Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1880 — FARM NOTES. [ARTICLE]

FARM NOTES.

Some Hints on tlie Management of live Stock. TFrom tho American Agriculturist.] Pigs. —Store pigs will thrive well on roots with a slop of bran, sour milk and water. A supply of roots on hand will greatly reduce the cost of feeding store pigs. Turnips that cannot well be fed to cows may be given to the, pigs. Give young pigs a warm, dry bed. Lice. —The irritation of lice keeps young animals poor and miserable. To rid them of these pests, brush the skin all over thoroughly with a brush dipped in a mixture of linseed-oil and kerosene, shaking the excess of oil out before using the brush. Work the grease down to the skin; if this is persevered in the lice will soon disappear. Mares in Foal. —A roomy loose box is the safest and most comfortable place for a brood mare. A colt may be raised for the same cost as a cow, and when 3 years old may be worth four cows. There is a brisk demand for good werk horses, and a large export business is growing up, so that the keeping of mares will become a source of income. Dub uob onlj- l»trifl kept, and the right kind of colts ue raised, but the mares must have proper stable accommodations. When a mare is idle a largo portion of the time, exercise is needed, and this she can get in a loose box.

Colts. —Young colts should be well fed and cared for the first winter; provide a warm stall for them, with plenty of litter, and give them a good brushing down once every day. A quart of oats, daily, will be needed, and some bright, clean, sweet hay. Cut feed is not suitable for young colts, whoso digestion should not be overtaxed by food packed solidly in the stomach; feed light and frequently. Work - Oxen.— Oxen that work on frozen roads, although there is no ice, should be shod. The rough, hard surface wears down the hoofs very fast, and causes inflammation of the interior.; the trouble may not become apparent until later, when the mischief is difficult to repair. If the feet are tender and hot, and slight lameness is perceived, examine the hoofs between the claws, cleanse the feet and apply remedies if needed. Lambs. —Lambs dropped this month should bo well fed through the ewe. Give little heating food, such as corn, in any shape; but bran, oil-cake meal, and oatmeal in gruel will be healthful and nourishing for the ewe and the iamb. Jn stormy weather the ewe and lamb may be kept under cover, but in fine, sunny days they may run in a dry yard; but not with the other sheep. Early lambs for market should be pushed ahead as fast as may be safe. Breeding owes that are expected to drop lambs early should be closely watched. The springing of the udder is an unfailing sign of approaching parturition. Tho ewe should then be removed to a separate pen and kept quiet, but visited at least every three hours and the last thing at night. It is rarely that any help is needed, except in very cold weather, to w'rap a piece of solt blanket about the lamb and to help it suck as soon as possible. As soon as the lamb gets a meal it will be all right, and the ewe may be left to herself for a few hours.

Tameness and gentleness are qualities to be encouraged in all domestic animals. Their value is discovered when it is necessary to handle the animals at critical periods. When confidence, if not affection, exists, one can do much with a suffering animal, when otherwise interference might make matters worse. It would be well to make friends with cows and sheep especially, by petting them, giving them salt and palatable things, and mingling with them in the yards. Every animal should bo trained to be handled when loose in tho yard. Cows. —Milking cows will be benefited by mixing their feed with warm water, if this can be done without too much trouble. A family cow may be treated to a warm mess in the mornings without difficulty, and it will increase the milk perceptibly. Cut the hay and pour a pailful of hot water over it; mix the mess so that the hay is all wetted; and add the meal; mix again, and feed while warm. In a dairy of twenty cows the extra milk will pay for the labor needed. If the food can be made more digestible, and by giving it warm, tho waste of animal heat will be avoided, and tbe same effect will result as from an tio'-cpf’o of food. Thus the study of the principles of feeding may be made a source of profit by the economy which may be practiced through it. The card aud brush should be in frequent use during the winter", and, if necessary, a coarse cloth and warm water may be used to preserve cleanliness. If filth is permitted to gather on the skin it is difficult to remove at this season. Yowng oalves will thrive well if kept in a shed together and well fed. The

stood may be littered liberally, and need not be cleaned out until the spring, or until the manure has become a foot or more deep. Calves may thus become good manure-makers, bat it will be neceesaryto feed them well. Bran and oats, with a little com, will be Hie best for them. Oive one pint a day for those under a year, and a quart or' two daily for yearlings. Costiveness in cold weather should be carefully guarded against, and, if necessay, half a pint of raw linseed-oil, or a pint of linseedmeal, should be given with the food as a remedy.