EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
How  do Tou Manage Breeding  and
Lambing.
In the first place the bucks we use In
our flock are in the beBt of condition, if
we have to give them some grain. The
ewes are ln good condition also, and are
carefully tagged before mating. Abont
the 15th of November, the buoks are
turned in with the ewes, from 3 to 4 bucks
to the 100 ewes, according to the age of
the bucks, divided In separate fields it
possible. Our Iambs come then about all
the same week, which is a great point
when feeding them out. The bucks run
with the ewes about 6 weeks and then are
taken out, and not with them any more
until lambing time Is over. Coming when
it does, we do not anticipate any trouble.
There will not be lost one lamb in fifty, if
the ewes are taken care of in tho winter.
In a general way, we find the last half of
April the best time to have our lambs to
come, then- there is grass to start the
flow of milk, and by Christmas our lambs
are as good as it they came earlier, we
have tried hot-house lambs and have done
very well with them, but counting extra
care, feed, and loss of lambs, we do not
believe it is as sure as later. After all, it
is summed up in one word, care.
Grant Co. Lin Wilson.
Aa breeding time approaches the rams
should be got in good Ileah but not fat.
Feed on wheat bran, oats and such food
as will give "stamina," muscle, nerve and
brain, a surplus of tallow is not what is
needed at this time. Saptember and October are the usual time. We have it in
our power to have good pasture at
"breeding time" whenever that may be.
(The "Dorset Horn" will breed at any
season to suit our convenience ) for a
crop of Dwarf Essex rape may be had in
six to eight weeks from April till the
ground freezes. We do not use "said to
be full blood" rams. It a ram is not
registered and a good Individnal you can
nat depend upon him. Simply being
registered will not make him good, he
must be a good sheep of his breed and
registered. As good rams are necessarily
expensive we try to get aa muoh good
out of them as possible. He is kept
quiet during the day In the barn or in a
shady lot with green feed in the rack,
suoh as clover, rape or green corn stalks,
etc., In addition to his ration of bran and
oats. In the evening the llock is brought
up and the ram released and carefully
watched, as soou a ewe has been served
she is removed to another pasture. When
there seems to be no more to be done,
we smear a little red ochre and grease on
the ram's breast acd leave him with the
flock for the night. In the morning
such ewes as are "spotted for lift-," are
removed, and the ram returned to his
place and the llock to the pasture.
I have in this way been able to get the
best results both in service of ram and
vigor ot offspring. The man who overworks hia ram is Burely "hunting trouble,"
for It Is a great daal of trouble to save a
lot of weak Iamb3 in midwinter. Now in
the interval between "Breeding and
Lambing," I would watch for some beautiful late October day and dip the flock.
Brother Sheepman, it pays to dip.
Oood clover hay, good ventilation, pure
water, exercise and a dry clean place to
sleep is all that is required until about
two weeks before we expect the arrival
of the lambs. We commence feeding
shelled oats and bran very cautiously.
Kjves so treated will have milk, and
those that have milk will seldom disown
their lamb... Keep closo watch, and upon the arrival of a youngster (or just before) I pnt it aud its mother in the "hospital," and tee that the teats are not
gummed up so tbe milk will not flow and
that there  is  no wool In the way, and
when you have seen it "suck" of Its "own
free will snd aocord," you need have
little fear for Its safety. I next turn tbem
Into the "nursery" with other ewes and
youngsters for a lew days. We never
allow the ewes with lambs to run with
thoso that have not. Keep moving the
partition to suit the changing conditions,
crowding the lambiess ones nearer to tbe
"hospital," to make room for the ever
increasing family on the other side.
Ewes-in-lamb must have exercise, air
and water. Corn-fodder fed out of doors
(whenever tbe weather will permit) is
the Ideal way to secure the exercise. A
bucket of water, fresh and warm from
the well, will be appreciated by a ewe
which has just dropped a lamb, I have
never had any bad results from giving
them all they want. W. B. Vkstai..
Tlalnfield.
BEVIKW.
It is often dlflloult to mate sheep early
enough to get very early lambs. To grow
early lambs requires thorough skill and
knowledge, as they must be very early.
Mr. Hart's advice to keep sows gaining
on a balanced ration will apply to other
animals carrying offspring, Bad mating
and starvation produce lambs too weak
to get up and suck, and I think that this
ls the fatal period of their lives. If your
lamb is onoe filled with warm milk,
either by sucking or by care of owner, in
the first few minutes of its life, it will
bear much dry cold without becoming
chilled.
Careful feeders separate ewes in lamb,
putting those of one size together, and
always allowing them to sleep in a shelter in severe weather. Sheep should be
dipped as soon as sheared to prevent the
ticks going to the lambs.
At the Winchester institute a young
German said they always grow a lot of
turnips, or better yet, beets for sheep;
when fed as part of their ration they not
only thrive but get along better at lambing time. He had used lots of rutabagas and was well pleased with both the
feeding value and effect
If I were to grow sheep I would have
six things which many farmers don't
have: Convenient shelter and change of
pasture, silage, beet?, a barbed neck collar for dogs to bite, a field of nice oats
and a dipping tank.
No. 70, July 10.—Care and feod of sheep
from lambing to market.
Na 71, July 17.—Renovating an orchard.
In writing don't fail to note new points
not generally known; also other points
of real experience. Address all copy 10
days before publication.
Let subscribers write experience only
on practical topics. We do not desire
essays but a pithy, chatty experience. A
sort of heart to heart talk, suoh as you
enjoy with a neighbor.
Carmel. E. H. Collins,
In this part of the State there Is an unusually large crop of white clover. We
will look for some fine honey later.
At the present rate of the payment of
the Indiana State debt, it is believed that
$1,000,000 will be paid during this year.
The storms of last week are reported to
have done a good deal of damage to orops
and buildings in several sections of this
and other States.
It is said that the water in Lake Michigan is rising, and that it will continuo to
to the point of six feet above the level of
last year, as is usnal in seven-year periods.
During the storm last Friday night, an
earthquake shock was distinctly felt ln
many parts of the State. The storm was
accompanied by a brilliant electrical display which . lasted from midnight till
morning.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
The Course   of Study Jot  the   Coming
Year.
Our agricultural and industrial university has just closed one of the best years
of its existence. We givo bolow tho
cour.es for tho coming year, and the
winter course of study:
In order to meet the demands of the
several classes of students who eeok Instruction in agriculture the following
courses of study have been provided,
namely: The regular course of four
years,- the short course of two years; the
winter course of eleven weeks.
TIIK  RKClUI.An  -OUUSK.
This course extends through four years
and loads to tho degree of B. S- It combines a general education in Knglish,
mathematics, history and the sciences,
with a special training in the principles
of agriculture and the application of science thereto. This course gives thorough
preparation not only for the successful
pursuit of agriculture, but for good citizenship as well as the active promotion
of the interests of the farming classes. It
also gives admirable preparation to those
who wish to becomo station workers, veterinarians or teachers of agriculture. The
course of study is as follows:
FIIKHHMAK  Y1*All,
Agriculture. — Fall term, fourtoen
weeks, three recitation..* - v weok. Soils,
tillage, manures, crops and principles of
cropping. Prof. Latta.
Farm Equipment. — Winter term, 12
weeks, and spring term, 11 weeks, three
exercises per woek. Lectures on the
equipment of the farm with fences, Implements, live stock and farm buildings,
location, arrangement and designing of
dwellings, barns, silos, with laboratory
work ln drawing plans of the farm, orchard, yaid, garden, lots and farm buildings. Prof. Latta.
Botany.—Spring term, ten hours per
week of laboratory and field work in the
study of embryos and their development,
buds and their arrangement, various
forms of root, stem and leaf, flowers and
their parts, and plant determination.
Prof. Troop.
Wood Work. — FaU term, nine hours
per week in carpentry and Joining with
the ordinary carpenter's tools, including
exercises [la planing, sawing, rabbeting,
plowing, notching, splicing, mortising,
tenoning, dovetailing, framing, paneling,
etc., etc. Instructor Hoffman.
Iron Forging.—Winter term, nine hours
per week. Shop practice with blacksmith's tools, including exercises in heating, bending, drawing, upsetting, welding, annealing and case-hardening.
Instructor Kolb.
Model Drawing.—Fall term, five hours
per week. Freehand drawing In outline
from familiar object-, singly and In
groups. Instructor Baker.
Mechanical Drawing. — Winter and
spring terms, Bix hours per week, (a)
Pencil and ink drawings from details of
machine, and freehand lettering; (b) pencil and ink drawings from architectural
plates, or plans, elevations and details of
buildings. Instructor Peterson.
Mathematics.—Through the year, five
recitations per week, Including algebra
geometry and plane trigonometry.
Profs. Waldo, Alford, Test, Blake.
English.—Through the year, three recitations per week, including composition, rhetoric and literature.
Prof, McKse, and Instructor Djtn,
Military Drill—Through the year, two
hours per week,
SOrllOMORE YKAIt.
Economic Botany,—First half of tho
yoar, two exercises per week. Study of
noxious and useful plants of the farm,
their characteristics, adaptations, propagation, rate of increase and conditions of
growth, time and manner ot destroying
weeds, etc Prof. Troop.
Farm Hoads.—Wintor term, first four
weeks, two exercises per week. Cost and
value of Improved roads, essentials of
a good road, road drainage, road paving
materials, construotion and repair of
roads, etc. Prof. Latta.
Breeds of Live Stock.—Winter term,
two exorcises per week. Origin, characteristics, adaptations and care of important breeds of horse., cattle, sheop, swine
and poultry. The class room exercises
will be supplemented by laboratory work
In judging livo stock, tracing pedigrees,
etc. Prof. Plumb.
Farm Motors.—Wintor term, two recitations por week. Nature and action of
steam; description and care of steam
boilers and engines, and other meohanl-
cal motors with special reference to the
neods of the farmer.
Instructor Hoffman.
Economic  Entomology.—Spring term,
four exercises per week.   Study ot bene-
licial and injurious insects; moans of preventing or mitigating inseot ravages.
Prof. Troop.
Chemistry.—Throughout tho yoar, two
recitations and four hours of laboratory
work per week. Lectures on the principles of chemistry and the properties of
the chemical element-, with laboratory
practice, including (1) experimental
study ot the nonmetallio elements, (2)
blow-pipe analysis, (3) qualitative analysis. The laboratory work gives training
in manipulation, observation and noto
taking, and drills the studont in methods
of analysis, thus preparing the way for
more advanced work in the junior and
senior years.
Prof. Stone and Instructor Test.
Biology.—Throughout the year, eight
hours per week of olass room and laboratory work. A study of the gross and
minute structure and physiology of a
series of common plants and animals, Including (1) laboratory work, (2) lectures
and quizzep, (5) reference reading, (4)
thesis work in which the student is required to give the results of his special
studies. Instructor Golden.
Physic—Throughout the year, four recitations per week during the fall term
and threo during the winter and spring
terms. The course Includes a study of
the properties of matter and a discussion
of mechanics and sound, heat and light,
eleotricity and magnetism.   Prof. Duff.
Mathematics—Fall term, live recitations per week. Higher algebra and
spherical trigonometry.
Profs. Waldo, Alford, Test, Blake.
English Literature.—Socond half of the
year, three exercises per week. The
study of selections from standard English writers. The chief aim of the course
is to cultivate a taste for what ls best in
literature, to show the student where to
look for the best, and to teach him to
distinguish from tbe second best and the
Inferior.
Prof. McKae and Instructor Doan.
JUNIOIl  YKAIt.
Anatomy and Phslology of Domestio
Animals.—Three recitations per week in
the fall term and five in the winter term.
Tho object of this study is lo give a clear
understanding of the anatomy and functions of the different parts ot the animal
body, with special reference to the needs
of breeder and feeder.       Prof. Bitting.
Farm Economy —Fall term, two recitations per week. Farm accounts, farm
management, buying and selling, prevention of waste, etc. Prof. Latta.
Horticulture.—Fall torm.four exercises
per week. Principles of plant breeding,
propagation In Its various forms, pruning
and thinning, care and cultivation of fruit
trees and vines; harvesting, packing,
storing and marketing fruits; means of
preventing fungus diseases; preparation
of soil; planting, transplanting and cultivation of vegetables; laying out and
ornamentation of publio and private
grounds with trees, shrubs, flowers, etc.,
Concluded on Oth pays