FARM AND GARDEN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 354, 22 April 1911, Page 6

FARM AND GARDEN.

In using a currycomb, see that the teeth are not bent. Such a comb is an instrument of torture. Teach the boys to use it gently, as many horses are given ugly tempers by cruel and careless currying. When a sow can lie in quiet contentment to allow her youngsters to suckle long and vigourously, and they snuggle up close to her and sleep, she will likely do her part towards raising up a strong, growthy lot of pigs.

Young calves need whole milk for the first few days. The calf should always have the first, or colostrum, milk of the cow, and be allowed to nurse the cow until the eighth or ninth milking, when the milk is suitable for human food. In addition to shell-making material, grit must be supplied if the fowls are not running at large. Road-scrapings, cinders, and broken crockery (broken to the size of wheat) all answer the purpose, but broken flint is best of all. The sows for a foundation should be carefully selected. They must be of the right type to produce pigs that sell well in the market—long body, rather short legs, and strong pastern joints. This is the most important point in the selection of sows.

A profitable way to plant velvet beans is in alternate rows with corn, according to experiments at the Florida station, U.S.A. The yield of shelled beans planted in this way amounted to 23.35 bushels per acre. White velvet yielded 18.54 bushels last season.

A farmer with an average sized dairy should have at least one good brood sow or more where needed. One will usually furnish enough pigs to grow up and fatten on the farm, at least, and this means quite a saving when otherwise they would have to be purchased. As an external stimulating application for the throat of the horse, in case of inflammation arising from cold or other causes, common mustard mixed with water, as for the table, is an excellent remedy, and is equal, if not superior to any of the more complicated nostrums. Bowel trouble in fowls results from numerous causes, one of the most frequent being unsanitary quarters. If food is thrown upon a foul floor, the chicks are almost certain to eat some filth along with their food, with the probable result of disturbing the digestive functions. Clean overalls should be provided for the milkers to put on during milking. Care should be taken to see that the milkers' hands are perfectly clean before beginning to milk, and provision should be made in the byre for milkers cleaning and drying the hands after milking each cow. Some firms who use heavy horses make an absolute rule that their teams shall not be driven beyond a walk. The team that can walk fast will cover more ground in the course of a day than the team that walks at a slow gait and trots a little to help out, and can do it with leas injury. A heap of old mortar, if left within reach of the hens, will be eaten to the last particle, but newly-made mortar should not be left within reach, nor should the lime remaining after lime washing, if freshly slaked lime has been used. All egg-shells from tne house may be utilised, provided they are broken up and mixed with the food.