Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1894 — AGRICULTURAL NEWS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL NEWS

A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR RURAL READERS. A Device Which Effectually Prevent* ▼«- mln from Infecting Corn Shock*—Convenient Wheel Barrow —An Attractive and Secure Spring Hou»e- Agricultural Note*. Improved Method of Shocking Corn. Sixteen hills in a square of prafrfe eorn are considered a standard shock, writes Fred G ripely, ip the A can Agriculturist Wnen the corn is tall and heavy, sixteen hills make a shock that will stand till soring, if a band of binding or wool twine is tied around it two leet or so below the top. If these big shocks have time to cure well before much rain falls, the fodder will keep bright and nutritious five months, or longer. The principal drawback to this method of preserving corn fodder, is the dec stru tion wrought by rats and mice, which find in these shocks a grand harbor and p'.enty of food. The large size of the shocks and the compactness with whjch they are built, effectually prevent dogs and cats trom getting within them and destroying the vermin. Eats and gophers often honeycomb the ground with boles under and about the

shocks, piling the earth high up inside among the stalks, then when the ground freezes it becomes a difficult job to take the shocks down. Alexander Jones, who annually cuts forty to eighty acres, adopted a device wh ch effectually prevents vermine from Infesting his shocks to any great extent, while at the same time it greatly facilitates the curing of the iodder. The material is pine, all light Ix 4 Inch stuff, and Is fastened together with wire nails clinched They are twelve feet long, yet so light that they arc easily handled. When set up In the field two of them are placed end to end, making the shock twenty-four feet long. The corn is cut with a sled harvester drawn by two horses. A sharp cutter, fastened at the side, cuts the corn wh'ch slides down a guard into the arms of a man who loads it. These “corn-horses” are set a proper distance apart, in a row, and when the sled is Laded it is drawn to the nearest one and unloaded, the corn being set up on either side of the “horse” so that it will stand nearly erect The “horse” makes an < pen space through the center of the shock so that air can pass through freely, ana cats aud dogs can have access to every part of it. When a shock is finished it is bound around with

binding twine, connected together at intervals of about four feet by crossties which are thrust through the shock by means of a poiDte;! stick having a hole thlough its sharp end, similar to a sewing machine needle Two men can securely tie one of these long shocks in three minutes. The fodder in these shocks cures and keeps much better than that in round shocks, while vermine never injure the grain to any appreciable extent. A perspective view of this corn-horse is given in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 2 is seen a corn shock built upon it A ilan<ly Style of Barrow. A tfecp wheelbarrow is more useful than one built on the old plan, because it will hold more, and the work of building such a wheelbarrow is not much greater. Anyone who owns a wheel and irons belonging t» an old wheelbarrow can easily construct one by first procuring two stout

pieces for the shafts and mortising them together firmly just behind the wheel. The next mortise must come two inches from the ground on the legs at A. From this mortise the floor of the barrow must reach forward to B, where it is supported by two false legs mortised into the shafts and rea bing within two inches of the ground. The sides may be solid from the floor up, or if preferred, they may extend only to the top of the shafts, and from this point movable side-boards may extend upwaid The only disadvantage in having the body solid is in being forced to remove most of the load from between the handiea ir one desires he may arrange a movable bottom, which will periuit the load to be deposited without tipping by merely raising the handles—Orange Judd Farmer. To Cut Fallen Wheat. A farmer whose wheat is badly tangled says that any good machine, if run against-the fall, will pic* the wheat up, cut it and bind it, saving all. The field being all cast one way the machine can only cut one way, and has, therefore, to spend half the time walking the held without cutting. This may he avoided bv turning one half the field of wheat back and facing it the other way. Take a pole twelve feet long and four inches in diameter, place crevices in it three feet from each end; tie ropes and hitch one horse to it—one hoy to ride the horse—place the fallen wheat at the fence on tne side to —hi,.a t.k* wheat has fallen ever the*

»o!e and It will jjSfc'np kild tuHf the wheat aniflt had fallen the other way. The biader may then cut both war* and will get all the wheat. The contrivance la simple but effectual rr - A £prlif or Well Hoajie. There are numerous reasons why the spring or well from which • the family's supply of water is, drawn should be covered from the weather —many of which are so palent as to need no mention An uncovered spring is warm in summer; a recept-

acle for flying leaves and dust, while in winter it is filled with snow that frequently has to be shoveled out before water can be obtained. Then, again, an attractive little house over a well or spring adds cons derably to the appearance of a place, and this is not a valueless factor by any n eans. The little house shown In the sketch could easily be built at odd moments and ata trifling ex> ense, as it is low and but six or seven feet square. The sides should be made of matched boarding, with lattice-work windows on one side and in front, Into which windows may be fitted for winter use. The roof should be shingled and stained, with a contrasting sta n upon the walls. The foundation should exclude vermin and small animals.

Farm Kotem Vinegar will remove all stains from zinc. Fou ironing cotton holders beat the hands less than woolen ones. It pays to line cake tins with buttered paper, as the cake never sticks to the pan. A peck of fresh lime in a damp cellar absorbs moisture and prevents malarious troubles. Have yoa cut out all the cases of black knot in the plum trees and cherry trees? This is a trouble that means exterminat on if neglected. A Canada fruit grower says that he found a remedy for the curcullo in merely hanging cedar branches in his plum trees at blossoming time. When sheep are seen running with bead close to the ground and stamping, the fly which produces the grub in the head is near. Put some p.ne tar on the sheep's noses The butter maker who fails to put his butter on the market in a neat, clean, and attractive form has yet to J learn one of the most imeprtaut lesi sons in successful dairying. ' Make up a Ust of tbe bolts,, nuts, screws, and amall tools that you are in constant need of, ana buy them in one lot, and put each in a well-ar-ranged series of pigion holes and keep them there. The saying will pay u greater interest than the savings bank account. ~ •

This following from a poultry writer is good advice: Get a barrel of lime and iet it air slack; scatter occasionally about the fowl house and runs It is a gr at absorbant of dampness, removes odors, keeps oil vermin, tends to keep everything sweet and clean, ana is very healthful for the fowls. The advocate of turning cows out everyday for exercise should watch a good cow in b good pasture this summer and see how much exercise or rather, bow little, she takes, f-he wll feed far enough to satisfy her appetite, and fcen go far enough to find .so me favorite spot on which to lie down and ruminate, but no farther willsbe go, except to seek for drink. Turkeys do not fatten well in confinement, says a writer. A week or ten days is as long as they can bo cooped without loss of couditiou. The best plan is to feed abundantly twice a day with corn, and then pen for one week before marketing. If the turkeys will not appear promptly at feeding time don’t grieve about-it. they are getting plenty outside and will flesh up all the same. The Farm and Fireside says that bagging crapes as soon as the bloom has fallen will prevent rot. The fruit is much more beautiful when grown in bags. One pound manilla bags are used. The bag is opened, drawn carefully over the bunch and pinned ahove the cane from which the bunch is growing. This method of p otecting grapes is advisable wbere'one has oniv a few vines. \ Kerosene emulsion can most easily be applied to stock to destroy lice and prevent the attacks of the horn fly by using the sprayer, which is designed originally for applying spraying mixtures to fruit trees- A hand sprayer is most convenient, and with a small nozzle a very small quantity will be sufficient, whereas by band and sponge .application the worn will require much more liquid and take much more time.

The cow pea, also known as the "crowdor,” grows on any land that will produce corn, and will also grow on land that is too poor to produce some other crops It is a leguminous plant, drawing nitrogen from the air, the same as does ciovcr. It is an excellent renovat.iDg crop Sow the seed broadcast, or drill them in, and when the plants are of sufficient growth plow them under. The best period for si doing is when the pea pods are beginning to iorm. The sugar beet has not given as good results in this country as a source from which to obtain sugar as io Germany, but improvements are being made very lapidly. The use of sulphates instead of muriates of the potash salts has been found an advantage, aod implements, are being invented for greatly lessening the labor required. In Germany the sugar beet produces 10 percent of its weight in sugar.

FIG. 1. HORSE FOR SHOCKING CORN.

FIG. 2. IMPROVED CORN SHOCK.

CONVENIENT WHEELBARROW.

AN ATTRACTIVE SPRING EOUSE.