Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1902 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL

A Grindstone. Some one writes to the American Blacksmith to tell how he used a discarded bicycle to drive a grindstone. He removed the top brace of the frame and stapled the front to a stout post. The near support was constructed from 2 by 4 ihch timber, and the frame braced below. The sprocket of the rear wheel was removed by cutting -Its spokes, and then mounted on the same shaft as the grindstone. To do this he filled the hole in the stone with a piece of wood, and bored a, hole in the latter of-the same size as that in the sprocket. Of course, his axle would then tit both. It appears that the chain he used was made up of two. One was not long enough. The axles were mounted with ball bearings, and the stone can be driven at lightning speed with little trouble. While discussing this general subject, The Iron Trade Review says: “It is

time the grindstone should be considered a machine tool, with good light; no meagre, miserly driblet of water, trickling from a toy pail, on its honest and homely face, but a steady stream that - pours at the point of tool application. I have had it on very good authority that a grindstone should not run fast enough to spatter the water around the machine, but it is better to provide for the flying fluid another way and drive the machine full speed.”

Adapt Fruit to the locality. if We notice in our reports of the fruit trade and the hpple export trade that “Western” Ben Davis are usually specified as bringing the highest prices paid for that variety, while “Maine” Baldwins rank above Baldwins from any other section. Now Ben Davis are grown in Maine,and Baldwins in somej>f the Western sections, but they do not attain the highest degree of excellence in either case. We would advise Eastern farmers to stand by the old sorts that have done so .well by them when they have_ been well cared for. The Baldwin, Ilbode Island Greening, Snow, Jonathan, and Sutton’s Beauty are always In demand, and grow well in all the Northeastern States. So for early fruit do the Red Astraehan and Gravenstein. In some soils King and Newtown Pippin thrive, but not in all, the latter doing better in the Middle States. They are all good enough for table use, sell well, and when sold the buyer has an appetite for more just like them. Let the Southern and lower Middle West have a monopoly of the Ben Davis, the Black Twig and the Arkansas Black if they wish. Let the Russian varleVptj go to the far North, where they cannot grow a decent apple, if there -is such a place, and let some hundreds of other varieties go where the wood uqty serve as fuel, and then give more care to pruning, fertilizing, thinning and spraying what are left, and get more profit from less labor.—American Cultivator.

The Lightning Rod.

Hundreds of farmers have been swindled by the lightning rod agents, paying for the rods much more than a fair price, and in some cases giving notes for them when they thought that they were oqjy signing a receipt for a certain arflbunt of rod, which would be removed if they wore not satisfied to keep it at the end of a certain time. But this does not disprove the efficacy of the rod to protect from lightning when it la properly put on and connected with the moisture of the earth. A lightning rod or a conductor should run from every wire fence about once In fifteen or twenty rods, going six or seven feet into the earth, as the electricity often follows the wires for a considerable distance, and when It leaves them may go several roda along the surface of the ground to reach man or beast.

Why the Creamery Pays. In the days of our forefatbere, when ■dreameries were unknown, the inllk was set In cold water or the cellar, and the cream allowed to rise. Moat of the cream used on the farm to-day la obtained by thia method. What causes the cream t<* rise Is a difference In specific gravity or weight of It and the rest.of the milk. In the cream separator centrifugal force is used instead of gravitation. The force applied In the separator bowl the manu-

factoring companies claim to be seven hundred times as great as the force of gravitation, and thus you see why the skim-milk from the separator contains a smaller percent of butter fat than the skim-milk from which the cream has been allowed to rise, and this is one reason why it is more profitable to patronize a creamery than to make the butter on the farm. Another thing to be considered is that the creamery man, being skilled in the art of making butter, is able to make a better article than as a rule, is produced on the farm, and then be can ship it where it will command the highest price, while the farmer has to sell at local prices, which is* usually several cents below creamery prices.

Ensilage or Roots. The cost of growing corn, cutting it and putting it in the silo, has been variously reported at almost all figures from $1 to $3 per ton. We do not doubt but that It has been done for the smaller sum when the land has been made rich and well cultivated, and the most modern -Improvements were at hand to do the wo Nip but we think a fair average would be nearer double that with the ordinary farmer,even in a favorable season. But there are not many who would like to grow roots for feeding to stock at that price. Certainly we know of none who would grow them to sell at that price, and few who would care to grow them at per ton if they could grow other crops and find a ready cash market for them. As regards the value of them an average of the various roots show that the same amount of each fed with equal rations of hay and grain resulted a little in favor of the roots, but this was more than offset by the two facts that the roots cannot be kept In as good condition for late spring or summer feeding as can the ensilage, and that there is more apt to be a .crop failure from drought or other causes with the roots than with the corn. The droughts of the past two years have led many to believe that having ensilage to feed in the summer when pastures are growing poorer is of almost as much importance, and some say more, than having it in the winter.—Massachusetts Ploughman.

Helps the Dehorner. Clark Braly, in Hoard's dairyman, describes a tie for holding a cow’s head at stanchion while dehorning.

When the cow’s head is fast in stanchion, the rope is dropped over her neck, the loop is caught on the under side and the rope doubled, is put through -loop and placed around the nose up far enough

to not shut off her breathing; then pull the rope back lo a post at side of stanchion, take one turn around post. A man can hold the end and by placing his weight on rope hold the cow’s head .quite solid while her horns are removed. The rope is quickly removed by taking it off the nose and pulling.

Rye for Pics.

In Germany they tested rye as food for pigs in comparison wHth barley. In some cases the pigs refused it altogether, and when given in large amounts it was not eaten readily. As a single ration It should not be continued long, and it ought in all cases to be soaked or carefully ground. It gave best results when fed with other feeding stuff that has a larger percentage of fibre, more protein and less of the carbohydrates. It is not a good concentrated food for young cqttle or hogs.

Farmins on a Bic Scale.

In no locality has modern steam farming machinery been applied with such effectiveness as upon the grain ranches in southern California. On one ranch the engine used to draw the machinery is of 50-horse power, and has drive wheels eight feet high. It consumes 12 barrels of oil every day, and its operation requires the services of sevfti men. In plowing, 55 furrows aggregating dp feet in width, are turned at one time.

Get Rid of Poor Cows.

If you have an unprofitable cow, the sooner you get rid of her the better. It la a losing business to feed a cow that will not pay for her keep. Hints About Hogs, It is better to try to prevent disease than it is to try to cure it. To be successful In swine growing ths hogs should be kept Improving. ft Is not necessary for a man to slop his overalls every time be does bis hogs. These Items are not written with bog pen, but by experienced gained through one. Corn is all right as a staple food for the bogs, where the trouble comes in Is In making It the only food. Be careful about feeding new corn, as it Is after the excessive feeding of this that cholera makes Its appearance. Any number of farmers have made a success out of the bog business. What one man has done another man can do, It be be so inclined. The early buyers secure the tops. They always get their pigs early and have them acquainted with their new homes long before breeding season

A GOOD GRINDSTONE.

TIE IN USE.