Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1904 — HINTS FOR FARMERS [ARTICLE]

HINTS FOR FARMERS

■ V Applying Maaara. The two mistakes most frequently met with In spreading manure are that the applications are too heavy and It is not pulverized finely enough, says a Kentucky farmer In American Agriculturist. I have seen many loads thrown out on the ground in large chunks, some the size of a man’s head and from three to five feet apart. I cannot Imagine a worse way. Manure should be pulverized and applied evenly. The amount to be used will depend on the kind of soil, the crop to be raised and the quality of the fertilizer. Clay soils, for instance, will retain the strength of the manure for several years, while a sandy soil will lose aIL the benefit ip one year. Therefore on sandy soils I use manure sparingly. On corn land, with the right kind of soli, there Is no danger of too heavy applications, but on small grain a heavy coating will often cause It to fall. When sowing grass seed on grain land I sow before the manure is spread, In this way I am sure of a good stand of grass.

Preserve the Wood Lot. A wood lot that will furnish plenty of fuel for home use and where there Is sufficient growing limber for the lumber that will be needed for repairs or the ereetion of new buildings Is a valu-able-part of the farm and should be highly prized and judiciously cared for by the Owner. It does not require a very large area of thrifty woodland to afford a plentiful supply for the household. By carefui management there should be a sufficient amount afforded each year without detracting from the value of the lot, as there will usually be frees that are past their maturity or dead and that should be removed to give place to a young and thrifty growth that will soon make Its appearance.—American Cultivator. _ * Ration For Pigs. A suitable ration for the growing pigs is made of two parts shorts and three parts corn, where these feeds are available. It may be found profitable to substitute tankage for the shorts In some cases. Tankage is a packing house product of high feeding value. It produces very desirable results when fed In connection with corn. As the pigs get older the proportion of corn may be Increased. The growing pigs should have sufficient protein In their food for the protection of good bone and strong frames, and It is essential that they be pushed to maturity as rapidly as possible.—lndiana Experiment Station.

Preserving Fence Posts. Hundreds of methods of preserving posts have been tried, but few of them have proved practical for the farmer because of the difficulty or expanse of treating them. One of the experiment stations has recently begun an extensive experiment with several of the most promising of these methods, most of which depend on extracting the natural juices of the wood and tilling the pores with some antiseptic preparation which prevents the’ working of wood destroying q?erms. Charring the posts seems to be about the best of the simpler methods of treatment. Hot tar is another good preservative. Beeta For Swine Fe^d. In Nebraska the use of beets for swine in place of the filthy slop usually put in barrels to ferment has made a change on some farms in the condition of the hogs. There is less disease, and but little corn Is required with the beets, except when making the animals fat for slaughter late in the year. Beets contain a large proportion of sugar and are fattening as well as juicy and are highly relished.

Care of Manure. When manure is very dry the chemical changes are slow, but changes occur rapidly where It Is moist. This fact is sufficient to show that when manure is mixed with an abundant supply of absorbent material and stored away under shelter It will undergo but little change, but when wanted for use may be soon decomposed by saturating the heap with urine.

Feeding the Dairy Cow. Grind grain for dairy cows and slice all roots. This preparation of the feed renders the assimilation by the cow less laborious. Where labor Is cheap It would appear that preparing feed In this manner Is profitable. If labor Is very high It may pay to omit the grinding of the grain and slicing of the roots.—American Agriculturist. Cello la Horse*. For home treatment of spasmodic colic in horses two ounces sweet spirits of niter and two ounces laudanum in a pint of raw linseed oil water is a good remedy. Oil may be given after. Often when a horse shows the first symptoms a tablespoonful of soda In a pint of sweet milk will do the work.

Good Calf Feed. In changing from milk to grain feeds, crushed linseed is recommended. Begin with a small quantity. Stir into the skim milk given the calves, gradually Increasing *untll a full ration Is being eaten. Alfalfa For Sheep. Alfalfa hay Is excellent for sheep of all grades. The animals relish It and when fed in connection with other feeds results in more rapid gains than when ordinary farm hays are fed. Warta oa No** of Horae. Scrape off the top of each wart and apply a little terchloride of antimony with a feather and repeat every third day until It disappears. Bolglaa Carrots. The large white Belgian carrot Is considered one of profitable varieties for feeding stock.