Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1907 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

Thp earlier In life that a weed is killed the better, as they fob the soil of moisture and plant food. The cost of feeding an animal increases with its weight, but not in direct proportion to the weight Farm life may be made a burden or a pleasure, according to. the management of the home, the farm and the farm work. One point in favor of goose raising over turkey raislDg, Is, the young do not require so much care and feed; another, any enclosure will restrain them. For embellishing lawns and halfshady corners nothing exceeds the hydra ngea gran Lflora. It gives a mass of beautiful large bunches of flowers and Is always attractive. It certainly pays as well to> “breed up” a strain of seed corn, as to “breed up” a strain of cattle. Great improvement surely comes through wise selection. The farmer who annually selects the most perfect ears for seed, rapidly climbs the ladder of success. It seems a pity to dispose of dairy calves almost as soon as dropped. Many nre not fit for food and the price they bring is often too small to seriously consider. Some dairymen are now breeding the cows to beef bulls and raising the calves to maturity, which seems to be a feasible plan. v Peas will probably bear deeper planting than other seeds. The crop delights In a cool, moist soil, and deep planting insures these Conditions. It has been found, however, that making a furrow 7 or 8 inches deep, filling it with a mixture of soil and a proportion of fertilizer, and planting the peas on this, 2 Inches below the surface, produces better results than deeper planting. If the pea roots prefer to go down deeper, they will - do so, .provided the gardener has prepared the proper conditions. Peas may be planted at any time for a late supply.

How the English Feed Calves. In England, calf-meals are fed by nearly every stock-grower, and, as a large part of the milk produced in the kingdom is sent to the city for immediate consumption, the calves are put upon a calf-meal ration at as early an age as possible. Many calf-feeders buy the commercial calf-meals, while some of the most progressive farmers feed meals of their own mixing. As the ingredients employed in the manufacture of these calf-meals are kept a secret as far ns possible, the composition of the most successful milk substitutes is not generally known. In some eases a chemical analysis has shown them to be composed largely o’s flax-seed meal and linseed oilcake meal, with a little fenugreek or fennel seed added to give a characteristic odor. Following Is a formula recommended by one of the agricultural colleges of England, This formula Is as follows: Flour, Id 2-3 pounds. Flaxseed meal, 33 1-3 pounds. Llnceed 011-cake meal, 50 pounds. • The directions were: “Take 2 1-3 pounds of the meal as a day’s allowance for each calf; scald with boiling water, afterward adding more water, so as to make two gallons from the weight of the menl; add a little sugar, and salt before feeding. It 'should gradually take the place of new milk after the first fortnight

Soy Deans and MtrsgFn. When the soy benn was first introduced into America it did not form root tubercles. In order to insure the growth of the root tubercles it is necessary to use the seed that has been inoculated, or to inoculate the soil with the proper organism. This last is readily done by applying broadcast a small nmount of soil taken from a field where soy beans developing root tubercles have been growing. At the Maine station no tubercles formed on plants grown In soil that has been inoculated, but they grew abundantly where soil from Infested spy benn was applied at the rate of a few barrels to the acre. The beans will grow ns “well without the root tubercles as with, provided they are liberally fertilized. Their economical growth depones upon the presence of the root tubercles, as In this way they can be grown with little or no nitrogen In the fertilizer. If they are to be grown on soil eontniuing no root tubercle organisms they require a fairly liberal application of the complete fertilizer. If grown in good soil where root tubercles may be expected to develop, only phosphoric add and potash need be applied In the fertilizer. The sell should be prepared as for ordinary beans. It should be made One, free

from clots and lumps, and smooth. A good seed bed is essential to a good growth. Enemies of Fruit. The destruction of fungi and those insects that begin work early in the year usually commences before spring opens. Grapevines should be cleared up and the vines thoroughly sprayed, so as to destroy spores on the soil, and’ a heavy application of lime on the soil should be given tor the same purpose. All the preparation for spraying is done early, so as to get to work as soon as possible. The grape rot has been nearly exterminated in those sections where the growers have sprayed thoroughly during the growing season, but there are always spores on the vines, and on the ground, which can be reduced by spraying. It Is also Important that every twig, branch or limb cut off a tree os vine should be burned, and If this precaution Is observed the work will be lessened every year. The winter portion of the work should never be overlooked, as It Is the early work that gives the best results. The barnyard may be full of manure, where it is in the way, while the currants and gooseberry patches greatly need It. Put if on liberally, all around the plants, and all over the ground, and work it well into the soil, using a mulch also, and" cultivation will be necessary. Fertilizers are beneficial at all seasons, especially phosphates and potash, and may be profitably used, even when manure Is plentiful, as'the plant foods in fertilizers are soluble and ready for ap propriation by the crops.

Commercial Feeding- Stuffs. The feeding stuffs examined under the Connecticut State law by the experiment station included cottonseed feed, ilnseed meal, rape-seed meal, entire wheat meal, wheat bran, wheat middlings, mixed wheat feed, maize meal, gluten feed, hominy feed, * rye feed, gfound oats, buckwheat middlings, malt sprouts, dried distillers’ grains, dried brewers’ grains, miscellaneous mixed and proprietary feeds, special poultry meat scrap and ground bone, condimental cattle feed, corn silage and corn for ensiling. ■ As a whole, the results show fewer discrepancies between guaranteed and actual composition than formerly, and the authors state there seems little evidence of any desire on the part of the manufacturers to deceive the public regarding the quality of feed. «• “There are, however, a good many feeds offered for sale * * * jyvhich could not be sold to feeders who apply a fair knowledge of the art of feeding stock and business methods to the buying at their feed.” The buyer should study the market price and composition of commercial feeds and make his selection accordingly. “Cotton and linseed meals, the gluten and wheat feeds, distillery and brewers’ grains, and a few other standard things supply digestible protein at reasonable prices. They are all that any feeder needs to supplement and balance the hay, silage, stover and tornmeal which his farm produces. They are the only commercial feeds which will supplement them. It is absolutely Impossible to balance the feed which the farm produces with bought feed containing less than 15 per cent of protein, which is more than many of these commercial feeds show.

Frog Farming. ' For some years the Pennsylvania department of fisheries has been s( a (lying various questions pertaining to frog raising, and the present bulletin summarizes data on the subject and may be regarded as a progress report. According to the author of a recent bulletin, “frog ponds may be In any waste, marshy land, providing water can l>e flowed through them, or any land whatever Into which water can he introduced from a stream or spring, preferably the former, because of a usually higher temperature.” For profitable frog culture the author believes at least three acres are required, and this should be divided into about ten ponds. As the ponds are not all needed nt the beginning their construction may he scattered over a period of two years. At the outset a small pond Is required for batching eggs and developing the tadpoles, then ponds are needed for the young frogs and for the 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds. The ponds most be fenced to prevent the frogs from escaping. The principal enemies are birds, snakes, eels, fishes and the larvae of the water beetle, the latter being especially dangerous. As regards food, tadpoles will eagerly devour any dead animal matter, but prefer fish. About 25 pounds of fish per week Is sufficient for the needs of 00,000 tadpoles. Fifteen to 20 pounds of liver would also be sufficient for the same number, but the liver must be fresh. The liver should be fed in small quantities, bnt the fish may be thrown Into the water whole. After the legs develop the quantity of food should be diminished. Fully developed frogs need live food and Insects may be attracted to the ponds by placing boards near the edge smeared with masses of honey, and In similar ways. Other questions regarding the habits of frogs, feeding, rearing, etc. are alio dlacmned.