Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1904 — FRMERS CORNER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FRMERS CORNER

Perfect Hog House. After experimenting with a dozen plans for hog houses, the writer found the one illustrated to give the best satisfaction of any at the smallest expense. It will be. seen that there is no waste of room; that the building is compact and easily made comfortable, even In-the coldest climates. It may be made of any material, and by using matched lumber or batten over cracks wlyjre unmatched lumber is used, made as snug as desired. In the ground plan of the illustration figure 1 represents the yard in which feeding troughs may l>e arranged. Figure 2 is the main part of the pen, the living room, with the trough located on one side, where the animals are

fed on stormy days. Figure 3 is the bed room, and a window or board door may be placed in the side of this room, through which the betiding may be thrown. Figure 4 shows the inclined floor, which is filled In underneath with broken stone to furnish firm support. Any variation of - this plan may be used if the main arrangement is hold to; for this arrangement provides for the best use of the space. The cost of such a structure can be kept down low if the work is done by those on the farm. —St. Paul Dispatch.

Eminer, the New Grain Crop. The accompanying illustration shows a head of bearded, white-chaff ennuer. Emmer has been grown for the past

few years in various localities in the West ii nd Northwest with gratifying results, and where known needs no words of com mendation. It is making a place for itself among field crops. There is, however, a wider field for emmer. It is well worth a trial in any part of the winter-wheat belt where it is desirable for any reason to find a substitute for oats. As a spring grain crop for feeding purposes it certainly has considerable merit, ami some positive advantages over oats. Where the latter are subject to rust and give only moderate yields of lightweight grain, emmer is the better crop to. raise. Although not absolutely rust-proof,

emmer Is affected only a little when wheat and oats are badly Injured. Again, it is not damaged in the shock by rainy weather like oats. It is hardy, and should be sown very early in the spring. The growth at first appears backward as compared with oats or spring barley. The blades and stems of the plant nre fine, and it does not grow as rank as" Cats, but it stools out well, forms a large “ number of short, compact heads and yields heavily. Owing to its habit of growth it is a much safer nurso-crop for grass and clover than oats. Sheep that Pa/0 No farmer should keep sheep because they nre scavengers and can pick off a large share of their food from scanty herbage. Such sheep must be active to travel over largy spaces in order to find subsistence. To expect sheep to pay without the investment of labor is to sacrifice profits. Success is assured 'only "when the farmer is willing to use breeds that give large carcasses and which , re- * spdnd quickly' to care mid attention. < It is only the labor, after * all, that makes profit, but the labor must be bestowed on the best to be bad. Favlnn the Beet Seed Corn. Where the corn is husked into the wagon from the standing stalks, the best ears may be thrown into a box on one eud or side of the wagon, or they may be picked out us the corn is being unloaded Into the crib. Seed corn Is often injured in ways not fully understood, when stored into bins or cribs, even though It Is well protected from outdoor weather. The* moisture fro in live stock which collects on seed iflarn stored above stables is generally

fatal to good seed. The grain should remain dn the cobs until nearly cornplanting time, and purchasers should prefer to -buy seed corn on the ear ’to be' grown for grain.

Barley for Hogs. After several years’ experience I am convinced that for growing pigs between the age of 2 to 6 months barley is preferable to corn if only one thing is fed. But to be able to feed barley profitably it must be finely ground and soaked at least six hours before it is given to the pigs. It should always be fed in the form of a very thick slop- Skim milk is preferable to water for making the slop, especially for .voting pigs. I once fed a lot of pigs 5 months old, and they made a gain of 2% pounds a day each on finely ground barley fed as a very thick slop with a liberal quantity of skim milk. For very young pigs I prefer to feed equal parts of shorts and ground barley and then gradually change it to one-half each of corn and barley, the last six weeks, when finishing for market.-»Lewis O’Follow. Preferred. Dairy schools are now in operation in many States, and short courses of instruction on butter and cheese-mak-”mg~are given at some of the agrlcultural colleges. It was not long ago demonstrated that Inferior butter could not compete with oleomargarine, and that good butter of choice quality cobld always be sold at a good price. The fact lias also been demonstrated that there was much to learn in making good butter, and that cleanliness and the proper management of the milk were essential in producing the choice article. There has been a wonderful‘advance in the methods of but-ter-making, and oleomargarine is responsible for it. Consumers will not purchase the counterfeit article if they can get the genuine, and poor butter Is as much a counterfeit as any other imitation.

Feed for Toung Animals. The younger an animal the more mineral matter it requires In Its food. When very young pigs are growing they are producing bone very rapidly in proportion to size, find consequently require more phosphates in their food, especially of lime in a soluble condition. Milk contains all the necessary- substances for pigs, but after ft while they become of such sizes as to be unable to consume enough milk to supply them, as they must drink about eight times as much water in the milk as there are solids. To supply this deficiency corn meal is added, but cqrn meal is deficient in mineral matter. Bran, ground oats, shipstuff and finely cut clover hay (scalded), in addition to the milk and corn meal, will prove advantageous.

To Turn the Grindstone. What’s the use bending your back or barking your knuckles when grinding the ax, scythe, or- The mower

knives? Turn the stone with a wooden roYk hitched by a slot and pin to the crank. The turner stands at a, out of the way of the knife bar or ax handle. Foil

small stones and heavy work such an attachment is positively needed. —H. B. Fiske, in St. Louis liepublic. Value of Cattle Foods. The value of cattle foods depends largely upon their digestibility. There is more protein in straw than in corn fodder, but the latter is more digestible. Some coarse foods are valuable, however, in assisting to digest the concentrated foods by giving bfilk to the mess, and separating the materials, especially when the coarse foods are reduced to a flue condition. Even if but a portion of the straw foods are digested they are prepared for the manure heap by the animals, and Increased id value compared with wasteful use. Start in Life on the Farm. The young man who is thinking of leaving the farm for the city may learn when it is too late that while lie can earn more in the clty he cannot save as much as he could on the farm. If his object is to secure a competence he In nine cases out of ten will do it the sooner on a farm. There are more chances to spend money in the city than in the country, while the cost of, living is higher.—Twentieth Century Farmer. Greater Variety on Forma. The fanner who confines himself to two or three staple crops and who has not ventured beydnd then, does not know the full capacity of his farm. He should try some special crops on a small area and endeavor to have a greater variety of articles to sell. The causes of failures In some crops do not influence other kinds. Economy In Haulina. When hauling a load It is Wetter to have the horses draw as much ns they can, making the load the maximum in weight, as the horses have traveled the distance whether the load Is small or large, and It is the time lost In traveling that makes hauling expensive. If the roads are good heavy loads can be carried. If not, then two trips must lie made and smaller loads carried. Lot any farmer estimate bow much be lower as the difference in large and small loads, and loss of time in the mud, nnd he will make less objection to road tax in the future. Care of the Pig Pen. The hog is not able to endure severely cold weather, yet it Is kept in the most uncomfortable situation of any other animal. The pig pen should be well littered and dry, and the shelter should contain no cracks, or opening tor draughts of air.

PLAN FOR HOG HOUSE.

HEAD OF EMMER.