Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1899 — THE FARM AND HOME. [ARTICLE]

THE FARM AND HOME.

MATTERS O FINTEREST TO FARMER AND HOUSEWIFE. Raising of Goata Ta Found Profitable —How to Determine the Age of a Horae—Larger Production of Crops Per Acre Is Essential to Success, The owner of a badly brier-infested or bush-covered farm has before him an expensive and disagreeable task, If he intends to clear It by manual labor. Many millions of dollars have been expended in this country in that kind of work, and many millions more will be spent In the same direction. But the Angora goat will do the work for nothing, and pay for the privilege. It prefers briars and bushes to the best clover or grass that was ever grown. An lowa land owner has cleared 000 acres of briers and bushes through this agency. He estimates that the goat has Increased the value of this land at least $lO an acre, and while the animal h \s been making the owner money in that direction. It has been contributing t 6 his bank nceovfnt with its hair, skin and flesh. Nor has It been troubled during the time by the great enemy of the sheep, the dog. It may be turned into a field that Is covered with briers, and it will leave it dear and will convert a vast deal of the nuisance into value. After it once gets a start In life, the goat will come as near taking care of Itself as a domestic antmal can. At first, the young need special care, but in two months’ time it becomes a strong, robust, selfreliant farm scavenger, that will produce meat that is fully equal to mutton, and at much less expense, and mohair, which is one of the most valuable textiles in the market, and which, if the best quality, will bring about 50 cents per pound, at least not much under that figure. C. P. Bailey, of San Jose, Cal., a breeder of goats, has found even the common goat to be profitable, while the pure bred Angora is doubly so.—D. W. W. in Epitomist. T’nint for Tree Wounds. Every liule while ajreeipe for making a shellac wash for this purpose appears, and one would think, if he did not know otherwise, that this was the preparation most commonly )&ed. I doubt if one person in a hgmdred who has occasion to use such a wash ever uses shellac. It is troublesome to apply and expensive to make. The shellac must be dissolved with alcohol, which costs too much for any such purpose, aud in applying it with a brush the alcohol evaporates so quickly that the brusli soon becomes like a stick. Then we sometimes see recommended and often see in use gas tar, which has no place and never had for any such purpose. Many are the trees that have been killed by it. It is too penetrating and contains injurious Ingredients. Whenever the application of tar reaches clear around the body of a thin-bark-ed tree it may be expected to kill the tree outright. Grafting wax is good when it is plastic enough so as not to peel up in cold weather, but this is slow application. Best of all for ordinary purposes for a covering for wounds and bare places is common linseed oil paint. It is easiest of all in application, it lasts for years on the dead wood, it does not kill the tender bark or check its growing.—N. S. Platt, in Rural World.

Determining Age of n Horse. Before we can determine the age of a horse by the teeth It is necessary that we have a general understanding of the form and structure of the teeth. The horse has two sets, the temporary and the permanent. The temporary teeth of both upper and lower jaws begin to fall out at about the age of 3 years; first the two center incisors of the lower and upper jaws, the next adjoining one on each side come out at about 4, and the corner iucisors fall out at 5. Now the permanent teeth fill these places as fast as made vacant. These permanent teeth in the crown have a depression or cup three lines deep or onefourth of an inch. But the cups of the upper incisors arc six lines or one-half an inch deep. • The teeth wear off with a certain rate or regularity, one-twelfth of an inch per year, therefore the lower two middle would lie worn smooth at the age of 6, the next two at the age of 7 and the lower corner ones at the age of 8. The upper incisors arc six lines deep and therefore the upper two middle lucisors would be worn off smooth at the age of 9, the next adjoining at the age of 11. Thus all are smooth at the age of 12. After the age of 12 there Is no certain rule that will apply.—A. T. Kinsly, Kansas, in Orange Judd Farmer.

Lamer Crop* Kaftcutinl to c access. Wbat Is needed with farmers ia larger production per acre, as the average yields of the staple crops of the United States are much smaller than should be the case. A New England farmer, wbo feared that bis farm was too small, determined to make it yield to its highest capacity, with the result that he increased his annual crop of hay fourfold, secured forty bushels of wheat per and 100 bushels of oats and 125 bushels of corn each per acre. He also found that but little more labor was necessary for large yields than for small crops, and that, while the total cost was greater than fog poor crops, yet, proportionately to yield, the expenses were much less. Rotation of crops, the plowing under of green manure and the destruction of weeds as soon as they appeared above ground were the methods employed, but, above nil, every pbund of both liquid and solid manure was carefully saved under shelter, and a certain sum was set apart every year for fertilizers. It la mentioned that a fruit grower Id Illinois, daring a period of drouth, when nearly all crops were destroyed, carried water

to his strawberries and not only saved his crop, bat, the prices being high, he made a large profit and also secured a fair yield. Lund Plaster. It used to be a very general custom among those who were called good farmers, to use every year some gypsum or land plaster to sow over the potato vines, squashes, melons and cucumbers, and even on grass ground, where clover was wanted. A few also advocated Its use In the stables as an absorbent. Now this seems to have been almost discontinued. The acid phosphate is found to be a better absorbent and deodorizer In the stables, and to add more to the value of the manure at but a slight increase of cost, while with a mixture of the phosphate and muriate of potash much better results can be obtained by sowing on the vines or on grass land. Plaster has lost much of its popularity, not because farmers and gardeners have learned there Is something better, and the best is the cheapest even if it costs the highest price.—Ex. The Farmer and the Censna. When the next census Is taken it will be found that only one or two farmers In a community will be able to give Information that may be desired. The farmer who is expected to state what he grew on his farm for ten years, with the number of animals fed, mußt be well Informed regarding the work done by him. Unfortunately, but few farmers keep books, and they are compelled to guess or estimate Instead of giving all the facts. Another difficulty is that many farmers die or sell their farms during the ten yenrs, hence no estimate of their operations can be obtained. If some method could be devised by which farmers could make an annual report to* the State Board of Agriculture of each State It would be more reliable than taking a census, and comparisons could be made yearly instead of once In ten years. Shi.llow or Peep Cultivation for Corn. We have been from boyhood a believer In shallow cultivation of com, even when the work was done with a plow by most farmers. The flrr.t cultivator we remember seeing was like a small spike-toothed harrow with plow handles attached. It mellowed the ground to make easy hoeing, and killed many weeds when they were small, which was an inducement to use it frefquently. But we never knew how much gain there was 1 y the shallow cultivation. At the Nebraska Experiment Station they tested four cultivators on as many different lots, one of which worked the ground six Inches deep, and the others went three Inches deep. Where the soil was worked six inches deep the yield was 59 bushels per acre. On the others one gave 68 bushels per acre and the other two 69 bushels each, a loss of about one-seventh by deep cultivation.—American Cultivator. \Vint:rlrc Stock. As soon as the working season is over the farmer begins to economize In the keeping of his stock over winter. The plan answers well for idle horses, but to attempt to keep a cow on aa little food as possible is to entail a loss. Steers, hogs and sheep should be fed in winter as liberally as are the cows. The winter Is the season when the fanner can bestow his attention on his animals, and he should endeavor to keep them growing and increasing In weight until they are ready for market without regard to the season of the year. There Is no more reason for keeping an animal at a standstill In winter than In summer. Time and labor will be wasted whetj the stock is fed simply to keep the individuals over winter.

Killing Weeds. Fields that are left in stubble or that are covered with weeds cannot now be benefited by cultivation, as the seeds of the weeds have already been scattered, but as soon as the frost does Its work aud the weeds are dry rake over the field with a horse rake and bum all the refuse. Dead weeds form harboring places for field mice and insects, and during windy days, after the weeds are thoroughly dry, they are blown to other fields. By burning all refuse there will be fewer seeds turned under next spring. fin'll! Fnrmi Moat Profitable. The profits from a farm do not depend entirely upon the area of land cultivated, but upon the method and management. Some one who made a comparison claimed that a farm of only two acres, under grass, gave a larger profit than a farm of 1,000 acres. This may be true or not, but the- fact remains that a small farm that is properly managed, and which Is made to produce the crops that sell the highest, will give better returns than a larger farm that is devoted to wheat, corn, oats and potatoes exclusively, but the market location must also be considered. Fertilizing the Orchard. Barnyard manure on the orchard land at this season will pay. The manure -should be used liberally aud not spread sparingly, under tbe belief that a small quantity will do for an orchard. A large wagon load distributed evenly on the ground under each tree would uot be too much. If fertilizer Is used apply about 300 pounds of phosphate rock per acre In the fall and 100 pounds each of muriate of potash and nitrate of soda in tbe spring. i Increasing; Valne of Ftock. Horses are in greater demand now than a year or two ago, despite the fact that electricity la restricting their use. The horse is Indispensable on farms and in drawing load® in cities. The automobile and traction engines are too cosdy to Ifcke the place of one horse. Good hones are bringing fair prices, and the scarcity of beef cattle la sure to Increase the demand for both steers and cow*.