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Abusing thc Hand Separator.
There are two ways of abusing the
han separator-ono by misusing It
and the other hy maligning It. But
for neither of these Is the hand separator .
rater to blame. The hand separator
has become so popular that In some
of our states the number of hand separators -
raters in use doubled annually for a
number of rears : , and It Is now esti
11l1lted that In seine states the mat
climes are now In active service on
one - tliircl oC the farllls that are S\lP'
plying cream or milk to factorlbs.
This Increase In number of hand
separators In use has of courses been
increased hy the tinmber of central
butter - malcing plnllts With the increase -
crease of these plants have come new
methods and knew men. Not ollly
are there new men at lie ( central
hutlOl'-maldng plants , but all of the
patrons that have the hand separators -
tors are somewhat new at the t busi-
lIess The latter have not learned
how to properly take care of a sep-
nratol' , and thence comes one kind of
abuse The mill Is run through it
and the separator ) Is not Washed , the
farmer having somehow obtained the
Idea that once It day 13 often enough
to clean the machine. From the limo
of separating the mOl'lllng's mille till
the lime for separating the evening's
milk the films of milk are left In the
machine and In that limo dry 011
Moreover much of the sUmo that ac-
cmnualtes In the bowl continues to
remain there throughout the day
This is bad In winter and worse ill
summer.
Is it any wonder that the milk that t
goes through such a separator be
comes bad In less than twent ' -four
hours In summer time , 01' that the
cream separated by a machine so
kept ripens too rapidly In the cream
vat or has In it taints that lower the
quality of the butter ! Then heglllE
the abuse uy the creamery uulter-
maleeI' lIe declares that cream from
hand separators Is bad und that they
ought to he driven out of the state
But It Is clear that the men are
the ones that are responslhle. The
first man was to blame for not caring
for the separator as It should be
cared for , and the second man was
to blame for hot putting the blame
where it belonged. It is absurd to
talk at discarding a good thing because -
cause some of the men that have
them are too lazy 01' careless to keep I
them clean. i
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16 Per Cent Low Enough.
The United States government made
n ruling about two years ago that any
butter found on the market containing
more than 1G per cent of water would
be considered adulterated. A large
. number of creamery uultermalwl's and
a few farm uutlcrmalwl's had trouble
with government inspectors because
their butter when sold on the market
was found to contain moisture in excess .
cess of 16 per cent. It Is not probable -
able that In all cases this excess of
water contained was Intentional on
the part of the uuttel'll1alwrs. ESI1e-
clftlly on farms , the huttel'lnalwrs
have no way of telling how much
water their butter contains. When
the temperature Is In the nineties in
the summer time the churning Is certain -
taro to Incorporate more than the le-
gal amount of moisture , as the high'
er the temperature the greater amount
of moisture incorporated. \Ve notice
that some of our contemporaries are
advocating that the government lower -
er the standard to about 14 per cent
We believe that the present standard
is low enough : for the lower the
standard the more certain it Is to he
exceeded uy the makers of butler on
the farm.
The Importation of Australasian butter .
tel' into England doubled last year
over the former rear. :
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A Farmer's Flock.
I suppose you wlll regard me as
heretical because I I\lU not following
the beaten track mll11pell out for us
fal'II101'S by the numerous writers on
how to raise poultry . I will admit
that I might have a flock / that would
he more of an ornament to the place ,
hut I am too busy about uny general
farm work to devote the. . . time to my
poultry \ that my wife and others thlnl
I should gl\'e. Howovel' , taking nil
things together , I all1 quite wen satisfied .
Islled with the results
I Catl't say exactly' where my fowls
came from or of what breed they are ;
as they are the product of miscellaneous .
ous crosses for twenty-five 'ears. I
have simply lII'Chllsed ) new fowls
from time to time and turned them in
with the flock , taking no care to select
eggs for hatching.
nut here is what I have done : I
have killed off ' ' '
religiously every year
for ten years all the hens that did not
begin to lay early in the winter and
continue to lay ] UH very late in the
sll1'lng. I have in a way thus carried
on a sort of selection from year to
'car. I have the double IIl11'10S0 } of
getting better pullets and better coel
erels.
During , the past five years I have
kept a strict account with mr hens
and find that the egg yields are gradually .
ually Increasing on the aVOl'age. The
,
first rear : I kept ) an account I got 127
eggs per hen on the average , anll the
past year I got 1-12 eggs That is not
an extraordinary record , but It is
match better than most of my neigh-
hors 110. I am satisfied that the com-
mon farm hen does not lay 100 eggs
a year on the ayerngo.
Moreover , I get at least 40 per ) cent
oC nmJ ' eggs during the period of high
prices , while I am sure that many of
my nehlllJors : met their eggs : "I"no st : !
- - - - - - - - - . . - - . -00" . . . . . . . . . ,
entirely after the prices have fallen
sharpl This is a big item , and the
difference mar ue all counted as pure }
profit.-Sylvanus Banks ] , Champaign
Co" , 111.
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Pure Bred Stock.
Pure breeding counts for less in the
poultry yard than In the cow stable ,
horse stall or feeding 'arll. The reason .
son Is that pure ) breeding in poultry
has not been along the line of greatest
service , but largely in color of feathers .
ers and form of uod ) ' . Pure bred birds
are valuable principally as a foundation .
tion on which to build good strains of
egg la 'ers. This applies especially to
the egg laying uroeds In the matter
of meat fowls lure ) breeding has a
large value , but even In that case has
not the value It should have.
'Vo say "got lure bred birds , " but
we do not say It with the same energy
and enthusiasm that we would say to
the horse breeder , "get a pure ) bred
sta11l0n. " In the coming time wo
must do more than we have In the
past to get utility fowls and establish
strains of fowls that are valuable because .
cause really useCul This work is ue.
Ing taken up to some extent here and
there and Is aided uy the use of the
trap nest , hilt even that Is a halfhearted -
hearted way of gelling at the task or
improving the ureods
First Hatches.
The first hatches of the chickens
usually come off In cool weather and
. ] nave to ue looked after carefully to
make sure that they are properly
housed and fed. The ground Is wet
at this time , and the old hen sometimes .
times docs not use "good common
sense" In selecting the place where
she will hover the chicks. Sometimes
at this time of year the alleles have
rheumatism EO badly that they can't
wall , and this is due to being hovered
on wet cold ground. Vet ground Is always -
ways cold.
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LIVE !
STOCK
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Thl'cc Bccf Calves
Wo have Ihr'o beef calves that wo
arc raising for feeders , and vie inlend
lo use the feeders ourselves and finish }
th0111 In about two years ! from hlrth.
'I'hey 111'0 all front grade Dnl'ham cows
that are good nnillcet-s. We hl\vo kept
these cows front a munch larger 1111111'
her because oC tholt' large milk flows.
\Yo breed ( them to a good Durham bull \
every year and raise / the calves for the
l11ent they will 111'00luc
We have found it quite easy to bring
these calves along without giving
th0111 4\ set - baclc at tinge of weaning ,
which is generally / when they are from
four to six weeks old.Yo cnnnot afford - i
ford to food Client t whole 111111\ . for wn I
want tine butter fat In It for the ml\le.
Ing oC huUm' Of course during the
first two weeks we have no usa for
the cow'n 111111e , as It Is not conHlllored
at that tune fit to dl'lnle.
These three calves get all the Hlellll'
milk wo have and a little porridge be'
sides. Yo also feed them some
ground linseed , just a little to help
out all the fat. ' \ YoP116 \ found that it
Is best to feed the calves warm milk
for sonic weeps and then to feed only
a little at It tillie , It Is very easy to
get It calf's stomach out of condition
by feeding too much cold mille. 'rho
three calves we now have are ; doing
excellently on stemmed I11l11e , the oil
lI1eal Hloltcn ) of and sonic dry co 1'11.
'Vo have found that dry corn is mote
readily digested by calves than hy 1I1a-
ture animals. When the calves get
to he about a year 0111 ( 01' a little oar-
1Ier than that theil' stomachs undergo
a change alld after that corn Is nol
well 11IgeHteli. But while yet calves
they digest the coral ) Jcrfecll ' .
These calves are now over two
1II0nths old and are eating a good deal
of clover hay. So we feel safe In feeding .
ing a good deal of dry corn , as the cIa-
VOl' hay and sl\lmmllle give all overbalance .
balance 011 the side or Ill'ollen. I thlnl
It Is as bad to have too l11uch protein
as too little. 'l'he calves have made It
good growth , and have developed ) such
appetites ) ) that the ski uunIlk from the
three cows now satisfies hut a small
part ) oC their hunger. .
We are going to raise these calves
hy the most sclentillc methods and
intend lo keep \ tlieiai 1 growing You
mar hear from thelll later.
Carroll Co" , Ind. .Joseph Bowlor.
Sheep and Water.
There has always been \ a great
difference of opinion among English
sheep hl'eod\rs ! as to the amount or
water sheep should have. Some follow .
low the practice of giving these animals -
mals all the water they need. Others
say that If the sheep want to drink ,
something Is wrong with their pastul'O
or the other feed they are l'of''lvlng.
Some of the successful shepherds do
not favor giving water to 8heop. Its
place \ Is supplied } largely uy succulent
feed , which Is composed largely of wa
tel'
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Fine Stock Associations.
There is an abundance of room
for many mora fine stock also
clatlons than now oxlst. The great national -
tional associations have a work to do
and are doing it ; the state associa-
tions have a work to do and SOIllO or
them are doing It ; but in every county
there Is another kind of wol'1 to bo
done by associations that is not 'et
being uttempted. Small local fine stock
associations can "get down to busi
ness" as larger associations cannot.
Tillage.
Tillage of soil always Improves It 1 1
anll the more tillage Is given the
greater Is the quantity or plant food 1
that Is set loose. This reduces the
soil to a fine state and lets In the air
to all parts or the soil. In a soil SJ
treated roots ramify greatly and easily ,
Ily collect vast quantities at tood. The
resultant growth Is often remarlcabJe.
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Shear Early.
The practice , still ! so common , ot
postponing ) the shearing oC the sheep
until late spring Is It relic of the days
when sheep were kept for the wool
alollo. It ] was thought that by leaving
the fleece on until after u considerable
amount of hot weather had passed ) It
wmlll contllin much ) more grease and
thus a greater weight ! oC fleece ! would 1
ho seeurell. Even If u greater weight
oC fleece ! were secured 1 by this ! Pl'Uctico
there woulll ho nothing gained so long
as he t wool was sold on its merits to
It } II\I't ly who was It good judge or Its
scouring ! l\ualltlos. \ There would 1 UO no
grcatel' ; weight oC clean wool ; only
morn waste mlliter to cleanse out.
On lie ( ontohand , It Is very doubtful -
ful Ie late shearing gives any greater
weight oC fleece , even with the mono
ollr.woolell hreed !
There is moro or less ! loss of wool
through ShOllllillg , particularly on the
IlIu'l of the awes with lambs , whol'o
limo shearing Is not done until lale.
Also there is : ! a less 1I111111al growth , as
with the heavy winter coat left on
after lie weather t gets warns , naturo's
effort Is to remove this ! rather than to
grow snore.Vitt the winter overcoat -
coat removed at the beginning or
wur1l1 weather , there will he It more
COlltItI1IOU growth throl1ghol1t the
' ' ' ' clean wool
'ear. 1'here will he moro
aril l It will lie oC longer Iltlllle } anti
better CIl1amr.
Ear'lr shearing , before the sheep go
10 pasture , Is uhHJ conducive to a
brighter and better condition oC wool
b3' Ilvohllll tlae soakings ! front spring
'HIllS ! Also , the sheep 110 much het'
leI' If they have their coats off when
the weathOl' gets ! \\'al'll1. As to OXllO'
sure , If there lire fnlt'ly war1l1 sheds
01' barns for shelter In case of 11 sudden -
lIen change In the wel1thOl' , the sheep
will not suffer as much Iron the loss
or their natural protection ) at this Imo
ns they will hy having It removed In
the ( spring and then he caught In 1\
cold ail-liar rain In the ' pasture.
I3y" shearing before the field wont
opens UII , there Is trio uldltlonnl ad
vantage that It does not interfere with
other hUlol'lant worle.-J. J. Ldgertou
A Radish Bcd.
Every one considers It easy to grow
radishes , but 1 have not always found
It so. It Is one thing to grow radllllcs
and I1110thol' thing to grow radlaholi
that are tender , crisp and really nice
to have on the table. To get n good
radish , it must bo grown Culcldy. 'fa .
get culele ) growth wo must have both
a rich soil and moisture.
For " my radish bell I prepare the
gl'o11l1l1 very carefully , working \ ! In mar
lure and fining the soil as much as
1I0sslhle. \Vhen the seed Is sown I see
that the ground Is warm enough to
permit of the germination of the aced ,
though of course radish seeds do not
require us much heat for germination
as do some other seeds , The soil
should not be a heavy clay , for in that
case It cannot he worked fine cnough.
The ItIIl1PS prevent the seed covering
itself 01' or remaining covered and time
air dries out the soil so quickly around
the seed that the little sprout Is killed.
When the soil is largely of a sandy or
loamy nature the seeds are covered
enolllh : ; to keep them moist and qulel
Iy send up leaves.
Later , when the soil gets very dry 1
use water to keep it moist. I have n
hose lIy which time water Is supplied
to the radish bed , for or course one
coulll never afford to carry water In
I
a pail ) for the supplying or the radish
hed. I believe that every farmer
I
should have an artificial supply or
moisture for use in his garden during
I
, the dry spell , which sometimes begins
in the middle of Mn-l\lilton Knight ,
Cherry Co" , Neh.
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