Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1902 — FARMS AND FARMERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMS AND FARMERS

bracing a P icket Fence. The illustration shows a method of bracing a sagging fence of any kind that has a top rail. Take two boards six or eight inches wide and of a thickness according to the weight of the fence, cross them at the top as shown and fasten together with heavy wire nails. Each piece may be notched so that the notch will come under the top rail on either side, or the boards may be spiked to the top rail on either side. Fasten these boards at the bottom as shown In the cut, brace them by driving strong stakes In the ground and nail the boards to the stakes. To give adltlonal strength the lower bar of the supporting frame may be spiked to the bottom rail of the fence. This support !s readily made, and If fastened to the

fence as directed will hold it in place securely even under the pressure of heavy winds. Weeds in Grass Land. It would astonish many farmers to make an investigation of the number of weed plants that are to be found in grass lands, and even in meadows that are supposed to be In a high state of cultivation. They arfe more conspicuous In the pastures, because our most common weeds will grow on land where the cultivated grass makes but little growth. The daisy, the rag weed, mints and others are often to be found by the hundred on a single square foot in the pasture, while in spots the thistle, milkweed and orange bawkweed have taken almost complete possession. But there are many in the richly manured mowing, where the grasses grow so much faster and ranker as to hide them until the hay is taken off. Too close pasturing is in some cases responsible for these weeds. Some of these larger perennials must be dug out, root and all, before they can make seed, or cut down so often that they will perish because of a lack of leaf growth. In some cases plowing, manuring and reseeding with clean seeds seems to be the only remedy, a'nd it is not always easy to get grass seed free from the seeds of weeds, and a course of three years In cultivation, kitting every weed in the field or around its borders, may be the only way to reduce their number.—New England Homestead. Keep Buildings Painted. The importance of keeping farm buildings well painted is apparently not appreciated as It should be. In traveling about the country great carelessness in this respect is noticeable on every hand. Neat-looking houses, barns and ether buildings denote thrift and good management, while dilapidated, weather-worn structures give the place an air of neglect or poverty, according to the degree of decay. If a farmer cares nothing for looks, he should keep his buildings well painted, because it is good business to do so. Good paint in convenient form for use is now put up and sold at reasonable prices. Any one with sufficient energy to rub the paint well into weather checks, and interest enough in his work to keep the paint thin, can do a good job of painting. A thoroughly good brush is necessary; this a sure case of the best being the cheapest, as it will not only enable a man to do more and better work, but a good brush will last longer than a cheap one. The fall is the best time to do outside painting, as It then has all winter in which to harden slowly—whereas, paiht put on in spring or summer is sometimes injured with the hot sun while it is fresh and soft.— Agricultural Epitomist.

Breeds of Cattle.

To summarize the matter of breeds — the Jerseys produce a large yield of rich milk and are good rustlers, but of very little value for beef; the Ayrshlres are good milk producers, will thrive on a poorer pasture than most others, and are easily fattened when wanted for beef; the Holsteln-Frleslans produce an Immense yield of milk which is not rich, and are easily made Into good beef, but require the best of care and an abundance of rich and succulent food; the Devons produce a moderate amount of rich milk and are qnlckly made into good beef; the “milking strains” of Shorthorns produce a good yield of milk which is of and can be turned Into excellent beef at any time, but are not good rustlers and need the best of pastures to do well. Probably three-fourths of the pure-blooded cows now In the Gulf States are Jerseys.—Dairying in the South. Succulent Feud for Hoge. Where it is not practical to soak grain for bogs the animals can be kept tn a thrifty condition by furnishing a

succulent feed like corn silage or roots of some kind. When green feed is not available, something of this sort Is absolutely necessary for best results. Of course, hogs will live and do fairly well on corn alone, but are not always profitable unless given some other kind of feed.

Fall Plowing. Fall plowing should always be deeper titan spring plowing, because the newer soil brought to the surface in the fall becomes disintegrated by the agency of frost and is thereby better prepared for crop production. Some prefer to plow twice, once just as soon as possible after harvest and once In October or November. In this case the first plowing is shallow and the second somewhat deeper. In the great majority of Instances early plowing of stubble is most suitable in the preparation of a soil for wheat the following year, while a few prefer late fail plowing in preparing a soil for corn. One advantage of getting a soil plowed in the fall is that the spring crop may be put in much earlier, as the soil dries out much more quickly. It is seldom profitable to bum stubble, as most of our soils are in need of humus. It is not always practicable to plow rolling lands in the fall, as they are much more apt to wash.—lowa Homestead. Testing Wheat Varieties. The Ohio Experiment Station during the past ten years has tested thirty-four differently named varieties of wheat. The Penquite’s Velvet Chaff is used as a standard by which to test the yield, and every third plot is sown with that, and as the yield rises above or falls below that, the productiveness and the value are estimated. During the ten years test the Mealy has made the best showing, having bad an average yield of 4% bushels per acre greater than the Velvet Chaff. The Poole, Red Russian and Harvest King are decided to be the same variety, and they have ranged from 3 1-3 to 3% bushels better than the Velvet Chaff, the Gypsy 3% bushels better, and Early Ripe 3% bushels better than Velvet Chaff. Yet they class the Poole next to the Mealy, perhaps because it has been longer tested, or because it stands up better than the Gypsy or Early Ripe.—American Cultivator. A Brooder Attachment. The brooder chicks can be let upon the ground and yet be protected from the cold winds by the, attachment shown. A box without top or bottom is hooked to the side of the brooder, an opening being cut in the side where

the door of the brooder comes. The’ top of the attachment Is covered with coarse cotton cloth, or a sash may be used. The cloth lets In fresh air and the sun’s rays, but protects the chicks from the cold winds. Things that Will Pay. If there is any one thing that will help dairymen succeed more than any other, it is a constant use of scales and the Babcock test on our farms. It will pay any farmer to keep an accurate record of the milk produced by each cow. Treatment for Mange, Mange is caused by a small parasite (insect). Rub once a day with carbolic acid, half ounce; oil of tar, four ounces; sulphur, four ounces; cottonseed oil, one quart. Wash with tar soap after three or four days.

Farm Note*. If the animals are allowed to run down In flesh It will be a loss to the farmer, as he Is then compelled to restore them to their original condition before he makes a gain. At the same time there is a waste of as many days as the animals are below their normal condition, which is lost time that can never be regained. Select some plot of ground, or part of a field, for experimental purposes. Fix your plan, and end the year with some positive Information that you have gleaned from your year’s labor. Unless It is well planned at the start, and data fully kept, it ends only in opinions that are largely guesses, and little more Is known than at first. Farmers are not disposed at the present day to cure as much bacon as formerly. Small carcasses are. being preferred, and the farmers are beginning to kill a pig as required for use, Instead of salting down large quantities of pork late In the fall. By so doing they have more fresh meat and of better quality than that from the pork barrel that was packed months before. Many of the pasture fields are grazed too close to the ground. When a herd of cows have free access to pasture they really cut the grass down many, times, and much cioeer than Is usually done with the mower. No plants will thrive if not given an opportunity to make growth, and the grass on some pastures is killed by continually checking the growth, while the feet of ths animals greatly damage the grass, as the smaller, the supply the mor* trampling by the sM

PICKET FENCE BRACE.

RUN FOR BAD WEATHER.