326 
AMERICAN agriculturist. 
[July. 
A Cheap and Convenient Chicken Coop. 
Mr. “A. B. D.” of N. C., sends us a sketch of 
a cheap and convenient chicken coop, which 
he has often used : Sink the barrel on its 
side three inches in the ground, and fin in 
enough earth on each side of it to keep the 
barrel from rocking, placing the remainder 
of the earth inside for the little chicks 
to scratch in. Split a board into five pieces, 
having one of them several inches longer 
than the others, for a door strip. Sharpen 
one end of each, and drive four pieces firmly 
into the ground, close up to the chine. Near 
ll 
i 11 
A BARREL COOPi 
the top of the two center pieces nail a small 
strip across, as shown in the engraving. Slide 
the long piece in, and the coop is complete. 
If there should be no bottom to the barrel, 
place that end against a fence or fowl house. 
This makes the coop more secure. For every 
new brood of chicks, change the earth inside 
the barrel, to keep the bottom fresh and clean. 
Wagon Rack, 
There are many small farms on which it 
would not pay to have a regular hay wagon, 
and an ordinary wagon could be made to an¬ 
swer the purpose by using a rack like the 
one shown in the engraving. Any farmer 
familiar with tools can make this rack in 
about two hours. The two pieces, b, b, are 
2 by 3-incli pine, either rough or planed, and 
overrun the wagon box, at both ends, five 
inches to a foot. They are laid on the 2-inch 
HAY RACK FOR A WAGON. 
side, so as to have three inches to bear the 
strain. The cross-pieces, 2 by 3-inch, c, c, are 
laid across the top of the other pieces, on the 
2-inch surface. Inch holes are bored at 
a, a, a, a, into which are driven tough hick¬ 
ory pins, about 14 or 16 inches long, fitting 
into the four corners of the wagon-body, to 
keep the frame in place. The pieces, d, d, d, d, 
are strong 6-inch pine boards, securely nailed 
to the cross-pieces. They prevent the hay, 
etc., from getting on the wheels, and also en¬ 
large the base of the load. For large wagons, 
use 3 by 4-inch pieces or 2-inch plank, 
about 4 inches wide. D. Z. E. 
Black Polled Cattle in the South. 
A herd of Shorthorn, Hereford and Black 
Polled Cattle were taken to Texas in the 
spring of 1882. In acclimating there, all 
cattle from the more Northern States suffer 
a considerable loss. In this case, the deaths 
in Shorthorns and Herefords were about fifty 
per cent,, proving that these two breeds 
were equally hardy. The loss of Black Polled 
animals was only about twenty-five per cent. 
If this less loss, in future transfers of cattle 
to Texas, should hold time, the Black Polled 
will be sought far more eagerly than ever, 
and probably take precedence in that region. 
We think, however, that the losses in Short¬ 
horns and Herefords may be greatly lessened 
with proper care. Bulls only should be taken 
there, and these in the autumn, when not 
over six to nine months old at the time. They 
ought not to be overfed in rearing, but kept 
growing simply in a good, ordinary way— 
never stuffed as is often done with young 
animals to force their growth, and render 
them more attractive to the eye, like young 
steers fed for the butcher. After arrival in 
Texas, these young bulls should be housed in 
summer as well as in winter, given one or 
two heaping tablespoonfuls of wood ashes, 
and of pulverized charcoal once a week, with 
lumps of rock salt constantly before them to 
lick as desired. It is not worth while—at 
least at present—for the Texan ranchemen to 
undertake to keep thorough-bred females to 
rear pure-blooded stock ; for considering all 
risks and expenses, it is cheaper and better 
for them to purchase males only at the North. 
The half-product from these make excellent 
steers, and when it comes to three-fourths 
and seven-eighths of an infusion of improved 
blood, they do quite as well on the average, 
as if thorough-bred, and can scarcely be dis¬ 
tinguished from them when in market. 
Raise Roots and Pit Them. 
One great objection to the raising of root 
crops for winter and spring feeding, is the sup¬ 
posed difficulty of wintering them. If they 
have to be stored in the house or barn-cellar, 
below the stables, to keep them from freez¬ 
ing, and carried by hand every day to the 
stables, it is an expensive process. The roots 
are apt to heat in large piles, and some of 
them rot. For the first time, last November, 
we tried the experiment of wintering beets, 
turnips, and carrots, in a long narrow pit 
near the stable door. The ground selected 
was a gravelly loam, naturally well drained. 
The surface soil was removed to the depth of 
a foot or more, about six feet in width, and 
of sufficient length to take in the crop. The 
roots were dropped into the pit from the cart 
as they came from the field, and piled 
in common roof-shape, to shed rain well. 
They were then covered with a foot of bog- 
hay, and a layer of earth and sods placed 
upon the hay, about six inches in thickness. 
The roots were three feet in depth from the 
apex downward. Occasional ventilators 
were left in the roof, to be stopped with hay 
in the coldest weather. The pit was not 
opened until February, and the roots came 
out in perfect condition, as crisp and juicy in 
April and in May as when they were dropped 
into the pit. A frost-proof root cellar, on the 
same level with the stable floor, might keep 
roots as well, but certainly no better, and it 
is more expensive. The pit, close to the sta¬ 
bles, can be extemporized on every farm, 
and this great luxury for cattle in spring 
time, provided by all. Analysis does not 
show a very high nutritive value for die 
roots, but it is possible they may add to the 
value of the hay, cotton-seed, and linseed 
meal, and the grains and other rations usu¬ 
ally fed with them. They certainly improve 
the thrift of cattle, and increase the quantity 
and quality of the milk and butter. Do not 
fail to try a patch of beets this season. 
Connecticut. 
A Barbed Wire Gate. 
Mr. “ E. R. B.,” Prince Edwards Island, 
sends us a sketch of a gate he has used for sev¬ 
eral years. It is light, cheap, and easily made. 
The uprights are 3J by 2 inches, the horizon¬ 
tals 12 or 13 feet long, by 34 by 2 inches, all 
of pine. The horizontals are mortised into 
A WIRE GATE. 
the uprights, the bolts of the hinges strength¬ 
ening the joints. The barbed wires prevent 
animals from reaching over and through 
the gate. To put in and tighten the wires, 
bore a f-inch hole in the upright, pass the 
wires through, 1 or 2 inches projecting, plug 
up tightly with a wooden pin, and bend 
down the ends of the wire. Measure the 
distance to the other upright and cut the wire 
two inches longer. Pass the wire through the 
hole and tighten with pincers. When the 
wire is stretched, plug up with a wooden pin 
and then bend down the wire. If the wire 
stretches it can be tightened very easily. 
The Best Kinds of Feed for Butter. 
The practice of constructing warm barns, 
and arranging stock and crops for the mak¬ 
ing of winter butter, is increasing, and can 
be extended almost indefinitely, under favor¬ 
able conditions. The great majority of our 
dairy farmers cease milking in October or 
November, and there is very little butter 
made for market, during the season of barn 
and stack feeding. A period of five months 
every year is a blank in the dairy business. 
With suitable feed and shelter, no doubt 
the milking season can be prolonged sev¬ 
eral months, with increased profit to the 
dairy farmer. To the men who are aiming at 
this result, and are sending fresh butter of 
the gilt-edged stamp to market, through the 
winter, the question of feed becomes a very 
important one. At a recent convention of 
the customers of the creameries in Connecti¬ 
cut, cow-feed was under discussion, and all 
agreed in the following important particu¬ 
lars :—“Cotton-seed meal is not desirable; 
