10
The Nebraska Independent
Jl'LY W,
ooocc
Agricultural Department
CXDCOOOCXXOOOCOOOOOOOO!
Winter Wheat in Nebraska
The Independent again urges upon
all of lis farmer readers In Nebraska
the. importance of taking immediate
steps to prepare for next year's win
ter wheat crop. Contrary to the gen
erally prevailing notion, the portion
of Nebraska lieing between the Platte
rfver and the South Dakota line is
quite as good for winter wheat if not
better than the South Platte country
which is already famous as a wheat
growing section.
The writer well remembers when
the farmers in many counties of the
state that are now reaping rich re
wards from their large harvests of
winter wheat, were prejudiced on the
subject, and it was difficult to get
them to make the trial of winter
wheat. Little by little experiments
w-ere tried that were so generally suc
cessful that the old time prejudice
was finally overcome until now those
very counties are showing the largest
per acre yield of winter wheat to be
found anywhere in the Middle West.
Winter wheat in all parts of Nebraska
is the surest crop that a farmer can
raise aside from alfalfa. It is a surer
crop than corn if the seeding is done
at the proper time in properly pre
pared ground.
.In order to get the very best results
in winter wheat raising the ground
should be plowed as soon as the pro
ceeding crop of oats or wheat is har
bcsted. If there shoulld happen to
be heavy rains immediately after the
ground Is plowed and before it is time
to sow the wheat the ground should
be disked over as soon as the surface
is sufficiently dry so that the soil will
drop loose and fine from the disks,
in order to prevent a loss of moisture
through the ground drying and cak
ing and cracking on the surface and
allowing the moisture to pass off
through evaporation. Turn the ground
under as soon as possible after har
vesting the former crop and then pre
serve the moisture in the ground by
keeping a dust soil mulch through
disking or harrowing until the time
arrives for the seeding. Winter
wheat should always be put in with a
press drill aa seed put into the ground
in this way will make a crop when it
Is liable to fail if sown broadcast, and
in all cases the yield from the wheat
put in with a press, drill will run from
eight to twelve bushels per acre
greater.
The seed should be run through a
fanning mill and all the light grain
blown out and only the best grain put
in the ground if a full yield is to be
had. The t'irkey.red yariety has giv
en excellent results in Nebraska and
is believed to be the proper variety
, for this state. .
, The fact that wheat can be grown
through a succession of years on the
same land without a diminution in
the yield demonstrates the fact that
wheat is not so hard upon the soil as
oats, as the latter crop can not be
grown through a succession of years
on the same land without a very
nlarked decrease 'each year, after
which the soil is in bad shape for
any other crop. Farms that are foul
with cockleburrs or other noxious
weeds can be thoroughly cleaned by
putting the land in wheat for three or
four years in succession, besides a
wheat crop pays on an average twice
as much as an oat crop and is the
best and most profitable rotation crop
for Nebraska.
'A sure crop and a large yield can
not be expected from late seeding,
About September 1 is the proper time
or rather from the 25th of August
until September 15. Late seeding
often produces good results, but can
not be depended upon.'
ALFALFA
Alfalfa will easily produce three
crops' of hay per year in. this -section
and still leave a good coat over the
land for winter protection. " "Where
this can be done and where the land
is well manured four and one-half tone
per year is not above the average and
the man who can grow that amount
of alfalfa is ahead of the man who
who grows clover, as he can hardly
exceed three tons per acre. ' In ad
dition to it being a better yielder than
clover, alfalfa contains a higher per
cenfage of protein than the latter.
Recent analyses made at the "Wis
consin station show that alfalfa con
tains 18.7 per cent, clover hay 13.3
per cent, timothy hay 4.5 per cent and
brome grass 6.1 per cent of protein.
From this it will be seen that as a
protein carrying feed, alfalfa is three
times as valuable as brome grass, four
times as valuable as timothy and 1.4
times as valuable as clover. Taking
into consideration its higher yielding
power, however, its value becomes
much greater and frequently twice
as much feeding value will be raised
on one acre of alfalfa as on one of
clover.
For the benefit of those who are
unwilling to purchase caps for cov
ering the cocks, we wish to say that
aitaita, properly cocked, will shed
water just as well as clover in fact,
many farmers claim that it will shed
water even better, and that it is no
more difficult to cure than clover in
any season. While this may be true
we urge the use of caps for the reason
that alfalfa is so much more valuable
than clover and a little extra expense
m tnis line is money well invested.
THE WHEAT CROP
t he crop reporting board of the
bureau of statistics of the department
of agriculture, from the reports of the
correspondents and agents of the bur
eau, finds the area under winter wheat
remaining in cultivation on May 1 to
nave oeen about 29.623.000 acres
This is 6 per cent, or about 1,178,000
acres, less than the area reported as
sown last rail.
The average condition of the grow
ing winter-wheat crop on May 1 was
91, as compared with 89 on April 1
1906, 92 on May 1, 1906, 76 on May 1,
1904, and 85, the mean of the May
averages ior ine last ten years.
sheet iron made Ted hot and place it
on a brick to avoid setting fire to
the house. Put the sulphur on and
close the door, leaving the house
closed for two hours.
A mixture of kerosene and sulphur
will also burn well; but use plenty
of it or the work will be useless.
PIGS ON PASTURE
The nicest way to handle sows wfth
pigs is to have a small pasture lot
or each: sow and her litter and keep
them , there until the pigs are old
enough to wean. This is a method
followed by a number of breeders.
They use individual hog houses and
give each- sow and her litter half an
acre-to an acre of grass. When
handled in this way there,is no trouble
with the pigs robbing one anolher
and every . litter is constantly under
the eye of the attendant. This meth
od is, of course, not practical on many
farms where pigs are raised simply
for market; but the nearer it can be
followed the better the result will be.
If bur correspondent has only one
large., pasture he will do. better to
keep the sows and pigs in separate
pens until the pigs are two or three
weeks old. There is less danger of
the litters robbing one another after
they get old enough "to protect them
selves. There will be some robbing.
of course, but we think the benefit
derived from the pasture will over
balance the harm which comes from
the robbing. $t is up-hill worl: trying
to raise good pigs in a dry lot.
WHENCE THE FLIES?
Where do these pestering flies come
from? They hatch their eggs in ma
nure. Those wriggling worms you
see in the gutter of the unclean cow
barn or horse stable will soon be flies
millions of them to pester stock and
walk over your dining room table,
carrying disease germs on their feet.
Keep the stables clean. Sprinkle
air-slacked lime or some prepared dis
infectant over the gutters and floors
and scatter some over the manure you
last threw out oh the pile. Of course
those who take the manure daily to
the field with a spreader do not have
many flies .hatching around the barn
nor in the field either, for the scat
tering dries it so the grubs can't live.
Throw slacked lime or dry. dust into
the privy vault every day to keep that
place clean. "Use screen doors and
windows for the house and .fly re
pellants for the stock . and you will
have healthier homes and be freer
from these pests than those who pay
no attention to these matters.
DUST BLANKET '
It should be the object to retain
as much moisture as possible in th
ouusuii io onsei the effects of drv
weather during the drv months nt
July and August, just when the crop
m neea oi tne greatest amount of
moisture. Many farmers now culti
vate between the rows of corn, dur
ing the growing season, after it is
too large to allow the ordinary two
horse implement to pass over the
rows.. They use a light one-horse
tool of some kind which restores
the dust blanket.
USE SULPHUR FOR LICE
Early in the spring is the time to
destroy lice. Any work done then is
better than later on as the pests are
sluggish and not active. The best
method is to drive the hens out and
burn five pounds of sulphur in a
house 10x10 feet. ThaV is a large
amount of sulphur, but it is necessary
if the work is done well. Those who
use sulphur do not use enough of it
and as it is cheap it is safer to use
too much than too little. r -
: It is also important that every
crack be closed and the house made
tight.. Have an old pot or piece of
Close Skimming
The centrifugal separator is the
closest skimmer made. The fact that
thousands are being sold every year
is sufficient testimony to their prac
tical worth. You can't fool all the
people all the time and if the hand
separator was not the best of econom
ical skimmers the farmers would soon
find it out, for they have tried all
ways. Considering the frequency with
which a hand separator is used they
constitute one of the most profitable
investments a farmer can make and
the ownership of a centrifugal ma
chine represents an asset that always
pays big dividends. .
p ayed will plainly show vzn,
ners there is n.atl , bt.
s not necessar, that su,h del
be either romi.l.r,,,! (,r hu.
simple arrangement wil, answ
purpose. r u
3. Carriers ,,nis, lower sisnM,
boxes after making collections
v clod no mail U left therein; andC
display the signals when they 2
mail for patrons. lm,,,s
have made requests to the contraj,
NOTICE-Send 25 cents to the I
pendent, Lincoln. Neb., and h
will be mailed to you each week unffl
after November election. For $1 00th
paper will be mailed to seven He
addresses until after the election. Send
in your suDScriptions,
FOREIGN CROP OUTLOOK
T nnHnn Tun,. 1 -I i' : .
u,,u""i .iiiur i - r ui eitri crop cot'
ditions, as published today in Broom-
uans Liverpool t om Traile New:"
United Kingdom of France The
crops are rather backward but
nxwri. T-1 1 : . f . .1
yiuviufi. i ne coiiiiHion or tne crops
are lan, and supplies small.
Germany! he weather has j
proved and the condition of the
is satisfactory.
Hungary The w.-ather has turned
finer after being unfavorable. A
harvest is expected.
Roumanin, Bulgaria and Turkey
Bad weather has caused 10 to 15 pet
cent deterioration, but conditions are
now improving.
Russia In the southwest the weath
er is becoming more settled and pros
pects are excellent, being even bril
liant, in some pans. Rye cutting be
gins this week. Rains are confirmed
in the center and east. Odessa ar
rivals very small, but supplies gen
erally fair.
Italy A fair crop is being harvest
ed.
Spain The outlook for the crop is
slightly less favorable, owing to us-
seasonable weather.
The farm separator is too good
step-mother for the calf to get
without.
The regular use of a milking tube
will remedy the defect of a hard
ing cow, but do not have such a cow
and you won't need the tube.
RURAL MAIL ROUTES
An order governing mail boxes has
been issued as follows :
1. On and after July 1. 1906. Datrons
of the rural delivery service will be
required to display signals on their
boxes when they leave mail in them
for carriers to collect, as, after that
date carriers, when serving their
routes, will not be required to open
and examine any mail boxes except
to those to which they have tnail to
deliver and those on which signals
are displayed indicate there is mail
for carriers to collect. . -
2. Those patrons whose boxes are
not provided with signals must attach
thereto some device which, when dis-
VALUE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS
There were 12.117,304,550 pounds of
milk and 5SS.186.471 pounds of cream
used in 1904 in the manufacture of
551,278,141 pounds of butter, 313,635,
290 pounds of cheese, and 308,485,18!
pounds of condensed milk. These
ures are part of the census of manu
factures for 19"-). The total cost of
the materials used in the industry ma
$142,920,277, while the value of the
products was $1GS.1X2.7S9, an increase
of the former of 3U per cent and
of the latter 28.6 per cent. The num
ber of establishments dropped fr
9,242, to 8,926, while the capital in
creased 30 per rent, to $47,255,o.
There were 3.507 salaried officials and
clerks and .15,557 engaged in then
ufacture of these articles. These re
ceived salaries and wages amounting
to $9,789,036.
DAIRY NOTES
The more the study, the greater fka
success in dairying.
No amount of washing w
churned butter of milk.
. i.,.,n nnd VOU
R.eep ue cuws m -- ,,k
have little trouble with
More cow-hog wt of
mane greauy
farms- .. ' ...,.e after n
Turn the cowb u. , - -
ing In the summer, mw
evening lunch. ,
A little oil ot " (M
cloves will drive Hie away fiom
stable. .-iveawaytbe
The kicking wn i;!' r ,0Vs tired of
hired man and make ti bo
farming, bend nt. djn? pur-
Warm skim milk for ., 0r a fana
Mv the cost "..
separator.
rid ov
win
Ik,
would