MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 196, 17 August 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

A good breeding sow is a sure source of profit;. If you have such a one, better keep her and grow two litters of pigs every year. Ib will be a safer plan than to rely upon young sows each successive season. Stock raisers have the matter of prices in their own hands to a greater degree than almost any other clasa, lor it is always possible, by the selection of a good breed and by good feeding, to produce jusb what the markeb want?, and for which' ifc will pay a price which will leave a balance of profit. When ft caU is drinking mjlk it ehould be

fed slowly and with intervals of rest, and cold milk.should never be given, as this chills the stomach and provokes indigestion. If ib becomes gorged, give a little Boda, following with raw linseed or castor oil.

Live stock are subject to many ills, and breeders find it absolutely necessary to bo always on the alerb to avoid or counteract these troubles. An interesting caso is mentioned in the 'Veterinarian. , Several cows were suppoeed to have been poisoned. A sample of the fodder supplied to them was sent for examination, and some colchicum leaves were found, but nob in sufficient quantity to account for the death of the animals. There was nothing then left, after n, look round, than to suspect the roots on which they were fed, and on cutting the mangels in half they were found to be rotten in the centre, the decayed parts being pulped and dark brown in colour, with black streaks running through the patch. Thie fungue appeared to set up a diseased condition of the mangels, and either the fungus itself or some product of it was highly poisonous, as animals, after eating roots of this character, died very suddenly, some within two hours. This experience should induce stock-keepere to be particularly careful to notice the condition of the roota they supply to their stock.

Nervousness and viciousnese are engendered in the ill-treated cow and transmitted to her offspring. The more docile the cow the more are her energies likely to be devoted to the interests of the dairyman, and the stockman cannot be too watchful of unreliable men who may beat or otherwise frighten the cows or hurry them to or from the pasture.

Good digestion is one of the indispensable requisites of a really good horse. No matter how largVand well-formed, or how intelligent and how kind a horse may be, if his digestion is poor he will be an expensive animal to keep, and he cannob be nearly as eerviceablo as he otherwise would be. Health, strength and efficiency are each and all very largely dependent upon digestion.

Wool buyers deduct too much for the dirb in unwashed fleeces, saye the • Rural World. , At present farmers are ignorant in the matter, so thab* purchasers often have the best of the bargain. Some flocks carry much more dirb in their fleeces than others. For instance, beyond bhe excreta from the body, there is comparatively little accumulated foreign matter in the fleeces of sheep wintered on grass; bub flocks wintered on roots pick up a good deal of dirb and grit, so much so thab it is difficulb to shear them until washing has been brought into requisition. Thus, while one farmer mighb make a bad bargain by selling his unwashed wool ab the reduced rate, another mighb make a correspondingly good one by selling wool and dirb together. Still, this is hardly business. Where wool is to be stored for an uncertain period ib is decidedly essential to have it properly washed, otherwise ib would be quite likely to take considerable damage in the storeroom, as ib would nob store well in its dirt. There has been a good deal of nonsense written in different journals anent the loss of sheep in washing. Every farmer knows that when ordinary care is used nob one sheep in a thousand is lost in the operation. Hence, considering all things, I am an advocate for adhering to .the old custom for a little longer at all events. The sheep are all the better for having their skins well cleaned once a year.