FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1971, 18 June 1880, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

The difficulty in obtaining a profit on poultry kept in large numbers has been often noted. An experimenter started with 400, and received a very small margin above expenses ; the second year, with 200, he did better ; this encouraged him to try 100, then 50, finally getting a satisfactory return. Professor Sheldon, in “ Dairy Farming,” says :—“All things considered, good milk is the cheapest kind of food we have ; for three pints of it, weighing 3Jlbs., and costing 4ld, contain as much nutriment as 1 lb. of beef, which costs 9i. There is no loss in cooking the milk as there is in cooking beef, and there is no bone in it that cannot be eaten ; it is simple, palatable, nutritious, healthful, cheap, and always ready for use with or without preparation.” After long coaxing, with no little use of the whip, we have seen a balky horse started by putting a lump of earth in its mouth. The mind of the animal seems to be set on not going, and the point to be gained is to divert it from the idea entertained, and this the earth in the mouth does effectually. So soon as the horse gives its attention to getting the earth out of its mouth, it forgets its balkiness and can be started. It is estimated that there are from 484,000,000 to 600,000,000 sheep in the world, or, at the lowest estimate, over 320,833 miles of sheep, if strung along, one closely following the other—or nearly enough to encircle the earth thirteen times.

A method of curing a kicking horse, or of training a colt to withstand any unusual pressure or contact of the harness behind, is described as follows:—The animal is harnessed, as usual, to the shafts of a buggy or waggon; the shafts are then separated from the vehicle, being kept from trailing on the ground by straps or cords from the crupper. The horse or colt is then driven in the usual manner, the driver walking behind, and occasionally pushing the shafts to cause the breeching to press en the hind-quarters, or pulling them sidewise to interfere with the crupper, or in any way that may be possible, endeavouring to disturb the animal and train him to remain quiet under the disturbance. The horse may kick as he pleases, the shafts cannot be hurt, as they are raised at every attempt. In time the horse will understand the matter, and refrain from kicking. .