Spanish Merino Rams, 
Bred by and the property of George Campbell of West Westminster, Yt. 
Two Mistakes in Cattle Feeding. 
There are two mistakes not unfrequently committed 
about this season of the year, which it may be well to 
notice, as they may be thereby prevented in a number 
of instances. 
One of the mistakes to which we refer, consists in 
allowing cows and other kinds of stock to depend en¬ 
tirely upon grass, even after it has been deprived of 
much of its relish and its nutritive qualities by re¬ 
peated freezings. That this practice must be injurious 
reason or common sense might suffice to teach without 
any any lessons from experience whatever; but if the 
latter are needed to enforce the former, they can be 
had daily by inspection of tha diminished quantity 
and depreciated quality of the milk and butter, and 
also by looking at the falling off in the condition of 
sheep, cattle, or other stock. Cows that get a back¬ 
set from this cause and at this season, are not likely 
to get over it all winter. The injury to the grass it¬ 
self from too close gnawing, &c., we may merely name 
without any details. 
The other mistake to which we refer, consists in 
making a too sudden change from green to dry feed. 
Any sudden change of this kind must produce more or 
less derangement in the system and condition of those 
subjected to it. The change from dry to green food in 
spring is probably more frequently a source of serious 
or violent disease ; but, nevertheless, the change from 
green to dry should be made quite gradually. Pump¬ 
kins supply one material whereby this change can be 
made gradual; and if there were no other advantage 
to be derived from root crops, it would be well to raise 
a quantity every year to serve the purpose of making 
the change from green to dry feed a gradual one. 
Even after this change is made a few roots occasional¬ 
ly through the winter seem absolutely a necessity, both 
for the comfort and health of animals fed on dry 
hay, and almost as indispensable for ewes and cows 
that begin to give milk before any green thing can be 
had in the spring. 
The avoidance of these mistakes or mal-practices 
will not only contribute to the comfort and health of 
the animals upon a farm, but will also yield a not un- 
—--.. 
enviable satisfaction to the feelings of their owner, as 
well as save him from losses in several ways, which we 
need not now particularize. 
Burning Sods for their Ashes. 
At a meeting of the Skaneateles Farmer’s Club, Mr.W. 
P. Giles gave the result of an experiment on his farm, 
some years ago, in burning the turf upon a piece of 
swampy ground which had been reclaimed by draining. 
The sod was cut looso in the fall, and in the spring was 
thrown into heaps, and burned by the aid of old rails 
and stumps, and the ashes was then spread as a top¬ 
dressing upon the land immediately after plowing ; the 
result was an enormous crop of corn, while the adja¬ 
cent parts of the same field were ruined by the worms. 
Tho ground continued to produce larger crops of grain 
and grass than other parts of the field to this day. He 
also alluded to the practice of the Hon. Mr. Dickinson 
of Steuben Co, of cutting up the sod along the side of 
the highway, and throwing it in heaps and burning it, 
as a manure, with beneficial results. 
To Kill Lice on Cattle. 
Ta*e tobacco and boil it in water until very strong 
—then wash the animal freely with the liquid two or 
three times. I have a cow that was so for six months, 
and tried every thing I could hear of to no purpose, 
when I washed her back and flanks freely. This drove 
all the able ones to her neck and head. I then washed 
her neck once, which finished all the rest, thus making 
that detestable weed answer one important and bene¬ 
ficial purpose. A. M. Brown. Glebe Collage , Va. 
-•»»- 
Linseed Tea for Calves. 
An English paper gives the following simple mode of 
preparing linseed tea for calves :— 
“ One and a half lb. of linseed will make five 
gallons of tea. To one and a-half lb of ground lin¬ 
seed add a gallon of hoi water—not boiling, in cold 
weather let it stand twenty-four hours, in warm 
weather twelve hours. Then add four gallons of wa¬ 
ter, and give it to the calves at the temperature and (ID 
about the consistency of new milk. A six months’ calf X) 
will drink six gallons per day, given at twice ” Vv 
