- Jja-Tfi f-twMviKiri JVU. -w
c7rc
Preparations for Eater.
Out whero tho willows aro bending
low,
Out whero tho mists drift to and fro.
All In tho Easter morning.
Little brown birds in quiet nest.
Twittering low 'neath mother's breast.
Say, "Spring is coming; let us Bing
our best,"
Early on Easter morning.
JuBt as I waB pondering in my mind,
as my good colored auntlo would say,
how I would amuso tho children in
planning for Easter, Polly, my unfail
ing ono, dropped In and said: "Let's
havo an old-fashioned Easter llko we
did whon wo wcro young7r
"But, Polly," I wailed, "thero was no
egg trust thon, eggs weren't CO cents
a dpzen, and wo had real hens and a
real barn and we had mother's piece
bag and everything that children
haven't now."
After this wail from my usually
cheerful self, Polly gave mo this out
line, which I pass on: Ask Just the
neighborhood children, say six or
eight,, and savo enough perfectly fresh
eggs to allow two for each guest Set
tho time on tho Saturday before East
er, from three to five, and request
each child, boy jib well as girl, to
bring an npronT
Hldo tho eggs In nests hidden care
fully behind the furniture, and warn
tho little hunters to bo most cautious
In handling the eggB, for they aro to
tako them home .for their Easter
breakfast. It will bo well to provide
small handled baskets for each one.
Tlo a bow of yellow ribbon on thoso
for the boy's and white for tho girls,
.They will mako acceptable favors.
After the eggs are found tio on tho
aprons and go Into tho kitchen, whero
squares of bright figured .calico may
be sewed tightly around some of the
eggB and dropped Into a kettlo of boil
ing water for a few minutes.
These eggs will come, out beautiful
ly marked with tho colors and pattern
of the cloth upon them. On some of
tho eggs stick little dabs of beeswax,
then drop in boiling cochineal .water,
and tho covered spots will remain
'white. These spotted eggs were a
great favorito in the olden days. Then
we did not have specially prepared
dyes, and used. onion skins for our
yellow, logwood chips for purple and,
oh, yes; I forgot to say that the calico
pieces must bo sure to bo tho kind in
which tho colors will "run."
On tho solidly colored eggs the
names and simplo designs may bo
traced with a sharp penknife blade.
I well remember how I used to cling
to these wonderfully decorated speci
Simple Costumes for
Young
Tho illustration on tho left shows a
simple little style for girl six to eight
years; It is made in grny-green cash
mere. It is trimmed down tho left
side of front and along lower edge by
spotted foulard cut In a two-inch
band; the collar Is nlso of the foulard,
as 1b tho walBt-band; tho oversleeves
aro edged with it, whllo the under
cues are plain.
Materials required: 2 yards casbV
mere 44 inches wide, yard foulard
40 inches wide.
The next la for a girl of olght to
ten years. Plain material is used for
the dress itself and plaid silk or silk
and wool mlxturo for the trimming of
skirt, also tho yoke, cuffs and tho
(waiBt-Danu. i
mens -until tho odor was bo strong
that "mother" would insist upon my
giving up tho sacred treasures.
When wo used to go to grandfa
ther's tho week boforo Easter tho ruVo
was that each child had for keeps all
tho cgB8 round durmg tho tlmo botween
Wednesday and Saturday, tlmo being
up at noon on Saturday. Wo each
carried out our own decorative
schome, tho most beautiful (In our
eyes) being thoso ornamented with
transfer pictures, or, to bo accurate,
dccalcomanla work. And a Binall
child Just informed mo that they havo
Just such pictures now, so Polly is go
ing to get somo for this party. They
aro great fun. Then wo aro going to
mako.the cutest place cards by gluing
a half of an egg shell on a yellow
shaped card and mark a happy llttlo
face upon it with pen and Ink, the
child's name to bo written underneath.
Theso .egg shell crdB aro flno for
concealing giftB to bo presented on
Easier morning, and are largo enough
to cover a gold piece, a ring or oven
bright new pennies for tho children.
Of course tho shells havo to bo brok
en, but they aro easy to mako, and no
ono minds a bit of trouble at thlB sea
son. We are going to servo brown bread
sandwiches with' cocoa, a wee yellow
chick perched on each cup. That is
all, Just enough to mako It seem like
a party.
Easter Monday Party.
Tho Easter dawn 1b approaching,
and with it comes requests for par
ties, especially affairs for children,
who Blmply adore the "bunny" season.
I must tell you how a mother of three
is to entertain at "an all day" EaBter
Monday party, tho guests being seven
of tho neighborhood children. Tho In
vitations aro written on egg-Bhaped
cards scaled with a violet paster, or
the dearest Easter chick iust comlne
out of tho shell may be found among
tne seals or pasters, as tho children
call them.
Tho ages of tho gueats rnnsro from
five to eight years. A third floor
chamber is known aB tho children's
room, and it is to bo prettily decorat
ed with flowers and branches .of bud
ding fruit trees which have been
placed In water for several days.
Thero should be a mass of blossoms
on, them by Easter. Ten llttlo hoops
havo been prepared thus for one of
tho games, and each ono Is to be
wound with a colored tape. Tho boy
who can roll his hoop twice around
tho room without letting It turn over
will bo awarded a bag of marbloB, and
tho llttlo girl who accomplishes tho
same feat will havo a dear llttlo doll
baby dressed all in white.
A substantial luncheon will bo
served at noon, with the prettiest ta
ble Imaginable, all glorious Jonquills,
bunnies and fluffy yellow chlcka. A
music box will play during tho repast.
After luncheon the children are to
decorate-, the eggs to tako home.
MADAME MERRI.
"Mephlsto" Coiffure.
Ono of the smartest and also ono of
the most becoming coiffures is called
"Tho Mephlsto." A very narrow band
of black or scarlet velvet Is taken
right round tho head, and two thin
spikes of wired velvet stand straight
up In front with a Jewel cameo, or
flower to hide the Join.
the
Girls of School Age
' Tho bodico and skirt aro cut sep
arately, and are Joined to tho same
waist-band.
Materials roqulred: 2 yards 4G
inches wide, ynrd 40 inches wido
for trimming.
Tho other would mako a useful
llttlo school dress In nut brown flno
serge; thero aro two tucks carrlod
over the shoulder to foot of skirt each
side, the fronts wrapping over In
points which show pleatings of Bilk at
tho throat and foot of skirt; the
sleoves aro sot into tho armbolo, and,
llko the right front, are trimmed with
buttons sot on in threes.
Materials required: 2, yards 40
Inches wide, yard silk 20 inches
wide, 2 dozen and throe buttons.
NOTES f POtt
MEADOWBROOK
A:n:-.nu4.&i v t
iiiiuiii nil
More Bheep aro needed.
Slick up all tho odd Jobs now.
Seed Corn Is a costly decoration for
windmill towers. ""v
Churn when tho' cream Is fit; not
when other things are ready.
Evory farmer should raise over
100 fowls for use on his own home
table.
When sklmmllk Is to bo had, ubo it
instead of water In tho poultry fatten
ing mash.
It Is best to build a round silo, be
cause In tho squaro bIIob tho sllnge
spoils easier.
Manure Is one of the by-products
of the dairy farmer and It represents
a decided profit
Build a warm, dry and othorwlso
comfortablo room for tho calves for
tho cold weather.
Keep tho hogs quiet, clean and com
fortablo If you expect tho beat gain
from tho food supplied.
Much poultry 1b sold to tho Chinese
and at good prices. It 1b estimated
that they consume quantities.
It Is best not to put sawdust in tho
poultry house, as it gathers too much
molsturo and causes dampness.
Unless the fattening steer has all
the puro water ho can drink at all
times ho will not lay on fat quickly.
Once a day Is sufficient for chickens
to be fed a mash. Tho remainder of
the day dry grain is considered bet
ter. The man who dries his seed corn on
the windmill tower ought not-to com
plain when it germinates only 60 per
cent
For the amount of money invested
in the poultry business, It pays n
larger proflt than any other farm
specialty.
For Btalllons, brood mares, young
horses and horses at light work, good
quality clover or alfalfa hay cannot
bo excelled.
Mules are ready for work younger
than horBes. They are able to endure
-as much at two years as a colt will
at three or four.
The coming of woven wire fences
will help to kcop down tho weeds
along tho roadsides in a rather
roundabout way.
No ono can do tho best work
without good tools, and toolB aro
never good without they aro In
first-class condition.
Don't select a'heavy, lazy sow for a
breeder. She shoflljl be mild in dis
position, but possessed of sufficient
energy to take exorcise
Angora goats cannot thrlvo if they
aro crowded Into small spaco, hence
they should not bo kept In large
flocks on tho Bmaller farms.
For an occasional noon lunch for
tho layers, try some finely chopped
alfalfa hay scalded and mixed In a
wet mash of bran and corn meal.
When seed corn Is taken In, It
should not bo plied up, but must be
laid on racks or boards away from
mice and so that the, ears do not
touch.
Sorghum Is an excellent succulent
feed for cows. horseB, sheep and hogs.
When fed green It saves more ex
pensive feeds nnd keeps stock In fair
flesh until other feeds can bo gath
ered. Show blrda kcop up well in tho show
room If they are given bologna sau
sage bread and apples Do not give
milk after washing it. It sticks the
feathers together and spoils tho ap
pearance of tho bird,
Threo carloads of cattle shipped
from a Kansas ranch, and which had
been fattened entirely on grass,
showed a gain of 376 poundB per head
in 165 days. The animals got no grain
.whatever, but wero In flno condition
when they reached tho market.
In choosing birds for exhibition do
not mako tho final cholco until they
havo been seen In tho exhibition coop.
A bird of good disposition will make
a better appearanco than a cross bird
of really better quality. Wash more
than will be needed, na tho washing
also makes a dlfferenco In tho bird's
appearance. A -bird with creamy plu
mage often looks bettor boforo than
after washing.
.1 i
BiigiiiiMi
Capons nro profltnbTo.
Keep nil water troughs clean.
Koop something In tho charcoal box.,
Charcoal should bo freely used In
tho poultry yard.
It Is not so much tho breed as tho
feed that counts In obtaining results.
It Is claimed tho Indian Itunnor
duck will lay nearly 200 eggs In a
yenr.
The tool houso has bocomo ono of
tho Important adjuncts to tho mod
ern farm.
Sulpnato of Iron Is a preventive of
hog cholera and many othor diseases
In llvo stock.
Thero wero only 69 cow testing as
sociations In tho United States at tho
closo of 1910.
If you only havo a fow bushels of
corn to shell for tho poultry, uso tho
zlno washboard.
HorseB urged to tho limit aro apt to
bo found a Ilttcl past that point It Is
tho samo with growing boys.
Tho holfor bred too early always re
mains stunted In growth and her milk
flow Is shortened for nil tlmo.
Every farm should havo a family
orchard of at least n few apple, pear,
plum, peach and cherry troos.
Tho department of agriculture has
estimated that the country's annual
loss by InBoct posts 1b $420,100,000
If tho poultry houso Is over-crowdod
kill off somo of tho oldor birds. Koop
stocked up with young thrifty layers.
Ryo makes fairly satisfactory bII
ago when It Is cut in onoquartor
Inch lengths and woll treaded In tho
silo.
A largo orchard poorly planted and
poorly tonded will not produce as
good results as fewer trees well culti
vated. Good housing is ono of tho essen
tials for egg production and conse
quently should bo given proper con
sideration. Cherries, unllko othor Bmall fruits,
cannot bo counted on to glvo heavy
crops each year; consequently, tho
price varies.
Hot sweaty horses should not bo
driven Into a cold stream. It 1b al
most aa bad for them as drinking
whllo heated.
Tho origin of tho Indinn Runner
duck Is unknown. It Is claimed they
wero Introduced In Enelnnd about
thirty years ago.
Of nlmost If not quite ns much Im
portance OB their food is plonty of
excrclao. Exercise and sunshlno are
great shcop tonics.
In tho horse for active service the
breast should not bo over medium
width and tho forelegs should bo rea
sonably closo together.
Tho practical remedy for llttlo pigs
that aro llablo to bo troubled with
thumps Is to provldo thorn plenty of
oxerclso and largo ran go,
Just becauso a man ontorB a barn
whero cows aro kept, It Is no sign
for him to cut looso on his entlro
repertory of cuss words.
At no season of tho year should
wator stand around tho troos,, nnd
vinos. Their roots will not stnnd It.
Thero must bo proper dralnngo.
When tho pure-bred swlno aro kept
for breeding purposes they should bo
given every opportunity for bone.and
muscle duvelopment rather than a de
velopment of fat
Alslko .clover la a perennial and
can bo grown on ground that la too
low and moist for tho medium red or
mammoth, but It Is grown equally
well on high ground.
Keep over a fow of tho best owes
of your own breeding each year, oven
though they aro not so good as you
might buy It will mako your flock
more uniform all tho tlmo.
In feeding tho cows do not give
thom more than thoy can uso readily.
Any feed that Is left In tho mangers
after tho cows aro through will nat
urally represent a certain amount of
waste.
Tho farmer who raises fruit for his
own family should havo a much
larger variety than the commercial
orchardlst. because tho lattor must
produco enough of each kind to ship
to advantage.
A drained soil readily absorbs for
tlllzors which may bo applied to It
It Is moro easily prepared and 're
quires less labor to put In condition
lor seed Tho seed will germlnato
moro quickly and tho plant will grow
moro rapidly.
Rotation of crops Is ono of tho
simplest, practical methods of Increas
ing tho productivity of tho farm and
distributing labor. If you aro not
already practicing rotation In your
farming, now Is a good tlmo to work
out a systematic cropplng'schemo for
your farm. A practical system of
rotation can bo worked out for every
farm. ,
BROOD SOW MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT
An Ideal Portable Hog House.
(By JOHN M. EWAnD, Iowa Expert
mnt Station.)
To produce hoalthy Utters It Is not
only necessary that tho bows bo fed
correctly upon tho foodB that furnish
sufficient iniiBclo. bono nnd onorgy
making materials, but that thoy bo
handled wisely during tho poriod of
gestation.
Tho mother sow needs food for
throo important purposes: First, for
her own maintenance; second, for
growth on her own body, nnd, third,
for tho nourishment of tho fetal pigs.
Corn lacks muBclo and bono formors,
and, In addition, Is too concentrated
(not bulky enough for breeding
swlno). Tnnkngo, moat meal. Unseed
oil meal, skim milk, buttermilk, bran,
oats, middlings, shorts, soy bcanB,
clover and, alfalfa aro tho logical sup-
i'lumcnis to corn in tlio middle west
At tho Iowa station tho most ex
cellent rations for gilts carrying lit
tors nro:
1. Corn, 88 to 90 per cent; meat
meal or tankago containing 60 per
cent, protein, 10 to 12 por cent
2. Corn, 76 por cent; flnoly cut
clover or alfalfa, 25 per cent
3. Corn. 80 per cont; oats, chopped
clover or alfalfa, 10 por cent; mont
meal or tankage, 10 per cont.
For old sowfl tho proportion of moat
meal or tankage can bo cut down
practically one-third to two-fifths
and still got excellent results.
Stronger, honlthler Utters, having
moro hair, moro color nnd moro'Ebno,
havo boen tho tobuH whonovor wo
added a suitable protein nnd nsh sup
plomont to corn. Whon wo Bolcctod
our suppIomentB wisely wo nlBo got
cheaper plga. At present prices for
purchased protein nnd ash supplo
monts, meat mo.nl and tankago aro
our cheapest sources.
Above all things, excepting tho food
aupply only, an abundance of oxerclso
Is tho most Important. All classes of
pregnant nnimalB do woll only when
an abundant opportunity for cxorclso
Ib allowed. Tho general tono nnd
vigor of tho mother is reflected In tho
offspring; tho bettor tho genorat
health and condition of tho dnm, tho
stronger and moro vigorous tho
young.
Rnngo of pasture Is perhaps tho
boat of all. Allow tho bows to follow
cattlo for a whllo, but bo suro to ro
movo them whon they tend to bocomo
clumsy and heavy. Scatter tho feed
over tho ground, such as sheaf oats,
Boy bean hay, etc., and let tho sows
FARM LIFE BEST
FOR FAMILY MAN
Cost of Living in City Is So Much
Higher That Ordinary Man
Saves Little.
(Hy J. C. CUMMINGS.)
To tho Editor: I am glad to nolo
tho consldernblo Interest bclngaken
In small farms by thoso who havo
been bent on living in tho city.
I am glad to state that I foci thero
Is much moro enjoyment and happi
ness on tho small farm than thoro Ib
in city life, and this I know through
personal experience.
I am a carpenter by trade, looming
tho trado whllo living on a fnrm after
a year or two. I thought 1 could mako
moro money In tho' city, nB wngos wero
better, bo I went to tho city to work,
getting' wages ranging from 25 to 60
conta per hour.
I did not stop to figure tho cost of
living In tho city, but I found thnt It
was bo much higher than In tho coun
try thnt at tho end of each month I
was whoro I started.
Finally In despair I dccldod to mpvo
back to tho country on a small farm.
Wo got somo chickens, a cow and a
hog, and soon found our living Tamo
much easier and I also find I havo all
tho work I can do at my trado.
Whllo wages aro less per day than
In tho city, wo got our board In con
nection, which lessens tho expense
Farm llfo Ib more healthful and pleas
ant than city llfo.
What, for instance, ia moro onjoy
ablo than to go out and aeo a nice
flock of chlckons and at tho end of a
day gather a fow dozen eggs; at night
and morning milk a good cow and
havo your own good swoet butter nnd
puro milk for uso, and then at tho end
of tho summer put your winter supply
of produco In tho cellar?
ThlB Is all poaslblo on tho small
farm, and I nm certain that it many of
our city brothers know tho advan
tages of tho small farm, thoy would
not only cry "back to the farm," but
they would go.
" temmamm mmmmmimmm, in'
gather It Feed on tho side of thq
field opposlto tho sleeping bunks. Ah
low hay In racks, tho eating of whTcK
Is conductvo to light oxerclso. Shim,
tho sows from tho houses In tho tnldi
dlo of tho day, rather than allow tq
huddle up and snooze peaceably.,
Schemes to Induce excrclao cost llti
tlo, yet the returns aro considerable.,
Warmth, dryness, ventilation and!
sunlight nro cssontlals of an Ideal)
hoghouso. Such conducive condition
enn bo secured with a llttlo ford
thought. Good, dry bedding is
needed, and to ho kopt dry must bo
changed regularly, Arrango tlrn,
houscB bo as to avoid draughts and,
heavy winds, prefornbly placing thomj
In sheltered nooks. Although tho hog
can stand considerable cold, yet thoj
breeding hog does not havo tho fnt!
which ordlnnrlly keep tho fat hog
warm; neither does tho breeding bovi
hnvo a warm coat, ns tho horao, for;
Instance roughs it. Wo havoi
found In our exporlonco that Botislnlo-1
shelter saves many cents, '
Wo hog mon cannot afford to feod
our hard-earned corn nnd other
grains to llco nnd worms. Crude oil hi
chonp, costs not moro thnn $4 n bur-'
rel, Is easily npplted, and does tho llco
up brown and black honco, why
hesitate It kills tho nits nt ono appli
cation, and can bo used In wlntor, be
causo It Is an oil, and does not evnp
orato. An old broom or sprinkling
can, nnd a couplo of hurdles, handled
by two active men, Is sufficient equip
ment for ridding tho farm of ho
llco.
Worms nro a serious drawback. I
know of no better remedy than san
tonin, six grains; cnlomol, four grains
to a hundred pounds of hog, given
onco on an empty (twolvo hours off
feed) Btomach, and ropoutod In ten
days if necessary. It is not well to.
ubo any worm medlclno upon sows
within a couplo of months from far
row, becauso nil pregnant animals,
havo some tondency to ubort whonj
given a strong lnxattvo. Tho thing tor
do is to tend to tho wormB In tlmo.
Laxatlvenoss of tho bowels Is highly
desirable, as costlvencss Ib a menace.
Plenty of oxerclso, combined with lax
atlvo foods, such as tankage, oil meal,'
bran, alfalfa hay, otc, will largely
solvo the problem. Howovor, If It
does not, a week boforo farrowing an,
emergency remedy of an ounco of
Epsom salts por hundred pounds of.
hog will holp considerably.
"ANSWERS GIVEN TO
-POULTRY QUESTIONS.
Few Problems Regarding Incu
bators and Hatching Eggs
Treated by Expert.
(By M. nOYEU.)
W. E. H. The diyor tho air In the
Incubator, tho moro rapid the evap
oration. B. It. T. The llttlo eggs In tho In
cubntor throw off very llttlo heat for
about tho first two weoks.
K. T. Y. A high tempernturo during
tho early part of tho hatch Ib opt to
provo fatal.
T. Y. U. A rlso of tompcraturo to
110 degrees on tho olovcnth dny, if
not too prolonged, will not necessarily
provo fatal.
I. O. P. After removing tho Infer
tile eggs from tho machine, spread out
tho fertilo ones so thnt thoy occupy
tho samo relative position to ono an
othor. A. S. D. The Will to Holland tur
key variety aro among tho heaviest
layers.
S. D. F. Inbreeding, llco, dampness
and Improper food nro causes of great;
mortally among turkoya. ,
D. F. 0. Never breed from tho samo
gobblor more than ono year, unless
the samo breeding hens nro also re
tained for another season
F. G. H. Maryland and Phlludel-i
phla dry-picked turkeys commnnd tho
highest market prices, not only for1
tho reason thnt tho turkoyB nro fat
and usually of a flno grado, but that
thoy aro well bled in killing, which:
naturally gives tho akin a bleached,,
whlto appoaranco.
D. N. M, A quick growth and de
velopment, with nearly maturity, must,
como from food.
Attention to tho Cockerels.
Instead of keeping vhalf a dozen
cockerels that aro deformed and oth
orwlso unfit for duty, soil them all off
and got ono or two good onoa. Ono
cock can caro for fifteen or twenty
pullots. Dcttor havo blood than scrub.