Newspaper Page Text
SIX
rRAP NEST SOLVES PROBLEM OF
LOAFERS AND LAYING HENS
Gives Valuable Information as
: to Types and Breeds That
|. Are Best Producers.
;| Can Be Used With Very Little
Effort and a Minimum of
i Time.
(By Michael K. Boyer )
[{(Poultry Editor of the Farm Journal.)
(Copyright, 1914.)
The only way bv which egg pro
ducers can be surely known Is by the
use of trap nests. Their value his
been known for twenty years and to
day they are indispensable on a well
regulated farm.
The trap nest tells not only which
hens are the layers, but which particu
lar type or breed is a producer, and
what kinds of eggs they produce. Ac
curate, scientific knowledge is in this
wav obtainable and hit or mins meth
ods are eliminated Many a poultry
man has been put on the road to
profit by the use of this unique de
vice.
The trap nest is a Yankee notion
now In practical use for about twenty
years. It Is the only method by which
the actual layers can be known, and
the only way to tell the color of their
eggs, as well as the size and shape. It
enables us to find the lien that gives
strong fertility, and the one that gives
poor. It picks out the winter lay
ers; it arrests the eggoater; it pre
vents broken eggs in the nest; it
, makes hens tame.
It is more profitable to have a
dozen selected layers than double the
number of doubtful ones. The labor
in attending to traps should not ex
ceed ten minutes for fifty nests pro
viding they are conveniently arranged.
A pullet that will lay HO eggs from
November 1 to June 1 Is n phenomenal
layer; 125 eggs is very Rood laying
and no pullet should be retained for
breeding that will lay less than 100
eggs In that period.
I have known of traps being used
thirty years ago. hut it was nut until
the last twenty years that their value
has been acknowledged. A trap nest
is a device that nllow'S the hen to
readily enter, hut which does not per
mit her to leave until released by the
attendant, who makes a note of the
number on the band that Is placed on
her leg. In this way the actual num
ber of eggs to her credit can be ascer
tained.
As to Egg Types.
I believe that by an examination of
the pelvic bones It is possible to de
termine which are layers, but we do
not know how good they are. Neither
do we know what class of eggs they
lay
Some hens lay a dark brown egg.
s utie a light brown, some a pure white
and some a creamy white. Suppose
we are aiming for a dark brown, or for
pure white eggs, how can we ties! se
cure that object when we are unable
to pick out the hens that give us what
we want? It is true that we can
gradually brtng about that condition
by using only the dark brown or tho
pure white eggs for Incubation, but it
is a long road to travel. If we can
tick out those layers, nnd keep only
such vve are more sure of our results.
Put there are more Important uses
pi the traps. We can pick out the hens
that lay deformed eggs, or those that
lay eggs of undesirable shape We
can know which hens give us the host
fertility, and which the poorest. We
can know which hens lay best at the
season when eggs command the high
est prlres, and we can pick out the
heavy summer layers We discover
which are the drones, hens that do not
pay their board. We are thus able to
arrest the egg-eater We catch her
right In the act We have less brok
en eggs In the nest, generally due to
several hens crowding In at one time.
We can tell which hens lay the snvill
eggs, and which the Inrirer ones. We
know how many times individual hens
become broody, which bens are the
the best for incubation and brooding
We know the exact time our pullets
started to lay and how regularly they
deposit their eggs.
fi Better Posted on Flock.
Then, too, by this regularly handling
of hens we get them more tame. They
do not become excited by handling. We
also readily denote their condition
whether they are too fat. or too thin,
or If they are starting scsles on the
legs, or if there Is some other trouble.
The trap nest affords a dnllv Inspec
tion and consequently we are better
acquainted with our stock
When trap m>o ■ ir*■ used the hen
take* the first available one, but In
open nests It is not uncommon to have
the hens select only one or two and
never use the others. Eggs allowed
to remain in the nests until night are
often staled by a number of hens set
ting on them during the day. With
the use of trap nests this trouble Is
overcome
Trap nests give us a svatem of weed
ing out which no other method af
fords This system means a saving
of feed and room. A dozen selected
layers will give a greater profit than
double the number in which are good
bad and Indifferent. It is not worth
the little extra labor necessary to at
tend to these nests? 1 have proved
the fact that I can secure 10 per cent
more eggs with !l per cent, less hens,
by breeding onlv from my best hirers
T have In one of my yards White Wy
andotte yearling hen* that were
hatched from eggs laid by hens that, us
pullet*, gave a record of not loss than
Jf>o eggs each. These ten hens du
plicated the work of thetr dams To
these bens is mated a male bred from
a 299--egg hen In this way 1 pro
pose to grow until every hen on the
place Is a 200--egg hep. Can It be
done’ I believe, in fact I know, it can
by the use of the trap nest If 1 .-an
get 100 hens to give me the same num
ber of eggs that formerly 200 hens
rave me, look at the saving 1 will
have In feed and house room Is not
such an object worth working for*
Will not this saving more than com
pensate for the extra time required In
attending to those nests"
Very few eggs are laid before nin<>
o’clock In the morning and after X
o’clock in the afternoop If a nest is
allowed for every three hens In the
pen. It will not he necessary to look
after them oftener than four times a
day—hut even If It would be necessarv
to go ground every hour during that
BLACK LANGSHANS
■ ■ "| 11 ' -i -1 . -i■■ .
(By Louis Paul Graham.)
Shortly after the Celestial Empire
was opened to foreign trade in IBfi2
many of its distinctive breeds of fowls
and animals were imported to Europe,
chiefly through England. From the
I.angshans district in china. came the
big beautiful black fowls which bear
the name lamgshans and as sueh
they were known until In later Im
portations some white and some
tnottled l.angsbans were found. Then
the first I.angshans were distinguish
ed by pre-fixing lllack.
History does riot record their date or
manner of origin. Inquiry among tho
Chinese brought nothing more than "I
tin not know; It was always so." They
are peculiar to the Eangshan district,
anil have been from time Immemorial.
The great size of this breed and Its
wonderful laying qualities unde It an
Immediate favorite In England. Its
fame spread to Australia and the Unit
ed States ami the fowls followed their
fame. Many were Imported to Am
erica from England and many were im
ported direct from China. These all
possessed the same good qualities and
for many years w'ere very popular.
Valuable Utility Fowl.
The American breed In the United
States and the Orpington In England
laying period, It would be time pro
] titaHy apent. If the traps are con
veniently arranged, one man can look
after fifty nests in ten minutes.
Trap Nest No Guesser.
The trap nest is no guesser. II de
velops a positive fact. II tells the truth.
The cackling hen caught in a trap Is
proved to lie either a layer or a liar.
There are too many of the latter class
in almost every farm flock.
1 do not follow trapping the year
round. 1 am more anxious lo have
strong winter laying than l am year
round records. 1 prefer starting my
traps November 1 and discontinue
their use May SI. This gives me seven
of the heat months, and 1 know that 140
eggs laid in that period show the hen
to lie a 200 egg per year layer. 1 also
feel that 125 eggs in those seven
months would about equalize a 200-
egg layer. And nnj pullet that will
lay not less than 100 eggs in that time
Is om worth breeding from. I want
eggs when prices nre high. By breed
ing up my strongest cold-weather
layers I can get them.
1 do not like trapping during the re
maining five months (June 1 to No
vember li for the reason that it Is
the season for much broodlnes. in the
flocks, and the weathers during the
summer is too hot.
Next week Mr. Reese V. Hicks, man
ager of the Rancocas Poultry Farms,
Brown's Mills, N. J. and former presi
dent of tho American Poultry Asso
ciation, will contribute an article on
"The Importance of Poultry Shows.”
Tbe illustration, by Louis Paul Gra
ham, will show "White Cochins."
Instructions To
Sailors After
Ship Wrecked
London. "Den’t take your clothes
off. don't try to swim; don’t lot so
of your hammock." This Is tho advice
to British sailors, who by reason of
destruction of their ship hy submarine*
or otherwise are forced to take to tho
water. It is contained In a current
Issue of the !<ondon Lancet and ts
founded on the measures found most
helpful hy the Japanese during the
war with Russia.
It must he explained that the ham
mock refert oti to Is bouyant and la
used on most British warships. The
warmuk not to attempt to swim is ut
tered to protect the man In the water
frofn exhaustion when, being support
ed, there Is no need of violent motion;
while the admonition to keep the cloth
ing on is based on the fad that long
experience has shown that clothing, no
matter how heavy, not only keeps the
body warm for a time hut contributes
Its share of bouyancy, until thorough
ly soaked.
"A man in the water," says the lan
cet. "should not try to swim except
for some definite purpose. hut should
be content to float and be satisfied If
he can just keep his mouth above
water. In this he will be greatly as
sisted by the air collars provided by
the admtnuty The best Ufe-bouy.
short of a cork jacket. Is a lashed up
hammock—lt does not turn over and
there is always the lashing to bans
onto, a hammock ha* been known to
keep a man afloat for twenty-four
hours
"When a man ha* been rescued, get
Copyright, 1914.
BLACK LAN GSHANS.
and Australia had much to do with
their decline in popularity, but they
are yet widely esteemed and bred for
their valuable utility qualities. In
Australia within the last ten years, a
pen of I.angshans in a laying compe
tition extending over one full year,
with all varieties of poultry represent
ed, won first place with the highe.st
total of eggs laid
In America they are widely bred in
the South and probably some of the
very best specimens exhibited In our
poultry shows are from that section.
This fowl belongs to the Asiatic
family, which it resembles in size and
weight Full-grown specimens weigh
8 to 10 pounds for females, and 9
to 12 pounds for males. The hens do
well either in confinement or on free
range nnd nre good winter layers of
large, rich, brown eggs, nnd all eggs
make splendid table poultry.
Their rich, glossy, greenish-black
plumage contracts pleasantly with
(heir bright combs, wattles and ear
lobes. and the plumage does not show
the soil when the fowls are kept in
small quarters.
Chicks grow rapidly and reach broil
er size il an early ago while the ma
ture young fowl Is much esteemed for
roasting purposes.
his wet clothes off, wrap him In dry
blankets, give him a hot drink (not
alcoholic) and lay him down in a
warm part of the ship.”
“After ali '* said the editor’* assist
ant "the old Jokes are the best."
"Why shouldn't they be?” demanded
the editor; ’'there's no competition.’’—
Philadelphia Ledger.
Daily Pattern
f \jiliilnill ill
TO|llll
ail i, °*
1109—SPLENDID MODEL FOR SCHOOL
OR GENERAL WEAR.
Girls Dress With Gulmpe.
Hlue nnd white striped cotton goods
was used for the dress. The gtiimp*
whs made of white nainsook. The col
lar of white pique. This style Is good
for all wash fabrics The closing ts
practical and the line* are gnu-etui and
comfortable. The skirt la a three-piece
model. Joined tn the Mouse under the
holt I’lald woolen In soft blue and Uuv
tunes or red cashmere with a simple
braid trimming In Mack would develop
this stvle nicely. The patern Is cut In
four Hlsce «. 8, 10 and 13 veers, and
requires Bv* viuxls of 40. Inch material for
a 13-year slsa, for tho dress, and 3 1-4
yards for the gulmpe of 37-Inch ma
teria'.
A pattern of this Illustration malted to
«ny address on receipt of 10 cents In sil
ver or stamps.
No Slse
Name
Street and No. ...... .... u .......
(Tty State
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA
“BACK TO
THE FARM"
VIII. —The Country Girl’s
Career.
C. V. GIREGG&Y.
ICopyrlght, 1910. by American Press Asso
ciation.!
OUR most appreciated blessings
are seldom the ODes that are
closest at hand. Just as the
country bred boy sometimes
gets an idea that he has a genius too
broad to be con lined between the bound
arles of his futher’s farm, so the girl
who has grown up In the country
sometimes gets a longing for a glimpse
of the unknown world within the city’s
walls. The Imaginative girl often feels
that her talents will be more appre
dated In the city than In the little
THE COUNTRY GIRL TINDS A LARGE BHAUJ
OK HER CAREER IN HER OWN HOME.
home town. She Imagines herseli
burning with a genius for acting, per
haps, and longs for the glare of tbe
footlights and the plaudits of the
crowd, or perhaps It Is art In one of
Its many disguises that Is calling hot
to tbe artificial life of paved streets
and brick walls.
Occasionally It Is the lights, the
music and tbe pleasures of a swift'v
flowing city lifo that attract the girl
from the country, but not often. The
girl who is a true daughter of the conn
try Is seldom deceived by the glnre of
a light whose shadow covers tears and
sorrow or the pleasure that is but a
mask for pain. We are told that the
“glamour” of the city life is tbe force
that draws the country girls to town
Nothing of the sort. There is little
glamour about the city for the healthy
girl. The first thought of the countn
girl when she finds herself in the city
Is “how dirty” or "how awfully crowd
eo.” But notwithstanding the dirt and
the crowds she often remains. Sli
stays beoaus» she Is ambitious to have
a “career." There Is a true hearted
farmer boy back home probably who
would be glad to take her Into part
nershlp. But in the past the girl has
seldom been taught to look forward
with pride to becoming a farmer’s wife
or to regard a life on tbe farm as he
ing a career worthy of her ambition.
This Is the natural outcome of the
conditions for the quarter of a cen
tury when farmers were selling their
produce below cost. The lot of the
farmer's wife was one of almost un
relenting toll, as was that of the
farmer himself. There was little to
lighten the monotony of the ceaseless
grind of housework. Her horizon
was limited by the kitchen walls, and
her highest ambition was to keep the
boys out of the “best room.” It Is
little wonder that she hoped for some
thing better for her daughters. She
saw unfolding in them her own girl
hood, and she dreaded to see them
spend their lives in tbe hopeless task
of keeping body and soul together as
she had done.
Her Idea of city life was vague.
Most of the city women she saw
were well dressed, unwrinkled and
seemingly happy. They were living
the kind of life she would choose
for her daughter. The toil of the
wives of the poorer laborers she did
not see. One of the main reesons
that all through this period the conn
try looked up to the city and the city
looked down on the country was that
country people saw only the best side
of the city and the city people saw
only the worst side of the country.
The change that has come about in
country life In the past decade and a
half Is so great as to be almost un
believable. Many of the country
people themselves refuse to believe It.
They reed the reports of high prices
skeptically, and not until tbe produce
Is sold and the money In thetr hands
will they really believe their good
fortune. Even then they will shake
thetr heads nnd say that prices will
surely go down before they have an
other crop reedy for market. They
hare so long been content with a
small return for their labor and no
READ HERALD WANT ADS.
allowance at all for Interest on their
money or for the fertility which they
are selling away from their laud that
they can hardly believe that the time
has come when the farmer Is getting
enough for his produce to enable him
to put farming on a business basts.
Probably this change has affected no
one on the farm more than the women
The country girl has a different idea
of a career now. She lives in a mod
ern farm home, or if she doesn’t she
knows that such homes exist and are
well within the range of possibility for
her. She has bad her longing to see
the world satisfied by visits to city
friends and relatives. She has seen
that all the conveniences of city homes
are duplicated in the country. She
has admired the spacious lawns and
beautiful grounds of some of the best
of the city houses, but she has been
observant enough to note that such
houses belong only to the few. She
has gone to the theater with her
friends and enjoyed it. but no more
than she enjoys the homemade the
atricals In her home town or the plays
and lectures she has attended in the
lurger country towns by trolley. She
has been surprised to find that her
friends In the city do not know their
next door neighbor. The excuse that
“they are not in our set” has puzzled
her democratic little soul. It Is dif
ferent in the country, where every one
sympathizes with every one eise’s sor
rows and laughs with all In their joys.
The girl comes back from a trip to
the city better satlsQed than ever with
her country home. Her father may
not be worth more than $5,000 or $lO,-
000 or $15,000 measured in money, but
his bouse and grounds are equal in all
essential respects to many of the mil
lionaires’ residences she saw in the
city. Her girl friends in the city were
coaxing their father to buy them an
automobile so that they could ‘‘go
somewhere.” The country girl and her
mother have a horse and buggy that
are sacred to their use. The horse is so
gentle that he will not even bat his
eyelid at an automobile nnd the buggy
so shiny that they are proud to be seen
anywhere in it. They can hitch up
and go where and when they please.
The laundry in the basement has tak
en away the terrors of wash day. The
conveniences in the kitchen have great
ly lessened the work of feeding the
hungry men folks.
The farm reading table Is strewn
with the latest magazines, and the girl
ha- a piano or at least an organ. A
piano dealer in one of the middle west
ern states recently told me that he
sold fifteen pianos to the farmers in
one township last year. If the farm
er’s daughter wants a piano he Is go
ing to get it for her. He may have to
raise a few more hogs next year to pay
for It. but that is easily done.
Taking everything together, any com
parisons that the country girl may be
able to draw are favorable to the farm.
She has been raised In the open air
The pigs and the calves and the chick
ens are her playmates. The colts will
come when she whistles, for who ever
heard of a country girl who couldn’t
whistle? She can name all the trees
In the wood lot. and she knows the
note of every bird that sings in their
branches. Every day is full of sun
shine, and she sings for the very joy
of living where air is free and room Is
not bought and sold.
She still longs for a career, but It is
a career of a different sort. She wants
to live the rest of her life on the farm,
and she looks forward to the day when
she will go into partnership with some
ambitious, resourceful young farmer.
To be a successful wife, to help make
the most out of the old farm and to do
her part to make her community the
most progressive in the country—this
is the career that appeals to the mod
ern country girl. Schools have been
provided to teach her the things she
needs to know about her coming busi
ness. If she is in one of the most up
to date communities, she begins to
learn sewiug and cooking in the rural
achool. If not given there. It comes
In the high school or the preparatory
achool or the small college. All of
;v -v* - ' -■ ; '
Sr
v| n s . . \
THE COUNTRY OIRL OUTDOORS AT HER
these institutions are providing courses
In domestic science. They do not dls
puts the fact that love U the basis of
a successful marriage, but they realize
that a good digestion is the basis of a
loving disposition.
Iu awakening the community to the
realisation of its own duties nud Its
possibilities the Influence of tbe farm
er’s wife is even greater than that of
the farmer himself. It is the women
ou whom the social life of the country
communities must largely depend.
The problem of rural life Is largely a
social one now that conditions have
eolved the financial problem.
READ HERALD WANT ADS.
Making the Little
Farm Pay
By C. C. BOWSFIELD
For quick money making, with small
investment and oasy work, no branch
of farm Industry surpasses pork rais
ing. No feature can fit better Into a
little farm program, and no line of
production is safer and more profitable
on a large place.
Hogpens may be of the most Inex
pensive kind, but they must be kept
clean. They need to be proof against
drafts and storms. Clean premises
are also essential in guarding against
disease. Two to five acres of alfalfa
or rape and an acre or two of arti
chokes will provide ail the fodder re
qulred by a herd of fifty to 100 pigs
from weaning till fattening / /ttme.
If a supply of skitnmilli for whey is
available it will pay to it, and a
light ration of corn or peas once a day
*rt.\ - ■ ■ . , 'V" ‘, \
m .... . \
m . jn - fr $ > .J. £v z •< ;
.
TITS MALE SHOULD HE PURE BRED.
will be a help. The rape and arti
chokes may be depended on to bring
the animals on at a fair rate of growth
all summer. Liberal feeding of corn
for three or four weeks before mar
keting will assist weight and quality
of llesh.
There is a distinct public demand sot
tbe meat of lightweight hcjrs tanging
from 200 to 300 pounds. The most
profitable pork Is that grew-n In eight
to ten months, or from April to De
cember, so that most of the growth is
obtained from field forage.
Perhaps as good a plan is to market
the majority of tbe hogs late in the
fall and carry over the remainder mi
til they nre sixteen to eighteen month
old. The bacon market calls for tin
larger animals, and prices are higbei
in winter ami spring than in fall.
All the breeds of hogs have their ad
vocates. For general purposes noth
lng Is better than to use dams of Ches
ter White, Tamworth or Duroc type
crossed with males of the Poland-Chi
na or Berkshire variety. This kind ol
breeding will give large litters and
good sized animals.
In this country the most populai
breed has been the Poland-China
This breed has many good character
lstics. It is a rapid grower, makes
good use of food supplied and can In
kept ready for market at any time ei
ther as a sucker, porker or baconei
The litters are rather small, however
and for this reason, ns well as to gel
a more rangy animal, farmers are dis
posed to cross the breeds.
The selection of the male is of greal
Importance, as he directly Influences
every pig one may have to fatten and
it depends on his breeding very largely
whether or not the pigs can make prof
itable use of tbe food given them. As
in tbe case of all sires, the male should
be pure bred, of approved strain, both
with regard to capacity to put on flesh
rapidly and to’influence the sow In the
production of large litters.
The dam need not necessarily bo
pure bred, provided she is of good
type. She should be selected from a
prolific mother, as fecundity is heredi
tary. Tbe teats should number at
least twelve, fully developed, set well
apart, even in size and the front
teats well forward on tbe body. The
number of teats does not indicate al
ways tbe number of pigs she is likely
to have.
Whether on range or in pen, hogs
should have a medicinal ration made
np as follows; Une pound each of wood
charcoal, sulphur, salt, baking soda
and sulphide of antimony. Pulverize
and mix thoroughly. Use a tablespoon
ful dally for each pig from the time
they are old enough to run in tbe field.
Add a tablespoonful of bonemeal for
each animal and mix the whole lot
with enough moistened meal or bran
to make n palatable mess. Olean wa
ter and shade are essentials. Dipping
is also advisable. In cases of sickness
keep those affected away from the
sound ooes and take prompt action to
prevent the spread of disease. The
animals should be carefully guarded
against vermin, and if lice appear there
must be n thorough overhauling of the
premises and the application of reiia
ble vermin destroyers.
Care of House Palms.
Browning at the tips usually come 9
from trouble at tbe roots. First over
watering: secoud. worms ou tbe roots;
third, lack of plant food. The first Is
the trouble In nearly every case. The
worm that gives the trouble Is not the
ordinary earthworm, but a little white,
harmless looking creature that emerg
es Into the air as a small fly. Dis
solve n piece of quicklime as big as a
teacup Iu three gallons of water. Aft
er It Is through sputtering and the
milky mixture has cleared pour off the
clear part and soak yonr soil with it.
Do not dilute, for the soaking should
he thorough. To provide plant food
stir small quantities of bonemeal and
.'rood ashes Into the surface or In place
n * ordinary watering occasionally use
manure water or ammonia water (a
teaspoonful of ammonia to a quart of
water) Trim off the brown tips, as
they will never recover
READ HERALD WANT ADS.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
FOR WOULD BE FARMERS.
Should Try It Out First as Farmhands
Before Buying Farms.
The United States department of
agriculture receives many letters from
city people who have read glowing ac
counts of the wealth that may be
made on the farm. A large percentage
of these people have already bought
farm land. Some of them appear to
believe that the reason all farmers are
not rich is because of extravagance,
wastefulness, ignorance and a lack of
business ability. To these letters the
department’s specialists reply much a*
follows:
“As a matter of fact farmers, as a
class, are intelligent industrious and
economical, and many of them are men
of good business Judgment Further,
those who have made a thorough study
of the business side of farming know
that it Is not an easy matter to make
mouey on the farm. Only the moat
practical and experienced farmers are
making any considerable profit out of
their business. Most of the money
that has been made on the farm in re
cent years has been made, not by farm
ing, but by tbe rise of price on farm
lands. In (he nature of things this
rise cannot continue indefinitely, and
Bomo one will own this land when the
price becomes practically stationary or
perhaps starts to decline.
“While it Is true that occasionally a
city bred family makes good on the
farm, this is the exception and not the
rule. It is always a risk to invest in a
business without first making a thor
ough study of that business. Many
city people who have saved up a few
hundred dollars and who have had lit
tle or no farm experience, but who are
imbued with a rosy vision of the Joys
and profits in farmings buy poor land
at high prices and thereby lose the
savings they have been years in accu
mulating. One city family paid $lO,-
000 cash and assumed a $12,000 mort
gage on a farm worth only about sll,-
000. Another paid $2,000 cash and
signed a mortgage for SO,OOO on a farm
that was later appraised at $3,000. A
city family that had saved $2,000 used
this money to make a first payment on
cheap farm land and when their eyes
were opened found they still owed
considerably more than the farm was
worth. For seven years they have
worked night and day to meet the in
terest without being able to reduce tbe
principal. These instances could be
multiplied almost Indefinitely.
“In purchasing a farm great care
should be taken to get a good farm at
a fair price. To pay or agree to pay
more than the farm is worth is to in
vite failure. From a business stand
point no farm that does not pay inter
est on the total investment, deprecia
tion on equipment and wages for all
labor performed on that farm is suc
cessful.
“Even when great care is taken in
making the investment only in excep
tional cases shonld the city bred fam
ily attempt farming. Generally the
best advice than can be given to the
city bred man who desires to become
a farmer Is that before purchasing a
farm he work as a farm hand for two
or three years. This will give him an
opportunity to learn at first hand many
things about the business as well as
the practical side of farming. In no
other way, as a rule, can he get good
farm training and experience ut less
trouble and expense or without danger
from financial disaster.”
Vermin Proof Rooets.
One of our largest poultry men uses
gas pipes instead of the usual wooden
fixtures to support his roosts and thus
makes them nlmost entirely free from
mites and other parasites which are
so troublesome to poultry raisers. The
pipe is bent as shown in the illustra
tion and to bold the roosts In place
holes are bored at proper intervals,
through which bolts are inserted, pro
jecting far enough above the pipe to
hold the roosts in position. The roosts
are made as usual and are laid on the
pipe without fastening, thus making it
easy to remove them for cleaning, etc.
The pipes need not be over three
fourths of an inch in diameter and will
be found to be one of the most satis
factory supports for roosts yet devised.
Cornstalk Disease.
A serious cornstalk disease that has
reduced the crop on some farms In
lowa this season Is under Investiga
tion by the botanical section of the
lowa agricultural experiment station.
Dr. L. H. Pam me l, who Is In charge
of the Investigations, says that In
some fields the damage amount* to 15
per cent or more, due to fallen or bar
ren stalks or undeveloped ears,
“This disease.” says Dr. Pommel,
"may be recognized quite readily by
fallen stalks, which look as though
they bad been blown over. However,
there is this difference: The diseased
stalks break at the nodes." A fungous
parasite Is responsible for the trouble.
Where It attacks the stalk there Is a
brownish and sometimes ptnklsb dis
coloration of the fibers, and a little
mold may also be found on the out
side at the base of the leaf sheath.
The roots are decayed and have a plnk-\
lsh color. Such diseased stalks are of- t
ten barren or have ears that are rudi
mentary. Sometimes the stalk may
remain standing where the disease U
not severe
READ HERALD WANT ADS.