Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1892 — FARMS AND FARMERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMS AND FARMERS.

-—-= fwdlot Note*. Some one asked Professor F. WWoH, Of the WieonsTa Station, whieir would be cheaper, to buy bran at $13.50 per ton or middlings at sls in car load lots. He proposes to use the feed for milk cows, with ensilage and, chopped out straw.- Professor Woll says in Hrard’s Dairyman. Typ “At the prices mentioned it will doubtless pay to buy bran in preference to middlings. The, chemical composition of the two feeds does not differ greatly; bran is somewhat richer in protein and in fat than are middlings, but on the other hand it is also richer in crude fiber and lower iu starch, sugar and related compounds than middlings, and its nutritive ratio is consequently narrower. According to average Wisconsin market prices tor concentrated eattie foods, bran is worth $13.42 and middlings $13.70, and I doubt that their feeding value differs very much more than these figures; at any rate it may noY prove ad v antageous to buy middlings when the cost is more thau 50 cents per ton above that of wheat bran.” He is also asked if rye is not a richer food than corn. He says: “ Yes. because it contains more protein.” but at ordinary prices for rye or corn with us, it would be poor policy to buy rye and feed it to cattle in. preference to corn; rye is' usually worth nearly twice as much per ton as corn, the price being determined by the demaud for it for other purposes than stock feeding, and it is doubtful if it would prove much superior to corn as a cattle food.

Sat* the Clover Seed. Present indications are that clover seed will be worth money when seeding time comes next spring. There has been comparatively no material decrease in the ravages of the insects and other enemies peculiar to clover. The crop in the East is reported short and the crop in lowa is estimated at tbe low rate of two bushels per acre. West of lowa there is not enough seed grown for consumption in the immediate localities. The price quoted on the various boards of trade reflect these couditions, October and November being quoted at Toledo, the great clover market, at $6 per bushel, aud at Chicago about the same priee. This is nearly double the price quoted three years ago. It therefore stands the farmer who has a prospect of a reasonable crop of clover seed well in hand to take care of it, as it certainly will be wanted by the close Of another year.—lowa Homestead. ~~

Artichokes. Seeing an inquiry from E. M. S. of Colorado, concerning artichokes for feeding hogs, I will reply to him through your column of ‘'Farms and Farmers. ’ ’ I have exoerimented with artichokes for feeding stock for several years, and they are unexcelled by any other food, especially for hog% As to variety I have found the White Jerusalem to be the greatest producer, and perfectly hardy. They can remain in the ground over winter just as they grew, and in the feed, or if you have hogs to feed for spring market, you can turn them in and they will thrive and fatten with only a little eorn. In the fall I turn my hogs in as soon as the frost has killed the stalk, and let them root them up. Of course I do not ring my hogs. One acre will fatten forty or fifty head of hogs, besides furnishing food for the small pigs that go in and out at their leisure. Since I have raised and fed artichokes I have never had a sick hog, nor do 1 empty corn cribs as I used to when I fed nothing but corn. In the spring I close mv fence to the winter feeding lot, und there will be tubers enough left in the ground to produce the next crop without any planting or cultivating. I plant and cultivate the first year like early potatoes. They can be planted either in spring or fall. In spring planting cut the tubers; in fall select- the smaller ones and plant them ■whole. , In good soil they will produce from 800 to 1,000 bushels per acre. To dig and pit them in the fall they make excellent winter food for colts, cows and calves. Eli Heaton.

Farm Hands in Germany. I visited not only the barons and. lords of Germany, but I went among the peasant classes, or labor element. Here the women work in the harvest fields the same as the men aud get the same wages, doing just as much work. But, Oh! how different thi*ir condition from the comfortable, well paid; well fed, and well clad labor element of Michigan. German laborers in harvest time get 1 mark 20 pfennigs per day (30 cents). Just to think of it! Thirty cents per day from 5 in the morning till 8 at night. For breakfast they have a piece of hard, black rye bread and a cup of beer. For lunch at noon about the same, with some cold meats occasionally. For dinner at night the same, with possibly some black, muddy barley coffee, and with this they are contented, happy and healthy, and are very loyal to their sovereign.—Thomas Wyckoff.

1 Corn In Eighty-eiglit Day*. . The Shenandoah (Iowa) Sentinel say: “J. B. Armstrong, whose land lays in the wonderful Nishnabotna Valley, planted 225 acres of corn between toe 10th aud 23d day of June. Now thut corn is ripe aud ready to be gathered for seed. The crop has been grown within u period of eighty eight days from the' time the seed was put into grown. The yield of corn will be 75 to 100 bushels per acre. Tho groun don w hick the corn

i dfnnAq wTtiTi nr fjT r fIU” SlllflUa ■»* «o I'U¥<sl cil nttu nUtf*l until June 10. From a part oMt the water did not recede until June 15. Let this record, showing a completed cora crop in eighty-eigfat days,i>g beaten if it- can.” Feeding Growing Pig*. It is a great undertaking to get men to break over old rules. With some it is not the custom to give a pig a liberal feed of slop till new corn is in sight. They have pleasure in seeing a pig thin-all summer, in race horse condition, in anticipation of the enjoyment they have in seeing him grow on new corn. They fail to realize that the pig is Losing them money every day during the summer the he is not making his best growth. When he goes to the mill for feed he .volunteers the expression that he is not going to feed his hogs all they will eat, prompted by the. thought that his neighbor and tbe miller think him extravagant when lie-buys feed. Three pounds of good middlings with the pig on good grass should make one pounds gain provided the pig is fed all he will eat. Those three pounds of feed cost less than 2} cents. The pound of meat at present prices at the writer’s shipping point is worth 5 cents. This gives a handsome profit for handling the feed, and the mam ure from this feed so rich in fertilizing material should pay for the grass consumed. What many men want to do is to get away from the idea that it does not pay to feed a young pig all it will eat. We fail to comprehend whfere the profit comes in starving the pig to see the hog grow. Yet this is the practice of a multitude of hog growers throughout tho country.—John M. Jamison in National Stockman.

Point* About tho Hackney. At the coming horse show in Madison Square Garden the exibition of hackneys will be largest and most complete ever made in this country. The hackney is a useful animat and is growing more popular every day. In England he is bred to a high degree of perfertion , and horsemen in

this country flatter themselves that they are not far behind. A hackney of course, is judged by much different “points” than thoroughbreds or trotters. Even an ordinary observer can readily distinguish between a hackney and other kinds o! horses, by his general aspect of plumpness and sleekness. Those who are upon the subject, however, notice many other points which become familiar only after a thorough study of the animat. To assist those who desire to view the hackney in a, profitable manner the accompanying cut is printed. It shows what a hackney ought to be and indicates those parts which ought especially to be observed when making comparisons. Those who do not know much about horses will learn a great deal by givirtg this picture their careful attention. It was designed by Mr. A. R. Gqdfrey, of the American Hackney Horse Society. The names of the points are as follows: , 1, face; 2, forehead; 3, ears; 4, lower parotid; 9, neck; 10, chest; 11,.jugular channel or furrow; 12, breast; 13, withers; 14, back; 15. ribs; 16, girth; 17, loins; 18, croup; 19, dock; 20, flank; 21, belly; 22, point of shoulder; 23, elbow; 24. forearm; 25, knee; 26, canon or shank; 27, fetlock joint; 28, pastern; 29. coronet: 30, foot; 31, ergot and fetlock; 32, haunch; 33, thigh; 34, stifle; 35, buttock; 36, leg; 37, hock; A 3, canon or shank; 39. fetlock joint; 40, ergot and fetlock 41, pastern; 42, coronet; 43, foot; 44, thigh: 45, hock.

How to Feed Dog*. Mr. D. L. Thomas, of Roscoe, S* D., gives the Texas Farmer a recipe for feeding dogs, which is worth quoting, as follows: Build your sheep yard some distance from the public highway; build it with tvyo six-inch boards and eight barbed wires, the barbs as close as you can get them. Now if a dog kills a sheep, keep quiet, as quiet as tho grave. Don’t let any one know it, not even your wife. I'he.n go into tho yavd. -piok out An old worthless sheep, and kill |t outside of the yard and drag it around with the blpody side down, cut it up into convenient sized pieces and season it pretty strong (strychnine is very good seasong for the purpose), then stow it away until you are ready for business, Just before bed time take your seasoned meat and put a piece every rod or two, around the yard on the trail where you dragged the sheep, then go home and sleep the sleep of the just. Next morning pick up what meat is left and save it for future use. When the dear neighbors - come to look for their dogs just drop your work and help the good folk* find them. Bros. A. D.. Hopkins, of the West Virginia Experiment Station, arrived from England the other day with a bug, which he thinks will kill the pine tree beetle that has so greatly damaged the forests in West Vir* ginia. '

POINTS ABOUT THE HACKNEY.