THE CULTIVATOR. 
Nov. 
The Sheep-Tick. 
The following short, comprehensive account of the 
Sheep-tick , with magnified figures of its parts, from 
Morton’s Cyclopedia of Agriculture, will doubtless be 
interesting to sheep owners, and in certain cases may 
assist in their destruction when abundant: 
Melophagus ovinus, (the She'ep-tick or Louse), 
lives among the wool, and must be very annoying to 
lambs. They are more or less abundant from March'**' 
to October, when oval-shining bodies, like the pips of 
small apples, and similar in colour, may be found at¬ 
tached by the pointed end to the wool (Fig. L—2, 
the same magnified) ; these are not the eggs but 
the pupa3, which are laid by the female, and 
are at first soft and white. From these issue the 
ticks ( (3), (4, the same magnified), which are horn 3 r , 
bristly, and rusty-ochre; the head is orbicular, with 
two dark eyes (5), and a rostrum in front, enclosing 
three fine curved tubes (6) for piercing the skin and 
sucking the blood; the body is large, leathery, purse¬ 
shaped and whitish when alive, notched at the apex; 
the six legs are stout, very bristly, and the feet are 
furnished with strong double claws. A wash of arsenic, 
soft soap, and purified potash; a decoction of tobacco ; 
train oil, with spirits of turpentine ; or mercurial oint¬ 
ment, will destroy the ticks. 
Fattening Animals. 
This is a subject not generaily understood by the great 
mass of formers, throughout its various bearings. All 
know that they can fatten a hog or cow by feeding grain 
or vegetables enough; but as to the best, cheapest, and 
most profitable mode, among many people, little is 
known. As at this time of the year more attention is 
paid to the fattening of animals, than at any other 
time, a few hints with regard to it, will not be wholly 
lost. 
1 Animals intended for the butcher should be kept 
quiet. They should have no more exercise than is ne¬ 
cessary for their health, as more than this, calls for a 
greater amount of food, while the process of fattening 
is delayed. Animals should be fed regularly with a 
proper amount of proper food. Should they not be fed 
at regular intervals, it will tend to make them uneasy 
and discontented, and they will not thrive. When they 
are fed with apples or pumpkins, it should be in their 
season, and not when they have lost their goodness by 
decay or frost. This rule may always be observed, that 
the least nutritious articles should be fed first, and the 
most nutritive afterwards. Of the root crops, for fatten¬ 
ing properties, potatoes stand first, carrots next, and 
ruta-bagas, mangel-wurtzels and flat turneps follow on 
in their order. Of grain, wheat is first, Indian corn, 
peas and barley are the next. Probably more corn is 
used than any other grain, especially for swine ; it 
seems to-be peculiarly adapted, for the fattening of 
pork. There is a great gain in having it ground and 
cooked or scalded. No grain should be fed without one 
or both of these being done, as animals are more quiet 
and contented, and therefore gain flesh much faster. I 
am confident that food is as much better for swine and 
Feeding Cows. 
The following experiments in feeding were made by 
Mr. Thompson, a German former, with two cows. The 
whole time occupied was three and a half mosths, and 
measures and weights were taken for five days’ pro¬ 
duct, five days after a change of food. ■ It will be seen 
that he used six different articles of food, with the fol¬ 
lowing result:—- 
PRODUCT FOR FIVE DAYS. 
Fed on, 
Milk. 
Butter. 
Grass,. 
Barley,. 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
5 
oz. 
•••• 107 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
2 
oz. 
Malt,. 
Barley and Malt,. 
.... 102 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
2 
oz. 
.... 106 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
2 
oz. 
Barley and Linseed, • • • • 
.... 106 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
2 
oz 
Beans,. 
.... 108 
lbs. 
3 lbs. 
7 
oz. 
The amount of each kind of food was equal in pounds. 
It will be seen that the grass produced the largest 
quantity of milk, but the beans suroassed in the amount 
of butter produced:— Agricultor. 
Apples for Milch Cows. —Five minutes ago a gen¬ 
tleman, who deals in facts and figures, as well as fine 
cattle, informed us that he had fed out last winter more 
than two hundred harrels of sweet apples to his milch 
cows, and that the increased quantity and richness in 
quality of the milk paid him better than any other use 
to which he could have applied them. He states that 
he is raising trees annually, for the purpose of raising 
apples for stock. Another important statement of his, 
is, that since he has fed apples to his cows, there has 
not been a case of milk fever among them.— N. E. 
Farmer. 
cattle, for being cooked, as it is for man. When ani¬ 
mals are first put up for fattening, care should be taken 
that grain of great nutritive properties should be fed 
with caution, as the appetite is generally great, and 
over-feeding them with such grain will hurt them. 
The best plan that I know of, is to mix lighter grains 
and have them all ground together. Corn-meal pos¬ 
sesses great nutritive properties, and animals will fatten 
faster on it than almost any other grain; but it will not 
answer to feed them wholly on this for a great length of 
time. Animals, when full fed upon meal, sometimes 
become dyspeptic, a disease similar to that sometimes 
affecting our own species. Hence we see the propriety, 
and frequently the necessity, of having the corn ground, 
<c cob and all.” By this means the nutriment is dif¬ 
fused through a greater bulk, laj^s lighter in the stom¬ 
ach, and all is thoroughly digested. This consideration 
more particularly applies to cattle than to swine; for 
the reason that animals which do not ruminate, or chew 
the cud, are better adapted for taking their food in a 
concentrated form. But still I say “ grind your corn 
and cob together, and cook it well, and you will be 
doubly repaid for all your trouble.” 
It is an excellent thing to give animals a variety of 
food, as health is promoted by it. I have found the fol¬ 
lowing to be excellent: One part corn, one part barley, 
one part peas, all ground together and mixed with boil¬ 
ed potatoes, pumpkins or apples. It is well to have this 
mixture slightly fermented, or soured by dairy slop.— 
Swine appear to like it better, and the pork will be as 
good. The health of swine is also promoted by an occa¬ 
sional supply of soap-suds mixed ’with their regular 
food, but no brine in which there has been saltpetre, 
should ever be permitted to be given. Sw r eet whey also 
should be soured before it is given to swine. To sum it 
all up, let animals have but little exercise; feed them 
regularly, the lightest food first, the strongest last; 
grind and cook all grain; also cook vegetables and fruit; 
feed a variety of the grain and vegetable kinds, slightly 
fermented, &c. Lastly, animals should be kept warm 
in cold weather, and should have plenty of air in hot 
weather. Now, if these rules are followed, and these 
hints remembered and heeded, the object and aim of the 
writer will be accomplished .—Dollar Nevspaper. 
