Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1902 — FARMS AND FARMERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMS AND FARMERS

A Model Cattle Stall./ The old-fashioned method of fastening cows by means of stanchions had Its merits, but a chain arranged so that it will work freely on the bent rod and allow the cow a certain amount of free movement, enough to get up and down without trouble and to move her head freely is better. This arrangement is readily secured by having an Iron, three feet or more long, fashioned by the blacksmith so that the ends can be securely screwed to the side of the stall aud leave it clear from the side from end to end to the width of about three inches. - - Fasten a strong chain to the stall post

ind have a ring at the other end which itr slipped over the iron bar before it Is placed in position. A shorter piece of chain is fastened to the first, as shown in the cut, and at the end of this short piece Is a strong snap which is festoned to the ring in the halter-©#-the cow. Whero the-tnauger is placed-high-er than the one illustrated, the short piece of chain should be arranged accordingly. If the chain is strong and the fixture put in place as directed, there is little danger of the animal becoming unfastened. Raise More—Buy Lets. In the olden days of fanning such a thing as a farmer patronizing a butcher Was unheard of. The butcher was the buyer, and not the seller, and similar relations existed, to a less extent, between the farmer and the dealer In stock foods. There is no excuse for farmers placing themselves in a position where they must* buy all or most of their meat, nor should they buy food for stock, except where It is necessary to buy something to fill out a ration, and this something that cannot be raised on the farm profitably. Still, even such stock food should he paid for, In a ; sense, by selling some other food of! which one has a surplus. If the average farm is rightly han- j died it should supply its owner with most or all of the meat lor the family, l all of the fruit and vegetables, eggs, poultry and Rutter. It should also supply most of the food needed for the stock. Farming in this way, with certain crops which one Tcnows best how to grow In order to obtain tilt l cash neeessary for incidental expenses, one carries on the work In a way that is profitable. Silver-Penciled Wyandottes. 'While this breed of fowls is by no means new it is only recently that it has attracted the attention of the general public who are interested in poultry. The illustration shows a pullet of the breed and shows well the form of the bin!. The hens of this breed are goo! layers, docile, bear confinement well and are good mothers. While It would be unfair to say that the breed eouhl l e ranked with the-Leghorns as layers, they are crowding them closely, and by Judicious selection may before long reach the Leghorn standard. As

* table fowls they nre better than the Leghorns, though not equal to the famous Plymouth Rocks. The breed Is -well worth testing and on many farms will suit conditions perhaps better than either the Leghorn or Plymouth Rocks. Cowpcaa and Field pens. Tl»#£e seems to be considerable misapprehension regarding t'hc cowpea. As It Is generally known It IS a sort of tender bean, hence It will not succeed outside of a Southern latitude. While It Is true that moat of the varieties do best In tne South the early sorts may be planted In the North even as far as the Canada line, with fair success, although In the States as far north ns Minnesota and Michigan the best results can probably be had with crimson clover or Canada floldpeas. As crimson clover seems to be more or less tickle hnd requires n soli reasonably rich the pea comes In very useful. Of the true cowpeas the varieties •'Warren’s Extra Early” and Early Black Eye succeed best In northern sections and both of these sorts hare been successfully grown aa far north

as Maine and Michigan. To get the best results from eowpeas seed as soon as the cold spring rains are over and if grown for hay or fodder feed to swine in the field or harvest when the first pods begin to turn brown. If to be turned under, vines as well as roots, do the work in the fall and let the following crop be rye and turn this crop under in the spring; then use the ground for anything desired.—lndianapolis News. - Growing Alfalfa. The statement regarding sorghum, to the effect that farmers are getting over the idea that It Is mainly a crop for favored sections, applies as well to alfalfa, one of the finest •of forage crops, when one Comes to know it well and to properly grow It. The soil should be well prepared for alfalfa; and it should fee a~ deep soil, for tho crop is one that may be cut at least twice a year, after the first season, for several years. Sow the seed with a grass seeder, using from fifteen to twenty pounds an acre; harrow lightly and then roll firmly. Usually the plan is to first sow the ground with some grain crop, like barley, following directly after with the alfalfa seed in the quantity named. Harvest the barley when ripe, but do not pasture the alfalfa the first season. It Is important that this be not done, and here is just where so many who try alfalfa fall, for by pasturing the first season the plants do not have a fair chance to get a hold in the ground. As a matter of fact, If hay is the crop desired, alfalfa more than any crop which is Intended for hay. The second season the alfalfa will show Its Peafl early In the spring, and may be cut at least twice that season, possibly three times. The following seasons three crops each summer can readily be cut from the field. Alfalfa is drought-resisting, the stock like it, and it is as easy to grow as any hay. Try an acre of It this spring as an experiment.

Secor Seedling Strawberry. Waupaca County, Wisconsin, has produced the famous Wolf River, Northwestern Greening, and other seedling apples. Now the same county offers a wonderful strawberry, a seedling originated by O. G. Secor. It Is a hardy and thrifty grower and appears to be self-fertilizing. The color Is dark purple-red, good flavor, but few seeds.

meaty core, and promises to be equal to or better Ilian llie Wilson or Warfield ns n shipper. This berry took first premium over all other seedlings at the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society meeting at Wausau last summer. This strawberry was named by the Waupaca Horticultural Society, which society recommends the berry. W. H. ftfilmes, the secretary of the society, has charge of the distributiou of the plants. Selecting Krrs for Hatching. If the flock of high-grade poultry is to be Increased unusual care should be taken in mating and in the selection of the eggs: Por the -hens and pullets select only those that have laid well during the winter or those that are ftnown to be from good laying stock. The well-formed medium size egg is the best for hatching. If eggs are to be bought for hatching it is a good plan to buy lots from dealers at a distance from each other, and in this way have a hatch of chicks not related so that another season they may be crossed without any danger of in-breeding; of course, the chicks will need to be kept separated In each lot In order to be sure of their identity. Eggs selected for hatching and which are not to be used at once may be safely kept if packed in excelsior or sawdust and kept in a room that Is heated enough so that the eggs will not chill. New Creameries for lowa. We are advised by severol creamery supply salesmen traveling in lowa thnt the prospects for new creamery buddings this spring are better than formernl years. A number of new factories are now under wny, and ns soon as spring opens it will keep the salesmen busy visiting the points which are good "prospects.” No one seems to understand the cause of the boom which is surely coming, as it would seem that the high price of feed would be a discouraging feature. But the farmers have the creamery fever, nrid there is good business In sight for the creamery supply houses.—Creamery Journal. Pork Katers. The Americans have been called a beef-eating nation, but as a matter of fact we are a pork-eating people. Fresh pork is growing more popular with the great middle clasß each succeeding year. This Is attested by the present demand for fresh ents In the Eastern industrial centers where comparative prosperity exists and everyl>ody save a solitary vegetarian here and there Is eating meat

MODEL CATTLE FASTENER.

SILVER-PENCILED WYANDOTTE.

SECOR SEEDLING STRAWBERRY, ONEFIFTH SIZE.