Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 194, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1920 — COUNTY AGRICULTURAL NEWS [ARTICLE]

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Culling Demonstration* a Success. | Prof. A. G. Phillips, chief of the poultry department at Purdue, was here all day Wednesday, Aug. 4th to help the county agent in staging the poultry culling demonstrations, at Alfred Duggleby’s and Oscar Hauter’s. Considering the very busy time for the farmers the demonstrations were well attended. All those present expressed themselves as being very enthusiastic in culling the farm flock. Many ladies since the culling have told me that the demonstrations were very educational and instructive as well as practical. The forenoon culling demonstration at Alfred Duggleby’s gave many of the ladies and men of Kankakee township a practical knowledge of how to cull their flocks. Out of Mrs. Duggleby’s flock of 104 hens, Prof. P®ips found 48 non-layers or tiers, he calls them. In the afternoon Prof. -Phillips culled Mrs. Oscar Hauter’s fine flock of 120 pure bred barred Plymouth rocks, out of which 46 non-laying hens were found. There were 45 ladies and men in attendance at this demonstration and they"showed unusual enthusiasm in the practical methods of culling the farm flocks. The Professor’s instructions were listened to with keen interest and he stated that he wanted all the ladies and men to familiarize themselves with the methods of locating the boarders or liers in their flock. He further stated that the culling of the long-laying hens could be easily located, and that the hens which molted before September Ist were in most cases short layers.

Mrs. Duggleby and Mrs. Hauter kept a daily egg record seven days prior to the demonstration and are going to keep the same record for seven days after in order to make a check on the culling. The results of this data will be published later. . Each township will have similar culling demonstrations in about a week or ten days. A culling schedule for each township with dates and places of holding same will also appear in print paper. For those ladies especially interested in having their flocks culled can secure the county agent’s help providing she invites in six neighbors to witness the culling. Applications should be made at once. County Agent* Find TB. in Poultry Flocks. County agents in certain sections of the middle west report the finding of tuberculosis in some of the chicken flocks in their localities. In order to- locate and check any further outbreaks of the disease they are requesting all farmers whose chickens die without any apparent cause to notify the Farm Bureau and to send the livers of the dead birds for examination. The disease is likely to show in this organ most plainly. Tuberculosis of fowls is a chronic, contageous disease characterized by the development .of noduels called tubercles in various organs of the body, but most frequently in the liver, spleen, and intestines. It is readily communicated to most species of birds and to several species of mammals, but it is almost impossible to communicate the tuberculosis of man and cattle to fowl. x , One practical course to take when the disease is found in the flock is to kill off the old fldck as quickly as possible and to disinfect thoroughly all the houses and runs immediately. . . Unless disinfection is thoroughly done the new flock is likely to contract the disease when placed in we infected houses and yards. When possible new birds should be placed on new ground. Another method of combating tuberculosis is to dispose of all hens after the second laying period and to destroy - infected fowls as Soon as symptoms eggs of the diseased bird frequently contain the bacilli, experiments prove, and young chicks hatch from such infected eggs are diseased. • Fall Army Worm. Now that the army worms have disappeared we must not overtook the fact that there might be a fall invasion of them. U. 8. department of Agriculture has sent out a warning that the f all, axnyr worm has been doing considerable injury in the south and may be expected in the north. Tfcus provided* the fannais should keep constant watch over the growing crops and thm be in a position to meet invasions and vanquish the pest be-

fore they have a chance to do serious damage. Every farmer should have at hand Farmers Bulletins No. 908 and 752, which tolls in detail how to control the fall army worm. Available Bulletins. > New available bulletins on, The Control of the Hessian Fly in Indiana, Culling the Farm Flock, and Control of the Army Worms, can be had by applying to the county agent for same. Prospective Tractor Owaers. Farmers who are looking forward to buying a tractor this fall should thoroughly study the proposition first as it is a business of its own. With my personal experience at home as well as in Jasper County I know it pays to use a good standard make of tractor, especially those that have been tried out and have proven to be worth the buy. There are too many tractor dealers that come in the county and try to make an agent out of a fanner in order to sell him a tractor and the next day that same dealer is gone. Such dealers you might say are “Fly by night.” They sell you the tractor and you might like it for a year or so and again you might not. But, however, the case may be when the thing goes wrong you have nobody who knows how to fix it at once. Your repairs for same are miles away, and were expensive too. Remember one thing, that in a busy season you want service and that close at home and reliable. So in choosing your .tractor be sure that the mechanic and repairs are only a few hours away, for nothing is made sb perfect but what it will need repair or attention at some time. See if lam not right by watching your neighbor who has had a tractor‘shipped in from some distant dealer or agent and see how much embarrassment and loss he is put to when the thing goes on the bum. These tractors sooner or later find the junk pile. Buy any of the good machines, price considered, take the above warning into consideration, keep the machine thoroughly tightened and in a good mechanical condition, use the best of oils and success shall be yours.