Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1898 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Hay Rack for Cheep.

The Breeder’s Gazette gives a description of this sheep feeding rack. The animals cannot rub the wool off their necks, trying to get at the feed; neither will the seed, dust and rubbish fall into the wool, and they cannot pull the hay down and mess it over so they win not eat it afterward. The rack is easily made. With it you can have lambs running about the feed lot without their getting on top of the hay, which ordinarily cannot be done. Make the frame out of 2 by 6’s edgewise. For block at bottom saw 2by 6’s diagonally. Nail a 12-inch board along the bottom lengthwise; then take three 10-lnch boards and nail up tbe front Set bottom 10-lnch board level with the 12-inch or about one inch higher. Make the rack with a frame about every four feet omitting crosspiece except at the

center, and this is not necessary unless you are going to move them about For rack to feed only one side make 18 Inches between studs. You can make the sides separate and set them against light posts. Do not nail, but wire so you can raise them.

Destruction of Weeds. A few hours’ work in spraying or dusting plants in order to destroy insects or disease may not only save crops this year, but also greatly lessen the work of next season. But such labor must be applied at the right time. The same with weeds, which produce millions of seeds. When they are allowed to grow until nearly matured before they are destroyed they take from the land the plant food that should sustain the crops grown thereon. If tbe destruction of weeds is done when they are small, they are then out of the way before they can harin the crops and the soil. When the farmer postpones his attack on weeds be incurs the risk of not being able to eradicate them at some critical period of their existence, and the pests will then have done damage by depriving the crop of moisture and plant food when the season is most propitious for growth. It is the lessening of the work next year that should always be kept in view. Profit on the farm is not made in a year, but in a series of years. Work done at a loss to-day mtiy bring a fair profit during the next'season. The most profitable work is spraying to destroy Insects and the keeping down of weeds and grass. —Philadelphia Record.

A Grain Room. On many farms not a little grain is fed to the stock. Where no room is set apart in the stable for a grain, or feed, room a good deal of inconvenience, find much extra work, Is experienced. In most barns it is not convenient to provide a feed room from the present accommodations. In such a case a small room can well be added to the stable

In the manner shown in the cut—making the addition where It can be conveniently reached from the interior. The door is seen to be placed high up In this addition, and opening upon a small platform. A load of grain can thbs be backed up to the door and very easily unloaded, no lifting being required. Such an added room would be of small cost, and would save many steps and much valuable time in daily bringing feed from a distant building. —American Agriculturist. The Manure Heap. The best Indication of a good farmer Is the condition of the manure. The manure heap Is the savings bank of the farm and any material added to It Is the storage of plant food for the crops of next year. When the farmer Is too busy to look after the manure In summer, and allows It to “fire-fang” or be bleached away by rains he Is entailing a greater loss on himself than can be regained by his labor on some other portion of the farm. Robin-Roosts. For many years naturalists like Audubon and Wilson studied and wrote of this bird before It was known that there were “robin-roosts”, as well as "pigeon-roosts.” Only within the last

few years was the fact brought out that a bird more familiarly known than the passenger pigeon followed this mode of spending the night although it adopted spring instead of fall for massing by hundreds in a high, sheltered wood for a night’s protection from cold, or because it is the period before pairing time, or for some other reason at. present beyond man’s ken. With what stealth must this wellknown and mueh-observed bird have found its way in such numbers to tbe same patch of timber night after night in the early months of the year, according to locality, coming from all directions so swiftly that a secreted observer could not count, keeping up a chatter that could be heard for a long distance, until the last bird, somewhat belated, perhaps, found shelter in the darkening grove, when all became silent as thousands of wings were folded to rest.—Lippincott’s Magazine.

Is It Possible? That the barn roof leaks? That tools were left where last used? That fences are never repaired until stock gets out? That there are no shade trees in the pasture field? That sheep and cockle burrs are allowed in the same field? That all grain bags are not marked with your initials in ink? That the supply of fuel for winter is not being hauled, while the roads are good? That shoats are allowed the privilege of a ten-acre field without rings? That the same variety of wheat has been on tbe farm for fifteen years? That an abundance of small fruit for family use is not raised on the farm? That noxious weeds, such as ox-eye daisy, white top, etc., are allowed to go to seed? That stock is turned out where there is barbed-wire fence, without first leading up to it? That many farmers got rid of their sheep a year or so ago, and have none on the premises to-day? That farmers do not realize that we have heretofore had periods of depression, and that better times are coming. —Stockman and Farmer.

Taking Inventory on the Farm. It is doubtful if there is a merchant in the entire United States, doing a thousand dollars’ worth of business in a year, who does not begin immediately after the first of January to take an account of stock, and by an account of stock on hand, his sales, his bills payable, and his bills receivable, he is able to determine whether the business has been done during the last year at a profit or at a loss. He then proceeds to lay the plans for the conduct of his business in the year to come. The merchant who does not do this, and Is known not to do this, will speedily lose credit among the bankers and business men with whom he deals, and would be considered in imminent danger of bankruptcy, for only in this way can he find out where he stands financially. We doubt if there is one farmer who at the first of January or at any other period of the year regularly takes stock, casts up his accounts, and finds out the amount of profit or loss.—Field and Farm.

Guinea Fowls on Farms. Every farmer ought to have a few guinea fowls to add to the variety of feathered life on the farm. They are also a good protection against such depredators as hawks and other enemies of young chickens, their loud cries on the approach of any such Intruders giving signa! to the weaker fowl to make its escape. Guineas are a rather wild fowl and will not bear confinement well. It Is not best to keep them unless there is good range. The hens are great layers, but will mostly steal their nests, and will bring off very large broods. The young guinea fowl are very hardy, and not so subject to disease as are other fowl. Beneficial Insects. It is not every insect that should be regarded as an enemy, even if it has some offensive habits or is villainous looking. The hornet is a pest, and sting is tormenting. But it destroys thousands of slugs on vegetables and plants. The lion beetle is so repulsive that the first impulse of nearly everybody is to crush it. But that, too, is predatory, and most of its victims are the enemies of the farmer and gardener. The lady bug is beautiful itself, and it also feeds on plant lice and the eggs of the potato beetle and other enemies of tbe orchardist and farmer.

Care of the Lawn. Be careful In mowing the lawn during very dry weather. If the grass plot Is kept too close the grass may die out should there be a lack of sufficient moisture. The cutting of grass weakens the plant at first, as every successive growth Is in the direction of producing seed. Any plant can be destroyed if kept Cut close to the ground. It may make new growth several times, but sooner or later becomes exhausted. When moisture Is abundant, however, the plant has better opportunities to renew its growth'. Hog Feeding. Experiments to determine the value of corn and wheat for producing pork show that to produce one pound of live pork with shelled corn costs 1.49 cents, and to produce one pound of pork from dry wheat the cost Is 4.57 cents. ’The cost varies, owing to the difference in the prices of the foods. Pork from a mixture of equal parts of corn and wheat costs 2.97 cents. Corn Is therefore much the cheaper grain for producing pork. Points in Fertilizing. If fertiliser is broadcasted over the field and well harrowed in, It will not be necessary to apply anything to the hills of corn. Keep the grass and weeds down and the corn roots will Dot bs long in finding the plant food.

SHEEP HAY RACK.

A GRAIN BOOM.