Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1910 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Back to the Pftrm. There are three all-important things to be weighed by the city man who wishes to return to the The first is his wife. If she is in every sense of the word a helpmate, loves the country and can give up what she has been used to in the city for the sake of the children and the building of a real home, then the prospects are fairly favorable to begin with. The second thing to be considered is your years and capacity for work; .the third, what is your capital? If all these are favorable, don’t lose a day In trying to get suitably located. If any one of these points is doubtful, deliberate well and move slowly. If you have a fat bank account and a wife tied to the fleshpots of the city you can do nothing in the country; but, cn thd other hand, If your wife be one with you heart and soul, then capital might at a piuch be forgotten. As to the second point—that of years and capacity for work —this Is very important, because so many of those who are earnestly desirous of forsaking the city to-day are well advanced la years, who think that the country would afford them an easy means of earning a living. There is nothing easy on the farm. — : — : r Lo»* on Farm Crop* Dae to Fnngl. Prof. W. A. Orton, in an article on the importance of the development of farm crops resistant to disease, Justifies his statements by pointing out that the present losses from plant diseases are a heavy tax upon the farmer. He states that in the United States alone the average annual loss frqm oat smut i 3 more than $6,500,000; from loose-smut of wheat, $3,000,000, and from bunt, or stinking smut of wheat, more than $11,000,000. Loose-smut annually diminishes the value of barley $2,000,000, a careful estimate of the loss in one State last year placing it as 7 per cent. The combined effect of the various diseases of fungal origin attacking the potato diminish the yield of this crop over $36,000,000 each year. The above account shows that

an annual loss amounting to over $55,000,000 Is sustained, due to the injury caused by fungi to cereals and potatoes alone. The Farm-Wife.. Where ends the road across the hill? I do not know —I do not know; But all day long and all the night *•1 long to go—l long to go! It runs so straight beneath the sun, So white beneath the moon;* It calls me from my work and dreams, And I must answer—soon. I bolt my door, I do my tasks, I kiss my goodman’s cheek— Yet I cannot hear my baby’s laugh For what the road would speak. Where ends the road? I only know Here, from the pasture-bars. It is familiar to the sun And mistress to the stars. —Reginald W. Kauffman, In Llppincett’s. Owls for Orchards. The fruit growers of New Zealand, after long racking their brains in vain to find some way of getting rid of the small bird pest, recently thought of trying owls, says the Sydney Mail. A hundred small German owls were ordered from Europe, and a part of the order was delivered last September. The owls were liberated in the fruitgrowing districts and immediately proved a wonderful success. They killed waxeyes, finches, green linnets, thrushes, blackbirds and sparrows; also mice, rats and young rabbits. They fed' their young on caterpillars, grubs and, beetles, and their only fault seejned to be an occasional fondness for a barnyard chicken. -v :: ailMg-P—<-for r«irtb r. Bones and-meat secured- from the. butcher and cut Into fine pieces by means of a bone cutter are perhaps the best substitute for the Insects a

hm finds when on tfJL range. Horse meat, being free from tuberculosis, i* probably slightly preferable to that from the butchers’ stalls. Skim-milk is a good qubstitute for meat, but being so bulky the fowls rarely eat enough of It to supply the required nutriment unless it Is soured to- a clabber and whey drawn off. Dried beef scrap is a product of the packing- houses and if of assured quality makes a fair substitute for fresh meat. It should be fed in hoppers and should constitute about 8 or 10 per cent of the graih ration. Landing; Blocks of ,Ice. An easy way to take the blocks of Ice fram a pond after they are cut is shown in the accompanying sketch, from Popular Mechanics. A plank ten to twelve feet long, with a handle attached to one end and a block of wood nailed to the other, takes the place of Ice tongs. One person can take out a heavy block of Ice as easily ah three

men could with ice tongs. In removing ice blocks with this board, the operator will not get wet. Value of a Good Garden. A good home garden Is a great institution. It means more on many farms than the crop bf wheat, corn or oats. It furnishes food for the family throughout the summer, and, If properly handled> a liberal supply for'winter. Some gardens are handled so skilfully that there Is a surplus of vegetables for sale almost every week. ft—means much to the farmer and his family and should be planned with the utmost care and given the very best attention. f Increasing; Flow of Milk. It must be remembered that beyond a certain point grain will not_ Increase the flow of milk at all. The cow has a limit; she can use Just so much food

and pay for it, and no more, and it is the business of' the dairyman to find that limit, and he can readily do so by very gradually increasing the ration and keeping close watch of the' cow’s condition, of the voiding and of the milk yield. Every cow stroma be forced right up to her limljt. She represents a sum of money and when idle earns nothing, but has to be fed and is taxible. Most profit comes from keeping cowsr busy, and at their best all ths time that they are In milk. Correcting Defect* of Hoof. If the horse has defective feet keep tjiem carefully trimmed and shod, if necessary. The soft hoof should be shod and re-shod every six or eight weeks in the winter when the ground is frozen, and at all times of the year where the roads are rocked or graveled. By keeping the horse with poor feet properly shod It will do good service without loss of time. It is best, however, to breed for goed feet. • _______ Windom in During Feed. When much food Is to be bought the aim should be to grow so much coarse fodder that whatever is bought will be bought in the shape of tor* tilizer. The wisdom of doing this arises from the less cost of transport* sass concentrates because of the less bulk which they contain in proportion to their nutriment. The fertiliser may be very profitably used in growing ths coarse fodders needed. Motet are for Brood Eggs. ~* i ~ A hen left to herself will get off her aest very early in the morning, when the air is cool. She has the eggs heated to 103 or 104 degrees. She gets off the nest, and the cool air; coming in the warm eggs,cUßnesthe~~ moisture to precipitate, and It moistens them sufficiently without-any additional wetting. -

HOW TO REMOVE THE BLOCKS.