and, finally, after being plucked, 
washed and cleaned, it is wrapped in a damp 
cloth and is ready for sale. From forty to 
fifty fowls are thus killed and sold daily.— 
Scientific American. 
- -♦♦♦- 
A Setting Roo*ter.—I have been an amateur 
poultry-fancier, I may say, all my life, and still 
“keep It up.” Some few months since I moved 
from t ho East and came to this city, soiling off all 
ray poultry wit!) the exception of one game 
rooster, which I imported from Cuba. He has 
been hero in tho barn since I arrived, having 
only my horse aa a companion. Lately ho has 
acted in a most strange way, making a perfect 
nest in the hay and setting on it for an hour and 
more at a tl mo; he has made at least ft dozen such 
nests as one after another has been disturbed, 
and for the last few days T have left the nest and 
watched him. Ho goes on two or three times ft 
day and seta like an old hen. In my humble ex¬ 
perience I have never seen tbisdoue before, and 
respectfully ask if you can inform mo why he 
should do it; and If you or your readore know of 
similar occurrences?—A Constant Reader, De¬ 
troit, Mich. __ 
Gape* in Chickens.—When you find them show¬ 
ing symptoms of this malady, you will find it a 
most simple and successful remedy to mix with 
oue quart of corn meal ono tablospoonfu! of 
black mustard seed, and feed them. They will 
be healthy, have a vigorous and llvoly growth. 
1 speak loom three years’ experience, aud with¬ 
out the loss of one chicken— M. M-. Economy , /rid. 
Martin Tymeson. 
Figure 9. 
Figure 9 is a modification of Figure 3. 
It consists in placing the stakes in the acute 
angle of the fence corners, as shown. Fences 
made upon both plans are much used in this 
country, both capped and wired. 
Figure 10 exhibits a support for tho lowei 
pole in Figure 7. When crotched supports 
cannot be obtained, a board from five to six 
inches in width, previously sharpened, is 
Figure 14. 
Figure 14 exhibits a novel plan of con¬ 
structing a farm fence with stone posts 
and rail connections. In many sections fiat 
stohes are found In sufficient numbers for the 
construction of posts as indicated, but not 
for the building of a stone wall, in which 
case they should he used for that purpose; 
the size of tho stones available should govern 
the size of posts. In ordinary cases, two 
and a half leot in diameter will be a proper 
size. Use none but first-class rails or poles, 
inserting them as the height of the post 
progresses. 
Yates Co., N. Y. 
-- 
Turkey* vg. Grasshoppers.— A Ralls Co., Mo., 
farmer urges that the only way of avoiding the 
destruction of crops In the grasshopper regions 
of the West Is to grow turkeys. He says a hun¬ 
dred turkeys will destroy millions of grasshop¬ 
pers, and If tho latter are plenty enough tho 
former will require no other food. This is true, 
and wo happen to know some Western farmers 
who keep turkeys and oilier fowls for the bene¬ 
fits which accrue to their crops from the de¬ 
struction of insects, setting aside the prices 
poultry' brings In the market. 
-+ ♦ » 
The Fence Laws of Missouri require all hedges 
to be five feet high; all post aud rail, or paling, 
or palisade, or plank fence, to be four and a half 
feet high; all turf fences to lie four feet high, 
with trenches on either side three feet wide at 
the top and three feet deep; all worm rail fence 
five feet high to the top of the rider; if not 
rldered five feet to the top roll, the corners shall 
be locked with strong rails, poles, or stakes. 
TO KEEP FOWLS HEALTHY. 
The way I keep my fowls in health, I 
clean out the house once a week; put wood 
ashes under the roosts; have iron basins for 
them to drink from; whitewash inside of 
hen house with hot lime; put. a little kero¬ 
sene oil on the roosts once a month. The 
main food is outs, and cuke of scraps t o pick 
on. I never feed but once a day—at noon, 
or when I shut them up at four or five P. M. 
When they run out, then give them all they 
will eat In my experience, there is no way 
to get diseased fowls easier than to keep 
them stuffed; it makes them lazy, and they 
won’t work as much as they ought to keep 
in a healthy condition. 
1 never had any gapes in chickens. When 
any fowl begins to droop, I give three large 
pills of common hard, yellow soap ; ’tis the 
best thing to cleanse a fowl I know oi. I 
follow it for three days, give them nothing 
to eat and plenty of pure water to drink. In 
desperate cases, give a hall teaspoonful of 
tincture of lobelia. It will seldom, if ever, 
fail of curing. It is a very cleansing and 
powerful medicine for fowls 
Foxboro’, Mass., 1869. 
-*»»- 
FATTENING POULTRY IN FRANCE. 
Anv of our countrymen who, from rheu¬ 
matic gout, or any other ailment, may be 
sent to Vicliy, would do well, as soon as they 
have sufficiently recovered the use of their 
legs, to pay a visit to tho Villa Belvedere, 
■where a very singular mode of fattening 
poultry has been for some time successfully 
pursued. A large circular building, admir¬ 
ably ventilated, and with the light partially 
excluded, is fitted up with circular cages, in 
tiers rotating on a central axis, and capable 
of being elevated, depressed, or rotated, 
which are so arranged that each bird has, 
as it were, a separate stall, containing a perch. 
The birds are placed with theii tails con¬ 
verging to a common center, while the head 
of each may be brought in front by a simple 
rotary movement of the central axis. Each 
bird is fastened to its cell by leathern fetters. 
II. C. Wheeler. 
lorstumn. 
HORSE MEMORANDA. 
Barley Straw for Horses.—In answer to this 
question, I ara willing to relate my experience. 
I have a young horse that for two winters was 
fed upon nothing but barley straw, and that, 
too, with chaff In; und If Mr. Martin’s neigh¬ 
bor thinks hi m a weak one, let him come and try 
him. I consider barley st raw, if bright and well 
taken cure of, as good or better thau poor bay 
for any animal. Bui. as we look through the 
country, do wo seo it in hardly any Inst mice 
taken clu-o of as its worth would seem to de¬ 
mand? Barley, In very many Instances, is un¬ 
avoidably stacked out of doors, and, in many 
cases, in the field, there to bo threshed and the 
straw stacked. Threshing time comes, and, as 
usual, every one is in a hurry. Perhaps you aro 
short of help, and ono man, with perhaps the as¬ 
sistance of a boy, is to do tho stacking. And 
what is the result? Tho stack Is not half built, 
consequently Iswet through from top to bottom, 
and the straw in a great measm-e ruined.—D. B„ 
Kiny's Ferry, N~. Y. 
-- 
Sweenle. —A subscriber at Owego, N. Y., ftsks 
what he con best do for a horse afflicted with 
sweenie. Sweenle is the result of somo injury 
to the limb; aud the cause of the contraction of 
the muscles is often remote from where such 
contraction appears. We have published here¬ 
tofore a good many recipes for its cure. Here Is 
ono which lias proved effectual during twenty 
years' experience: Oil of spike, one ounce; oil 
origanum, two ounces; tar, ono ouuco; crude 
oil, amber, two ounces; spirits of turpentine, 
two ounces, pulverized cantliarides, one-half 
ounce. Mix and shake well before using. Two 
tablespoonfuls to the shouldei (or part afflicted, 
if you can locate It,) well rubbed in, is enough 
per day. _ 11 __ 
To Prevent a Mare Aborting. —AUGUSTUS 
Tanner, Attica, Ohio, has a'mure with foal 
(time up in September,) which has lost two colts, 
giving birth to them a month too soon in each 
case. He asks how he may save this one. Pre¬ 
vious colts have been born In tho spring. He 
does not state whether there was any injury, or 
whether tho animal was unduly worked, or 
frightened. If any experienced horseman can 
give information that will benefit our corres¬ 
pondent, we shall be glad to print it. 
-♦♦♦- 
A Colt with a tAelesn Lip.—I wish some of 
your readers would tell me what ails my colt, and 
what to do for it. It i6 a last spring's colt, aud 
has not got the use of Its under lip. The Up 
drops down so as to show his under teeth all the 
while. He don’t use It in eating or drinking. — 
W. F., Ottawa, TTis. 
jggtenk Information. 
SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS. J 
BY A PHY8ICLAN. 
Chronic Neuralgia—A Query* 
We have received the following inquiry 
from a correspondent:—“ Can you tell me of 
anything likely to help a chronic case of 
neuralgia?” In reply we say to 8. L., and 
all others similarly situated, that while we 
are very glad to answer their questions 
whenever we are aide bo to do, this one 
passes our powers. It should he understood, 
more generally than it is, that there are no 
specific medicines, and very few diseases 
which merit that appellation. Neuralgia is a 
symptom, and may arise from such a vast 
variety of causes that no rule can be given 
for its treatment in all cases. In fact, it is 
very apt to remain in spite of all treatment, 
and is generally reckoned one of the appro- 
brio, mcdicorum. Sometimes it is distinct¬ 
ively of malarial origin, and yields readily 
to quinine or similar remedies. Sometimes 
it arises from derangement of the digestive 
apparatus, when it is very difficult of treat¬ 
ment. In any case it can only he sucess- 
fully treated by a physician who can dis¬ 
cover and comprehend Us causes and remove 
them,—a task which too often results in 
failure and loss of patience (no pun intended) 
on the part, of both doctor and doctored. 
The great prevalence of this torturing 
malady, especially among women, can only 
be ascribed to the constant violations of all 
physiological and hygienic laws, in which 
they habitually indulge. Thero will be no 
rooting it out until our young people, of both 
sexes, are taught these laws; a result we hope 
to see accomplished before another gener¬ 
ation, and to which the Rural means to 
contribute its mite. Had parents and teach¬ 
ers taken as much interest in this as they 
have in reforms of-far less importance, it 
would have been accomplished long ago. 
A word in regard to the palliatives and 
nostrums often taken to relieve tho pain in 
this affection. They are, at best, only tem¬ 
porary expedients, and usually leave the pa¬ 
tients worse than before. Especially is this 
the case with opium und its preparations. 
Eschew them under all circumstances, for 
they ruin the digestion, and their use for any 
length of time is almost certain to fix the 
fearful “ opium habit’’ on tho victim, in ad¬ 
dition to the neuralgia. 
-- 
Sure Cure for a Felon or Any Bad Swelling on a 
Bone.—Make ft plaster of pure honey and wheat 
Hour, nnd apply it, changing as often as the case 
requires—suy once In from two to six houra. 
! I blistered and bruised my hand, then took cold 
iu It; it went into the joint*or tho second and 
third fingers, and for eight days It grew worse ; 
could sleep but little and work none. 1 then 
beard of this and tried it, and tho first night 
slept all night, and now, three days aft or, it Is 
almost well. Older people say it was a kind of a 
felon. Throe years ago iny sister stopped a 
felon after It had run three weeks, with honey 
and flour, and saved her finger, so that It is all 
sound and as good as any other .—A Subscriber. 
—- ♦ - 
To Lure Warts.— A. H, Martin writes that ho 
has cured a largo number of warts In the fol¬ 
lowing manner. He says he knows people will 
laugh at It, but he don’t care, educe ho knows it 
is effectual. “ It is simply to allow a second per¬ 
son to wot the finger on the end of tho longue, 
rub the wart two or throe times, taking the lin¬ 
ger off with a Jerk, and u'Ul tho wart oft at the 
game time. There must l>e a u'ifi about it." It 
is not new, and we have known warts to go off 
after such mysterious manipulations often; but 
whether they would not have disappeared any¬ 
way bus alwny-s boon ft question with us. 
-- <■+'■*■ - 
Cough Medicine.—I send you a valuable recipo 
for cough medicine, which I think has not ap¬ 
peared as yet in the columns of your paper: 
“Take of boneset, stick licorice, and flaxseed, 
each one ouuee; simmer together until the 
strength is extracted. The licorice should bo 
pounded fluojpd boilod In several waters, until 
it is Tasteless; then strain and boll tho water 
down to one quart; add one pint best molasses, 
and half pound loaf sugar. The dose is three or 
lour tablespoonfuls each day.— m. s. 
----- 
Remedy fur Burns and Scalds.— The most effica¬ 
cious remedy lever tried was to apply common 
starch, Just moistened with cold water, and 
spread on a cloth to effectually cover the wound¬ 
ed r , ftr t. A llrtlo girl who was badly scalded, was 
instantly freed from pain by the above remedy-. 
Keep the starch moistened, and In a few hours 
tho inflammatjou will be gone, leaving ihe scald¬ 
ed part perfectly white. After the inflammation 
isout, applya linen cloth dipped in sweet oil. It 
is a speedy cure.—B riar. 
—--— 
Itch Preventive. — Lewis Muller, Three Riv¬ 
ers, Mich., say-s a teaspoonful of sulphur Inclosed 
In a cotton hag and suspended by u string from 
the neck of a person so that it may hang at tho 
pit of the stomach, wilt prevent taking the itch, 
if the person wearing it is with scores of those 
afflicted with it daily. He has tried It for thirty 
years. __ 
Brv Earth for Fleers. — It has been found by 
experiment that dry, pulverized earth makes an 
excellent dressing for ulcers and purulent 
wounds. It not only absorbs the bad odor 
arising from the matter discharged, but seems to 
exercise a healing Influence, causing a healthy 
granulation to take place and greatly diminish¬ 
ing the inflammation. If all is true thut la claimed 
of this new curative agent, it is a discovery only 
exceeded In importance by that of quinine for 
fever nnd ague, ether and chloroform as anaes¬ 
thetics, and belladouft as a remedy for scarlet 
fever.—Selected. 
