K
AGRICULTURAL HINTS
.REMOVABLE WESTS.
ITicy Arc ICnatly defined nnd Caw Be
Removed at Will.
The more inconvenient the nests of
Ihc poultry house, the more probabil
ity that the cleaning will be neglected.
This means a harbor for lice and this,
iu turn, forebodes disaster and ruin
to the pouitrymnn. Removable nests
jcem to be the best solutiou of the dif
ficulty, for in this manner the wash
used for cleaning can penetrate every
crack and crevice of the nests.
The plan which 1 give has been used
for years in my poultry houses, and I
have found it economical, convenient
nnd easily carried out by anyone who
can use a hammer and saw. I use the
regular siding, one foot wide, such as
Is used for barns, etc.
The foundation for the nests is like
NESTS IN POSITION.
n table. It is made of two boards as
long as you wish your row of nests
to be. Five feet is a good length and
will make four nests, but it may be
readily made twice as long if desire:!.
Nail a stout piece two feet long at
each end of the long boards, on the
under side. To these two pieces are
naiied the four boards for the legs.
Thi3 table fits closely up against the
side of the hen house aud must stand
firmly.
To make the nest, take one board
the length of your table. Mark it oil'
by lines about 14 inches apart, the first
one about two inches from the end.
New upon each line nail at right
angles a board, sawed by line, one
fool square. This practically finishes
the nests, as you will sec when you
bcttle them in place, with the top of
NESTS REMOVED FROM TABLE AND
INVERTED.
the table for the bottom of the nests
and the side of the henhouse for the
back. A thin piece of board two or
three inches wide must be nailed
ulong the lower edges of the squares
to hold in the straw and eggs. 1 have
used two laths, laid side by side, when
nothing else was handy. The dimen
sions 1 have given are for hens of
medium size; perhaps they would be
too small for Brnhmas and Cochins
especially the sitters.
It takes only a short time to remove
these nests and the table also, if
necessary into the yard and give them
a bath )f boiling hot soapsuds with
t broom or long-handled brush.
Then a coating of lime and water in
to which a little disinfectant or coal
oil has been stirred, or a wash with
lice paint, and you can feel that your
duty has been not only done, but well
dene.
We all know that food and water
are necessary to the life of our poul
try, but not until we realize that
cleanliness and absolute freedom from
vermin are fully as necessary to their
health and speedy growth, will we
make poultry keeping a profitable and
bntisfying success. Ohio Farmer.
'I'nrkeyit for (he Knrni.
The common blnek turkey is as good
n general purpose turkey as any, with
the possible exception of a cross of
American black with the mammoth
bronze. Do not nttempt to raise the
cross of the wild turkey with the tnme
for it will only result in a half wild
bird which can never be kept within
proper bounds. Large fields for feeding
by day and well-ventilated houses near
the fields for roosting by night are nec
essary to make turkey raising profita
ble. It is essential that the house for the
turkeys be near the fields over which
they feed, with no trees between, or
the chances nre they will roost in the
trees Tustend of in the house. In the
winter, house warmly and feed out of
doors, scattering the grain thinly over
the ground to mnke the turkeys take
the necessary amount of exercise.
Prairie Farmer.
Some I'm In About Ilecn.
In n colony of bees about swarming
time thero are three kinds of Decs a
queen, the workers and the drones.
The queen is the mother; the workers,
of course, do the work, while thedroneu
are the gentlemen of leisure. As a gen
eral rule there is but one queen, from
20,001) to 45,000 workers, and the drones
will number from a few dozen to ns
many hundreds; but these gentlemen
of leisure arc very short-lived but few
of them ever live to see their mother
nnd sisters safely quartered for the
winter. The life of a worker is about
4S days of actual working time, or
about SO days from the time the egg is
laid until the bee has died from over
work, if thero has been a flow of nec
tar. Journal of Agriculture.
Home people have an idea that a hog
will cut its throat if it attempts to swim.
It is not true. It is u good swimmer.
WORN-OUT FARM SOIL.
It Cnn He Improved ly Plowing Un
der Green Cropn.
Soils that liavc been In long culture,
without having been in clover or the
.grasses, or received periodical dressings
of bnni-ynrd manure, have been de
prived of the greater portions of their
mold. And, ns is ulso-au admitted truth,
that mold is an indispensable ingredient
in every productive soil, it stands to
reason that, when in the course of im
provident culture, it has been extracted,
it is essentinl that it be restored. The
question, then, hew shall this restora
tion be brought about, is one of full
Interest to every fanner. Those who
have ample resources, who have full
supplies of nninini and mineral nnd veg
etable manures, who have the materials
on their land to form composts, com
prising the elements In question, need
look no further for the means of re
storing the needed constituents to the
soil. Hut those who are differently
situated, who have but little manure
and are but ill-supplied with the raw
material to make compost, must turn
their attention to the best means of
placing such matters in the soil ns will
form mold. The growing and plowing
in of green crops is often ud vised, nnd
we here repent that advice. No soil
can be truly productive unless both
organic and inorganic plant foods nre
present. The nir can supply n portion
of the organic food, ns clover roots can
by their tubercle bacilli convert the
unavailable nitrogen of the nir into
available plant food. This can be done
only while the plant is growing.
What kinds of crops should be cul
tivated nnd plowed In? This question
must be solved by circumstances. The
facility with which seed may be ob
tained, the facility with which plants
selected can be grown on these poor
lands, their cost, etc., will determine
to a great extent which shnll be used.
Chief is red clover, valuable for pastur
age and equally so as a fertilizer. Clover
is ilrst and no doubt the best mortgage
raiser there is, for it surely does restore
the fertility of the land. As mentioned
before, it supplies the nitrogen supply
as none other can. I know fnrms that
would raise scarcely anything, which
in course of four or five years' treatment
with clover, nnd with proper rota
tion, have become very valuable as crop
producing farm. Clover is a good crop
for green manuring, llyc and rape are
likewise recommended, but clover un
doubtedly stands first. Charles W.
Burkctt, in Farm and Fireside.
WIRE FENCE REEL.
It I)oi-N Xot Heuuire Much Skill to
Make One nt Home.
For a homemade wire fence reel sim
ply convert an empty barrel into a hand
roller. Across the open end, two pieces
nre nailed tit right angles nnd in the cen
ter of this, as well ns the bottom, a hole
is bored to admit an iron rod. The
push frame can be made of light pieces
of hard wood braced across and on the
under side a staple or hook is inserted
to carry a can or paint bucket with
WIRE FENCE REEL.
tools, stnples, etc This may be sus
pended from the rod just inside the
open end of the barrel by means of an S
shaped wire, but is not quite so con
venient. In removing wire, one end is
stapled to the barrel and then it is a
simple matter to push the contrivance
before you. In this way the wire is not
dragged through the dirt nnd so does
not gather much litter. If it Is a tem
porary fence, it is frequently necessary
to move it but a short distance and then
it can be pushed all the way, but if the
removal is to a greater distance, the
rod can be taken out nnd the barrel, with
its coil of wire, lifted into a wagon. J.
M. Shnll, in Orange Judd Farmer.
AMONG THE POULTRY.
When eggs nre kept for hatching they
should be turned half over three times
a week.
From now on until spring mnture
fowls bring higher prices than at any
other season.
Clover contains more of the neces
sary elements for egg production thnn
grain, but it isn bulky food.
The guinea fowls conic the nearest
to being self-supporting of nil th kinds
of fowls in domesticntion.
Ground bone is one of the best forms
in which to give lime to laying hens;
but do not give it in the food.
Whtn the weather is damp the ducks
are as uncomfortable as the hens, and al
ways seek a dry place at night.
During the winter, when the weather
Is dnmp and the yards are often muddy,
sulphur should not be given to the
fowls.
The fowls should be fed as late and
ns enrly as possible now, so thnt the
time between supper aud breakfast will
not be too Jong.
Sifted conl ashes and dry ro:nl dust
In equal parts makes one of the very
best materials for dust baths. St. Loui
j llepubllc.
FARM AND GARDEN.
POULTRY YARD HINTS.
A. I'civ Itcllnulo Health mid l)lcnne
Indication.
When fowls arc judiciously fed, made
lo take exercise, nnd their quarters kept
clean nnd free from filth, there is com
paratively no trouble with sickness, ex
sept in cases of contagion.
When the combs and wattles of the
fowls are of a bright red color, it indi
cates the condition of good health.
When the fowls nre busy scratching,
the hens laying nnd singing, and the
socks crowing, these arc signs of good
health.
When you can enter the lien house
after dark and hear no wheezing, it
proves there are not any roupy fowls in
the flock.
When the manure is hard, and a por
tion of it white, it indicates a healthy
condition of the digestive organs.
When the edge of the comb and wat
tles are a purplish red and the move
ments sluggish, there Is something
wrong.
When fowls lie nround, indifferent to
their surroundings, they are too fat,
and death from apoplexy, indigestion
or liver complaint will result unless the
trouble is corrected.
When the fowls nre restless nnd con
stantly picking their fenthor3, they are
infested with vermin.
When young poultry, especially duck
lings, appear to have a sore throat, and
swallowing is difficult, it is the symp
tom of the lnrgc gray lice on the neck.
If the fowl has a bilious lock, with al
ternate attacks of dysentery and cos
tivencss. it is suffering with liver com
plaint. A lack of grit, overfeeding and
I idleness will cause tills trouble.
A hospital should be a part of every
poultry yard. As soon ns a fowl gets
111, remove It to the hospital and com
mence doctoring it at once. The trouble
with far too many is that they wait un
til the disease is in its advanced stages
before giving medicine. A very sick
fowl is difficult to cure, nnd when cured
I it is seldom of value afterward. Iturnl
World.
SQUABS FOR MARKET.
J How to ItiilNe Them .Suecexxfully on
the Poultry I'nrni.
At this season squabs arc very high
and frequently bring 50 cents each at
retail. The wholesale price ranges from
$2.50 to four dollars a dozen. A pair of
pigeons will produce from six to ten
pairs of squabs a year. They are not
profitable if permitted to fly at lnrgc.
as boys, hawks, and other enemies de
stroy them, but can be made to pay if
kept in a suitable building with a wire
covered yard. A house eight by 12 feet,
and a yard 100 feet long, 20 feet wide
and 12 feet high, will sei ve for 20 pairs.
The food should be wheal, bread,
eracked corn, fresh meat (chopped),
seed of any kind, finely-chopped grass
and clover, ground bone, etc. A box of
ground meat, one of ground bone and
cue of pulverized charcoal should be
kept conveniently for them, with fresh
water at all times. 1'tit high and low
roosts across the yards, and hang a
salt codfish for them to pkk at will. A
point in keeping pigeons is that fhe
sexes must be equal, as an extra male
will break up the inatings. Only an
expert can tell the cocks from the hens
when the birds are quiet. They must
be kept clean nnd free from lice. Farm
and Fireside.
CHEAP BUT USEFUL.
A Comfortnlile Poultry Hoiinu mid
Hcrntehlnir Shed Comlilnud.
The design of poultry house is one
containing large windows to admit
plenty of light and heat during the day.
Jt may be of any size. A feature is the
small and low shed, which is intended
COMBINATION HOUSE.
simply as a resort in the winter for
scratching. It is made low, not only
to cheapen the cost, but also because
it is a better protection against winds
than one that is higher. The shed has
a ground floor, aud should contain
leavesorcutstraw, into which a handful
of millet seed should be thrown as an
inducement for the hens to scratch.
The roof nnd sides of both the house
and shed may be covered with tarred pa
per or some similar roofing material,
which will permit of the use of cheap
lumber in its construction. Fnrm and
fireside.
The Umu of KertlllxerH.
You cannot, by the use of commer
cial fertilizers alone, make your lnnd
rich. Indeed, If they are ignornntly
applied, the result will be the inipov
erishment of the soil. If you ndd ten
dollars to your bank nccount nnd check
out $20, you know the result. In like
manner, when you use a small quan
tity of your fertilizer, it grows u vigor
ous plant, which enables it to gather
fertility from the soil largely in excess
of the materials added by the fertilizer.
Judiciously used, they are a great boon
to the farmer. Hut, I repeat, the best
method of using the phosphates and
potash salts Is nn the pea and clover
crops. It insures, ns a rule, a fine
crop of these renovators. .Southern
States Farm Magazine'.
,,,)ji n funs
RUBBER AND EVENER.
Uood Implement for PrcpnrliiK I. nnd
for SccdliiK.
In preparing land for corn culture,
the land rubber illustrated herewith
may be made at home at but small cost
and will prove to be nn effective imple
ment. It consists of six pieces of four
by four scantling, seven feet long,
loosely bolted by the corners. Three
bolts arc in each piece, nn eye in each
end of the bolts nnd so connected as not
FOR PREPARING LAND FOR SEED
ING. to hold each piece of scantling rigid.
One bolt is placed in the center; the
others one foot from each end. Chains
irom the outer bolts of the front scant
ling are brought together and serve
as a place of attachment for the whif
lletree. The front cutting edges of
each scantling are protected aud their
efficiency nlded by having them bound
with flat iron two inches wide and one
quarter inch thick. This size rubber is
found to be henvy enough and well
adapted for ordinary work, but if made
of pine or any light wood it will require
weighting. S. N. Cox, in Farm und
Home.
TANNING FUR SKINS.
An Operation HetiiilrluK Some Cnre
nod Kxperlenee.
Soak the skins until soft, remove su
perfluous flesh and soak in tepid soft
wnter one hour. For each skin make a
fclution of one-half ounce of borax,
three-quarters ounce saltpeter and one
half ounce globular salt. Dissolve or
moisten with soft water sufficient to
spread on the flesh side of the skin. Put
on with a brush, taking into considera
tion the vnrylng thicknesses of skin
and apply accordingly. Keep In a mod
erately cool place for 21 hours, when
the skin is to be washed clean. Then
take one ounce sal soda, one-half ounce
borax aud two ounces hard soap, melt
together, taking care not to bring ton
boil. Apply the heated mixture to the
flesh side nnd keep in n warm place for
21 hours. Wash the skins clean aud
apply two ounces salerntus, three
quarts hot soft water, four ounces alum
and eight ounces salt. Dissolve in
wnter. When sufficiently cool to nllow
handling without scalding the bare
hand allow the skin to remain in tills
mixture for 12 hours. Afterward wring
out the moisture nnd nllow 12 hours to
dry. Finish by pulling nnd working
and finally by rubbing the flesh with
sandpaper or pumice stone. G. II. Hap
good, in Farm and Home.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
Cultivate the corn before it is up.
Get the implements ready for spring
work.
Clover will run out the common
weeds.
Alfalfa is not satisfactory in the mid
dle west.
On poor soil sow wheat a little thicker
than on good.
Orchard, timothy, blue grass and
clover make a good pasture.
Wlrbsfencing is so chenp that there
is no excuse for lack of fences.
Fermenting and heating in the mow
are what m;ike clover hay dusty.
Black loam earth, in a dry state, is
just as good an absorbent as plaster.
I,f cattle are turned on topped dressed
pasture before the grass gets a good
start and before there litis been n good
rain, it will be offensive to them.
Western Plowmnn.
Ileurlnulnu: with Poultry.
A writer advises a beginner if ho bus
$1,000 to put only half of it into the
poultry business at first. We would ad
vie him to start with little or no capi
tal nt most, very little. Get a few
hens aud hatch the flock. One docs not
need costly henhouses, bone cutters, In
cubators and so on to start with. Many
of the most profitable flocks have never
seen anything of these luxuries. Most
fnrm flocks nre kept in the barn with
the other stock, though shut away from
it, and ns to bone cutters, etc., no barn
flock needs them. Woe unto the one
who starts with a 1-irge capital. One
of the strongest points in favor of poul
try keeping is that it requires very lit
tle capital. Dakota Farmer.
.Modern Agricultural Triilnluir.
Education in nil branches of farm
ing will in the future be universal. Eu
rope has dnlry Bchools, and short
courses in agriculture are being giveu
at nearly all of the experiment stations
in this country. The Jlhode Tslnnd sta
tion now has a poultry department, in
which pupils nre taught thu merits and
characteristics of the breeds, fowl an
atomy, diseases, nrtiflcinl incubation
and the brooding of chicks, chemistry
ns applied to the foods of fowls, con
struction of poultry houses, growing
green foods for poultry, etc.
j w nn x
DIVIDED SILK PETflc6ATS.
Frill nnd I. nee nnd Honettcn of ftlntijr,
Color on Llnwrerle.
Evening petticoats,' to give them the
old-fashioned nnme thnt has been oust
ed by the more modern "underskirt,"
are quite regal in their magnificence
this winter, and rich brocades, and the
finest glaees nre trimmed profusely
with Ince nnd chiffon frills. An even
ing skirl thnt deserves mention la of
heavy satin duehesse in nn ivory shade,
with n bottom flounce of kilted ivory
lace, with two frills of nccordion-plolt-cd
chiffon falling over that again, their
colors being palest green, with fnlntl
rose-pink forming the upper flounce.
A ruche of frnyed-out green and pink
silk finished the top of the flounce, audi
above this ngain were vandyked roww
of vnleneicnnes lace insertion Inid alt
ternately over green and pink satlnl
ribbon of the same width. The inser
tion was laid off with a narrow lacci
beading, through which wns threaded!
bebe ribbon of pale green nnd pinky
which broke out at Intervals Into prcttyi
little fussy rosettes of the two colors'
blended.
Yet another pretty garment to be1
seen Is of rose-red glnce silk of the
richest description, with two foamy
flounces of kilted glace, covered in their
turn with kilted rose-red chiffon wltlu
an edge trimming of cream lace headed
with insertion.
A black brocade, with pattern of
fleur-de-lis nnd their leaves, has an un
der flounce of heliotrope kilted silk,
covered with two flounces of plaited'
black lace, threaded with heliotrope and1
green narrow ribbons, nnd headed with,
a wide black Jnee Insertion thnt gives
opportunity for the fntroduction of
heliotrope sntln ribbon, which is fin
ished nt intervals with hanging bows.
A pale blue glace silk skirt, with a
plain flounce of the snmc, is made beau
tiful by this flounce being covered with
inch-wide frills of crenm plaited chiffon
edged with blue velvet bebe ribbon.
Divided skirts for evening wear aro
very pretty garments in satin or rich,
silk, with the legs very wide, and fully,
frilled with luce, chiffon or kilted silk,
and to those who delight. in divided
skirts these garments lire just the pret
tiest wear possible, for they do not
look very different to ordinary skirts,
on nccount of their very full frills atthe
edge. Hut to Insure the proper and elo
gant fall of the outer skirt, there is
nothing to surpass a well-hung petti
coat with full outstanding ilounces.
St. Paul's.
NOVEL VALENTINE DINNER.
A Unique Affair n IOnJoyed liy n So
journer In Denmark.
In Denmark our well-known snow
drop, one of the earliest messengers of;
spring, bus been since olden days held
sacred to St. Valentine.
On that auspicious eve the Danish
lover sends his lady a bunch of snow
drops (vlntcr-gjaeks, winter-jokes they
are called, because they peep out while
it is yet wintci, und try to hoax people
into thinking spring has come), with u
card attached, bearing a verse or senti
ment und as many pin-pricks ns there
are letters lit his name. If she cannot
guess the name from this clew she Is
fooled (gjakket), and at Faster must
pay the sender a forfeit of colored eggs.
This quaint bit of folk-lore was used
in a novel Valentine dinner.
The invitations, bearing a bunch of
puintcd snow-drops iifonu corner, be
spoke our presence at a "Danish Valen
tine dinner."
Cherry and white are the national col
ors of Denmark, and these had been
used with beautiful effect in tlie dining
room. The ferns were banked with
dainty effect. The menu cards wero
shaped like hearts, tied with u knot of
cherry ribbon nnd edged with painted
snowdrops,
Across the top In gold letters wns the
word "welbckomin" (may It agree with
you).
It is the custom in old Danish house
holds for the hostess to shake the hand
of each guest leaving the table and say:
"Welbekoinin;" but our hostess found
it too long a mouthful, so it wns written
above the menu instead.
At ouch place was a tiny heart-shaped
cup of cherry crepe paper, holding a lit
tle bunch of snowdrops. The ices were
in the shape of hearts with a candied
cherry in the center of ench. Heart
shaped cakes were iced in pink, nnd min
gled In the salad were tiny hearts cut
from slices of red beef.
When we were all assembled in the
pnrlor the little daughter of the house
came in, dressed us a fniry, with a bas
ket, from which she gave us each a
square white envelope inclosing u card.
A knot of snowdrops was tied in one
corner with cherry ribbon, while below
wns a verse and numerous pin pricks.
We were asked to guess from these the
nnme of the one who wns to take us in
to dinner. Sharlot M. Hall, in What-to-Eat.
.
IllHeultlM Honore.
Put into a basin about four ounces
of powdered sugar, flavored with vanll
la, and the yolks of four fresh eggs;
work this to a white froth, then add
about n tublcspoonful of chopped al
monds, the same quantity of pistachios,
and about three ounces of well-dried
and sifted fine flour; to this add very
lightly the whites of the eggs beaten
to a snow, and nbout a tablespoonfulof
melted butter. Put this mixture into n
buttered mold, or into several small
ones; bake in a moderate oven add serve
cold. Boston Herald