Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1902 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL

Comfortable Resting Place. Where the trees about one’s house ■re small, or where there are none, this arrangement, described in Country Gentleman, will be found pleasant In summer. The floor and framework of this shady resting place are made' of wood, while the covering is either white duck or striped awning cloth, sold at all dry goods stores—the only fault to be found with the latter being

Its liability to fade. The board floor is very desirable, since It permits the use of this when the grass ground would be moist. The smooth floor also affords a splendid chance for children to play in wet weathtr, or Indeed in any weather, since their clothing will become soiled much less easily when playing on dbch a floor than upon grass ground or gravel. This place can also be made to shelter a hammock, stretching from one corner to an opposite corner. The roof frame should, of course, be braced In the same direction as that occupied by the hammock, running a two by three strip of lumber from the top of one corner post to the top of the one opposite; also placing a similar piece between the tops of the other two opposite corners. Handy Farm Tool. The tool illustrated can be easily fashioned by any blacksmith. It is similar in form to the grubbing hoe familiar to most farmers, although not sb hard. It should be made so that the wide blade will be about four inches wide along the edge and from one and one-half to two Inches wide along the edge of the narrow blade. Made of the same material used in the

ordinary garden hoe and the edges kept well sharpened, one may work very close to the plants In the rows without Injury to them. * This tool would be especially useful in working among strawberry plants, using the wide edge for cutting off the runners and the narrow one for weeding close to the plants. A few tools of this kind would cost but little and save their cost in one season. Belecting Calves. The Practical Farmer gives thia method of selecting calves to raise, which is followed by many successful dairymen:' Turn the little calf on Its back and see that it has four wellplaced teats —that Is, wide apart—and two rudlrhentaries, or extra teats. Next see that It has a large udder cord, which you can feel on the side, rubbing Anger back nnd forth. Such parts arc made in proportion, and a large udder Indicates tlrat the calf when It becomes a cow will carry a large udder, beenuse a large cord Is necessary to hold tills up. Next look in tlie coifs mouth, and If tbore nre eight teeth, well through, you can safely raise that calf. If there are only two teeth put through, reject the calf, because, as a rule, this indicates that the eonstltutlonnl vigor of the mother was not sufficient to mature the calf fully before It was bom. Such a calf will be likely to have a weak vitality when It grows up os well ns during Its younger days. IMseaeee of Pl anta. Diseases of plants are difficult to prevent unless rotation of crops is practiced. To allow the same kind of crop two or more years in succession on a plot of land promotes the Increase of Insects and spreads diseases of certain plants in the soil. For instance, when a crop of potatoes Is attacked by disease the land should be given up to some other-crop the next year, as the slanting of potatoes on land upon

which a diseased crop was grown the previous year Is the surest mode of propagating evil. Insoluble Phosphates. The use of insoluble phosphates, whether In the form of phosphatlc rock or of the so-called Thomas slag, has long been a bone of contention or debatable matter, not only among the scientific men, but the practical farmers. The former have questioned whether the insoluble phosphate could be of any value as plant food, and some of the farmers have claimed that their crops were very much benefited by it. Although we have not tested it, our opinion leads us to believe that the farmers are right,‘and those who rely only on scientific principles may be wrong. Wc do not place sufficient confidence in the power of the soil and the action of frosts, rain and summer heat upon what are sometimes called insoluble fertilizers. We know little of the power that these elements exert, and when to. the natural elements of the soil there may be added the effect of decomposing vegetable matter, either as stable manure or as green manure plowed under, we can only say that we think they have much effect in making soluble not only phosphatic but other mineral elements.in the soil. Those who have used the finely ground rock or Thomas slag upon fields which had received a liberal dressing of stable manure, or had been treated with a green crop plowed under, are so unanimously in Its favor that we cannot doubt but that the so-called insoluble phosphates do become soluble In the soil under certain conditions, depending upon the soil or the treatment It has received.—Massachusetts Ploughman.

To Cure Bad Habit. A bad vice sometimes crops out in the herd when a cow or two begins to draw its own milk by sucking. To pre-

vent this vice, fasten a frame as pqrtrayed. Four sticks of hard wood, 10 or 12 Inches long and 1% inches square, are held together

by eight round pointed sticks of tough hard wood two feet long and one inch in diameter, passing through the hard wood sticks. These dimensions may be too large for a small neck. Fasten the round sticks in the desired place with screews % inch long. The yoke may then be removed or adjusted to fit a large or small neck.—Farm and Home. Proper Packing of Fruit. The finer varieties of fruit should be packed in boxes. When barrels are used the best fruit is injured by overpressing. The fruit must be picked at the right time. Last year a lot of the Northern Spys wore picked so early that very serious loss is the result, because the warm weather has ruined tholr keeping qualities. The question of grading is too large a one to deal with here. Great care is necessary in grading, and the work will be rendered much easier by having a large quantity of the one variety. In facing the barrel pick out fruit that is fairly representative of the contents of the barrel. Place the smaller apples on the outside and the larger ones in the center. The picking should be done very carefully, care being taken not to bruise the apples by dropping. Care mus be exercised in Jarring or shaking the barrel in filling, so as to get the contents well shaken and to avoid slackness, and at the same time not bruise the fruit. This is best accomplished by giving a trembling motion to the barrel. In hauling to the station a spring wagon should be used, otherwise the fruit may be bruised in that way. The more the producer can pack his own fruit the better it will be for the trade. After picking the fruit should be put Inside, where it is dry. The barrel or box should, as a means of avoiding mistakes, be stenciled with the name and address of the packer, and the grade and variety of the fruit. —American Cultivator.

Didn't Bother the Incubator. More incubator hatches are spoiled by the anxiety of the operator than from any other cause. Get the machine going properly and don’t bother it, except to turn the eggs and fill and trim the lamp. If the temperature runs up or down, reset the regular, but do not try t<} bring the temperature back in flv6 minutes. Teach the LamKa to Kat. Ij»mbs should be taught to eat before weaning time, beginning with a handful of oats and bran. Comfortable quarters, clean water, clean food and n variety of It until time to go on pasture will Invariably Insure big, hardy sheep that will bring the best prices in the market. —-i Farm biotea. Some of the weeds that cover the fields will be eaten off by sheep if tbs animals are given an opportunity to destroy them. Put the sheep at work at this season and they will destroy many weed pests. Wild carrots should be destroyed late in summer, before tlie seeds mature, so as to save labor. Being a biennial, tbs wild carrot gists a firm bold, and It is very persistent, propagating itself rapidly and taking poaseasion of the laud. An excellent plan io to dig the plants up and burn them.

SHADY RESTING PLACE.

DOUBLE-EDGE HOE.