Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1898 — FARMERS CORNER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMERS CORNER

Faipoua Lincoln Sheep. Fine pastures make flue flocks, and this fine Lincolnshire sheep Is reared on the richest pastures of the world, as well as fed on the succulent roots grown on the fertile farms. Recently this sheep has come into the {forefront as an improver of the native flocks of Australia and South America, ■the half-bred mutton making the finest {shipping mutton for the English markets. The ram whose portrait is given was purchased from the leading flock In Lincolnshire, England, for the sum •of one thousand pounds sterling, an Amazing figure for something over {three hundred pounds of mutton. But the animal was unquestionably worth

It, for Its destination is to more than •double the value of thousands of the poor sheep of Argentina, and to add iten times its cost to the profit of the ohepherds of these great plains for all time to come. Clover Fail* on Clover Bod. ! Almost all farmers know that it is loot safe to plow a clover sod, or, in fact, any other sod in the fall, and then jeow wheat with the expectation of getting a clover catch from seed next ■epring. There have been various reaiaons assigned for this, the old one bedng that the clover sod while it is rotting in the soil “poisons” the land flor jclover until the rotting is completed. *But it is quite as Impossible to seed [with clover on any newly plowed sod, jend that disposes of the clover-poison-ing theory. The true explanation seems to be that when a sod of any kind is decaying under the furrow it allows the jsoil above it to fall down, thus destroying the slight hold which the young ■clover plant has, and obliging it to regain its hold before the leaf wilts and kills the root. Clover will come up {well enough on a clover or any other kind of sod, but unless there are almost constant rains during the spring illttle of it will live. Even a timothy deeding does not do well on a newly plowed sod, though in young plants the proportion of leaf to root is much less in the grass than it is in any kind of clover. A Haying Device. ' It is a difficult thing to get on and off a load of hay; and yet both operations are often necessary with each load of hay that is drawn in. Make a light ladder and hinge it at the rear «nd of the hay rack, so that it can be

Inclined forward on the floor when not ta use. When ready to load set up the ladder and the hay will keep it firmly hack against the back end of the rack, ready for use either In ascending the load, or in coming down from it —New England Homestead. Water Horse* Frequently. It is not natural for the horse to go tong without a drink of water. His stomach is small and cannot hold a water supply for a long time. Watering morning, noon and night when at work jn summer time is none too often. If the work is very heavy two tablespoonfuls of oat meal stirred In the pail will make the horse drink better, and' will also prevent so much cold water from injuring his stomach. It is a mistake to suppose that a horse or any other domestic animal prefers to drink water only a few degrees above the freezing temperature. If It is luke[warm the horse will drink more freely and the water will be less apt to injure trim. Pchornina Younß Calve* Preventing horns from coming Is better than cutting them off after they have formed. If when a calf is a few’ weeks bld the head Is examined, the place where the horns will appear can be plainly seen. Get a stick of cystic potash and apply It to this spot, first removing the hair, and hold the poush there until It makes a slight sore. There are few or no nerves where the born Is formed, and this sore will not affect the calf injuriously in anyway/ Kcmeily for Flea*. I notice sjme’one asks how to rid a |>arn of fleas. It seems to be not generally known that salt wIU kill them.

When I was a boy, father’s place bei came Infested with fleas from pigs sleeping at the barn, and they nearly drove me crazy. I heard In some waj that salt would kill them. 1 suppose I used a peck of salt, scattering it freely about the barn and house, and at the expiration of a week we could not tell that a flea had ever been on the place. All gone. Since then I have cleared our home of them several times. One application always does the work. I have also recommended it to others who have used it with equal success. Salt scattered over a carpet and swept off before it melts will clean it of both fleas and dirt. I am never bothered with fleas now unless I get them away from home. I know there are many people who would willingly spend the price of a barrel of salt to be rid of the pests, and salt is never falling.—J. W. Trisler, M. D., in Practical Farmer. Straining Milk. There are some points about straining milk that are not generally thought of, and therefore the milk is not wholly cleared of its bacteria. In the first place it is important that the milk should be put through the strainer and set where its cream is to rise as soon as possible after it comes from the cow. It often accumulates bacteria very rapidly if left in stables exposed to foul odors. Besides, if left long some of the cream will rise and will be so mixed with the milk that what does not cling to the strainer cloth or wire will not rise as cream again. The strainer should be thoroughly washed by dipping it first in cold water and moving it rapidly through both ways, so that bacteria will not adhere to the under side, as they are apt to do if the rinsing water is merely poured on the strainer from above. Then repeat this process with water pretty near scalding heat. In that way if there are any bacteria on the strainer they will be killed. A “Kept-Bhut” Gate. A great deal of loss occurs each year from accidents that come from the leaving open of some gate. It may be one’s own or a neighbor’s stock that does the damage—lt was the fault of the open gateway. The cut shows a gate that will always stay shut, unless one holds it open. A stout spiral spring pulls the gate to, whichever way It is

opened, the spring being attached to the extended upper rail of the gate as shown in the sketch. Keep the Meadow Clean. Briers, bushes and weeds really have no place in the mpadows or cultivated fields, and their growth should be carefully kept down. Every farmer ought to have some sort of rotation of crops for his land, and of a kind that experience teaches him is best for his purposes. But even with this, from various causes, special work will need to be done from time to time. It Is desirable to have the best possible returns from the mowing fields, and as the crop was being secured it was quite easy to note what particular places or fields needed most attention. There are some portions of the meadows on most farms that it is rather difficult to plow and cultivate, but yet with proper treatment can be made to produce excellent crops of hay. If these can be made smooth for the harvesting machinery and a good sward secured, they can be kept in condition for a long time with plowing by frequent top dressings of manure.— Farm News. Stone Fences. While the stone fences common in all sections where stone abounds cost nothing for material, and with hard work are therefore within any one’s ability to construct, they are not usually very satisfactory. Horned stock soon learn that the top stones can be easily displaced and then the fence can be jumped. The best way to stop jumping is to place a barbed wire over the fence, fastening it to stakes firmly in the ground. It may seem cruel, but the stock must learn not to jump, and they won’t get hurt. But when sheep have learned to jump a low stone wall, even a barbed wire over it will not stop them. There must be several wires, so close together that the sheep cannot get their heads between. That will stop the first sheep, and no one of the flock will try to jump after the leader has turned back. Turns Upside Down. The quince roots so readily by bending over the top and covering it with earth that it is easily possible to reverse the natural order and make the tree after two years live with what were its roots in the air. These roots will then put forth leaves, and the year following will bear blossoms and possibly fruit. But for several years the tree set upside down will require to be propped, as the original growth was largest at the ground. Rusty Nnits for Borers, The writer has some fine apple trees that have borne fruit for a long time that when first set out were greatly damaged by borers; In fact, many trees were destroyed before some friend suggested driving a few rusty nails In trunks near the ground where they work. Since doing this not a borer has ever troubled them. C. S. 11. Have the Ashes. I use them sparingly around my gooseberry bushes with clean cultivation. They produce clean, thrifty* fruit. I use them plentifully around my bee hives to keep the ants away. I feed them to the colts with oats and shorts for parasites. I use fresh, green hickory ashes for the colts.—Exchange.

LINCOLN RAM RIBY.

LADDER FOR HAYRACK.

GATE THAT WILL STAY SHUT.