Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1901 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Cow Fea Hutler. First a hopper In which the peas are put, vines and all; then a cylinder 13 inches in diameter and 4 feet long. Smaller might do. The cylinder is covered with iron spikes, as shown, driven into the cylinder at an angle of about 60 degrees, sloping back from direction of cylinder. Ends of spikes left out %or % Inches in length. Rows of spikes 4 to 6 Inches apart, running spirally around the cylinder instead of lengthwise. Around this Is a curvedshaped piece of extra heavy sheet iron or steel, strong enough to hold the peas up to the cylinder. The efficacy of the machine depends almost on this piece of steel or iron. It must be stiff enough to hold the peas up to the cylinder and still springy enough to allow them to go through without splitting the peas. Then make a box or frame in which the cylinder rests. This is not important only in so far that it holds up the cylinder, but any old thing that

will do-that will accomplish that end. The handle Is represented on the cylinder, but I would recommend that power of some description be used, as I know from personal experience that it requires a good deal of muscle to make it go when it is full of pea vines. I ground out five acres of peas with mine.—Dave B. Miller, in St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Fitting Horse Co'lars. In buying a new collar, it is a good plan to have it fitted to the horse as nearly as possible, and then soak it in water over night. In the morning put It on the horse after wiping off all the moisture, and then adjust the hames at top and bottom snugly so as to bring the leather collar to the form of the animal’s neck and shoulders in a perfect fit. While the leather is wet it can be molded to almost any desired form, and if held in place by the hames as suggested, during the day, by night it will have shaped itself to the form of the horse, and will remain in that condition. It is more than probable that nine out of every ten horses who are afflicted with galled shoulders, especially during the warm weather, suffer from ill-fitting collars. Even an old collar can be adjusted by the method mentioned. Galled shoulders may be a\oided by taking off the collar each night and washing it thoroughly. This removes all of the perspiration and the dust on the collar.

Wire Fence Conven'ence. A wire fence always presents to those who understand the “power” of Its barbs a formidable appearance, and, in truth, is an unpleasant affair to cross, either by climbing over or crawling under, or between the strands. Happily, however, the accompanying illustration shows a convenient and

safe arrangement whereby such barriers may be crossed as often as desired, and that without any tension on the wires being lost by cutting a gateway. It is simply a double stepladder, and can be constructed by any one at all handy with tools In a short time, the railing consisting of gas pipe, the lower ends of which should be deeply Inserted Into the ground. Where a wire fence has to be crossed frequently in some out-of-the-way locality this device is of great value.

Unprofitable Orchards. There are a great many orchards about the country that are being abandoned because they are unprofitable. As a matter of fact, the abandonment of these orchards Is due, ninety-nine times out. of a hundred, to the wrong methods of the owner. There have been recent reports of the abandonment of peach orchards Jn Georgia, and that, too, right In the heart of the region famous as a profitable peach country. Successful peach growers In Georgia give their trees aud the soil In which they are planted constant, Intelligent care, and as a result their venture is profitable. The owners of the unprofitable orchards set out the trees, and after a year or two gradually abandon them to their fate. It is true they may occasionally fertilize the soil, and perfaapa keep It in fair cultivation for a tear or two. They seem to think tbia

is all that is necessary, ond when profitable crops do not result, they become discouraged. If fruit growers are of the opinion that they can make the industry pay by simply setting out trees, it is time that they turn over a new leaf, and understand thoroughly that fruit growing is profitable only when it is conducted on business principles.— Exchange.

Home-Made Win 1 mills. The home-made windmills seem to be most plentiful in the State of Nebraska, along the broad valley of the Platte river, and from Omaha west to the State line; for over five hundred miles they are to be found in great numbers. They are often crude in appearance and of comparatively low efficiency, but the aggregate amount of work they do Is by no means InslgnifD cant. They will pump water for the stock and house, run light machinery about the farm, and sometimes furnish water to irrigate small tracts of land. The most important feature in the construction of these home-made mills is cheapness, hence the ingenuity of the farmer is shown by the use of odds and ends, which he works into his mill to save the purchase of new material. Old wire and bolts, scrap lumber and old poles, neglected parts of buggies, mowers and reapers, cranks, chains and sprocket wheels, all find their way into these strange windmills. Many of the mills have cost their makers nothing at all but time, others have cost $2 ox $3, and occasionally In the case of the more elaborate ones the cost may run to $25, SSO or $75, but $2.50 is the falx average for a very large number.-U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin.

Swelled Jaw* in Sheep. There has been considerable complaint of late years by many sheep raisers that some of the animals are troubled with swellings under the jaw, and when such swellings were lanced only water came from the opening. Suck swellings are of a dropsical nature, and the trouble is termed anaemia by veterinatians. The term anaemia, indicating as it does a lack of blood in the system, should point out to the sheep raiser the probability of there being something wrong in his system of feeding. True, the trouble may come from some internal parasite, such as the stomach worm, but the chances are 11 is due wholly to poor feeding. When the swellings appear on the jaws of the sheep the animals should at once be put on a better ration, such as a mixture of ground oats, bran and oil meal. This ration should be given three times a day, and a teaspoonful of a mixture of equal parts of dried sulphate of iron, ground gentian and ginger root should be given in the feed for each sheep. Of course, the usual roughage should not be omitted from the ration. —Indianapolis News.

Top-Dressing Meadow*. In many sections there is a strong prejudice against the fall top-dressing of meadows, the claim being that the effect of the dressing is lost before growth begins in the spring. This Is an assumption that is scarcely warranted In most cases, for even If stable manure is used as a dressing It is fair to assume that the grass roots will get the benefit of at least a portion of it, enough to make It pay for the application. A mixture composed of one-third muriate of potash, one-third fine bone and one-third nitrate of soda is an ideal one for top-dressing meadows. An application of 500 pounds of this mixture to the acre seems expensive, but when it means better hay and more of it, is it not profitable even though It figures up at the rate of about $3 for each ton of hay?

Hornless Cattle. That cattle without horns are a great improvement over cattle with horns Is now a well-settled fact. For this reason, everything else being equal, natural born mulleys will, in future, be in great favor. Everybody can’t, at least for the present, have mulleys, but those who desire it and begin In time can have hornless cattle. Those who are prepared to feed and properly care for their cattle in winter should by all means dehorn them. Hornless cattle feed better, are more docile. Losing their horns seems to change the habits of the animal. It pays to remove the horns and it pays still better to breed hornless cattle.—Farm and Ranch.

The Science of Feeding. The average farmer is a liberal feeder, and if his barns and granaries are full he will throw to his fowls double the quantity of food they need, which results in fat hens but in few eggs. It is not all of feeding to see that he fowls have quantity; there should be variety as well, and the feeding should be regular. Give the birds all they w’ill eat up clean morning and night, and at noon some green food or a handful of grain thrown In the litter to keep them busy. Do not feed the same grain more than two days in succession.

Fait the Cowl Daily. Do not omit the daily allowance of salt to the cows. Salt riot only is an appetizer, but It is an aid to digestion and especially to digestion of the protein elements in feed. The old fashion of taking a measure pf salt once or twice a week and scattering it on the* grass, with the cows frantic to get at It, Is not the best tvny to supply this condiment

Catarrh in Horsea. Steam the nostrils by putting two ounces of turpentine in n pall of boiling water. Hold this under the head for twenty minutes, repeat twice a day and continue it for a month if needed; also give a teaspoonful of sulphate of copper at a dose twice a day In a mash of bran for a month or more if necessary.

A COW PEA HULLER.

A STEP-LADDER.