Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1895 — ALL ABOUT THE FARM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ALL ABOUT THE FARM

SUBJECTS INTERESTING TO RURAL READERS. Device for Bemovia* Backs and Wagon Beds— Arrangement for Winding Barbed Wire—Cheap, Portable Poultry Fence—Farm and Garden Notes. - *n~* A Useful Contrivance. The accompanying Illustrations, from the American Agriculturist, represent a contrivance by which heavy racks

and wagon beds can be taken off and on without much difficulty. In Fig. 1 the uprights, a a, are 4x4xß timbers. The crosspieces, b h, are oneinch bpgrds. The crank, e, is from an old self-binder. The timbers at the top are sectired by a 12Inch bolt, which also bears A ."pulley. At the bottom the -uprights are 2% feet Apart The rope may be of any convenient size, and

the hook should have an opening of 2Vj Inches. Drive an old bolt into the lower end of each upright, so that the frame will stand secure. Now set four posts, f (Fig. 2), 12 feet apart each way, nail strips of boards, e, on each side at lhe top, to keep the crosspieces in place. When you w want to unload or load tho rack, drive or back In between the posts. Block the hind wheels, set the pulley frame directly behind the wagon, fasten the hook to the hind crosspiece of the rack, and with the crank hoist it high enough so that the crosspiece, d, can be put in place. Do the same with the front end, and you will have your rack high and dry. In loading hoist only high enough to ppll out the crosspiece, then let the rack down on the wagon only one end at a time. The posts must be of sufficient height to permit of the wagon with the rack on being driven underneath the cross-

pieces. The rack should be kept under shed or shelter and will then be in service for several seasons’ usefulness. Anyone handy with tools can easily construct" such a device, the use of which will soon save enough time and hard work to pay for itself. To Grow the Largest Melon. The Watermelon Bulletin gives the following directions for growing the largest melon: Select your hill or hills that you want to try for largest melons in your deepest and clearest sand, that has been well fertilized to begin with, not allowing more than two plants to the hill; one is better. Now perforate the ground with holes, such as a broom handle would make, from near the hill to three and four feet in circumference; then with a liquid fertilizer from stable or cowpen, fill in these perforations, rakei the surface and repeat once or twice: during the progress of vines, to cover ground. Give for your largest melons the form, or young melons, with the largest and stockiest stem, as indicating its capacity to draw on the parent vine. Poultry for Poor Lands. In New Jersey the largest number of ducklings and broilers are produced on the lightest sandy soil where grass cannot be grown, and where each rain seems to disappear in an hour, so porous is.the soil, says the Mirror and Farmer. Even “grit” has to be purchased, as well as all kinds of food, yet those who have gone into poultry have made it pay. With cities, towns and villages every few miles there is no reason why the unprofitable farms of New England cannot be devoted to poultry and with less cost in proportion to profit than by attempting anything else. The markets are right at the doors of * the farmers, and feed is as cheap as could be desired, giving an advantage to our farmers that should not be overlooked. For Rollins Barbed Wire. Tho illustration represents a very simple and convenient method for taking up and winding barbed wire. It is made simply by driving two forked sticks into the ground, so that the forks will be three feet above the surface. In these forks lay a stick two and one-half inches in diameter, and

on one end of this stick fasten a cultivator wheel. Attach the wire to the stick, and by simply turning the ■wheel it can be secured in a compact roll. If a device of this kind is arranged on a frame and placed on wheels, the wire can be quickly rolled up. By attaching to the loose end and turning the cultivator wheel the machine will be pulled along as the wire is taken up, and the work is done very satisfactorily.—Orange Judd Farmer. Fitting a Horse Collar. How properly to adjust the collar of a horse; Asays the Agriculturist, is a knowledge that all men do not possess, and many disagree on important matters. ' Some inen keep the inner surface of the collar and pliable. Every time the collar is put on it is pressed and pummeled until it is soft Others, equally as good farmers, never soften the wearing surface of the horse’s collar, but simply rub off the accumulated hair and dandruff. The latter plan is most'practiced. The wearing surfaces

of ox yokes are as hard aa seasoned wood can make them. In purchasing a horse collar take the horse with you and have the collar fitted. A short collar will choke the animal and cause distress. If a triflp too long it will do no harm if raised up at the bottom by putting a pad under at the top. The hames should always be buckled close and fitted snugly at the collar. Using the collar on other horses runs the fit Cultivation of Corn. Practically without exception the experiments conducted in a dozen States, by practical men with scientific accuracy. have given results In favor of the shallow cultivation of corn as compared with deep cultivation. In every case cutting the roots of the corn reduced the yield. The best results are got by a thorough preparation of the ground before planting, and after that stirring the ground to a depth of only two or three inches —enough to break up the crust that sun and showers form on the surface and to root out the weeds. Dry Bordeaux Powder. For some years a dry powder similar to bordeaux mixture, that is, consisting of copper, sulphate, and lime, has been on the market under the name of David’s power. In 1887 it was hesitatingly recommended by the Department of Agriculture for the use of potatoes. It has. however, been entirely superseded by Bordeaux mixture, since the latter is more economical, adheres better to the foliage, and, according to the experience of most growers, says the Connecticut Experiment Station, is easier to use. Intelligent Breeding. The animals intended especially for breeding purposes should be fed in a manner different from those that are being fatted for market A very fat animal is not suitable for breeding, and many valuable mares, cows, sows and ewes that are very high in flesh either die in giving birth to their young or fail to produce vigorous offspring. The many cases of milk fever which occur among cows and ewes may often be traced to the use of too much concentrated food and a lack of judgment in feeding.

Do Not Thresh Barley at Once. A brewer of Petersboro, Ont., sends this word to barley growers: “When you cut your barley don’t thresh it out at once, but let it stay in the stack or mow for a month before threshing to sweat. This sweating is a chemical process which greatly improves barley for malting purposes. Barley threshed as soon as cut never malts well. Barley is better for being cut slightly green and alowed to stand in the field until dry enough for housing.” Poultry Fence. Poultry fence making is often considered a great task and therefore many choice specimens are practically spoiled for breeding purposes. For portable fence construction as shown below, take a piece Ix 6 inches and 3 feet long and another piece Ix 3 inches and of sufficient length to reach from ground to top of upper rail of panel. Nail these pieces together at right angles and a support is made. Drive a 30-penny spike nail into the edge of the upright deep enough to hold firmly and bend up-, ward to form a hook on which to hang the panel. Drive the spike so that whep each section rests on it the pickets will clear the ground. The pickets or panel may consist of lath nailed to light scantling. By the use of this fence. 1 you can regulate the size of the yard

and if no fence is wanted, it can be taken apart and stored under shelter. —A. F. Whitright, in Farm and Home. To Kill Squash Bugs. The bisulphate of carbon could be applied in the spring when the young vines are being attacked by the newly hatched Insects, says the Philadelphia Ledger. Any tight covering sufficiently large to cover the vines should be placed over the hill, and a very little bisulphide in a shallow dish placed under -it, and allowed to remain for an hour or two. Agricultural Notes. Improved farming improves the farm. Don’t fail to make that damp cellar dry. Keep air-slacked lime in your coops and about your houses. One advantage .with ducks is that if they are properly fed they are rarely sick. Turnips and potatoes are best fed by boiling and mixing with wheat bran. The best results are obtained when not more than 100 fowls are kept on an acre of ground. For egg production there can be no mistake in selecting either the Leghorns, Mlnorcas or Anconas. One advantage with sheep is that they will pick up a good living in places where cattle would nearly starve. You are liable to infect sound trees by using on them a knife with which you have cut out diseased wood. It is difficult to decide which is the best strawberry. A variety that succeeds finely in one locality may be a failure in another. When plants are set in the ground great care should be taken about watering. In the vast majority of cases evening is the best time. Chopped raw onions given 'to the fowls two or three times a week act as a stimulant to the blood and an appetizer. They will do no harm at any time.

The health of a horse depends on the soundness and proper adjustment of his teeth. They are the millstones that grind his food, and frequently need attention. Good cows, well cared for, and their butter product well made and judiciously marketed and all the by-pro-duct used to the best advantage comprise one of the most profitable branches of all our agriculture. When meat production of any kind is profitable, mutton production must be. The sheep is a double source of income, and to produce a pound of mutton certainly costs no more than to produce a pound of any other meat

FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

BARBED WIRE WINDLASS.

PORTABLE, SECURE AND CHEAP.