Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1903 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Model Poultry Coop. It always pays to make coops subrtantlal and keeping the comfort of the mother hen in view. To do this the coop should be of fairly good size, so that the old hen will have a chance to move about The illustration shows a large coop built especially for a ben tnrkey and her brood, bat quite suited to other kinds of poultry. The foundation of this eoop was a dry goods box, the room was cut so that it slanted a little and was then covered with tar paper to shed the rain. A tight board floor should be made in the coop, and it should be slightly elevated, which will prevent dampness, always fatal to young turks and chicks. Ventilation is provided by a hole cut in the top front of the coop; this hole Is covered, when desired, by a piece of board held in place by a screw. A novel sea-

ture of the coop consists of three removable doors, which are hinged to the coop as occasion requires, using the sort of hinges on which blinds are hung, so that one door may be taken off and another put on in a minute. For wet weather the glass door, made like a cellar window. Is put in place (see cut) and keeps the brood warm and dry. For eloar, oold days, hut dry,, the turks are kept lu the coos by the wire At nlg-ht all is made secure by the solid board door. When IMS door and the one of glass is used, the ventilator must be left wlde open. Such a coop costs but little and is entirely satisfactory.—St. Faul Dispatch. Loading Stock Made Easy. Without railroads provide suitable inclosures and incline for loading animals, tihe stockman must either provlde some arrangement for getting the animal aboard the car, or suffer great inconvenience. A substantial contrivance for loading animals is shown and described below. Two posts, 2x4x6% feet, a a, two posts, 2x4x4 feet, b b, and two 2x4 floor stringers, the necessary floor boards, four side boards, o o, and two braces, d d, are used. The length of the chute depends somewhat on material at band, but 10

feet Is a good length. Width of chute should be the same as wagon box. Bolta should be used at c c c, on both sides, as nails are almost certain to work loose, or tear the flesh of animals. Double cross pieces should be used under the floor at both ends, and near the center. Two men can carry such a chute and place It in a gate or doorway easily.—E. Hollenbeck In Farm and Home. Kmmr Dehorning. Dehorning calves Is described as such a simple operation by the agricultural department bulletin on this subject that It is difficult to explain why it is ever postponed until the horns are fully grown and the necessity arises, if hornless cattle are wanted, for yawing them off. To dehorn secure a pencil of caustic potash at a drug store. When the calf Is three to four days old, throw It to tbe ground, locate the little knot which Indicates tbe young born, wet it well, and rub it with tbe pencil, held In a gloved hand. This Is all there Is to tbe operation. It constitutes but a few minutes’ work and causes no pain to the animal. If after a couple of weeks any signs of growth appear, a second application will complete the job. Fattening stock for Market. The main object of the farmer is fattening stock for market, and this weight is easiest obtained by feeding corn in order to produce fat Farmers have long been taught by experience that fat Is a desirable quality and that It adds to tbe attractiveness of a carcass on tbe stall. It hat been demonstrated at the experiment stations, however, that the weight proportion of lean interspersed with the fat, by feeding a nitrogenous ration, which menus that. In addition to a liberal supply of corn, sn animal should receive a variety of food that Is not so rich In oil, starch and sngar as corn. This fact la worthy of consideration. # Foot mad Month Dlm*m, la recent treatment of foot and month disease In Franca soma good results were had with outside us* ad

eulphxto of Iron. It was found that the spread of the disease could bo more effectively checked by this treatment than by any other method. The affected animals were sprayed with a 20 per cent solution of sulphate of iron. The mouth was washed with a 10 per cent solution of the same chemclal, and In acute cases a 5 per cent solution was administered Internally, to the amount of 1% pints per day for adult animals and half that quantity of a 2 per cent (Motion for calves. Complete recovery was brought about, and the disease was prevented from spreading.—American Cultivator. Kffact of Cutting; Clover. It is, found that red clover produces more aftermath If the first crop has not been cut too close, snd especially so, If very sunny weather occurs when the crown of the root has recently been exposed* It is contended that red clover is most permanent, and tbe aftermath is better when the crop Is cut by tbe scythe than where the mowing machine Is employed. This result has been ascribed to tbe cut surface made by tbe ocytbe being somewhat oblique and so running off the rain, whereas the cut of the machine Is perfectly horizontal, allowing the rain to enter and to rot tbe root, but it Is probable that tbe greater length of the stubble generally left by the scythe Is the true cause.—Massachusetts Ploughman. Farm Note*. If weeds do not gain the attention of the active farmer bugs will. . Not one potato grower listen fully understands the possibilities of this plant. To see how little one can do and how much he can get for it Is not reducing the cost of production. A nice bulletin board may be put on the same post above the rural mail box. The name of tbe farm can be at the top and one-half of the board given “for sale” and tbe other for “wanted.” The census reports show a great loss to the live stock industry of the country. On the range the loss is largely attributed to exposure and disease. On the farms the loss is trifling. The greatest loss is among flocks of sheep, next Is that of hogs, and then cattle. There Is one thing that prevents the farmer from adopting regular hours for beginning and ending his day’* work. He has no roof over his fields and frequently rains interfere with the make it rain nights and Sundays he has to have more or less irregularhours. Every grower of small grain has been subjected to ali the vexatious that go with threshing. He will stack or thresh from the shock as hla experience teaches him. It very often occurs that a man will wish that he had done the opposite to wtaths bai done. There is always a feeling that he might have done better. There are many chances to ruin the corn crop ere corn husking time. Improper cultivation, adverse weather and d number of things will have their Influences on the yield even after a good stand has been obtained. One of the greatest dangers comes from ruin by the speculator. These men often ruin a crop at will, bat for some reason not known to them they do not always stay ruined. Farmers would have been much better off if such a thing as a sweat pad had never been invented. There is a tendency to depend too much on the pad and not enough on fitting the collar to tbe shoulders of tbe horse. Many old pads should be burned. They are hard, filled with gum and dirt and occupy a space on tbe collar that la only cumbersome. Better have a canvas collar that will fit a particular horse than all tbe sweat pada that could be offered. How many “Indian gifts" are there on your place? A little boy asked hie father what an “Injun gift” was. Hla father told him it was "something that was given away and taken back again.” Johnny then said; “Oh. like the runty calves you give me If I'll feed ’em and then you sell ’em when they get big and pocket tbe money.” It Is Johnny’s calf and papa’s steer. Treating a son In this manner will make him tired of farm life and be will leave tbe farm quick, and be ought to. Hoy stacks should never be used If the hay can be put under shelter. Hay sheds, which are simply roofs on poles, cost bnt little, and will save much valuable food In a year. Clover hay does not retain its quality when closely packed, being liable to beat, which is also an objection to baling IL The best prices for bay are obtained only when the hay Is bright and clean, and when exposed to tbe weather it la* liable to injury unless stacks are made by experts. The best hay is that which has received careful attention in both curing and storing. Tarring is still a favorite means of protecting seed corn from crows. Soak seed In warm water 36 boars, roll in coal tar or tree ink and then in land plaster. Crows and blackbirds will let It alone, and tbe plan Is easier and better than lines or scarecrows. Bweet corn is perhaps tbe most popular of garden vegetables sod should be enjoyed as long as possible. By protecting tbe first plantings with straw and cutting tbe late crop and storing before frost, green corn may be had drum tbs middle of July until s fortnight after tbe first killing feast. Crosby and Evergreen are two standard early and late kinds. Excelsior Is one of the sweetest All three are good ginssslporpnse sorts.

MODEL COOP FOR FOULTRY.

DEVICE FOR LOADING ANIMALS.