Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1900 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL

Folding Hay Door. It has always been a good deal of trouble to close the end door to a barn where hay is taken in with a horse hay fork. We prefer to drive in the barn to unload the hay, but will admit that a barn will hold more when it is taken ip at the end. The cut explains itself. The upper part of the door is hung to the lower part and folds in when open and will open clear back under the cornice and can be easily closed by closing the lower first and raising the upper part from the inside. This closes the opening sufficient to keep out all storms provided the barn has a hood

to accommodate the hay fork, and all barns should have a hood to keep the hay fronr rubbing against the barn so hard. The hood is not shown In the sketch, as it would hide the view of the door.—Ohio Farmer. Watering Places. There is need of concerted action or a State law providing suitable watering places for horses along the much traveled roads. In the olden times the roadmakers, when the road crossed a brook or ran along the edge of a pond, left places where one could drivd in to water the horse, and perhaps swell the fellies of the wheels if the tires were loose, but now the brooks are bridged over to the width of the road, and the ponds fenced at the roadside to keep animals out, because the water supply for some town or village is taken from it, and it must be kept pure. This is all right when the town has provided public watering places where man and beast can quench their thirst, but when economy prevails to such an extent that these are not put up. and one may drive on a much traveled road for ten or fifteen miles without a chance for the horse to wash the dust out of his mouth, it Is time that provision were made, even if we returned to the village pump and watering trough. They were very well where no brooks were available, but the pump sometimes would not work well, and sometimes the driver would not work the pump handle, and the poor horse got lukewarm and filthy water, or none at all. unless the driver wanted a drink himself.—American Cultivator.

Curing Clover Hnjr, Alvah Agee tells in the National Stockman how he cured live acres of clover hay this year, in which he goes farther than we have advised In the way of curing it in the heap, and we have been accused of being very radical on that subject. He followed the advice of T. N. Ralston, as given at the Farmers’ Institute in Armstrong County. Pennsylvania. The clover was cut from June 12 and June 13, in cloudy weather, and light rains followed nearly every day until June 18. Most of it was put In the heaps after about two hours wilting. One lot was left an hour longer, and this came out dark. One lot was racked and bunched before much wilted, and some of this was moldy. The bunches were opened out and aired on the following Monday not more than is usually thought necessary in ordinary handling. andHjjen drawn to the barn. With the exceptions above noted, where the clover was wilted not enough or too much before heaping, the hay was quite green in color, with all heads and leaves on and no waste. He considers the experiment a success. Care of Greenhouses. Insects and fungous diseases are bad enough in the open held, but much worse when they get into the greenhouse. An occasional scalding of the benches and shelves, and washing them down with a solution of carbolic add or sulphuric acid, will help much to keep them out, but If this fails it may be necessary to clean them out, removing the earth and putting in a new supply, then close and fumigate witli burning charcoal and sulphur, taking care not to Inhale the fumes, or let them get into another house where Jhe plants-are. Remove earth from all pots, wash them with carbolic acid solution, Wash off In clear water the earth from roots of plants, and repot In fresh earth. Much work It is, but what 1s the use of a greenhouse when plants will not grow? Hog Cholera. I have been raising hogs for eight jears, and have never lost one from gholera, although the cholera ba* bean

in my neighborhood several times during that time. Two years ago the cholera attacked my nearest neighbor’s hogs. I advised him to give them equal parts of wood ashes, salt, charcoal, sulphur and soda, in one tablespodnful doses for each hog, twice a day. He did so, and of five sick hogs which received the treatment two died and three got well. About the same time a very fine pig of mine became sick and I gave him the same treatment He recovered In two or three days. I gave the same remedy to my other hogs, and none of them were sick.—A. J. Legg, in Epltomlst. Dairy Dots. The feed does not affect the richness of the milk. You cannot tell by the looks of milk how rich it is. You cannot afford to run cows on half time. To get high grade milk brush the cows before milking, and it Is advised by many that the udders be clipped. Manage to have the cows come fresh, so as to maintain a uniform supply throughout the year. It is claimed that summer silage will stop summer shrinkage. Don’t make a strainer do too much work. Have a fresh one for every ten or a dozen cows. Cool the milk and keep it at a given temperature. Care, cleanliness and cold are the three “c’s” of milk production. Foreign Insect Pests. Some of the insects brought to this country from abroad do more damage to crops than in their native countries. They are the more destructive here because their natural enemies (such as parasites) were left behind; hence the Insects are kept in check in their native localities and have greater opportunities to multiply in America. The cabbage worm, so destructive here, has a parasite in Europe which prevents it from doing great damage. The Hessian fly parasite, however, has been imported to this country, and has done much to Reep the fly in check. Poultry Specializing. There is much said about the necessity of specializing in the poultry business, but the fact remains that nearly all the successful poultrymen are uniting the egg and market poultry brandies. The necessity for keeping up the plant the year around and emthe time and facilities seems to snake it necessary to raise broilers and market chickens as well as layers. Besides, the broiler men who depend upon others to furnish sat isfactory eggs for hatching are likely to be disappointed.—Farm and Home. Losses from Grain Rusts. The aggregate loss from rusts in grain is estimated by the Department of Agriculture to be over $40,000,W0 annually. The only method of controlling rusts appears to be in the direction of obtaining resistent varieties by crossing and breeding. The loss from smuts of grain is annually reduced through the application of hot water and other methods of treating the seed to kill the smut spores. The present average yield of grain, says the department report, will be largely increased when the smut diseases are conquered. Pennsylvania Oleo Law. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania decided that what is known as the color clause of the oleo law is sound. This means that oleo cannot legally be sold. Yellow Is the standard ccflor of butter, and it is Illegal to counterfeit other fats by coloring them yellow. Instead of grieving over this the oleo men ought to rejoice, for it gives them a grand chance to prove that people are eager to buy oleo. Let them put It on the market for just what It is, uncolored and with no attempt to call it butter.—Rural New Yorker.

This Shorthorn bull was first in his class at the Birmingham, England, Shorthorn show. Marketing Wool. Thousands of dollars are annually lost by Woolgrowers by reason of tlie slovenly manner in which the clips are sent to the market Many a clip is discounted a full cent or more per pound on account of the bad condition in which it comes to the market, while nothing is gained by the seller either in saving of time or labor. A clean, well-tied fleece always meets a warm welcome among buyers, sorters and millmen.— Sheep Breeder. Cnring Chickens of Cholera. Those who make their pin money by raising chickens or turkeys would like to know how to cure cholera. This Is the way I cured mine: Took about a of wheat flour, mixed it very thia with water and gave every morning. If fowls are too sick to cat, pour It down their throats. Give poultry plenty ot buttermilk, and cholera will not bother them. I have not lost any since I gave thia to them.- -Mrs. O. Frank.

DOOR FOR BARN GABLE.