Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 193, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1918 — Page 2

A Bird in the Hand

(Special Information Service. United States Department of Agriculture.) POULTRY CLUB WORK.

A Detachment of the Juvenile Army of Poultry Growers and the Weapons With Which They Are Defeating the Kaiser.

DOINGS OF FARM BOYS AND GIRLS

Youths Are Developing Into Poultry Experts Under Guidance of Specialists. CLUBS IN VARIOUS STATES From Small Beginning Organization Has Developed to Include Eleven Commonwealths —Results Obtained by Members. Thousands of girls and boys of the United States have enlisted with . Uncle Sam as poultry raisers. The bureau of animal industry, United States department of agriculture, cooperates with many state agricultural colleges to assist juvenile farmers in poultry husbandry. The girls and boys of today who show an interest in better poultry husbandry by becoming successful members of the poultry clubs will be our breeders, fanciers and poultry producers of tomorrow. The splendid development of poultry clubs this line of work as one of the most important in the poultry office of the bureau of animal Industry, United states department of agriculture. Started in Small Way. Poultry club work was started in Virginia in 1912 with 11 clubs and 150 members. - From this small beginning an organization has developed to include 11 states with 1,010 clubs in 300 counties and a membership of about 15,000 energetic boys and girls. Successful results have encouraged still other states through the Smith-Lever fund to carry on work of a similar nature in co-opefafion with the bureau or animal industry, but this club history covers only the states in which a poultry specialist assigned to each state has supervision of the work, and furnishes the subject matter to carry it on. The organized states are: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Okla-, homa, Kansas, Washington, Massachusetts and Rhode" Island.- Several new states have requested the assistance of a specialist in' their poultry club efforts for the coming year.

Educational Features. Girls and boys are assisted in tbeir work by local school teachers, county farm agents and county home demonstrators. Many of the members, live in the country, and help in the introduction of standard-bred stock, improvement of housing and feeding methods and marketing conditions. Other members who live in towns maintain backyard poultry plants, and all aid materially in the production of poultry and eggs. Poultry clubs have their educational feature and are carried on so that the boys and girls have an opportunity, to' learn simple business methods. Club members study poultry bulletins furnished by the state and government, and subject matter prepared by the specialist The members write compositions on poultry management as a part of their work. Each member keeps a record, or business account showing accurate figures on expendltures, receipts and profits, number of eggs set, number of chickens raised, etc. . Results Obtained. During the year 1917 these boy and fir! club members hatched 98,273 chicks, and raised 80,310 matured fowls. Over $17,90825 worth of poultry and eggs for market and breeding purposes were sold or consumed at home and the total value of their receipts, stock on hand, and prizes won amounted to $41,812.42. In addition to the exhibits of fowls and eggs made at county fairs and other poultry

shows, these poultry club members are ndw demonstrating in many Instances their ability to judge poultry and to carry on the various phases of poultry work such as setting hens, operating an incubator, preserving eggs, caponizing cockerels, killing and dressing fowls for market. There were 104 exhibits held where 624 members exhibited 6,280 birds and 329 dozens of eggs. The total value of special and cash prizes awarded to the members making these exhibits amounted to $3,090.75. Features of Work. Another feature of poultry club work that has been inaugurated is that of holding short courses at various state schools and colleges for the benefit of poultry club members who have made a good showing in their work. On such occasions members are sent to one of the state schools with all expenses paid and there given a course of Instruction In poultry. Such courses not only provide a valuable course of instruction, but promote' the various forms of amusement in a more favorable attitude toward education and what the social side of farm life can be made to be. Another feature that Is being taken up is poultry management contests. These contests are conducted by the poultry club agents and seemingly are going to arouse much enthusiasm among the club members and w r ill be the means of their obtaining a most practical course of instruction and the proper methods of dllng and caring for poultry, . Girls’ and boys’ poultry clubs are a proven Instrument of value in the forward movement in nation-wide poultry culture, not only on account of the very satisfactory development, but more especially in the manifest enthusiasm displayed by the boys and girls.

ENCOURAGE BOY OR GIRL.

Poultry growing is one of the nation’s most important industries. Poultry growing in connection with general farming yields a larger margin of profit than most other branches of agriculture. Poultry growing is certain to become increasingly important and is likely to become increasingly profitable. Poultry growing is not a casual matter in which one may be : successful without study and effort. Anything like a large measure of success in poultry growing requires expert knowledge. The United States department of agriculture, through its boys’ and girls’ poultry club work, is imparting to thousands of boys and girls expert" information that 'will Contribute largely to their success in life. Encourage your boy or girl to join a poultry club —and encourage your community, If it has not a club, to organize one. You will be contributing to the success and prosperity both of your child and your neighborhood.

Determining Chickens’ Ages. A common way of testing the age of dressed poultry, as described by home economics specialists of the United States department of agriculture, is to take between thumb and finger the end of the breastbone, farthest from the head, and attempt'to bend it to one side. In a very young bird, such as a "broiler” chicken or a green goose, it will be easily bent, like the cartilage in the human ear; In a bird a year or so old it will be brittle, and in an old bird, tough and hard to bend or break. / Tricky dealers have been known to break the end of the breastbone before showing the bird, thus rendering tb«

THF! FVENTNO REPVHRLJCAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

WORKING IN UNITY

Japan and the United States Exchange Ideas. Island Empire Owes Its System* of Technical Education to an American. and In Return Haa Taught Us Much. t The arrival here sometime ago of a mission of eight officers of rank and distinguished record from Japan is proof of at least two things. It witnesses to the steadfastness of the national character, in seeking progressiveness as well as progress; and to Japan’s purpose to keep in the foreground of invention and achievement, remarks New s*ork Sun. No other nation realizes more keenly that In the rivalry of civilization the old must perpetually be renewed. There can be no standing still. From the of history Japan has excelled in fine and dainty work. Her museums Illustrate the fact that her craftsmen invented and adapted. A little more than a real, not a poetical, “cycle of Cathay,” that is, sixty years ago, according to oriental reckoning, the hermit nation suddenly found herself in the market place of the world. Though at first dazed, resources of mind and material were not lacking. Age-old taste, skill, experience and reserve armies of trained craftsmen were at hand. Foreign teachers conferred no gift of brains or secrets of eunning. They simply pointed out the new paths and taught the modern methods of meeting the nation’s needs. As early as 1861-63, after three years’ labor, our own Raphael Pumpelly, still among us in vigor, revolutionized mining methods in Japan. When, in 1868, the intense inward political struggles between the old and the new were over, and Japan had a truly national government, the alertness of her people to the new situation supplied a striking feature in the history of modern education.

At a date whep in Europe manual and technical training was still new, and among us the Rensselaer Polytechnic school at TroyAvas a lonely veteran, Yale and Harvard were at beginnings in this form of education, and even the Massachusetts Institute of Technology a baby, Japan had started in the race. Even before the department of education had been created, the necessity of Japan’s training her own engineers, chemists and masters of applied science was pointed out to the Important government. The newly elaborated scheme dividing the empire Into eight great educational districts was, with the curricula, submitted to an American for criticism. He noted the serious defect of no provision for technical education. A long letter outlining courses of technical education and addressed to the Dai Jo Kuan, the supreme council, fell as spark upon powder. The department of education was created and a technological school started simultaneously in Tokyo. The system has ever since that time had a healthful development. - In addition to the eight universities and , 37,810 lower schools of all sorts, there are now in operation under the government eighteen technical schools of the higher order, requiring a four years’ course after graduation from the middle schools, while those under local or private auspices number many m»>re. It was settled at court, by the United States minister in Yeddo, in the case of Raphael Pumpelly, that an engineer, civil, mining, or mechanical, was a gentleman and*eligible to audience of both the president of the United States and the emperor of Japan. Ever since, the official and social status of a man trained to use his hands and brain in unity has been secure in the mikado’s empire. At least two score of Americans have received imperial decorations for promoting technical science in Japan. Nothing but good can come of mutual exchange of ideas. What the Japanese have borrowed from us is in the lilnelight, and we boast of it; what hundreds of American inventors and seekers for knowledge have found in Japan and taken as loan is cryptic and untrumpeted. Yet our debt is none the less real. It is well for the two civilizations to enrich each other. If, in admiring legend, King Solomon set the mechanic on the throne to signify the basis of his realm’s wealth, none the less should both republic and empire honor the technician who unites power of brain and the discipline of educatton to dexterity of manipulation. Honor to the technical workers of Japan and America!

Finland’s Aristocracy.

One of the anomalies of Finland, now struggling for its independence, is that it has inherited a foreign aristocracy, speaking Swedish. How foreign it remains to the true interests of Finland may be seen from the fact that it has all along worked for German intervention in Finland, and even helped to send thousands of young Finns to join the German army. With the importation of German rulers- into Finland, the Finnish language will have one more competitor to cut it from the linguistic field, unless Swedish is entirely driven out by the language of the newly arrived supermen.

All In the Game.

"Who is that big, strapping woman near the green just ahead of us.?” asked the golfer. “Gee! That’s my wife, as sure as Tm born,” replied his partner, about to snoot. “Then I would suggert you approach with caution."

WOULD LINK EAST AND WEST

Proposal to Make the American Expeditionary Force In China Practically a Student Army. Under the agreement entered into between the poyfris and China following the Boxer uprising in 1900, the United States government wag permitted to keep an expeditionary force of about 2,000 men In China, says Millard’s Review. This force is stationed at Tientsin and Pekin, about 1,500 meh being stationed at the former place and the rest stationed as a legation guard in Pekin. It has now been proposed to the American government at Washington that the regular army troops stationed at Tientsin be recalled to America for service in France add their places taken by a contingent of the same number of men who are now in training in America at the various cantonments under the provisions of the selective draft, The idea originated with Maj. Arthur Bassett, judge advocate of the army contingent at Tientsin, and formerly United States district attorney of China. Under the plan suggested by Major Bassett the contingent of regular army troops now in China should be returned, to America and sent to France, aS the men desire, and in their place the United States government should send out 1,500 men specially selected from the standpoint of education and training, who would be available upon their retirement from service In China to engage in trade or other activities in China and the far East Major Bassett would select the hew men for service in China largely from the great group of college graduates and students who have been drafted for service in France. He would bring these men to China and, in addition to their regular army drill, he would have them instructed in the Chinese language and in the customs, history and traditions of the country; and at stated intervals he would have them make trips into all parts of China for study and investigation. In short, these 1,500 men would receive a three years’ college course on China, so that upon their retirement from the service they would be at liberty to engage in trade, missionary, educational or aiya other, activity they desired in the fw East, or if they desired to return home they would possess information regarding China that would he of the highest value to China. The plan has been approved by the American chamber of commerce and other organizations in China and has been commended to the state and war departments at Washington. It is also certain that this plan of a citizens’ student army in China would be welcomed by China, for it would be of the greatest possible assistance in bringing about a better understanding and mutual interest between.Easf and West, something very necessary if the future peace of the world is to be maintained.

Appearances Deceptive.

The war has turned the habits of round-the-towners so topsy turvy that It has become a difficult problem to tell from a glance whether a man is a church member or a disciple of John Barleycorn these dpys. Two “pieaged men were riding on a Fifth avenue bus recently. Each had. all the surface indications of being merry old souls, who tarried at the dinner table and looked upon the wine while it was fizzing. Both had red faces and pronouncedly “bay windows." And what do you suppose they were talking about? Naturally, one would say they were discussing the attitude of congress for trying to make the country bone-dry. But nothing of the kind. They were talking about Bibles, the number they had distributed to sailors and soldiers and the price of them. And both chuckled because the war had not affected the price of the good book, which could be bought as low as 15 cents. When you hear convey sAtlon of that nature in this town, it begins to look as if the hour had struck.—-New York Sun.

Pays to Keep a Toad.

The toad is useful because of its diet No less than eighty-three species of insects, mostly injurious, have been proved to enter into its dietary. In his “Civic Biology” George W. Hunter savs: “A toad has been observed to snap up 128 flies in half ap hour. Thus at a low estimate it could easily destroy a thousand insects during a day, md do an immense service to the garden during the Summer./- It has been estimated by KirAind that a single toad may, on account of the cutworms which it kills, be worth $19.88 each season it lives, if the damage done bv each cutworm be estimated at ortly one cent. Toads also feed upon slugs and other garden pests.”—Popular Science Monthly.

War at Close Range.

Margaret Deland, the New England novelist, writes from Paris: “Over in America we thought we knew something about the war and the conditions in France, but when you get here the difference is as the difference between studying the laws of electricity and being struck by lightning. I have b6en struck by lightning, °n!y way in which I can keep, sane and steady is to look very, very closely at my m Immediate little trivial, foolish job-writ-ing or working in the canteen—for if I dar? to lift my eyes to the black horizons, I lose my balance.”

Good Suggestion.

... WWW Mrs. Bugg—Clarence, through your stupidity we are lost in this strange pantry and we don’t know north from south or east from- west. Mr. Bugg—Let’s step Into this box of pills, dear; It says “Directions In-

The Housewife and the War

(Special Information Service, United States Department of Agriculture.) WAR TIME BREAD MAKING.

One Kind of Bread That Should Not Be Made and Three Kinds That Should.

WHEATLESS LOAF SHOULD BE MADE

Satisfactory Yeast Breads With Other Than Wheat Are Being Baked. SOME OF RESULTS OBTAINED Problem Solved Both for Housekeeper ■nd Professional Baker by Experimental Kitchen of Agrl- , cultural Department Housekeepers as well as professional bakers have been working on the problem of how to make satisfactory yeast breads with other cereals than wheat. Not all have solved the problem satisfactorily. The office of home economics of the United States department of agriculture has successfully worked out ways of combining the various substitutes in making a 50-per-cent-substitution bread, a 75-per-bent-substitution bread, and an entirely wheatless bread. The first loaf pictured above has gone out of style In America; It is the all-wheat loaf that we were accustomed to using before the war. The other loaves are the kind that all Americans should use now. In the last three loaves a mixture of barley and rice flour has been used in place of wheat flour; the second loaf has only 50 per cent wheat flour; the third goes a step further and uses only 25 per cent wheat, while the last boasts of being entirely wheatless. These breads were worked out in. the experimental kitchen of the department’of agriculture. office of home economics and the United States food administration, borne conservation section. Increase Volume of Substitutes. The food administration requires that all bread sold must contain 20 per cent wheat substitutes. But. If we can make satisfactory bread using a higher percentage of wheat substitutes so much the better. Here is the recipe for a 50-50 bread that-.is very good.

50-50 Bread. cupfuls liquid. 1 tablespoonful corn % cupful mashed po- sirup. tatoes. 2 teaspoonfuls salt. 1% , cupfuls wheat 1% cupfuls barley flour. flour. % cake yeast. 1% cupfuls rice flour. Make a sponge of all the ingredients except the rice and barley flour.' The potatoes should be freshly mashed with no fat or milk added. The water In which they cooked can be used for the liquid. Let the sponge stand In a warm place until very light. If dry veast Is used, set the sponge, the night before. Add the rice and barley flour when the-sponge is light. Knead nnd let rise until doubled in bulk. Knead again, form into loaves, place in a loaf pan, and allow to rise until bulk is again doubled. Brush over top of loaf with melted fat before putting it, to rise. Bake for one hour and a quarter In a hot oven. . Other satisfactory ' 50-50 breads make use of rolled oats (1% cupfuls), combined with rice flour (1% cupfuls), * or corp flour (1% cupfuls), of tapioca flouj- (L% cupfuls), in place of the rice and barley flour in the recipe. Loaves Are Less Elastic.

None of the loaves using a high percentage of substitutes equal the allwheat (oaf in lightness, wheat having a special substance known as gluten, which gives It elastic properties that make it specially valuable for breadmaking. None of the other flours, except rye, contain this substance in any appreciable amount so that when we substitute for the wheat flour large quantities of flours that do not contain gluten, we cannot expect the same elasticity. The loaves are more compact and less porous. In the <o-per-cent and 100-per-cent-substitute loaves an egg is used as binding materia and as an additional leavener. A 75-Per-Cent-BubstHut® Loaf, cupfuls liquid. 1 egg. t cupful mashed 2% cupfuls barley VA* cupfuls wheat 2K cupfuls of rolled flour. oats ’ iSablespoonful corn Hi cupfuls rice flour 2 leXoonfule salt. 1% cupfuls corn flour. Make a sponge of the first six ingr“dient» and a third of the mixture of rice a»d barley flour r Lft staadin a warm place until light, at least twohours. ’ When the spof.gr IS light, work In the rest of the substitute flours and the egg slightly beaten. W the

dough at once and place in loaf pan. Brush top of loaf with melted fat. Let rise to double the bulk andbake In hob oven for 1% hours. Housekeepers have been servingbread for months In theform of quick breads. Many housewives as well as many hotel-keepers pledged themselves to serve no wheat* until next harvest. The need for a wheatless bread that could be kept in> hand and be used for toast or for sandwiches was felt by all who took the pledge. This 100-per-cent bread will help* meet this need: 100-Per-Cent Bread. 1% cupfuls liquid.' 2% cupfuls ground 1 tablespoonful corn rolled oatasirup. and % cake yeast. 2*£ cupfuls rice flour 2 teaspoonfuls salt. or 1 egg. 2% cupfuls corn floqr.. 8% cupfuls barley or Make a sponge of first four ingredients and one-half of mixture of substitutes. Follow the directions for the--75-per-cent loaf. < These breads are real victory breads. Use them for the cause of liberty. •

BREAD WITHOUT WHEAT.

It was long thought by most people that bread. could not be made light with yeast unless a large proportion of wheat flour was used in it. That has been found to be, in large measure, erroneous. Breads made of cereal materials other than wheat flour can be made light with yeast. The discovery is one of the necessary war-time achievements of science. It Is available to the housekeeper and to the professional baker. Nd one who has to dp with bread* making cam perform his full patriotic duty without applying It to as great an extent as possible.

Food Waste From Rats.

In all parts of the country there 19 a serious economic drain in the destruction by rats and mice of merchandise held for sale by dealers. Not only foodstuffs and forage, but textiles, clothing and leather goods are often ruined. This loss is due mainly to the faulty buildings In which the stores are kept. Often It would be a measure of economy to tear down the old structures and replace them by new ones. However, even the old buildings may often be repaired so as to make them practically rat-proof; and foodstuffs, as flour, seeds, and meats, may always be protected in wire cages at slight expense. The public should be protected from Insanitary stores by a system of rigid inspection. Similar care should be exercised in the home to protect household supplies from mice and rats. Little progress in ridding the premises of these animals can be made so long as they have access to supplies of food. Cellars,* kitchens and pantries often furnish subsistence, not only to rats that Inhabit the dwelling, but to many that cofne from outside. Food supplies mav always be kept from rats and mice- If placed in inexpensive rat-proof containers covered with wire netting. Sometimes all that is needed to z prevent serious waste is the application, of concrete to holes in the basement wall or the slight repair of a defective part of the t building. • The necessity of co-operatlbn and organization in the work of' rat destruction is of the utmost importance. To destroy all the animals on the premises of a single farmer in a community has litle permanent value, sint* they are soon replaced from nearby farms. If, however, the farmers of an entire township or county unite in efforts to get rid of rats, much more lasting results may be attained. If continued from year to year, such organized efforts are very effective.

Ink spots may be removed by saturating the spot with lemon Juice and nibbing plentifully with table salt Apply before washing, and in ordinary cases no trace of the spot will remain after the wash. If you sprinkle a little salt on your coffee before pouring on the boiling water it will be wonderfully improved. Always warm the coffee pot before making coffee. \ ' X ■ ' To prevent eheese from, molding wrap in a cloth that has been dipped in vinegar and wrung dry. Keep In'* cool place.