Y.
v
1
SUCCESSFULLY TESTED.
A Now SyBtom of Drought-Dofy
inff SolTGulturo,
Invented liy XlnrAy XV. 'Campbell,
Dnkotn Fnrnver, lint Not Patent
ed Good Thing tor Weilern
JParnicra.
IBiKsclftl'Chicajro Letter.
Four years ngo Hardy W. Campbell, a
farmer living near Aberdeen, S. D., be
gan to Investigate in a modest way the
possibilities of overcoming the evils of
drought in that part of the west. He
ascertained that the average precipita
tion from snows and rnius in the semi
arid region is 20 inches a year which is
equivalent to 2,000 tons of wnttr on
every acre of land. Most of this moist
ure comes in the winter and 6onks down
deep Into the earth from which it Is
rapidly exhausted by the hot suns and
warm winds of early summer, leaving
the ground dry and parched at the very
time when the moisture is most needed
for the sustenance of plant life. Ex
perts have established the fact that a
crop which in this dried stage weighs
three tons to the acre does not require
in its growth more than 000 tons of
moisture per acre, leaving a waste by
evaporation and surface drainage of
1,100 tons of water from each acre every
year.
The ordinary method of cultivation
in the west Is such as to encourage the
gone over repeatedly with n novel con
structed harrow which thoroughly pul
verizes the top earth, while nt the samo
time it packs firmly all the- ground
four or live inches below the. surface,
thus preventing the escape of moisture
before the crop is put in. Under the old
plan the ground was allowed to lie for
days after being plowed beforea harrow
was started and the evaporation of wa
ter through the freshly-broken snrface
was rapid and exhaustive. Immediate
pulverization of the top soil following
its turning up by the plow reduces this
evaporation to the minimum. Crops are
then sowed or planted in the usual
manner and the moment the plant
shows a fair growth cultivation is be
gun with a special designed machine
which just scratches the surface of the
ground without disturbing the earth
around the roots of the plant. By con
tinuous use of this machine so long us
the horses can make their way through
the fields the top earth is kept in finely
powdered condition and serves as whnt
Mr. Campbell calls a dust blanket, By
the time the plants are too Dig to bo
worked any longer the shade they cast
will keep oiT the sun's rays und even the
hot winds will not be able to do much
damage. The process is so simple that
mnny farmers are at first inclined to
doubt its efficacy, but the results are be
yond dispute. It not only insures crops
in dry seasons, but it increases the yield
per acre when there is seemingly no ne
cessity for its use.
For two years experimental stations
have been in operation ntOberllu.Kan.;
AGRICULTURAL HINTS
FOR SHIPPING HOGS.
A Crntc Thnt Will Keep the Porker
In Good Condition.
The first thing necessary in shipping
hogs or pigs Is a good crate, without
which no breeder is certain of his ship
ment arriving nt destination in safety
and in as fine order ns when placed on
board of cars. The crate, Illustrated
herewith, is mode of seasoned linden
wood, n material at once very tough,
hard to break and light, a requisite in
shipping nnimals by express, especially
when rntefi arc inclined to be exorbitant.
This crate is IS Inches wide, 24 Inches
high nnd four feet long, and can be made
in like proportion to suit the largest
hog. The material used is sawed ex
pressly for this purpose direct from
the logs. Before working Into crates
it is sorted nnd ricked up, as other lum
ber, in n sheltered place to season;
POULTRY FOR MARKET.
How
MR. BROWN'S LOST CREEL.
IffllLliliff
SPECIAL. TOOL, FOR FERTILIZING SUBSOIL.
maximum of waste in moisture. Land
is shallow-plowed to begin with and
after the plants are above ground the
earth is stirred with a deep-reaching
cultivator which turns over all the
broken soil and at the same time dis
turbs the fine roots of the plants. Be
fore the first of August the cultivator is
laid by and a hard crust at once forms
on the surface of the ground. On this
crust the sun nnd wind act with terrific
energy and in a few days the earth i
sucked dry of all moisture. The season
of drought is then at hand and the
crops wither nnd die from excessive
heat. In working his kitchen garden Mr.
Campbell noticed he never had trouble
in raising good crops of vegetables
while a fair yield in ad joiuing fields was
n rarity. As the methods of cultivation
were radically different he concluded
the secret must lie in this. Extensive
experiments satisfied him he was right
and he communicated his discovery to
his neighbors, to the state authorities,
and to railway managers interested in
western lands. This was in the fall of
1894. Since then the matter has been
more thoroughly tested over o wide
area of territory with results that make
the most conservative of men give the
system empthntic Indorsement.
In working his garden Mr. Campbell
used a hand hoe continually nnd the
surface soil was kept finely pulverized,
forming a sort of dust blanket which
McCook, Holdredge, Alma nnd Broken
Bow, Neb.; at Lisbon, Jamestown, Pin
gree, Dawson and Olenullin. North Da
kota, and other points on the Great
Northern, Milwnukee & St. Paul, Union
Pacific, Burlington and other railroads.
From all these places the reports are ro
seate. All sorts of crops have been
treated, and under all sorts of condi
tions. Corn, small grains, hay and root
vegetables all are benefited by the new
system of cultivation. It might seem at
first impossible to raise anything but
hoed crops where a cultivator has to be
kept constantly in motion, but wheat,
rye, barley and oats are handled with
great profit, if seeded or drilled in rows
from 15 to 24 inches npnrt. There is a di
rect gain in qunntity of from 25 to33per
cent, in the yield over the old system,
and the quality is much better, as there
is no dwarfing or retardation of the
plants or grain berries by drought.
Statistics which have been carefully
kept at these experimental stntions put
the cost of cultivation by this new
method at about 00 cents an acre over
the old plan. This increased expense,
it is asserted, is more than met by the
extra yield, thus virtually furnishing
insurance for a crop in dry seasons
without cost.
There is no patent on the Campbell
system. Everybody is free to use it.
The necessary machines are cheap and
may be made by any handy mechanic.
CRATE FOR SHIPPING HOGS.
then when made into crates each one is
treated to a coating or two of paint.
All saw fuzz is removed by a sharp jack
plane. The crate is put together with
wire nails.
For the sides and tops use one-half by
four inches and four feet, 11 pieces,
and equally divide the space. The bot
tom is in one piece one inch thick, 18
inches wide and four feet long less one
inch. Front end contains one piece one
half by ten by IS inches, and two half
by four by 18 inches, each. The rear or
door end lias two pieces one-hnlf by
21C, by 18 inches for inside cross strips
top and bottom, and two outside top
and bottom strips one-hnlf by four by
IS inches, with two upright strips one
hnlf by 2a by 23 inches for each side
of the movable door, and to whivh are
fnstened the side strips. The door is
one-half by eight 13' 23 inches, and is
held firmly to place by a wire nnil
driven partially in nt top end. The
corner posts in front end are one by two
by 23 inches, and on the inside of them
is fastened a board one half b eight
by 18 inches, which forms with the out
side board n feed space of two inches
in width in front end of crate. The
board on the inside comes within an
inch of the bottom, where a trough is
made by tacking in n piece of board
one-hnlf by four by 18 inches, at a slant
of about the same degree as shown by
one side of the letter V. When ready to
bhip, place crate in the wagon and back
up to the driveway door in the hog
house, which is on a level with the
wagon bed, and you can load or crate
the hogs with ease; then put feed in
the box at end of crate, and it will
drop down ns it is eaten from the
trough, thus affording plenty of food
for the hog until the end of the jour
ney. Water can be given in the trough,
at intervnls, by those having the ani
mal in ehnrge. In such a crate, bedded
with straw, the hog should reach its
destination O K. Farm and Home.
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
with soap
and
JlJIilJllB-Bf
CULTIVATOR USED IN THE CAMPBELL METHOD.
choked the pores of the sub-soil and
prevented the escape of moisture except
as it was drawn up by the roots of the
plants. That this theory is correct wus
proven by taking test tubes of earth
from the garden aud adjoining fields,
nnd sending them to different chemists
for analysis. This earth was in all in
stances taken from the uniform depth
of 12 inches. That from the fields yield
ed only seven per cent, of moisture
while that from the garden gave be
tween 18 and 19 per cent. The impor
tance of this variation may be lenrened
from the fact t hut earth containing
only seven per cent, of wntcr is diy and
powdery to the touch; that which
holds IS per cent, can be squeezed into a
mud ball. Satisfied lie had struck the
right idea Mr. Campbell's next move
was to devise a means of putting it
into prnctical operation. Large fields
cannot be economically cultivated on
the same plan as Email gardens, nnd a
radical change in tillage methods had to
be evolved.
The ground is first plowed deeply, so
as to stir up the subsoil aud at once
There is no apprenticeship to serve in
learning to operate them. These are
points. which commend the new method
to western farmers and are likely to
lead to a revolution in the farming busi
ness beyond the Mississippi, hallway
men think so well of it that they nro
sending instructors through the coun
try to teach fanners how the thing
is done and organizing parties to
visit the nrious experimental sta
tions to benefit by practical object les
sons. The directions are simply these:
Plow deeply to start with; right behind
the plow have a circular harrow that
will pulverize the surface sell ond while
doing this pack the earth under It firm
ly; after the plants are above ground
cultivate them by merely scratching
the top of the earth, making sure the
packed subsoil is not disturbed. Uy this
course the moisture will be held in
store until it is drawn oil' by the plants
instead of being evaporated b the sun
and wind. The whole thing is so simple
as to appear almost ridiculous, but there
is plenty of incontestable evidence that
it is producthe of surprising results.
Wasli the harness
water before oiling.
We repeat, that corn, wheat and oats
will not be permanently lower than
they are at present.
Corn fodder may be shredded, but
not perfectly, by running it through un
old threshing machine.
A threshing machine boiler that is
too small to do the work, is always
dangerous from over-pressure.
A farmer says that lie kills Canada
thistles in the pasture by piling ma
nure on them thick enough to smother
them.
Put buggy benns or peas in n tight box
and put a little cup of bisulphide of
carbon on top, being careful that no
fire is near.
Wheat, independent of interest on
land, ought to be grown at six dollars
an acre at most. Eight, or even ten
bushels, per acre, will not pay.
Be careful to sow only the cleanest
timothy seed. Weeds in timothy make
bad work, worse than clover, though
they are bad enough there. Western
Plowman.
UIcol rlonl S1um SliriirliiK-.
Farming by electricity is now a recog
nized fact. Electricity diies the plow,
churn, thrasher, aud other implements,
nnd stimulates the sprouting and grow
ing of some kinds of egetution. And
now, at Great Falls, in Montana, which
is becoming the great wool-growing
state, 20 machines for shearing sheep
are arranged in a long, narrow shed.
open on one side. A single line of shaft
ing extends overhead, and from this 20
flexible cables fall. The shaft, by means
of "universal joints," cause each cable
to rotate, and the cable transmit its
power to the clipper by means of binii
lar connections. A man needs only to
steer the clipper around. The blades
work themselves. A small electric mo
tor of six horse-power drives the line
of shafting. The motor is biicli as is
used under n trolley car, and takes its
current from a trolley line. The 20 ma
chines operated for nearly three weeks
and sheared 10,181 sheep, averaging
nearly 100 sheep a day per machine.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
to DrcHN Chicken, Turkey,
(cvMc nnd Duck.
Keep from food 24 hours. Kill by
blcdlng in the mouth or opening the
veins In the neck; hang by the feet un
til properly bled; head and feet should
be leit on and the Intestines and crop
should not be drawn. For scalding
poultry, the water should be as near
the boiling point ns possible without
actually boiling; pick the legs dry be
forso scalding; hold by the head nud
legs and immerse and lift up and down
three times; if the head Is immersed
it turns the color of the comb and gives
the eyes u shrunken appearance, which
leads the buyers to think the fowl has
been sick. The feathers and pin feath
ers should be removed immediately,
very cleanly and without breaking tho
skin, then "plump" by dipping ten sec
onds in water nearly or quite boiling
hot, and then immediately Into cold
water, hang in n cool place until the
animal heat is entirely out, it should bu
entirely cold, but not frozen before be
ing pneked. Dry picked chickens nnd
turkeys sell best, and we advise this
way of dressing, as they sell better to
shippers, scalded chickens and turkeys
generally are sold to the local trade.
To dry pick chickens nnd lurkey prop
erly the work should be done while
the bird is bleeding; do not v!t and
let the bodies get cold, dry picking is
more easily done while the bodies nre
warm. Be careful nnd do not break
and tear the skin. Pack in boxes or bar
rels, boxes holding 100 to 200 pounds
are preferable, ond pack snugly;
straighten out the body nnd legs so
that they will not arrive very much
bent nnd twisted out of shape; fill the
package as full as possible to prevent
shuttling about on the way. Mark kind
and weight und shipping directions
neatly and plainly on the cover. Bar
rels answer better for chickens and
ducks than for turkeys or geese. When
convenient avoid putting more than one
kind iu u package. Endeavor to market
all old and heavy cocks before .Inuuiiry
1, as after the holidays the demand is
for small, round, fat lien turkeys only,
old toins being sold at u discount to
ca uners.
For geese and ducks the water for
scalding should be the same tempera
ture as for other kinds of poultry, but
it requires more time for it to penetrate
and loosen the feathers. It is n good
plan after scalding to wrap thorn In a
blanket, providing they nre not left
long enough to partly cook the flesh.
Another method, and no doubt the best
for loosening the feathers, is to steam
them, and whenever proper facilities
are at hand, we advise this process. It
is poor policy to undertake to save the
feathers dry by picking them alive just
before the killing, as it causes the skin
to become very much inilamed, and
greatly injures the sale. Do not pick
the feathers oil the head and it is well
to leave them on the neek, close to the
head, for a space of two or three inches.
The feet should not be skinned, nor
the bodies singed for the purpose of re
moving any down or hair, as the heat
from the flume will cause them to look
oily and bad. Tho process of plumping
and cooling is the same as with turkeys
and chickens. There is no kind of
poultry harder to sell at satisfactory
prices than poor, slovenly dressed
geese and ducks, and those who send
in such must not be disappointed at low
prices. No poultry of any kind sent to
city market should bo drawn. llurnl
World.
GARDEN
Hoiv
WHEELBARROW.
to Mnlic u Whool 'Mint llonrn II
Slinru of liurrieii.
In mnrket gardening, there is much
work that can be done with a whcelbor
iow. Wliile resting my aching arms
one day, 1 concluded thnt the wheel
of the ordinary barrow was not bear
ing its share of the burden, so I made
one in which the axle was placed up
nearer the body of the barrow, the
wheel extending inside. A cap was
fitted over this, inside the body, and I
J-Ut
BARROW FOR THE GARDEN.
Tnnly Hevolntlon of tho Fnotn Aliout
the Ijomh of 1-t I'ounil of Trout.
"I lost a borrowed trout creel once,"
said Banana Bob Brown, the cigar man.
"and was so mad at myself for not fol
lowing it up and recovering it that
I never told the owner how I enmo
to lose it, but bought him another nnd
never said a word. This happened up
in Sullivan county.
"The creel was a IB-pound one, nnd
the morning I strapped it on, ready
to start out after the 15 pounds of trout
necessary to fill it, the landlord of tho
house where I was stopping said:
" 'Where are you going, Mr. Brown V
" 'Whore am I going?' I replied, u
little milled. 'After trout, of course!
Do I look ns"lf I was going after
u.l.,,l..u'l
. ultimo
" 'I asked you where you were go
ing,' said the landlord. 'I didn't ask
you what you were going after.'
"'Oh!' said I. 'I'm going to Jump
ing creek. Trout there, ain't tlicreV
" 'Ought to be,' said the landlord. 'If
the bears haven't fished 'em all out.'
" 'Bears!' I said, and I had to laugh.
'"That's right!' said the landlord.
'Sure! Bears can beat water snakes
catching trout. Water snakes win (bent
coons, and coons enn beat tho best
trout fisherman that ever went out
carrying his fly hook where everyone
can see it and his bait box hid in ills
pocket!'
" 'Fudge!' I said, and went my way.
"I had great luck that day. The creel
I carried belonged to a man who lived
In the village. 1 borrowed it because
I was afraid my own creel was too
small. It held only ten pounds. 1 enmo
to u pool where 1 knew I could get the
needed two pounds of trout and at first
thought I would make short work of
It by killing u two-pounder, but after
ward made up my mind it would be
more sport to kill two one-pounders.
So 1 prepared to do that. I had to
cliunbed down a steep, rocky place to
get to the pool, and I took ofV my creel
und left it at the top, fearing that I
might slip nnd fall and spill the trout
and lose 'em in the creek. 1 got down
all right, and soon had a pound trout
hooked. Away he went with a rush
down stream, and I gnve him line. He
went a hundred feet before lie stopped,
and then stopped right where a tre
mendous big bear stood in the creek,
tlolng, as sure as you live, a little fish
ing for himself. Before I could reel
my trout away from that spot the bear
reached out aud put the hooks of his
big claw into my trout, and yanked
it out of the water, grabbing my leader
at the snme time and breaking it. Then
that aggravating and impudent bear
held up the trout for me to look at,
snapped his eyes at me in a way that
made my dander raise right up, and
waddled out of the creek into the
bushes, taking 1113' trout along. 1 can't
remember when I had been so mad
us I was to see that bear walk away
with my prize.
'"Not if 1 know It, you don't get
away with that fish!' I hollered, and
shinned up that rock to head the bear
oil' and make him stand and deliver
up that trout or take the consequences.
When 1 got back to the top of the
rock I discovered thnt my creel of trout
wasn't where I hud left it. I looked
all around, but It was nowhere to lie
seen. I hurried to the bushes, pushed
them aside, and there, making for the
woods, I saw two bear cubs walking
oil' with my basket of fish, carrying it
between them! I was simply dumb
founded, and while 1 gazed after those
audacious young thieves they were
joined by the old bear that had caught
my big trout down the creek, and away
the trio went showing every evidence
Df hilarity over the way they had tricked
me. Instead of bounding after the rob
ber bear family, recovering the prop
erty they had looted me of, and admin
istering them such punishment as they
richly desrrved, I was so taken aback
that 1 stood there like a chump and let
them escape. When 1 came to some
degree of reason 1 was so mad at my
self thnt 1 went home ashamed to tell
how l had really lost my creel, and
faked up some story about its having
tumbled into the creek and been washed
away. This is the first time 1 ever gave
away the truth aliout losing that
and I feel better for it. N. .
found that the wheeling was then much
easier. The new barrow weighed 49
pounds. With 239 pounds of sand, there
is n weight of 50 pounds on the handles,
while with the ordinary barrow the
weight is 99 pounds. The handles are
five feet long, 1, by 1 inches at front
and smaller toward the back. The
wheel is 22 inches dinineter with a two
inch tire. The barrow frame is 19 Indies
at front, two feet at back; the body is
three feet by 13 inches, while the legs
are two feet ten inches from the front.
II. Bingham, in Oinnge.Iudd Farmer.
.Hiirfnoo Wnlcr In Wi!In.
Wells are often dug in depressions, the
Idea being that in such places springs
of water are most apt to lie found. But
if so dug the well should be stoned and
cemented for 12 or more feet from the
surface, so thnt shallow springs cannot
find entrance. The deeper springs will
generally lie free from surface impuri
ties. Then if the well is filled around
about so iis'to turn surface water from
it there will be little danger that it will
be contaminated in any way. Ameri
can Cultivator.
reel,
Sun.
.Sonllopt-tl OyNttTM.
Take two dozen large salt water oys
ters. Put them in 11 pan in their own
Juice und place them on the fire until
they boil, then drain. Take five ounces
of best table butter, one large table
spoon of flour; mix and let it simmer
for a half minute without getting
brown. Then take half of the oyster
juice and add an equal portion of cream,
and let it cook to thick miucc; mix it
with the oysters, and Hour and butter.
Season with salt, a little cayenne pep
per, 11 houpcou of nutmeg and a little
Worcestershire sauce. Wash and dean
thoroughly a dozen large deep oyster
shells; then put aliout six oysters in a
iliell; sprinklo with pnrmesan cheese,
aread crumbs and a little fresh butter.
Hake for ten minutes in a brisk oven
vnd serve immediately. Cincinnati
Enquirer.
Pried Toiutt tix'N,
Take ripe, firm tomatoes, slice,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip In
gg, then in grated bread crumbs, nnd
try in boiling lard. Housekeeper.