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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1912)
EXCELLENT UTILITY HORSE FOR GENERAL FARM PURPOSES While Medium -Sized Anlinal Can Do Heavy Work In Pro- portion to His Weight. Yet He Is Unfit for Anything Else Ono of Medium Weight lo Best for Agricultural Work. SAN JOSE SCALE CAUSE OF GREATEST INJURY TO FRUIT MDOWBROOK 4 FARM Insect Is Said to Have Been Brought to America on Plants) Imported From China Every Purchaser of Trees Should Insist on Certificate of Inspection by Expert. ffilMtcmtflZr NOTES -s?-o "j v &u.-5S 1 i Si" .! t Sheep need some care. Fall Is the best time- to prune. Tlie corn separator Is a tlrao saver. Nothing llko a few cows for the run down farm. Bo careful how you handle tho boar. jKeep behind htm. Tho keynote of the live stock breed er should bo quality. There Is no possible way of deter mining the sex of eggB. Tho best egg producers are not al ways tho best market fowls. Warm wheat for breakfast makes tlio Biddies shell out the eggs. Do not feed corn to the owes while .they aro carrying their lambs. Feeding spoiled meat, moldy grain, or any tainted food is not economy. ' Hogs aro in their highest perfection from one-and-a-half to two years old. i Corn fodder costs less than timothy hay, and makes a good change In the ;dlet. It Is generally estimated that broil ers shrink a half pound each when dressed. No success can bo obtained with poultry unless the fowls aro kept jcomfortable. At this time of year n good lock on the poultry house represents money iwell invested. Aim for early maturity and keep hogs growing by Intelligent feeding and good care. All milk utensils should be heavily tinned and as free from scams as It .Is possible to get them. i Tho late batched chickens should havo a grass run to themselves, and (be given extra feed and care. Warm drinking water on cold days does just that much to keep the hens in tho laying notion in winter. Keep sheep dry, giving breeding ewes ns much exercise as possible, but avoid exposure to rains and wet snows. i ' Ingenlus tackle has been devised to make a tree that Is being felled pull its own stump from the ground with it When hens lay soft shelled eggs give them a very little raw linseed oil once or twlco a day, writes one of our folks. Fresh air Is all right for the hens, but not when it Is sifted through 'knotholes and cracks between the boards. Young apple trees are Injured for the most part by freezing at tho ground lino and by sun scalding on the trunks. It is not good for hens to dust in coal or wood ashes only, some folks claim, but we find that a few ashes lighten up tho dirt. To clean all "wearing parts of the separator frequently and to use tho best quality of oil means to add to tho life of tho machine. It is Just as Important that every horse should have his own collar all the time as that the man should wear his own shoes. Whenever tho "weather Is mild it is well to leave all doors and windows open to let tho wind blow through the houso for a thorough airing. There never was a year when all feed failed entirely, and with winter feed and a few cowb the wolf can al ways bo kept at a safo distance. Sinco tho discovery in England of the lawn mowing proclivities of tho guinea pig the price of these little animals has Increased forty-fold. It is claimed by those who havo tried it that to put a frozen egg In boiling water for a few minutes Is a bettor way to thaw it out than by the Blower process of putting it in cold water. According to a western Journal, a .machine for wiping apples has been installed in tho Hood river valley, that will savo seven cents on each box of fruit. Heretofore all of the apples havo been wiped by hand, but this machlno will wipe all of tho ap ples for 400 cr 600 boxes. Trim tho colt's feot. Separate tho ailing owo. Tho tank heater season is heie again. Farm manuro is too valuablo not to caro for it. Inltlato tho butter-fat test, and re call tho boarder cow. If you plant pear trees In rich soil you Invito blight. Tho early spring pullets make tho fall and winter layers. LambB should havo one feed of good mixed hay once a day. There aro moro rabbits than sheep in any stato in tho cornbelt. Either alfalfa hay or bran will bal ance a corn ration for tho cows. A tnblcspoonful of ollmeal a day to each cwo will be found profitable. Limestone land and red clay land under good culture are most profitable. A little pig loves sunshine and needs it almost as much as he needs food. Ventilation Is a good thing if proper ly done but drafts are not good venti lation. Some feeders advise giving tho hogs medicated salt to drive out the worms. New South Wales is said to contain moro kinds of flowering plants than all Europe. Tho man who makes a success of poultry Is tho man who starts with tho right aim. The duck raisers on Long Island uso large quantities of fish to feed their breeding stock. With five or moro cows n hand sep arator ought to pay for itself the first year of its use. Tho weak sheep should be kept In separate pens and the lambs separate from the old sheep. The hen that makes a good record for herself In eggs for the whole year is the hen to keep. Ono sign of a good milker Is large milk veins on the underside of the mody. It doesn't often fall. A heavy covering of manure over tho outdoor vegetable pit will give frost less of a chance "to get In. The cow should be studied individ ually, and food supplied according to each animal's consuming capacity. With only three horses to every 100 person, Switzerland has the smallest equine population of any country. "Moro bushels to tho acre," is an exceedingly good motto for any farm er, even if it should mean fewer acres. Two Paris department stores use storage battery driven electric tri cycles to deliver purchases to custom ers. Paint your tin wash basins on the inside with a good white enamel paint if you would prolong their useful ness. Many flock owners make a serioue mistake by disposing of tho ewes that aro in a rundown condition at wean ing time. Soft-shelled eggs can be caused by one of four conditions: Lack of suffi cient lime In tho food; Indigestion; overfat; fright Dairy farming is good business, bul is exacting as the cows must bo fed, watered, milked and cared for every day in the year. The nbllity of the ewes to feed and nourish the lambs after birth will de pend upon tho care and feed given them during the winter. It pays to havo tho farm fenced In to small fields and to have plenty of yards to keep hogs of different sizes and ages separated. Those who are feeding bundle corn to their cattle must make arrange ments to havo hogs follow them or tho waste will be too great. Breeding ewes and store sheep will winter well on good, bright, wheat straw and stubblo grasses and half pound of corn given to each dally. Tho best location for a new peach orchard in this latitude would bo a north slope. There buds would be later In starting and not so apt to bo caught by frost. The number of pounds of food ele ments we buy In a ton of Unseed meal are: GG1.4 muscle makers; C5.8 fat forming; 132.0 pure fat. In a llko quantity of bran wo have 223.-1 muscle makers; 1,085 fat forming, and 70.4 pure fat. Tho dairy farmer who has any re gard at all for his reputation ought to be especially careful about his wa ter supply, for It Is a matter of rec ord that serious outbreaks of typhoid have been traced to an impure water supply where tho milk is made. 4'Www A good type of farm horse. This is a cross between a German Coach stallion and a standard-bred mare. Has fine action and spirit and Is heavy enough for all general work on the farm. (By J. M. BELL. Vlrjilnla.) Tho heavy draft Iibb his place, so does the diminutive pony, but neither of these extremes In horseflesh fills the bill for general use on the farm. One horso on our place, now In his twenty-third year, was practically sound after nineteen years of steady work, " work which Included hauling cordwood, lumber and railroad ties over roads which were never of the best, and this faithful beast did his part day after day In all weathers alongside of mules nnd other horses, many of which wore heaving and the majority are now out of commission from age and other Infirmities. "Old Major," as he is known throughout the countryside, was raised and for 21 years belonged to tho party who raised him, and was bought by tho writer last spring. His former owner was n country storekeeper, farmor and wood mer chant, and withal a fox-hunter, weigh ing close to 200 pounds. He and his saddle aro a load for any horse In a run ncross country aft er a pack of Virginia hounds. During each season and for a dozen years or more, "Old Major" bore his master on hunts innumerable with never a blunder, and from the time ho was two and one-half years old until he was sold last spring he was the general utility animal around the premises. It seems like stetching the truth to recount tho 19 years of steady work of this remarkable horse; work under the saddle, In light and heavy harness, that would have killed muny a heav ier, or lighter horse long ago (for there Is no moro wearing work than that of tho general-utility horso on the farm), a week's plowing followed by two or three days' light harness work, then a few more days' plowing, next, hauling the wood in a team, to say nothing of tho Sunday trip to ohurch. It is not my object o say anything derogatory regarding the merits of any typo of horse, for, as before stated, they all have their uses. However, In passing, It Is worthy of note that while the medium-size horso on the farm can do heavy work In proportion to his weight,, yet the very heavy horse Is utterly useless for any thing but heavy work, being entirely out of place when it comes to work in the saddle or in light harness. There are many farmers these days who aro working on tho Intensive sys tem, cultivating small areas of crops, some of those having left the city for tho country. Their families will want the horses lo ride or drive occasionally, and un less theso farms can keep extra hon.es, teams for work and also tho pleasure horses, let them keep those of medi um size weighing 1,000 to 1,100 pounds. When a team of this size is not busy at farm work, they can bo put to tho surrey or carriage and make a fair showing on the road, as r pleasure team. Besldo doing considerable farm work slnco I have owned this horse, I have driven him regularly. Tho conformation of "Old Major" Is most excellent from a standpoint of service; his head la well set on his neck, and his neck Is well set in his Bhoulders, which are strong and deeply muscled at tho Bamo time; his barrel 1b fine and round; In other words, ho Is woll ribbed out. Ills coupling Is good, his hips wide hut not ragged, while his loins and thighs are Indicative of strength. Ills hocks aro good and clean of blemishes, likewise his pasterns; with tho exception of slight wind puffs, his common bones are flat and broad; his feet aro rather small and too narrow at the heels, causing him to suffer at one time from contracted heels, ow ing partly, no doubt, to poor and care less shoeing, This defect has been greatly remedied since I have had him shod under tho direction of a compe tent votcrlnary. Ono more word about our old friend: His feed, slnco he wns weaned, up to tho present time, was corn on tho ear as a gralr, ration, from 12 to 15 ears twico daily, hay for roughage, Ith corn stover, cut shucks, occasion ally, but generally hay. Ho has had very llttlo shelled oats, bran or mill stuff. Since I havo owned him, which Ir for the past year, I havo fed him some bran and oats, but ho still grinds whole corn woll. GOOD PUN FOR SELF-CLOSING GATE il&stratioas and Detailed In otructiona i"oi' tlio Construc tion of a. Convenient Entrance. Hero Is a good plan for a solf-clos-lng gate, writes E. J. Wehrlln, In tho Orango Judd. Farmor Tho upright piece at the hinge end of the gate is made higher than tho post It swings on. A crossbar is driven tightly through a hole, at right angles with tho goto. Make tho crossbar 2 feet long or over and run wires from tho ends of tho crossbar to a point 2 feet from tho crossbar and continue by a single wire for 1 foot A spiral spring from a mower binder Ib here attached and a wire Is connected wltn this spring and run to the second post of the fenco. This -CvhY W & Gate Latch Construction. gate will swing cither way and bo pulled shut again. A latch made as described in tho drawing will bo a great help. Tako a plcco of hard wood, oak or maple, and saw as indi cated at c. This should bo 8x2x2 and sawed so e should bo 1 inch thicker than tho thin parts. Two pieces should bo sawed like b, just so tho jtotoimJ, Self-Closlna Gate. thin part of c will slldo easily through It. Then saw a, making tho groove VA inches wide and Its edges round ing so tho latch will work easily, and attach to tho fenco post horizontally. A spiral spring from a shado roller Is attached as shown In sketch. TIiIb In Inexpensive but serviceable, and works finely If rightly mado. Milk From Common Goat. A common goat will cat only one eighth as much as a cow, but will give more than that proportion in milk. Butter mado from goatB' milk will not keep and must bo eaton fresh from tho churn. In many partB of tho east goats aro being raised in larger numbers than over before to supply milk and butter for tho very poor. Laborers In South America. Farm laborers In tho South Ameri can republic of Argentina receive ?2 In gold a day and their board during tho busy season. On account of tho cholera In Italy no emigrants from that country aro now permitted in Argentina. LJU U U U U (By OLENN W. HERIIICIC, Mlgsourl.) Probably no single Insect In tho United States has been tho subject of moro discussion than tho San Joso scalo, and small wonder, for thcro 1b no Insect that is capablo of producing greater Injury to the fruit Interests of our country than this one. As near as can bo determined, this insect was introduced into tho grounds of Mr. James Lick of San Joso, Cnl., In tho early seventies. It soon Bprcad to ad Joining orchards whoro It wnB found nnd first described by Prof. J. 11. Corn stock In 1880, who quickly recognized its capabilities as an orchard pest, for ho named It the pernicious scale. By '8G and '87 It had been Imported on fruit trees Into eastern nurseries, nnd from this began to spread over tho cast and south. The San Joso scale Is a very small insect often smaller than tho h ad or an ordinary pin. Tho female, except for a few hours immediately after .birth, lives beneath a hard, waxy scale and consequently is well pro tected. Tho rate of lncrcaso Is very great and from n single infestation thou sands upon thousands of Individuals may develop In a season and tho tree may become literally covered from tho trunk to tho outermost branches In two or three yenrB. Tho young scales aro whitish in color, hut later they turn dnrk and are hard to dis tinguish from tho bark It Is dlfllcult to find tho scales on a treo at tho be ginning of an infestation, for they are, 2uM it'll A. P 'A', scales on branch; f, femalo scalo; 'm, male scale; y, young scales; a, young, unprotected scale Insect; B, branch showing scales ao they appear to the unaided eye. of course, few In number and very small; but' later, when the insect be comes abundant, the branches nssumo nn ash-gray color and present a scurfy appearance. Every purchaser of fruit trees WINTER FEED & 1 tnrpoDO for 'Which Sprouted Oats) -ire Ztad lo Their Tonic and Stimulating Eftccta on Dlsestion. (By R. G. WEATHEnSTONE.) There is a general unanimity of opinion among experienced poultry mb.n that poultry do best upon some form of green or succulent food dur ing the winter months. Tho function of such succulent food is probably largely in the nature of a digestive Btlmulant, rather than ns an addition to tho nctunl food constituents of tho ration'. A green winter feed thnt Is greatly relished by fowls Ib sprouted oats. Experience line shown that in order to make a satisfactory green frnd, however, tho oats must bo grown very quickly. In order to got quick growth lit Ib necessary to havo thrco things: First, warmth; second, plenty of moisture; and, third, sunlight. Dy sowing oats In shallow, flat boxes about two inches deep, and by sprinkling and keeping the box in a warm, sunny place, tho oats will Bprout very rapidly, making a growth of from 4 to C lnchca In a week or Ion days. Tho Hats In which tho oata aro Bproutcd must bo thoroughly scrub bed with half water .and half for malyn every time before they aro used, or tho oats will mold In the sprouting. Tho best way to sprout oats Is to build a small closot Into which tho flats can bo slipped on cleats and sup- HOW WIRE STRETCHER IS MADE lrin ' ? w f 'A handy wire stretcher is mado of ft pioco of 2 by 4 for a lover, four short length of chain and a clamp L made of two pieces of 1 by 4. Shave ono end of tho lever down to a convenient size for handlo, nnd bore tbreo holes through It 4 inches apart. Run a clevis through each hole, put ting two clovlscs on ono sldo and ono on tho other, with each clovlB fast ened to a chain, Tho chain on ono eldo Is fastened to a post. Tho other should demand that hla trees bo ac companied by a certlflcnto of inspoc-t tlon from n competent entomologist to tho effect that thoy nro freo from! scale, nnd he should also demand a' sworn statement thnt his trees havo, been fumigated with hydrocyanic acid' gns. The buyer should also examlno; tho trees himself very carefully for tho scale and destroy Infosted onos. If, nfter theso precautions, the Insect, becomes present in tho orchard, spray with tho llme-salt-sulphur mixture. In mnklng tho wash, tho formulu for which Is 20 pounds quick lime,' Tho new peach scale, a, branch covered with male and female scales; j b, female scale; c, mats seale; d,' group of mala scales. ' 15 pounds sulphur, 10 pounds salt, 45 gallons of water, only tho very best quality of quick lime should bo used.) Two Iron kettles should be procured, each one holding at least 20 gallons, but tho moro they hold tho bettor. Tho 20 pounds of llmo should bo slacked in thrco or four gallons of hot water in ono of tho kettles. Whon' tho llmo I? nearly slacked, but boforo it qulta boiling, add tho 1G pounds of uulphur and enough of hot wator to mako a thin paste of tho llmo and sulphur. Stir tho wholo vigorously until they nro thoroughly mixed, then boll vigorously for 45 minutes. After the llmo nnd sulphur havo actually boiled 45 minutes, add tho ten pounds of Bait, and boll vigorous ly 15 minutes moro. It will become necessary durfng tho boiling to add a llttlo hot water now and thon to kcop' tho mixture thin. When through boll-! lng add enough hot wator to mako 45 gallons, strain through n gunny Back, and apply hot. There aro two seasons of tho year during which tho San Joso scalo may bo fought, namely, winter and sum mer. Tho moro effectual trcatmont may bo given during tho wlntor, but much good may bo dono by summer treatment, at which time tho insect can certainly bo greatly chocked. , ply tho closot either with a steam plpo or if that Is not feasible, a' small Btovo, either for wood or keroseno, or sometimes a largo keroseno lamp may bo used to maintain heat Soak clean and sound oats over night In a pall of wator. Next morn ing fill tho flats about two inches deep nnd put in tho sprouting closot. Place tho freshly filled flats near tho top of tho closots, so aB to get tho maximum amount of heat nnd In that way start tho sprouts quickly. Rako tho sprouts thoroughly two or three times a day until they havo bo come half to three-quarters of an Inch long, thon do not disturb them In any way. The oats should bo kept qulto wot. Thoy must bo sprinkled at least tbreo tlmea a day. As the oats grow, the flats aro moved to different positions In tho closets. Tho taller tho material gets, tho nearer tho flats aro moved to tho floor, as thoy then need loss heat. Feed when tho sprouts are from 4 to 6 inches In height, nt tho rate of a piece of tho matted oats about 8 or 6 Inches squaro for each 100 birds per day. Break up so that every bird in tho pen may havo somo. ' It Bhould bo clearly understood that tho purposo for which green, sprouted oats are fed is their tonic" and stimulative Influence on the dl-' gestlve organs. Thoy aro not fed for, tho food valuo of the oats themselves. If ono wishes merely to feed oats thoy can bo most economically fed not sprouted. Tho point of sprouting io to furnish freBh, succulent, grcr. t food during tho wintor months. Sheep In New Zealand. Official figures show that Now Zea-j land has nearly 25,000,000 sheop. ?8 wr 3 I I I ; j ', 03 two chains may bo tho stay chains from tho wagon, with a hook in tho end of each, Tho clamp is bolted to tho wire with four -inch bolts 3 Inches long, with a large-linked chain fastened to it. As tho lover Is work ed alternately from right to left and left to right tho books aro caught in tho links of tho clamp-chain, tighten ing tho wiro with each movomont of tho lever. In this way a 4-foot wiro can bo stretched to breaking.