Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1901 — FARMERS CORNER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMERS CORNER

The Heaaian Fir. Every one who grows wheat understands pretty thoroughly the ravages of the hessian fly. The Illustration will give the reader some idea of this Insect land Its growth at various stages. The plant at the left Is an uninjured stalk, the one at the right shows a stalk infested with the hessian fly. It will be noticed that this stalk Is dwarfed, the leaves withered and the stems swollen near the ground. In the illustration A indicates the ieggs of the fly; B the larva much enlarged; C shows the pupa case; D the chrysalis; E the adult female, natural size; F the adult female much enlarged;

G the male much enlarged; H the pupa in position between the leaf-sheath and stalk, and I the parasite. After years of experimenting with different methods scientists agree that the only way of successfully fighting the hessian fly is to have the soil in which wheat is to be sown In the best possible condition, use varieties that are resistant and sow the seed as late as possible in the fall. The soil should be so well fed and so fertile that a strong healthy growth of (Wheat will be secured in the fall even though the seeding Is late. Dawson's Golden Chaff, Prosperity, Red Russian and White Chaff Mediterranean are among the best of the resistant varieties.—lndianapolis News. Fruit Growing and Poultry Raisins:. With a proper arrangement of buildings and yards, it is possible to make poultry raising and fruit growing combine profitable. If small fruits are grown extensively, it will be necessary, of course, to keep the poultry yards at pome distance from the fruit plantation, but where orchard fruits are growm, considerable saving can be affected by building at least a portion of the poultry yards in the orchards. It is not a good plan to build the houses In the orchards, but some portion of the ground devoted to runs should extend under the trees. This arrangement gives the fowis considerable shade, without any detriment to the orchard. jWhen poultry yards are arranged in this manner, especially if the orchard is young, the ground between the rows can be cultivated to advantage; in other words, it will not do to sacrifice the culture of the young orchard in any way to the poultry yard. One great advantage in combining fruit growing (with poultry raising is that most of the Important w r ork in the care of fowls is done at a time when there is the least work to do with the fruit. Cheap Corn Harvester, A simple device for harvesting corn is a sled mounted on wheels, the front edges of the wide platform being covered with irons sharpened at the edge. The stalks are cut with these sharp-

-encd edges ns the horse walks between the rows, and the stalks as they fall are caught by men standing on the platform of the sled. At Intervals the tiorse Is stopped, the corn gathered and placed In the shock. This tool can be ■cheaply made at home. Points of a Dairy Cow. The following features should always t>e looked for in selecting an animal for jthe dairy: The skin should be thin and clastic to the touch, covered with fine 'hair. If the skin hangs tioght to the (body. It shows, ns a rule, poor quality In the animal, although it sometimes Indicates that the animal Is In poor condition physically. Standing directly back ■pt the cow, the lilnd legs should come to > the ground showing considerable space jbetween the hocks. The thighs of the dairy cows should be thin nud not fleshy. The back should be broad and level, with considerable depth of rib, a large body, which shows capacity for extensive feeding. The dairy cow |i Invariably longer In body than the beef type, has more space between the fibs, and greater space from hip to

rib. The neck is longer and thinnet and the head leaner. It has been considered that an animal showing a yellow skin, under its hair is Invariably a good dairy cow. This, however, is believed to be a mistake, for It has been repeatedly noticed that some animals having this characteristic are far from good dairy cows. It is also true that many large-bodied cows are selected mainly because of this characteristic, and turn out to be enormous feeders but poor milkers. Horae Raising Profitable. The advent of the automobile and similar contrivances seem to give farmers the impression that these mechanical things would largely take the place of horses, at leadt for driving purposes. During the Spanish-American war and in the present war between England and the Boers, vast numbers of horses and mules were taken out of the Ur ited States for use In the armies named, until to-day there is actually a dearth of work horses and mules. Everything points to the breeding of these animals being extremely profitable during the next ten years, at least. There is no question that there will be a heavy demand for American horses and mules In South Africa at the close of the war. Even at this time there is a decided shortage in horses in the English army operating in South Africa, and in sections of the West shippers of horses for war purposes are paying high prices for suitable animals. The Japanese government is also looking into the question of American horses, and there will be a large and steady demand from that country for the American product. The Japanese horse Is small, and not at all strong, ill-fitted to do work required of it as the Japanese advance in Western ideas of soil manipulation. With these two markets in view, those who arc familiar with horse and mule-breed-ing will find it profitable to go into the work again. Sunlight in Stables. A recent experiment demonstrated the value of sunlight in the stables, twenty-four healthy cows, known or believed to be free from tuberculosis, were divided, and one-half put in a dark stable, the others in a stable into which the sun shone freely. Then a number of tuberculosis cows were procured and kept at intervals first with one lot and then with the other, interchanging at stated periods. At the end of a year the twelve in the dark stable were tuberculous and only four in the other stable. Plenty of sunlight and pure air in the stables will do more alone to exterminate tuberculosis than all the tuberculin tests and consequent slaughter of suspected animals can do without these aids. A New Strawberry. A fine new strawberry is the Laxton. which was the center of a remarkable strawberry exhibition at the latest En-

glish Royal Horticultural Society meeting. It is described by American Gardening as “a darker, firmer and Improved Royal Sov- ’ ereigu," a famous English berry. Its raisers claim that it

is a “wonderful strawberry for earliness, size, firmness, quality, hardiness and vigor of plant combined.” Feeding: Bee*. It is generally admitted that the best time for feeding bees, when it is necessary to give them a full supply for winter, is before cold weather sets in. The hives should be carefully examined now-, and If there seems to be a scarcity of food, feeding should be begun at once. It is easy to make some sort of a vessel ready for feeding, but it will cost only a trifle to buy a feeder, which will be much better. The best winter food for bees is a sirup made by stirring granulated sugar in water, using equal parts of each and stirring until the sugar is dissolved. The feeder should be filled with this sirup and places in the hives at night, the idea being not to attract the bees from the fields during the day, as long as they are able to obtain honey therefrom. The feeders hold about a quart of the sirup, and in most cases this is all that will be needed, but by watching the combs one can readily see when more food should be furnished.

Form Note?. Don’t sow alfalfa on poor soil. Summer wood Is a good thing to be looking after In winter. In selecting strawberry plants get none that have borne fruit. Market when you can make a good profit, rather than hold for an uncertain rise. When picking and packing fruit for market Is done carelessly the results are rarely satisfactory. Cultivate often and never allow your groupd to produce weeds when it should produce another crop. Stalks break well In the winter time and they should be broken as soon as the stock Is through feeding off of them. Keep the farm well stocked. Buy plenty of calves, these grow into money quicker perhaps than any other live stock. Fix up your machinery. Very likely there Is some that needs a bolt hero and there. Faint will make all machinery last longer. A tin bucket is the lightest, handiest receptacle for cream. The old-fashioned cream Jar Is awkward to handle and so heavy to lift when full of cream. To Btart poultry raising on the farm requires little or no capital. Under any circumstances, with proper management, poultry can be made with little cost a valuable adjunct to the farm.

THE FLY AND ITS RAVAGES.

DEVICE FOR HARVESTING CORN.

LAXTON STRAWBERRY