Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1918 — Page 2

By EARLE HOOKER EATON.

IB F A MAN wants to fight nowadays there is no reason why he should not be* accommodated. The United States is not only a vast recruiting camp for its own armies, but Great Britain is engaged in a i strenuous campaign to get every Britisher and Canadian in the • States to volunteer for service under the British flag. This work is being done pendIng the outcome of international negotiations at Washington which, if consummated, will permit the British and Canadian recruiting mission under the leadership of Brig, Gen.W. A. White, C. M. G., to draft every Britisher and Canadian now residing in the United States, and the United States to draft every one of its citizens who lives in Great Britain or Canada. This is a very important matter, particularly for the Britishers and Canadians, because there are at least 200,000 of them over whom Old Glory waves, and the names and addresses of at least 175,000 of them are known to General White and his staff because they have been taken from the draft records of the United States. Many of these are coming forward every day of their own accord, but the recruiting mission wants every man of them who is physically fit to volunteer for the British or Canadian armies. About 14,000 have already gone into these armies, and in one month recently over half of the recruits secured for the Canadian expeditionary forces came from the United States. When Brigadier General White asks a man to fight he doesn’t ask him to do any more thaw he' has done himself. He is an officer in the regular army of Great Britain, and that he lost no time himself in getting into the fray is shown by the fact that he reached Belgium about August 6, 1914, a few days after the war was declared, and got into action almost Immediately. He had general charge of the rear guard actions from Mons to the Marne, in which a small British army ma-

Pineapples Catch Crop

Although pineapples are grown rather extensively in the Straits Settlements, the canning of this fruit being one of the most flourishing of the minor Industries, there appears to be little definite information available as to the acreage and actual production In the different localities, according to Consul Harry Campbell, detailed as vice consul at Singapore, Straits Settlements. Pineapples are for the most part raised as a catch crop In connection with rubber plantations, since' they can be grown very easily and with little cost between the rubber trees during the first two or three years of their growth. This procedure has been especially attractive to planters (mostly Chinese) having small holdings on the island of Singapore, as it affords the planter an Income during the years that the rubber trees are coming into bearirig, while proximity to the canning factories of Singapore makes the marketing simple and inexpensive. It la estimated that about 2,000 acres of pineapples were planted on rubber estates on the Island of Singapore In 1916. Any definite figures as to acreage in other parts of the peninsula are not available, but it appears that the Industry in the Federated Malay states is not important, being limited almost Entirely to small plots for local market purposes. The value of the exports of pineapples from the Straits Settlements during 1916 was $2,506,910.

Britishers in United States Called to Colors

terially aided the French in holding back the German hordes under General Von Kluck and made possible the great victory at the Marne planned by General Joffre. After fighting in France and Belgium for almost two years, General White was taken severely ill with appendicitis, and after two operations was invalided to America on his present recruiting mission. Anyone who is familiar with the rear-guard actions fought by the British between Mons and the Marne —heart-breaking actions in which the brave men involved, although vastly outnumbered by the army Germany had been getting ready for years, were practically called upon to sacrifice themselves so that Joffre could have time to fully prepare for his wonderful and successful blow against Von Kluck’s flank—knows that every Britisher, from general to private, did the full measure of his duty to his country and to civilization, and that thousands of them paid for that duty with their blood or with their lives. Inspired by such experiences, it is no wonder that General White is. a bit impatient with the Britisher or Canadian who has been under the protection,of the British flag for yea<s, who has enjoyed the liberty and the various advantages claimed by those living or claiming the righty of those living under that flag, and yet who declines to come forward of his own volition and help Great Britain, France and the United States win a war, the object of which is “to make the world safe for democracy.” Several months, no doubt, will pass before the conventions providing reciprocal draft privileges are approved by the United States senate and arrangements are perfected for making the draft effective. The reason the United States senate must first pass on the conventions Is because existing treaties between the United States and Great Britain are to be changed somewhat by them. One odd phase of the situation and one that causes some confusion, is the different age period of the draft in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. . Britishers from eighteen to fortyone may be drafted, Canadians between twenty and thirty-four, and citizens of the" United States between twenty-one and thirty-one. Still another odd phase is the first papers proposition. The United States draft authorities claim every Britisher and Canadian who has taken out first nature alizatlon papers, but these men are all regarded as British subjects by the British government and as such not only at liberty to volunteer but subject to the British and Canadian draft provisions as soon as they become effective in the United States.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

The United States and British governments, however, are' working in harmony in this somewhat complicated international matter because, after all, so long as a mhn fights it does not make a great deal of difference whether he goes “over the top” under the British flag or thfe Stars and Stripes. The main proposition is to see that he gets into the firing line in one army or the other Ad does “his bit” against the Prussian military autocracy. It is an army axiom that three men are needed behind the lines to keep one soldier in a front line trench ready to go over the top. Men who fight must be backed by men who work, and experts in all sorts of trades are needed. The British and Canadian recruiting mission, for example. Is now in urgent need of blacksmiths, boat builders, carpenters, caulkers, drillers, frame benders, heavy timbermen, platers, platers’ helpers,- pile drivers, quarrymen, riggers, riveters and their mates, seamen, shipwrights, shipyard machinists and stevedores. The average man of fifty-six thinks that no one wants him for war purposes, but he is mistaken. Let “old Doctqr Osler” take notice that the British government thinks that a man of fifty-six, provided he knows his business, is well worth acquiring for its service in the Royal Imperial Engineers. This corps offers a special opening to men between fifty-one and fifty-six, and to younger men who are highly skilled or medically unfit for general service, but who are fit to carry on their trade occupation. They are being enlisted for the duration of the war, and rank from privates to sergeants, a private receiving 76 cents per day, a lance corporal 84 cents, a second corporal sl, a corporal SI.OB and a sergeant $1.28, separation allowances being paid to dependents. The Canadian partriotlc fund also gives an allowance to dependents who reside in Canada. Forty clerks are at work in the New York offices of the British and Canadian recruiting mission on a card index system covering the names of every Britisher and Canadian of draft age in the United States, and Brigadier General White has already sent a strong letter to 100,000 of them explaining why they should volunteer, asking them to volunteer or tell him their reasons why they do not do so, and ending with the pertinent query: “Will you not do your part, a man’s part, in this great cause?” The most interesting war relic ever seen in America will be used in General White’s great recruiting campaign. This relic is none other than the tank Britannia, which has already been seen in New York and Canada, but is still a decided novelty to people all over the United States. The Britannia is a genuine British tank, and has seen service on the Flanders front. \ When it first appeared upon the streets of New York, it caused a great sensation as it lumbered along Fifth avenue, and later on was the biggest hit at the Hero Land bazaar. An extensive itinerary has been laid out for the tank and its crew of veterans, several of whom bear wounds received in the service* This novel land battleship carries six machine guns, and is an awe-inspiring sight as it moves over rough country and deep ditches with the same ease and speed it shows when it attacks the German trenches on the French front.

His Only Chance

It was an old situation. Mother went through the pantry, and found that son had been at the layer cake. She sighed, assumed her severe look, and went back into the living room. “Robert,” she said, “didn’t I tell you not to touch that cake without asking permission? And didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t have any cake just before meal time?” “Yes’m.” “Then why did you take some cake without asking permission?” “Because I wanted some cake just before meal time.” His argument was flawless, whatever is said about, his obedience.

SOME CONVERSATIONALIST.

The young man had talked for ten or fifteen minutes without a break, when the girl at the other end of the wire interrupted: “Just a moment. Guy,” she said. “What is It, Fleda?” “I want to change the receiver to the other ear. This one’s tired.”

PROBABLE INFORMATION.

“Can you tell me what the day wore when, it wore on ?” "Probably, judging from the recent temperatures, it was a sweater.”

A Bird in the Hand

(Special Information Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.) HOUSING THE BACK-YARD FLOCK

Two Piano Boxes, Combined and Covered, Make This Kind of House.

GOOD HOOSE FOR BACK-YARD FLOCK

Comfort, Not Luxury, Is Important for Flock’s Need. OLD SHED IS SATISFACTORY Made Warm and Airy, and With Hen Conveniences, Is All That Is Necessary—Divide Yard for Growing Green Feed. A house for the back-yard flock need not be expensive. It should be comfortable. Often there is-an unused shed or building on the place which can easily be converted into a chicken house. The front of the poultry house should face toward the south, if possible, so that the sun will shine into it. A house which provides a floor space of three or four square feet for each l?lrd is ample in size and fowls are often successfully kept with an allowance no greater than two and one-half to three square feet. Houses must be dry and free from draft, but must allow ventilation. Very satisfactory houses can be made cheaply from piano boxes or other packing cases. Where there is a board fence it is sometimes possible to take advantage of this by building the poultry house in the corner of the fence, making the fence itself, with the cracks coveted by strips or battened, serve as the back and one side of the house. A cheap house 8 feet square can be made .of 2 by 4-lnch pieces and 12inch boards and covered with roofing paper. Such a house would be large enough for a flock of 20 to 25 hens, It can be built quickly and is cheap in construction. Plans for building it, which can be easily followed, with a description of all the material needed, are given in a new" publication of the United States Department of Agriculture, Farmers’ Bulletin 889. If the back yard is well drained, the ground Itself should be dry enough to serve as the floor of the house. Often a slight dampness can be corrected by filling up the floor several inches above the outside ground with sand, cinders, gravel or dry dirt. Three or four inches of the surface of the floor, and of the run, if a very small run is used, should be removed and replaced with fresh dirt two or three times a year. If the ground is so wet or damp that the condition cannot be corrected by filling, it is best to provide a board floor, as this will keep the house dry, will allow easier cleaning, and will promote the general health and welfare of the hens. A house with a board floor should be set on posts or blocks sto 12 Inches above the ground. Built in this way the floor will not rot so quickly and rats are not so likely to take refuge under it. To keep the flock in a clean and sanitary condition dropping boards should be provided and roosts above them. This makes it easy to remove the droppings each morning, and helps greatly to keep the house free from objectionable odors. A little sand sprinkled on the dropping boards after each cleaning will make the cleaning easier. The dropping boards and roosts should be placed against the back wall. Here they are out of the way and at the same time where they are less likely to be reached by drafts. The dropping boards should be about 20 to 30 Inches from the floor, depending on the height of the building. This gives space enough under them so that the .hens have room to exercise and it is not too high for the heavier hens to fly to. The roosts should be three or four Inches above the dropping boards. A piece of 2 by 4 or 2 by 3 laid on edge, and with the upper corners rounded oft, makes a good roost. Nests must be provided and may be very simple- Any box. about one foot square and five or six inches deep is suitable. An ordinary orange bar with a partition in the middle serves this purpose very well, each box forming two nests. With the top removed the box is laid on its side and a strip three or four inches wide nailed across the lower front. Nests can be fastened to the walls of the house or set on the floor. It is preferable to fasten them

against the wall, as they take too much floor space if set on the floor. One nest should be provided for each four or five hens. Straw or other material used in the nests should be kept dean and not allowed to become so low that the eggs will strike the wooden bottom of the nest. This may cause the eggs to break and will start the hens to eating them —a very troublesome habit and one that is very difficult to break up once it is formed. A litter of straw or leaves about three or four inches deep on the floor of the house helps to absorb the droppings, and by feeding the grain in this litter the hens are obliged to exercise by scratching for it Wire fencing is preferable to boards as it is cheaper and the hens are less likely to fly over. If cats prove troublesome, where one is raising young chickens, it may be necessary to cover the top of the yard with wire also. This is practicable for small enclosures. A board should not be used at the top of the wire fence as this gives the hens a visible place to alight and tends to teach them to fly over. A - foot fence is high enough for most conditions, but if the hens show a tendency to fly over such a fence the flight feathers of one wing should be clipped. The larger the yard which can be provided, the better the hens will do, as it-not only gives them better opportunity to exercise but also makes it possible to maintain a sod in the yard. In most cases not enough yard will be available so that a sod can be maintained; If the yard is fairly large it can be divided into two parts and green crops, such as oats, wheat, rye or dwarf essex rape, allowed to start in one yard while the hens are confined to the other. The yard should be turned or spaded up frequently, if not in sod, to keep it in the best condition. This will not only tend to keep down any odors which might arise but also allow the droppings to be absorbed into the soil more readily and therefore keep the yard in better condition for the hens. Although it is necessary to keep the hens confined to their yard most of the time, it is sometimes possible to let them out where they may range on the lawn for an hour or so during the evening when someone can be at hand to watch them, or at certain seasons of the year to allow them to run in the garden plot. The next article on back-yard poultry keeping will discuss the feeding of the flock, with suggestions as to the use of kitchen waste and the amount of grain and other feed needed.

THIS HOUSE FROM PIANO BOXES; FOR 12 HENS—$2.

A very satisfactory hen house can be made of two piano boxes. The boxes are placed back to back 3 feet apart, the back and top df each removed, a frame for roof and floor added and the part between the two boxes built in with the boards removed from the boxes. The whole is covered with roofing paper. A portion of the door should be left open or covered with a piece of muslin to allow light and ventilation, and windows in the rear may be cut if desired. With piano boxes at $2.50 each, such a house can be easily and quickly tyuilt for sl2. It will accommodate 12 hens comfortably.

As it is better to have a cold, dry poultry house than a warm, damp one, some means of ventilation should be provided. A cloth curtain over an opening has proved a very successful method of ventilation. If the poultry yards are to be on only one side of the house they should be located on the south side in order that the fowls may have the benefit of the first dry ground in early spring and the warmth from the reflection of the sun on the house during the winter. Your flock need not be objectionable to the neighbors. There will be no disagreeable odors if dropping boards are provided in the chicken house and these are cleaned daily. The noise of the male bird is as unnecessary as the male himself in a flock kept for eggs. Hens lay just as well without the male.