The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, December 17, 1915, Image 12
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. GOOD BIRDS ARE ESSENTIAL TO PROFITS Excellent Specimen of In turkey-raising, even more than with chickens or most other kinds of poultry, good birds are essential to good profits. To mako scrubs pay moro than a minimum is almost impossible. About the only place where one can flucceed with mediocre turkeys is in .sparsely-settled country, whore a few hens, or small flocks of below-averago turkeys, ranging for themselves in a wild state, cost their ownors little or .nothing, and at tho end of tho season bring in a little more returning a small sum on an outlay of a still smaller sum. Yet tho overwhelming majority of 1 llrlrntr.rn tanra nnnflnr r hn nnMtnlit tft start with very average birds, and al WINTER CARE FOR CHICKENS i Badly Ventilated House Is Always Damp Sour Milk Is Excellent Food for the Fowls. Most poultrymen feed oats in ono form or another to their birds. We regard wholo oats as dangerous when .fed to youngsters. A badly ventilated poultry house is .always damp from the breath of fowls 1f nothing else. Millions of gallons of sour milk are thrown away every day In spito of the fact that it makes the very best food for fowls. It is a great mistake to inbreed too closely, as eggs aro apt to bo weak in fertility. Better introduce a new cock at least every threo years, and be suro lie is a good one. In buying a cock bird, always select ono that shows every sign of mas culinity, good fighting qualities and ll. The drone is useless. Now is tho tlmo to buy your breed ing birds for next spring. Better so Ject them in tho yard than in tho pen at the poultry show, unless you -aro an expert. SUPERIOR FEED FOR POULTRY Dry Mash Made of Mixture of Several Ground Grains With Meat Scraps Is Recommended. A good mash is made up as follows: Two parts of bran to one part each of middlings, cornmeal, ground or rolled oats, meat scraps or cracklings, cut clover, all parts by weight. A dry mash is simply a mixture of sovcral ground grains with or without meat scraps, etc. It is best to feed it from a hopper, giving a small portion first thing in tho morning, then closing the hopper In order to keep the fowls busy scratching in tho litter for scratch food. Animal Food Is Essential. Animal food, in some form, is neces sary. Fowls that aro confined to yardB do not have tho opportunity to get in serts, worms, etc. They should be sup plied with animal food, such as beef scraps, ground green bono, butchers' cracklings, etc. Ten per cent of ant mal food threo times a week is ad visable. Causes of Bowel Troubles. The strictly healthy fowls do not have bowel complaint. Looseness of tho bowels in fowls ' limply an indi cation of indigestion, or dorangement af the digestive org' as. Grow Sunflowers. Many poultrymon rocommond grow ing sunflowers in the poultry yards. The seeds arc good feed for both :hicks and older birds. Securlnn Winter Eggs. Wmtnr eggs aro most successfully decured by keeping small colonies. Look After Water Supply. Ho suro to keep plenty of pure, fresh water before tho hens. FITS 1 Bronze Turkey Cock. low tho quality of their flocks to drop a little lower season after season through careless handling, Inbreeding, selling off tho largest and best-grown birds for market, and so on. Good stock does not necessarily mean show-room stock. Nor does it moan necessarily oxpensivo stock, though of course as a general rule ono has to pay in proportion for qual ity. Good stock, with turkeys, means essentially good utility stock; if tho show-room qualities are superimposed on these, so much tho better, but tho utility points are tho ones that will bo found to count the most in tho long run. Tho most useful turkeys aro the strong, alert, hardy birds. COMFORT IN POULTRY HOUSE Even in Coldest Climate Artificial Heat Is Not Necessary Hen Deserves Attention. Tho housing is one of the impor tant things in poultry keeping and it is comforting to think how it has been simplified and how much less confine ment Is required. Artificial heat is not necessary. Even in tho coldest climato the hens are kept with their open houses and the best results aro obtained. With plenty of dry litter on tho floor and a dry mash in hoppers with soma green food, cut bono and a grain ra tion that is scattered in tho straw on tho floor in order to stimulato ac tivity and create blood circulation, with good clear, clean water that ia of a temperature that Invites them to drink freely, tho averago farm flock will becomo far moro productive than it has ever been in tho past. If tho farmers of this country would pay a little moro attention to tho hens, if they would put them on tho same basis that they havo their hogs, cattlo and horses, they would find that tho result from tho flock, taking into consideration the amount of money iuvested, would amply repay them for their work. Great honor ia due to tho farm hens of this country. SERIOUS DISEASE OF FOWLS Gangrene Will Pass From One to An otherKill All First Cases and Burn Them at Once. Gangrene of tho crop is a serious disease and will pass from bird to bird. An offensive smell comes with tho crop condition that causes gan greno. Kill all first cases and burn them. If there are several cases, these, if not immediately killed, must bo quar antined from tho well birds and fed the sulpho-carbolate compound. Tho runs and all parts of tho poultry houses must bo disinfected after the doparturo of such birds. Range Not Necessary. Farm range is good, but not neccs sary to ralso healthy and profitable fowls. Mnny of tho most successful poultry raisers havo only a village lot Success may bo attained In a small way as well as on a larger scale. Winter Sheds for Ducks. Ducks profor staying out in their runs all night, and this is best for them during tho summer season, but thoy are hotter protected In well-ventilated sheds or houses during the win ter season. Keep the Hens Busy. Favor tho hens but keep them rus tling and scratching. A chilly hot just standing around Isn't doing much laying. Alert Hens Are Profitable. Tho wldeawako, alert hens aro tho ones that leave a neat profit botween their feed bill and tho price tho egg basket brings. LOVE'S REVENGE By ALVAH JORDAN GARTH. "A dreary prospect," observed Rob ort IJllss gravoly. "But peaceful, dear, you must ad mit thnt, and a desert may bo inndo a paradise with love, you know." Thoy had been married nearly a quarter of a century, but as Mrs. Bliss wound her nrms about hint and looked Into hla eyes, loyal, confiding and nf foctlonato, ho drew her closer to him and his heart went out towards her with a now thrill, as In thoso far days when sho was a bonny, wlnsomo girl. "It's worth tho fighting for, tho fu ture with such a wlfo as you!" ho cried, hla eyes brightening magically. "One blessed thing Winnie docs not know." . "Sweot dear, no," replied Mrs. Bliss, n dim mist in hor oyes. "I hopo sho will not know till her futuro is as sured." It was a dreary prospect, Indeed, that upon which husband and wlfo gazed. Thoy had just como into pos session of an eight-acro hlllsldo farm. Tho Iioubo was woll enough at least quaint, roomy and comfortable, but tho soil was somewhat storllo, tho out buildings were dilapidated, tho foncos broken and down In places. At tho best the rambling expanse suggested disuso and povorty. Mr. and Mrs. Bliss stood at tho threshold of a now life. Tho old ono had ended disastrously. Tho hus band's business had becomo involved. Ho gave up to his creditors all ho had oxcopt tho legacy of an aunt, which was to bo used to educato tho daugh ter of tho house, Wlnnlo. When tho last debt had boon paid tho creditors had deeded over to Mr. Bliss tho littlo abandoned farm, at which they had just arrived, with their two younger children, Artio and Will. When tho parents spoke of Wlnnlo thoro was an undercurrent of mingled 1. M.fiT' "Who Is That Clodhopper Friend of Yours?" anxiety and interest in tho situation. Thoy had carefully kept tho truth from hor. Tho collogo alio was at tending was over fifteen hundred miles away and sho camo homo only once a year. Sho would finish hor educa tion tho present fall and thoy did not wish to break upon that program. They know that If Wlnnlo loarncd of their distress and impoverishment, she would at onco hasten to their sido. Thoy were aware, too, that Winnio was engaged to a wealthy young man in tho college town named Ernest Vaile. MoroMlian over, thcrcforo, thoy did not wish to disturb Winnie's plans and hopes. Thoy led hor to bo llevo that on account of health thoy had removed to a now homo. ThuB thoy had taken up a now bur don of life. Of courBo tho children were delighted -With tho novolty of now surroundings. To tho anxious husband and wlfo, however, thoro was a difficult practical situation to face and work out. "I hardly know whoro to begin," ob served Mr. Bliss, as ho and his wifo, after walking about tho barren stretch, rested on a slanting fenco rail under a shady treo. "You seo, I know so lit tle about farming." "Suppose you let a willing neighbor help you?" suggested an unexpected voice, and a brlght-oyed, clover-looking young follow of about twenty-five leaped tho fenco and stood boforo them, hat in hand and smiling In a friendly way that mitigated tho soil tudo about them. "I'm front a rallo up tho road," ho explained. "It seems so good to hear voices around tho old deserted placo hero, that I found my self an eavesdropper boforo I realized it." Bluff, hearty, honest Ned Dover! What an angol of helpfulness and on couragomont ho provod to tho lonely oxllos. Ho took tho now neighbors to view his own farm, to bIiow them what Industry, patience and poraovoranco had wrested from tho wilderness. Left an orphan at slxteon, ho had helped hla aged grandfather get out of tho land all it would produre. Now ho had a model farm and a competency. Dover helped them buy a horso and wagon, a cow and a llttor of pigs. Ho showed, thorn how to lay out a vege table garden i a flefd of oata and corn. Tho boys woro delighted to tako horso and wagon and go into tho tlmbor and cart tho wholo winter's fuel to tho woodshed. When har vest camo Mr. Bliss was bronzed, rough-handed, but wns full of now vigor and hopo. Thoro was gonulno comfort in know ing that tho collar wns stocked with fruits, vegetables and homo-raised bacon, that thoy need not Bparo food lug tho broad, old-fashioned fireplace all tho winter through, that thoro waa ample fodder for tho cattlo, and com fort and contentment In thnt thrift promises a hnppy futuro whoro at leant pcaco and plenty would abound. Young Dover was a constant visi tor. Tho Bliss people almost wel comed him as a member of tho family, Novor was there such a loyal, holpful friend. Tho children loved him, tho parents day by day Increased their esteem of his hopoful, sterling charac ter, and then ono cold evening, unex pectedly, without a word of warning, Wlnnlo camo homo. Amid tho fond welcome of loving hearts Wlnnlo broke down in tears. Then, alono with hor mother, sho nar rated a pitiful story of disappointment and suffering. Sho had found hor sup posed friends capricious and treach erous. Her high ambition had been daunted by tho hollowncss and super ficiality of thoso who should have set a higher oxamplo. Ernest Vnllo, to whom sho had boon engaged, had for feited his alleglanco to her by atten tions to tho daughter of a millionaire, "No," she answered almost smiling ly to tho questioning look In her mothor's oyea, "my heart Is not broken! I fancied I loved him, but hla despicable act haa changed all that to contompt," but thcro was a latent bitterness and rosentmcnt in hor mind. "Oh, mothor," sho con tinued fervently, "it is so good to bo at homo with truo loving hearts. And you aro all looking so strong and woll and happy." Tho noxt day Wlnnlo met Ned Dover, and tho noxt, and Innumerable dayB after that. It might havo boon tho puro fresh air, or homo comfort, but tho bloom camo back to hot chcoks, and tho dear delightful ovo nlngs which tho young farmer passed with tho Bliss family began tp be looked forward to with gonuino appre ciation by Wlnnlo. Ono day who should drive to the farm from tho vlllago but Ernest Vnilo. In tho mcantlmo Wlnnlo had learned by letter of his dismissal by tho young lady of wealth ho had vainly courted. Vaile took up his quarters ut tho vll lago hotel and called threo times a week. Ono afternoon ho arrived with n firm determination in his mind to "patch up" thoir "littlo tiff," bollov ing himsolf Irresistible Winnio tol erated him. Sho was not rovongoful, but she still smarted under the mom ory of his mean perfidy. Sho neither encouraged nor discour aged him, but Bho patiently awaited her opportunity. Vailo wa8 gottlng sentimental moment by moment. As thdy passed tho Dover farm, its young owner, grubbing with a hoo, llftod his cap. "Who is that clodhopper friend of yours, may I ask?" questioned Vnllo. Tho answer sont him back to town instantly, and thenco forthwith back to his friends in tho East, for Winnie had replied, promptly and proudly. "That Is the man I honor and re spect my futuro husband." (Copyright, 1915, by W. G. Chapman.) RUSKIN HAD MADE BEVERAGE How Author Whom the World Reveres Prepared Coffee for His Guest. Ruskln not only preached tho gospel of efficiency, saya tho Youth's Compan ion, but when tho exigencies of tho oc casion demanded ho practiced it also. In hor entertaining book of remini scences, "Thlrteon Years of a Busy Woman's Llfo," Mrs. Alec Tweedlo says that her father, Doctor Harloy, a woll-known London physician, was a great friend of Ruskin's and often staid at Brantwood. Ono night Ruskln asked Doctor Harloy whether ho liked tea or coffeo boforo ho got up. "A cup of tea," ho replied. "Why don't you choose coffeo?" "Woll, to tell tho truth, I havo lived so much abroad that I don't fancy Eng lish coffeo; It 1b generally so badly mndo." His host said nothing. Tho noxt morning Doctor Harley was awakened, and a Btrong smell of coffeo permented tho room. Turning to a servant ho asked, "Is that my cup of tea?" . "No, sir, It is Mr. Ruskin's coffeo." "Mr. Ruskin's coffee! What do you mean?" "Tho master was'up early. Ho roast ed the cpffeo himself, ho ground tho coffeo himself and ho mado tho coffoo himself and ho hopes you will like It." Doing His Part. "Aro you working fop us?" asked tho suffragist of a raeok-looklng man who was loltorlng about tho entrance to a hull whoro a mob of womon wcro holding a political rally. "Why, yes, In a manner of speak ing," replied tho meok-looklng man. "If you bollovo with Milton that 'Thoy also sorvo who only Btand and wait.' " "What do you mean by that?" "I escorted my wlfo hero and I'm waiting to tuko her homo." Curse of Poverty. "Tho Jibways boast that thoir ances tors camo over In tho Mayflower." "Indeed!" replied Mrs. Noorlch haughtily. "It thoy coniomplato a trip to Europe and that vessel were still In service, I dnro say thoy would havo to go back in tho Maytlowo" I FLOATING TEETH OF HORSES AND MULEs"" Superior Animals for (Hy J. M. HUI.Ij.) Somo months ago tho wrltor had occasion to purchnso two "second hand" mulos to do Borne farm work. These mules wcro bought at public auction, and woro secured at prices that might bo termed cheap. Thoy woro shipped to tho country and put to work at onco, but unfor tunately, although thoy porformod their work faithfully, it waa noticed that thoy foil oft in flesh. Upon careful examination of their teeth It was discovered that their grinders wcro worn and unovon, and that consequently thoy could not thor oughly mastlcato their grain or for ago. Theroforo It waa a caso of either selling them at a loss or having thoir tooth repaired. My mulos woro shipped to a voter Inary surgeon, and after a thorough examination of thoir mouths, ho ex pressed tho opinion that they could bo helped. It wns discovered that ono of tho muloa had a boll ulcor In ita mouth, caused by tho loss of an upper grinder. Tho lowor grinders having becomo elongated, had cut into tho upper Jaw, causing ulceration and much pain when tho animal attempted to eat cither grain or forage. These long teeth wcro sawed off, but In tho attempt tho mulo becamo rostlvo and in splto of tho offorta of two strong men, pulled back, and tho tooth wns extracted. Her other tooth wcro filed down and put In nB good order ns possible This mulo was shipped back to tho farm and In a few days began to lmprovo in flesh. A healing lotion was used in her mouth for several days. Tho ulcor disappeared, and after that sho had no trouble whatever in masticating either hay or grain, and performed hor work s,o woll that sho waa flnnlly sold nt a profit a few wooka after being cured. When Bho waa bought at auction sho was a living skoloton nnd tho other ono, while fat when brought in town, hnd ovldontly been fed on soft food, for ho could nolthor masticate hay or grain in sufficient amount to keop him bo. In fact, ho practically refused to cat corn cither on tho cob or shelled and had to ho fed on meal and grass. When his teeth wore treated ho waB ablo to mastlcato his food fairly woll and did very good work, soiling nt public auction after hard work on tho farm for somo months, for what ho cost. Thoro aro thousanda of horses and mules that, arriving nt old ago, are BtUI capablo of performing hard labor ovory working day in tho yoar, if thoy can thoroughly mastlcato their food; and tho writor would advlso that when horses or mulos of this class begin to HEAVY FEEDING OF SILAGE TO A BULL Majority of Breeders Feed It in Limited Quantities Together With Alfalfa. Heavy feeding of silage to a bull at Borvlco is not deslrablo and may render him impotont, Somo breeders will not feed sllngo under nny condi tion, but probably the majority will feed It In limited quantities together with all tho alfalfa or clover hay tho bull will conaumo. To supplement this roughage sufficient grain la fed to keop tho bull in good sorvico con dition but not fat. Restricted and careful feeding and plenty of exor clso are tho fundamental require ments In keeping a bull In good serv ice condition. A good ration for tho bull will con Blst of all tho clover hay ho will con sumo without waBte and ten to fif teen pounds of good silage. If bull la nt heavy sorvico or it ia nocessary in order to keep him in good condi tion, feed BUlllclent of a grain mix ture consisting of equal parts of dried browor's grains and ground oata or bran. At $20 por ton tho dried brow er'B grains aro tho cheapest feed, but tho oats or bran will ndd -variety and lighten up tho ration. If no Bllago is fed, it may bo doBlrablo to feed from a half pound to a pound of oil menl dally, possibly adding corn nnd cob meal to tho regular grain ration. Real Crop Rotation. A moro succession of tho various grain crops la not a rotation that has any real significance Real crop ro tation to be worthy of tho name must Include somo legume. General Farm Work. fall oft in ilesh thoy bo taken at onco to somo rcllnblo votorlnary Burgeon for examination. If thoy aro past treatment thoy should ho sold at auction for what thoy will bring for no animal can per form a day's work satisfactorily when ita tcoth aro in condition to prevent tho mastication of ita foor properly. Whon n wulo or borBo of uncertain ngo Is to bo bought by a farmer who is looking for cheap animals it would bo ndvlsablo for him to tako a votorl nary along If ho (tho farmer) cannot toll ngca nnd havo tho votorlnary mako a thorough examination beforo a purchnso is mado. Tho writer has had about thirty yoara' experience in handling horaes nnd mules, nnd can snfoly assort that ago doos not count bo much in their ability to do good work as tho condi tion of their tooth; but in order to do a day's work thoy must bo nblo to mao tlcnto their food thoroughly. LIVE STOCK IS BIG FACTOR IN FARMING One of Most Important Elements in Making Farming Profit ableHigh Labor Income. (Dy A. U. BENTON, AsslHtnnt In Fnrm MunuKcmcnt, University Fnrm, St. Paul, Minn.) Records from 400 farma In Rico county, Minnesota, show that good ltvo atock was tho moBt Important fac tor In mnking farming profitable. Tho labor income, or tho amount of monoy tho farmer earned nbovo farm ex penses, interest on tho farm invest ment nt flvo por cont nnd tho vnluo of farm produce used in tho household, was used aa tho measure of buccosb. Tho productivity of live Btock is mcaaurod by tho vnluo of tho roturna to tho farmer. Thoso farmB having live stock returning less than CO por cont of tho average of all tho farma on tho baBls of tho amount of llvo stock kept, gavo an averago labor incomo of $49 less than nothing. In othor words these farmers had to tako $ 19 from tho interoBt on their Investment In or der to pay their fnrm oxponsoa. FarntB with llvo stock returning from CO to 100 por cont of tho averago, gavo an averago labor Incomo of $148; thoso with llvo stock returning from 101 to 140 por cont of tho average gavo a labor Incomo of $50G; thoso with llvo stock returning over 140 por cent of tho averago, gavo a labor Incomo of $911. Llvo stock did not glvo a high labor incomo in ovory in stance Yield of crops, slzo of farm business, efficiency of labor nnd tho amount of llvo atock aro all important factors. SALT IS ESSENTIAL FOR DAIRY CATTLE Important Item Often Overlooked in Cow's RationPut in Convenient Place. (Uy 12. V. ELLINGTON. Idaho Experi ment Station.) An importnnt Item that la ofton over looked In tho management of tho dairy herd ia tho necessity of providing salt In tho ration of tho cow. All animals that conaumo largo quantltlea of veg etable food require salt. Babcock of tho Wisconsin experiment station found In his experimental work that tho cattlo whon doprlvod of Bait be camo emaciated and woro of low vi tality and finally suffered a completo breakdown. Ho recommended that thoy should bo fed throo-fourtha of an ounco por day with an additional Blx tenths of an ounco for each 20 pounds of milk producod. Whllo Bnlt may ho provldod in tho dally ration by mixing it with tho grain, an equally satisfactory method In practlco Is to koep it in a conven ient plnco, where tho animals may havo ready access to it whon thoy so desire. It may bo used in tho form of rock salt or placed in boxes In tho feed lot. Howovor, it should bo borno In mind that salt is vory essential to tho economical handling nnd health of dairy cattlo. Give 8heep Water. It ia a queer fancy with somo men that sheep can get enough drlnlc by eating graaa when tho dow la on in tho early morning. Stop and think how vory, vory littlo water a shoop could got that way. Glvo thorn a good spring or a trough to drink from.