Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1903 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Home-Made Grain Sieve. Where there is only a small quantity of grain to clean on a farm, a fanning mill seems to be in the nature of a luxury. ’ Then there ’ are often time% when but a small lot of grain is to be cleaned for some spechrt purpose. In either case the hand-made arrangement shown in the illustration will be found exceedingly useful. A box of convenient size is. secured and handles fastened to either side for ease in handling. Inside this box strips are placed upon which the frames are to be tun, as shown in the small cut on the right side of the engrgving. Frames of proper size and weight aresfipvefed with wire netting with meshes Of various size. The upper mesh should_be coarse and fastened into the box aboUt three inches from the top. This is not to be taken out, but the frames below are to be made so they wilf slide in and out readily. It is a good plan to have

more frames than slots, so that one may readily sift any grain one has. This little arrangement is inexpensive and any one at all handy with tools could build one in a short time. Planting; a Peach Orchard. Were I to set a large peach orchard I would prefer June budded trees. The roots are all in a bunch, and the tree can be easily started right! and kept so. A great many persons in starting an orchard are in too big a hurry. They must have trees to come into immediate bearing, and so go to.the nurseries and pick out the larger trees, overlooking the fact that the larger and older the tree the greater shock It receives. Years ago I set a large orchard from nursery rows tw’o, three and four years old, and in five years the two-year-olds were the largest, thriftiest and best in every way. When set, the roots were all there, and the trees hardly stopped growing, while the older trees had mangled and cut roots, with too much body and limbs, and were more or less stunted. Be careful in setting an orchard, if roots are mangled, to cut them off smooth and trim most of the limbs or tpp.— Vevay (Ind.) Reveille. Double Saw-Horse. Unless coal is burned exclusively on the farm saw-horse such as is shown in the cut WllFbe found < great Is.borsavlng device. It isused for sawing both long and short pieces of wood, and if made four feet or more long it can be used by two men in operating a cross-cut saw. The two cross strips at the close ends are but fifteen Inches apart, so one is able to saw strips as short as needed for any stove. This double saw-horse should be made of tough material and be braced as shown in the cut. The horse from which the

drawing was niade was held together witji iron bars, but the round pole, such as is commonly used in the (enter, would answer with inch-tl lek. strips at the bottom on either side, if it was necessary to reduce the cost, Over-Feeding: the Horae. While most horses on the farm are properly fed, and In some cases underfed rather than overfed, there are farmers who are not judicious feeders, and when the animal gets out of order they depend upon condition piwders to set it straight instead of regulating the feed. It may not be generally known that a prolonged use of condition powders will produce l.idlgestion of a most violent type. Hoi-ses that are fed on grains largely, and who do not perform a great deal of labor, are quite Ila We to indigestion, and the easiest way to cure the trouble is to cut off the grain for a week or more and feed exclusively of bran mashes and good bay. A Horae Malady. Most fanners are familiar with the horse that puffs and wheezes at his work. The disease is technically known as “roaring,” and Is said to be similar to asthma In humans. There is really no cure for It, but trouble may be greatly alleviated by treatment, and especially by proper feeding. If the disease Is not so seated that the animal cannot do farm work, then that given it should be light sad the feed should consist of little hay,

and this wet each time; feed mainly on grains. Take one drachm iodide of potassium and mix with one-half drachm nux vomica. Give this dose twice a day for two or three weeks during each bad attack, and during the period let the work of the horse be that which does not require much speed. The care and treatment indicated will relieve the animal greatly, although it is doubtful if it will ever amount to much for steady work.— Crown Point (Ind.) Register. Selection of Yonng Dairy Stock. Many persons who claim to have a pretty good idea of what a dairy animal should be, still adhere to the old I’otlon that it should be deep in the flanks, and wedge-shaped, increasing In depth and ’width backward. So far as mature cows are concerned, there may be something in this, if we add depth of udder; but we have to consider poin|s that are applicable! to the young calf, the undeveloped heifer, and the sire as well. Many good cows lack depth of flank, nor are all heifers of great promise and bulls noted as gfeat sires specially remarkable for deep flanks; indeed, the reverse is generally the case. A deep flank is generally accompanied by a level or straight bottom line, so desirable In beef animals; but a promising dairy youngster is usually deep in the middle, with the bottom line from the middle running upward to the brisket, and toward the flank, which shows good depth through the middle of the body, but the reverse behind the shoulders and in front of the hips. Cultivator.

Good Gains From Locnst Planting. The cultivation of the locust tree was recommended by Instructors Jones and Morse of the Vermont station for certain types of cheap barren land in 1897. One hundred seedling trees were set in rows four feet apart each way. At eleven years old they averaged sixteen feet in height and five inches in diameter. Encouraged by this small planting five thousand more seedling trees were planted in 1902 and 92 pei cent of the trees were alive at the time of the report and making rapid growth. This planting was made at a total expense of from $27 to $32 per acre. Estimates are made of the possible value of the crop w’hich It is believed at the twentieth year will be about $25(5 per acre. Suggestions are given for planting,' and where there la danger from attacks of insects mixed plantations are recommended in which white and pitch pines, birch, elm and box elder art believed valuable. Value of Alfalfa. It has been demonstrated that alfalfa can be grown In nearly all of the States and when farmers, and dairymen especially, learn of its great feeding value It will be found on every farm. Once established it may be cut several times a year and for many years. It is rich in protein and when fed with corn fodder makes nearly a balanced ration, furnishing the proportion of protein needed by stock during the winter. Dairymen have long recognized the necessity of feeding grains or other fodder containing protein, but groan under the expense when the protein feeds must be bought. If alfalfa will furnish the bulk of the expensive protein, as it undoubtedly will, a chance to save considerable in the cost of feeding is offered by growing alfalfa. Advice to the Driver. When a horse is running away it is then that the driver usually becomes as reared as the horse and the runaway is not helped much. The driver needs to keep his head at a time like this, even though he should lose It at other times. What the driver needs to do Is to pull vigorously on one Hne and then on the other with such rapid succession as to confuse the animal so that his fear may be removed. A known runaway horse should be driven with care. Farm Notes. The horse will be here when all the automobiles have been sold for Dcrap iron. The that are Intended for breeders should not be made to become too fat. The scarcity of help has caused people to think more and'plan the work more carefully. Some farmers say that It will eventually kill alfalfa to mow It at any other than the time to cut for hay, namely, while it is in bloom. Has any one had experience that will serve to settle this question? When sugar prices are low, German farmers can hereafter utilize their crops more profitably by drying the beets for use as cattle feed. Experiments have shown this method to be feasible, and the driitd beets chn be easily stored. Pools of stagnant water should not be allowed to exist where hens can get to them; cover up, fill up or fence up. Poultry should have a constant supply of nice, clear, sparkling water. Wash out the drinking vessels frequently and occasionally put a drop of carbolic acid Into the water. The machinery will run so much better when it is kept well oiled. Make the hired man run smoothly by a generous supply of oil of kindness. Keep him in a good humor and get more work done and the farm animals-will have icetter care and attention. Any cow can be milked dry in a few weeks byairregular milking, sometimes at Intervals of twenty-four hours and sometimes six. Separation from her usual company, a change to a new location, a strange milker and scolding voice'are sources sf irritation that more or less Impair tbs milking qualities of the cow.

HOME-MADE GRAIN SIEVE.

DOUBLE SAW-HORSE.