Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1920 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

A DEPARTMENT OF FARM WELFARE CONDUCTED BY COUNTY AGENT LEAKING. Farm Labor Situation Improving. More labor for the farms have been -received into this county in, the past week than in any previous ' week this season and it begins to look as if the more urgent demands for help may be cared for in good shape if farmers give the matter attention ait this time. - A-common difficulty in providing help is that many farmers have po work for their extra men at this time of the year when the work in the cities is slack and good men pass up’ the community in search of places for'the summer. Re-adjust-ment of the farm operations to provide profitable employment for men at this season would'-enable- many farmers to secure help ' that will Otherwise have to do without. Applications for farm help will be received at this office up to March Ist and filled as rapidly as possible. Poultrymen will Meet Feb. 26th. Members of the county Poultry Association will meet at the teourt house on Thursday evening, February 26th at 7:30 o’clock for an important business session involving the purchase of new equipment for future shows. Arrangement is being made for some of the members to take over the old equipment and replace it with modern and up-to-date exhibition material. The president has issued a call for all members of the Association to be present at the meeting. Extensive use of Phosphates Indicated. As a result of an item appearing in this column last week relating to basic slag as a source of fertilizer, it is probable that a .group of farmers will club their orders and secure a carload of this material direct from the - mines. A very general tendency is noted this season for the farmers to recognize the economy of using high grade fertilizing materials. A few years ago it was a matter of common observation that many farmers looked only at the cost per ton in purchasing their season’s supply, paying little or no attention to the chemical analysis of the goods or the availability of the various elements contained therein. The farmer who buys his fertilizer on the basis of the net cost per unit of the available plant food is the one wsio is going to buy the cheapest. A Good Year For Self Feeders. Lumber yards report that they are. selling more lumber this season to farmers to go into self feeders for hogs and cattle than ever before. The fact that hogs can balance their own rations better than the farmer who feeds them and that the self feeders are great Jabot savers, tends to bring them into’favor of the public. No cheaper method of feeding hogs has yet been devised than that of feeding corn and tankage to hogs in the self feeder and at the same time giving free access to plenty of clover or alfalfa pasture and water. The hog feeder still depends on the old armstrong methods of hog feeding is soon going to be hopelessly outclassed as far as economy of production is concerned.