Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1903 — FARMS AND FARMERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMS AND FARMERS

Iron Kettle Support. An lowa Homestead correspondent describes ay article handy to have at butchering time. It Is stand for the big , iron kettle. Take a piece of wagon tire and bend it Into a circle so that it xyill fit the kettle about half way up tho aide; then rivet or weld the ends together and fasten the legs to this by rlveteor welding. The legs should be turned out at the bottom so they won’t sink into the ground. The height of the legs should be about twelve. Inches. I prefer riveting, as It is so much easier done and can be done on the farm, while

If the legs are welded on It will have to be made by a good blacksmith. With this device a person can heat water and render lard with the greatest convenience. -1 Doubling the Yields. There are but few farmers, compared with the whole number, who do not plant a larger acreage then they can attend to' profitably, 'jfhe consequence being smaller crops In proportion to cost than should be the case. Instead of forty bushels of corn per acre i;he farmer shoald secure eighty bushnjs. The smaller yield is more expensive than the larger, while the time expended on twenty acres hr much greater than on ten, the manure also being distributed over too large a surface to permit of any portion of the crop receiving a sufficiency of plant food. If tie expense and labor bestowed on twenty acres could be on ten, the yields would be doubled, and leave the farmer ten acre.i on which to grow some other crop. In periods of drouth the farmer who puts his work on the smaller plat will give It better cultivation and save his crop, while other farmers may not be too fortunate. Intensive culture leads to systematic rotation ok crops, and the land will be lmprovevl by a diversity of crops. All farmets have manure, but they derive little benefit therefrom, because they endeavor to apply It over too much land. Give the land the plant food and It will repay for all qxpense bestowed.--Amer-ican Fertilizer. Grain and Milk Production. Results as shown in the mjlk pail do not indicate so much difference, pound for pound, In the various feeds of the same class as is sometimes claimed. Cottonseed meal, linseed meal, either now or old process, highgrade gluten meal, may either one be instituted for another In a ml.ted ration without showing much deference in the amount of milk. Whole meal from corn or wheat or oats, barley or buckwheat will produce about the same yield whichever grain Is ground. In buying all the relative feeds the market cost would be the main thing to consider were It not that some feeds have peculiar effects on the digestive and milk-producing organs, and that the richness of manure varies considerably according to the feed. The best all-around results are obtained by a mixture of the leading feeds, varied In proportions of each according to the market. Bran Is the bulk maker, ans should be a part of all wlnteT ratiffhs where much grain and dry fodder are used.—Massachusetts Ploughman.

Catching Sheep. A sheep should never be caught by ltu wool. Thhl method not only causes the animal unnecessary pain, but jn the case of fat sheep, that are to be killed. It does much harm to the Joint of mutton thiit lies underneatb*where the wool was pulled. It causes a dark bruise just In the same manner as our bodies become discolored from belug bruised. A California sheepman advises that the proper way' to catch a sheep Is to take It either by 48s hind leg r Just above the g%mbrel joint, or by putting tha hand underneath Its Jaw or neck. In using a crook It Is Important that the sheep art' not caught below the gambrel Joint, as injury to the leg 1$ liable to result from this.'—New England Homestead. Boots for Hoc Cholera. The claim has been made that If hogs are fed regular rations of root crops aucb feeding will prevent cholera. The statement la too broad for. Whil* It h admitted that roots will

do much to keep the hog lu good con. dition, preserving the animal's vital) ity and enabling it to fight off disease, such rations would be of ns avail if the animals were surrounded by everything conducive to the dread disease, such as a filthy pen and a more filthy .yard, damaged grain foi food and Impure drinking water. After an experience of more than a quarter of a cenutry In swine-raising, I believe that cholera Is due wholly to filthy quarters and the other conditions Just mentioned. True, the disease Is contagious or more properly Infectious, but even then few hogs will he afflicted if they have been properly fed aud housed. The feeding of roots is advisable and by all means practice It, but do not consider it a cure for cholera or even a preventive.—lndianapolis News.

Baltina; Shredded Corn. • Since it has been demonstrated that corn stover is economically shredded much of this work Is being done and it has been noticed that considerable of this shredded stover Is being put on to the market In sections where considerable feed has to be bought. Of course this baling Is done by men who are familiar with baling hay, but there Is no reason why the farmer cannot do It himself If he Is located near a market, where there Is likely to be a demand for the stover put up In such a manner. Where there Is a shortage of the hay crop or of crops used by stock as roughage there Is likely to be a market for the baled stover. Care must be used, however, to have. It properly cured before It is baled. | It should be cured In the shock as much as possible and then finished in the barn. After the stover Is shredded It will usually sweat some and when this Is over It Is fit to bale. It Is advised that one look into the conditions near at home and see what the opportunities are for a market for baled corn stover.—St. Paul Dispatch. --I To Straighten a Warped Door. Many stable and shed doors, opened by trucks running on a track, require a great effort to move them. This trouble is caused generally by the door, f f, becoming warped. To straighten such doors, make a truss, h g, of 2x5 Inch joist and securely fasten them on the top and bottom of the door. Next put In the fulenims, J and k. Then put a strap «f Iron on at m, through which and the truss frame run the bolt 1 m. On the Inside of the door, f, put a larg v * washer, at 1, to prevent bolt 1 m from pulling through the door when the nut

m Is turned up. The fulcrums, J and k, need to be varied to remedy the warping of different doors.—L. E. Drake, In Farm and Home. Selling Turkeys. The largest aiid best turkeys bring the most money. But don’t sell them all because you are greedy for money and keep Inferior stock for breeders. The breeding stock should be selected from earliest hatches. Be sure they are healthy lu eveiy way. They should not be overgrown. Medium sized turkeys, with well rounded bodies and large through the breast, have strong vital organs and will he found satisfactory for breeding the coming season.

Firm Notes. The hard keeper Is the horse to selL The easy keeper Is the one to keep. Give the horse a hath occasstonally. By bathing the shoulders and keeping the collars clean, many cases of galled shoulders might be prevented. It is a poor rule that will rot work both ways. This rule applies to agriculture. The conditions that cguso a large yield of any product will also cause lower price* for the sama. The history of every country has been that fertility decreases until a certain stage has been reached when farmers. come to themselves and n system Is ushered In thut will bring hack or increase fertility. To keep seed corn It should ba In a dry place and not exposed to severe cold. Selected ears should ba hung up phere the nlr circulates freely, but in a warm room. Corn thus k«pt seldom falls to germinate. Should the Implement shed bava but one door or opening It will be a good plan to store the machinery so that which will be used first In the spring can b®.obtained without removing tha reat of JJhe machinery In the building. The reason for this Is obvious. There Is need of some science In hauling out manure. One needs to know the conditions of soil, the klud of crops to bo grown, the season to apply and the character of the manure to be applied. Good results with potatoes have been secured by mulching between the rows with straw as a protection during the dry season and for keeping down weeds. The mulching with straw has long bean known, and baa Its advocates, but one objection Is that tha straw tarvee as a harboring place for insect*.

STAND FOR AN IRQN KETTLE.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING WART.