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PRACTICAL ADVICE ABOUT
DIVERSIFIED FARMING
Cost of a Horst*.
What does it cost to raise a colt to
the age of four years? Wallace's
Farmer gives the following:
The first and second years it Is
no more expensive to grow a colt than
a steer. A colt may require a little
more pasture and will require rather
better fencing, but will stand hard
ship better than the yearling steer,
although, to get the be3t results, both
of them must have some grain in
connection with forage. Give the
colt a winter pasture of blue grass or
second crop clover, plenty of exercise
and shelter in time of storms, and he
will do better and be carried through
at less expense than the steer.
At two years old, if not before, the
steer must be put on feed, and it will
cost at least fifty bushels of corn with
other feed to fit him for the market.
The filly at two years old may be bred
if she has been well fed and nour
ished-; if not, then at three years old.
She should be able to pay her way in
the way of light work; and where the
farmer has a surplus, should be sold
to some man who can work her or the
gelding for two years, making them
pay expenses, and sell them on the
market at a higher price than they
cost in the three-year-old form.
We think, therefore, that there is
good profit to any farmer in raising
colts for the market, provided he
limits his operations to the number
of mares kept on the farm. In fact,
he should keep three brood mares
where he really needs but one. He
can afford to do this if he will mate
them every year with the right sire.
The greatest profit to the ordinary
farmer lies in growing draft colts,
and the heavier the better, provided
they are sound. The 1600 pound
mare mated to an 1800 or 2000
pound stallion will produce a type
of colts which, if properly nourished
and cared for, will bring, if net the
highest price in the market, yet a
price that will abundantly pay the
farmer for his feed and care. The
greatest care, however, should be ex
ercised in securing soundness. No
mare should be used for breeding
purposes that has any defects capable
of transmission by heredity; for in
stance, moon-biindness or defects of
the bony system. Spavin may not be
transmitted, and perhaps is not, but
the weakness that develops spavin un
doubtedly is inherited.
Farm Gate.
On a farm often a long gate Is nec
essary, but it is very heavy and hard
to open and shut. The sketch which
I send is an easy way to overcome the
difficulty of handling the heavy gate.
Take a piece of 2x4 about three feet
long ami size one end down until It
will enter the hub of an old culti
vator wheel. After the wheel is fas
tened to the end of the 2x4, fasten
the latter to the gate with two or
three strong bolts. Place the 2x4
and wheel just high enough so the
gate will clear the ground when
swung to one side.. When the gate is
shut the wheel stands between the
end of gate and the post as shown in
illustration. A child can open and
shut it without difficulty.—Mrs.
Blanch Cublne, in the Epitomist.
1 ———
Poultry Pointers.
We not only want fancy poultry, i
but poultry which combines fancy and I
utility, thereby having a show fowl
and market fowl in one bird.
Fowls should have green feed in
winter time, and for a good feed plant
oats in part of the yard and you will
be surprised how they will eat it.
What is best for the fowls is a
change of food about two times a
week. Theylike a change as well as
people do, and they will show you
their appreciation by filling the egg
basket for you.
We do not want a ninety-five cr
ninety-six point bird that has no other
qualities, but we want birds that will
score high and produce eggs as well.
When we breed for both points wr
are upbuilding the industry.
Where most Southern people make
their piistake is in feeding too much
corn. Corn is good when fed right,
but if fed to excess it is very harmful,
because of its fat producing proper
ties; and when you get a lot of over
fat hens you will surely have an
empty egg basket. Oats Is an excel
lent feed and should be fed in litter
to make the fowls scratch for it.
Chop is another good feed, as is mash
feed. —N. E. Walton, in Progressive
Farmer.
The Turkey Buzzard.
1 am exceedingly pleased to see
the decided stand you are taking
against the further prptectiou of the
turkey buzzard, and while this will
undoubtedly meet with much opposi
tion for a time until all the facts are
laid hare, you may rest assured of the
hearty support of serious thinking
people who have given the matter
attention, by having been brought
face to face with facts.
As a scavenger, the buzzard un
doubtedly has had his place, but un
questionably he is to-day one of the
greatest spreaders of infectious dis
eases among domestic animals, and
any possible gervlce the buzzard can
render as a scavenger is far out
weighed by the seriousness of out
breaks of deadly diseases, wjiich he
undoubtedly spreads from place to
p.ace. Such resistent organisms as
those producing anthrax, blackleg,
hog cholera and tuberculosis, besides
a host of others, may be conveyed
for long distances and deposited on
heretofore non-infected ground,
hence the mysterious outbreaks to
which we are too frequently sub
jected.
The writer can recall the outbreak
of blackleg on a farm whore the dis
ease had not before been known to
exist. Upon investigation it was
found that during the previous fall
and winter numerous buzzards had
been in the habit of frequenting the
small range occupied by the calves,
while at five miles distance numerous
cattle had died from the disease and
were left to be devoured by buzzards.
On a farm in Eastern Virginia hog
cholera made a sudden appearance,
yet no cholera had existed to the own
er’s knowledge within several miles.
No fresh pigs had been brought in
nor were there known any other
means by which the disease could pos
sibly have been imported except by
buzzards. These are costly experi
ences.
Mr. Editor, advocate the proper
disposal and destruction of all dead
animals, also the early destruction of
one of the greatest enemies the stock
raiser has to contend with to-day in
the South—the turkey buzzard.—-
John Spencer, Veterinarian, Experi
ment Station, Blacksburg, Va., in
Southern Planter.
How Hay Raising Depletes tlie Soil.
In general, T do not think it wise
for farmers to run their lands in a
long rotation, or to keep them in
grass for mowing for a long time,
writes Professor Massey, in Pro
gressive Farmer. The main need of
all the Southern uplands is a restora
tion of the humus, and hence a short
rotation in which the filgumes come
in often is better than leaving the
land in grass for several years.
Some of the worst depleted lands
in Pennsylvania are the naturally
strong soils north of the city of Phil
adelphia, where the farmers have
been making hay for the city market
and have run their lands in grass a 3
long as they could get a ton per acre,
till the land has gotten into such a
condition that they cannot make a
crop of clover on it.
Mowing hay from land year after
year Is just as bad as gettivg any
other crop off the land continuously,
and single cropping in hay will run
the land down as well as single crop
ping in anything else.
The Southern uplands need legumes
more than grass, and for horned
stock, cowpea hay and crimson clover
hay are immensely better than any
grass hay, and these have the ad
vantage that if the supply of phos
phoric acid and potash is maintained,
theV will do away with the need of
buying nitrogen.
A Corn Harvester.
Our illustration shows the details
of a one row corn cutter, which will
do good service. It is not difficult
to make and will do an astonishing
Good One-Row Harvester.
Explanation: The guiding arm collects
the stalks on the platform from which they
are thrown a-t intervals.
amount of work where it is handled
right. Of course, the harvesters you
can buy will do more and quicker
work and are what you want if you
have much corn to cut, but the home
made affair we show herewith fills a
place with the small farmer and is
comparatively inexpensive.
Oyster shells are inexpensive and
furnish the grit and the needed lime
for the egg shells. If more oyster
shells were provided there would be
fewer egg-eating hens.
The
Sunday=Sell 00l
international lesson com
ments FOR SEPTEMBER 20.
Subject: Temperance, 1 Cor. 10:23-
32—Golden Text: Rom. 13:2
Commit Verse 24—Commentary
on the Day’s lesson.
TIME.—3 7 A. D.
PLACE.—Ephesus.
EXPOSITION.—!. Let no man
seek his own, hot each his neighbor’s
good, 23-30. Some of the Corin
thians whose thoughts were entirely
occupied with themselves and their
own rights and privileges were say
ing: “All things are lawful to me.”
Paul, who was governed by the Chris
tian principle of love, and therefore
thinking of the effect of his. actions
not only upon himself, answers:
“Yes, all things are lawful; but all
things are not expedient (or helpful
or profitable).” A true Christian
does not ask what is permissible, but
what is profitable. He asks, not what
I have a right to do, but what will
“edify,” what will build up the
Church of Christ, others as well as
myself. ”i a it permissible for a
Christian to attend the theatre?” one
asks. Better ask, Is it profitable, will
it edify? “is it permissible for a
Christian to use the Lord's Day as
he does other days?” Better ask, Is
it profitable, will it edify? In all
things "Let no man seek his own but
each his neighbor’s good.” The be
liever should not be troubled with a
morbid conscience, he should not fear
to eat anything sold in the markets
because of a suspicion It might have
been offered to an Idol and thus
tainted. He need ask no question
about that; for even If It had been of
fered to an idol it really belonged to
the Lord; “for the earth is the Lord’s,
and the fulness thereof” (Ps. 24:1;
oC:12; 1 Tim. 4:4). • A glorious
truth that, with many practical ap
plications. If the earth is the Lord’s
it Is ours also if w-e are His children.
There are some to-day afraid to sit
down to the Lord’s table unless they
have first carefully examined every
one there and found that they are
perfectly sound in doctrine and In
life, lest they themselves be defiled.
That Is sadlv confounding the O. T.
laws with N. T. liberty. One can
never know perfectly, and could
therefore never have a conscience
perfectly at rest. Christianity is not
morbidness (2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 8:15).
The Christian might even go to a
feast made by an unbeliever, and In
case he did he should eat whatever
was set. before him, and not be haunt
ed by the torturing suspicion, “Per
haps this was offered to an idol.” He
need ask no question about this. But
if some one should say, “This hath
bee# offered in sacrifice,” then he
should not eat, not because he would
himself be hurt, but for the sake of
the one who said it, that he might not
be hurt. His liberty could not be
judged by another's conscience, and
he would still have liberty to eat as
fab as his own conscience was con
cerned, but his liberty would give
place to love. Here are two great
principles: (1) livery man’s liberty
must be determined by his own con
science, not another’s (cf. Rom. 14:
2-10). (2) Liberty must give way
before love. The question is not what
have I liberty to do, but what does
love prompt me to do. If I do par
take in grace, no one else whose opin
ion may differ about what Is permis
sible has a right to speak evil of me
concerning that for which I return
thanks to God. But if I am a real
Christian (of. Jno. 13:35), I will do
nothing that will cause another to
stumble just because I have a right
to and no one else has a right to con
demn me for doing.
11. Wlmf.soever ye flo, do all to
the glory of G«<l, 31-33. Paul lays
down a very simple but very great
principle for deciding what we may
do and how to do it, “Whether there
fore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
That principle will settle all our ques
tions. Do nothing that you cannot do
to God's glory, and whatever you de
cide to do, do It to His glory. Then
we can put away all troublings of our
conscience and be free from all sense
of condemnation. But how many
things professed Christians are doing
which if they stopped and thought
they would soon see that they could
not do to God’s glory. If you have any
doubt about anything you are doing,
ask yourself, can I do this to God’s
glory? If you are not absolutely sure
that you can then don’t do It. And
if you do It be sure you do It to God’s
glory. We should give no occasion
to stumbling to any one of the three
classes into which God divides men,
Jews, Gentiles, the Church of God.
Our own pleasure should never be
our rule of action, but the pleasure
and profit of others, even all men.
Our own profit should be utterly ig
nored (cf. Phil. 2:4), and we should
live for the profit of others, 1. e., that
they may be saved. We should be
glad to give up our liberty or any
right if some one thereby may be
saved (cf. ch. 9:12, 22). How in
tensely Paul was occupied with one
thing, the salvation of others (cf.
Rom. 10:1; 9:1-3; 11:14; 1 Cor. 9:
22). This is tbe Christian principle
of total abstinence, abstinence for
the purpose of saving others.
Social Position.
What satisfaction is it to have so
cial position and political preferment
U our conscience is dulled? —Rev.
John Hale Larry.
Sacred Truths.
The truth of affection is more sa
cred than the truth of science.—Rev.
Lyman Abbott.
DECEIVED.
“Y'our feet are small,” the shoe clerk said,
As he her instep pressed;
The lady sighed and bowed her head.
And gladness filled her breast.
Eut little time with her he spent,
A busy clerk was he;
He sold her sires ere sue went —
Eut they were numbered three.
—Chicago Record-Herald.
THE POET.
"Do you believe in inspiration?”
“Oh, yes. A call from a bailiff will
always set me to grinding out verse.”
—Louisvil’** Courier-Journal
DOWN ON RIVAL PLANTS.
Wife—“ John, the hens have
scratched up that egg plant seed you
sowed.”
Hub “Blame ’em! Jealousy, I
suppose.”—Boston Transcript.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
“ ’Ow did ’e git on with the peg at
Chaggivord, then, Garge?”
“Oh, I zold en perty middlin' like,
but ’er didn’t make wat I thought ’er
wid. I didn’t think ’er wid.”—The
Tatler.
GLOOMY RESEARCH.
“So you are again at your micro
scope investigating germs!”
“Yes,” answ-ered the scientist;. “I
am the man you read about who is
always looking for trouble.”—Wash
ington Star.
OH, MABEL!
Miss Mabel “I heard mamma
talking about your snooting a flume
in the West, Mr. Weete.”
Bill Weete—“Yes, Miss.’ ’
Miss Mabel—“ Tell me, what other
big animals have you shot?” —Bos-
ton Transcript.
JESTING ON A SERIOUS MATTER.
Wife—“ Short weight on the steak
as usual. You never see the butcher
robbing himself.”
Hub —“I dunno, my dear. I’ve
seen him steel his own knife.”—Bos
ton Transcript.
INTERSTING TO GIRL.
“But what made you irritate her
father?”
“I had to do it. I wasn’t any too
popular with the girl until her father
forbade me the house.” —Louisville
Courier-Journal.
FICKLE, FICKLE GIRLS.
Elsie—“ You remember, dear, that
young man you were sweet on last
year at the beach. I suppose you
will go to the same place this year?”
May—“Oh, no; he might be
there.”—Boston Transcript.
THE BALD TRUTH.
Polite Hairdresser—“ Try a bottle
of this preparation, sir. Splendid
thing for baldness.”
Customer (sarcastically)—“So it
may be, but I’ve got all the baldness
I want, thank you.”—Pearson’s
Weekly.
THERE WAS HAIR-PULLING.
Mrs. Scrapp—“John, are you go
ing to Mr. Brown’s wife’s funeral?”
Mr. Scrapp—“l guess not. It
makes one feel awkward, you know,
to go to anything and not be able to
return the invitation.”—Boston
Transcript.
SCARED FROM RURAL SCENES.
“What do s’pose it is dat is over
crowdin’ de cities?” a3ked Meander
ing Mike.
“I dunno,” answered Plodding
Pete, “unless it's dis habit farmers is
gittin’ into of advertisin’ fur harvest
hands.”—Washington Star.
A FAIR MAN.
“Then you don't insist on having
your money’s worth of everything you
buy?”
“No; only a reasonable percentage
of my money's, worth. I’m willmg to
let the other man make a fair profit.”
—Louisville Courier-Jodrnal.
TAKING WHAT HE CAN GET.
“Why is it that you don’t mani
fest more concern about being ar
rested for fast motoring?”
“Well,” answered Mr. Chuggins,
“to tell you the truth I’m so delighted
when the machine goes at all, that I
am willing to pay for the extra
speed.”—Washington Star.
HE LOST HIS NERVE, ANYWAY.
A Wichita man was cussing be
cause of his aching teeth.
“Why don’t you go to a dentist?”
asked one of his friends.
“Oh. I haven't got the nerve,” was
the reply.
“Never mind that,” replied the
friend, “the dentist will find the nerve
all right.”—Kansas City Star.
FORTIFYING THE CANAL
Government to Spend $7,500,-
000 on Defenses at PaTnama.
MANY FORTS TO BE BUILT
The Canal and Immems Locks Will Be
Protected By a System of Im
pregnable Fortressea.
Washington, D. C.—When the Pan
ama canal is completed, it will be
defended by one of the greatest sys
tems of fortifications in the world.
A ieporter saw the sketches and the
plans for the defenses for the great
est engineering work of history. It
was learned that the plans for the
forts and other defenses of the ca
nal were carefully gone over by Sec
retary of War Dickinson and Major
General Bell, chief of the general staff
of the army, during their visit some
months ago.
The locations on which forts will be
erected were inspected with great
caie and the general plans of the for
tifications cf the canal discussed at
length and from every apgle. The
plans, which later were begun by en
gineer officers of the army, have been
in process of formation ever since.
“These plans are very comprehen
sive and provide for an outlay of
more than $7,500,000,” a war depart
ment official said.
The plans contemplate • the expendi
ture of about $4,000,000 at the Pacific
mouth of the canal and about $3,500,-
000 on the Atlantic side.
The plans for the forts on the Pa
cific include heavy • batteries of 12-
inch guns on the small islands lying
off- the mouth of the canal for ten
miles. In addition to battries on
these islands the plans include forts
at Ancon and San Juan, respectively,
on each entrance to the canal. The
battery at Ancon would be adjacent
to Balbao, the new name for the port
to be located near the place where
the canal will empty into the Paci
fic. It is proposed to construct an
other great fort at Pedro Migugl, six
miles inland. The great locks of the
canal will be located at this point,
and this will be for their immediate
protection. At Culebra, a point half
way across the canal, the plans in
clude the establishment of a large
military post, which, under the pres
ent plans, would cost $500,000. The
fortifications for the Atlantic mouth
cf the canal are to be erected at El
Boco point, just across from Colon,
and will be equally extensive.
FOREST FIRES COSTLY.
$50,C00,C00 and Fifty Lives Lost
Every Year.
Washington, D. C. —A startling sit
uation has developed as the result of
a taking of stock of the forestry re
source? of this country, according to
Treadwell Cleveland, Jr., expert in
the bureau of forestry.
“It has shown,” Mr. Cleveland de
clares, “that we are taking from the
forest every year three and a half
times as much wood as is added by
the new growth; that lass than one
third of the growing trees felled by
the lumber men is ever used at all,
so that two-thirds of all the timber
cut is simply destroyed. It has shown
that one-eleventh of all the forests
are swept by fires every year, and
that on the average, since 1870, the
forest fires have cost $50,000,000 in
timber and fifty lives.
“It has shown that over 99 per cent
of the forests in private hands,which
comprise three-fourths of all the for
est land and four-fifths of the -wood,
is devastated by destructive use and
the sweep of unchecked fires, while
less than one per cent is properly
handled for successive crops or effec
tively protected from fire.”
OPERA SINGERS BLACKMAILED.
They Have Been Paying Money to
Escape Being Hissed.
New York City.—Detectives have
been retained to break up an organ
ization of men who are said to have
netted a considerable income from
grand opera singers who prefer ap
plause to hisses. Rumors several sea
sons old that certain opera singers
employed persons in the audience to
applaud them, were given credence
by the managements of two opera
houses when they declared that such
singers had been the victims of black
mail and that whatever money they
had given was more to prevent being
hissed fhan to obtain applause.
According to several well known
singers they had been approached by
members of this band, who had plain
ly informed them that unless they
paid liberaly for applause their sing
ing would be hissed. Experience had
shown that those who did not pay
were hissed. The managers declare
they will break up the practice.
LAilNtl) S2O,OO^FORIMJRCh.
Bedridden Woman Turned the Money
Over to the Church.
Mattoon, 111. —A story of woman’s
patient and disinterested labor of
love during the ttventy-seven years
that she lav bedridden, was toid at
the eighty-sixt-h session of the Illi
nois conference of the Methodist Epis
copal church.
A telegram was read to the confer
ence telling of the death of Miss Liz
zie Johnson, of Casey, 111. It was
then related that Miss Johnson, dur-,
ing the last twenty-seven years, while!
confined to her bed by a lingering
illness, had earned for the church
conference $20,000 by embroidering
Scripture book marks.
