Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1898 — FARMER CORNER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMER CORNER

Cold Barns. Those- whose cattle barns are not Warm enough to work in comfortably without an overcoat and mittens in the Winter, or even without any coat in erdinary w'inter weather, may be sure they are not warm enough for the cows to do their best in, or for calves and young stock to grow rapidly without extra allowance of heating food. Covering up cracks and seeing that windows and doors shut snugly will help some, but we remember when a boy, and when cows were kept in a barn ■with unshingled sides and ends, having to help line the walls back of the stock with old boards and slabs nailed on the Inside of the posts and stuffing the space "between this lining and the outer boards with bog hay, so that no wind •could come through. Taking out the •old board slide window where the manure was thrown out into the yard and putting in a larger half window from an old building, so that we had light enough to take care of the cows without leaving door or window open, was another improvement, and all was done at small expense and but little labor, which were important considerations in those days to poor farmers trying to do the best they could with what they had.—Boston Cultivator. A Gate that Will Not Sag. r If the posts are well set there will be but little danger of the gate sagging, particularly if it be made as the one shown in the Illustration. In the tops of the short and long posts bore holes for receiving gate hjnges, then fill them with linseed oil to act as a preservative. Insert a piece of gas pipe to prevent ■wear, or use an iron washer a. The hinges a and b are cheaper than ordi-

nary hinges and can be made by any blacksmith. By use of the lever e the latch can be raised without walking to the end, then following it around. The small wheel d on a swivel is the most important element in preventing sagging. It can be made of wood and hence is very cheap. Light material may be used in making this gate, yet it will be very strong.—American Agriculturist. Fall Treatment for Trees. We like best to receive trees in the fall, but they should not be planted until early spring. Trees received this fall should be buried in a cool, frostproof cellar, when they will not wither; or buried outside in a trench in a dry bank. Our method is to dig out a trench two feet deep, two or ipore feet wide, and long enough to hold what trees we have to carry over. Beginning at one end slope the bank so that when the first trees are laid in a slanting position the roots will be a foot or more below the surface level and the tops just about on the level. The bundles should be opened, the trees laid in and the roots lightly covered with line, mellow earth, care being taken that every space between the roots and stems is filled. Then another layer is put in with the roots beyond the first with the trunks over the roots of them, covering with the soil as before, and so on until all are in, then covering the whole with earth and rounding over the top so that water will not run into the trench. This work is best done early In November.—Farm, Stock and Home. A Handy Wagon Seat. A very handy seat for use In hauling without the wagon box is made as follows: Ais an old mower seat with the

stem bent in the proper shape to fit on the front side of the front bolster and reach down to the coupling pole. B is a piece of flat steel bent to fit over the bolster and

down behind, and Is fastened to the spring of the seat wi|h two bolts as shown, and C is another piece of Iron or steel bent in the proper shape for the seat spring to fit in. and Is fastened to the sand board with two twits. This must be fitted up close so as to hold the eeat in the right place, and when you want to put on a load just raise the seat tip and take it off, and when load In on throw it on top and you will have a comfortable seat.—Epl tom Ist. Tyinu Animals in Pasture. Farmers during the fall often want to tie sheep or calves in after feed. Instead of the customary swing pole, take a common smooth fence wire (any length) and fasten the ends to stakes set the proper distance apart (or to trees). I’ef< e fastening Iwtli ends slip a ring on the wire and tie your animal to ring. Place an obstruction on the wire lhe same distance from each stake that the tie rope is in length. This can l>e done by driving a spike between the'strands of wire. Scarcity <>f Feeders. Feeding sheep arc scarce and several points higher in price than they were last j etr. The demand for them is even ’ than U has been for yeais.

which has had its effect in stimulating prices and making them firm. Buyers crowd the large stock markets and many return home without obtaining what they want. It is next to impossible to pick up feeders in the country, for every man who has a few of them has his price so high that there seems no margin in it for the feeder, and feeding for fun with some of them has gone out of style. Another reason why they are so scarce on farms is that breeding flocks are scarce, and an order to pick up any large number of them would mean a great deal of traveling. How Many Fowls in a House. In making preparations for the winter quarters of the fowls do not commit the error of crowding thirty into a room only large enough for twenty. One of the causes of disease is that of crowding the fowls and then attempting to overcome the evil by ventilation. When there are too many hens together the heat of their bodies causes' ascending currents of air, and as the warm air rises the cold air comes in. If there is a top ventilator the warm air will pass out at the upper portion of the ventilator. while a current of cold air will also come in at the lower portion, which passes over the heads of the fowls, and causes the well-known cases of swelled head and eyes, or leads to roup. No poultry house will require a ventilator if the hens are not crowded. A dozen hens in a bouse ten by ten feet are sufficient, and any excess over that number will render the whole liable to disease. Adapting Plants to Climate. Nature always tries to adapt plants or animals to their environment. The more hardy or those best adapted to the climate survive, and thus hardier breeds are established. There’s a limit to this, doubtless, though it would be hard to place it. By growing peach trees in the North from Northern-grown peach stones we shall be likely to secure a hardier variety of peach trees than as if peach trees were grown from seed produced in the South. Seed corn grown South will not ripen as early, and therefore requires a longer season than that grown here. Possibly by growing some plant not acclimated here under the most unfavorable circumstances we may produce varieties that will be hardy enough to succeed. — American Cultivator. Worm Disease*. A reader complains of fo-wls dying, and upon examination found them full of some species of tape-worm. Separate the fowls that seem sick and take care that all the poultry manure is put where there is no danger of its spreading the disease. Quicklime mixed with the manure will kill the eggs of parasites. To cure the sick fowls give from one to three teaspoonfuls of turpentine, according to the size of the Chicken; too much turpentine will kill the bird. Medicine is of little use unless the yard is kept clean and the manure disposed of safely.—Poultry World.

Vegetables as Feed for Stock. The feeding of pumpkins, beets, carrots, turnips and potatoes to cattle should be done with the view more of adding variety to the food than to give such articles as portions of the regular ration. Grain and hay are the best of all foods for cows in winter, but the animals appreciate a change from the dry foods to ensilage or vegetables. Pumpkins, beets and carrots may be sliced and fed raw, but potatoes and turnips should be cooked and thickened with bran and corn meal by way of adding to the variety. Hog Cholera Cure. The Government formula for hog cholera, as given in bulletin No. 157, of the Michigan Experiment Station, is one pound each of sulphur, wood charcoal. sulphate of soda and sulphide of antimony, and two pounds each of salt, bicarbonate of soda and hyposulphate of soda. The dose is a teaspoonful to each 200-pound hog, given in a little water, shaken thoroughly, with a small bottle. Protection for Huskers. To protect your hands, in husking, get a few yards of cotton flannel and make the mitts yourself, putting the fuzzy side outside, and patch the palm andthumband get a can of pine tar and tar the patch, and it will last twice as long. When worn through remove the patch and do as before. This may be repeated many times before one pair of mittens becomes useless. repairing Hoads. But little can be done to the roads in winter except to fill up the holes with coarse gravel. The time to gravel the roads is in April, as they will be fairly well packed by June, ami will require only occasional leveling with the road scraper. Well-made gravel roads are considered the best if kept in good condition every year. Mulch for Strawberries. The best mulch for a strawberry bed is fine horse manure. Early In the spring it should be raked off the rows and worked In close to the plants, using salt, hay or any clean material In its place on the rows as a mulch after the plants are well grown, so as to protect the fruit from dirt and shade the soil. Gdorlcst Onions. It is said that an odorless onion has been introduced, which is expected to gain favor, but If the odor is removed there will be nothing left In the onion to admire. While the odor may be disagreeable to some, yet there are others who prefer it. Onions of mild flavor have been known for many years. For Horse* Choking on Oats. Horses frequently choke In eating oats, few remedies are known, and if not relieved the result is fatal to the horse. A little writer thrown into the ear will cause the horse to violently shake tils head. The remedy has never been known to fail.

WILL NOT SAG.

WAGON SEAT.