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SIX
Best Feeds and Methods of Feeding
For Increased Egg Production
Important Consideration for
Careful Poultrymen During
Winter Months.
Rations Recommended by New
Jersey Experiment Station a
Good Guide.
By Harry Reynolds Lewis
(Heart of the Department of Poultry
Husbandry of tho New Jersey Ag
ricultural Experiment Station. )
Copyright, 1914.
During the winter months poul
•ry In the colder climates get prac
tically no green foods and are
wholly dependent on what Is fed
them It therefore is highly Im
portant that they be fert scien
tifically the things they most need
at the season and to make them
egg producers
Certain general rules can he laid
down for the treatment of 4ho
flock, and with careful observation
they should produce satisfactory
results. The following article con
tama suggestions based on sclen
tlfic experiments and is therefore
more than ordinarily valuable.
The proper feeds and the methods of
feeding the laying flock is one of the
vital probleims for the poultryman.
During the winter months. In the cold
er climates, the birds get no natural
food whatsoever. It Is, therefore,
necessary to supply It in the ration n
an efficient but economical form. The
food supply of the laying flock Is the
raw material from which they manu
facture eggs and meat for human food
consumption.
Without the proper food It Is Impos
sible for them to produce the proper
quality and amount of ngga. When
feeding for egg production the follow
Ing factors should be considered when
mixing the feeds and supplying them:
First: Nothing hut clean, whole
some food to he used. •
Second: Considerable variety In the
ration should he allowed, so that each
bird can balance her own ration.
Third: A liberal feeding of meat
scrap is largely responsible for great
production.
Fourth Plenty of exercise should
be compelled, by the feeding of grain
scattered In deep litter. This keeps
the birds active ami In food health
Fifth: Plenty of water should be
supplied. Fresh, clean water should
be kept before them all the time, and
some form of succulent should he reg
ularly given
Sixth: The hirdg should he watched
carefully and cof)gvint attention given
to their health and appetite. Any ab
normal conditions should ho Immedi
ately corrected.
Rations Recommended.
Thp following rations are recom
mended hy the -New Jersey agricul
tural experiment station, after years
of experimental work anil careful test
ing, They havcwaTVcr exceptionally
good results throughout the state. The
rations as recommended apply espe
cially to the light, active breeds, like
Hie t/<*ghorns. Such modifications as
are necessary for seasonable feeding
and for heavier breeds are, described.
Dry ninah aa mixed for winter feed
ing:
Wheat bran. 200 pounds, $9.10; wheat
middlings, 200 pounds, tit.SO; ground
oats, 100 pnnndn, $165; eornmeal, 100
pounds, tl SO; gluten feed, 100 pounds,
11.70; alfalfa (short cut), 100 pounds]
tl *0; meat scrap (high grade), 200
pounds, 15.50. Total, 1,000 pounds,
ilk.so.
This ration, when mixed at home,
will cost the po'd'ryman about tI.SO
per 100 pounds.
This dry mash Is mixed In hulk and
kept before the blrda at all tlmea 5n
large aelf-feedlng, home-made hoppers
When the molt I* going on In the
months of August and September it
(By Louia Paul Graham.)
The oldest of all the American breeds
of poultry 1» the Plymouth Rock. lt«
great popularity haa caused It to hr
bred In a variety of colors beginning
with the original barred variety and
followed by the white, buff, partridge,
allver penciled, Columbian and golden
barred.
The white Plymouth R.u-k waa bred
from •'■porta - ' and alblnoa from the
barred The bufa, which were origi
nated in the early 90'a and for a time
were the moat popular, were the re
eult of vartoua croaaea between the
white Plymouth Rock, buff cochin, buff
leghorna and Rhode Island red. In
their early hlatory they varied greatly
In ahadea of color, hut the fanclera of
the breed by hard work aoon succeed
ed In breeding them to a more even
and batter golden buff cochin and buff
is a good practice to substitute oil
meal for the gluten meal In the same
proportion. This hastens the growth
of feather: and causes them to finish
Off much better. As soon as the birds
get on green range In the spring the
alfalfa and the meat scrap can he
almost entirely eliminated. The ex
tent to which this mash can be modi
fied during the summer will depend
upon the range which they have and
the character of the food which It af
fords.
Feeding Heavier Breeds.
When the above dry mash 1s fed to
the heavier breeds than I.eghorns, such
for example as Plymouth Hocks and
Rhode Island Reds, especially with
yfnrlings and two-year-old hens, the
tendency Is to take on an excessive
amount of body fat. Under the.se con
ditions the hopper should he closed
during the morning and left open only
during the afternoon This compels
the bird to work Vnore i n looking for
the grain scattered In the litter In the
morning
Dry mash as mixed for summer feed
ing
Wheal bran, 200 pounds, 13.20;
wheat middlings. 100 pounds, tl 76;
ground oats, 100 pounds, $1.65; gluten
feed, 60 pounds, 66 rents; meat serap,
26 pounds. 76 cents. Total, 476 pounds,
t 8.20.
This ration when mixed nt home by
thi poultryman will mat approximate
ly $1.76 per 100 pounds.
The Morning Grain Ration.
In addition to the dry mash grain
rations are fed morning and night.
A special ration Is fed every morn
ing, both winter and summer, hetween
7 and 9 o'clock. In the winter thlß
grain ration Is usually scattered In
side the house. In the summer 1t ean
be scattered broadcast about the yard.
The primary object of this morning
ralloi Is to Induce exercise, thus
keeping the birds tmsy and healthy.
Good Morning Maal.
About five pounds of this scratching
ration Is fed to each 100 birds The
morning scratch ration Is made up as
follows:
Wheat, 100 pounds, $2.20; oats, 100
pounds, tl 93. Total, 200 pounds, $4.13.
This ration, when mixed by the poul
trymnn, will cost about $2.06 per 100
pounds.
The Night Grain Ration,
lletween 4 and 6 o’clock In the aft
ernoon. the time varying somewhat In
summer end winter, the night ration
Is fed. It Is composed of whole nnd
cracked grains and Is fed at the rate
of about 10 pounds to 100 hlrds, or all
that they will eat up clean.
• 'racked corn. 200 pounds, S3.SO;
wheat, 100 pounds, 12.20; oats, 100
pounds, $1.99; buckwheat, 100 pounds,
$2 Total, SOO pounds. i 2.
This ration, when mixed at home,
will cost the poultryman about tl.Bo
per 100 pounds.
The special feature of the above
nigh* ration is the fact that It has food
material especially adapted to keep
warmth la the birds' bodies at night,
such, for example, as rorn and buck
wheat. When the above ration is
fed to the heaviest breeds, which have
a tendency to excessive body fat. It
Is good practice to eliminate one-half
the corn and substitute barley for the
buckwheat. During the summer
months all that Is necessary Is a night
ration of equal parts of corn, wheat
and oats.
Rut# for Night Feeding.
A good rule to follow In feeding at
night Is to give all tlia. the birds will
eat In the evening, and then add a
little more so there will he enough
left for them to work at In the morn
ing. One material advantage of the
above recommended methods of feed
ing Is the fact that the birds are al
lowed to balance their own Individual
rations in large measure, according to
their own particular requirements.
In addition to the above grain feeds
there are a number of other factors
which should be considered. The bird's
BUFF PLYMOUTH ROCKS
leghorn Puff rocka alao Improved
greatly In ahape. and for excellence In
breed type the buff la aecond only to
the white rocka
Thla la a fine farmer's fowl, doing
exceptionally well on free range and
possessing utility qualities that are
dealrable. It la a good forager and a
consistently good layer of large brown
ish eggs, many of which are produced
In winter when the farmer can get
most money for them The chirks are
hardy and of rugged growth, develop
ing rapidly to broiler sue and for auch
are much esteemed When nearly full
grown they make the best of roaatlng
fowls, and their rich yellow skin and
legs and full plump breasts appeal
strongly to the American housewife
The rich golden buff of their plum
age, bright red heads, combs and wat
tles and golden yallow legs nwke them
body contains over 65 per cent of wat :r
and the egg contains 65 per cent of
water. Hence, if the beat results are
to be obtained, considerable succulent
material in addition to the grain ra
tion is necessary.
During the winter this green ma
terial can beat be supplied by mangle
beets which have been grown the pre
vious summer and stored to keep there
from freezing. In the absence of
beets this green food Is usually sup
plied by sprouting grain, usually oats.
The grain should be put tn a warm,
moist room and fed at a time when
the sprouts are about three Inches
long. Each poultryman would do well
to secure a supply of beets, store
them and have them ready for winter
feeding.
Plenty of Water.
Plenty of clean, fresh, cool water
should be available to every flock, both
winter and summer. I>arge galvan
ized pans make Ideal drinking vessels.
They should be placed on a platform
about two feet from the floor, in such
a position that they can be kept free
from litter. Water should be put In
nt least, once a day and the drinking
vessel should be kept perfectly clean.
When possible the feeding of sour skim
milk to the layers is a good asset and
will usually increase egg production.
Experiments carried out at the New
Jersey experiment station have shown
that the use of sour milk will Increase
egg production ns much as 68 per cent
over the birds of the same kind and
age who did not receive the sour milk,
When feeding skim milk care should
be taken to keep the vessel clean and
sweet. An abundant supply of sharp,
coarse grit, as well as ground oyster
shell, should he kept before the birds
constantly. The grit aids digestion
and the oyster shell furnishes carbon
nate of lime for the eggshell. The
floor of the poultry house should be
covered to a depth of from eight to
ten Inches with a good coarse straw
litter, which should be kept clean and
dry. This iltter will furnish exercise
for the birds.
The feeding of poultry Is an espe
cially hard operation, but Is one sur
rounded with much detail, all of which
Is essential If a good production and
hence profit Is to he secured.
Next week Michael K. Royer, poul
try editor of the Farm Journal, will
contribute an article on “Use of Trap
Nests.” The Illustration, by Louis
Haul Graham, will gho-< "Black Lang
shans.”
The Creed of the
Country
Rural life la coming Into Its own and
country life la beginning to be appre
ciated again after several decades of
disfavor and neglect. The following
creed, which Is being ndopted as the
slogan of various boye' and girls* clubs
throughout the rural sections of the
United States, shows that the thought
life of the country Is being directed Into
Its natural channels:
"I believe that the country which God
made Is more beautiful than the city
which man made; that life out of doors
and In touch with the earth is the nat
ural life of man. 1 believe that work Is
work wherever I find It, hut that work
with nature ts more Inspiring than work
with the most Intricate machinery. I
believe that the dignity of labor depends
not only upon what you do, but on how
you do It; that opportunity comes to a
hoy on the farm ns often as to a boy In
the city, and that life Is larger and
freer and happier on the farm than in
the town.”
striking fowls either in the exhibition
pen or on free range.
They have many devoted breeders
who are banded together In a national
club for the purpose of Improving and
popularising the breed.
These fowls do well In small num
bers which must be confined, and are
therefore valuable for backyard of
"home" flocks. Their color does not
easily show the Boil of confinement like
white plumage will do The hens are
good layers They will alt. hatch and
rear chickens so that a flock of buff
rocks will supply the home table with
eggs, broilers, roaatera and frtcaseeee
and prove profitable ot their owners.
When full grown, buff rock males
weigh from * l-l to 9 pounds, females
from 6 1-2 to * pounds, and the latter
reach laying maturity In from i 1-2
to < 1-2 months
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, uA.
“BACK
TO THE
FARM”
THE high cost of living, or the
“cost of high living,” as Jatm
J. Hill puts it, la a subject
which Just now is engrossing
the attention of the entire nation. The
cost of the necessaries of life has been
steadily Increasing since 1890. Tin
symptoms have been viewed with in
creasing alarm by nearly all classes.
Within the last year the matter has
reached an acute stage. The average
Increase In the cost of necessities from
Jan. 1, 1909, to Jan. 1, 1910, was 11.7
per cent. The Increase over July 1,
1890, was 01 per cent.
The wage and salary earners In the
cities have seen the "bread line” grad
ually drawing closer. The margin be
tween Income and expenses, narrow at
best, has shrunk to the vanishing
point. All this while newspapers have
been shouting prosperity, forgetful of
the old maxim that “the real prosperi
ty of a nation Is the citizen’s margin
of saving.”
Whatever the cause of this Increase
In the cost of necessities and comforts,
there are but two ways In which th*
citizen ns an Individual can meet it
The first Is to increase bis income.
i ;; !
1 1 r
AafeTMSjS..' W &
nsiNO cobv For. fteu in 1896.
and five second is to lower Ills stand
nrd oV living. The wage earner, band
ed together wltli Ids fejluw-s In a un
kw, I’as been able to increase hi:
scale of wages to some extent, though
not nearly enough to till the gap be
tvreen income and expenses. The wagt
earner who does not belong to a un
lon has profited to some extent by the
general rise in wages, though not s<
much as the union man.
The salaried man has borne the hnrd
est brunt of the rising prices. He be
lougs to uo union, and his demands foi
Increased pay have brought little re
spouse.
All classes that are compelled t<
work for u living hnve had to turn ti
the other alternative in a greater or
less degree. They have been forced t<
lower their standard of living. The
first ltton to be attacked Is the food
supply. Russell Sage once said. "A
the cost of living lncrenses the use ol
meat decreases, the proportion of dark
rooms Increases and child labor be
comes plentiful.” Less meat meam
poorer nourish meat, less resistance t<
disease and a higher death rate. Other
foods of cheaper quality are used
Oleomargarine takes the place of but
ter. Cold storage eggs are a luxury
and fresh eggs unknown, and cheapei
brands of canned goods are used.
Aside from food, the big itenj of ex
pense In the city Is rent. In *rder ti
keep up with the Increased cost ol
things property owners have been forc
ed to raise rents. The frenzied crowd
lng of the people to the cities has en
abled landlords to make these lncreas
ed rents effective. The result Is that
a bouse with a porch and a bit of lawu
has become a luxury, and more and
more the middle classes, the classes on
whom prosperity shonkl react most fa
vorably, hnve been forced into flat?
and apartment houses. The poorei
classes hnve moved into tenements
The high cost of room has made crowd
lng inevitable. Iluman beings have
been forced to herd together like cat
tie or worse. The modem dairy ban
la a palace beskle some of the tene
meats that pass muster as human bab
Rations.
Many causes have been advanced bj
economists and others to account for
the rise iu prices. Many blame the
tariff, but that will not explain why
prices are rising nearly as rapidly hi
England as in the United States. The
economist's favorite reason U In the
increase in the supply of gold. Money
is becoming cheaper, he says, and
therefore it takes more of it to buy
a given amount of any commodity
This explanation sounds very plaust
ble, but it doc* not explain the fact
that prices have at other times gone
down In the face of increased gold
production. The gold supply Is un
questionably a factor influencing ris
lng prices. That it is the fundamental
fa ctor may well be doubted
Other writers try to lay the whole
trouble to the growing extravagance
of the American people and to the in
creased standard of living. It Is true
that at the present time we regard ns
necessaries what yesterday were luxu
rlos. Th<« '.*<*■ fK;> in the standard o
READ HERALD WANTS
L —The Growth of the Cities
and the Increased Cost
of Living.
Ey C. V. GimQSmY,
Author of “Ho me Court* In Live Stock
Fanning.” “Making Money on the
Farm,” “Home Courje In Mod
ern Agriculture,” Etc.
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.
living Is but. the product of civiliza
tion, however, and is something to be
encouraged rather than discouraged.
Furthermore, it is responsible In but
a small degree for the Increase In the
cost of living. The increase In the
standard of living has manifested it
self most strongly In better houses,
better clothing and more conveniences.
Yet the great increase In cost has been
not In these materials, but In food.
Between July 1, 189(5, and Jan. 1, 1910,
breadstuffs and live stocWncreased In
price 108 per cent. During* the same
period the Increase In the textiles was
78 per cent, In metals 65 per cent and
In building materials only 15 per cent.
That luxurious living has had much
to do with the increased prices cannot
be denied. That it is wholly responsi
ble is far from the truth.
If we are to seek the real cause of
this crisis that confronts our country
we must go back to the old cause of
supply and demnnd, coupled with other
factors that have grown out of this.
The period from 1870 to 1895 was the
period of development of the middle
west, the bread basket of the world.
Here were lands of unparalleled fer
tility that had merely to be scratched
to give forth their bountiful supplies.
The result was that, the markets of the
world were flooded with foodstuffs.
By 1896 the middle west was pretty
well settled. The bloom of Its virgin
fertility had been removed. Soon th.
days of using corn for fuel and wheat
to feed the hogs were past. Prices of
farm products began to rise. If then
had been no other factor entering in
they would soon have reached a nor
mal level, and the readjustment would
have come with little trouble. Unfor
tunately the tide of population toward
the cities had become too strong to be
turned in a day.
From 1880 to 1000 the percentage of
farmers decreased from 44.3 to 35.6,
a decrease of 8.7 per cent. During the
same period the percentage of persons
engaged in manufacturing increased
from 21.8 to 24.3. This increase of 2.5
per cent is no more than normal and
may be accounted for by the increase
in the standard of living and the con
sequent demand for manufactured ar
ticles. The increase in professional
lines during this time was eight-tenths
of 1 per cent, while the number of per
sons engaged lit domestic and personal
service decreased one-tenth of 1 per
cent.
The great Increase came in the num
ber of persons engaged in trade and
transportation, an Increase of 5.5 per
cent. Of the 16.3 per cent of the work
ing people engaged in trade and trans
portation in 1900 only nine-tenths were
engaged in transportation proper. The
others, 15.4 per cent of all the people
of the United States who work, were
6imply middlemen. Complete figures
since 1900 are not available, but the
cityward trend has Increased rather
than diminished.
Here is the true explanation of the
high cost of living. There are more
than one-third as many men engaged
in distributing food as there are In
producing It. The consumer’s dollar
is worn thin before It gets to the pro
ducer. The 10.000,000 men who farm
must supply food to the 7.000,000 peo
ple who are working in the factories,
| 'A
OVERCROWDED TENEMENT DISTRICT IN' A
ORKAT CITY.
to the 12,000,000 people who are doing
nonproductive work and to the 46,000,-
000 people who do not work at all.
Ami because the changed ratio of sup
ply and demand are enabling the farm
er to make a profit where before he
worked at a loss there Is a great outcr\
over the high cost of living. Thla out
cry will not change things in the least
Neither will boycotts nor anti-meat so
cieties.
There is only one remedy, a reversal
of the tide of population. The abnor
nial growth of cities must be checked
Farming must be restored to its proper
place In the Industrial world. In the
succeeding articles we shall note some
of the forces that are bringing this
■bout.
READ HERALD WANTS “
RADIO-ACTIVE MANURES.
Their (Jae Not Recommended as Field
Fertilise re.
The specialists of the bureau of
•oils, United States department of ag
riculture, who have been investigating
the use of radio-active substances as
fertilizers, report that, while the use
of concentrated radium ores or extract
ed radium ‘is certain quantities In pot
experiments seem to stimulate plant
growth or to retard It In greater con
centration. the qunntlty of radium
present in the amount of so called
radioactive manure ordinarily recom
mended for application to an acre is
not great enough to produce any ap
preciable effect on field crops. The
radioactive manure consists of ground
uranium radium ores of too low grade
to be used for the extraction of radium
or of ores from which uranium has
been removed. The amount of radium
generally present in such of these ma
terials as have been placed on the mar
ket has been found to be so small that
In the quantity ordinarily recommend
ed for application to there is
less radium than is actually already
present on an average in an acre foot
of soli.
The specialists point out that all ores
which contain radium also contain a
very much larger proportion of anotb
er radioactive element called uranium
The latter is ordinarily recognized as a
plant poison, being very injurious to
plants when above a certain concen
tration, but when present In very small
quantity It acts as a stimulant to plant
growth; other metals, like copper and
lead, act In the same way. These es
sects of uranium are entirely different
from those of other radio-active ele
ments of the same radio-activity. It is
therefore concluded that the results oh
tained with uranium are not due to
its property of radioactivity, but to its
chemical properties, and that the con
Dieting results obtained with radioac
tive manure from different sources are
to be explained by the presence or ab
sense or munlum and possibly of other
constituents of a nonradioactive na
ture. Until further knowledge is gain
ed with regard to the way in which
plant poisons, like uranium, affect the
growth of plants the soil specialists are
inclined to advise against the use ot
radio-active manures or any other mn
terlnl containing uranium us a fertilizei
in general farming.
A Rein Holder,
A piece of strap iron seven-eighths
inch wide is bent ns shown and fas
tened to the side of the seat with
screws. A peg or bolt is attached to
the seat back of the opening in the
strap iron. If a bolt is used it should
have threads long enough to permit a
i I -
nut to be placed on each Bide of the
seat end, allowing the head to extend
on the outside. The ends of the reins
can be doubled and Inserted In tbe
opening of tbe bent iron and then loop
ed over tbe bolt or pin.—Popular Me
chanlcs.
: INDOOR GARDEN PLANTS, j
With a Little care a number of trop
leal plants mny be grown Indoors, and
daring the winter they are a particu
larly attractive addition to a bay win
dow or conservatory garden. Various
kinds of palms, rubber plants, olean
ders, aspidistras and cactuses are easily
kept in good condition Indoors If given
the proper attention and not permitted
to be exposed to frost.
Palms are much used for interior
decorations where there Is no direct
sunlight Regular watering is essen
tlal, with especial care not to over
water. It Is better with most palms
to keep them a little dry than too wet
Where a pot is in n Jardiniere especial
care must be exercised not to bare
them too wet
While small wash the foliage occa
eionally with soapsuds made from a
good soap. Immediately follow with
a thorough rinsing. When too large
for this spray the tops frequently witb
dear water.
Rubber plants are especially satlsfac
tory to grow where there is a good
light without direct snnllgbt Water
often enough to keep the soil moist
but do not under any circumstances
permit water to stand about the roots
nor allow It to become “bone dry." A
potted plant set In a Jardiniere needs
especial care not to over water.
Wash the foliage frequently with
soapsuds made from good soap. Rinse
thoroughly at once.
Repot occasionally, as tbs pots be
come full of roots. Feed once In two
to four weeks with dilute nitrate of
soda (n heaping teaspoonful dissolved
In wntert or ammonia water or nan
nure water or some prepared plant
fi>od.
Oleanders may be treated more or
less ns are palms.
Aspidistras are most ornamental
They should be kept rather drier than
palms and rubber plant*.
Cactnses require rather dry. sandy
roil.
BEAD HERALD WANT ADS
NOVEMBER 30.
Scientific
Farming:
ORCHARD COVER CROPS.
Rye, Vetch or Bur Clover Will Con
serve and Build Soil Fertility.
An orenard cover crop should be sown
at once If It has not already been, says
the Home and Farmstead. To neglect
this Is to fall to dp. one’s duty to the
orchard. When the green crop is turn
ed under In the spring It will contribute
organic matter to the soil, a thing 60
much needed by many soils. It will
improve the moisture bolding content
of the soli and result In releasing a
greater amount of the soil’s plant food
to the growing trees.
If It is a clay soil it is close and wa
ter percolates down through it quite
W&t -jy -:A - -f j
i %r\ t,,||||Kj
COVER CROPS ADD TO ORCHARD PROFITS.
slowly. In fact much of the water
runs off the slopes where much of
the clay lands of America exists and
does not get down to the tree roots ns
it would if It were a cultivated orchard
and especially If cover crops have been
turned tinder.
if It is a sandy soil where the orchard
exists the cover crop will improve the
texture of the soil, add to its water
bolding capacity and check the leach
of the soil fertility.
Rye, vetch, bur clover or other of the
nsuai winter cover crops will add ma
terially to orchard profits if they are
given a ebauce to conserve and build
aoil fertility in the orchard tract.
CROSSING ALFALFA.
Experiments That Promise to Improve
the Plant For Grazing Purposes.
Alfalfa Is such a well known forage
crop that little has been done to im
prove it by scientific breeding. But al
falfa has several serious defects. It is
not well adapted to grazing, and it
does not produce seed freely.
William Soutbworth of Ontario Ag
ricultural college. Guelph. Canada, has
been making some experiments that
promise greatly to Improve alfalfa in
these respects. Ele picked out as the
plant most likely to fulfill the condi
tions. the common yellow trefoil,
known us black medlck iMedicago lu
pulina L.)
The black medlck Is looked npon aa
a weed in the United States and Can
ada. It grows profusely in meadow*,
generally almost or quite fist upon the
ground. It has slender stems and pro
duces an abundance of fine leaves,
which yield good grazing, but not good
hay.
In the Journal of Heredity Mr.
Soutbworth reports on the success of
his experiments. While alfalfa seeds
poorly, Its cousin, the black medlck,
produces an abnndance of seeds. Al
falfa seems to need the help of bees In
its pollenatlon. while the black medlck
is generally self fertilized.
Mr. Soutbworth began In 1911 with
mother alfalfa plants obtained from
the United States department of agri
culture, Washington, but, owing to the
hot season, not one of the crosses set
seed. In August of that year be pick*
ed out an alfalfa plant growing la a
discarded grass plot with rich green
foliage and un abundance of healthy, >
vigorons, violet flowers. These flowers
he fertilized with pollen from black
medlck growing as weeds. From these
he obtained flve healthy poda.
Sowing the aeed from these in the
fall of 1912, he raisM twenty-four
plants, nineteen of which be removed
to the open field. These were allowed
to fertilize themselves, and the plants
from their aeed were raised In the
antumn of 1918 In the greenhouses of
the department of plant breeding, Cor
nell university.
Without going Into the details of the
growth of each plant the re—ls may
be summarized by saying that 12 per
cent of the plants grew above the av
erage <5.6 Inches) In height and about
78 per cent were not erect la growth.
Mr. Suuthwortb say* the era— la
difficult to make. He is continuing his
experiments and urges others to In
vestigate along the —me Hoes. •
He notes also that the difficulty In
getting hard alfalfa seeds to germi
nate may successively be overcome by
immersing them for ten mlnntes In
strong commercial snlphnrlc acid and
then washing them free from the add.
This method was Invented by Profes
sor H. H. Love of Cornell.
Prune ths Grapevines.
Prune grape* as soon as foliage la
off. Lay them down and cover with
earth before the ground freezes.
1 USE HERALD WANT ADS.