Nebraska Newspapers

    THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
i J
(JB00D BIRDS ARElsSENTIAL TO PROFITS
! VS
Excellent Specimen of
In turkey-raising, even more than
with chickens or most other kindB of
poultry, good birds are essential to
igood profits. To raako scrubs pay moro
than a minimum is almost impossible.
About tuo only place where one can
flucceed with mediocre turkeys is in
sparsely-settled country, where a few
liens, or small flocks of below-avorago
turkeys, ranging for themselves in a
wild state, cost their ownors little or
.nothing, and at tho end of the season
bring in a little more returning a
small sum on an outlay of a still
.smaller sum.
Yet tho overwhelming majority of
turkey-raisers appear to bo content to
.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 food oats in ono
form or another to their birds. We
Tegard wholo oats as dangerous when
led to youngsters.
A badly ventilated poultry house is
always damp from the breath of fowls
If nothing else.
Millions of gallons of sour milk aro
thrown away every day In splto of
the fact that It makes the very best
food for fowls.
It is a great mistake to inbrecd 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
H. Tho drono is useless.
Now is tho tlmo to buy your breed
ing birds for next spring. Better se
lect them in the yard than in tho
pen at the poultry show, unless you
ro 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, moat scraps or cracklings,
out clover, all parts by weight. A dry
mash is simply n mixture of several
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 tho hopper
In order to keep tho fowls busy
scratching in tho litter for scratch
mod.
Animal Food Is Essential.
Animal food, in somo form, is necos
pary. Fowls that aro confined to yards
ilo not havo tho opportunity to get in
serts, worms, etc. Thoy should be sup
plied with animal food, such as beef
scraps, ground greon bono, butchers'
cracklings, etc. Ten per cent of ani
mal food threo times a wcok is ad
visable. Causes of Bowel Troubles.
Tho strictly healthy fowls do not
have bowel complaint. Looseness of
tho bowels in fowls n limply an indi
cation of indigestion, or derangement
of the digestive org' as.
Grow Sunflowers.
Many poultrymon recommend grow
ing sunflowers in the poultry yards.
The seeds are good feed for both
t'hicks and older birds.
Securing Winter Ego.
Winter eggs aro moet successfully
.secured by keeping Bmall colonies.
Look After Water Supply.
Ho suro to keep plenty of pure, fresh
water before tho hens.
Bronze Turkey Cock.
low tho quality of thoir flocks to drop
a llttlo 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
mean necessarily cxpensivo stock,
though of course as a general rule
one 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. The 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
mont Is required.
Artificial heat Is not necessary,
Even in tho coldest climato the hens
aro kept with their open houses and
tho best results aro obtained. With
plenty of dry litter on tho lloor and
a dry mash in hoppers with somo
green food, cut bono and a grain ra-
tion that Is scattered in tho straw
on tho floor in order to stimulate ac
tivlty and create blood circulation,
with good clear, clean water that is
of a temperature that invites them to
drink freely, tho averago farm flock
will becomo far moro productlvo than
it has ever been in the 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 thoy havo their hogs,
cattlo and horses, they would lind
that tho result from tho flock, taking
into consideration tho amount of
money invested, would amply ropay
them for their work. Great honor is
dua to tho farm hens of this country.
SERIOUS DISEASE OF FOWLS
Gangrene Will Pass From One to An
other Kill All First Cases and
Burn Them at Once.
Gangrene of tho crop is a serious
dlseaso and will pass from bird to
bird. An offensive smell comos with
tho crop condition that causes gan
grene. Kill all first cases and burn
thom.
If there aro several cases, these, If
not immediately killed, must bo quar
antined from tho well birds and fed
tho BUlpho-cnrbolate compound. Tho
runs and all parts of tho poultry
houses must bo disinfected after the
departuro of such birds.
Range Not Necessary.
Farm range is good, but not neccs
sary to raise healthy and profitable
fowls. Muny of tho most successful
poultry raisers havo only a village lot
Success may be attained In a small
way as well as on a larger scale.
Winter Sheds for Ducks,
Ducks prefer staying out in their
runs all night, and this is best for
thom during tho Bummer season, hut
thoy are bettor protected in woll-ventl-lated
sheds or houses during tho win
ter season.
Keep the Hens Busy.
Favor tho hens hut keop thom rus
tling and scratching. A chilly her;
just standing around Isn't doing much
laying.
Alert Hens Are Profitable.
Tho wideawake, alert hens aro tho
ones that leave a neat profit between
their feed bill and tho price tho egg
baskot brings.
LOVE'S REVENGE
By ALVAH JORDAN GARTH.
"A dreary prospect," obsorved Rob
ert Illlss gravoly.
"But peaceful, dear, you must ad
mit that, und a desert may bo mado
a paradise with lovo, you know."
Thoy had been married nonrly a
quarter of a contury, but as Mrs. Bliss
wound her arms about him and looked
into ills eyes, loynl, confiding and af
fectionate, ho drew, her closer to him
and his heart went out towards hor
with ti now thrill, aB In thoso far days
when sho was a bonny, wlnsomo girl,
"It's worth tho fighting for, tho fu
ture with BUch a wifo ns you!" ho
cried, hia oyos brightening magically.
"Ono blessed thing Wlnnlo does not
know."
. "Sweet dear, no," replied Mrs. Bliss,
a 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 husbuml and wifo
gazed. Thoy had just como into pos
session of nn eight-acre hillsido farm.
Tho houso was well enough at least
quaint, roomy and comfortable, but
tho soil was somewhat sterile, tho out
buildings woro dilapidated, tho fences
broken and down in places. At tho
best tho rambling cxpanso suggested
disuso and povorty.
Mr. and Mrs. Bliss stood at tho
threshold of a now II fo. Tho old ono
had ended disastrously. Tho hus
band's business had becomo Involved.
Ho gavo up to his creditors all ho had
except tho legacy of an aunt, which
wns to bo used to educato tho daugh
ter of tho houso, Winnie. When tho
last debt had boon paid tho creditors
had deeded over to Mr. Bliss tho llttlo
abandoned farm, at which they had
just arrived, with their two younger
children, Artio and Will.
When tho parents spoko of Winnlo
thoro was an undercurrent of mingled
"Who In That Clodhopper Friend of
Yours?"
anxiety and interest in tho situation.
Thoy had carefully kopt the truth
from hor. Tho collego Bho was at
tending was over fifteen hundred miles
away and eho camo homo only onco
a year. Sho would finish hor educa
tion tho present fall and thoy did not
wish to break upon that program
Thoy know that if Wlnnio learned of
thoir distress and impoverishment, sho
would at onco hasten to their sldo.
Thoy wero aware, too, that Wlnnio
was engaged to a wealthy youftg man
In tho collego town named Ernest
Valle. MoroMban over, thcreforo,
thoy did not wish to disturb Winnie's
plans and hopes. Thoy led her to bo
llovo that on account of health thoy
had removed to a now homo.
Thus thoy had taken up a now bur
don of life. Of courso tho children
wero delighted iflth tho novelty of
now surroundings. To tho anxious
husband and wifo, however, thoro was
a difficult practical situation to face
and work out.
"I hardly know whoro to begin," ob
served Mr. Bliss, aB ho and his wifo,
after walking about tho barren stretch,
rested on a slanting fonco rail under a
shady tree "You seo, I know so lit
tlo about farming."
"Suppose you let a willing neighbor
help you?" suggested an unexpected
volco, and a bright-oyed, clovor-look'
ing young follow of about twonty-flvo
leaped tho fonco and stood boforo
them, hat in hand and smiling In a
friendly way that mitigated tho Boll-
tudo about them. "I'm from a mile
up tho road," ho explained. "It Booms
bo good to hoar voices around tho old
deserted placo hero, that I found my
self an caveBdroppor boforo I realized
It."
Bluff, hearty, honest Nod Dover!
What an nngol of holpfulnoBB and on-
couragomont ho proved to tho lonely
exiles. Ho took tho now neighbors to
view his own farm, to show them what
Industry, patience and porsoveranco
had wrosted from tho wilderness. Loft
an orphan at slxteou, ho had helped
liis aged grandfather get out of tho
land all It would produfo. Now ho
hnd a modol farm and a competency.
Dover holped them buy a horso and
wagon, a cow and a litter of plga. Ho
showed, thom how to lay out a veco
I table garden n' f a Herd ol oats and
corn. Tho boys woro delighted to
tnko horso nnd wagon and go into tho
tlmbor and cart tho wholo wintoro
fuol to tho woodshed. When hnr
vost camo Mr. Bliss was bronzed,
rough-handed, but wns full of now
vigor and hopo.
Thoro waa gonulno comfort In know
ing that tho collar was stocked with
fruits, vegetables and homo-raised
bacon, that thoy need not snaro feed
ing tho broad, old-fashioned fireplace
all tho winter through, that thoro was
ample fodder for tho cattlo, and com
fort nnd contentment In thnt thrift
promises n nappy futuro whoro at
least peaco nnd plenty would abound.
Young Dover was a constant visi
tor. Tho Bliss people almost wel
comed him as a member of tho family.
Novor wns thore Hiich a loyal, helpful
friend. Tho children loved him, tho
parents day by day increased their
esteem of his hopeful, sterling charac
ter, and then ono cold ovcnlng, unex
pectedly, without u word of warning,
Winnlo camo homo.
Amid tho fond welcome of loving
hearts Winnlo broko down in tears.
Then, nlono with hor mother, sho nar
rated a pitiful story of disappointment
nnd suffering. Sho had found her sup
posed friends capricious and treach
erous. Hor high ambition hnd been
daunted by tho hollowness nnd super
ficiality of thoso who should havo sot
a higher oxamplo. Ernest Vnllo, to
whom sho had boon engaged, had for
feited his allcgianco to her by ntton
Hons to tho daughtor of a millionaire
"No," sho answered almost smiling
ly to tho questioning look in her
mother's oyes, "my heart is not
broken! I fancied I loved him, but
his despicable act has changed all
thnt to contompt," but thoro was
a latent bitterness and resentment
in her mind. "Oh, mother," sho con
tinued fervently, "it Is so good to bo
at homo with truo loving hearts. And
you are all looking so strong and
well nnd happy."
Tho next day Winnlo met Ned
Dover, and tho next, nnd Innumerable
dnys after that. It might havo hcon
tho pure fresh air, or homo comfort,
but tho bloom camo back to hoi
cheeks, and tho dear delightful ovo
nlngB which tho young farnior passed
with tho Bliss family bognn tp be
looked forward to with gonulno appre
ciation by Wlnnio.
Ono day who should drive to the
farm from tho vlllngo but Ernest Vnllo,
In tho mcantimo Winnlo had learned
by letter of his dismissal by tho young
lady of wealth ho had vainly courted.
Vnllo took up his quarters at tho vil
lage hotel and called threo times n
week.
Ono afternoon ho arrived with n
firm determination in his mind to
"patch up" thoir "llttlo tiff," boliov
ing himself irresistible Winnlo tol
erated him. Sho was not rovongoful,
but sho still smarted under tho mem
ory of his mean porfldy.
Sho neither encouraged nor discour
aged him, but sho patiently awaited
her opportunity. Vnllo was gottlng
sontlmontal moment by moment. As
thdy passed tho Dover farm, Its young
owner, grubbing with a hoe, lifted his
cap.
"Who is that clodhoppor frlond of
yours, may I ask?" questioned Vallo.
Tho answer sent him back to town
instantly, and thenco forthwith back
to his friends in tho East, for Winnie
had replied, promptly and proudly.
"That is tho man I honor nnd re
spect my futuro husband."
(Copyright, 1016, by W. Q. Chnpmnn.)
RUSKIN HAD MADE BEVERAGE
How Author Whom the World Reveres
Prepared Coffee for His
Guest.
Ituskin not only preached tho gospel
of efllclency, says tho Youth's Compan
ion, but when tho exigencies of the oc
casion domanded ho practiced it also.
In hor entertaining book of remini
scences, "Thirteen Years of a Busy
Woman's Life," Mrs. Alec Twcodlo
sayB that her father, Doctor Harloy, a
well-known London physician, was n
great friend of Ruskln's and often
fltald at Brnntwood. Ono night Ruskln
nsked Doctor Harloy whother ho liked
tea or coffee boforo ho got up.
"A cup of tea," ho replied.
"Why don't you choose coffeo?"
"Well, to toll tho truth, I havo lived
so much abroad that I don't fancy Eng
lish coffee; It is generally so badly
mado."
His host said nothing. Tho next
morning Doctor Harloy was awakened,
and a strong smoll of coffeo permeated
tho room. Turning to a servant ho
nsked, "Ib thnt my cup of tea?"
. "No, sir, It Is Mr. Ituskln'B coffeo."
"Mr. Ruskln's coffeo! What do you
mean?"
"Tho master was'up early. Ho roast
ed tho cpffeo himself, ho ground tho
coffeo himself and ho mado tho coffeo
himself nnd ho hopes you will like It."
Doing His Part.
"Aro you working fop ub?" nsked
tho Buffraglst of a meek-looking man
who was loitering about tho entrance
to a hall whoro a mob of women wero
holding a political rally.
"Why, yes, in a mannor of speak
ing," replied tho meek-looking man.
"If you bollovo with Milton that
'Thoy also Borvo who only Btaud
and wait.' "
"What do you mean by that?"
"I escorted my wifo hero and I'm
waiting to tuko her homo."
Curse of Poverty.
"Tho JlbwayB boast that their ancoB
tors camo over in tho Mnyliower."
"Indeed!" roplied Mrs. Noorlch
haughtily. "It thoy coniomplato a
trip to Europe nnd that vobsoI woro
still in sorvlco, I daro Bay thoy would
havo to go back in tho Mayflower."
FLOATING TEETH OF
Superior Animals for
(fly J M.
Somo months ngo tho wrltor hnd
occasion to purchnso two "second
hand" mules to do somo farm work.
Thcso mules were bought nt public
auction, and woro secured at prlcos
that might bo termed cheap.
Thoy woro shipped to tho country
and put to work nt onco, but unfor
tunately, although thoy porformod
their work faithfully, it waB noticed
thnt thoy foil oft in flosli.
Upon enroful examination of their
teeth It was discovered that thoir
grlndors woro worn nnd unovon, and
that consoquontly thoy could not thor
oughly mastlcato their grain or for
ngo. Thcreforo It waB a enso of either
soiling them at a loss or having thoir
teeth repaired.
My mules wero shipped to a veter
inary Burgeon, and after n thorough
examination of thoir mouths, ho ox
pressod tho opinion that thoy could bo
helped.
It waB discovered that ono of tho
mules hnd a boll ulcor In its mouth,
caused by tho loss of an uppor grinder.
Tho lower grlndors having becomo
elongated, hnd cut Into tho uppor Jaw,
causing ulceration and much pnln
when tho nnlmnl attempted to eat
either grain or forage.
Thcso long teeth wero sawed off,
but In tho attempt tho mulo became
rcstlvo nnd In splto of tho efforts of
two strong men, pulled back, and tho
tooth was oxtracted. Her other tooth
wero filed down nnd put in aB good
order as 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 sovcrnl days. Tho ulcor
disappeared, and after that sho had
no troublo whatever In masticating
cither hay or grain, and porformod
her work s,o woll thnt sho wns llnnlly
sold at a profit a few weeks after
bolng cured.
When Bho was bought at miction
sho wns a living skclotou nnd tho
other ono, whilo fat when brought In
town, had ovidontly boon fed on soft
food, for ho could neither mastlcato
liny or grain In BUfllclont amount to
keep him so. In fact, ho practically
refused to cat corn olther on tho cob
or shelled and had to ho fed on meal
and grass.
When his tooth woro treatod ho wns
able 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 thousands of horses and
mules thnt, arriving at old ugo, aro
still capable of performing hnrd labor
ovory working day In tho year, if thoy
can thoroughly masticate their food;
and tho writer would advlso that when
horses or mules of this cluss begin to
HEAVY FEEDING OF
SILAGE TO A BULL
Majority of Breeders Feed It in
Limited Quantities Together
With Alfalfa.
Heavy feeding of sllngo to a bull
at servlco is not desirable and may
rendor him impotont, Somo breeders
will not feed sllngo under any condi
tion, but probnbly tho majority will
food It in limited quantities together
with all tho alfalfa or clover hay tho
bull will consumo. To supplement
this roughago suillclent grain Is fed
to keep tho bull in good sorvlco con
dition but not fat. Restricted and
careful feeding nnd plenty of exor
ciso aro tho fundamental require
ments In keoplng a bull in good serv
ico condition.
A good ration for tho bull will con
sist of all tho clovor hay ho will con
sumo without waste and ton to fif
teen pounds of good sllngo. If hull
is at heavy sorvlco or it is necessary
in order to keep him in good condi
tion, feed Bufllcicnt of a grain mix
ture consisting of equal parts of dried
browor's grains and ground onts or
bran. At $20 por ton tho dried brew
er's grains aro tho cheapost feed, hut
tho oats or bran will add -variety and
lighten up tho ration. If no sllngo is
fed, It may bo desirable to feed from
a halt pound to a pound of oil meal
dally, possibly adding corn and cob
meal to tho rogular grain ration.
Real Crop Rotation.
A moro succession of tho various
grain crops is not a rotation that has
any real significance Real crop ro
tation to bo worthy of the name must
include somo logume.
HORSES AND MULES
General Farm Work.
fnll off in flesh thoy bo taken at onco
to Bomo rellnblo veterinary ourgcon
for examination.
If thoy aro paBt trcatmont thoy
should bo sold nt auction for what
thoy will bring for no nnlmnl can por
form n day's work satisfactorily when
its teeth aro in condition to prevent
tho mnstication of Kb foor properly.
When n wulo or horso of unccrtntn
ago is to bo bought by a farmer who
is looking for cheap animals it would
bo ndvlsablo for him to tnko n votorl
nary along if ho (tho farmer) cannot
toll nges nnd havo tho vetorlnary
mako a thorough examination before a
purchnso is mado.
Tho writer hns had about thirty
years' experience In handling horses
nnd mulos, and can snfoly assort that
ngo does not count bo much in thoir
ability to do good work as tho condi
tion of their tooth; but in order to do
a day's work thoy must bo ablo to mas
tlcato thoir food thoroughly.
LIVE STOCK IS BIG
FACTOR IN FARMING
One of Most Important Elements
in Making Farming Profit
able -High Labor Income.
(Dy A. II. DI3NTON, Assistant In Farm
MunnKemont, Unlvorslty Farm, St. I'nul,
Minn.)
RocordB from 400 farms in Rico
county, Minnesota, Bhnw that good
llvo stock waB tho most Important fac
tor in making farming profltnblo. Tho
lnbor lncomo, or tho amount of money
tho farmor earned abovo farm ox
ponses, interest on tho farm Invest
ment at flvo per cent and tho value of
farm produce used in tho household,
was used as tho moasuro of buccosb.
Tho productivity of llvo stock 1b
measured by tho valuo of tho returns
to tho fnrmor. Thoso farms having
llvo stock returning loss thnn CO por
cent of tho avorngo of all tho farms on
tho basis of tho amount of llvo stock
kopt, gavo an averago labor lncomo of
$19 loss than nothing. In othor words
these farmors hnd to take $49 from
tho interest on thoir investment In or
der to pay thoir farm oxponsos.
FarmB with llvo Btock returning from
CO to 100 por cent of tho nvorago, gavo
nn averago labor income of $148;
thoso with llvo Btock returning from
101 to 140 por cent of tho average
gavo a labor lncomo of $50G; those
with llvo stock returning over 140
por cent of tho avorngo, gavo a labor
lncomo of $911. Llvo Btock did not
glvo n high labor lncomo in ovory in
atanco. Yield of crops, bIzo of farm
businoss, ofllcloncy of labor and tho
nmount of llvo stock aro all Important
factors.
SALT IS ESSENTIAL
FOR DAIRY CATTLE
Important Item Often Overlooked
in Cow's Ration Put in
Convenient Place.
(Hy 15. V. ELLINGTON, Iduho Experi
ment Station.)
An important item thnt is often over
looked In tho management of tho dnlry
herd is tho necessity of providing salt
in tho ration of tho cow. All animals
that consumo largo quantities of veg
etable food roqulro salt. Babcock of
tho Wisconsin experiment station
found In his exporimcntal work that
tho cattlo when doprlved of Bait ho
camo emaciated nnd woro of low vi
tality and finally Buffered a complete
breakdown. Ho recommended that
thoy should bo fed throo-fourths of an
ounce per day with an additional six
tonths of an ounco for each 20 pounds
of milk producod.
Whilo Bait may ho providod In tho
dally ration by mixing it with tho
grain, an equally satisfactory mothod
In practlco is to koep It in n conven
ient placo, where tho animals may
havo ready access to It whon thoy so
doslro. It may bo used in tho form
of rock salt or placed in boxes in the
feed lot. Howovor, it should bo borno
in mind that salt is vory essontlal to
tho economical handling and health ot
dairy cattlo.
Give Sheep Water.
It Is a queer fnncy with Bomo mon
that sheep can got enough drink by
eating grass when tho dow is on in
tho early morning. Stop and think
how vory, vory llttlo water a sheep
could got that way. (llvo thom a good
spring or a trough to drink from.