Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1904 — FARMERS CORNER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMERS CORNER

Small Stock Barn. —-T. ~ The accompanying plan of basement of b;v*p, 30 by 34 feet, contains rooms for eight head of cattle, one single horse stall, one box stall, and one sheep pen. The floor above has a driveway Of 12 feet, with a mow of 12 feet one side over the cattle, and one of 10 feet over the horses and sheep pen. The stairway goes down from the side of the barn floor and the feed Is put down through a swinging door in the side of the mow beside the stairway. By using the swinging door it will always be kept shut and prevent draughts in the stables. The cost of a cement concrete wall, nnd concrete stable floor, together with the frame work above, would be

A— Box stall; B —Horse stall; C Sheep pen; I) —Feed room; E—Cow stalls; F —Gutter; G —Passage behind cattle; H. H—Mangers; I, I—Posts under sill. about $415, besides the expense of hoarding the men working on the barn. If the board lias to be paid for it would cost about $125. -

Bide Lines to Farming. Some of these may be very profitably taken up by farmers as well; as gardeners, advises Rural New Yorker. In some localities the farmers, follow this course to such an extent that it is hard to tell just when farming leaves off and gardening begins. It is a good practice, and the small farmers are often able to turn as much dear money ontwoorthree acres of sweet corn, cabbage, horseradish or like crops as from their entire regular crops. It would be time well spent for many farmers favorably located to plan for some of these crops. There is easily $75 to SIOO in an acre of sweet corn properly managed, and more than that in horseradish. With the latter crop nearby markets are not so much of an object, ns it will stand storing for high prices and hauling or shipping to any distance. The sweet corn, however, is an entirely different matter, »nd without easily accessible markets at the canning factories or the larger cities for immediate supply the grower will-very likely get caught. Cabbage also Is worthy of attention as it may be easily stored to await favorable market opportunities or long shipment If necessary. So there is no reason why many of the ordinary farms may not become far more profitable than is at present conducted.

Cook Vegetable* Outdoors. The practice of cooking cabbage gnd turnips iu the house sometimes leaves an odor that is unpleasant to

most people, and some very good housewives do not cook these vegetables ou this account. That these vegetables may be served without being bothered with this unpleasant condition, I have

hit upon a very good plan. At first I took an old piece of stovepipe and made some openings in the bottom for admitting the air and in this pipe I made a good fire, hanging my kettle ovey as shown in the sketch. I liked this plan so well that 1 have since had a camping stove made for cooking things iu an outhouse or out of doors that leave an unpleasant odor in the dwelling.—Cor. St. Louis Republic.

Barley Crop la Increasing. The production of barley* in the United States lias* Increased greatly within the past few years. It Is estimated, in « general way, that übout two-thirds of the product is good enough for malting purposes, the remainder being used for feeding. Only a small proportion of the crop is exported; In the record year 1898-90 the exports amounted to 23,0*11 ,<IU2 bushels, but this was exceptional. The usual quantity of exports in late years la from 6.000,000 to 8,000,000 bushels. Stunted Pigs. Sometimes these are caused by an inherited disability to make use of the food glveu them, hut probably more often by conditions after birth. If they are watched it will lie found that the oMjcr pigs are driving them from the (cats and inter front the trough, saya Fanners’ Review. Having once become weakened they are less able than the other pigs to fight for thair food and have to »e satisfied with short rations. It is evidently a part of the plan of nature to eliminate the weakling as a breeder. However,

these same pigs,, if given a cr.nnce at the teats and the’f oft # develop into good sized hogs and prove profitable. We would 1 “not. however, advise using snch an animal as a breeder. The hint that nature has given us should be taken. We agree with her in wanting for breeders only the most vigorous.

Homes In the Country. The advantages of country life over crowded quarters in our large cities was discussed in a sermon by Dr. John . Mervith Driver delivered recently in one of the Chicago theaters. Dr. Driver said in part: “With the almost illimitable empires in the West and .Southwest, rich with opportunities for the poor mail to acquire a home nnd competence, yet thousands beg in Chicago; other thousands live by crime alone; other multitudes eke out a pitiful livelihood .always within easy reach of the tooth and claw of abject nakedness and starvation; others, by close and often trn millating economy, get along fairly well until the first strike or shutdown, or sickness, or accident, and then go to the wall. . . : ”• “.And yet out In God's country the green fields and blue skies and rippling brooks are fairly riotous with invitations, saying: ‘Come hither from race course nnd dance hall; come out of slum and back alley and dingy tenement nnd find for yourselves and for your children acres of your own, society at once simple and inexpensive and yet self-respecting and ennobling, and religion pure and tindefiled.’ ”

Feedinc Apples to Stock. A correspondent asks for an opinion as to the advisability of feeding apples to farm stock of various kindH. There can be no possible objection to it, provided the feeding Is done in connection with the other rations. A large orohardist living near the writer stores all his cider apples for feeding to liis stock, ns long as they last. In feeding to horses and cows his plan is to cut up several quarts of the apple into small pieces and mix grain with them. In feeding to hogs, sweet apples only are used for this purpose. They are fed whole or, if large, cut in half. For poultry they are chopped fine and well mixed with bran, and sometimes with

wheat, the feeding being done in a trough, so that there will be little waste. As a matter of fact, unless there is a silo on the farm, our animals get too little green food and oftentimes the surplus apples and potatoes, as well as other vegetables, can be used to better advantage in feeding stock than iii any other way. Simple Feeding Rack. The accompanying illustration shows a rack which, as- told In the Tribune Farmer, Is much used in Pennsylvania for feeding cattle in the yard. The corner pieces are made by quartering a log about ten inches in

diameter and five feet long. The boards should be five Inches wide and one and a quarter Inches thick. The figure simply shows the manner of making the rack, without claim of accuracy In dimensions. Four head of cattle can feed at one time, and all loss of feed is prevented In wet weather when hay or fodder would be trampled into the mud. Brace rack as shown.

Brine for Keepiug Pork Meats. For one hundred pounds of meat, take about eight pounds of salt, two pounds of sugar, one pint of New Orleans molasses and two ounces of saltpetre. Pulverize the saltpetre, dissolve it in water, and with the sugar and molasses stir it into the brine. It requires three gallons of water with the eight pounds of salt to make the brine strong enough. Old barrels must he well scalded and scraped before using again.—American Cultivator. To Make Lean Pork. There are countries which grow their pl“ 2 without corn, and feed the wastes of the dairy with barley, oats, peas or roots, and make lean hams and bacon, which are most choice. This accounts for the great favor with which the English hold Danish pork.

Farm Notes. A Wllliamston (Mich.) farmer hired four women to husk corn, bciug unable to get men, and in seven days they husked 1,100 bushels. An Illinois farmer Is said to dry out Inns or cribs of damp grain by putting layers of drain tile through the mass. We should like to hear from nuy reader who has tried this. Eggs are sold by the dozen regardless of size. Should potatoes tie sold in the same mifniiei* n gigitntic kick would lie made by potato consumers. A dozen potatoes may weigh one or ten iKHinds. I'hiutlug potatiHUKwith long sprout* oa them Is u bad practice. When this is done the long sprout will rot and decay and another has to be started, which weakens it and retards the growth. This may not be known by some, but it Is a fact. It is very essential that each farmer should know the nature of his own soil. It may differ materially from that of a neighbor, in which case it would lie folly to imitate him. Many failures are made by not knowing the nature of the soil. When a crop is grown on soil unfitted to It it Is very much like fitting a square plug in a round bole. One should study to adapt crops tn his solL

PLAN OF STOCK BARN.

FEEDING BACK.