z

336

AGRICULTURAL.

Swmz navouimo THEIR YOUNG ones.— The following article on this subject, ap- Eears from a Correspondent in the New-

ngland Farmer. “ For more than thirty years,” says the writer, “ I have kept swine on my farm, and fora number of years met with thOse vexatious losses, which led me to pay more attention to the animals previous to their farrowing, and found, almost without an exception, that they suffered from costiveness for three, four, or five weeks; and inflammation was sometimes very evident in some, much more than others; with those most afflicted it more frequently happened that the fever raged and a violent phrenzy came on, the eyes wild, thejaws striking violently toge- ther, and if the person who fed them at- tempted to get into the pen, would fly at him with great fury, and it was difficult to get her off with a good stick or club, al- though previ0us to this the animal appear- ed to know him and be fond of his approach (when without a swill pail,) and crouched when he rubbed her with a stick or brush, and very soon lay down and seemed dispo- sed to sleep under the operation. The frenzy seemed to commence its violence about the time of parturition, and the pro- geny was destroyed sametimes before they had crawled to suck. I was very soon sat- isfied that costiveness was at least one cause ofthe frenzy, and determined to take measures to guard against it, and ac- cordingly the next season I directed flour ofbrimstone, to be given to sows five weeks before they were expected to farrow ; a large table spoon heaped full was given two and three times every week in a pail ofswill or wash of the house (as it is some- times called,) with a little wheat bran stirred into it, but no meal : if the effect desired was not produced increased moder- ately the brimstone and added a few raw potatoes, as they answer the purpose of aiding the medicine better than when boil- ed; when this has been strictly attended to l have thought the pigs were saved, and lost only when it was neglected.

I never knew a sow to destroy her pigs that run at large, ate grass in the roads, got at the ground and rooted when and where she pleased; the early litters are more frequently destroyed than those that come later. The sows for the early litters are mostly put in pens the first part of win- ter ; the yards, generally small and soon covered with the wet straw and litter from the pens, which is frozen hard during win- ter and cannot decompose till tossed over in the spring, so that the pigs if let out of their pen in winter (I mean the breeding sows) cannot get at any earth to root and champ o‘Ver, which [believe is necessary for them, certainly serviceable.

‘I agree that all animals should be treated

THE BRITISH AMERICAN.

kindly by those to whom the care ofthem is committed, they certainly do better for such treatment. I cannot, however, con- sider the difficulty of which your reader and correspnndent complains arises from any other cause than disease brought on in part if not wholly by obstructions in the intestines, which often ends in frenzy and absolute derangement. From the Genesee Farmer. cans vs. BARS.

In times of defence Bar all Gates:

In times of peace Gate all Bare.

A farmer must be rather an awkward man who cannot make acommon farm gate. and a dull mathematician who can- not calculate the advantages of using them instead of bars, in all places where the hu- siness of the farm requires frequent pass-- ing and re-passing- Let us suppose the detention of a man and a team, passing through a pair of bars, to be five minutes more than through a gate and that he only passes and re-passes one each day for one half of the year, (as bars are generally left down one halfof the year,) this would a- mount to one hour each week or three and a quarter days in each year. Valuing the time ofa man and team at one dollar and fifty cents per day, the detention would a- mount to four dollars and eighty-seven and a half cents each year, or at seven per cent, the interest upon sixty-nine dollars and six- ty-five cents. From this sum deduct four dollars and sixty-five cents, which will build a first rate gate, and sixty-five dol- lars remains as the true value of it. It requires but a little more time to make a good farm gate than to make a pair of posts and bars. either of which may be pre- pared during the winter. Gates may be hung upon posts set deep in the ground, or framed to a sill ; in the latter case, they may have a brace on the ouside of either post, which most effectually secures them to their places. Besides being economical, well-built gates add much to the general appearance of a well conducted farming establishment. It is by strict attention to a thousand little nameless things, that a farmer acquires not only property but re- putation

Tn: DANDELION. The culture of the dandelion is desirable on account of its me- dical as well as its esculent properties. A writer for the National Intclligencer, who appears to be a medical man, observes that “Dandelions have always been considered peculiarly useful in visceral obstructions, particularly those ofthe liver, when eaten either as greens, salads, or taken as pti- sans. They seem calculated from their stimulant deobstruent powers to promote bilious discharges, and from loug experi- ence have been found highly efficacious in all biliary affections of the liver. They are also good to keep the body open and are diuretic and attenuant. In the dropsy,

£10. 43

K the dandelion has been known for ages to be of great utility. The ancients, says Willich, were better acquainted with the properties of this excellent vegetable than those modern practitioners who appear to be more anxious to introduce exotics, im- ported from distant countries, than to as- certain the qualities of those numerous me- dlcal plants, which grow in our own cli. mate. I advise all who are troubled with bile, flatulencies, fullness of blood, and who are fearful of dropsy, vertigo. ac, to make free use of thistrecious gift of na. ture the dandelion.”

BREAKING or Sums. Yoke them care. fully, and let them remain quiet until they will eat their food, which generally takes place in the course of one day. Yoke them again the next, and put them behind apair of old steady cattle-a (1 let them stand till they become familiar with them. This generally takes but one day. The day following yoke them again, and put them behind the oxen as before, put them upon the tongue of a cart or sled. They being now accustomed to the oxen before, they will readily follow without whipping or beating. They wlll soon become kind and gentle. '

Cour. To break him never strike, but often lead him by the side ofanot'ner horse, with a bridle. When he walks well 'bring him to a trot after him ; then lead him of- ten in the saddle. Then put on a small weight, and gradually increase it. Then let one hold and another mount him, and ride after another horse in a ploughed field. till he learns the use of the bit, and will stop or go at your pleasure. By this easy method you will break your colt without breaking his spirit.

To was Founneas. Col. B. Chambers of Paris, Ky., pounds and dissolves inwa- ter, a lump of allum of the size of a wal- nut. With this liquid the horse is drench- ed, when he is thrown into a profuse per- spiration, and immediately relieved—JV. Y. Farmer.

CARROTS, sow on sandy, or loamy land

—plough or dig twelve inches deep ; sow last week in April. A little dung suitin- ent to dress the ground—will yield abund— antly—good for fattening cattle, swine and sheep. Sayings. Q8. lie that bath a trade hath an estate : and he that hath a calling bath a place of profit and honor. .\ ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman On his knees. '

Cow. Great attention should be paid to so profitable a creature. At the lowest estimate, her value must be more than five pounds per annum. She should be milked morning and evening, at the same time in the day, as near as possible:; when near calvmg,put her in a pen by herself;