Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1912)
r! Cut out tho quack grass. Havo tho swlno quarters dry. Millet is a great egg producing food. Share tho skim milk with tho poul try. Ducks do not need expensivo houses. Incubators aro a saving of both tlmo and money. Plenty of roosting spaco io neoded summer and winter. Never sot a thin, lousy hen, Sho won't stay her tlmo out. Chicks should not bo fed until they are at least 3G hours old. Keeping tho flngor nails cut may savo both milk and mortification. Lately drnlned gumbo or black clay loaniB merely need good farming. Don't tin inn tiiirn nP vrn. n m NOTES w. DYNAMITE LARGELY INCREASES YIELD OF DIFFERENT CROPS By Uso of Explosive Farmer Is Enabled to Blow Oat Boulders and Stumps j Drain Marsh Land and Improve Soil by Making it Porous Trees Mako Rupld Growth. HOW HOGS ARE FATTENED AT NEBRASKA EXPERIMENT STATION Bulletin Just Issued Gives Result of Several Years' Work' on Alfalfa. Corn and Other Grains and Mill Prod uctsAlso Shows Cost of Keeping Brood Sows and Raising Pigs - FARM jffiimm&t 'it m mmamwoK KMSS. y llliil vr .! KWflVv. - , ,vvu "t. W Z&Ml JEftHQlU2k.' :Jf2!t8H6IE!&33b ST5 6 TO, Uf Pullots make best breeders. A humpcd-up chicken never lays. Dairying succeeds best nonr a largo sity. Wheat bran is rich In egg making material. With tho bettor poultry is coming bettor equipment. It Is chenpor to buy eggs than stock but order early. As n rulo, it will pay nny farmer to ralso his own horses. It Is not economy to try to savo tlmo when feeding sheep. If a bow Is too fat reduce her feed and glvo her moro exorcise. Tho hen is tho best dividend payer on the farm when handled right. As farrowing time draws near do not feed any corn to the brood sows. A pure-bred dam of course will al most eliminate the element of chance. The well hatched" chick should bo kept quiet until tho end of the second day. A good dairyman makes a better inspector than can be hired by any stato. Tho trouble with all brooders is that they are too high, not in price, but off tho ground. After tho lamb has Its first fill of Its mother's milk, it can usually look out for itself. At Jeast three weeks before cowb are due to calve the heavy feed should be discontinued. Sheep and poultry were never known to leave land tho poorer for their having bean on it. Quick, intelligent attention will often Bavo a lamb or a pair of them, and often the owe as well. Somo succulent feed should be sup plied during tho winter to keep the sheep's system in tone. All eggs that are undergoing incu bation should bo examined at least twice by meanB of a tester. A load or two of well rotted ma nure scattered abuut the lawn now will make the grass thicken up. Turn up a bit of earth with a spado now and then and see your little chicks go for the w.rms and things. If from any cause a cow Is very thin or weak, alio should receive spe cial strengthening food before calv ing. Churning should be stopped when the butter granules are the size of wheat kernels, or better, a little larger. Carelessness in artificial brooding of chicks brings Its curso as surely and as swiftly a in any other under taking. Observation haa shown that poults raiBed by tht turkey hen will average moro In weight than those cared for by a hen. Ducking tho head of a roupy bird In a mixture of 1 ounce of permanganate of potash to 3 pints of water will often effect a cure. That cows likes a variety of feed is proven by the fact that they may often be found chewing rotten hay, old straw, stalks, etc. Clover or other legume crop every four years is absolutely necessary to maintain tho nitrogen of tho soil for corn, wheat, oats, timothy and like cropB. A litter carrier will add much to keep tho barn clean, becauso tho boys imd men will work more readily than if they had to depend upon tho old method. There may be cortnin lines of farm ing in which it Is difficult to keep n definite account of tho cost and profit but dairying is not one of these. There is no excuse for Ignorance on the part of tho dairy farmer. The constructing of permanent highways is rapidly increasing In every stato and territory. This is not only for pleasure car but also for the motor truck, -which in a abort time will play an important part In the handling of products, not only for the seller but for the producer. ww .v, Wi um mat tuu llddy that mukes n nolso like a sitter. nutter color should bo added to tho cream beforo churning Is commenced. Ono of tho prlmo onuses of roup in poultry Is close, stuffy roosting quar ters. A quart of cream weighs about 2.1 pounds, and a quart of milk 2.15 pounus. Tho period of tlmo between tho hatching of tho chick nnri it itmt f,i Is critical. Don't get a big Hock of bona till you can manage a small ono to good nuvaniagc. Quack grass is a perennial and tho roots must be cut off under the sur face, to kill. Wheat bran and linseed-meal mako tho best combination to give to a freshening cow. ' Weed out the pimping chicks.' Only bright, lively ones should be kept for tho home flock. In changing feed with tho herd, re member it hi necessary to mako tho change gradually. Winter dairying will never ho over done. At least no one has noticed any indications or it. "- The consumer is paying as much for four quarts of good mjlk aB he la for one pound of butter. With plenty of moisture In tho ground this promises to be a good season for early gardens' at -least. The man who is producing milk for the city trade should havo a clear mind, clean handa and a puro heart. A mixture of corn chop and bran is a splendid feed for the young calf just as soon as he can be taught to eat it. Haphazard methods don't pay and are always unsatisfactory. Tho law that like begets like must not bo for gotten. When you turn stalks under the ground needs to be plowed deeper than usual in most soils a flno ad vantage. Whatover the kind of brooder the main point is to havo it thoroughly under control as to temperature and ventilation. ent Tt 'he pure-bred sire, and a dam of thiv samo type, of as good blood as it is possible to get, will usually bring a desirable colt. If one has a largo flock of sheep much time will bo saved and better results obtained by the use of tho machine clippers. Many a dairy farmer is robbing Tilmsolt of legitimate profits by keep ing cows that glvo milk only a fow months in tho year. Chickens when taken from the nest or incubator should be placed on ground upon which no other chickens have ranged that season. If the sheep aro kept on the past ures tuo lato, they will eat right down into the roots, and do more harm than tho grass will do them good. Tho rich butter fat cowb ran h made more numerous only by carefuli broedlng. If you mate rich butter fat stock only tho improvement will, bo rapid. There are 155,846 colonies of bees in Illinois, valued at 1487,733. Hoes aro owned on 29,741 farms In the. state, or on 11,8 per cent, of all II-' llnols farms. It requires money to get out and buy good dairy cows, but it takes) brains to raise them and tho man. who has worked for years in building) up a herd of fine dairy cowb has a right to be proud of his achieve ments. Glvo your garden crops Just the fertilizer they prefer. Remember that, plants that furnish us with edible' leaves or Btalks flourish if given ni trogen; when the fruit, root, kernel or bulb, is the edible part dose with ashes, potash or phosphoric add. . mmmit'2&vwri.itiviMta. ..-... -- i .: i.3r$kf4f&) An Explosion At last tho American farmer has found a new way of raising better crops. Ho has put dynamito to an Agricultural use. With dynamite ho can blast stumps and boulders from (Us land, ho can drain marsh land and mako it usable, and ho can Improve the earth so by shaking it up and mak ing it porous that trees, grain and .Vegetables grow with phenomenal ra pidity. Tills new agricultural science haB been used extensively for only two or three years. At first tho farmer was dubious and afraid of dynamite. Ho considered it a dangerous explosive, Used only by nnarchistB and safe breakers. But tho moro progressive members of tho agricultural frater nity trlc"d tho "new-fangled schemo" and found it good. Crops were doubled to tho acre, trees planted in dyna mited ground spread their roots through the loosened earth, drank In tho moisturo and nourishment and thrived wonderfully. Experiments were mado with corn and other vegetables planted at tho same time in fields side by side, ono of which had been dynamited, tho other only plowed. Tho product in tho dynamited ground Boon outstripped tho other. Last year 250,000 American farm ers used dynamite. ThU year the ex perts tell ub 500,000 farmers will uso it. Knowledge Is growing. Conse quently a new profession has sprung ,up that of the professional blaster. Many farmers want their fields dyna united, but don't care to handle the ex plosive themselves. Thoy would rath er employ an experienced man, skilled ,1n tho use of dynamite, to do tho work for them, even If it does cost a little moro. The professional blaster 1b a roF.ii used to handling dynamite, who knows how to explode it in tho wny that it will do tho most good and no harm. kHo frequently goes about the country, advertising hlB coming beforehand in rural newspapers. Often the branches out, becomes a contractor and has several crews of experienced blasters under him. There are a great many more young men learning agricultural blaBtlng in this country today than there are learning to build aeroplanes. Dynamite, while a dangerous explo sive, Is not half as dangerous as most persons think it. Handled by a skilled person, who Is used to it and knows PLAN OF FRESH l- j i . s .-y"-i. .. ,.i -? -wwr "no.vww3. wmivH ITT" 1 A IT I 3 . x o ', j i U "Ft ? EC- 1 l-T I h- -ir- i t A- i l IM I 1 ! I r The Maine experiment station has published tho above plan of brooder (whlch can bo arranged in tho corner of ben house. Two sides nnd the 'cover aro of canvaB tacked on light wooden frames. When not in uso tho (different parts may be stored In tho lower space. Lamp fumes are con ducted outsido by nn exhaust plpo. The illustration shows a section through the middle of tho brooder. x Vl 3 of Dynamite. how to take tho proper precautions, there Is little or no danger. Anar chists, ob a matter of fact, do not uso dynamito in bomb-throwing, and nei ther do burglars use it in "cracking" safes. What they use is nitroglyver inc. Thore is an erroneous and widespread impresalon that a dyna mito cartridgo will explode if dropped on the ground or thrown against tho body of a person. Tho efforts of tho government nnd tho leading railroads to perfect plans nnd methods for drninlng tho vast area of swamp now covering millions of acres of rich, verdant boII have directed tho atten tion of the general public toward tho importance of Increasing tho culti vated area of tho country. Tho importance of any farm, coun ty, state or nation, varies almost di rectly in proportion to tho extent of its cultivated area. Many southern Btatos can bo doubled in productive area by, proper dralnago of swamps and clearing of cut-over lands. Tho area of swamp and cut-over lands In this country is greatly in excess of the total cultivated area. Henco any means of bringing theso lands into cultivable shape is of tho highest im portance. If often happens that swamps and marshy lands aro caused by hard-pan underneath. There is no outlet by which tho water can run off and as it cannot sink into tho earth it stands there, rendering tho land useless and breeding disease. By using dynamito these conditions can bo removed. The nurd pun Is usually only a few feet below the surface of tho marsh top soil. With nn extension auger a nolo is bored to tho bottom of tho hnrdpan. Into this holo several dyna mite cartridgeB are lowered and "tnmped." , The top cartridgo is piimed with a blasting cap. In ditching with dynamito tho first thing done is the locnting of tho pro posed ditch. Then tho width and depth are decided on. Holes are punched at intervals of about two feet along tho course of tho center of the ditch. In each of those holes a cartridge is dropped and "tamped" In with some mud. A row of ten cart ridges Is made 150 or 200 feet long and only the center cartridge is primed with a fuso and blesting cap. This method of blasting, whero only the center cartridgo is primed, is only used in damp nnd compact soil. AIR BROODER " ' ' 'rj 4al fwcRjyv SultMiSW' P Medium Yorkshire Type. (Uy E. A. 1UJUNRTT, Director, Nobrnslca Agricultural lixpcrlnicnt Stutlon.) Tho Nebraska Experiment Station haB Just issued Bulletin No. 123 with tho title, "Fattening Hogs in Ne braska." Part I gives tho results of fattening hogs on corn and alfalfa hay. In tho experiments icportcd, tho hogs woro fed tho following rations, Tho propor tions of alfalfa and corn nro given by weight. Corn and alfalfa hay in a rack. Corn 9 parts, chopped nlfnlfa 1 part. Corn 9 parts, alfalfa-meal 1 part. , Corn only. Corn 3 parts, nlfalfa-meal 1 part. Corn 3 parts, chopped alfnlfa 1 part. Corn 1 part, chopped alfalfa 1 part. Corn 1 part, alfalfa-meal 1 part. Tho hogB woro glvon all tho feed they would eat twice dally. Part of tho experiment was repeated threo times and part of It four times. Thoro were ten spring shonts used In each lot. Tho feeding period began about Novombor 1, when tho shonts weighed 135 pounds each, and continued for threo months, at which tlmo the avor ago weight ranged from 190 pounds for thoso fed one-half nlfalfa and ono half corn to 283 for thoso fed ono pnrt alfalfa and nlno parts corn. The prices used in computing tho Bunch Ready results wero tho average prices for corn and for hogs at tho North Platto Substation during tho six yonre pro coding 1911. Tho prico of corn was 47 cts. per bushel. Tho price or hogs when put into tho oxporlment and when taken out was $5.90 per 100 lbs. The prico of alfalfa hay was $8.00 per ton, of choppod alfalfa $10.00 por ton, and of alfalfa-mcnl $15.00 per ton. The only itom of cost taken into account is tho feed. Tho labor and Investment, being about equal for all Iota, 1b not'' considered. Tho corn was ground for all tho hogs. Tho chopped nlfalfa and tho nlfalfa-moal wero mixed with tho ground corn. All feed wns molstoned in tho trough. Tho hogs wore fed from tho first of November until tho first of February, or throo months. Tho rations are arranged abovo ac cording to tho profit on tho pigs fat tened on each ration, The most proflt nblo ration, corn with alfalfa bay fed in n rack, is at tho top of the list. The first threo rations stand closely to gether. Corn seems to have a station ary plnco botwoon a ration of 10 parta nlfalfa and 90 parts corn and a ration of 25 parts alfalfa and 75 parts corn. With corn worth 60 cents per bUBhel a ration of one-fourth alfalfa and throe-fourths corn gives nearly tho name profit por pig fattened as a ration of corn alone. Whore alfalfa was fed In tho rack or whero chopped alfalfa or alfalfa meal woro fod in tho proportion of one pound of alfalfa to nine pounds of corn, a pound of alfalfa was worth more than a pound of corn. Part II gives the results of substi tuting other grains nnd mill products for1 a part of tho corn in a ration of corn and alfalfa for growing and fat tening hogs. Tho experiments were conducted during the summer and winter. The number of pigs In each lot varied from 10 to 30. Tho prices used In computing tho results aro tho average prices puld for the various kinds of feeds during tho progress of tho experiments. The results of those testa given very briefly aro as fol lows: Of tho many rations trlod for fat tening hogs, none has beon found tho equal of corn nnd a Braall percentage of alfalfa. A ration of barley and corn with al fulfa does not give taa fast gain or as much profit por hog during tho grow ing and tho fattening periods as a ration of corn nnd alfalfa. Tho substitution at 5 parts tankage, 5 parts bone-meal, or 25 parts Bhorta, for corn, in a ration containing 90 parts corn and 10 parts choppod al falfa, increases tho cost of gains and ?Vi i' iijfs t 1T5t? jtJKMPiK5lKff9tUKmt9KZSS2jBK MRflBRIBB decrcn80s tho profit por pic during tho fattening period. Tho substitution of 25 parts emmor, barley, wheat, or mllo, for corn, in a, ration containing 90 parts corn nnd 10 partB chopped nlfalfa, lncreasoa tho, cost of gains nnd decreases tho profit, per hog during tho fnttenlng porlod,, excepting omtnor, which in this test only increased tho profit por hog. Tho) wheat increased tho gains but do creased tho profit. Tho emmor alsot increased tho gain. Bnrloy and mllo! decreased tho gain as well us tlioi profit. Milo was worth tho samo price per bnshol nB barloy In this tea iPci Tho results of ono test indicated that a bushel of corn was worth aa much as a bushel and n half of canoj socd when fed with alfalfa for fatten ing hogs. Where fnll pigs were wlntorod andj turned on alfalfa pasturo in tho spring thoro wns moro profit por pig from thoso grown out largely on pasturo and then fattened than from those fed out moro quickly. Four Bcasons' rocords show that old sowb being fattonod on corn nnd al-' fnlfa pasturo gained 2 pounds por head) dally, ato 355 pounds of corn for 100) pounds of gain, nnd gavo a not profit of over 5 cents dally. A summary of tho results recorded for Fattening. in Bulletin 121 together with data from. this Bulletin 123 indicates that tho cost of feed to produco a 225-pound market hog waa $3.35 por 100 pounds and that keeping tho hog until W weighed 325 pounds increased tho cost1 to $3.57 per 100 poum'.a. This inqludos only tho cost of feed and does not In clude the cost of labor, equipment, un usual risk, or Interest on investment This bulletin may be had free of cost by residents of Nebraska upon application to tho Nebraska 'Agricul tural Experiment Station, Lincoln. PARTLY SOLVED DAIRY PROBLEM notation of Fat to MtUt Io Qucs tlon Causing Much Worry to Experto Ono Solu tion Io Given. Tho rotation of fat to milk 1b ona of tho partly unsolved problems of dairying, says Tho Chemist. Wo do not know why, absolutely, but wo know that a cow will vary from clay to day. It is sometimes due to fright and unkind handling. If you take a cow that is ordinarily qulot and run. a necdlo Into her, or hit her with a club or disturb her tranquility it; soma other way, tho yield of milk will be very much less for that milking. II sho haB what is called a nervous tom perament, and 1b a very sensitive cow, there will bo a vory marked dltfen euco in the yield of milk, and not nearly so much fat will bo produced' Tho varlntion In the yield of milk la greater than tho variation in the neld of fat. I romomber, writes Professor Vnn Norman, tho figures In one herd In which ono cow varied only four tenths of ono per cent, in a whole yenr, whllo another varied as much a threo por cent, iu her ylold with nu apparent cause. Sometimes wo, our selves, do not feel so well as wo do on other days. So of tho cow. Sha may bo a vory sensitive cow, and tho, milker may bo a llttlo rougher on somo days than on othors, aud that may havo Bomo effect. A multituda of influences are at work. The b03t dairyman Is tho ono who understands the largest number of them. Tba tester undor ordinary conditions is to bo relied on for accuracy. Tho vnrla tlon is not a variation of tho tester, but a varlntion In tho cow. Fresh Water Needed. Keep plenty of fresh water whora tho llttlo ouicka can drink as orton u they wish to. ''umMrgmfftiifmlMiATrrfMittf '