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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1913)
NOTES eSfraa MMDOWBROOK '&kr farm J VWWWWW Swino relish milk. Look after all details. Watch all farm Implements. Experience Is a valuable asset. Let the poultry have a share of the sour milk. It Is no easier to keep poultry than any other stock. In housing the little chicks glvo them plenty of room. Always test the hen on china or nest eggs before setting. In fighting weedB, starting early is three-fourths of the battle. For strong fertility there should bo a chango of male birds once a week. If tfeveral hens are set In one room, it Is desirable to confine them in good nests. If a cow is not worth good feeding she is not worthy to be a member of your herd. Gather and burn the brush; and plow the orchard not deeper than three or four inches. . Toe-mark tho chicks as soon as they are hatched. This enables one to tell their ages later. A paste of cow manure and clay bound on the wound of a girdled tree will often save it. First-class fruit in first-class shape will probably create an inquiry for more of tho same kind. Don't shut tho chicks too closely at night, as they must have air and lots of it in order to do well. Young chicks should not be fed wholly on concentrates. They should have generous allowances of green foods. Some exercise Is necessary to the raising of chickens, but do not give too much, as that is worse than not any at all. ' A chicken that ceases to grow n tho growing period has disease waiting on it at every point, which will soon at tack the weakest spot. Keep a flock of hens, a good cow or two, prepare for a good garden this year, and you won't have to complain of the high cost of living. Tnko great care when manuring raspberries not to fork too deep, as tho raspberry, being a surface rooter, its roots can bo easily damaged. r Better feeding means the growing of more homo crops. The palatiblllty and nutritive value depends largely upon the way In which they are cured It ie very foolish to go to tho cost and labor of shocking corn then leave It out in the field until wind has blown dirt into it and weather has ruined it as a feed. Dreed from tho hens that retain their color after molting. By this means you will finally get even col ored chickens. This applies to all buff and red breeds. With veal at its present high price there Is a big temptation to let some of tho dairy heifers go. But the care ful dairyman does not let this tempta tion get t)ie better of his judgment. Good farm Implements are neces sary these days for successful farm ing. It is not economy to make out without lmplomenta that are badly needed on your farms. Invest in need ed equipment Sweet clover does the best when sown upon sod, but any soil, unless acid, will grow sweet clover. Sweet clover likes a limestone boII. In fact, it will grow upon gravel beds which are rich In limestone. There are a few soils In the United States where an application of a com plete fertilizer ono containing nitro gen, potash and phosphorus will re turn so much profit as tho application of just the elements that are needed Few soils are exhausted In all three elements. According to Professor S. J. Hunter of Kansas, tho best way to get rid' of grasshoppers in the alfalfa fields Is by the use of the disk harrow. Professor Hunter hns been carrying on experi ments for several years to eliminate tho destructive hoppers and from the results of thoBo experiments he haB learned that disking Is not only fatal to tho grasshopper, but that it also greatly Increases the yield of alfalfa. WS&. Keep tho cods down. A hen can be kept too long, Glean up nnd burn tho rubbish. Don't confine tho chloks closely. Tho dust bath is a natural enemy to lice. A female fly will deposit ICO egga at a laying. Filth In tho summer months should never be allowed. Broody henB should be moved to tho permanent sitting nest at night. Do not depond too much upon tho ram for improvement; uclect your ewes as well. Foliage and fruit diseases nrc usu ally controlled with llttlo difficulty by spraying. Poultrymen should Belect their breeding stock carefully and then tnke care of It. When Bpraylng, If showers come and wash off tho poison, sprny those trees a second time. Eggs saved for hatching purposes should not be subjected to high or low temperatureB. Setting hens should bo placed where tho rest of the flock will disturb them as little as possible. If you have no trees In your chicken yards plant some corn to make shade while the trees are growing. ' Bo sure to keep nlcnty of fresh wa ter before the hens. A great amount of water is used to form the egg. Do not let the ambition for keeping all the now breeds you hear of cause you to make a failure with poultry. Before any new chicks come eee thnt there are no scales on tho hens' legs no mites or lice In tho poultry quarters. In seasons when dought prevails a better stand of ilover can bo se cured by sowing tho seed without a nurse crop. If chicks have no stamina, get shunted, or'are diseased, It Is the enre lesB, Ignorant or lazy caretaker who Is to blame. Calves can well be fed corn ensilage as soon as they are old enough to ho fed solid food stuffs, but they must not be overfed. Tools and Implements In their places and In good repair when not in use save lots of time when those busy spring days come. A record should bo kept of each hatch, showing the date set, number and kind of eggs, number tested out, and the chickens hatched. Tho bill of faro should have a va riety. Fowls do not wish to bo con fined to a single article of food any more than men do, and It is not good for them. Light plows are all right for land thnt Is free from stone; but look out for your ribs whero there are mnny stones. For such land better get a heavier plow. Potatoes planted In old land or rich garden soil are apt to bo scabby nnd worm eaten; a teasnoonful of sulphur thrown onto the tubers when dropped will prevent both evils. It Is muscle and bone that are re quired to withstand hardship and In active colts never develop either like those which have the advantage of plenty of exercise every day. Chilled eggs are responsible for a good dent of "bad luck" with incuba tors, but as a general thing eggs In the process of hatching will Htand more cooling than many peoplo think. Use labor-saving devices. The high price of labor and importance of prompt planting, cultivating, spraying, etc., make it, absolutely necessnry to use effective tools and farm machin ery. Lambs should be (locked when they are from S t,o 10 days old, according to tho advice of the Minnesota ex periment station. At that tlmo tho young animal receives practically no setback. FreBh bones contain a small quanlty of animal matter which is useful for food. They are in their best condition when fresh and unburned. Burning or charring consumes the animal mat ter and makes them Just so much less valuable. The roots of tho small grain crops, as wheat and oats, are more fibrous than tho roots of such crops as corn, and the great masB of tho roots of these crops is confined to the fur row slice For this reason a well pre pared seedbed Is oven more essential thai for tho coarser feeding crops. In shoeing horses It should be re membered that some horses have so strong a development of tho horny structure of tho foot that a consider able portion needs to bo removed at each shoeing, while others require, If It were possible, horn to be added, for in them the wear is greater than the growth. Bear this point In mind in getting horseB shod. MANY VALUABLE ANIMALS RUINED DURING FIRST SEASON BY LACK OF PROPER CARE Sheep Owner Who Wishes to Make Profit Out of His Rock Should Stand by and Help Nature in Case of Trouble Best Ewes Usually Suffer From Congestion of Udder. Profitable Flock of Ewes. Of course, nature may be rellod up on to pull most domestic animals through the stress of birth, but the man who wants to moke n profit out of his Hock will stand by to help out in thd cuse of trouble. Many valuable young owes are ruined during their first lambing season by lack of caro, nnd this is es pecially true pf those thnt happen to suffer from congestion of the udder. Tho aggravating part of It is that It Is tho freest milkers, those thnt would make tho best mothers, thnt always suffer from tho caking and In flammation of tho udder that may unfit them for anything snve mutton. When a ewe gives n great deal of milk, her lamb Is apt to suckle but ore side, leaving the other to distend, hciden, cake and lnflnmo. Within a day or two tills hardening may result in the loss of half the udder I spend several days during nnd after the lambing season going from one ewe to another, nnd examining them for traces of caked udders nnd inflammation. If I find n large amount of milk in either side, 1 milk it out in order to equalize' the pres sure on the tissues. I try to tench tho lamb to nurse both sides. Of course, nil this takes time and n good deal of patience, but it Is worth the trouble. Several years ago I leurned that re ducing the amount of feed n day or two before lambing tlmo would help to prevent caking of the udders. This i educes tho sujiply of milk thnt Is be ing creatod, nnd helps to make the inflamed and caked udder n gYeat deal less threatening. Of course, nb soon as I see that the danger of such dlBtui banco is over, I start feeding the full rntlonB again. When the lamb Is taking practically nil tho milk furnished from tho first, ATTENTION NEEDED FOR SHEEP FLOCK Animals Are Dainty Eaters and Will Not Touch Hay Mussed Over by Other Stock. Sheep are dainty feeders. They will not eat hay that other stock have mussed over, and they will refuso grain taken from a ratty crib. Sheep should have a well ventilated shed, high and dry. In dry weather, says u writer in the Practical Farmer, they should bo allowed their freedom to run out and In at their will. Nothing will feel or show neglect aB quicki as sheep. Place the unthrifty owes by themselves nnd give them a little ex tra feed. Perhaps they aro suffering from tho greed of the bosses in the flock, nnd are not getting a full ra tion. Onts, wheat, bran, linseed meal nnd clover hay should be provided for ewes. Dip the sheep immediately aft t shearing and agnln in about three weeks to destroy tho ticks that may have escaped at the first dipping. GOOD TREATMENT FOR "GREASE HEEL" Trouble Usually Comes From Excessive Dampness, Due to Filthy Stables. (Hy IS. T. IUKi:n, Veterinarian. Idaho Kxperlment Station ) Scratches, otten called "grease heel" or eczema, often becomes u chronic disorder, with thickening of the hldn around tho fetlock, leaving a decided blemish. This trouble usually conies from ex cessive dampness, due to muddy roads and filthy stables. Another cuum Is currying off dry mud with all the strength of an athjetic arm, Irritating the skin. Sometimes the system is In poor condition and needs building up, nnd, again, some horses seem pre disposed to the disease. Do not regard it us a trifling trou ble, but promptly attend to the condi tion. It 1b often cheaper in the long run to consult the local veterinarian, who will advise the proper treatment. Clipping the fetlock and applying some bland ointment is often all that Is needed in a mild case. it is snfc to stlmulnto tho flow by stronger feeding, says a writer in tho Farm Progress. Local treatment may aid In saving the usefulness of the owe. In enso 1 happen on n owo already suffering fiom caked udder, 1 get her up to tho barn ub quick as I con, nnd glvo her the hot water treatment. This con sists of setting her back on her haunches nnd freely applying hot water to the udder. Thin rellovos con gestion by sending a stronger flow of bleed through tho udder. Following tho hot-water treatment a thorough rubbing, kneading and massaging of the udder Bhould fol low. I have used ointments and snlyos to correct thlB trouble, but I find that rubbing Is just ubout as offoctlvo without the balves and ointments as with them. I use hot or warm lard, and. find thnt It is ns effective ub mercurial ointments, bluo ointments or any of the rest of them. Warm vaseline Is just as good, hut appar ently no better than ordinary lard. The careful rubbing and twisting of the udder Is tho thing that helps. Frozen ground, wet bedding and general exposuro at or about lamb ing time helps to bring on those ud der troubles. Thero should be plenty of warm, dry bedding .between tho ewes and the .damp earth or n cold cement floor. It Is dnngorous to tho ewes, young or old, to allow them to lie with newly distended udder on the wet earth where tho frost Is still lingering. If tho caked udder runs its usual course It destroys tho milk-producing nbillty of half tho uddor, and unfits j tho owe re;: anything n.xcept tho mut ' ton pnib This wtjrt be caused by lack j of attention within tho two weeka I around lambing tlmo. SWEET PEPPER IS MOST PALATABLE No Vegetable Produces More Table Enjoyment if Given , Little Care and Study. Your garden ought to bo well sup plied with that most pulatnblo veg etable, the sweet pepper. Many peo ple Imagine that nil poppers aro too hot to bo eaten with comfort, but this 1b n great mistake. Tho only hot portiona nro tho seeds, and they can be removed be'foro the cooking. Green peppers nro cooked In n vari ety of wftys and there 1b no vege table that produces more tablo enjoy ment thun theso vegetnbleB, If a lit tle study and caro aro given to their growth and preparation for tho ta ble. , Perhaps the earliest variety is tho Neapolitan. If well-grown plants nro Bet out eurljr they will produco lino fruit in June." The fruit first turns to n light yellow nnd then to a brilliant scarlet. .The Ruby King, tho Bull Nose, or Sweet Bell aro fine peppers. They aro blunt-nosed, round, and about two or three Indies long. Tho Kuby King Is a llttlo larger than the Bull Nose and its flesh Is very mild and Bweet. TIicbo plants grow about threo feot high, und'ure not easily blown down. The largest varloty Is the Chinese Giant. The flesh Is thick nnd sweet, and can be eaten raw, Peppeis requiro .rather light, well drained soli, und they must he kept growing from tho stnrt. If growth Is checked by cold weather or lack of moisture, they will not mature woll. When the plants show two or three loaveb In beed bed, transplant Into smnll cans or flower pots and again transplant when all danger of froBt la past and In fact not until tho wouther becomes quite warm. Place a shovelful of woll-rotted manure In each hill. L M. Bennington. Japan's Appreciation. Japanese cherry trees nro due to decorate one of Now York city's popu lar resident sections next Benson Subjects of Japan who live In thlB country have presented 1,200 trees to the city ns a murk of appreciation of the city's hospitality to foreigners. The trees lire being cared for by the imperial agricultural department in Tokyo. POULTRY EKTS ROOSTER LOWERS EGG YIELD Interesting Tests Made at New York Experiment Station on Presence of Males In Flock, i Tho belief used to bo gcnornl mnny years ago that hens would not lay without tho presence of a mnlo bird in tho flock. And oven today there are a few peoplo that contend the mnlo stimulates egg production to n greater or loss extent. Men who have raised poultry for years still cling to this notion and persist In kcoplng n lot of males hanging about whero only oggs aro wanted. Tho Now York Experimental stn tlon made up four pons of pullets, two consisting of pure-bred stock nnd two of mixed stock. With one pen of each class cockorolB wcro kept, while with tho othorB none wcro allowed. Tho cockerels wcro put with tho two pons two months beforo any began laying. Some pullets In each of the two pens In which no cockorolB wore put began laying n month beforo any in tho two containing cockerels. The fowls wore of tho ABlntlc broods and rather porslstont sitters. No uttempl was made to discourage nny of tho hens from Bitting, and thero seemed to bo no difference In tho relntlvo number of sitters In tho contrasted penB. Of tho croBS-hrcd pullets tho lot without males laid bettor through out tho season and also during tho host egg senson. Of tho other lot tho ono without males began layln? onrllor nnd did bettor thnn tho one with males during tho first pnrt of the season, but It fell slightly behind for tho lntter months, though during that porlod they kept oven with tho lot which was accompanied by males. It was thought that tho vlco of feath er eating which broke out In this pen had much to do with tho falling off in egg production. From theso experiments it would sooin that tho prescuco of mnles hns n detrimental Influence upon tho egg ylold. This Ib nlso tho theory ad vanced by many In recent yenrB, and It Is now pretty generally accepted by prominent egg farmers. HINTS ON DUCKS AND GEESE Newly Hatched Goslings Weigh About Four Ounces Turkeys Are Slow at the Start. A Pekln duckling weighs about two ounces when hatched and should tnke on weight aa follows: Threo to four weeks, 1 pound; bIx to eight weeks, 4 to -4V& pounds; nnd at ten weeks, White China Geese. 5 to G pounds. Ducklings should be marketed from nine to twelve weekB of ago. After that they tako on weight slowly, and It Is not profitable to keep them longer thnn twelve weeks Gceso grow ubout aB rapidly as ducks. Allowuuco of courso must bo mr.do for tho original dlfforenco In size-4 newly hatched goslings weigh ing about four ounces. TurkoyB do not grow rapidly at tho start, hut de velop much quicker after threo months of ago. It is hard to fatten a stunted chicken. BoyB and girls should bo encouraged to ralso poultry. Wet feet are just as bad for henB ns they aro for folkB. Tho hen that lays ir.0 eggs In a year Is doing mighty good laying. For tho city market there 1b noth ing between tho broiler and ronstor. Every weok thoro should bo a fresh supply of clean, Hue earth lu tho dust box. No "wonder somo men's hens never weigh anything. Tho llco huvo Just about carried them away. Nobody vantB to buy a dirty egg, and tho only wny to keep tho eggn clean is to keep tJio nests clean. Middlings nnd commcal wet with skim milk make a fine forcing feed for culls that nro to be marketed. Spraying a chicken house with 1 to 20 solution of lime-sulphur will effectually destroy ull nltH nnd lice. An unruly or greedy rooster hnH no place In a chicken yard; tho ilinner table Is the safest roost for him. Well managed poultry Is preferublo to farm corps In that poultry will pro duce an Income at all times of tho year. Thero is no such thing as ogg lay ing typo. There Is but ono true test of tho layer, und thut la by the aid of tho trap nest. HHIMuK sit. Ik H IpODLMMECI Vr- N OWM&S Tn7 .fT? m liPYWSirPA Pa Ih feeling1 rnthor chipper, ovory dar ho wears a vnllct, Though he 1ms no public officio ntul koep- working all the wlillo. They have not increased his wagon, nnd they never will, I giien, Hut IiIb look In ulwayn cheerful and ho'o " full of hopefulness. HIh overcoat Is seedy nnd his pants bap at tho knees; Wo aro tiot among the peoplo who can travel over sens: Die price of llvlng'n higher than it ought lu Lfi, I in il ,u, tint pa's clinging to his courage and ho UIKUB U ilUlUWl VIU1V, I'lio folkB next door lmve lately Jind t fiiit ji ana jlntttli It aceiiia they've been unlucky It's tli mm mi over town; They have sold their now jiloctrlo ma. pretends It wan too Mind Bo It seonii pa needn't buy ono, and it makes him mighty Kind. The Point of View. "Pooplo talk about thirteen being" an unlucky number," sho said, "but t :an't say that I hnvo found It so. A, year ago Now Year's day I sat dowa to dinner whero thero wore thirteen, at tho table," "And didn't anything happen?" hor friend asked in nmnzement. "Oh, yes, considerable happened.) Tho hostess and two of tho guests, hnvo died since thou." "Well, for goodncsa' aako, how can you say, after all this, that you don't consider sitting at a tablo whore thero aro thirteen unlucky?" "Possibly It wnB unlucky for aomo of them," sho said, Booming to rolloct,. 'but It was my turn to ontortaln thlB year, nnd you sco thoro woro only ten to bo provided for. Not Merely a Matter of Choice. "No, sir, you can't convince mo thnt ho Is a renl pool. His attompt to look llko the traditional bard Is too obvious. If he wcro not masquerading ho would not feel called upon to let his half hang down over his shouldura nnd wear a soft shirt thrown opon at that front. Ho would lot his work instead 5f his mako-up speak for him." "But you must remombor, my doar fellow, that hla long hair and opon. hlrt obviate tho noccsslty of wearing clean collars." When 8he Wasn't.- "The DrlbbleBons have always boon woll off, I believe." "No, not alwuya. I saw Mrs. Drlb bloson onco when sho wasn't." "Why, I thought her fnthor Inhorlted lila money." "Perhaps ho did. Tho tlmo I rofor to was onco when sho had removed hersolf from a car by stopping back ward." j. A Unappreciated. Ho had n kind nnd'Bentfo hearty He grloved to seo mon sail;. Ho tried to play a noblo pnrt And sought to mako men glad. Ho canio with stories day by day And told them o'er and o'or To mako mon happier, and they Groaned: "ilcavens, what a bora!" His Liberal Spirit. "I never know him to refuso to give uld In what ho considered a. deserving case." "Did you over know him to boo what ho considered a deserving case?" "Woll, no, I don't bollevo I over did now that you mention It." Dig Job. "I rend somowhero tho other day that tho German emperor has a nun Jred and oloven dlfferont rosidoncea. "Goodness! I wondor If tho poor cm prcsB has to find tho help for all of them?" Not Just What 8he Meant. "It Is my aim in Ilfo," ho said; "to do something every day that will make men happier." "Ah," sho exclaimed with grout en thusiasm, "that muat ho why you koop o secluded." r V i l'1'.V I v k I F'.-MM ft