Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 160, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1916 — Page 2

Common American Birds

Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis) Length, about two feet. One of our largest hawks; ahults with tail reddish brown. Range: Breeds in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada and Alaska; winters generally in the United States and south to Guatemala. Habits and economic status: The red-tailed hawk, or "hen-hawk,” as it Is commonly called, is one of the best

known of all our birds of prey, and Is a widely distributed species of great economic importance. Its habit of sitting on some prominent limb or pole In the open, or flying with measured wing beat over prairies and sparsely wooded areas on the lookout for its favorite prey, causes it to be noticed by the most indifferent observer. Although not as omnivorous as the redshouldered hawk, it feeds on a variety of food, as small mammals, snakes, frogs, insects, birds, crawfish, centipedes, and even carrion. In regions where rattlesnakes abound it destroys considerable numbers of the reptiles. Although it feeds to a certain extent on poultry and birds, it is nevertheless entitled to general protection on account of the insistent warfare it wages against field mice and other small rodents and insects that are so destructive to young orchards, nursery stock, and farm produce. Out of 530 stomachs examined, 457, or 85 per cent, contained the Remains of mammals, pests such as field mice, pine mice, rabbits, several species of ground squirrels, pocket gophers, and cotton rats, and only 62 contained the remains of poultry or game birds. Barn Owl (Aluco pratincola) Length, about seventeen inches. Facial disk not circular as in our other owls; plumage above, pale yellow; beneath, varying from silky white to pale bright tawny. Range: Resident in Mexico r , in the southern United. States, and north to New York, Ohio, Nebraska, and California. Habits and economic status: The barn owl, often called monkey-faced owl, is one of the most beneficial of

khe birds of prey, since it feeds almost exclusively on small mammals that injure farm produce, nursery, and orchard stock. It hunts principally in the open and consequently secures such mammals as pocket gophers, field mice, common rats, house mice, harvest mice, kangaroo rats, and cotton rats. It occasionally captures a> few birds and insects. At least a half bushel of the remains of pocket gophers have been found in the nesting cavity of a pair of these birds. Remembering that a gopher has been known in a short time to girdle seven apricot trees worth SIOO it is hard to overestimate the value of the service of a pair of barn owls. One thousand two hundred and forty-seven pellets of the barn owl collected from the Smithsonian towers contained 3,100 skulls, of which 3,004, or 97 per cent, were mammals; 92, or 3 per cent, of birds; and 4 were of frogs. The bulk consisted of 1,987 field mice, 656 house mice, and 210 common rats. The birds eaten were mainly sparrows and blackbirds. This valuable owl should be rigidly protected throughout the entire range. Brown Creeper (Certhla familiaris americana) Length, five and one-half inches. Range: Breeds from Nebraska, Indiana, North Carolina (mountains), and -Massachusetts north to southern Canada, also in the mountains of the western JJnited States, north to Alaska, south to Nicaragua; winters over most of its range.. Habits and economic status: Rare-

Interesting information about them supplied by the Bureau of Biological Survey of the : United States of

ly indeed is the creeper seen at rest. It appears to spend its life in an incessant scramble over the trunks aAd branches of trees, from which it gets all its food. It is protectively colored so as to be practically invisible to its enemies and, though delicately built, possesses amazingly strong claws and feet. Its tiny eyes are sharp enough to detect insects so small that most other species pass them by, and altogether the creeper fills a unique place in the ranks of our insect destroyers. The food consists of minute insects and insects’ eggs, also cocoons of tlneid moths, small wasps, ants, and bugs, especially scales and plant lice, with some small caterpillars. As the creeper remains in the United States

throughout the year, it naturally secures hibernating insects and insects’ eggs, as well as spiders and spiders’ eggs missed by the summer birds. On its bill of fare we find no product ot husbandry nor any useful insects.

Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) Length, seventeen inches. The broad black band near tip of tail distinguishes this from other grouse. Range: Resident in the northern two-thirds of the United States and in the forested parts of Canada. Habits and economic status: The ruffed grouse, the famed drummer and finest game bird of the northern woods, is usually wild and wary and under reasonable protection well withstands the attacks of hunters. Moreover, when reduced In numbers, It responds to protection in a gratifying manner and has proved to be well adapted to propagation under artificial conditions. Wild fruits, mast, and browse make up the bulk of the vegetable food of this species. It is very fond of hazelnuts, beechnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, and it eats practically all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been identified from the stomach contents examined. Various weed seeds also are consumed. Slightly more than 10 per cent of the food consists of insects, about half beetles. The most important pests devoured are the potato beetle, clover-root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, grapevine

leaf-beetle, May beetles, grasshoppers, cotton worms, army worms, cutworms, the red-humped apple worm, and sawfly larvae. While the economic record of the ruffed grouse is fairly commendable, Undoes hot call for more stringent protection than is necessary to maintain the species in reasonable numbers.

Water With Meals.

Most people are better off for taking some water with their meals. Water is an aid to the chemical activities of digestion, and is furnished by the body itself in large amount. The gastric juice, of which the stomach makes about a pint and a half per meal, is made up of nine hundred and ninety-five parts of water per thousand. By drinking water with our meals we help to furnish a part of the digestive juices. Whether the amount should be a part of a glass or several glasses can be determined only by the experience of its effects by the individual. Such water should not be taken Ice-cold not very hot. A healthy appetite, the appetite of hunger, like a healthy mental appetite, needs no sensational drinks.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, INIr.

PUTTING SHOCK CORN IN SILO ANY TIME

Filling a Silo at the Missouri College of Agriculture.

(By C. H. "ECKLES, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station.) Dry corn fodder may be put into the silo any time during the fall or winter with good results, although it is better to put It in at the proper stage, according to the results obtained at the Missouri station. It is very difficult to make silage in the winter time on farms which do not have water systems, which makes it easy to add a ton of water for every ton of silage. It will not do to rely upon supplying the water through the cutter, as only about a third enough can be added in this way. No better results are obtained if the water is poured on the top after the filling has been completed. Channels”form and drain the upper portion of the silo, leaving most of the fodder dry. There is little danger of adding too much water, but of course ft makes unnecessary work. Of ten or twelve farmers who made silage from shock corn and furnished samples for analysis, one who added apparently too little water says: “The silage was good at first, but got drier and drier toward the bottom." In a number of cates the silage molded, and in every such case it was found that too little water had been added. If the filling is done during wet weather, the fodder may be so damp that less need be added, but the only way to be sure of getting good results is to measure the amount of water sprayed on by the hose per minute and adjust the hose and the cutter in such a way that a ton of water will be even-

INSECTS THAT PREY ON THE APPLE TREE

There Are 176 Different Varieties Capable of Making Them Entirely fruitless. It’s almost a miracle that we have any apples at all, for there are 176 different varieties of insects which attack apple trees and are capable of making them fruitless. To fight this horde of pests the apple-producing states spend as much as $3,600,000 a year for spraying trees, remarks Philadelphia Inquirer. Scientists now say, however, that it would be much better if fruit growers spent less money in covering their trees with poison and did more to encourage birds to make their h'oihes in the orchards. Birds devour almost every kind of inseot which threatens fruit, and enough birds will accomplish wonders in freeing orchards from this danger. Farmers often object to birds, because they eat so much fruit. There are, however, numerous ways in which the amount of fruit birds destroy can be made trivial compared with the number of insects they eat. Robins, for instance, are extremely fond of cherries. But they will leave the cherry trees quite neglected if one or two trees of Russian mulberries, which ripen at tM same time as cherries, are reach. Other things which will retain the robin’s useful services as a forager without any serious loss of valuable fruit are chokeberries, holly, elder, shadeberries, wild cherries, wild grapes, greenbrier and smilax. The planting of some such trees and shrubs in the vicinity of orchards serves a double purpose. It furnishes food for the birds and makes them more inclined to make their homes in the orchards. One reason why birds often avoid orchards is because the shrubbery has been cut away and they can find no suitable nesting places.

Male Bird for Breeding.

Now is a good time to look around for the male bird you wish to put at the head of next year’s breeding pen. Some care should be exercised in making such a selection as upon the head of the pen depends much of next season’s success.

Bank Up Celery Plants.

Bank up the celery plants with earth in order to get them to blanch. Earth is said to be better tor late celery than boards. - ■ l .‘: :— 1 y

ly distributed over every ton of dry fodder cut into silage. The conclusions of the college dorived from filling three small silos at different dates, and with the addition of different amounts of water, agree closely with the opinions of the farmers who had used such silage, and may be summarized py saying that (1) the feed was satisfactory and more palatable than the shock corn, (2) such silage is not equal to that made by putting in the corn at the proper stage in the fall, (3) such refilling prevents the loss in feeding value, which occurs when the fodder is left in the shock; (4) silage is more convenient than shock fodder to feed, and (5) the stalk is more completely eaten. One of the farmers who have had experience says: "I would recommend putting shock corn in the sUo any time up to February, believing it to be much more valuable as silage than when fed to cattle from the shock. I prefer putting it in the silo at the proper stage, however.” Another farmer writes: “We filled a silo in the middle of the winter. Supplied the water with a hose in the silo. Water was taken up rapidly. Silage became very hot in 24 hours. The silage was in fine condition when fed. Stock ate the silage practically as well as fresh corn silage. Better to fill one silo three times than to build two or three, especially on account of the greater facility in getting help.”

PURE WATER SUPPLY IS VERY IMPORTANT

Difficult Problem on Many Hog Farms During Summer—Running Stream Desirable. Providing a plentiful supply of pure water is a difficult problem on many hog farms during the summer. A running stream in the yard is very desirable, provided there is no danger from contamination upstream. Under no circumstances should hogs be kept in yards or pastures that contain a large stream that flows through other hog yards or pastures upstream. In supplying drinking watay for the animals, care should be taken to keep the supply clean and wholesome. There are several ingenious devices which are cheap and efficient. These may be attached to a pipe line or to a stock tank or barrel. They are fitted with a float which regulates the supply of water in the drinking vessel. The drinking vessel is small, and does not admit of the hogs getting their feet into it. If a barrel is used it is advisable to add a small handful of lime to the water, to prevent it becoming stagnant when heated by the sun. Foul water is unfit for hogs, and makes them susceptible to infectious and contagious diseases and ailments.

PROFIT IN FARMING FIGURED BY YIELD

True Measure of Production Is Net Profit Per Acre Rather Than Gross Yield. Yield per acre is usually taken as the measure of profitable production in farming. A low yield means a small, profit or a loss and a high yield means a large profit. But this is not necessarily true, as the cost of production may be out of proportion to the value of the bumper crop. For example, Europe produces high yields per acre but small profits per man. The measure of good farming in America is profit per man rather than yield per acre. As the yield per acre is increased beyofid a certain normal, the cost per bushel, on the average, will be increased, though in individual cases or during short periods of time the reverse may be true. The true measure of production is net profit per acre rather than gross yield.

BETTER THAN ANY POCKETS

For Absolute Safety, the Old Lady's Plan Was Pretty Well Perfect. It was in the Pennsylvania depot at Jersey A man who had been half asleep on one of the benches for some time suddenly roused up, carried his hand to the breast pocket of his coat and then called out: “I have been robbed! Someone has picked my pocket!" "Have much money?” asked an old lady who Bat near him. “Over |40.” “Bakes alive! but what a loss. Sure you had it when you left home?” “Of course I am.” “Didn’t leave it under your pillar, or change your coat?” "No!" “I noticed you feeling around your coattails before you went to sleep. Better look back there before you give up.” | He carried his hand back, and ten seconds later held his lost wallet up to sight. He began to apologize and stammer, but the old lady threw up her hands and checked him with: “Yying man, you orter be more keerful, you might of accused me of stealin’ that money, and it would have been a nice thing for my church folks to hear of, wouldn’t it? When the news got home to my old man he’d have been so kerflustrated that he’d have forgotten to feed the shoats or milk the cows, and there’s no knowing how he’d have got along locking up the house and going to bed.” “Oh, I shouldn’t have accused you, ma’am,” protested the man. “Wall, I’m glad on it, and being as this excitement has come up about picking pockets I guess I’ll see if my money and ticket is safe.” And she reached down, slipped off a calfskin shoe from her right foot, and peered intently into it, with the remark: “There’s a ticket and there’s aUollar bill, and I hain’t been robbed. Just try it, young man. Beats coat tail and all other pockets all holler. Got to stand you on your head to git it, and every time you sot your foot down you know it’s thar. I’ve carried sl7 all over New York that way, and get out alive and safe.”

Labor Will Be Scarcer.

An investigation made by some of the railroads of the country indicated that 500,000 foreign-born persons would return to Europe immediately after the war, for various reasons. Friends and relatives have been killed. Their homes have been devastated. There has been no communication between millions of families for over a year. Other evidence indicates that some of the warring countries are planning a campaign upon America for the purpose of inducing able-bodied men to return to their native lands to aid in the rebuilding process. They want men, and they want the accumulated capital which these men will bring back with them; and 200,000 men with SSOO each would mean an addition to the capital resources of Europe of $100,000,000. It is probable that great stretches of Europe now divided into great feudal estates will be broken up into small holdings, to be sold to natives and returned foreign-born from America as small farms. For many nobles of central Europe have been killed. Many more have been bankrupted. ’The shortage of labor will make it difficult for them to work their estates. It ia not impossible that the United States may be a country from which the able-bodied will emigrate, rather than a country into which they will immigrate. This, of course, is a matter of speculation. It will depend upon industrial conditions in Europe on the one hand, and industrial conditions in America on the other. Adding to this is the pending legislation at Washington, which may restrict immigration by means of the literacy test and other limitations upon the number" of incoming aliens. —Engineering Magazine.

Making Gunpowder.

A process has been devised by the use of which gunpowder and other high explosives can be manufactured aboard a railway train In motion. The machinery includes device for performing all the essential operations of powder making, from the first compounder, where the elements are mixed, through press, a cutting wheels a hot air drying apparatus, to a glazing cylinder for giving the grains their final polish. If the whole proves as practical as the inventor Relieves it will its effect will be to render powder plants less liable to destruction in time of war than is the case at present. It also will be possible to manufacture, explosives in the very train that is carrying them to the front.

Self-Regulated Electric Iron.

Equipped with a simple form of thermostat, there has been introduced an electric iron which automatically maintains its temperature at any desired point. Adjustment in temperature is effected by turning the knob, after which the* thermostat member turns off the current when the heat exceeds the limit set and again closes the circuit when the temperature falls slightly below the lower limit.

Hungry.’

"Your wife’s dinner parties are ab wavs beautiful affairs.’’ “Yes,” replied Mr. Cumrox. v At first people didn’t seem to want to come to 'em, but I guess mebbe the high cost of living is making a dlf. ference."

A UTTER FROM ROME

By SUSAN E. CLAGETT.

He had come across the continent to see her and as he stood in her sitting room he was fully alive to its homely comfort. Manlike, he did not notice its suggestion of shabbiness. He had been in the country a week and had, as yet, found no opportunity for the question he had comejp ask. As he waited for her he wondered why. But he was determined to know tonight where he stood. Was it possible she had changed? He squared his Bhoulders and threw back his head. No. That was out of the question. Their correspondence had faltered occasionally, but had always been resumed, even after the two or three amazing letters he had received from her several years before. He put hisrdiand in his pocket and drew out a wdl-worn letter and was reading it as she came into the room. "That was the first,” he said. “I received it in Athens. The others reached me while I was in Cairo. There were four in all, and they about spoiled my trip. They were remarkable letters, EleanOr, remarkable from the fact that they were written by so cold a woman as you. I have read them every day and every day have wondered at the imbecile reply I sent you from Rome. “Whatever the reason, I have long regretted that letter, and I hope you will believe me when I say it is my dearest hope that you will consent to be my wife.” - She did not answer at once and her reply was not direct when it came. “I would like to tell you a story, Judge Norton,” she said. “It commenced a good many years ago, this story of a man and a woman ran its way through friendship and ended, as is usual in such cases, with one of them becoming somewhat more than a friend. The man, it was. When he was serious, she laughed. Not in ridicule, but because, although she cared in a way, it was not enough to make marriage desirable. The man went away, but their correspondence did not take the place of his companionship and each time he returned she felt she had grown a little nearer to him, but could not bring herself to let him see what she knew he wished to know, although he said little.

“The odd part of the story, your honor, is, the young woman never thought the man might change. At first she was sorry this was so, but as her home life, always difficult, now became intolerable, she turned to him, never doubting an immediate response. Made desperate by conditions she could not bear, she asked him to come to her. “It was a heart letter, but it brought no reply. Many weeks later, she received two or three lines. They told her he was on his way east. “She watched for»Jiim, but the days passed without further word. Then a line came to her fr;om his old home. He had passed her by, the first time in all the years of their Yriencjship, and she was in trouble. Yel so dulled was she by wretchedness that even then she did not doubt him. “Their last evening together was a nightmare for her to remember. Her coldness had chilled him, else he would have spoken. Of this she was -sure.- She must tell him plainly she cared. Then she committed the folly of her life. She wrote to him. Not one letter, but several. They were all love letters. That much she knows. What she said, she has mercifully forgotten. Then one day came a letter from Rome. “She laughed when she read it. ‘What has come over the man?’ she asked herself. When realization came to her she was numbed, frozen by what she had done. The thought that she had told him she cared bit so deeply into her pride there had to be a reaction.

“As a judge, you, yourself, have been called upon to decide nice questions, questions where the distinctions are subtle. Was the woman in the wrong? She thinks not. But she can glimpse the man’£| amazement as he read those letters; his feelings, that even if his actions were confirmatory until those last days, she had no right to attach importance to them until he had said the words that would support them. “He has come back and now asks in plain words what he asked many Cyears ago when they were young together—what’ he asked by implication year after year. She is no longer young. She is alone. Her support comes from her own efforts and sometimes she grows very tired. His offer means wealth, leisure. Her love for him is dead. But she feels warm friendliness. Will friendlmess and companionship take the place of that other feeling now that she is past youth? Does he really care, or is his desire for her merely a pang of conscience that he should have so hurt her?" Long before she had finished Judge Norton had left his place before the fire and was walking slowly back and forth the length of the room. As her voice ceased he stepped before her. “I show up pretty badly, Eleanor. I did not know how badly, but I will be thankful for your friendship and companionship If you will give them to me. I have been a very lonely man since I sent you that letter from Rome. Will you go back there with me?" i * r Yes, whenever you wish.” (Copyright, 1916, by the McClure New»P«* par Syndicate.) *