Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1891 — OUR RURAL READERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OUR RURAL READERS

WILL BE PLEASED WITH THIS DEPARTMENT. Good Beason for Leaving the Farm— Farmers Should Attend Their County Fairs—Shocking Grain tn Sheaves—How to Make Whiffletreos—Live Stock—Dairy and Household Hints. Attend the Fairs.

PLAN the work so as to save time to attend the fair one day at least, and more if the k state of the farm X work and the \ finances will al--1 low. Take the jjjkl wife and children I along too. Look 1 over the farm Ljß stock and the W vegetables, and Sr see wherein the best on exhibition is better ttiau K your own, and find out if possible how it Is produced. Even but-

ter than that Is the plan of taking the best at home to the fair and placing it on exhibition. If it takes a premium, there will be some satisfaction in that If it does not, there will bo a chance to get the opinion of others in regard to its faults, and the merits of the better kinds, which will prove a useful lesson. Meet farmers from other neighborhoods and exchange the nows about farm crops and the most improved methods of cultivation. Learn something from them and teach them something. It is generally easy to do both if one has time enough. Thoso who have brooding stock of any kind to exhibit should begin in good season to get it ready. Have it in good breeding dflndition, which is, perhaps, a little thinner in flesh than what is called working condition, but not lean and not fat. Too much fat spoils an animal as a prolific breeder, and injures the constitution of his or her progeny. This rule is applicable to both male and female. The managers of fairs should look to this matter, and see that premiums for breeding stock do not get awarded to those which are too fat, but they should be sleek, healthy and vigorous looking, well gropmed, and well cared for. They also have something to look after in the matter of premiums on vegetables. Monstrosities are not desirable. Good growth of marketable size, and well assorted, and displayed us if for sale upon the market, should be encouraged. Premiums should go by the merit of the object upon which they are given, and not be given for tne services of the exhibitor to the society, bo they over so .great. If one exhibitor has for several years taken so largo a proportion of the premiums as to ,discourage every one else from competing, offer him an inducement to enter his stock “for exhibition only,” and give the second best man a chance. A society seldom loses by granting free admission to exhibitors. Without them there would be no show, and if no show, or a slim one, there will be soon a slim attendance of sight-seers, it is very well to provide a little amusement for visitors, a horse trot, a few athletic sports, or something of the sort, but do not try to run a circus. An agricultural fair should have the agricultural features predominate. Wo all like a little fun, and at school there is and should be an intermission foi playtime, but do not make all playday. The work of study-.. Ing up the exhibits of others is as good as play for the farmer, and yet it is instructive.—American Cultivator.

Shocking Grain In Sheave*. To shock wheat so it will stand hard rains and keep in good order until threshed, writes E. G. Packard, |n the PrfuMcal Farmer, cut as soon as rfpe and before heads crinkle down, bind and sot ten bundles, as shown in Fig. 2, being careful to place every bundle firmly

imd have all lean toward the center. Then take one good-sized bundle, spread tops and butts like a letter Xon top of shock, as shown in Fig. 1, with heads on center. Spread out another and place opposite, with heads overlapping the other. Fig. 1 shows a side View of completed shock. Carefully and firmly set wheat in this way and it will stand a wonderful amount of rain and keep in good order. How to Make Whiffle trees. To make good whiffletrees, take tough timber 2 by 4 and 3 by 4 inches, cut the proper length, and taper a little as shown in cut. Have blacksmith make square backed links to straddle the wood and connect them together with a center link. To obtain all the strength of tne timber, the links are held to their place by driving a short staple across them in

the center of the singletree and far enough from the ends of the' doubletree so that the link will not wdrk over. Take ferrules with hooks on for the ends of the singletree. Have holes drilled in them if they are not in and drive a wrought nail through the wood and you have something that is cheap, durable, lasting and unprovoklng.—J. C. Mossford, in Practical Farmer.

FIG I. FIG . II.

A —staples. B —clevis.