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NOTES s?w-
CHEAP AND CONVENIENT POULTRY HOUSE
EXCELLENT QUALITIES OF KARAKULE SHEEP
MMDOWBR00K
FARM
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THE SEMt.WEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
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Poultry House,
Front Elevation
(By N. C. CHAPMAN, Minnesota Agrl
cultural College)
The house described Is cheap, com
modious, comfortable, convenient and
clean. It gives sufficient floor room,
and ample air space, for from 50 to
75 fowls, according to breed. Its
construction is such as to reduce to
a minimum the time required to feed,
water and care for the fowls. All
tho internal furnishings are movable;
all the crevices in the walls, etc., run
up and down; thus the "daily work of
cleaning is greatly facilitated and
complete disinfection made eaBy.
Its dimensions, 12 by 24, are such as
to insure economy In material, it is
live feet high at the rear and seven
feet in front. It can be put on a post,
etone or cement foundation, with
either earth, wooden or cement floor,
as deBired. The simple frame of
two by fours Is covered with well-seasoned
pine boards, 12 inches wide, set
up and down on all sides. The joints
are covered with battens five-eighths
by four inches, well nailed on. Other
12-inch boards, covered with rubberoid,
form the roof.
Material 12 feet in length is used
throughout. The long sills, plntes, gir
ders and rafters are made by placing
two 12-foot pieces end to end and
joining by nailing o three-foot piece of
scantling on the side.
Sides. To construct the north side,
alii and plate were laid on edge, five
feet apart on the ground, with the
girder laid flatwise equidistant be
tween them. Twenty-two boards were
cut, five feet in length, and nailed as
closely as in laying a floor. One
board was left off at each end, for
convenience in making joints at tho
corners.
The south side was put together in
the same manner, using only glate
and sill, and nailing thereupon the
requisite number of seven-foot boards;
omitting the shorter boards which
were to come below the window. The
front and roar sections were then set
upon the foundation and stayed in
position.
End Frames. The sills, cut to 11
feet 2 inches in length were joined
, to the longer sills by a short tie
nailed on top of both sills. The end
rafters, 12 feet in length, on edge,
and notched at tho ends to fit the
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End Elevation, Showing Partition Sep
arating the Two Pens.
plates, were nailed onto the 24-foot
plates. The girder on the west was
11 feet G Inches long, while the one
on the east reached only to the door.
Rafters. Three rafters, running
lengthwise of the house, wero cut to
23 feet 6 inches in length, and were
nailed to the end rafters at equal
distances apart They were support
ed In the center by upright two by
fours, making a frame for the center
partition.
Enclosing Ends. In sawing each
board to fit the pitch of the roof
(two inches to the foot), the shorter
piece was nailed at the lowest point
of the slope, and tho longer one at tho
highest. Thus six boards 12 feet in
length sufficed to enclose each end.
On the east a door was made, three by
six, as indicated In end elevation.
Roof. The roof was covered by 24
boards; tho two outer ones being laid
flush with the ends, and all securely
nailed to the plates and rafters. A
four-inch cornice was then run around
the edges, flush with tho roof, and
tho rubberoid roofing brought down
to the lower edge of the cornice, mak
ing practically an air-tight roof. Di
rections for putting on roofing accom
pany every package.
Front. The front has two sliding
windows and two "fresh air" apenlngs,
covered with wire netting of one-inch
mesh, and closed by frames three by
four feet, hinged at tho top and cov
ered with muBlln on the inside. A sec
ond muslin curtain is tacked at the
top of each frame, on the insido, and
can be let down when severe weath
er demands. The windows contain
15 lights, each 10 inches by 12 inches,
.They slide to tho east, and may be
12 by 24 Feet.
$
nuiuN
A
A T
ii
pATTfNS
of Poultry House.
used ob entrances. Framed wlro
screens, hinged on the west side, keep
tho fowlB in when the windows are
open.
Battens. These are flve-elghths by
four inches, and are nailed securely
over the perpendicular Joints of tho
boards. Bats either one-half inch or
one inch in thickness may be used.
Floor. The house has an earth
floor, which is kept well covered with
litter. This is raked .aside and tho
ground spaded up, whenever desired,
for tho fowls ' to scratch in. The
ground did not freeze beneath tho
litter In tho winter of 1909-1910.
Division. The house is divided into
two pens or compartments by a cen
ter partition of bo'ards and muBlin,
as shown in the sketch.
Roosts and Nests. Tho construc
tion and arrangement of these are the
same as in tho houses nlready de
scribed and illustrated. The roof and
sides of the roosting chambers are
covered with several thicknesses of
building paper, for winter protection.
The paper is removed in the spring.
Not a fowl had a frosted comb in this
house In tho winter of 1909-1910.
General. When treated with sev
eral coats of government whitewash,
the house presents a neat appearance.
Thus far it has been very satisfactory;
and If one wants a cheap poultry
house it can be recommended as one
well adapted to Minnesota conditions.
GREAT DANGERS TO CHICKS
Chilling and Lice Cause More Loss to
the Poultryman, Than Any
Other Two -Causes.
(By W. E. VAPLON, Poultryman, Colo
rado Agricultural College.)
The greatest enemy of the chick,
and that which causes more loss than
any other one, cause, Is chilling; the
second enemy in importance because
of amount of loss 1b lice; both lice and
chilling are tho indirect cause of bowel
troubles, because both sap the vitality
ana life or the chick, making it impos
sible for tho little fellow to resist tho
organisms of disease which are always
rendy to attack It.
Dusting the setting hen helps, but
some lice are quite Bure to escape, and
can later bo found on tho head of tho
chick; rub a little dab of lard on top
of the chick's head, getting It Into the
down thoroughly, and you will get
these; repent the dose In a week, and
If the hen Is furnished a good dusting
place, the lice are not likely to give
any more trouble; but whenever you
seo a chick that seems unhappy, eyes
closed, droopy, look for lice.
Tho brood coops should bo thoroughly-sprayed
before using with some
coal tar preparation, sheep dip white
wash, or admixture of four parts coal
oil and one part crude carbolic ncid;
it pays to be ahead, and that explains
why so few of us are making anything
on our poultry; wo neglect these little
things; because of neglect disease
gets the start of us, we become dis
couraged because of tho losses, and
give up and blame our luck, when all
tho bad luck might have been pre
vented by a little careful preparation.
Give the chicks a clean place, all
tho heat they can stand, keep them
free from vermin, and you can Bafoly
count them before they are raised.
USING- INCUBATOR ON FARMS
Valuable Substitute for Hen and Con
trary to Common Notion Can
Be Easily Operated.
(By J. Q. HALPIN, Wisconsin Experi
ment Station.)
The better types of Incubators are
rapidly finding a place upon general
farms and in most cases proving to be
advantageous In raising larger num
bers of sound, healthy cbickons which
will be strong and nicely grown be
fore hot weather comes and well ma
tured and laying before winter sets In.
In addition to this, the fact that
many of the modern farm breeds of
poultry are more Inclined to produce
eggs than to hatch them makes It
moro advisable for many farmers to
purchase good, reliable incubators.
It Is easier to keep a hen laying
than it is to start her laying in cold
weather. For this, If no other rea
son, the modern incubator is a valu
able substitute. Contrary to a too
common notion it can. bo eaasily oper
ated by anyone who is mora or loss
careful and metbodicaL
Pigs need much exercise.
Keep chicks busy and hungry.
Contentment is tho best egg tonic.
Novor mix warm cream with cold
cream. ,
v
Wean the calves when tho pastures
get short
Groom cowb with a brush, not a
currycomb.
Almost every farm has a good-sized
flock of chickens.
Uso pure-bred beef bulls for grad
ing up the native stock.
Animal food of some kind is a ne
cessity in rearing chicks.
Dock the lambs early. The shock Is
less when they are young.
Feed the lambs specially and get
them ready for the early market.
Anyway the Incubator has It on the
hen for producing louse-free chlckB.
Lice and worms keep hogs in poor
thrift. Keep these parasites out of the
herd.
Let the crenm stand eight hours or
more (over night) at tho churning
temperature.
Lamb and mutton properly fed mut
ton are being appreciated moro and
moro by consumers.
The small cost of construction of
the pit silo should enable every farmer
to build a silo of this type.
A Cornell university hen has pro
duced 257 eggs worth $7.43 In a year
and at a feed cost of but $1.G6.
Don't sit down in the meadow and
wait for the cow to back up to be
milked. Get up and go after her.
Keep the incubator burner and all
the heat-flues clean and there is no
danger from operating an Incubator.
Don't yank or whip tho horse, but
And the cause. It may bo a sharp
tooth or the harness may be ill-fitting.
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Wherever sheen or hogB are raised
a patch of rape in connection with tho
other pasture will always prove profit
able. During cold rainy days the hens -and
young chicks should be protected from
the storm by keeping them in the
house.
The man who makes the first few
days' work easy for his team, is the
man who will do the biggest day'B
work later.
By ignorant overworking of the
horseB the first week of spring, their
efficiency for the season may be great
ly Impaired.
The difference in the handling or
two coltB may make several hundreds
of dpllars difference when they are
offered for sale.
Charcoal Is good for poultry, having
a healthful influence over tho whole
system. They wilt eat much of it
when placed in reach.
It pays handsomely to use both ma
nure and fertilizer and havo it prop
erly used and the ground In good
order for drilling or planting.
After taking off one hatch In the In
cubator always clean and disinfect tho
machine and tho interior equipment
before putting in the next lot of eggs.
To get tho most value from a sheep
pasture requires only a little intelli
gent attention as to the proper time
to change the Jock to tho alternate
pasture.
Tho variations In the composition
and value of manufactured fertilizers
which contain the three ossentlal con
stituents are duo to tho variations Jn
the character and proportion of the
materials used. ,
Keop on the best terms with the
mother turkey hens by tossing them
little treats of small grain, table
scraps, etc., and you will experience
Jb difficulty with the young turks
when you wish to catch them for mar
mot next fall.
Little chlcku,.a8 soon as hatched and
dry, should have litter in which to
scratch, so that their toes may be
etralghtened and Btrengthoned. Fine,
sharp Band or grit should bo scattered
In the llttor for them to pick up, and
freak- water should be aupplied.
Give tho plg8 dry beds.
Tho bull Is lml f tho herd.
Poultry relish crimson clover.
Bo careful In feeding rope to vsvrn.
,
Pigs suffer from the heat and hot
sun. ' ' .
."
Don't put tho sheep out in a wot
pasture.
Cool crenm to churning temperature
as soon as ripe.
Always select tho best hclfcra for
breeding purposes.
There 1b many a farmer who sells
cream and buyB butter.
Raise and finish beef cattle on the
Bame farm when possible.
Wntch for any kind of vermin on
chicks, especially head lice.
Tho pig Is not filthy because ho
wants to be. .Tust try and see.
Bapo is better for sheep aud hog
pasture than for any other stock.
Moldy litter should nover bo al
lowed In a brooder or brooder house.
Begin feeding a pig na soon aB It will
eat and keep it growing until mature
Black leg is a disease that will very
seldom affect cattle over two years
old.
Ninety per cent of tho farms of
this country aro said to bo without
any sheep.
,
Some men whip their horses be
cause they are in a bad frame of mind
themselves.
In case the bow produces only ono
litter per year sfco Is liable to be a
poor breeder.
It is best to feed young calves three
times a day. They rellBhthelr dinner
the same as you do.
Use tho horso much ns you would a
human being and tho treatment will
not bo much astray.
Feeding a little linseed menl occa
sionally to stock is beneficial, keeping
tho system regulated.
Animal husbandry is sure to bo
profitable In years to come, on account
of tho high prices of meat
The best Bite for a poultry bouse in
any location Is ono where good water
and air drainage are available.
, Some farmers believe in cutting al
falfa Hay before It is "one-tenth In
bloom, although this is not common.
Frequent rubbing and handling of
the udder at calving tlmo is beneficial
to the cow and profitable to the owner.
If we count the fertilizer value of
good rich manure at the market price,
one ton of manure Is worth $2.50 to
$3.
The ' German farmer keeps more
live stock and makes a better use of
all other sources of plant food than
we do.
Look well after the early chicks.
They .will pay well If given good treat
ment, otherwise It Ib best to not have
any at all,
The feeder of any variety of stock
should never neglect to feed a variety
of feeds when It is at all possible for
him to do so.
Don't uso strong powder to dust a
hen with a young brood. Such prac
tise often results in killing the chlckB
along with the lice.
You feed your cattle and horses and
hogs from the products of tho fields
yes, and your family, too. What are
you feeding your land?
Practical farmers and truckers use
the two-horso manure spreader the
manure Is thoroughly cut up and
spread evenly over the ground.
At this season of the year hundreds
of thousands of day-old chicks nre
Bhlpped right from tho Incubators to
points up to ono thousand miles dis
tant When weaning the plga ubo the
creep which ndmlta the pigs but ex
cludes the sow from the pen where
the slop Is constantly available for
the youngsters.
Truckers and gardeners apply eight
to ten tons of rotted manuro spread
broadcast on top of the ground and
well harrowed In, and then drill the
seed In with about 400 pounds of fer
tilizer to the acre.
Sheep and lambs are often decep
tive to tho eye. A short-legged, short
bodied Bheep is often heavier and will
produce moro wool than ono that
looks to bo twice as large. Ab a rule
great coarse looking ehcep are not
desirable.
Tho time for cutting alfalffl varies
with tho use for which It Is intended.
If tbfc purpose Is to get the largest
tonnage, tho best time to cut the crop
is when it Ib about one-tenth In bloom;
or when the young shoots are begin
ning to show at the bas of tho plant
.-X.W.
TSJri!r s "
?swsr & u.v.v
Karakuls Ewe
(By HARLAN D. SMITH, Kansius Agri
cultural College, Manhattan, Knn.)
Persian lamb, astrakhan and krlm
mer furs, for which the United States
pays $14,000,000 annually to Russian
farmers, can bo grown just aa profit
ably in the United States, a Kansas
farmer has shown. L. M. Crawford,
a rancher near Cottonwood Falls, has
been so successful In producing these
fura by crossing Karakulo sheep from
Asia on native long wool breeds that
tho Kansas Agricultural college, see
ing the possibilities of an Indstry of
much promiRe, has entered Into a co
operation with the Kansas rancher for
the development of the new farming.
Tho agricultural collogo will send Its
expert assigned to the fur farming
experiment, Dr. K. K. Nabours, to Bok
hara, Central Asln, this summer to
study Karakulo fur farming in its na
tive country. Tho knowledge thus
galnod will bo applied In perfecting n
sheop fur Industry on the Kansas
ranch which, It Is thought, will be of
tho utmost Importance to United
States farmers. Dr. Nabours will leave
In May nnd will bo gone four months,
Crawford has a large part of tho
only Knrakule herd over brought to
tho United States. He is the pioneer
In tho attempt to grow the much de
sired Asiatic furs In this country. On
800 white Lincoln and Cotswoltl ewea
he is crossing purebred nnd half-blood
Karakule rams. Pelts from tho
Iambs when only a few dnyB old liavo
been sold on Now York markets for
$3 to $10 apiece, The pelts aro valu
able even If tho lambs are born dead
or die soon after birth. The lm-
BEST FERTILIZER
FOR THE GARDENS
Trials Have Proved That Mixture
of Artificial Manure Produces
Excellent Yields.
Numerous experiments havo proved
the high value of a mixture of arti
ficial manure for potatoes, consisting
of four hundredweight of superphos
phate and two hundredweight of buI
phate of ammonia anil two hundred
weight of BUlphate of potash per acre.
This dressing should' give a good
crop, even when no farmyard ma
nure Is available, though ten tons
of that manure per acre Is a valu
able addition. When tho last Is ap
plied' the sulphate of ammonia and
potash may be reduced to half a
ton each. Trials have proved that
these manures produce their best re
sults when placed In drills under the
seed potatoes. Growers who plant
only a few rods may have difficulty in
getting locally small quantities of the
artificial manures named; but thero
are somo large town firms who sell
them by the bags. A ready-made po
tato manure from a firm of high repu
tation may answer equally well, al
though it will cost a little more than
Hb constituents cost when bought by
the ton. A deep stirring of tho soil,
without bringing the sub-soil to the
top, is a security against drought.
GREEDY HOGS ARE
MOST DESIRABLE
Breeders Might Well Devote
Themselves to Developing
Appetite Instead of Points.
The Oregon agricultural station has
found out by actual feeding ttestB that
the hog which cats most greedily la
the most profitable Thirty pigs wore
divided Into three lots, tho heaviest
eaters In ono lot, and the others grad
ed according to their cnpnclty for con
suming feed.
A hundred ,hogs like the heaviest
eaters, at the rate of gain mado and
present prices, would make a profit of
$297.65, or almost exactly $3 a head.
A hundred llko tho poorest fcedera
would havo made a profit of $11G,C5, or
only a little moro than a dollar a
head. They were evenly graded as
to bUo and sex. If there Is this great
difference between the heavy eating
hogs and the light eaters and most
hog growers will agreo that the breed
ers might well devote themselves to
breeding appetite in hogs, instend of
color or fancy points. If tho appe
tite makos tho profits, breed appetite.
Hr"1"
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and Twin Lambs.
portnnce of this fact Is realized when
It Ib considered that now tho thou
sands of lambs that die In this coun
try every year aro complete Iobbos.
Nearly GOO curly, lustrous black
lambs bearing valuable fura had ar
rived on tho Kansas fur farm from'
April 1. Ono hundred and fifty of
these were from half-blood Karakule
Llncoln ruma on Lincoln and Cots
wold ewes. The pelts of these lambs
were hardly distinguishable from
thoso of the purebred Karakulo on
Llncolns nnd Cotswolds. This fact,
and tho further fact that only five oC
the 150 werd white nnd threo spot
ted, are considered the most Impor
tant of this year's .results, Inasmuch
as It proves that a half-blood Kara
kulo ram which can bo bought for
$1C0 will bring Iambs with peltB al
most as valuable as a purebred Kara
kule which soils for $1,000 to $1,200.
Sheepmen, therefore, could get a start
In fur production on a very amall In
vestment. Aside from Its fur-bearing charac
teristics tho Kurakulo sheep has ex
cellent mutton qualities? tho KnnsaB
test litis proved. Crossed on Amort
can breeds this strain cauBGB a re
nyirkablo Increase In weight and
seems absolutely to breed out tho
woolly or muskllko flavor of the meat
of native sheep. Tho Karakulo also is
a very hardy Bheep. In fnct Its many
desirable qualities, proved bIhcc Its Im
portation to America, havo convinced
tho KunBus collcgo experts of tho ad
visability of its wldo introduction on
this continent. The tcatB on the Craw
ford farm are being mado to that end.
GREAT VALUE OF i
LEGUMINOUS CROPS
Results Obtained From Their Use
Are Far More Striking in Poor
Soils Than in Rich.
Investigations provo tho high valuo
of tho common legumo crops whether
uaed in rotation, or as green manuro
crops. Results obtained from their
use aro far moro striking In poor soils
than In rich solla. PerhnpB tho safest
rule to apply where thero Is a chofco
of two legumes Is to use tho ono which
gives the lnrgost total yield tier nor.
.or if (hose are about equal, to use the
one wnpso seed Is cheapest.
The plowing under of green manuro
crops as a regular operation la seldom
carried on except In orchards. In thla
case thero can bo but little doubt that
the operation is highly profitable.
With field crops tho plowing under or
a green manure crop Is seldom Juuti
flablo except In tho case of very poor
lands or at considerable Intervals, bo
cause ordinarily It Is far moro profit
able to utilize tho crop for Jeed and.
then to, return the manuro to tho soil.
Thero nro 10 Important leguminous
field crops used In the United States,
humely, red clover, alfalfa, cowpeas,
alslke clover, crimson clovor, whlto
clover soy beans, peanuts, Canadu
pons, hairy vetch, common vetch, vel
vet beans, Japan clover, sweet clover,
burr clover and beggar weed.
VALUE OF SILAGE '
TO THE PRODUCER
Great Saver of Grain Regardless
of Whether Fed to Stock Cat
tle or Fattening Animals.
There is no roughago which is of
moro Importance to the producer of
beef cattle than silage, Tho value of
silage to the beef producer varies con
siderably and Ib dependent upon a
large number of other factors. If
lough fodders are Bcarco or aro high,
priced, if tho grain Ib high priced, or
If the grain is so near a good market
that much of It can bo readily sold,
silage v. Ill havo a greater value than
If tho opposite conditions exist It Is
a great saver of grain regardless of
whether It Is to bo fed to stock cattlo
or fattening cattle. It will lessen the
grain feeding by practically the sarao
amount ns is contained In the silago.
Tho valuo will also depend somewhat
upon tho kind of cattle to which it lu
to be fed. If there Is an abundance of
rough fodder which cannot bo mark
eted, silage will not bo eo valuable
