Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1895 — HELPFUL FARM HINTS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HELPFUL FARM HINTS

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AGRICULTURIST AND STOCKMAN. Borne Handy Wrinkles in Loading Corn Fodder—How to Repair Broken Wail Plaster Causeways Can Be Built of Wood—Farm Notes. Loading Bulky Forage. The device shown in Fig. 1 represents the front part of the running gear of a common farm wagon to which is attached a sort of fodder or brush frame. This frame is constructed as follows: Take two 3x3-lnch poles, 12

feet long, place them in position as shown at Fig. 1; a a a are hardwood boards 8 inches wide. The last one Is 8 feet long, with the other two to correspond! These arc nailed ts the poles. At b b are holes in which stakes are placed to prevent fodder or brush slipping off.. The upper ends of the poles are placed on the bolster of the wagon; the lower drag on the ground. A coupling pole runs from the axle to the crosspiece, c. This attaches the fodder drag securely to the wagon and permits of turning, etc. The figure shows the drag in position as seen from above. As no iron work Is necessary, any farmer can easily construct one himself. The illustration renders its building perfectly easy. The drag is not only useful for hauling fodder, but comes handy in disposing of brush or any bulky material which is difficult to load upon wagons, A variation of this device, made specially for loading corn fodder, Is shown In Fig. 2. Cut a 10-foot, 2-inch board 12 inches wldo Into two equal lengths. Place those side by side flatwise, a a, and secure firmly by means of 2x2-lnch cleats, b. Bore an auger hole near the upper end of each board, and with stay chains fasten this ladder to back end of the rack.

Take up an armful of fodder, walk up the ladder and deposit it on the front of the rack. Continue piling as high as desired until the load is complete.—American Agriculturist. A Billy an a Bulldozer. The worst bull I ever had or saw—and I have had an average of twenty bulls for the last fifteen years—was tamed by reaching over a board fence and striking his horns while he was pawing and bellowing during his efforts to reach us through or over the fence. This bull would chase a man out of a large field, and surely kill him, if reached. But he was subdued with a small, round, hardwood stick in the hands of a butcher who came to my place to buy him, which he did and took the bull away, on foot, singlehanded, and drove It before him two miles without assistance. » Building Causeways of Wood. In some regions stone suitable for building causeway walls is not at hand. In such case a passageway for cattle may be made under a road by using wooden timbers for the sides, as shown In the accompanying illustration. The

timbers are spiked or trenalled together to keep firmly,in place. Cross pieces at the bottom hold the sides from pressing together, while the timbers at the top serve the same purpose. Such a wall is much more easily constructed than one made of stone.—Orange Judd Farmer. Bleached Celery. Celery bleached in this weather must be used at once. About a week’s time, according to the Philadelphia Ledger, is required. In cold weather It takes longer. At this season many growers use boards, held the proper distance apart at the top by triangular-sbaped boards, nailed to the ends of the board of one side, the other board resting up against the opposite side of it. Another contrivance to keep the boards the proper distance apart is a strip of tin a half inch wide, straight at the top, but with two half circles, an eighth of an Inch wide, cut In the bottom side, near the ends, to fit over a nail driven in the end of each board, near the top. The tin should be only long enough to keep the boards the right distance apart at the top. The boards should hold the top of the stalks fairly dose, but not bind them. Care of Young Pigs. If the pigs scour at three or four weeks old, It is in most cases on account •f an overloaded stomach. They begin

to feed heartfly at about three weeks old, and, if fed liberally, they will gorge themselves. The rtfifiedy is simple If taken in time. If they have been fed slop, cut down the amonnt. If they have been allowed a full feed of corn, limit them in thia Scorched flour of a cheap grade, fed dry, will aid in checking the trouble. It la well to remember that the sow must be put under the same treatment as the pigs. It is useless to try to check the trouble in the pigs, and continue to crowd the aow with rich rations. When the trouble commences in a litter, all the litter are apt to be affected. When bnce they are taken with this trouble the difficulty in getting all to going again does not He so much in checking it as in feeding up to full rations again with recurrence of the trouble. With continued recurrence the trouble becomes chronic. When It reaches this stage, the pigs are of little value, as it is almost impossible to get them back to their former thrifty condition.—National Stockman. Calf-Feeding Arrangement. A practical old farmer, who Is all the time studying how to improve his farm methods, gives the following simple device for holding a pail when feeding the calves: First, make a frame out of plank a foot wide, and long enough to accommodate the number of calves to be fed, leaving the bottom open. Take a board a foot wide; with a keyhole saw cut holes large enough to take a pall in half way up the sides, in number equal to the number of calvesi Nall this on the top of the plank frame. Fasten the whole to the side of the barn, or if It be used out of doors, to the fence, so It can be moved away. When the time comes tp feed, set the palls along in the holes and pour the milk in. By this means each calf Is given Its own mess, and the palls cannot be tipped over.—Dairyman. Repairing Broken Wall Plaster. Always In repairing bits of wail or celling remove all the adjoining portion of plaster that Is loose, then Industriously brush the exposed lath until not a particle of plastering remains. Now carefully wash with a hand broom. This will swell out the fiber of the lath. Let dry for one day, again brush and

either make half-inch boles In the lath as at a, or drive iq plenty of %-Inch wire nails to about half their length as at b, or Insert small screws left projecting a little less than the thickness of the wall as at c. The object of all of these plans Is to hold the plastering firmly in position. When patching a wall It is best to put In more hair than usual and be certain to press the plaster Into every crevice, using none but well-made mortar. Do not mix and apply the same day, but let it season or ripen as masons do. Better still, where but a bushel or so 1* needed, go to some place where building Is going on, or to a mason who keeps it ready-made, and obtain a better article than you can possibly make and at a trifling expense.—Farm and Home. How to Tighten Wagon Tire*. Wagpn tires will become loose in dry weather, and some owners think the remedy Iles in having them cut and reset. A better way is to soak in water until tight, and then soak in boiling oil. A Bucks County farmer fixing his wagon wheels one day last week had an iron pan, six inches deep, the bottom slightly rounded—that Is, deeper In the middle than at the ends. This, half full of linseed-oil, was resting its ends on two stones over a fire. When the oil was at boiling heat, a wheel, raised by a Jack .to be Just the right height, was placed over the pan so the rim would be covered by the oil, and was run through the oil until every part of the rim was saturated. This, the owner said, fastened the tire permanently, and preserved the wood of the wheel.—Philadelphia Ledger.

Time of Seeding Crimson Clover. In experiments in New Jersey, according to the station record, it was found that where the soil was not reasonably good it was necessary, In order to secure a good stand, to delay sowing until September. On poor soils excellent crops were secured when the seed was sown even as late as October. For good lands the author recommends that seed be sown between July 15 and September 15. It was found that In New Jersey spring seeding either alone or with oats gave disappointing results. To Keep Harness from Kipping. To prevent splices in lines or other parts of harness from ripping, says the Massachusetts Ploughman, use car, pet staples (double-pointed tacks), drive through the points of the splice and clinch on opposite side. I drive one on each side of the loop in the billet (the part that buckles into the bit), and use them in various parts of my harness and often make splices with them. t Gum on Cherry Trees. Excessive gum on cherry trees seems to be due to lack of potash. At least a bushel or so es unleached wood ashes worked well into the soil about the roots of a tree that was badly affected caused it to heal over smooth,, gro.W vigorously and bear abundantly. 0 Winter Rye. It will pay to sow more rye for winter pasture and as a green crop to turn under; one and one-half bushels.of rye and six quarts of red clover seed to the acre, if sown by the Ist of September, will afford plenty of winter and spring pasturage. Pedigree Pigs. Well-bred pigs that are kept growing are ready for the market all the time. Scrub hogs de hot begin to get fat until they have got age on them.

FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

CAUSEWAY OF WOOD.

REPAIRING BROKEN WALL PLASTER.