Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1908 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

STONE HITCHING POST. A Device Which Will Laijt a Century if Well Made. A country place must have a hitching post at the side or in front of the house, else thoughtless callers will hitch their horses to the shade trees or to the fence. From Its very nature It is difficult to make a hitching post look attractive on a lawu, but somc-

thing will be gained if it can be kept from lookin decidedly un attractive. A wooden post is an invitation to a horse’s teeth. Iron posts can be used, but these are more or less expensive and arc not readily secured except in the large cities. A stone post is attractive, but expensive. A “made" stone post, however, Is bothinex

pensive and easy to construct. Dig a square hole In the ground ai the desired point for locating the hitch Ing post about one aud a half feet square and deep enough to reach the “frost line.” Fill the bottom with small stones and cement. On this set a stout cedar post with a strong iron ring in the top. Fill in about the p<»st with the small stones and cement to

the surface of the ground. Thencover the post to the top with a thick coating of cement —not less than two and a half inches at any point—building it up in the square shape shown in Fig. 2. To give the cement a stronger, hold upon the wooden post drive large nails into the wood and

leave the beads projecting an inch or more, ns is suggested in Fig. 1. The cement may be mixed one part Portland cement to two parts sharp saud. Do not use the post until it has had time to dry and harden thoroughly. The cement and small stones about the base should form a solid body that water cannot enter. The stones are used to save cement. The outside surface of the finished part should be smooth, with corner edges a little rounded to prevent chipping.

Briefs For the Farm Homo. The second national corn exposition will be held at Omaha in December. As a special feature extensive educational exhibits by a number of agricultural colleges aud experiment stations are contemplated, these to be of such a character as to give visitors an idea of the work carried ou by these institutions. A disease, seemingly a bacterial growth, has been noticed on chickens (Which produces lumps on the comb and at the base of the bill. Washing the heads of the fowls with a saturated solution of boric acid gave relief. Results of experiments in making butter from sweet cream is an idea in a rei)ort. to the Dairymen’s association of Quebec. It is claimed that the process is just as advantageous as that with ripened cream and that the butter made from sweet cream is equally good when fresh and keeps good longer than butter front cream spontaneously fermented.' Corn to make a pound of pork is discussed by a writer in the Breeder's Gazette. A -pen of eleven Duroe-Jer-seys fed sixty-two (lays gained 800 .pounds and required C. 71 pouuds corn per pouud of gain. A lot of fifteen IV land-Cbiuas fed thirty-five days gained 585 pounds and required 4.96 pounds of corn jter pound of gain. A little sklmmilk was fed once a day in addition to the corn, and the pigs had the run of a pasture. Sugar is said by a contributor iu the Journal of Agriculture, Paris, to be good for fattening sheep. In a test covering eighty-four days the average daily gain per head ou a ration containing sugar was 202 grams as compared with 127 grams per day on a ration without it. When slaughtered the flesh of the sugar fed sheep was found to be of most excellent quality. A disease commonly known as swollen head of turkeys is described in the Journal of Agricultural Science. The most characteristic symptom is an extensive swelling about the head, which becomes so enlarged that the birds are unable to see. The swelling is due to an accumulation of gelatinous substance in the infraorbital cavity. This swelling may disappear In a short time or may persist for several months. The swellings contain a cheesy, foul smelling material, and death may take place without regard to the apparent severity of the disease. The lesions are confined to the head except for an occasional distension of the ceca. Bacilli related to the diphtheria bacillus are frequently found In the exudation, but no organism has been definitely shown to be the primary cause of the disease.

FIG. I —SECTIONAL VIEW OF POST.

FIG. II—THE POST FINISHED.