Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1874 — Watering Cattle in Winter. [ARTICLE]

Watering Cattle in Winter.

Next to -warm shelter and good feed, the proper watering of cattle should be attended to. No farm animals' will do well if only watered once a day. It is true that animals which are driven to some frozen pond and watered through holes cut in the ice will seldom in cold weather drink more than once a day, for the simplereason that they must be suffering from thirst to be induced to drink at all; but this does not, by any means, prove the economy of this system of watering, but rather the reverse. To prove it, let the stock owner himself get down and drink this thoroughly-chilled water. The evidence of danger to the system will be apparent. —” ’ - If there are but few animals to be watered, it is but little labor to do the work, since the water for a dozen or twenty cattle can be pumped in altout the time the cattle will drink it. If a large herd be kept, a simple wind-mill, pumping into an underground cistern placed upon an eminence and connecting by means of underground pipes with the trough in the _yard at a less elevation, will suffice to supply any number of cattle and other stock. The outlay, other than the-first expense, will be blit small. If this be impracticable, a tank may be built of sufficient elevation, and enclosed so that it shall be practically frost proof, when it will Work' day and night, Winter and Summer, when tlie wind blows, (and when does it not in the West?) and will repay its cost, every year, where a considerable herd is to be watered. For years, we had such a mill that furnished water from a ftftv feet well, which supplied the house, WOO to 600 swine, twelve horses and ten cows, besides furnishing water for the green-house and hot beds of over 600 sashes,“which latter alone, in the Spring, used to require the work of one man with a hose to water. We simply state this to show the amount of water a good sized mill will pump? The great advantage of this system of watering Is, that the water may be carried j in common iron gas pipes whenever you want, and the water is never thoroughly chilled, so as to distress stock in drinking. Consequently they take it just when they want it, and usually in small quantities at a time. They are thereby saved the ague chill that usually occurs’ after the periodical filling up under the system as practiced by too many of our farmers. There is no doubt that, with proper watering and warm shelter in winter, all farm animals would come out from twenty-five to fifty per cent better than they now do. We have proved this proposition to oui perfect satisfaction by experience in fattening cattle. The proposition will hold good with other stock. It will pay to give farm stock—first, warm shelter; second, plenty of good forage; and third, but not least, water to drink at will, certainly twice a day, and then never chilled to the freezing point Our correspondent, “G. W. L.,” of Delaware, lowa, sends us a valuable hint with respect to the watering of cattle in winter. He says: “Many farmers water their stock from wells, and in the winter-time they experience Considerable difficulty by the accumulat: on of ice around the trough. Many times'cattle, even though very dry will go away without drinking rather than venture on such a slippery, place to get water. I have a very simple and cheap remedy: Take an armful or two of straw, scatter it over the ice, ands,sprinkle over it some water, which soon freezes fast, ‘and the remedy is complete.”— Western Rural. —A Useful Soap.—The following is commended by those who have tried it for scrubbing’ and cleansing painted floors, washing dishes, and other household purposes: Take two pounds of white olive soap, and shave it in thin slices; add two ounces of borax and two quarts of cold water; stir all together in a stone or earthen jar, .and let |t set upon the back of the stove until the mass is dissolved. A very little heat is required, as the liquid need not simmer. When thoroughly mixed and cooled, it becomes of the consistency of a thick jelly; and a piece the size of a cubit inch will make a lather ; for a gallon of water. ..