Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1876 — The Way to Make a Rack For Sheep. [ARTICLE]

The Way to Make a Rack For Sheep.

TL rack for holding the fodder of sheep should be so constructed that chaff and hay seed cannot fall into the wool. Herewith is copied from the Practical Parmer (New York City) a description of a combined fodder rack and manger: The best style of rack and manger that we have ever seen was made several years ago for our own sheep. The yack stood on one side of the sheep shed, so that when feeding hay, cut corn roots or grain, it could be done by passing along in the narrow alley between the long rack and the side of the shed while the sheep were all on the other side. We first procured a small, straight tree about forty feet in length, ‘which was hewed Straight on both sidles—namely, on the upper side and the side toward the sheep. Six legs were then inserted in this piece of timber, so that it would stand firm like ■u sttwhorse." Next, holes-warer’Wml jar* the upper side of this timber with an inch augur three inches apart from centres, after which slats of hard timber, one inch square and two feet long, were inserted in the holes, and a raye was driven on the upper ends of the slats. The slats stood perpendicularly, so that hay seed and chaff could not fall on the heads and necks of sheep. On the opposite side/ from the sheep an inclined bottom was made, standing at an angle of about fortyfive degrees. The bottom was made sufflciently tight to prevent oats and meal dropping through the cracks. When hay was put into this rack sheep could draw it between the slats, a little at onee, as they wanted feed. A tight board manger was then made on the side where the sheep stood, the top of which was an Inch or two below tJie lower ends of the slats. This manger was made like the letter V, having the upper edge of the inside board nailed firmly to the umber. When feeding grain a person could move along the entire rack and distribute the grain or roots, evenly arid quickly, without being disturbed bv the rush of the flock before him. Beneath this manger strong wooden pins were driven into the main timber, about four feet apart, to support the manger when sheep might be on it with their forward fee?. A V-shhped manger is best, because sheep and lambs cannot stand erect in it.

Whether hogs require sulphur as an essential to their health, or whether it is sought by them as a condiment, may not be discovered. But one.thing is true: they devour it with greed whenever it is found. It is foi- this purpose that they eat lagge quantities of soil coal, whidb-con-tains a large amount of sulphur. Perhaps this is the most economical method of supplying hog 4 with sulphur during the winter, when they reqijire a good deal of carbon. But in summer it is best to feed it to them in substances which contain lesscarbonl on account of their producing less heat, v Mustard is one of the best things for this purpose, and some of it should be sown in every pasture into which hogs are turned. If hogs are kept tn smalt yards irts well ter supply them with the wild mustard that grows in the fields or highways, or to cultivate some of the better > varieties for them. They will eat its leaves, its flowers, seeds and stalks.— Home Journal.