Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1896 — FACTS FOR FARMERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AGRICULTURISTS. A Prolific Breed of Sheep—New Pranine Shear* Having a Sliding Blade —How to Select Potatoes for Seed— Dehorning Yonng Calves. Shropshire Sheep. The Shropshire branch of the Down family partakes of the general characteristics of the Southdown, says the Orange Judd Farmer, although much heavier both in fleece and body, and also more robust. It is said to be the most prolific of all breeds of sheep, the average rate of increase in some flocks of pure Shropshire often being 150 per cent., while the product from the cross of the Shropshire ram on half-bred long-wool ewes frequently reaches 200 per cent The prolific tendency of the Shropshire is a point of great importance with the breeder, as it materially Increases the profits in furnishing early lambs for the market. They are also good mothers, and generally have an abundance of milk for their young, in this respect differing from many of the

large breeds. The Shropshire has a longer face, of uniform dark tint, than the Southdown, a full and spirited eye, spreading ears of good size, and a forehead rather flat and well wooled. Their fleece weight is generally from five to seven pounds. The meat is like the Southdowns in fineness of texture, the presence of fat in the tissues, and richness of color. These sheep are hardy in moist climates, and will endure a wide range of soil and feeding. The illustration herewith shows a blpe ribbon ram lamb belonging to W. H. Beattie, of Canada. Potatoes for Seed. There needs to be greater care taken in selecting potatoes. Not only the right form and size are important, but it is quite as much so that the seed should be grown from plants that have kept their vigor until the tubers were fully ripened, and that had not suffered from attacks of the potato bug, says the Orange County Farmer. The only way to be absolutely sure about having good potato seed is to mark the strongest hills while they were growing, and select the best potatoes from these ’■ill’s. Such seed should easily bo wo?th five times as much per bushel for planting as seed selected at random from a pit or bln. If a farmer can once get started with seed of this character, it will require much less labor to fight the potato bug. It is a good plan, also, to try the new varieties as quickly as they come into market. Most varieties grown from seed will yield much heavier crops for two or three years after their introduction than they ever will again. Dishorning Calves. Dishorning calves, when two to three days old, with the chemical dlsliorners (which, I believe, are simply dissolved potash), is in my case a complete success, says a contributor to the Country Gentleman. I have found a better way for me, yet I wilt describe the chemical way: Before the horn has come through the skin—on the second day after birth, if possible—cut the hair away from the place where the horn would come—you can feel the bump—and moisten a place as large as a silver quarter dollar thoroughly with the dishorning fluid, rubbing it in with a small swab. Do not drop any on clothes, flesh, or on the calf’s eyes. In ten minutes rub more on. Then let alone, and have no more uneasiness on the horn question in the case of that calf. A brown crust forms, which is the skin killed by the dishorner. Let this alone and it will come off in due time. To make the chemical dishorner, dissolve a little potash in as little water as will do; keep in a glassstoppered bottle. Fresh W-ater for Hogs, No animal suffers more frequently from thirst than does the hog, especially when it is fattening. If it is fed milk afid swill, the latter made salty by the addition of the brine made from salt pofk while it is being freshened, its case is so much the worse. Milk contains some water, but it is so mixed with fat and casein that it cannot serve as a substitute for water, as any one may see by placing fresh water where the hogs can get it at will. They will not drink large amounts. The hog’s stomach is not large enough to hold a great bulk either of food or drink. But the hogs that have fresh water will have better digestion, and if fattening will be more free from fever for having pure water. On many farms so much salt meat is freshened, and the water used in doing this is saved for the swill barrel, that the hogs fed swill are constantly suffering intense thirst, making them unhealthy and diminishing their ability to make the best use of the food they eat. Fraud Among Milk Dealers. The report of the Massachusetts State Dairy Bureau calls attention to a new fraud practiced by milk dealers which cannot be reached under the existing statutes. It appears that certain milk, when tested, has the required amount of milk solids, but the percentage of fat is very low. It has been found that this State of affairs is due to the addition of a condensed skimmed milk after the cream has been removed by the dealer. The report says that the dealer practicing this fraud cannot be successfully prosecuted, because it cannot be proved that the cream has been removed, and the addition of the condensed skimmed milk is not an addition of “a foreign substance,” prohibited by statute. It appears that a concern In New York is doing a thriving business furnishing

dealers with the condensed skimmed milk. The number of cans of milk received by dealers in Boston in 1895 was 9.856,500, of which there were sold 8,040,732, each can containing 8% quarts. This quantity supplied about three-fourths of the “greater Boston" district.—American Cultivator. Potatoes for Cows. Potatoes have been found in many trials to be an excellent feed for meat production, and the general estimate of their value for this purpose Is that four pounds of tubers are about equal to one pound of meal. Some rate them even higher than this. Their value, according to the Orange County Farmer, however, does not depend upon the nutrition they contain solely,4*ut upon the fact that as part of the ration they tend t« keep stock healthy and are an aid to digestion. No very accurate data exists as to their value in milk production, although they used to be regarded as a good milk feed in a general way. Some experiments confirm the old-time view, witn the qualification, however, that when fed largely they lower the quality of the product to some extent, but a small ration of, say, five to six pounds a day produces no effect upon quality, and is valuable from a sanitary point of view, and for the sake of variety, answering in this respect to the office performed by roots in mixed feeding. While pigs do not readily eat raw potatoes, or at least prefer them cooked, cows eat them with avidity in their raw state.

The “Grain” of Butter. When the butter has “come,” and appears in little Irregular masses, from a pin’s head to a large pea in size, is the time to draw off the butter in the churn. This removes most of the buttermilk, says the Massachusetts Ploughman. After being then gathered and removed from the churn, worked, washed and salted on the butter-worker at the proper temperature, we find upon breaking it that it has a granular look. The mass seems to be made of little particles with a slightly glistening appearance. This is called the “grain.” These small particles arc partially kept apart by films of water (after salting this water becomes briue), and the peculiar texture thus imparted to the butter is a test of proper manufacture. Over-churn or overwork it, churn or work it at the wrong temperature, and the grain is gone, never to be restored, and with it is gone a large percentage of the selling value of butter. Enough water (brine) must be gathered to produce this appearance, wliich distinguishes “butter" from “grease.” Consequently, the most perfect grain Is obtained by washing it in the churn before the butter is “gathered.” [ New Pruning Shears. Here are a pair of garden shears, which are constructed on a principle quite different from ordinary shears. The latter will, no matter how sharp, never cut twigs and branches very easy. The way they shut pushes the twig away from the cutting edge, and much force is uselessly spent. The shears shown In our cut are quite different in that respect; the upper blade while closing slides toward the hand

by a simple, yet very ingenious contrlvance, which is fully explained in the illustration. The sliding upper blade does not allow the twig to slip away from the grasp of the shears, but will even draw it into its cutting edge. The inventor of these garden shears is now constructing other scissors upon the same principle, and claims that cutting of several layers of cloth is performed with much less use of force and with better results than with the old-time scissors. Keep the Hens at Work. An active fowl is usually a healthy one, and a hen that has this characteristic, if possessing a large, red comb and egg-pouch, can be counted upon as a steady layer, if only she is given kind attention, says the Independent. In cold weather you must not expect anything but trouble from a flock of idle chickens that have nothing to do but mopb about in a half-sleepy condition; it is unnatural; what they require is activity. Make them scratch among hay or litter for every mouthful you give them, keeping them a trifle hungry; this will stir the blood, and give them something to think about. Please remember this when you complain about not getting many eggs. Activity, meat scraps and a variety of food, with milk occasionally, will solve the question better than anything you can do for them. Winter is the time they require your best care. Don’t blame the hens before you take yourself to task; be just in all things. Odds and Knds. Clover tea is excellent for purifying the blood, clearing the complexion and removing pimples. Dried clover may be used for the tea. If castor oil is applied to a wart once a day for a month the wart will entirely disappear. In many cases it will not require so long a time. Water carrying a little salt in solution is said to be an excellent wash for tired or inflamed eyes when stronger solutions may prove injurious. The discovery that cold coffee is an excellent tonic for growing plants should do away with the last remnants of the custom of warming over cold coffee.

To prevent a bruise from discoloring apply Immediately hot water, or, If that is not at hand, moisten some dry starch with cold water and cover the bruised place. It is said that if parsley is eaten with onions or a salad containing onions the odor of the onion will not affect the breath. The sprigs of parsley should be eaten as you would celery. A simple disinfectant to use in a sick room is made by putting some ground coffee in a saucer and in the center a small piece of camphor gum. Light the gum with a match. As the gum burns allow the coffee to burn with it. The perfume is refreshing and healthful, as well as inexpensive.

SHROPSHIRE LAMB.

SHEARS HAVE A SLIDING BLADE.