Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 169, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1918 — Page 3

A Bird in the Hand

(Special Information Service, United States Department of Agriculture.) HOWTO PICK CHICKENS

Successive Steps Shown In Pictures From Left to Right.

PROPER PICKING VERY IMPORTANT

Poorly Dressed Fowls Cause of Loss to Packer and Can Be Prevented. BRAINING IS BIG ESSENTIAL Dark Skins, “Burnt” Wings and Legs, Discolored Necks and Other Evils Can Be Obviated—Pictures Explain. Fully. Badly picked chickens cause money losses to packers, and the importance of proper picking is comparatively as great to the owner of a small flock whose picking is done only for the family table. Torn skins, “burnt” wings and legs due to continued and rough “stripping,” pin feathers that show discolored necks because the neck feathers were pulled first instead of last —these things can be prevented by propejr nicking. Much loss results from “roughing” wlien the quills and most of\the soft feathers are removed. The few feathers, pins and down remaining should be removed by the “tipper” or “pinner.” Proper braining is essential to easy dry picking—it makes dry picking as easy as “scalding.” Steps in Picking.

The following paragraphs explaining the steps in picking are numbered to correspond with the sketches in the picture, reading from left to right. No. I.—The picking shackle, made of galvanized wire one-eighth inch in diameter, is suspended by a cord. With the feet in the shackle the wings of the bird should be level with your elbows. No. 2. —As soon as the throat vein Is cut and the brain punctured, grasp the wings in the left hand, being sure not to clasp the neck. Grasp the tail with the right hand —thumb down — then turn the wrist and twist out the feathers as the first turns upward. No. 3. —Pull the large wing feathers next. Hold the hand with the thumb upward. / Grasp as many feathers as .von can in-one- hand. JerkHiem out with a sharp, quick downward movement. One grab for small birds—two for large. No. 4. —Now for the 1 breast and sides. Begin at the wishbone. Take large handfuls. Seize the feathers with the whole fist, thumb upward. Pull up and out, twisting the forea'rm outward.

No. 5. —Work up to the thighs, taking large fistfuls of feathers and being sure to pull upward and twist the forearm outward. It's the twist that turns the trick and prevents torn skins. Do one side first, then the other. Working on Legs. No. 6. —The legs come next. Clasp the leg firmly at its base. Keep the thumb downward. Move the closed hand along the leg, pressing hard enough to strip the feathers. Be sure to work 4n the direction of tlip feather setting, and strip only once. Feathers left must be pulled. No. 7. —As the shackle holds the legs apart, it’s easy to slip the hand between them to pull the soft body feathers. Pull up, and toward the body of the picker. No. 8. —The trick in removing the back and hip feathers is to grasp the feathers with the palm of the hand outward, and then rotate the forearm inward. This makes a sort of scraping motion, and out come the feathers. No. 9. —In the picture is a hand in the act of scraping. Do you see the way the forearm is turned inward? Pull out the little feathers between the shoulders with thumb and forefinger. No. 10. —Now is the time to strip the neck. Clasp the neck, thumb upward, around the base. Strip by sweeping downward. Sometimes two sweeps are needed —one on the upper, the other on the lower half of the neck. Any feathers left must be picked out.

No. 11. —Great care must be taken with the small wing feathers, especially near the body. Stretch the wdng as shown. Pick the medium-sized soft feathers on the broad surfaces in small bunches with the thumb and forefinger. If the bunches are too large the skin will be torn. No. 12.—Hold the wing in a vertical positicyi with the thumb and forefinger pinching the second joint from the body. With thumb and forefinger moving downward against the feather setting remove the small feathers on edges and web. The stiff leathers and fans are pulled one at a time by bending sharply downward and jerking quickly.

HENS AND LIBERTY

Hens like freedom, but good feed and care reconcile them to confinement. Mature, nigged birds - often lay more eggs in close confinement than when at liberty.

How to Attract Birds. Birds may be attracted about homes by planting trees, herbs and shrubs which provide seeds and fruits relished by the birds, and by exposing food in artificial devices.

THE EVENING REPUBLICXN. RENSSELAER. IND.

LIFE CENTURIES AGO

Discoveries Show There Were Many Points' of Resemblance to That of the Present Day. Translation of prehistoric tablets In the University of Pennsylvania museum at Philadelphia has revealed that women mayors were regularly constituted public officials In Asia Minor 5,000 years ago. That prototypes of newspaper men at that remote time, true to more modern traditions of the profession, occasionally became involved in litigations of the present day “libel suit” character, but generally were released “on ball” Is also Indicated in the newiy deciphered writings. The translations which concern a once-powerful, well-organized government apd people of which nearly all trace has been lost through long forgotten centuries have just been completed by Dr. A. B. Sayce of Oxford university, famous oriental scholar. He copied the tablets two years ago and took the copies to Egypt, where he was finally able to master their time.shrouded messages.The tablets were the work of Hittites of Cappadocians, whose national boundaries 50 centuries ago extended from the Mediterranean to the Black sea and from the headquarters of the Euphrates into what is now Persia. Each province was subdivided into cities, and these were supervised by a mayor and a prefectress, whose powers, the tablets indicate, were co-ordi-nated. In one instance it appeared the woman mayor had an official status independent of the male head of the “municipal” government. An insight into many other interesting and hitherto unknown phases of life in the ancient kingdoms whose lands comprised the present-day Mesopotamian battle grounds are afforded by Doctor Sayce’s discoveries.

SEE DEER AS FOOD SUPPLY

Belief That Animals Can Be Domesticated and Raised Like the ' Ordinary Live Stock. Tfrere has been advocated the scheme of raising deer as a source of meat supply in this country. It is believed that deer farming could be made as profitable as any other livestock industry. It has been pointed out that the Virginia deer and the Rocky mountain elk are best suited for this purpose. Elk have been acclimatized in many parts of. the world and everywhere they show the, same vigor and hardiness. They adapt themselves to almost hny environment and their increase under domestication is equal to that of ordinary cattle. It is contended that there are large areas* of rough land in the United States, like the Ozarks and the Alleghany regions, where elk could be profitably raised. The Virginia deer is adaptable to almost all parts of this country and thrives on land unsuited to horses.

Animals and Proverbs.

It is singular at first sight how largely animals are referred to in proverbs, but since proverbs are built on men’s lives dnd their observations, it is really not so odd. The docile sheep reminds one of obedient children or tractable servants; the strutting peacocks, with their large and beautiful tails, of gaudily dressed women; the rock-climbing goats, of bold adventurers; the cunning foxes, of unprincipled and "shrewd tradesmen; the chirping crickets, of care-free merrymakers, and the'slippery eel, of unreliable employers. This readiness to see resemblances everywhere shows itself In proverbial similes and comparisons—the man with a sluggish mind is “as stupid as an auk;” a cheerful companion is “as happy as a clam;” the headstrong youth “as wild as a buck;” the diligent workman is “as busy as a bee;” the courageous soldier is “as brave as a lion;” the neighbor who is lean and tall of stature is “as gaunt as a greyhound.”

Mecca for the Fat.

“Go to Mesopotamia and perspire” is the reply of a writer in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to a person who is searching for a reliable cure for fat. In that climate a fat person simply melts and runs down. As early in the morning as daybreak one awakes to find himself bathed in perspiration. The “cool” of the night means a temperature of 90 degrees; by eleven o’clock the temperature rises toi 120 degrees, and at midday the air simply burns the lungs. Nobody remains fat in Mesopotamia, and nobody works if it can be avoided, and Sulim tells me that it generally is avoided under the pretext of turning feverything over to Allah. All this fat pilgrim needs in Mesopotamia is somebody to support him. If this can be arranged, the fat takes care of itself. However, one might reduce, even in this climate, quite handily while looking for somebody to support one.

Grand Canyon an Inspiration.

An interesting example ,of the way the Grand canyon “gets” those who live a while with it is found in the technical, and to most of us the incomprehensible, reports of the government topographers and geologists yho studied it for years. Apparently, in spite of themselves, these men to whom rocks and tanyons are the grim business of life often interrupt their dry, technical pages by brief bursts of enthusiasm, not inspired in the least by science, but by the pure emotion of sublimity.

WASP MUST HAVE REASONED

Case on Record Where Insect Used ‘—Stone as Hammer to Pound Dirt More Firmly. So far as known, only one small insect —a wasp of the sphex family—among the millions of creatures belonging to a lower crdc-r than man, has ever employed the aid of a tool t' accomplish a desired result. The mother wasp of this family digs a tunnel in .the ground, deposits her egg in it and provides a caterpillar stung to death or to a condition of paralysis for her baby to feed on when hatched. The grub subsists upon the caterpillar until it passes through the pupa stage Into the perfect winged insect. Then It digs its way out of the tunnel and begins Its life above ground as a wasp. But after the mother wasp has made its tunnel, anil deposited the egg, it finishes Its task by ramming down pellets of earth, little stones, etc., into the mouth of the tunnel. This is the race habit of these wasps. It is recorded on undoubted authority that one in-

ventive mother, "cheirthe mouth of the tunnel was covered to ffi level with the rest of the ground about it, brought a quantity of fine grains of dirt to the spot, and picking up a small pebble in her mandibles, used it as a hammer in pounding them down with rapid strokes, thus making the spot as firm and as hard, as the surrounding surface. Then she departed, brought more dirt, picked up the pebble again aud used it as a hammer, as before.

NOT WISE TO GO HUNGRY

Writer Criticizes the “No-Breakfast” Fad Which Still Retains a Hold on Some People. A few years ago someone started a boom for the breakfastless day as conducive to longevity. I know persons who have clung stubbornly to this absurdity, Meredith Nicholson writes in the Yale Review. The despicable habit contributes to domestic unsociabillty and is, I am convinced by my own experiments, detrimental to health. The chief business of the world is transacted in the morning hours, and I am reluctant to believe that it is most successfully done on empty stomachs. "Fasting as a spiritual discipline is, of course, quite another thing, but fasting by a tired business man under medical compulsion can hardly be lifted to the piano of things spiritual. To delete breakfast from the day’s program is a sheer cowardice, a confession of invalidism ovhich is well, calculated to reduce the powers of resistance. The man who begins the day with a prescription that sets him apart from his neighbors may venture Into the open jauntily, persuading himself that his abstinence proves his superior qualities; but In his heart, to say nothing of his stomach, he knows that -he has been guilty of a sneaking evasion. If he were a normal, healthy being he would not he skulking out of the house breakfastless. Early rising, a prompt response to the breakfast bell, a joyous breaking of the night’s fast, is a rite not to be despised in civilized homes.

Football in China.

The Chinese, first as they were In many things, were first in the field with that winter pastime we regard as peculiarly our own—football. They played football from very early times, at first with a ball stuffed with hair, but from the fifth century with an inflated bladder covered with leather. Even in the earliest days the game had its own literature, giving the technical names and positions of the players and enumerating at least seventy different varieties of kicks; but perhaps the most striking matter so recorded was that concerning the reward of the players: “The winners were rewarded with flowers, fruit and wine; and even with silver bowls and brocades; whi.e the captain of the losing team was flogged and suffered other indignities.”

Checks Little Used in France.

Checks are not much used and are seldom accepted in France. There is but little attempt to identify the payer of a check and anyone who either makes out or accepts an order to pay does so at his peril.. The public tax collector will have none of them, and the taxpayer has to stand in line with his bank bills in the back yard or in the garret of the precepteur, or else he must go to jail for nonpayment. He cannot send a check. There is no clearing house in Paris. Banks settle their accounts with one another by sending uniformed messengers, who carry cash through the streets and who stand in line before the cashiers’ windows waiting to get their exact change.— John N. Anderson in Century Magazine.

Aristotle's Prescription.

A balsam for every ill. an ease for every ache, is translated by Steele from the “Secretum Secretorum.” supposed to have been written by the philosopher Aristotle for his pupil, Alexander the Great. The concoction consists of Juices of various fruits boiled down and seasoned with musk, ambergris and aloes, various highly expensive oils salted liberally with powdered pearls, rubies, sapphires, amethysts, emeralds, gold, etc., ill beTng guarded by appropriate magical precautions. Alexander, however, died at an early age from, excessive imbibing, not of the delectable mixtures prescribed by his mentor, but 0t the Juice of $e grape.

The Housewife and the War

(Special Information Service, United States Department of Agriculture.) NO CLOSED SEASON IN FLY HUNTING

The Picture Shows the House Fly, Enlarged; Eggs of the House Fly, Highly Magnified; and an Efficient Conical Hoop Fly Trap That Can Be Made at Home.

DEAD FLIES ARE ONLY GOOD FLIES

Swatting in Summer May Prevent Abundant Reproduction Before Cold Weather. . IS VERITABLE “GERM-HUN” Screening and Use of Papers, Poisons and Traps Are Good Only as Temporary Expedients—Use of Formalin Is Favored. Every fly that this year contaminates and destroys food or spreads illness is an enemy of America In even greater degree than in the past. As a fly hunter, alluding to the tendency of the insect to spread disease, expressed it recently, the fly is a veritable “Germ-Hun.” Every fly destroyed means a contribution, be it ever so slight, to the cause of America efficient. The best time to swat the fly, of course, is early in the breeding season, before the young ones have become grandparents. Flies killed in the spring prevent hordes later on. But it is a never-ending battle, and in late July and early August vigilance becomes more than ever necessary. Work to kill flies even at this time may prevent abundant reproduction before cold weather. In fact, there is no closed season in hunting flies. A swat in any day of the yedF is a meritorious swat, and even a fly buzzing around a window-pane in midwinter should be regarded as legitimate prey.

Controlling the Fly. Careful screening of window’s and doors during the summer months does not decrease the number of flies, but at least It lessens the danger of contamination of food. This applies not only to homes, but with equal force to stores, restaurants, bakeries, dairies, and every other place where food Is handled. Use of sticky fly papers to destroy flies that have gained access to houses also is well-known, and fly-poison preparations are common. Many of the commercial fly poisons contain arsenic, and their use in the household is attended by considerable danger, especially to children. This danger, according to specialists of the United States department of agriculture, is lessened by the use of a weak solution of formalin. An effective fly poison is made by adding three teaspoonfuls of the commercial formalin to a pint of milk or water sweetened with a little brown sugar. Flytraps may be used to advantage. Their use has been advocated not only because of immediate results, but because of the chances that the flies may be caught before they lay their first batch of eggs, thus reducing the numbers of future generations. Many types of fly traps are on the market, and as a rule the larger ones are effective. The United States department of agriculture on {request will send directions for making flytraps, not only for household use, but' for catching flies and destroying eggs around stables and other breeding places. Preventive Measures. Fly papers, poisons and traps at best are only temporary expedients. %"he most logical method of abating ttie fly nuisance Is the elimination or treatment of all breeding places. It would appear, specialists say, from what is known Of the life history and habits of the common house fly that it is perfectly feasible for cities and towns to reduce the numbers of these annoying and dangerous insects so greatly as to render them of comparatively slight account. Following are some recommendations of entomolo-

gists who have studied the subject thoroughly : Water-tight floors in stables, of concrete or masonry, prevent egg development. Horse manure should be kept in flytight pits or bins, equipped wherever possible with flytraps. Manure should be removed frequently, not less frequently than twice a week during the summer months. In rural and suburban districts stable manure should be removed every morning and hauled out at once and spread rather thinly on the fields, not only to prevent development of fly eggs, but to get the maximum fertilizing value. Treatment oif manure with chemical substances to kill the eggs and maggots of the house fly has been found effective in experiments by the department of agriculture, whiqh has publications for free distribution describing in detail this and other methods of destroying flies, their eggs and maggots. Not only horse stables but chicken yards, piggeries and garbage receptacles as well must be guarded. In cities, with better methods of garbage disposal and with the lessening of the number of horses and stables with the increase of street railways and automobiles, the time may not be far away, according to department specialists, when window screens may be discarded.

COSTLY FOODS ARE NOT ALWAYS BEST

The nutritive value of an article of food and its price seldom have any relation to each other. An expensive cut of beef is not necessarily any more sustaining than a cheap one. It* usually tastes better or can be cooked by easier methods. But care in cooking and seasoning will make inexpensive meats attractive and much better than costly ones poorly prepared. With fruits and vegetables the price is often determined by the season. A vegetable out of season is much more expensive than one in season, but it is no more nutritive.

Protein and Its Value. I Every farmer knows that nitrogen is one of the chemical elements which neither his crops nor his stock can do without. The same Is true of nitrogen in human food. It is absolutely necessary for the building and repair of body tissues and can be obtained only ' from the food substance or nutrient j known as protein. The foods usually classed as rich in 1 protein are milk, cheese, eggs, meat, ! poultry and fish; dried legumes, such as peas, beans, cowpeas, soy beams and peanuts. Wheat, oats and some other cereals also furnish considerable protein. A man at moderate muscular work is believed to need about three and one-half ounces of protein a oay, aud a family consisting of father, mother and three small children needs about twelve ounces a day. Real economy in the use of protein foods lies not in leaving them out of the diet, but in choosing and combining kinds which will supply the total amount needed as cheaply as circumstances penult. Barley Saves Wheat. Not many years ago barley was used more extensively than wheat for bread making in many European countries. Now it is coming into American favor as a wheat substitute. Barley flour is very satisfactory for toot breads. Try this recipe, tested by government specialists, for barley drop biscuits: 2 * cupfuls barley! cupfulof mil*.' ‘ fl our . 4 t&blespoonfuia fat. \y, teaspoonfuls of 8 teaspoonfuls oaXsalt. !ng powder. Baked in a sheet this makes a good shortcake.