Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1902 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

A Hard-Collar Preferred. There Is a striking analogy between the shoulders of a horse and the hand of a man. Each is respectively the lever by which the power is applied. Broadly speaking, every Implement designed for the use of man is provided with a handle, and this handle is made to fit the hand, not the hand for the handle. It is about a certain size. Is rounded smooth and hard; at least It is never made soft, with a view of being easier on the hand. The three qualifications last named should be present in the horse collar If the collar is the proper length and fits the horse, and is stuffed full and round, it may be hard as iron without danger of galling the shoulder. Certainly the collar must fit the horse exactly. Of jrourse, the harues must be drawn up high enough so that the draught will not center on the shoulder joint. The logic of this is simple. If the handle of a manual Implement galls the hand it is because of its roughness or improper shape, never because it is too hard. If it -is to be continuously used the man does not put on a mitten in warm weather to overcome a defect in it; neither does he demand that the handle be made of something soft, but simply that it be properly shaped, smooth and hard. The collar which is round and hard rolls on the skin at every motion of the animal, somewhat like the manrier of a ball bearing, admitting the air, and thereby cooling the parts; but the flat, soft collar sticks so closely that it compels the skin to move on the underlying flesh in such a way as to produce irritation and deep seated galls.—Joseph H. Yoder, in Ohio Farmer. —Tribune Farmer.

Desirable Form of Roller. A home made land roller on our farm was made as follows: Two rows of holes were bored through the rims of old mowing machine wheels, and 2x5 inch oak planks feet long were

bolted around them, to form two drums. The edges of the planks were beveled and the bolt heads countersunk. The two axles were welded together to make one long arbor, the ends of which were securely fastened, in a strong frame. A heavy iron strap through which the arbor passes is twisted at ®ach end and bolted to the underside of front and back timbers, with washers on the axle against center hubs. It serves to keep the drums apart apd acts as a brace to strengthen frame. Anyone who has ever driven a two section roller knows the advantage it has over the Old log rollers in turning around. One like this can be made at a very moderate cost and will prove very satisfactory.—D. M. Greene, in Farm and Home.

A Scheme in Log-Bawing. Many farmers draw their winter supply of wood to the door in the log and saw it at odd times with a cross cut

saw. This is easy and pleasant work when the log is raised about two feet from the ground, but very difficult and te-

dious when it lies flat upon the ground. A handy arrangement for holding and raising the logs Is easily made as shown In sketch. Take two straight poles 16 feet long and strong enough to bear the strain. Fasten a pair of stout legs abont 3 feet long to one end of each pole. Then with a 2-lnch auger bore a series of holes along the top of each and fit' a wooden pin or stake to them. The poles are to be placed side by side and each log rolled up the incline until it reaches the desired height. The pins are inserted to prevent rolling or sliding back and the log is ready for the saw.—C. O. Ormsby, In Farm and Home. Feeding Pumpkina to Stock. There is an idea among farmers that pumpkin seeds are Injurious to stock, and especially to swine. There is no good foundation for this belief, although, without doubt, if a hog was permitted to eat all the pumpkin seeds It could without eating any of the flesh they would make him ill. Pumpkins should be freely fed to stock, using them as.other green crops, such as potatoes, carrots and the like are used, as appetizers and feeding them In small quantities just before the regular meal. If given after the regular meal the animats will not eat so freely of them. In feeding pumpkins to hogs, horses and cows, simply cut them in half and let the animal do the rest In feeding them to sheep they must be cut tn smaller pieces, and It Is a good plan to sprinkle a little salt over the pieces until the sheep get used to the taste. All crops of this nature afe digestives, and pumpkins especially will prevent attacks of prolonged constipation. As a rule, dairymen do not feed

cows enougn succulent roods during the winter. It does not seem to occu® to them that an animal that has been on pasture all thh summer through should need anything other than plenty of grain and hay. The writer once paid as high as $2 a bushel for carrots for stock feeding, and considered that *the sum was made good by haring less trouble with indigestion among the cows and especially saving annoyance with constipation among pregnant animals. One feed a day of pumpkins or some root crop will be beneficial to all cows. Shorthorn Cow Robert*. The center ot attraction at many State fairs of the Middle West this fall, and one that captured a prize at the International Live Stock Show in Chicago, was the handsome Shorthorn cow, Ruberia. She is now a itxrt of

the herd owned by Colonel G. M. Casey of Missouri. Suiting the Customer. If growers of vegetables for market would study more closely the needs of the consumer there would be a material increase in the prices obtained for the product, as well as a quicker sale for it. Most growers work on the plan that the largest specimens are the ones that will bring the high prices, but this is a mistake. Any housekeeper will say that what she most desires in vegetables for cooking are those of medium size and of uniform size. This last is especially Important. Take potatoes as an illustration: the larger specimens are not always of the best flavor, and there are not a sufficient number of them in a barrel, so that the housekeeper can rely on having large ones until the entire lot is gone—the result is she has some difficulty in cooking the large and small together; good reason why she prefers the medium size and the uniform size. This rule holds good through all vegetables, and they should be grown with this - idea in mind at all times.

Oleo Being Driven Ont. The effect which the new law is having on the sale of oleb is clearly shown by the following figures, which represent the number of pounds for which tax stamps were bought In July, 1901, 2,884,571 pounds; July, pounds of colored and 1,799,602 pounds uqcolored,,q total of 1,801,242 pounds. In August 1901, 4,049,555 pounds. In .'.August, 1902, 1,905 pounds colored, .1,4.15,553 pounds uncolored, a total of 1,417,438 pounds. In September, 1901, 3,825,247 pounds. In September, 1901, 14,705 pounds colored, 1,798,305 pounds uncolored, a total of 1,813,010 pounds. For the three first months of the fiscal year the shrinkage was 5,737,663 pounds, or over 50 per cent This is for Chicago alone, but it is said there Is an equal falling off at other manufactories,— American Cultivator.

Waste of Corn Fodder. In Missouri It is safe to estimate that something like 7,000,000 tons ot corn fodder are grown In the average year. Certainly 3,500,000 tons, or one-half of all that is produced,' Is wasted. The average hay crop of the State is scarcely more than 3,000,0(k) tons and is estimated to be worth on the farm over $20,000,000. Yet a large proportion of this hay is timothy, a material that supplies the same class of nutrients for our stock that Is found in corn fodder. —II. J. Waters, Missouri. ••:' ' * * . Farm Notea. Evergreen branches make an excellent winter protMflon for many plants, and they are to hold down forest leaves and. prevent the wind from carrying them off. Rake up all the debris around the grapevines and burn the leaves and other materials. Scatter air-slaked lime liberally on the ground arouD|d the vines. In the spring turn the soil under and use more ihne. In this manner the ravages of the rot can be greatly mitigated. The winter is the time for farmers to meet and discuss matters pertaining to farming. Many good hinted some ot them very valuable, may be gained or Imparted at such meetings, and no better way of spending the time can be ' devised if the weather is too severe to permit of other work. A gill of crude, carbolic acid (which Is much cheaper than the refined article), made Into an emulsion with half a pint of strong soapsuds and a quart of cold water then added will lie sufficient for moistening a bushel of sawdust, which may be sprinkled in the stalls as a disinfectant. The black knot is the’ scourge of the cherry and plum, but it can be pt» vented by vigilance. Cut away any of the limbs that show signs of the disease, and spray the tree with kerosene emulsion op.the Bordeaux mix-' ture. The disease will spread to every tree in the orchard If allowed to go unchecked. .. • r A ‘corn-judging school" will be held at the lowa Agricultural Colleges,' Ames, Jan. sto 17. The beet samples of all the leading varieties of corn from the greatest breeders of various States will be on exhibition and used in the 3 classes, which Will be held every day,' studying the corn systematically with, the use of the revised score card.

TWO-SECTION ROLLER.

PRIZE SHORTHORN.