Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1895 — AGRICULTURAL NEWS [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL NEWS

THINGS PERTAINING TO THE FARM AND HOME. Avoid Feeding Too Much Green Fodder Pneumatic Collars a Boon to Horseflesh Exposure Causes Ailments Among Sheep. IGreen Rye and Wheat Fodder. Rye grown on rich soil will be fit to feed by the fifst of May, and wheat by the middle of the coming month. Cut the rye when free from rain or dew, and commence by feeding a small forkful, say five pounds, at a feed, gradually increasing the amount until twice this quantity Is fed. A portion of the dry feed should be omitted. Cows are very fond of rye, and If given in too large quantities it Is certain to produce bloat. For a slight attack of bloat, or hoven, give at once half a pound of table mustard and an ounce of the chloride of lime, mixed in as little cold water as will float the mustard out of the bottle. Another good remedy is an ounce of fresh powdered carbonate of ammonia, in coid water. Keep the sides and stomach of cow wet with cold water. Rye, after it is out of bloom, should not be fed; especially should this be avoided when the cream ig made into butter. Rye should not be thrown upon a heap and allowed to heat, as will make the cows sick. If the rye is wet from rain feed but half the quantity. Tire same rules of feeding will apply to wheat Wheat having more leaf, a less quantity will be required. In turning out stock to»pasture, let it be done gradually; two hours the first day, three hours the second, and so on until the cattle are accustoinedtothe change of feed. Give a little salt each day. By following, these simple rules many a valuable animal may be saved. —Balimore American. Pneumatic Horse Collnr. rarity, it Is said, when the pneumatic horse collar comes into general use. It has been Invented by a Londoner, and Is being introduced in the leading European cities. The patent consists of the usual leather casing, but instead of being packed with a hard, nonyielding substance, the pneumatic principle Is applied, a rubber air chamber being substituted for the packing, this in turn being covered with leather, and when the collar proper Is inflated a flexible and yielding surface is presented to the horse’s shoulders. It must be apparent to the most casual observer that the collar in present use must cause and give man’s noble companion an immense amount of pain. Owing to the harsh padding it is impossible for the collar to adapt itself to the animal’s shoulders, dikd, therefore, chafing and sundry other ills ensue. With the pneumatic collar, as before stated, chafifig is impossible, as, instead of the horse having to adapt itself to Its collar, the collar adapts itself to the horse the moment it is put on.—Philadelphia Bulletin. Ailments Amonz Sheep. » The frequent ailments among sheep, says the American Sheep Breeder, during the fall and winter arises from neglect, exposure and damp quarters where they are housed. The sheep’s nervous system is a delicate one. It is generally the first part of the animal to give way under adverse Conditions, and ensures rheumatism in some form or partial paralysis—paralysis of one or two legs, or of the jaw or the tongue, or of the neck and ears—disabling the animal wholly or in jiart. It is not half as injurious to a sheep to break its legs as to force it to sleep in a damp, iii-ventila|ed place. The broken * leg will heel up with surprising quickness, but the unfortunate animal which Is subjected to bad conditions is sure sooner or later to be found limping or going around in a circle or holding its head on one side with the grass in its mouth half masticated, or one ear lopped down and one eye closed, or both hind legs disabled and the animal down on its side, or a mysterious twitching and trembling, or the head drawn far back and the eyes fixed and sharing. The master who considers this matter rightly should feel a sting of remorse, for this is his own fault, the result of his own neglect and abuse, perhaps unconscious, of a feeble, dependent animal. Shingle Roofs for Bees. I do not know’, but I may be the first one who lias made such a roof as I will describe, and as it is a good one I want the beekeepers to have it should they so desire. I saw a simllar-sliaped roof covered with inch boards, but it was too heavy to be handy, so I made thirty shingle roofs in the fall of 1803; I have tested them since, nnd I think they are the best roof now in use—a fine shelter when the rain pours, and a fine shade when the sun shines hot, light to handle and pack up snug when not in use. I show’cd my roof to one bee-keeper, and he made 290 like it soOn after. Others may w’ant to know how to make it also, so I will give the directions for making it as well as I can, and hope many will enjoy using my shingle roof on beehives. gles as follows: Use 18-iueh cedar shingles and three-penny wire nails will do. Nall one course of shingles upon the ridge'piece, laying the butts of the shingles even with the side toward you, then lay another course on the same side, but reverse the shingles, laying the thin end toward you, letting It project over the butt of the under course 1 % Inches, break Joints good, and nail well into the ridge piece. It Is well to draw a pencil .nark to lay the butts of the second course of shingles by.

Now take a piece of lath 2% feet long, place It nhder the shingle parallel with the yidgo piece 1 inch toward you from the butt of the last course laid. Now nail through into the lath, driving the nails snug into the bench on which you work, then with a chisel pry the roof up,, turn It over, clinch the nails, saw off the tips of the shingles at each end, thus completing one side of the roof. As s*oll stand facing the bench, take hold of the roof at the ridge piece, lift it from the bench with the shingle down by the side of It. Now lay on another course of shingles with the butts toward you even, covering the ends of the two courses which were sawed off; then lay another course with the tip of shingle toward you, as before; finish with a lath under the eave, saw off the tips at each end, and the roof is nearly complete. Put on top two weather strips (use lath), nail them well, thus finishing the roof.— American Bee Journal. Peaches Between Apple Trees. "" As apple trees are usually managed, it requires a long time for them to come into bearing. The trees are small when set, nnd if the planter does not have an active imagination forty feet distance between the trees each way -will seem altogether too largo a space to be given up for the trees. On the other hand, the peach tree lives only a few years, grows rapidly, and comes into bearing very young. An orchard of peach trees may live, bear and be out of the way before the spreading apple tree branches will find them in the way. For this reason We believe the practice of planting peach trees between apple trees to be altogether a good one, provided some conditions are observed. The soil must be rich enough in mineral fertility to furnish needed potash for both growths. The failures in planting peach trees between rows of apple trees come mainly from not observing this condition. The peach crop will pay the expense of both orchards, and in the shelter of the apple trees the peach trees will be less likely to be winter killed or to have their fruit wasted by winds before it is ripened. As a further advantage, the apple trees, finding their root growth restricted by the peach tree growing between them, will begin bearing earlier thnn they will if the apple trees have all the ground to themselves.— American Cultivator. Points on Tillasre. Prof. Bailey told the New York Horticultural Society that tillage is cheaper tnau manures. With proper tillage we can draw’ upon the immense reserves of plant food in the soil. The manual labor required for such tillage is cheaper than borrowing money for fertilizers, while we still have in the soil a balance of fertility which is not drawning interest. Tillage makes plant food available for crops, breaks up the cap illarity of the surface and interposes between the moist under soil and the air as complete a mulch as a tvoolen blanket is to a cake of ice. Tillage of itself is the first fundamental essentia, of agriculture, and the best farmer 15 the one who does the most of It. A spirited discussion followed, in which a number of cases were cited of orchards bearing large crops of apples when uncultivated, to which Prof. Bailey replies that next to tillage and manures, pasturing witli sheep and hogs was undoubtedly the best. If an orchard is doing well without tillage, let it alone; if not, plow it up. Poultry Losses. Losses are generally too great. Here are some remedies. Have the setting hens in a quiet place, free from disurbance. A disturbing hen comes along looking for a nest, and concludes to contest the claim. There is trouble, and two eggs broken, thirteen per cent. loss. The hen is disturbed again at hatching time, and two chicks are tramped to death. Loss now amounts to twenty-five per cent Lice have not been looked after, and chicks begin to droop, and before remedies are effectual, one chick is dead. There are no coops, and the hen trails two to death in the cold dews. They are not looked after in time of rains, and two more are missing. At six weeks there are six chicks, sixty-five per cent loss. You cannot afford to pay ten per cent, interest. Can you afford sixty per cent loss? Have good houses and coops, and look after them in a business i way. Uses for Rawhide. Farmers should use rawhide. A skin of an animal, whether'cow, calf, colt or horse, is worth more at home than at the tanner’s. Cut into narrow strips and shave off the hair with a sharp knife before the kitchen fire or in the workshop. Stormy days and evenings make soft by rubbing. A rawhide halter strap an inch wide will hold : horse stronger and last longer than an inch rope; it is stronger than hoop-iron and more durable; may be used to hoop dry casks and boxes or for hinges. Try it on a broken thill or any other splintered wood work; put on wet and nail fast Thin skins make the best bag strings in the world. A rawhide rope is a good substitute for a chain. It is valuable to succeed n broken link in a trace chain. For some purposes it is best to use it in its natural state; for other purposes it may be dressed soft Preventing Apple Scab. will usually be found on the buds whence are to eoine the leaves anil blossoms. If the grower waits until these lean's have ppt forth many of them will be Injured as soon as the brnls are broken. In the tbnder leaf the scab spreads very rapidly. The first application of Bordeaux mixture should be before the buds have opened. That will do more good than two applications later. The mixture can also be ptit on stronger than will bo advisable on the lenvM. as the buds ara not liable to Injury.