Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1918 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

Department of Farm Welfare Conducted by County Agent Stewart Learning.

War Garden Helps. ( For the benefit of amateur gar-, deners the department of agriculture and the extension division have | prepared a number of very helpful i bulletins. Among these are “Planting for Back Yajld Vegetable Garden,” "Home Gardeners,’’ “Planting Table,” "The Vegetable Garden,” "Spraying of Garden Crops,” “Hotbeds for Home Gardens,” “Helps for Gardening and Canning,” “The City Vegetable Garden and "Garden Fertilizers.” Many of these are for distribution ar the Better Farming association office. "We want to make this year the best ever in home garden produc-1 tion.“ says W. D. Bringle of the garden committee of the County Council of Defense. Forage Crops for Hogs. "Now is the time to plant rape I as a forage crop for hogs,” bays I, I F. Meader of the County Swine Production committee; 3 to 5 pounds per acre sown in drill rows now will produce plent}' of good teed by the middle of May to the first of June, It will grow out again after pasturing and should furnish pasture for three or four months." A number of farmers are seeding a pound or so of rape seed per acre in the oats to produce late summer pasture. The Self-Feeder for Hogs. The use of the self-feeder in hog production this summer will not only mean a great saving in time but will actually result in a saving of feed, according to the trials which have been carried on in all parts of the county. The acreage of all experiments shows that by using the self-feeder an increased daily gain of 28 per cent was obtained with an average saving of grain of 31 pounds for the production of 1&«> pounds of pork. Either one of these advantages make the selffeeder a profitable investment, and when the saving in labor is considered as well this method of feeding is a very economical proposition. A number of farmers of this eonnty will conduct trials this summer in this method of feeding. Cattle Breeders to Meet A number of Jasper county farmers plan to attend the annual spring meeting of the ndiana Cattle Feeders’ association at Lafayette April 13. At this meeting the seven lots of cattle fed at the experiment station will be valued and the results explained. One lot has received corn silage, cottonseed meal and elcfver hay—no corn at any time. Another lot has received corn the last few weeks only. The third lot has been receiving about six pounds of corn daily per steer.

The fourth lot has received considerable corn from the beginning to the end. In other lots the conipaiative value of straight corn silage and mixed corn and soybean silage can be studied. Charles P. Moody of Barkley is vice-president of the Indiana Cattle Feeders’ association. Farm Labor on Hand Word has been received from the state headquarters of the Boys’ Working reserve that six or eight young men will be sent to the Better Farming office on Saturday, March 30, ready to go to work on farms at once. “Most of these young men will be experienced in farm work. They will be from sixteen to twenty years of age, and all will be strong and willing,” states the director. Farmers desiring help for the season are invited to avail themselves Of this assistance. -If we can ( employ these boys immediately as ithey are sent to us our chances of obtaining them in numbers are ■ much better than if we neglect them. ’