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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1914)
Minjw THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. flOTES eXW PWWBR00K VVJ mm GEESE ARE HARDY AND EASY TO RAISE MAKING A PROFIT FROM THE SHEEP FARM jfyWWwo zzzsszsxs&msaz iiy& V n V African Geese must have freedom to thrive well. Puro breeds are always to be pre ferred to crosses. For best results, all changes In ma ting should be made In the fall. Geese are Usually hardy and subject to no particular disease. Keep the stock gentlo and tame, and they will turn In more profit. Two or three year old geese aro moro profitable than yearlings. A mating can be continued for seven or eight years without a change. If tho geese havo confidence in tho feeder they will bo very friendly with him. KEEP CHICKS GROWING FAST Summer Fowls Must Have Extra Care In Keeping Feeding Board and Water Pan Clean. The old notion that chicks must bo all out of tho way by July has been largely driven out partly by tho in cubator, which is willing to work at all seasons; partly by tho poultry raiser, who finds that there is less feed to buy when the bugs and worms aro most plentiful. As wo have learned better how to raise tho flock and keep them grow ing fast, tho old problem of having pullets ready to lay in fall 1b moro easily approximated, even though tho chicks do not emerge from tho shell during a snowstorm. Summer chicks must havo a little extra care in keeping the feeding board and drinking fountain clean; they must also have plenty of shade; but in several ways they can better care for themselves than during tho spring months. If they aro liberally fed morning and night after they get nicely feath ered out they tiro ready to hunt up tho numerous weeds of .-early autumn grasses which do no good to tho farm er, but rather the roverse, though they put plenty of flesh and muscle into the chick. Crowd them with as much pains a3 if they were early, and tho extra waste grain and insects will help them along amazingly. You will havo little wet weather with which to contend. Even if they aro not qulto ready to commence laying in November, they will bo among the best workers in the flock during spring and the less ened cost of production will offset tho winter eggs that may bo lacking. Let thom run in the orchard when littlo, and give them plenty of fresh water, and they will thrive. Fattening Geese. Geese can bo fattened on any kind of grain if fed all they will eat, com mencing about ten days before desir ing to market. GREEN FEED IS NECESSARY FOR POULTRY ' - "?! - 3 wwim sirs V gfcy ffil y "zHW WX Mti'" Good Flock of (By U E. CHAPIN) 1 regard green feed as absolutely necessary to tho welfaro of poultry, old and young. Where fowls aro kept confined It must be supplied to them, nnd where thoy havo full liborty It may bo fed to them with profit during tho months when vegetation is some what burned by the heat. Throw out a lot of fresh lettuco leaves whero tho hens can get it, and thoy will eat it up clean. Cabbage stumps thrown out to tho nens will bo picked clean, even whero tho hens run at large. Those who must keep their hens confined will find that a small plot of rapo will furnish a largo quantity of green feed during tho summer. It will bo largo enough to begin cut i i Geese. From 10 to 20 eggs aro laid beforo a gooso shows a disposition to Bit Shelter should be provided where tho gceso may go during inclement weather, and especially at night. In handling gceso they should al ways bo takon by tho neck, and when lifted from tho ground tho body should bo turned with back toward tho person handling it. In that position it cannot strike, and will remain quiet and docile. Tho body can bo partly supported by seizing tho first Joint of tho wing with ono hand. If tho goose is held facing one, it will strike hard blows with its wings, or scratch with its feet. GIVE CHICKENS SOUR MILK Excellent Ration to Keep Fowls Grow ing and Insure Their Being In Condition for Market. (By A. C. SMITH. Minnesota Experiment Station ) Sour milk is utilized in one of the best possible ways by feeding it to chickens. Those who think they get greater returns by feeding it to hogs should remember that tho flesh of chickens brings at least twice a3 much on tho market as that of hogs. Milk and corn are both liked by chickens, and a propor mixture of tho two makes ono of tho best and most appetizing rations for the season when tho days aro warm and tho nights cool. For the best results, tho corn should be cracked and soaked several hours In either sweet or sour sklm-mlik or buttermilk. Tho corn may bo put in pails in tho morning and the milk poured on until the top of the corn is submerged two or three inches. When this has been absorbed, more should bo added at Intervals during tho day, and tho mix ture will bo excellent for feeding by night. A liberal supply of this mixture will keep tho chickens growing rapidly and lnsuro their being constantly plump and in excellent condition for the market. Try it once, and tho fowls will tell you whether or not they like it. Try it two weeks or a month, and thoy will show you whother or not it Is a good and eco nomical feed. Onion and Fish Flavor. Onions and much fish fed to- fowls will taste in the yolk. Hens that lay tho largest number of eggs require much food and water. You can scarce ly feed such a hen too much. So look out for this kind and favor her a little. Onions for Chickens. Some farment demand uppn tho table at least onco a week a good old onion stow to keep them healthy. Tho chickens will bo all tho better for Just tho same every week. Plymouth Rocko. ting in five or six weeks and as scon as it is cutoff will throw up new shoots, thus renewing Itself constantly, so thu sarao ground may bo cut over tlmo after tlmo. Lettuce or dandelions mako a very good green feed for laying hens or growing chicks. There seoins to bo some medicinal property about both these vegetables which promotes good health in tho fowls. Doth aro easily grown nnd furnish a good supply of feed if tho tops aro cut off instead of pulling tho plants out by tho roots when gathering tho feed. Turnips and beet tops, mustard, pea vines and all other tender green stuff will be relished, and save much feed of a more costly kind. Dig out pouch tree borers. Poisoned bran kills cutworms. CahoB are profit making assets. Care for tho nowly-planted orchard. Straw alid hay make good nesting material. Horses that cough should never havo dry, dusty feed. Keep young turkeys warm and dry the first few weeks. Growing calves should have such food as insures growth. , Muzzle the horses when cultivating the orchard single-tree, too. Huylng a poor bull because he is cheap Is near-sighted economy. Milk is great stuff to help young chickens In their business of growing. The mau who has already used tho silo will tell you whether It pays or not. Keep the old geese for breeding pur poses. Send the young ones to the market. Hens should not be allowed to run with male birds except during the hatching season. In tho final summing up of the de mands of tho markets govern tho typo of hogs we must produce. The Important period for the youfig pig Is 30 days beforo farrowing and CO days after and at weaning tlmo. Tho manner in which the sow Is fed nnd cared for determines tho size of the litter, In a measure at least. Tho breeding mare can work in to advantage as the thiid work horse on tho farm, doing tho light, short-hour work. Water tho horses as often as pos sible, but let tho horso that comes in hot drink a few nwallowB only, until he is cool. Much of tho nervousness which we see In the young cow can be done away with if tho calvos are given proper treatment. Do not overfeed tho calves on skim milk. It thoy show signs of scouring when first put on sklm-mlik decreaso tho amount a trifle. The ajje of show hogs Is counted from tho first of March or from the first of September of tho year the nnlmnls were farrowed. Fowls are fond of freshly-turned soil and It is good for them. If the ynrd is too small to plow, it should be spaded, or dug In some way. In catering to the trade whore fruit is marketed try to put yourself in tho position of the buyer and then furnish tho quality of fruit the trade wants Whero tho pigs aro allowed to run with tho sow and to wean themselves it is almost Impossible for tho mature femalo to produce moro thnn one lit ter a year. Sheep should bo changed from one feed to another gradually. Thoy arc dellcato and cannot stand sudden ehnnges of feed any more thnn sudden changes of weather. Ants may bo destroyed by punching holes in tho hills with a fork handle and saturating cotton batting with carbon bisulphide. Tut this In the holo and cover it with earth. Rvory farm can use ono moro small clover lot for calving cows; mares with young colts; for calves or a num ber of useful purposes, and It will do to wait for the rotting of thosestunr3. GIvo chick grit for first feed. It Is advisable to feed commercial chick food for tho first two weeks. Whoro commercial chick food Is not used feed stale, breadcrumbs, rolled oats or granulated oatmeal. Keep bian, grit, shell, ground oats, green feed and fresh, clean water be fore your chicks at all times. Chicks should havo a supply of animal food or sklm-mlik Never allow milk to remain in vessels till it sours. A good "broody breaker" can bo made by taking a light coop and fitting It with a wlro or slat bottom. I'laco tho broody hen In this coop and hang it where thero is plenty of fresh cool air The air passes through tho fluff of the hen and helps to cool tho fever which is in her blood at this time. Feed tho chickens often. Try rotation for soil building. Pasturo cropB lower feed bills. Siloa arc becoming more popular. A change of pasturo mnkes healthy Bhuep. Pigs loo swoct com nud It Induces rnpld growth. i Give the hens nnd ohI.kenB plenty of fresh, cool water. Handle oggn with care; oao egg spoiled is sovoral cents gone. Go ensj with tho work horsos. Put them to hard work gradually. All animals cravo Halt and must have it to keep in good health. Cows In pasturcwlll rellBh n littlo hay, fodder or other dry forage. Plant potatoes In Boil that Ib free from organisms that cause disease It Is a wIbo cow that knows her own cnlf; but she does all the same. A small flock of nbecp on every farm will much moro thnn pay its way. Improved machinery and other con veniencos help make farm life worth while. Proper caro of eggs, butter and milk in hot wenther means both health nnd profit. If you can help it, never disturb n hen when bho Is laying. Thnt is her busy day. It is not wlso to turn tho sheop in pasturo and leave them indefinitely, ns some do. Clover should be cut for tho silo nt about the same stage of development as it is cut for hay. Heavy slrcR and small dams have given us a large number of horses that aro out of proportion. Whore a owo Is permitted to suckle hor lamb till very late In tho season she will bo a Blow breeder. When a cow produces a half ton of butter per year, ns some do, Bho has a right to bo called a factory. Some cows aro notional and In order to get them to do thoir best wo must humor their whims nnd notions. It pays to grade all small fruit. It demoralizes prices to havo small bad cherries mixed in with large ones. The well-fed litter of pigs muBt have an opportunity to exercise or else thumps are liable to claim tho plump est pig. A close watch should bo had to keop tho lambs growing rapidly, and this can only bo done by feeding tho ewes skilfully. See that your hog ynrdB and pas tures are tightly fenced. Tho roam ing hog makes slow gaiiiB and lots of trouble. Cut out tho bushes by tho roadside. Thoy harbor insects in summer and snow drifts In winter. Hum them and get the land Into grass. Caustic potash Is tho best preven tive of growth of horns on calves. It should be applied as soon as tho button-like horns enn be felt. To succeeed with cows tho master's hand must be at the helm. lie should bo right with tho cows and know that they get the right cars and feed. No pullet will pay a profit tho first year unless sho matures naturally, so It does not pay to waste time coddling weaklings nnd degenerates of a utility flock. Where It Is possible to chooso be tween sour milk and Bweot milk as a pig feed, always take tho sweet milk nnd then regulate tho quantity con binned. ICggs aro cheaper nt this tlmo of year, but on the farm whoro the hens run out it does not cost so much to pioduco them and tho profit on them Is worth having. It pays to thin fruit whoro the trcoB are loaded. Tho best way Ib by hand picking. Whero trees are putting out too rank a growth of young fruit, pruno It back Oils month. Donot forgot that In the composi tion of an egg there Is a great propor tion of water, and the laying hen can not produce eggs unless she hns all tho water sho wants, and nt the tlmo she wants It. Just consider for a moment how dangerous is an open well to both man and beast; then fix ovory ono about tho farm bo it can bo closed till not even a mouse can enter It and see that it Is kept that way ovory hour of tho yenr. Little ducklings which havo not suf ficient shade aro likely to suffer from sunstroke during hot weather. They J Mil stiffen out on tho ground nnd ap parently bo dead, but will sometimes recover if placed in tho shade and I their hoads bathed In cool water Good for Wool (By i:i.MKH UKNDKUSON.) Mucli has been written nnd said of tho enormous profits to be made from tho keeping of a few sheep on tho corn-belt farm. Somo havo figured that it costs from $2 to $3 per year to keep a sheep and that tho fleece would Just about pay that. Others, pessimists, say, that tho losses from keeping Blicep are so heavy that thero la absolutely no profit, duo to tho rav ages of disease, vermin nnd Internal parasites. Hotweon theso two will bo found 'tho mlddlo way that seems to catch the bulk of tho Bhoep raisers. As a working bnsls let ub tako pas ture. Pasture is at onco the best nnd thu most economical sheep feed known. An aero of grass according to tho country standard will support one cow or its equal in weight of other grazing animals. In other words an aero of good pasture land will main tain 1,000 poundB of cow, sheep or horso flesh. Tho averago corn-belt owo will weigh, sny 125 pounds. This means that an aero of land will fur nish nourishment for eight owes dur ing tho entire pasture period of six months. If tho land rents nt $8 per acre, as It docs in this part of Illi nois, wo havo tho cost of maintaining ono owo ns $1 per summer. We may count clover hny as a stan- dard winter feed, and given plenty of nice clean clover hay, no other feed Is needed. Our field of clover hay in tho corn belt for two cuttings is about three tons per ncro. On good farmB tho yield is more, but wo may tako this as representative. Threo tons of hay per acre, menus C.000 pounds of clover, counting that each shoop will eat threo pounds of hay dally, which Is a big allowance: eight sheep fed 180 days, threo pounds per day, will eat considerably less thnn what ono EXCELLENT HINTS DURING HAY TIME Make All Necessary Preparations Before Work Actually Starts Take Care of Tools. (By M COVKHDHLU) Don't begin haying and mako prepa rations nfterwnrd. Sou that ovory hay tool Is in prlmo working order nnd good repair. Fill every oil cup and bearing and wipe off beforo attempting to turn a wheel. It ie only fair that tho household help bo as plentiful and efficient as is tho help In tho fields. A Bunshado for tho driver while mowing may causa some unkind re marks, but it was never known to cause a Bunstroke. Lay In a full supply of repairs now; don't wait until tho breakage occuis and stops a dollar-a-mlnuto haying crew while you drlvo to town for ro pairs. Don't buy ropair rake-teeth already shaped up when you can saw out two of thom yourself from a 2 by C, and pave at least one-half what you would bo charged for tho shaped teeth. Good, keen sickles leave a smooth mown meadow, save all tho grass; wear tho machine out less than dull sickles, and greatly lighten tho load of the teams. A water Jug with tho Juice of a lemon or two squeezed Into it, boat any of the so-called stimulants many farrnurs are coming to make use of every year during the hay harvest Tho lemon Juico diminishes tho thirst, whilo lliu stlmulantR increnso it. A damp handkerchief worn in the crown of tho hat adds to one's com fort and gunrds against sunstroke Hushing thu teum and the men is a inotit successful plan for running up a big repair bill or a dangerous sun ctroko. Mako a clean finish of the business whilo you aro about it. See that all the stacks aro well topped and stand ing up straight when the work le dono, then run threo good wires around overy stack-yard and savo doing It when you turn In on tho meadow for fall pasturage. ThlB Ib also tlio beflt tlmo vou'U ever havo for putting away tho hay toolB. Tho intense hot weather following tho hay harvest knocks out as much ma chinery as tho work Just finished; then the dnmp fall weather puts a rusty coat on It which about ruins it. and Mutton. ncro will yield. In, fact an ncro of land worth $8 per aero will furnish enough hny to feed at least 10 head of sheop. CoBt per head 80 cents. If wo allow one-halt of oats dally during tho months of February, March and April, beforo tho owob aro on pasture, whilo suckling lambs, tho cost will be 45 contB at tho prlco or oats at present. In conclusion It may bo safely Bald that tho cost of main taining n herding owo in tho corn-belt farm would be about $2.25, exclusive of tho labor involved, which tho good farmer Is glad to glvo In exchango for tho manuro ho Becures. If tho flock glveB a 10-pound clip, which any well-manuged flock should do, it Is readily apparent that tho fleeco will pay for tho sheep'B keop. In good Shropshire flocks tho owon raise nn averago of from ono and ono quarter to ono and onc-hnlf lamb per owo. Place it conservatively at ono lamb per owo, worth nt weaning tlmo from $C to $S, which may bo said to bo the profit for ono owo. Of course, thero are Iobbcb in tho owo flock, that will cut down tho profits, owes die and; "must bo replaced by younger ewes. Somo ago and lambs must bo supplied in their place, but even then tho good: shepherd can count on a profit of from $4 to $5 for overy cwo kept. Since it requires two acres of land for eight Bhcop, the income per ncro from tho sheep would bo about $20 not. A very fair Income compared with that oven to bo mndo from tho cultivation of corn. Shocp raising has tho additional ad vantage of Involving less labor than docs the cultivation of soil. Then, too, tho land used for tho sheop becomcB dully moro productivo, whilo that giv en over to corn growing becomca poorer and poorer ench year. PARIS GREEN USED IN SUMMER GARDEN Much Can Be Saved by the Ju dicious Use of the Poison for Killing Insects. At this tlmo df the year summer garden crops aro growing and much can bo saved by tho Judicious use of pads green for killing noxious In sects. Paris groon is a strong poison nnd insects nro killed with it. Suck ing insects Biich ns tho true bugs and plant Ilea nro not killed by poison hut by sprays that blister their bodies, or by substances that stop up their breathing pores. When used as a spray tho parls green should first bo made into a thick pasto by adding a littlo wator and then adding tho proper quantity or water It Ib alwayB advisable to add also twice tho weight of poison, of fresh Blacked lime in order to ren der insoluble any free arsenic that may bo present and so prevent burn ing of foliage. The poison is usedl in nn Insoluble form, or as nearly su as it Ib possible to render It, henco tho water must bo kept thoroughly agltnted in order that tho power may remain perfdetly suspended in tho liquid. If the powdor is allowed to settle nt tho bottom of tho veasol that portion will bo much concentrated and likely to burn thu plants, while tho top liquid will havo very littlo valun as an Insecticide. In making tho spraying mixture usn about one-half pound of parls green nnd ono pound of lime to GO gallons of water In spraying potatoes, for Instance, which aro frequently affect ed with blight or fungoim dlseaso, ono pound of parls green is added to DO gallons of itordonux mixture. Bor deaux mlxturo ia made by dissolving four pounds of copper sulphato und five pounds of water. Those two mix tures work well togethor, killing in sects nnd fungous diseases at tin same tlmo and henco a saving of la bor In spraying ParlB green may bo duatod on plant with cheesecloth bags or ordlnnry powdor hollows. It muy bo applied either puro or diluted, but It Ib boat to diluto with twenty to one hundred pnrtB of llmo, air slacked or land pins tor, boforo applying, according to the nuturo of tho plants treated. Even woakor solutions nhould bo used whero tho parts dusted aro to bo usod for food In tho treatment of cabbage use but ono ounce of tho poison to ten pounds of limo or plaster,
