NOTES e.
TZie
ME&DOWBROOK
DETERMINE AGE OF HORSE BY
EXAMINATION OF ITS TEETH
A.vcrago Animal Has Reached the Limit of His Usefulness
at Twenty-Five Yenra of Age Shape of Front
Molars Graduully Changes With Growth
At Five Years Mouth is Full.
MM
USB, tT HLgJ
Omoo:
m
tj-
fft , -A FARM
Rotation Is profitable.
Be gentlo with the cow.
Do liberal with fly repellant.
A good sow is a valuable asset.
The common term, "90-day corn" Is
(a deceptive one.
The well-ventllatcd barn is quite bb
essential as tho warm one.
Hogs should have clean pastures,
beds and water and a variety of food.
Tho best time to cut post timber of
any kind is when the treca are iu full
leaf.
Lice are responsible for more Iosb
among little turkeys than any other
cause.
Avoid a rush b ordering crates,
boxes, barrels, etc., in ample time for
shipping. i
Tho cleaner the feed and feeding
places, tho better the quality of the
.pork in all.
The greatest element in successful
turkey raising is a long dry season
without any rain.
Turkeys are good for tho fields. They
can be driven anywhere you wish from
one field to another.
In transplanting plants from pots to
the open, water them freely the day
before they are re-potted.
In making poultry pay much de
perids upon your ability, your experi
ence and your aptitude in tho work.
A chicken's stomach Is not made of
iron, and the same diet day after day
harms them as much as it does a hu
man.
Under-sized pullets are not profit
able. There will be some scrubs de
veloped in the best of strains. Get
rid of them.
Poultry raisers can learn much by
attending the farmers' Institute meet
ings held In their section of the dif
ferent states.
A good grain mixture for chicks is
made up of two parts cracked corn,
two parts wheat, two parts Kaffir and
one part millet.
Keep track of the chicks that
feather out early. The chances favor
the birds becoming the most profit
able ones to keep.
A tablespoonful of baking soda plac
ed In tho drinking water two or three
times a week will prevent bowel trou
ble in the chickens.
It is always a good plan to use plen
ty of seed In planting cucumbers, can
taloupes, melons, etc. The hills may
be thinned out later.
Give the new-born calf a touch of
fly repellant on that spot on the back
where tho hair parts. Tho flies like
to feast right there.
As tho weather gets warmer be sure
that all brood coops are well ven
tilated at night, so that the air will be
pure and cool within.
Poultry "systems" requiring close
confinement of the flock and a large
amount of personal attention are out
of place on a general farm.
To get the flock as a whole In lay
lug condition in the timo required by
tho breed or variety the fowls must bo
properly grown from chlckhood.
Twenty acres of corn put Into a silo
is eald to bo worth more than thirty
acres put in tho crib. This is quite an
item, especially when feed is so high.
Industrious hens are the kind to
keep, It matters not what the breed.
The lazy hen Is unprofitable. It is
the industrious hen that lays the eggs.
If any frultB or vegetables are mar
keted, see that they are put up In
clean, neat and well-graded packages.
They will sell quicker and at a better
price.
The pig that can be raised under
ordinary conditions and good care, and
made to weigh from 2G0 to 300 pounds
quickest, is tho most profitable sized
hog for tho farmer to keep.
Tho man who wants White Leg
horns has little trouble In buying baby
chicks in largo quantities, for this spe
cial branch of poultry work, the sell
ing of day-old chicks, has been far
more highly developed with this breed
than with any other, thousands of Leg
horn chicks being sold where only
hundreds of other breeds are sold.
Capons aro profitable
Pack all fruit carefully.
Cows need pure, fresh water.
Thero Is always a demand for tur-'
keys.
Oats and peas will not Inoculate
ground for alfalfa.
No owo should bo bred until she
has reached maturity.
Concrete floors In tho cow stablca
are sanitary and easily cleaned.
Tho size of an applo can bo Influ
enced to quite a largo degree by plck-j
lng.
Don't let tho cows out in tho
storms to stand nround. It doesn't
Pay.
Tho colder tho milk wljen separated
the greater tho loss of fat In tho skim
milk.
The cows that produce tho largest
amounts of butter fat do It most eco-j
nomlcally.
Tho calves should by all means be
kept In clean, well-lighted and ven
tilated stables.
A proper kit for farm work is about
as handy a thing' ns tho averagq
farmer can buy. I
A ten-cent bolt now mny save a dol
lar's worth of time when the rush
of work comes.
You cannot fatten a brood sow and
fatten n hog alike and make the best
success of both.
A gallon of cream testing 25 per
cent, should churn a little over two
pounds bf butter.
The object of cow touting and keep
ing record is to improve tho herd and
increase tho output.
Frequent stirring of the soil is said
to bo a good preventive of rust form
ing on the cultivator.
Look out for tho potato bugs on the
tomato and eggplant plants. Theyi
prefer them to tho potatoes.
For sandy land tho mammoth red
clover has proved superior to alslko,
or the medium red varieties.
A good night pasture is tho cow's
delight, and a delighted cow is more,
profitable than a discouraged cow.
If tho soil leaves tho plowshare
shiny and wet, wait a day or two.;
Wet plowing makes a cloddy ground.'
In looking for an occupation that
will return pleasure as well as profit
take up the breeding of fancy poultry.
Guessing at tho quantity of salt to
put In butter is a little risky. An ounce
to the pound Is about tho right propor-.
tlon.
Nurso the young clover nnd the al
falfa; plan more of both another sea
son, also a largo ncreage of root
crops and pumpkins.
A hen that goes nround with her
mouth open is not a comfortable hen;
Bhe is too warm. Give her a place to
sit down and cool oft.
Ventilation In the chicken house is
a very Important consideration, nnd
the health of tho fowls in a great
measure depends on it.
The valuo of cowpeas as a stock
feed crop is now firmly established
and will grow in favor as they bo-'
come more generally known.
Get rid of malo birds except thoso
to uo kept for breeding. They aro
star boarders and eat up the profits
of the flock.
Never pasture too closoly. Leaves
are essential to plant growth, nnd
enough should always bo left to pro
mote a good growth of plants.
Keep away from tho corn roots
when giving tho plant the last cultiva
tion; they will bo needed In further
developing a good crop of corn.
Begin to check the colt early if you
would have an easy tlmo with tho
work and a well-broken horse. A
two-year-old Is easier to break than a
four-year-old.
If you intend to plant a few choice
trees next spring, dig large holes for
them this fall, fill them with manure,
removing it next spring and filling in
up to the desired depth for tho tree.
Tho farmer who raises fruit for his
own family should have a much larg
er variety than the commercial or
churdlst because tho latter must pro
duce enough of each kind to ship to
advantage.
A stumbling habit may be caused,
by poor shoeing, or It may bo caused
by Ignorant or careless hitching. Too
tight checking Ms often the cause.
Sometimes a harsh bit with a tight
check rein will destroy the balance,
and the horse Is llablo to fall.
While the hqg is a debt payer, it 1b
necessary for tho breeder, farmer or
feeder to manage so as to make tho
greatest amount of money at the
least cost In the quickest time. To
do this there is nothing of more im
portance than feeding alfalfa.
Tho ago of a horse determines, in n
roneral way, tho lmlt of its useful
icbs. Still, it 1b not always a sure
Suldo to follow. A well-preserved
borso of good disposition and norvous
temperament Is often younger at six
teen, as far ns activity and usefulness
Horse's Teeth, One Year Old.
to, than many another horse Is at
eight.
While twenty-five arB is consid
ered tho limit of Horse's usefulness,
exceptional cases may not havo out
lived, their usefulness at thirty, and
Instances are recorded of horses hav
ing lived for more than fifty years.
A horse's ago 1b commonly deter
mined by an examination of tho In-
Four and One-Half Years Old.
Sirtdual teeth. This is usually an ac
curate method until the tenth or
twelfth year. After this period the
general appearauco of the teeth and
tho bones of tho head are relied upon
In determining ago.
At birth the foal commonly has no
teeth in the front of tho mouth and
only four grinders in each Jaw. After
a few days the middle foro teeth ap
pear und after a month another grind
er breakB through on each side of each
Flvo Years Old.
Jaw. After four months tho inter
mediate fore teeth appear, and at the
ago of from six to eight months the
Bldo fore teeth or corners nppear and
GOOD POINTS IN
MAKING OAT HAY
When Allowed to Almnnt Mature
There Will Bo Greater
Amount of Grain
Mow to Cure.
(By n. 13. RUSHING.)
When the bulk of the grain on top
it the head begins to turn yellow is
tho time to make oat hay. At that
ttago these top grains are in the
lough state, and the remainder Is
mostly in the milk, and stalks and
blades are still green.
While as a usual thing stock does
not relish oat hay as much aa mixed
timothy or clover, it will always be
found a good substitute.
It must be well cured, as It Is one
3f tho worst crops to draw moisture,
beat and cold. It should bo put
Into tho barn when the least tough or
damp.
1 have made a good deal o.' oat bay
nnd find it fairly good If cut at the
lght tlmo and proporly handled.
Many farmers allow it to get too ripe
to make the best hay.
When allowed to almost mature
thero will be a greater amount of
grain, It can bo more easily cured, and
there will be less danger from mold
ing, but it will not be oat hay; It will
bo oata in tho straw.
When handled this way tho animals
will cat tho grain readily but will only
eat the straw when driven to it by
hunger, and will get but little good out
r It
Nor should they be cut while too
green, ns In that case it will bo very
bard to cure sufficiently, while green
oats cut in the milk makes very good
feed for milk cows, but tho curing Is
very difficult owing to the long pe
riod necessary for properly drying and
the difficulty of getting good weather,
another grinder on each Jaw. Tho set
of milk teeth Is then complete.
At tho ago of from thirteen to six
teen months tho cavities In tho face of
tho middle foro teeth are effaced or
razed, and tho snmo process takes
place In tho corner teeth by tho end
of tho second year. Tho shedding of
tho teeth and tho beginning of tho
second set or permanent teeth occur
at from two and one-half to three
years ycarB of ago.
Tho first or milk teeth may nlwnys
bo recognized by their shortness,
whiteness and by a constriction or
neck. Tho mlddlo front tooth aro
shed first, tho Intermediate ones fol
low at the age of three and one-half
to four years, and tho corner teeth
nro shed at from four and one-half to
five years of ago.
Tho determination of tho ago of
Eight Years Old.
horses between tho years of flvo and
ten may bo made with considerable
certainty by oxpertB from a study of
tho front teeth of tho lower and up-
.per Jaws. Naturally these tooth under
go a progressive wearing process
which changes tholr appearance bb
the animals grow older.
In general, it should be remember
ed that tho stmpo of tho front tooth
gradually changos with age; in young
horse they aro wider from Bldo to
sldo than from front to back, while in
very old horses they become wider
from front to back than from sldo to
side, having in many cases a trian
gular Bhape.
As already indicated, a horso's
mouth Is Bald to bo full, or dentition is
complete, at tho age of flvo years. At
Fourteen Years Old.
six years of ago tho nippers become
worn down even with tho middle
teeth; the Inner edge of tho corner
teeth Is also worn off.
At seven yoars of ago tho tushes
show a dull, rounded point, both edges
of tho cornor teeth nro worn smooth,
and tho cavity on tho face of tho teeth
Is small. From this until ten or eleven
tho Incisor teeth of tho upper Jaw
aro usually examined for determining
age.
Tho age Is now Indicated approxi
mately by tho amount of wear upon
the face of tho teeth nnd by the
gradual disappearance of tholr marks
or cavities. The marks In tho corner
teeth become obliterated at the ago of
from seven to eight years; tho same
process takes place In tho foro teeth
of tho upper Jaw more slowly, and
when these changes havo occurred In
the upper teeth tho horso may bo
looked upon as ton years of ago or
older.
It Is absolutely necessary that tho
fodder be dried before storing.
When tho surface of tho ground Is
smooth I cut tho oats with a mower.
and let them remain soveral days,
than turn them over, repeating this
operation until thoroughly dried.
It usunlly take3 mo about a week
to cure my oats properly. Whon thn
weather 1b not fnvorablo and I fear a
rain before they havo time to dry In
the windrow I build very lareo cockn
and build them so as to turn the
water as much as posslblo.
These cocks go through a sweat
and may stand If necessary two or
oven three weeks, after which they
must bo stacked or put Into the barn.
when unloading every two lnnrfs
can be salted thoroughly and tramped
down, it win then go through another
sweat.
8uch hay when fed with clovnr win
prove excellent for horses and cattlo.
Rape and Pea Forage.
The annual forage crop for bwIuo
which has given boat results at tho
Missouri experiment station 1b rape
in which havo been sown a few oata.
Rapo may be sown as early In tho
spring aB tho ground can bo worked
or about tho Bamo tlmo that oats
would bo sown.
It la a rapid growing, succulent
crop and hence It Is well adapted for
swlno pasture. Tho Dwarf Ebsox la
tho varloty sown for this purposo.
Goo" results havo been obtained by
sowing flvo or six pounds ahead of
tho drill and then drilling In one-half.
Jackrabblts In West.
Six hundred dozen Jackrabblts were
reported to havo been killed and
shipped to Benttlo und Spokane last
winter at an nverago price of $3 pe?
dozen.
Well Fed Sow.
The well fed sow gives the pigs a
good start In life.
DETERMINE SEX OF A GOOSE
Dne Good Way Is to Notice Difference
In Voices Mating Season Is
Usually In Fall.
In nnswer to a query as to method
r rule for determining the sex of gecno,
in exchnngo makes the following ro
ily: There nro no marks by which ono
:an tell the gander from the goose.
Tho only ways nro to watch tho ac
1ons of tho birds and to notice tho
inferences In their voices. The gan
lor has what Is popularly called n
cnor voice. It Is posslblo that all four
f your birds may be geese. If so,
SgSfifigg
Toulouse Goose.
rou will bo unfortunnto In attempts
o raise any goslings even If you do se
:uro ganders. This Is because tho
anting season Is in tho frill, usually
n September or October, nnd bIbo be
:auso geeso very much dislike to havo
.heir quarters changed when onco ac
customed to them. For this renson peo
sle who wish to Bccurc birds for breed
ng purposes mnko tholr purchases in
.he fall bo tho fowls will get accus
tomed to their new surroundings.
Doubtless nests will bo made aud tho
ggs laid, but tho eggs may not hatch,
if you afo forced to buy a gandor this
spring, It will perhaps bo advisablo
'or you to purchase some good eggs
jf tho same breed aa you keep, nnd
lse theto rather than the eggs from
rour own flock, or at loast mark tho
sggs so that you can distinguish tho
purchased ones from thoso lnld by
your own blrdB. In this way you
should not bo wholly disappointed.
GIVING CHARCOAL TO FOWLS
Puts Them In Good Condition for
Work and Prevento Many Diseases
Incidental to Season.
Does tho average farmer know that
an excellent grade of charcoal can
bo mndo by burning corn colm till
they turn red, extinguishing tho fire
nnd when dry grinding for mash
feeding for tho poultry.
Charcoal Is not a food, though
fowls guln In flesh and cggB during
Its use; it simply puts them nnd
keeps them in a good condition for
work. It prevents disease because ol
its great capacity to absorb gascB,
acids and impurities. It is an alter
atlve, changing d'sensed conditions
to normal, disinfecting tho dlgcs
tlvo tract and toning up the system.
In putrid disease like roup, in fer
mentation like sour crop, In lntestl
nal maladies like diarrhea or cholera,
It Is of great benefit. In Bpring nnd
In summer, when tho fowl's blood ic
sluggish It Is needed as a purifier to
ward off diseases incidental to these
seasons.
It should bo kept before fowls in
slzo to suit their age, and whero fowls
refuse to cat It fine charcoal should
bo mixed in tho mash occasionally. It
is best given to individual birds in
five-grain cnpsuleB largo doses are
necessary.
ROOST IS QUITE CONVENIENT
Made of Two Four-Inch Pieces Six
Feet Long, Nailed Together
With Five CroSBpleces.
Select two four-Inch pieces six feet
fong. Lay them parallel and nnll flvo
crosspleces, three feet long and three
Inches wide, to theso. Tho legs ma
be made of 2 by 4 stuff tho desired
Convenient Chicken Roott.
length. By menns of long spikes se
cure them to the parallel pieces, says
the Iowa Homestead. Plnco theso In
roosting quarters for chickens and
they will Boon bo perching upon It at
night.
Poultry Feed.
Corn Is a good poultry feed the
year nround, provided tho birds have
plenty of green stuff during tho warn?
mouths.
iSlMsbsSS
ivo-:si-i:k.ei5vEr
&ssi
Tfl'S-.r "" -assist
DustlYer'
Ff(
Vou lii-t, our Congressman he knows Just
wlint he Is about;
lie rlsts In thi) Capitol, nnd for us folks
he'll shout
Ho lept his wits about him when the-
Mvcr Hill wont through,
Anil llttlo Duoty River got ft 'proprlatlon,,
too.
Ono million dollars to Improve tho Dusty,
Klvcrl Well,
We've got the dandy Congressman; that's
what I'm here to tell.
Tho Dusty Itlvpr rambles down across
our blooming plains,
And you can sco It rlpplln' If you're
wntchln' when It rains.
She ripples, when she dampened up, nu
gayly ns you like;
Iut other time? It's hunt to tell tho river
from tho pike.
Our Congressman, however, has assured,
us that right soon
We'll hnll the Dusty Hlver an tho biggest
kind of boon.
Our Congressman declares that In about
a year or so
We'll see tho steamboats sntlln' up where
now the brnmblcs grow.
Ho Bays It stands to reason, If wo'vo got
tho river route, '
That It's the place of government to como
and help us out.
And so ho dealt tho Treasury somo ener
getic thumps,
And we'll run tho river with a million
dollars' worth of pumps.
The Pancake.
Tho pnnenko Is a distinctive
American Institution. It Is eaten only
In secret In our best families.
it would be eaten openly nnd abovo
board were It not that folks of tho up
per circle havo to maintain tholr dig
nity before tho servants.
Properly made, tho pnncako 1b a
thing of beauty and a Joy for tho tlmo
bolng.
Improperly made, as It usually Is,
it is a blight upon life and n harass
ment to tho stomach. A wrongly pro
pared pnnenko can stny with you long
er than tho after effects of pneumonia.
If our girls were- taught how to mnko
pancakes, civilization would go for
ward so rapidly that thoso who nro
now trying to reform our Boclal struc
ture would bo back numbers by day
after tomorrow.
Knew His Rights.
"No, -Indeed, I will not take It," pro
tested tho destitute man.
Nonplused, wo gazed first at him,
and then at tho worn ten-dollar bill vo
had sought to Induco him to accept
for the benefit of hlmsolf and tho starv
ing family ho had mentioned with such
pitiful effect.
i "No, Blr," he continued, "I am en
titled to a nlco, crlBp, now ten-dollar
note, and that's what I insist on. I
haven't rend theso stories of phllan
thropy for nothing."
One Way Out.
i Thoroughly angered, tho railway
mngnato stood glowering at tho gov
crnor.
"Oppose mo and my traffic com
blnatlon, will you?" ho thundered,
"Why, 1'vo got a good notion to buy
your blamed little stnto for a freight
yard!"
Baying which, he strode from tho
state house so rapidly thnt tho ko
daks wero snapped in vain.
Our Crusade.
It is pleasing to noto that the Now
York legislature has passed a bill aboh
lshlng tho public drinking cup. Wo
shall continue our crusado until it la
done away with In all the Btatea, nnd
then wo ahull lead a movement to
do nwny with the combs nnd brushes
In public washrooms.
1 Felt Like It.
' "Tut, tut," smiled tho dentist. "Thai
hervo does not reach up so far as yon
Bay. It 1b not a foot long at all. That's
all In your mind."
, "Uni-iu-m!" groaned the writhing
man; "it surely feols as If it wero
nearly all there."
Always an Obstacle.
J "Thero Is nlwayn room at tho top,"
raid tho Good Adviser.
"Indeed, yen," answered tho Unfor
tunate Person, "but tho elevator is not
lilwajB running."
PseeS
!
, J
