THE FARMERS' COLUMN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1142, 21 February 1884, Page 3

THE FARMERS' COLUMN.

Mix charcoal with the food when fattening turkeys. It corrects acidity of the stomach and prevents indigestion .

Want of exercise is the principal cause of piles in pigs. The best cure is castor oil', administered in tablespoon ful dose?, followed by a free allowance of sulphur. Buttermilk, with a little meal added, is excellent for fattening pigs. For calves it should be mixed with oil meal. It should not however, be given to very young calves. Kill off the old fowls before moulting begins and have pullets to replace them. A hen more than two years old seldom pays for keep. An exception, however, shoula be made in favor of a few old biddies who are noted mothers.

Chickens, when first hatched, should not be hurried out of the sitting nest. From twenty four hours at least from the time the earliest begin to show themselves, it is better to leave them under or with the hen mother. They need no food for from a day to a day and a half usually. When they get strong enough to venture from their mother's wings it is time to remove the brood.

The change from dry fodder to succulent pasture food is a critical one, and all animals need more than ordinary care at this time. Young stock are especially subject to overfeeding on green grass, causing black leg, black quarter, and other dangerous troubles. It is best to make the change gradual, by turning the calves out to grass for only a part of each day, Incoming cows need to have their feed reduced before calving, to prevent garget. They should be kept from exposure to cold rains, and in a quiet place. A brush well used, will go far towards giving the cattle smooth skins and a healthful condition. A firm of London seed merchants advertise in the Home papers a new variety of oat, the straw of which averages six feet in height, is very strong and carries the heavy heads without yielding. The yield from this grain is said to be enormous, the thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold of the Gospel parable sinks into insignificance in comparison. Three thousand grains from one eeed is a common result, and man single heads contain as many as three hundred grains. We forgot to state before that the seed is £l6 per bushel. A pound, however, only costs eight shillings. The Coachman's Magazine endorses the statement that few people are aware they do waggons and carriages more injury by greasing too plentifully than in any other way. A well made wheel will endure constant wear from ten to twenty-five years if care is taken to use the right kind and proper amount of grease ; but if this matter is not attended to it will be used up in five or six years. Lard should never be used on a waggon, for it will penetrate tho hub, and work its way out round the tenons of the spokes and spoil the wheel. Tallow is the best lubricator for wooden axletrees, and captor oil for iron hubs ; but many of the patent axle greases are also excellent, and have the merit of being cheaper and more convenient to handle. Just grease enough should bs applied to the spindle of a waggon to give it a slight coating. This is better than a large quantity, for the surplus put on will work out at tho ends, and be forced by the shoulder bands and nutwasher into the hub around the outside of the boxes. To oil an iron axletree, first wipe the spindle clean with a cloth, wet with spirits of turpentine, and then apply a few drops of castor oil near the shoulder and end. One teaspoonful is sufficient for the whole, The following is said to be an excellent harvest drink :—Boil six gallons of water. Mix a pound and a half of Epps' cocoa with a little warm water in a basin, and one pound of finest oatmeal with boiling water in another, Stir both in six gallons of boiling water. Slice in two lemons and boil altogether for ten minutes, stirring all the time. Add milk and sugar to taste. This drink is much liked by the men, who prefer it to beer, as it quenches the thirst and is very sustaining.