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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 29, 1914)
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. k it m NOTES f ROM 1MEAD0WBR00K u:n:M.nui.fri v 7 vr iiiiaill .j.ALfig: Treat the cows gently. We must have good roads. Horses should not stand idle. Provide the hens with nests. The hog-tight fenco helps keep the mortgage off. It doesn't pay to feed a duck after It Is 10 weeks old. Bo sure that the male at the head of the poultry flock is pure bred. Eggs for hatching must bo from strong, healthy, well-fed chickens. Land that dries quickly after a rain is well adapted for raising poultry. ( Good Judgment Is worth more to the dairymen than his highest priced cow. Keep salt and wood ashes before the hogs all the time but in separate boxes. " A heavy crop of clover plowed un der, is ono of the best, restoratives of the soil. Have the main part of i your gar den so arranged that It can bo culti vated with a horse. Watoh the newly-broken colt. If his head begins to droop it's a sure sign you are overworking him. More feed can bo stored in a given space in the form of silage than in the form of fodder or hay. a In its first few weeks of life the calf takes on weight very fast, and will have a great appetite. Nest boxes free from, cracks and crevices arc best because such places are hiding places for vormln. When spraying do not work with bare hands. ' They'll be sore If you do. Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Corn, wheat and oats are the best , feeds for growing turkeys and dry grain chick feeds for the little tur keys. Dairying is rapidly becoming a science. It is being studied more ex tensively than almost any other line of farming! Grass Is of little value as a feed until a month after It starts in the spring. It must be supplemented with grain or hay. Chemical plant foods should be used chiefly to establish grasses and clovers that shall form the basis of future operations. Provide the herd with comfortable quarters at all times. Failure In this will impair the usefulness of tho ani mal and waste the feed. , Tho raising of poor horses Is one of the most unprofitable of farm oper ations as the raising of good ones Is ono of the most profitable. Ono of tho chief objects of a cover crop in an orchard is to assist in controlling the moisture content of the soil during late summer and early fall. Tho hens that are running around the barn are living under conditions that are moro natural, and when as well fed as tho others theywlll pro duce moro eggs. Good garden work cannot be easily dono unless good toolB are available. See that all tools are in good condi tion and that you have those best adapted for your work. An orchard with tho trees planted 40 by 20 feet, and a few rows of corn planted between the rows of trees, provides the most Ideal place for the rearing of small chicks. Plan now for tho silo. There is no building on the farm that will pay better returns to the farmer than a good silo properly built and filled on time, and In tho right way. Whan chicks are taken from tho in cubator or from the hatching nest, they should be kept qulot most of the time for tho first 48 hours. Rest will do them moro good than anything else. The time at which cultivation in the orchard shall cease and the cover crops bo sown is very largely a mat ter of Judgment. It depends almost entirely upon what soil molsturo con ditions are during the latter part of July, and what they are likely to be during the remainder of the season. HtT YfiM.Jlil.'1H iiii Keep baby chicks growing. Sheep are qulto profitable. ' Start slowly with poultry. Disk harrow is hidlBponsablo. A bad lino fence is likoly to make a bad neighbor. ' Tho important point in a fenco Is the corner post. Tho lamb must be kept growing rapidly from tho start There is no saving of food effected by putting alfalfa in a Bllo. Lime is an essential feature Jn most schemes of rebuilding tho Boll. Only such eggs as are well formed should bo used for hatching. Concrete floors in tho barn help a great deal in saving manure. Warm soil, next to seed, is tho great essential of a profitable corn crop. It's better to order tho silo now than two weeks before filling time. Tho sizo of tho incubator should de pend largely on the size of one's flock. The good, square walk as a gait for a farm horse is the most valuable of any. Eggs from sicker diseased fowls should never bo used for hatching pur poses. Keep the brood sow Just as long as Bho will produce largo and healthy litters. Cucumbers grow and mature quick If soil, cultural conditions and weath er are right. V . The health of tho horse depends to a great extent upon tho cleanliness of his skin. Tho windmill is ono of tho most neglected pieces of machinery wo have on tho farm. . It is moro pleasant as well a3 much more cleanly to milk clean, dry teats with clean, dry hands. , Tho pig allowed to bury himself In dust, fills all the air tubes and cavi ties of the lungs with it. The cold rain that turns into sleet and then terminates in a blizzard Is what live stock does not like. The man who. claims, ha never makes a mistake Is either blind with egotism or a liar generally both. Life Is still bright to tho man who is able to' sit down to a breakfast of buckwheat cakes and sausage. It takes four weeks for a duck to hatch, otherwise the method of hatch ing is practically the same a3 for chicks. A little' care at freshening time may save the young heifer and add very greatly to her value during the com ing year. AsparaguB requires a great deal of fertilizer and this should bo put on very early In the spring or any time during tho season. , Tho silo furnishes a cheap and cfll clent means of storing and preserv ing feed that would otherwise go to waste in the fields. Nests need not necessarily be ex pensive affairs; any old box o'r-barrel that is strong and substantial will answer every purpose. Anybody with ono good pig up to a hundred may feel good this spring, for Just now there is no moro profitable stock on earth than hogs. Pregnant brood sows should never bo allowed to run in tho same yards with cattle or horses. Many good sows havo been ruined by a kick. The draft horse can make more money by his great efficiency at heavy work than the light horse, can by his greater speed on the road. Turkeys should not remain in coops.l but should havo free range and some times will steal their nests, so must be watched during the laying season. Tho secret of making money from sheep in the corn bolt Is breeding the best mutton rams to range-bred ewes and having tho Iambs dropped in cold weather. It is a good thing to insist that tho food wo buy Bhall bo what it is labeled, whother wo eat it ourselves, feed it to our stock, or use it to fer tilize our soilB. A brush Is a great aid In cleaning milk vessels, especially strainers. It will'get down Into all tho small cavi ties that cannot well be thoroughly cleaned with anything else, The hen that wanders through the orchard, follows tho plow in the near by truck patch, hangs around the horse trough, the pig pen nnd tho sta bles is the hen that has the glow of health and the bloom of vitality about her. There is a redness In her comb that is lacking in that of the closely housed hen. TAKE THINGS EASY A Strong, Healthy Mare That Has Come Through the Foaling Period In Fine Condition. Her Colt Has a Good Start In Life, but There Is Always Moro or Less Daiiger In Allowing MarJs With Very Young Foalo to Run Together. (By C. S. MILLLIt.) Every year thousands of colts are lost through the bad handling of brood mares. As a general rulo it is safo to say that farmers do Inot appreciate how easily a maro with foal cau bo in jured. , It does a brood maro no harm to be worked gently up to within ten days or two weeks of foaling, but if she is subjected to sudden Btrain by being fprced to pull a big load out of a tight place or is driven through heavy mud or deep snow drifts, trouble is almost sure to follow. One of tho most common causes of injury to mares in foal is slipping on tho ice in tho early spring. If the maro must bo driven Bhe ghould bo shod with light, sharp shoes, but she should never bo used on the road when It Is avoidable. ' Swinging doors of box stalls are also prolific sources of danger as a maro may bo caught In a half closed door. A blow on tho body with a heavy baiter In the hands of a hot tempered man may cause the loss of a foal. Mares with foal should never bo driven, but always led. Mares with foal, particularly when close to tho foaling period, are apt to be quarrelsome, and If two or more aro permitted to run together, there 1b always danger that they may bo In jured in a fight. A kick in the abdo men has caused the loss of thousands of foals. The more with foal should have light exercise, but It is always safer to work her gently than to allow her to run in the pasture with other horseB, particularly If they have free access to tho open door of tho bam. Mares are frequently Injured by be ing crowded against the door Jamb by other horses when entering or leaving the barn. If tho mare Is with foal In the stable keep the premises perfectly clean at all times, with plenty of clean, soft bedding. As soon as the foal arrives, all the bedding should be at once re moved and burned, and the floor should be thoroughly cleaned and sprinkled with disinfectant. The colt should havo constant care for several days immediately after GETTING SPRING ONIONS TO FRONT Fresh Vegetables Put Up in Neat Packages Are Always in De mand in All Big Cities. (By LA VILLA WRIGHT MACOMBEH.) Having discovered, after several seasons of experience, that large sizo seta ylejd better than the email ones and occupy no more space, we sort out our small, even sized sets in early spring and sell to the stores, retaining all the medium or largo left over onions to set for marketing. Often grocers who have a large amount of grown onions left over in t their cellars aro glad to get rid of them for little or nothing and they make the best of sets even when the sprouts are spindled for" they soon straighten out of doors and have near ly a week tho start of those not al ready sprouted. We set our onions JUBt as soon as tho ground can bo plowed and roughly leveled, leaving enough spaco between the closely set rows to cultivate with a wheel hoc. A cold snap or light snow does not hurt them except to retard growth and wo find that tho sets must be placed in the ground and ( pushed along for market at tho earli est possible date to meet the first de mands, which, before town gardens begin to bear, are brisk. Our onions are placed on tho mar ket as soon as the bulbs b'cgln to show slightly roundod bottoms and our customers prefer them at that stage rather than when tho bottoms are nicely rounded and the onion flavor moro pronounced. The extromo tips of tho bunch only aro clipped to give a neater appearance and they are tied well down onto the tops that tho string may not cut into the tender white part. As our orders are usually sent in tho day before, the onions aro pulled In the evening and left standing, bot toms down, in tubs of water over night. Tho water loosens tho rotten outsldo skins which may be easily slipped down and tho roots clipped (not too closely or the cut ends will WITH BROOD WARES birth to Insure a good" start in life. Contrary to the prevailing opinion among farmers, tho hot which InfcotB tho stomach of tho horse is often harmful to both young and old ani mals, and may be especially disastrous to colts. Tho hot is tho larval Btago of the horse botfly. Tho botfly repro duces by depositing light yellow, oval eggs, which are attached by tho adult female to the hair of tho legs, breast, and neck. Tho eggs hatch; then the horse licks itself nnd- some of tho small larvao aro taken through tho mouth Into tho stomach, where they attach themselves firmly to tho lining. By their parasitic tendencies a'largo number of bots covering tho lining of tho stomach damage the interior of that organ, prevent digestive action, and in somo cases cause the horse to remain in such a poor condition that death may ensue. It is probablo that many cases of poor condition in horses thought to be duo to worms aro really duo to heavy Infestation with bots. A very effective treatment which will remove bots within 24 to 48 hours Is as follows: Tho duy preceding tho treatment a-small amount of hay and a moderates amount of oats la given In tho morning; In the evening food Is withheld and a purgative given Bar bados aloes, 1 ounce; or raw llnBeed oil, 1 pint. Tho day of tho treatment, at C o'clock in the morning, give 3 drams of carbon blsulphld in a gelatin capsule; nt 7 o'clock repeat tho dose In the Bamo manner; and at 8 o'clock give the third and last dose, making in all 9 drams of carbon blsulphld In three gcletln capsules. Tho above treatment Is for. the adult horse. For a yearling colt half tho quantity of carbon blsulphld used for a mature horse will give tho desired results. If properly administered, tho gela tin capsule reaches tho stomach in tact, but soon dissolves, and the car bon blsulphld rapidly evaporates, suf focating all bot larvao and other para sites with which it comes in contact, but not injuring the horse. Worms are quite often expelled as well. This remedy has been used with a largo number of animals, and has proved successful. curl back) with a stout sharp knito. Tho soaking over night is a valuable labor savor especially when largo or ders must bo delivered for tho early morning trade. Our onions are sent to market In lots of a dozen bunches each, wrapped In plain wrapping paper and tied loosely with stout cord, to prevent dUBt from settling on them In transit The yellow Danvers variety 1b our favorite for green onlonB because of their quick and' uniform growth, fresh white color and mild flavor. Sprouts of red onions are tougher and streaked with purpllBh color which dealers do not like, Invariably preferlng a pure white onion for bunch onions. Unquestionably It pays to bo partic ular when preparing vegetables for market for those of tho freshest and neatest appearanco are always sought for while tho careless peddler who brings in half cleaned, unoven-bunchos sometimes none too fresh and covered with dust, has some to take back. Failures In Poultry. Failures In poultry! Of cours6 there are, and also In every other line of business. In poultry failures, how ever, the blame Is laid on the Ameri can hen. In other lines It is laid on tho men who fnlled to mako good. The same holds good in all poultry opera tions. It Is the man behind the gun who either makes a success or a fail ure. , Training the Heifer. If tho heifer intended for tho dairy herd is trained to come right into tho stnblo and is haltered, handled and fed as the cowb aro, you will experi ence much less difficulty with her at her first calvJng period. Hor milk producing capacity also will be great er than that of tho wild, neglected, un ruly heifer. Value In the Soil. Farmers do not realize tho Immense valuo there is in the soil, This is part ly due to their ignorance of the fer tility and tho permanent pobslbllltles Conditions will not materially change until farms are cut Into Binaller tracts and moro diversified farming Is pro ZOIOIOIZIIIO LYING IN AMBUSH By CARL JENKIN8. Thoro were eight tamo rabbits Just olght. Whon a girl nineteen years old In sists on keeping oven two tamo rab bits nround tho family country home, that family is In for trouble A family cat can bo "scat-tod;" a family dog can bo hit with tho broom stick; a family goat can bo brained with tho ax and then argued with. But what can bo dono with tamo rab bits? Thoy aro in tho kitchen under tho cook's foot. They nro to bo found up stair under or on tho beds. Thoy gnaw tho tender bark from young treos. Their presenco attracts pass ing dogs, and then thoro is a wild skurry and a squealing. Thoso rabbits must bo guarded and fed. Thoy must be hunted up at sundown and cooped. When they got to, fight ing among themselves at midnight and wake up tho family and causo tho man of tho houso to swear by tho whis kers of his father and tho glrl-ownor to scream to them from hor window when tho rabbit named Caesar fights with tho rabbit namod Tom, nnd causes n succession of shrieks, no ono can bla tho man of tho house from calling out to his daughter through tho darkness: "By thunder, young lady, this Is tho Inst night thoso varmints will ralso a row nround this houso I" "Thoy are not varmints!" comos tho reply. "They nro worse, and 111' wring their blamod necks tho first thiug In tho morning!" - And tho girl steals softly down 6tairs and tells Caesar that ho must amoiid his conduct or bo turned loose to shift for hlmsolf, and after n tlmo tho row is quieted, and tho moon goea back to her Job of sailing around tho earth. When morning comes there Is no wringing of nocks. It's a moan man that will twist a rabbit's head ot. And so tho Incident Is forgotten un til next time, and Miss Viola keeps risht on with the nuisance, nnd do votes more time to thoso eight rabbits than would mako 16 young men very happy. There was a change on tho way, 'howover. Miss Viola Rathbono got up ono morning to discover that two of hor rabbits had escaped. No, they had not escaped. They had been taken from tho hutch by human handB and tho door carefully closed agatn. She ran into tho houso to glvo tho alarm and to add in a hysterical volco: "Father, I want that negro Sam arrested 1" "For what?" "Becauso ho took tho rabbits." "Ural" "When he was working hero ho was always telling how nico rabbit stow was." , "Did ho lcavo his old hat behtnd to Bhow that ho was tho thief?" "Of courso not, but ho got tho rab bits." "Perhaps so." "Perhaps it is flo, and I want you to tolephono tho constablo to .come over hero right away." "I never mix up In rabbit cases." "But I do," and away she wont to tho telephone and ordered tho officer to appear forthwith. Ho camo and listened. "Why do you think It was Sam?" ho asked. "Becauso ho know about tho ran bitB." "But so do I.'' "And ho Just loves rabbit soup." "Ditto." "Bat if you arrest him you can scare him into confessing." "But I can't arrest him. Ho is working a hundred miles away." "Then, if ho didn't tako tho rabbits, who did?" demanded tho indignant girl. "Tramps, I guess." "Yes, you guess, and that is to be tho end ot It!" "I guess it is. Thrco tramps went into camp down tho road lafit night This morning I spied around a bit, and I found fur and bones," "An.'l you didn't make an arrest!" "Can you swear that they wore tho fur anl bonos of your rnbbltl?" "Of courso, I can!" "All right, then. You go before tho Justico of the penco and Bwear out a warrant and I'll overhaul tho fellows before noon." Miss Viola didn't go, Sho decided that other creatures had fur and bones besldos her rabbits, and that tho Jus tice would so hold. Sho reasoned, howover, that If ono gang of trampB had como along and stolen two of her rabbits a larger gang might bo looked for any time who would steal four, and maybe the whole of tho flock. Iler fathor had no interest nor enro, and hor mother no words of condol enco, but sho was old enough and big enough to protect her own Her hrothor was away at collego, but ho had left his shotgun behind. Tho rabbit hutch was below and not far from her bedroom window. If any one camo spooking around sho would fill them with bird shot and aches and palnB. From eleven o'clock till two for four successive nights sho was on guard at hor window, and then she reaped her reward. Before relating what that reward was, It Is stated that nbout a mllo be low tho Hathbono placo llv,ed a widow er named Danforth. Ho had a son namod Itobort who had a placo In a bank in tho city, and usually camo down to stay over Sunday, Old Dan forth, as he was usually referred to, was rich nnd eccentric. He was also domineering and Btubborn. Tho fourth night ot Miss Viola's watch was a Saturday night and tho son did hot get down until hours after tho usual tlmp. Tho father was grumpy over this, nnd about ntno o'clock in tho evening discovered that his old dog was missing.' It wasn't much ot a dog, but his master went out and took n long hunt for him, and then enme back to say to his son! "You sit hero as if It was of no in torest to you whethor that dog Is liv ing or doadl" "Why, father, nothing has happoned to old Buck," was tile reply. "You don't know, you don't care I "But I do care, fathor. If the old dog isn't home in an hour I'll go out and look for him." At ten o'clock tho canine had not returned. Mr. Danforth was stewing nbout It as much as if ho had lost a horso, and ho finally said: "Robort, you go down tho road and I'll go up. I shouldn't wonder If 'Buck' had gono up as far as Rath bone's. That girl of 'theirs has got somo skunks or coons or rabbits for pets, and ho may have gone sniffing, nround." Miss Viola Rathbono and Mr. Rob ort Danforth had nover mot Boclally. Accident might bavo brought about an introduction, but there had beon no accident aB yet. When the young man went out to look for tho dog it was far from his mind that thoro would bo an accident that would af fect his future years. Whon Miss Viola took her seat at tho window at cloven o'clock1 she had slight hopes of firing a handful of bird-shot over a tramp'o head and run- , nlng him into tho next county, but nothing beyond that. Old Danforth walked up tho dusty highway whistling and muttering, and halting now and then to say: "If I find tho old dog up thoro I'll boot him all tho way home, and I'll go thoro tomorrow and tell that girl what I think of her! No girl has any business to koop pots around that will encourage a dog to run away from home. By hokcy, this world is getting wuss and wubs all tho tlmo!" Tho rabbit hutch was In slgllt over tho fence from the street Mr. Danforth thought ho saw his old dog spooking around, and he whlB tled. "Ah, it's a tramp's signal 1" ex claimed Miss Viola as sho started up. "Darn that dog, I'll go in there and B30 what's holding on to him!'' mut tered tho owner. Step! Step! Stop! The gun was softly poked out of tho window. No dog in sight, but the old man approached tho hutch to sco if ho could mako out what sort of pets were inside In the wlndownbove tho girl drew a long breath, hoped sho might go to heaven when she died, shut hor eyes and pulled trigger. Viola had nover soon an old man nn eccentric man an irritable man r-ceive a chargo of birdshot whlla bending over n rabbit hutch or any other old hutch! Ho exclaimed! Ho roared I Ho galloped about In a circlo and turned handsprings. Twenty seconds after the dtschargo of tho gun Mr. Rathbono was In his daughter's room and demanding: "What in tho namo of Tophot havo you been doing now!" "Oh, father, I have killed a tramp! "Tho devil you havo! Lot me seel" ''Ho was after my rabbits. Will they electrocute mo for killing him?" "I don't believe that's a tramp. I'm going down to see." Three minutes later he was bending over the victim and flashing tho light of a lantern In his faco. "Say," ho Bald, as ho turned to hi daughter, who Btood tearful and trem bling. "You havo Bhot old Danforth!" . "Oh-h-h-h!" "Yes, sho has!" came from the bundle on tho grass, "and she'll go to state prison for tho rest of her life!" Of courao, ho was taken in nnd put to bed, and of courso the doctor was called. It was Mies Viola herself who had to ring up young Robert Danforth and announce:. ' "Hurry right over here! I havo Just shot your father!" Has a shotgun and birdshot any thing to do with falling In lovo? It certainly had in this cobo. By tho timo the old man could be moved homo the young folks were In lovo. nnd stranger yet, tho victim of tho gun was glad of It Miss Viola will not keep rabbits after the wedding. "Buck," tho lost dog, camo homo nil right Ho had Just been over to lick tho constable's dog. There wore AZ birdshot in tho gun. N (Copyright. Mil. by tho McCluro Newspa per Syndicate.) Familiar With Melodrama. Tho principal of an acadomy In Providence had been In tho hnblt of re quiring tho boys in his Shakespearian class to glvo appropriate titles for the scenes In tho different plays. After reading "Tho Merchant of Venice," ho asked one ot the boys to suggost a good title for the scone in which Jessica steals away from hor father's house with Lorenzo. The boy, after a few mlnutee thoughtful silence, showed his famili arity with melodrama as well as Shakespeare, by answering: "No Mother to duido Hor." i