FEB. 7 
But there is much more In the use ot ice man 
can be estimated in dollars and cents. Those 
who live in cities cannot get along without 
their daily supply Of it, which is as much of a 
necessity as their supply of meat or bread, 
and they arc willing to pay what amounts to a 
heavy tax in the season for this luxury alone, 
and all this as a mere matter of family com¬ 
fort. Is not the comfort of the farmer's family 
equally Important ? There are cases, as in 
sickness, when access to Ice is one of the great¬ 
est blessings imaginable. And yet farmers 
continue to neglect procuring a supply. It is 
a cheap luxury. The labor of storing it is 
done at a time when no other work is pressing. 
The ice market is generally quiet. No specu¬ 
lators create ‘‘corners" in ice in the country. 
Any one who wants it cau generally get it for— 
nothing. Now, farmers, one and ail, store a 
supply of ice this winter aud use it next sum¬ 
mer, and see for yourselves if it is not a cheap 
luxury and a great blessing. 
St. Lawrence Co., 
HANDY THINGS TO KNOW AND TO DO. 
Making Ropes Pliable. 
In a former letter I described some of the 
uses of ropes and how to handle them to ad¬ 
vantage, and continue the topic. 
Jute and manilla ropes tire cheap and strong, 
but they are stiff and awkward things to knot 
or tie or to do anything with. In fact. If one 
takes a coil of such rope and, immersing It in a 
pot of water, lets it come to a boil, aud after a 
few minutes takes It out and lets it dry 
thoroughly stretched, all the stiffness and 
“kink” will be taken out of it. If the rope 
be not too loug, I throw It over the limbs of a 
tree, tie the euds together and lay a few rails 
or posts In the bight. If too long for this, it is 
made fast by each end iu the crotches of suit¬ 
ably distant trees, drawu taut, and stretched 
by laying a few rails upon It. Thus treated, 
when dry It makes excellent halter or tie 
ropes, or, iu fact, a handy and useful rope for 
any purpose and, for aught that I ever sus¬ 
pected to the contrary, it is just as strong as 
ever. 
Stuck !n the Mud. 
Any one is liable to such an accident iu get¬ 
ting timber or firewood out from the woods, or 
when going over poor roads with heavy loads 
any where. What is to be done ? Every effort 
of the team has only settled one fore wheel, we 
will say, deeper and deeper. It Is hardly pos¬ 
sible that with fence rails for levers, after 
around. If two good posts can be found, one 
for a sill to rest on the ground, the other for a 
Btrut to hold the rope in the position of most ef¬ 
fective draft; then the rope may be attached 
as far back as possible on the wheel, as in 
figure 34 passed over the strut, and the teams 
started again. This, it will be seen, lifts as 
well as draws, aud if there is any hope of 
starting the load, it will be very apt to effect 
It. It is sometimes the quickest way to un¬ 
load; bat no one not experienced in the ways 
of bad roads ought to uuload without trying 
every way to get out. It takes & good driver 
not to hurt his horses, or their harness, or 
their tempers or his own. It is a dear exper¬ 
ience if horses become baulky, and every effort 
should be made to have everything ready so 
that they shall not exert their strength use¬ 
lessly, but)that when they do puli, the load shall 
come out. 
If, instead of making the rope fast at the 
periphery of the wheel, It be deemed Important 
to lift as much as possible, we may attach the 
rope to the hub, or pass it around the hub. 
Theu when the teams are started, one will lift 
while the other will draw. 
A Handy Stuuip Puller. 
This same application of power la often use¬ 
ful In many ways. It is easy to see that when 
the bottom of the post and the point of attaeh- 
FTO. 83. 
digging out in front and dowu by the side of 
the wheel, it may be lifted a little and the team 
will start it out, and then the hind wheel will 
drop solidly into the same hole, unless the hole 
la bridged very quickly and well. It is nearly 
as Important to keep the hind wheel from get¬ 
ting in as to get the fore wheel out. The best 
way I know of is to make a sort ol corduroy 
road, by laying sticks aud rails across the rut 
close up to the fore wheel, aud a little pile just 
there, so that when the start is accomplished 
the chasm may bo easily bridged. Now, how 
to 6tartSomebody must fetch a rope, If pos¬ 
sible a block and tackle, or a pair of blocks, 
or, what Is better, an extra horse or a pair of 
horses. Where shall we attach the rope ? The 
most power will be gained if we make fast 
near the top oi the wheel, a little back of the 
uppermost spoke, and then start up both teams 
very steadily. (See fig. 83.) 
no. 35. 
meat of the rope are very near together, the 
lifting power will be very groat, but the motiou 
will be very small. If the bottom of the post 
be set back a little, the lift will be mnch 
greater. A very bandy stump-puller may be 
made on Hits plau t Take two white-oak 
staddles four inches through and, say, eight or 
ten feet long; bore iuch-and-a-half holes 
through them near the tops, and put a crowbar 
through them, attaching a chain, as in figure 35 
and a powerful draft may be applied. The 
chain must pass around the top of the posts, 
or be fastened so that It cannot slip. If the 
stamp does not come out but Is started a little, 
or even if It is uot, the feet of I he posts may be 
shifted so as to give more motiou or more 
power, as may be needed. b. $g“Y. 
.Simp §usbankj). 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
IRA J. BLACKWELL. 
FIG. 34. 
This may not work. The wheel may slip ; 
or it may come partly out only to sink iu again, 
and In either case the draft beoomes a “ dead 
pull,’* aa soon as the wheel moves a quarter 
Tue question “ Does it pay to raise sheep ?” 
will here come under consideration. As few 
people wish to work without some compen¬ 
sation, the answer may bo, that there Is plenty 
of laud iu the older States that is worth but 
little except foi pasture, aud a great amount 
in the West, that has no other use at present; 
under these clrcumstances we must choose 
between sheep, cattle or horses. Cal tie aud 
horses require more capital than sheep, and 
more care and shelter , lake longor to mature, 
and, moreover, horses require more Judgment. 
It appears that the land that we farm should 
belli grass nearly half the time; for the last 
few years it has uot paid much profit for grain 
raising owing to low prices. It Is best to util¬ 
ize this grass in 6omo way. I think that au 
acre of good laud will keep three sheep and 
raise a lamb for early market to each ewe. If 
we keep the lambs later or raise them entirely 
on grass, we mast reduce the number. It will 
take to raise them, two bushels of corn each, 
worth here at present 55 cents per bushel, and 
100 pounds of wheat bran, worth one dollar, 
making, with the feed given to the lambs, about 
$2.60 per head, or #7.50 per acre. Three lambs 
should bring #15, and three ewes ought to 
shear 10 pounds of wool, worth four dollars, 
which would make #10, leaving a balance of 
#11 60 to pay for grass, hay, feuces, interest on 
stock aud losses. The manure ought to pay 
for the labor* If the laud is poor, this cellmate 
Is too high, for stock will not grow without 
feed of Borne kind. One sheep kept growing l#' 
better than three that just hold their own. 
There must be improvement all the time. 
“ Almost fit for the butcher," I believe is the 
proper condition for stock, when raised for 
profit. 
We might let the grass go down on the land 
and rot, if more profitable, We cannot take i 
it Off the farm to profit, unless we bring it i 
back in some shape or other. The farmer that i 
sells hla hay and straw generally soon sells his i 
farm; for without hay and straw we make i 
but little manure, and without manure, corn, 
wheat and grass do not grow well in this sec¬ 
tion. It is to be presumed that attention will i 
be turned more to sheep ralslug at the present 
time. Whenever anything that farmers raise 
gets to paying, all try that particular branch 
of industry, and the consequences are that 
prices rule low—and the beginner loses his , 
enthusiasm and quits the business. That 
sheep raising has paid I think is certain ; that 
it does pay is evident; that it will pay is prob¬ 
able. Yet all trades must be learned to be suc¬ 
cessfully prosecuted; and so with raising 
sheep. If we keep them to talse lambs, then 
we must endeavor to get the lambs ready 
for market in the shortest time and at the least 
expense. How shall we do this ? 
Probably the first consideration would be the 
best breeds for early maturity and to fatten. 
I think the South Dowu i» best. Certainly a 
South Down buck aud any well built ewe will 
bring a close well built lamb. This is especially 
necessary for early lambs. For later, a Leices¬ 
ter, Lincoln, Cotawold, or any good-sized ewe, 
will give more profit, perhaps; but they will 
take longer to get ready for market. Those 
ready to market in April aud May bring the 
most money, and to sell best they must weigh 
about 70 pounds, and be what the butcheis call 
ripe; that is, they must be fat and well fleshed 
up, which will take a South Down lamb four 
mouths. If we grow for wool and the flesh, the 
offsprings of the South Down crossed on the 
Oxfords, Leicester, or Bakewells, make a good 
weight of carcass, and would pay as well as auy. 
Where the bucks are sent to market as lambs 
aud the ewes kept for breeding purposes, when 
kept for wool, and to bo sent to maiket wbeu 
full-grown, I think the Lincoln would be best; 
but I have had no experience with this breed. 
The above breeds ranst have care and shelter. 
If large flocks are to be raised and with little 
care and expense, probably the Merino would 
be best, as sheep of this breed are hardy and 
increase rapidly. 
For early lambs it Is best to have a lionse 
that can be shut up In cold weather. There 
should be plenty of ventilation, but no chill 
drafts, as lambs dropped m January aud Feb¬ 
ruary are too sensitive to the weather to with¬ 
stand the cold of that season. Willi proper 
quarters and a cow to supply milk to the youug 
lambs until they get strength to nurse, few 
laiiitj* need to be lost, Iu very cold weather 
most i wiLi h will need some help from the bottle 
until they are old enough to eat meal, which 
they usually do at three weeks. We practice 
the plan of an extra peu for the lambs, so ar¬ 
ranged that they go in and out at all times. 
We keep feed In this pen, feeding wheat bran 
at first. After the lambs are six weeks old we 
put iu some Indian meal, always trying not to 
pat in enough to cloy the little things. They 
will eat all the bran they want, and alter a 
short time come hack for more. With meal 
we find that, let them once get all fihey want, 
and It will be from a day to a week before their 
appetites return, aud the lamb is put back 
about a month ; for as soon as a lamb stops 
feeding well, it loses flesh rapidly. This is 
one reason why shipping early lambs loug dis¬ 
tances will not pay—they lose fleth too fast. 
A large flock must have atteutiou aud at 
lambiug time the flock-master will need some 
small pens in which to put the ewes that have 
twins, for where there are many in the dock, 
all twins ought to be kept separate from the 
flock until the lambs follow the ewe. There 
are very few ewes that will not own their 
lambs if put iu a pen iu which they can just 
turn round. There will be plenty of room for 
the lamb, aud If the pen is of the right size, 
the ewe oanuot butt the lamb. No violence is 
needed here—patience and perseverance are 
the requisites. The ewe will have to be held 
for the lamb to nurse. If she docs uot furnish 
milk enough, the cow must be resorted to. A 
bottle that holds a half pint is largo enough ; 
It should have a rubber uipple on top for 
the lamb to suck. I advise all who do 
uot want to give extru time, care aud feed to 
the flock, uot to have the lambs dropped until 
April. At this date they will not cost so 
much to raise, taking less grain and attention. 
If dropped by the last of May or iu June, good 
lambs cau be raised without graiu. In ship¬ 
ping to market, never send a poor lamb; keep 
it until it gets fat. If we do not get them fat 
i la summer, we must keep them until winter, 
aud feed them. 
Alt bucks should be castrated If dropped 
utter February, aud twins after January, even 
r when intended to be seut to market as lambs, 
j Castration should be done with a sharp knife 
t the same as with other stock. There’s no need 
r of the old way of cutting with a knife that ouly 
tears. We must deal kindly with our stock. 
The man that shouts aud hammers arouud wIN 
j not answer among the sheep or anywhere else; 
r he was not made for the business, and if he is 
the owner, his balance will, most likely, be on 
1 the wrong side of the ledger There is truth 
in the saying that etock grows while we look 
at them. Feeding alone will not answer all 
the requirements of animals. The owner’s at¬ 
tention should be there, watehiug for any that 
are sick or lame or not improving with the 
rest, to see that all get a share of feed, and none 
too much and to see that some nornly ones are 
not injuring the weaker ones. A flock of sheep 
properly taken care of, are not likely to have 
the foot rot, which Is mostly caused by neglect 
to keep the feet clean. When the weather Is 
wet and warm in winter and Bpring, If the 
sheep have to be driven out of the pen, they 
will go through the mud, as they usually fol¬ 
low in the foot-steps of the one that goes first; 
eousequewtly the mud presses between the toes 
or hoofs, hardens there; the sheep get lame 
aud from bad soon get worse; in short, the 
foot will be found inflamed and between the 
toes will be a running sore, and If it gets under 
the hoof, we have genuine foot rot. Preven¬ 
tion Is best, If possible. If through neglect 
the feet do get sore, apply a little muriatic 
acid at once ; and If the sore Is under the hoof 
it must be reached promptly ; delay only In¬ 
creases the torture. Foot rot can be cured In 
in the early stages without much trouble ; but 
when it has got a fair hold It can be got rid ot 
ouly with much care, by washing with chloride 
of lime and applying the acid once a day; at 
the same time give each day an ounce ot 
Epsom salts. For garget or caked bag we use 
camphor melted In lard and rubbed on while 
warm, not hot. Put iu pleuty of camphor 
and rub lightly. 
Mercer Co., N. J. 
fljc jHuuic-ljerii. 
FEEDING PIG!?. 
PROFESSOR E. W. STEWART. 
The pork crop as repieseuted In our ex¬ 
ports, stands at the head of all our animal 
products. It is therefore important that all 
the economies of produciug pork should be 
carefully studied. The pig has long been 
treated as if its constitution could stand al¬ 
most anything. Aud perhaps the error lead¬ 
ing to the most disastrous consequences ha» 
been the prevailing Idea that the pig thrived 
upon the most concentrated food, and did not 
require bulk in its ailment to promote health 
This error has not beeu eouflued to unthlni, 
Ing farmers; for the experiments of Dr. Lawes, 
of Rotbaiustead, and of Dr. Miles, at the 
Michigan Agricultural College. Iu pig feeding, 
were conducted wholly with concentrated 
food in determining the feeding value of corn 
meal etc. They evidently did not regard 
com meal, fed alone, as too concentrated for 
the health of the pig. Yet they would not 
have regarded corn meal alone as a healthy 
ration fur a horse. But the pig i3 as much a 
'grass-eating animal as the horse. In the 
wild state both lived upon grass, but the 
grass-eating nature of the pig has been for¬ 
gotten, aud he Is piled with concentrated food 
from weaning age till slaughtered, except In 
certain cases when it Is desired to keep him 
cheaply for a tew weeks upon grass. This 
summer pasturing of pigs ought to have taught 
the feeder a lesson as to Its requirements for 
health. 
Experiment with Grass and Meal. 
Many years ago I tried an experiment to 
test the effect of grass in the ration of the 
| Pte- 
A litter of six five-weeks-old pigs were 
divided Into two lots of three each, of equal 
weight. Each lot was placed In a separate 
pen on the first day of June. One lot was 
fed wholly upon corn meal soaked 12 hours. 
The other lot had one quart of green clover, 
cut short with a straw-cutter aud mixed with 
corn meal. Each lot of pigs had all it would 
eat. The theory held by the writer was that 
meal alone must go into the stomach of the 
pig iu the plastic state of dough, so that the 
gastric juice could not penetrate this mass and 
properly perform Its office, while the clover 
grass, being mixed with the meal, separated 
the particles and permitted the gjastrle jniee 
to pass freely through aud digest It rapidly. 
The clear meal being digested so slowly 
or lying too long in the stomach, would 
create fever and other disturbances In the 
system. The lot of pigs with the clover and 
meal were always lively, always ready for their 
feed; whilst the other lot with meal alone, 
would eat greedily for a time and then be¬ 
come dainty lor a few days, takiug little but 
water, showing afeverlsh condition of the sys¬ 
tem ; bat by fasting they appeared to recover 
the tone of the stomach, and would go on 
catlug with an appetite again. This was re¬ 
peated several times during the five months 
of the experiment. On weighing the two lots 
at the end, the one on meal alone averaged 
150 pounds each; the lot on clover and meal, 
averaged 310 pounds each, or 40 per cent, 
more for being treated as grass-eating animals. 
Each lot consumed the same amount of meal 
