Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1893 — AGRICULTURAL TOPICS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.

Farm Gates auil Oars. hiffe sometimes thought that it was a pity that the man who invented bars did not die when he was young, writes John M. Stahl, in the Practical Farmer. Bars are not much improvement over a gap in the fence, and they cost almost as much as a gate. Except in places where entrance will he very infrequently desired, it is cheaper to have a gate than bars; but, as first indicated, there are places where bars are justifiable. There is an easier way of maxing bars than by cutting mortises through a post. To do this one must have an auger, chisel, etc., and the work is not inconsiderable. A much easier way of making a bar post, is to straighten one side of it,

and then cut spaces in the edge, as shown in the cut. Tnese spaces are easily cut Saw into the edge of the post, and split out the block with a hatchet. It is an advantage to have a chisel, as with it the split surface can bo smoothed down better. Then, against the edge of the post a strip of tough wood —a strip sawed from an inch oak board answers very nicely is firmly nailea or bolted. Anyone*

can make this bar post bah post. Split bar rails are much better than sawed ones, for the reason that the split will follow the grain, whilo the saw does not. The saw will frequently cut across the the fibres, weakening the rail. * Of course, the lighter the rail is. with the requisite strength, the better. In the West hickory is the best available wood. If cut and split when the bark peels off, it becomes very hard and tough, and is light. Where it is to be had, Chestnut doubtless makes an excellent bar-rail. Any farmer can make a first-class farm gate. Every gate should now be made wide enough to admit a selfbinder. It pays to use planed lumber in making gales, and to paint them. In the minute depressions and under the small slivers of unplaned lumber, the moistuye collects and remains, and rots the wood. The pieces of a gate should be given one coat before they are put together; the places that are joined together should have a second coat. It is best to ' put the parts together while this coat is yet wet All the tools needed in making farm gates are saw, hatenet, small augers, and monkey-wrench—certain-ly tools that every farmer should have, and that he can use. It is not necessary to have the endposts made by cutting mortises in a solid piece of timber. Lay the

boards down in place, and then bolt on each . side of them a piece of tough board one inch thick and six inches wide. One may tit blocks in between the boards, if he desires to make a neater job. The cut shows a square end vi;w of the gate, showing ihow the two boards are made to answer for an end post, having mortises cut to admit the horizontal boards of the gate. I prefer to use small bolts in ’fastening the vertical

Gate made boards in place, but ion*? of Boards, wrought-iron or wire nails, that can be driven through and clinched, answer the purpo-e as well. A gate made in this way is strong enough, if strong enough at other points. Much depends upon the proper bracing of a gate The brace should run from the lower part of the

GATE PROPERLY BRACED—HINGE-END TO RIGHT. hinge end to the upper part of the latch end. When it runs from the upper part of the hinge end to the lower part of the latch end, it does not brace, and is of very little benefit, indeed. To have the braces run to

and from, an upright piece in the center, as shown in cut, greatly weakens the brace, without any compensating advantages. It is well to use two boards for braces, one on each •ide, bolting tneni together, the bolts

passing through the horizontal boardi of the gate, also. Farmers as Horse Trainers. When farmers read of Nancj Hanks and other fleet-footed horses breaking the world's reoord in tbeii special classes, and soon after commanding in the market the combined value of a dozen good farms; the tomptaticn is great for themselves t< turn hoTse trainers. While the development of the horse speed is com mendable, the American Agriculturist says, it is a vocation in itself, and is fraught with such dangers of flAun cial disaster that but lew farmers can long withstand the strain. 1: living In an old settled community, run back over memory’s • pages fol twenty years and you will see thai very few- of the men ar.d boys wht imagined they possessed a trotter, and tried to develop the same in thi usual way. were successful, llockon ing their time only as valuable as that of the hired man, there would bo a loss in nearly every case, to saj nothing of the evil habits contracted by associating with the rough ele ment that is too generally a part oi the racing fraternity. There Is al ways more money made by the first owner, if he simply drives his horses on the common road, and if they do velop into good steppeis or show ; good gait, they readily find a pur chaser at a fair price, often for more than the animal as worth, or will evei sell for again. Any farmer who continually neglects his farm operations to develop the speed of a green horse on the race course almost invariably in after years regrets tho course then pursued. Another serious point in the case is that as soon as a horse shows a good gait, he is favored in every way possible, has tho best care and attention, and if worked at all is given the long end of tho double tree when perhaps his mate, if given an equal chance, would have provod the fleetest of tho two. Always remember thero is uo short road tc wealth, even in the development oi trotters.

Warm Quarters I'or Hogs. Every farmer knows that it cost! more to make pork in winter than in summer, says tho American Cultivator. Hogs have generally short thin hair that poorly protects the skin from the cold. So they keop warm by huddling together, thoso inside gotting too warm except as they are jostlod out of place by thoso on the outside trying to get in. If provided plenty of straw for bedding, or, better still, a coarse, strong manure, pigs will in cold weathci root themselves completely under the warm covering, where their own heat will make the manure ferment the more rapidly. After a night thus warmly covered the hogs are routed up to feed and often take their breakfast of cold corn on the ear to a chilling zero blast on their unprotected sains. Is it any wonder that hogs thus treated do not thrive well? Make the pen where thoy are kept warm by stopping all the apertures where cold winds might enter. Thnn give a smaller amount of bedding and the pigs will keep warm enough without becoming too warm. Tho feeding trough should also be sheltered. For sows with young, feed should be fed with warming to or slightly above blood heat. It is the warmth of dishwater added to milk, rather than its nutriment, that makes it valuable.

Bucket for Cleaning Cow*. In cold weather, cows are, or at least should he, housed In comfortable stables, and every owner of a cow

knows that that moans cx tra care if cleat milk is wanted for cows as t rule arc not ai cleanly as om would like t> have them. Fc an apparatus ti I wash and dr; her udder bo-

fore milking, have a bucket with a hook on ono side to carry a spongo, and a cigar box fastened on the othei side, in which your cloths are kept Now the flr6t thing to do is to clean awav all droppings, then litter with clean straw, next card your cow, then wash her udder clean with sponge and water, and dry with cloth. A Neglected Fodder Crop. Peas are an excellent fcod for milch cows, or for hogs. Take a piece ol fall plowing and harrow it well tc make a good seed bed. bow broad cast two and one-half bushels of the small Canada peas, or three bushels of marrowfats, and plow under four or five Inches. The pea i» a deeprooted plant and should be put well down. Sow on top of the ground one bushel of oats to hold the peas up. For hogs they come in as a green forage after clover, and may be cut with a scythe, and thrown in to them, or a movable fence may be put around a small portion of the Held. Good success has been obtained by putting the peas and qats in the silo. Or they may be cut and cured, thresned and ground into meal. Try two or three acres as an experiment.

Home Hint*. Oil door latches and locks occasionally. Milk that stands too long makes bitter butter. A little paraffine rubbed on screws will make them enter wood more easily. Nuts taste sweeter and are more easily digested if lightly sprinkled with salt. When making mush, sift in the meal from a dredging box with large holes. When the color has been takeu from cloth by an acid, apply first ammonia, then chloroform. Thebe are some people in this world who would not be satisfied il ttoey were perfectly contented. When putting away saucepans, pots, and boilers, do not put the lids on closely or they will retain the heavy odor of cookery. Put in a wedge of wood next the sash so the cold winds will not blow in. A space as wide as a straw will let in a volume of cold. When your shoe soles are worn thin or rough on the inside, slip in a postal card, bend it to the , propel shape, cut out and (It in.

GATE IMPROPERLY BRACED.