JAN.43 
34 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
its use, that he gave up breeding poultry by all 
“ patent ” processes; and he is to-day a sadder, 
but a wiser man. 
FEED STOCK REGULARLY. 
All kinds of live-stock should be fed regularly 
—that is, at certain hours, and about the same 
quantity daily, not more than they can eat, but 
just what they need to be kept in good condition. 
If you feed your cows roots, or meal, with their 
other feed, let the quantity of each be about the 
same daily, not a liberal 
feeding for a few days, and 
then a half allowance for a 
while, as that is expensive 
feeding, because no stock 
can thrive by it, and espec¬ 
ially milch cows. Many 
farmers seem to think that 
their young stock can ‘ ‘ get 
along " on the poorest feed 
they have, and on very little 
of that. Ho, gentlemen, that 
is a mistake, as first-class 
animals can never be roado 
of half-starved yearlings. 
-- 
WHIMS AND FACTS. 
GEORGE GARDNER. 
PUMPKIN SEED FDR COWS. 
What an ignorant creature 
I have been not to know that 
moonshine was worse than 
the sunshine, yet I really 
did not know anything on 
the subject till Mr. Folsom 
said so iu his communication 
under the abovo heading. 
I will give up ou this point 
for the present, for I never 
proved it, though I may do 
so next summer by dividing 
into equal parts a quantity 
of fish, and puttiugoue part 
in the moonshine all night 
and the other in the sunshine 
all day, and if the latter is 
sweeter than the former, that will be a pretty 
good proof of the truth of this lunar or lunatic 
doctrine. 
Now about pumpkin seed: I have re¬ 
peatedly proved that they are harmless. The 
first time was about 15 years ago on a farm in 
Maryland, which was owned by Jerome Bona¬ 
parte. I had so many pumpkins among the 
corn that I sold them by the load for a dollar 
per horse hauling them away, so that a four- 
horse load was sold for .f>4. They commenced 
ripening very early and, of course, I fed them 
freely to every thing. Our grass was short and 
burned up, and the cows (12) had fallen to make 
but 28 pounds of butter in a week, some of them 
having been milked above a year. I commenced 
giving them half a bushel per cow at milking 
time, and sawed some flour barrels in two, and 
placed them around the yard so that every cow 
might eat alone. The butter rose to 50 pounds 
per week, and then as the pumpkins began to rot 
in the field I filled every half barrel right up, 
which was about five pecks, or at any rate, r 
bushel heaped up, and the butter increased to 
upward of 60 pounds. At that time, although I 
had been from England six years, I did not know 
the seed was objectionable, hut iu fairness to 
Mr. Folsom, I state that I noticed the old boss 
cow in the yard, which would go around after the 
other cows had nearly done eating, and would 
lick the bottoms all clean, thus getting a great 
deal more than her share of the seed, was void¬ 
ing a great deal of liquid, but at that time 1 did 
not know that this was due to the seed. I sup¬ 
posed it was caused by her greediness in eating 
bo much more than her share of pumpkins, but 
I distinctly affirm the cow gave more milk than 
any other in the yard, save one, and she had not 
had a calf but was milked on from the preceding 
year. 
Now, again, as I wish to tell the truth in every 
way: I noticed the fowls eat a great quantity oi 
the seed which was scattered about where the 
pumpkins w T ere chopped, and in the yard where 
the cows had failed to lick them all up, and sev¬ 
eral were affected by losing the use of their legs 
and lay fluttering about the premises. Wo then 
fed the fowls well with coin and grain and, ex¬ 
cepting one or two which died, the Bick ones 
recovered the use of their limbs, and the small 
quantity they eat did not hurt them. A few r 
years after, I had charge of a Short-Ilorn herd, 
and the proprietor was shocked one day on see¬ 
ing the seeds among the chopped pumpkins. 
The Hon. Gentleman listened to what I said and 
proposed a trial of a week without the seed, and 
there was no difference whatever in the milk or 
butter or iu the cattle. As there was no per¬ 
ceptible injury or benefit, I am thorefore justi¬ 
fied in saying “I have proved the seeds do no 
harm Ac.” At another period of my experience 
in the United States, Iwasiu Western New York, 
in Alleghany Go., and I had some seed saved 
(about a bushel and a half.) and after it was 
dried iu the sun it was put iu the tool house and 
I found some boys who brought their fathers’ 
dinners had daily been eating the seed, and in 
two or three months nearly a bushel had been 
taken. 
I have just mentioned it to one of my sons 
who recollects the occurrence clearly, and says 
he eat some too, also his brother, hut as there 
were only five boys altogether, and some days 
not so many, they must have pocketed and eaten 
half a pint at a time or more among them ; he 
says they eat them as if they had been almonds. 
NATIVE ENGLISH SETTER 
If this is not sufficient, I can bring the man 
who is now attending to the cows on this farm 
and he will testify that wo gave our cows a 
wagon-load per day thrown in the fields, and 
that all through the months of last August, 
September, October aud part of November wo 
did not give any on a Sunday, and in conse¬ 
quence every Monday, we ran short of milk, ex¬ 
cepting on two or three occasions when we put 
some in another field ou Saturday so as Jo 
ready on Sunday. 
I do not wish to appear ill-natured nor do 1 
desire to set myself up as knowing more than 
others, for I am ignorant on very many subjects, 
Mr. F. is right about the good effects of apples, 
for I have fed them extensively iu Maryland for 
two years, when living six miles from Baltimore, 
but it does uot do to let the cows have free ac¬ 
cess to orchards, for I did so and a very high 
wind blew a great many sour apples down, and 
the cows eat so many that three were down¬ 
right sick, and in consequence gave less than a 
fourth of the milk usual for several days. This 
explains the cause of the error fallen into by 
some people, that apples dry cows. After this 
I was careful they did not gorge to satiation, 
and found fruit beneficial, like other good 
things. 
I don’t think I ever misrepresent in writing, 
for I nover go to others for aught to write about, 
nor do I go to books, for the old ones will mis¬ 
lead lb much as old sayings will. Look at the 
revelations made about hollow horn and tail dis¬ 
eases by intelligent veterinarians, aud know that 
more animals are killed by stupid nostrums and 
meddling quack farmers than die a natural death. 
There are lots of men living at this moment who 
believe the moon in some stages will spoil meat, 
and they will not put it in pickle theD, yet Chi¬ 
cago and other wholesale paokiug places keep 
steadily on, in spite of the moon, and it is no 
wonder, when I find that New England burned 
and drowned women for witches since the States 
were free, that I should give ill-natured flings at 
“ kindred absurdities.” 
If this is not enough, I will next autumn place 
$100 in the hands of the Rural proprietors 
against a similar sum from Mr. F: that I will 
feed any herd of dairy cows with pumpkins aud 
prove that the seeds in the quantity only as they 
grow in the pumpkins, will do no harm; in fact, 
I will prove all I say. 
Now let all opionatod believers in such non¬ 
sense recollect that they are not alone iu errors : 
for on several occasions I have told Americans 
how, fifty years ago, flaxseed used to be boiled 
to jelly and fed to cows and horses and they 
would fatten on it to a wonderful state of ob¬ 
esity, and when I told them the quantity given, 
they would declare that the amount I said was 
given to one animal, would kill six on account of 
its diuretio properties. Diuretio action is not 
hurtful, for young grass, Ac., produce it 
too. 
JOTTINGS FROM MY NOTE BOOK. 
Dec. 26 . 
PROTECTION OF GRAPE VINES. 
Several who have written on the snbject of 
protection to grape vines in winter, recommend 
the use of hay, straw or litter for such purpose. 
This may do very well for localities where Held 
mice arc unknown, but where these pests pre¬ 
vail to any extent, all such substances are objec¬ 
tionable, inasmuch as they furnish just the 
material to invite them to make warm nests in 
such immediate proximity to the vines that 
injury to the latter becomes almost certain. 
Rarely, in my own experience, have I found it 
necessary to use auy suck material for winter 
covering for either vines or plants. My method 
is to Jay the vines down, as close to the ground 
as possible, fasten them there with short stakes, 
driven across to keep them in place, and then 
protect them from the wea ther with a covering 
of loose hoards. This I have found to be suf¬ 
ficient in this latitude (43° N.), and safer than 
any strawy material, and less laborious than 
covering with earth, which is sometimes recom¬ 
mended. It is not the freezing which injures 
the vines so much as the sudden and frequent 
thawings of the frozen wood. If the wood can 
be kept frozen all winter, no injury will be likely 
to ensue from the frost, if the vines have been 
properly laid down. Many persons have an idea 
that the vines should be especially protected on 
the north and west sides, while I have found it 
more important to shield the southerly side 
from the rays of the sun, in winter, and if the 
quantity of proper covering material is limited, 
would he sure to apply it to the southerly side 
first. No ordinary amount of covering will pre¬ 
vent the vines from freezing in extremely cold 
weather. My object, therefore, is to keep them 
frozen, or rather to prevent their thawing on a 
bright, sunny day, to be suddenly frozen again 
at night. It is well to place the boards on both 
sides of the vinos, inclining towards each other, 
so as to form something like an inverted Y over 
them, leaving sufficient space at the top, how¬ 
ever, for proper ventilation. By adopting this 
method I have uniformly succeeded iu having 
my grape vines oome out fresh aud vigorous in 
the spring, if they are not uncovered before the 
hard frosts are over. Better leave them down 
till the bads are considerably swollen. There is 
an advantage, here, in laying down and protect¬ 
ing every kind of grape worthy of cultivation, 
however hardy it may be. The, growth will be 
much more vigorous when the proper season 
arrives, and it commences earlier, thus insuring 
a more abundant yield of fruit, with an earlier 
ripening, which, in our northern climate, is an 
important consideration. 
THE “MODEL FARM PREMISES.” 
The plan for the model farm premises, exhib¬ 
ited iu the Rural of Dec. 22, is a decided im¬ 
provement on the plans of a great majority of 
the farm premises which we see in passing 
through almost any portion of the country. Too 
many of them seem to have been arranged with¬ 
out any plan. But where there is evidently a 
plan, there is such a diversity of taste exhibited 
in that, as in many other matters, that a great 
difference is apparent. 
As you do not seem to anticipate that the plan 
with which you have favored your readers will 
pleaBe all, I trust you will permit me to suggest 
some alterations in it, whioh may possibly he of 
benefit to the novice who contemplates arrang¬ 
ing or re-arranging his farm premises. Taking 
the plan given to your readers, which contains 
many good points, I would, first, recommend 
breaking the immediate connection between the 
bouse and the barn building, by removing a por¬ 
tion, at least, of those on the two sides of the 
area between the house and barn. One reason 
fordoing this any insurance agent would be very 
likely to suggest. Another is, that where tho 
yard in tho rear of the house is common for so 
many purposes as this appa¬ 
rently must be, it is impos¬ 
sible to keep it in that con¬ 
dition of neatness which is 
desirable in every ysrd ap¬ 
pertaining to the homestead. 
This could be obviated by 
removing some of the build¬ 
ings elsewhere, and filling a 
portion of tho area with 
shrubbery, or, as you sug¬ 
gest, occupying it as a 
kitchen garden. 
2d. There appears to he 
no mode of access to the 
barn with loads of bay, 
grain or other bulky pro¬ 
duce, except by using the 
drive-way at the south end 
of the house. It is always 
objectionable to have much 
of such loading pass so near 
the house, on account of 
the litter and other unavoid¬ 
able annoyances. It is evi¬ 
dent that it is not intended 
to have such loads pass 
through the wagon house, 
0. An improvement would 
he to have an entrance into 
the barn from the road in 
the rear. This could bo 
effected by moving the tank, 
T, to one side, and making 
a drive-way between the ma¬ 
nure pits, Q and E. 
3d. The location of the 
milk-room is bad, it being in the southwest 
corner of the bouse, directly exposed on two 
sides to the full force of the sun’s rays in 
the hottest part of the day; whereas, it is 
always advisable to give the milk room a cool 
location for summer use. Then, again, it 
is a well - established fact that no substances 
aro more liable to absorb and retain offen¬ 
sive odors than milk and its products, but¬ 
ter and cheese. For this reason the poultry 
houses aud yards are too near it, to say nothing 
of the sheep-yards, M and N. A decided im¬ 
provement could be made by reversing the posi¬ 
tions of the bedroom, I. and tho milk-room, L. 
This, however, would involve the necessity of 
changing the location of the water closets from 
that given in tho plan. 
4th. I see no advantage in placing the house 
cistern out of doors. I would have it in the cel¬ 
lar, devoting the kitchen cellar, B, to that use. 
This would bring it directly under the scullery, 
N, where it is most needed, aud it would always 
be Becure from frost. This change would also 
allow of the well being nearer the kitchen, in¬ 
stead of being sixty feet away, as in the plan. 
A place for the kitchen cellar could be found 
elsewhere, even if one of tho two cider cellars 
had to he dispensed with. 
5th. One reason for a change of place for the 
well would be to have it further from the drain¬ 
pipes, V, V, leading jfrom the house and privies 
to the barn tank. As placed, they pass quite 
too near the woll. If we oan be absolutely cer¬ 
tain that there will never he any leakage from 
the pipes that can gain access to the well, then, 
perhaps, their close proximity may be permissi¬ 
ble. But who can say, with any certainty, that 
there never will be any undiscovered leakage— 
unsuspeoted, perhaps, till the family or some of 
its members are taken down with typhoid or 
other malignant fevers, caused by the use of 
contaminated wt*l! water ? AIL such dangers 
should be most carefully guarded against. 
Finally, I notice it is stated that the whole 
premises are supposed to be “situated on a 
slope, inclining towards the south.” Now, as 
the house is also supposed to bo situated on the 
east side of the plot, it would seem most im¬ 
portant that there should bo a good slope to 
tho west, to give a good flow and free passage 
through the drain-pipes from t he house, Ac., to 
the tank in tho rear of the barn, some 150 feet 
or more away. Clinton. 
-- 4 -*~*- 
A WARM STABLE. 
S. RUFUS MASON. 
It is probably not known to the majority of 
your Eastern readers, that Nebraska is entirely 
under the control of “ Rude Boreas,—bluster¬ 
ing railer." We have winds of every possible 
character here, from tho gentlest zephyr to the 
most terrific hurrio&nes. Our summer winds 
