Newspaper Page Text
SIX
STUDY OF FLOCK NECESSARY TO
INSURE WINTER EGG SUPPLY
Breeding, oHousing and Feed
ing Are Only a Part of
Problem.
System of Handling Needs
Change to Suit Season, Cli
mate and Breeds Must Be
Given Consideration.
(By James P. Hopkins )
(Poultry Jud«e Lecturer and Author.)
Many poultry raiser* seem to
think winter egg* can he secured
by handling the flock In the name
way the whole year around, by
treating al flock* alike and by ig
noring geographical location* en
tirely. Nothing could be more In
error.
To be *ure, result* can be obtain
ed by hard and ta*( undevlatlns
rule*, but the best result* cannot
he obtained In that way. The *uc
cessful poultryman mint aim to
get the best result*. If he In look
ing for winter eggs at a season
when hen fruit Ih naturally most
scarce, he must do exceptional
things to secure the de*lred re
sults. The following article Is
particularly pertinent at this sea
eon:
The heavy production of winter eggs
Her not alone In the breeding, housing
or feeding, but In the proper handling
of the fowl* during the entire time of
egg production. A proper poultry
house Is, of course, one of the essen
tials, for with It come* proper ventila
tion. fresh air and comfort to the
fowls, which 1* the first *tep toward
health and perfect health menn* eggs.
Feeding Is the second essential, for It
la here that the eggs are manufactured
by the blending of feeds In the differ
ent elements that go toward the main
tenance of the fowl's body and the
making of the egg Breeding, the
other esentlnl does Its part In the pro
duction of fowls that have the power
of developing Into egg producers, If
the proper care Is given them, and un
der that head comes not only the prop
er housing of the flock In well-venti
lated buildings, or the proper feeding
of the liens, but In the study of the
flock during It* entire time of laying.
The care of the winter egg producer
doe* not mean a cut and dried system
to all the fowl* In the flock. Hen*
cannot be linridleil In the same manner
that pullet* are hnndled. The feed*
are changed to Nome degree during
fall, winter, spring and summer, Re
sult* can be produced on the one Bys
tem feed for a full days, hut for
greatest results feeds («ji be well
Changed to meet coiuljttafi* Those
condition* are only confronted by the
poultry raiser on hi* own farm or plant.
Conditions may differ on each plant or
farm separated but a short distance.
As to Balanced Rations.
The balanced ration that may be pro
ducing well for one poultry keeper may
prove a failure for another, and this Is
not to Infer that the so-called balanced
rations given out as successful In the
production of egg* by our leading poul
try expert* are not, good. Those ra
tion* ure the Holld foundations on
which each poultry rnlser should
work, adding or deducting from them
ns his own flock warrants. The ra
tions as fed In the North are not well
adapted to the far Mouth. Home flocks
may have free range almost the en
tire year, others confined to bare yards
These and mnny other small things
that do not appear large on the surface
but play an Important part tn the suc
cess of the returns from the flock are
what the poultry rnlser must study
and solve for himself.
It has often been stated that It I*
hard to overfeed or fatten Leghorn*,
which are one of the most active of
ail poultry. But In spite of the great
popularity of this breed In many sec
tion* of the country, It must be under
stood that taking the country In all.
the major portion of the poultry rained
Is still confined to the heavier all
around breeds, such* a* Plymouth
Bocks, Wyandotte*, Rhode Island Reds,
Orpingtons, etc., snd the ration pre
scribed for leghorn* could. If fed
without Judgment, prove detrimental
to the heavier breeds, especially to
those In the second year.
Bo the wise poultry breeder will
carefully watch hi* flock In the matter
of feeding. That hens and pullets tn
the heavier cla*»e» should be fed and
oared for In tin- name manner would
prove unwise. Hens in the Plymouth
Kook, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red,
Orpington, etc., are good layers when
fed with Judgment, but with the same
amount of corn and other fat-fonntng
foods aa fed to the pullet they would
become over-fat and In time the egg
yield would decrease. Again on the
other hand the underfeeding and lack
of a good egg making food would pre
vent a good egg yield In the pullet
flock, which at the beginning of their
lay. can seldom become too fat.
To Obtain Best Results.
To obtain the best results, the pul
lets of March, April and May, where
there is a month or more difference in
their ages, should lie kept in flock*
by themselves. The proper amount of
litter on the poultry floor should al
ways be provided to Induce the right
amount of exercise, which Is one of
the great health promoters. The watch
ful poultry keeper sees that his flock
Is kept In a healthy atate. watches the
droppings to note any change tn the
grade of feed that he has purchased,
and at once correct the evil. lleef
scraps, the one great essential In the
mixed ground feed or If fed in eeparate
hoppers, must be carefully watched.
Too often one find* this tainted ami
unfit for feeding, and unless taken
from the flock at once and a clean
grade substituted, bad reeults will fol
low. This matter of keeping up a
steady egg supply means a careful
watch on the producing fowls.
It does not take much poor manage
ment to retard and at times wholly stop
the flock from laving In winter tthe
unnatural season of the year for hen
fruit). And once stopped It takes
considerable care and time to again
get the flock In a paying lay. There
Is no good reason why any good flock
should not produce from n IS to f>s
per cent, egg yield In the winter, but
title can only be accomplished by hav
ing a flock that is bred right from good
Strong stock, housed In the proper
manner, and by feeding a good feed
used that 1* applied In a safe and acne
manner With this must go the high
ly Important factor of study of the
Bock
Green feeding Is Important unless
PEKIN DUCKS
"" " V ' ' ■' ■ ■ »e
I'*:' J . i TT
(By Louis Pout Graham).
This race of ducks is a native of
China, from which country It was Im
ported directly to England and Amer
ica. Duck breeding is extensively fol
lowed In certain Chinese districts and
the Pekin Is undoubtedly the duck
most generally bred.
I’ikln ducks were Imported Into
America In the early seventies. Their
wonderful vigor, prolificacy and hardi
hood made them Immediate favorites
over the older breeds then known.
Tills Is the breed found on all the
wonderful large commercial duck
farms of the country, many of which
keep as high as 10,000 breeding ducks,
and market upwards of 60,000 ducks
per year.
Raising green ducks for market Is
one of the most successful branches
of commercial poultry Industry, and Is
successfully conducted In a number
of favorite localities. It lays well,
betetr, perhaps, than any other variety
excepting possibly the smaller ffldlan
Runner duckg. Its eggs are very
large and white and yke those of other
cni- ho* a good range In which the
flock can supply Ita own wants.
Sprouted oats, heels and cabbage are
all (food If used In the proper manner.
The heavy producers will consume
more feed than those not laying so
well, and In the pens or parka where
the heaviest egg yields are being mad
more grain can be fed morning and
night to flocks of 25. 50 or 100, as the
case may be. It Is a waste of money
to feed too much grain and a loss If
too little Is fed, In which case the egg
production may fall off.
A study should be made of the mash
consumption per day. one will soon
find that If fed too heavy In (train, the
consumption of mash will fall off. This
will result In a lower egg yield, for
the dry mash Is the real egg maker and
should be consumed in a fair quantity
to make the fowls produce.
Effect of Too Little Grain,
Too little grain would tend to make
the hena consume more of the niaah
than Is Rood for them anti would have
a tendency to force eg* production, not
a good thing In the long run. The
up-to-date poultry keeper alms to have
a steady egg yield, one that the flock
can stand up under and still maintain
their condition for a second year’s lay
produce enough eggs to pay the feed
bill and add a profit besides. To feed
In such a manner as to unduly force
egg production to the unnatural limit
has resulted («s many of the hest
breeders have found) In a weak fowl,
and, If used ns a breeder, have Im
paired hatching and the vitality of
their chicks during the second year.
Where the flock has been hnndled In a
safe and sane manner and carefully
watched, It has had producing powers
for several years, and enough to give
the poultrykeeper a fair return during
tilts time. Any neglect or misman
agement In not carefully watching the
flock will cause a loss sooner or later.
The results may not be so noticeable
the first year, but will surely tell in
the second. A careful sludy of the
flock will enable the poultry-keeper to
correct any Ills that may be cropping
out and to maintain « higher percent
age of eggs at less cost than If hap
hazard methods are employed, follow
ing well-meant rules that do not nl
waya flt the conditions of the poultry
keeper’s facilities or the gone In which
his flock Is kept.
Neat week Michael K Beyer,
'i’oultrv Editor of the Perm Jour
nal .will contribute nn article on
’’Raising of Early Broilers" The
Illustration by l.ouls Paul Graham
will show "Blue Andalusians”
FACTS ABOUT DIVORCE
Ida M. Tarbell, the well-known
Journalist, contributes to the January
Woman's Home Companion an article
entitled “What Women Are Really I ki
ln g” -an article In which elie answers
with facts and figures some disturbing
questions as to the status of women
In the Cnlted Plates today. Miss Tar
bell has n»sde a careful study of the
Thirteenth Census In order to get at
the truth in regard to marriage, di
vorce child bearing and other sub
jects. After proving that more wom
en marry now than did formerly she
takes up the subject of divorce ns fol
lows:
’’There has been an Increase In di
vorce In the thirty million married
women whom the census t-skere of 1910
reported, they found 155.065 who had
been divorced. Considering the diffi
culties of married life, the number
does not appall. It rather gives one a
greater respect for human beings to
see that they can handle such a com
plicated relation with such a small
percentage of disaster. There Is no
other human relation that can show
anything like so large a statistical
proof of success The number of di
vorce* found In 1910 Is greater pro
portionately. than the census takers
unearthed In 1900. still larger than they
found In 1990 tn each of these ten
year periods there has been an In
crease of one-tenth of one per cent. It
Is doubtful If this he due to loss of
faith In marriage \ proportion of It
I* due to a higher Ideal of marriage,
an unwillingness to see the relation
COPYRIGHT 1014.
ducks, are laid during the night. These
are Incubated in large incubators built
for the purpose and when hatched, the
ducklings are placed In divisions of a
long brooder house, being moved along
to large quarters as they develop.
The commercial farms shoVel feed
Into them for ten weeks and at that
time kill and dress and market them
for “green” ducks. The best speci
mens are usually reserved and devel
oped for breeders.
The killing anfl preparations of
ducks for the market Is done almost
on a scale and In the same systematic
manner as seen In the famous Chicago
slaughter houses. The feathers are
saved, dried and sold for use In the
manufacture of pillows, etc.
The Pekin duck is large, weighing
from 7’/4 to 9 pounds for males, fe
males 6to IVi pounds. It Is a canary
white In color and has orange yellow
bill, legs and feet. It walks with a
semi-upright carriage of the body,
which distinguishes it from the Ayles
bury, the great English duck, which Is
whiter In color and carries Its body
more horizontally.
prostituted by a dissolute, cruel, or un
faithful partner.
"A percentage is due, too, to the
greater carelessness with which mar
riages are made under our changing
social practices. We have removed
largely from boys and girls the pro
tective social devices by which we once
guided their relations and choirea
They go and come freely and, as might
be expected, marry with less sense of
the seriousness of their undertaking."
A MISTAKE.
How can a pretty little woman cad
n big. fat. ugly, bald-headed man
“Dearie?" Atchison Globe.
You’ve got the wrong hunch. Hody
McPhee is neither big nor fat. —Ex-
change.
“Million Dollar Bride” Arrest
ed on Mother-in-Law’s
Charges
. ■ .V s ,.
ipxssex •"TO’.esMi r»WL.. *
MRS. KEITH DONALDSON.
Philadelhia.—No greater sensation
has been caused in Philadelphia so
ciety than that arising from the ar
rest of Mrs. Keith Donaldson, the di
vorced wife of Keith Donaldson, of
this city and New York, and formerly
known throughout the South as "the
million dollar bride" on assault and
battery charges preferred by her
mother-in-law. Mrs. Donaldson re
turned from London a few days ago
and on Saturday went to the home of
her mother-in-law to see her 7-year
old daughter. She was refused ad
mittance to the house and a "hair
pulling match" resulted and the police
were called in. Mrs. Donaldson de
clares she wilt yet see her daughter.
Before her marriage, in 1906, Mr*.
Donaldson was Miss Evelyn Hunter,
of Memphis. Tenn. On her 2tst birth
day. her unele. Charles R. Payne, of
Texas, presented her with a check
for $1,♦00,000. This resided in her be
coming known as the "million dollar
bride." when her engagement to Keith
Donaldson was announced. The
couple were seen much in New York,
Philadelphia and Newport society.
They were divorced In 1909 and the
custody of their daughter given to the
father.
THE AUGUSTA HFRALD, AUGUSTA. GA.
THE AMERICAN FARMER.
It Is true that the American
farmer does not produce as much
per acre ns the farmer In a num
ber of civil .zed nations, but pro
duction per acre Is not the Amer
ican standard. The standard is
the amount of produce for each
person engaged in agriculture,
and by this test the American
farmer appears to be from two
to six times as efficient as most
of his competitors. Relatively
speaking, extensive farming is
still economically the sound pro
gram in our agriculture, but now
It is becoming increasingly ap
parent that the uim must be,
while maintaining supremacy in
production for each person, to es
tablish supremacy In production
for each acre. From Annua! Re
port, 11)14, of Secretary of Agri
culture.
A POTATO WAREHOUSE.
Six Specific Requisites to Bo Borno Ir
Mind in Building One.
By R. M. DOLVE.
[North Dakota agricultural experlmen
station.]
The specific things to bear In mind
In the construction of potato wan
houses are temperature, ventilation
soil druinuge, convenience, durabillt;,
end cost.
Temperature.—The Ideal temperatun
in u potato warehouse is between ill
and 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Although
provision should be uiude for heating,
during extreme weather, the hous.
should he so constructed that the
proper temperature can be maintained
during cold weather without the use oi
artificial heat. The objection to nrti
ficial heat is that it Is Impossible to
maintain an even temperature through
out the entire house. The temperature
of potatoes near the stove will invar!
ably be too high while potatoes may be
freezing in remote parts of the house
Ventilation.- Provision must be madt
for venilation so as to maintain the
proper temperature, the requisite pure
ness o? air and a desirable drynes
of atmosphere. The scheme of ventlln
tton should be so arranged that it i
under easy control of the duretnkcr
To this end the walls of the house
must be as good nonconductors of he n
as Is consistent with economy in con
struction. All doors should he doublt
and as tight ns possible.
The temperature in a warehouse wi!
gradually rise toward spring, but ;
properly constructed one may be kept
at the desired temperature for a long
time by ventilating at night and shut
ing the house ns tightly as posslbi.
during the day time.
Soil Drainage.—When a potato ware
house of the basement type is to lx
constructed the height of the wntei
table In the ground during season
when potatoes may be stored should be
investigated. If there is danger of
water and there is no means of re
moving it, it is hotter to place the base
meat, floor above the danger line and
to grade up around the house until it is
buried to the desired depth.
Durability and Cost—ln well drained
soils that do not cave readily, quite
satisfactory basement warehouses have
been constructed, at small cost, that
consist merely of a roofed over exea
ration with walls lining a slope of
1 to 1. In most localities, however
this is not practical, and where potato
growing is taken up as a permanent
business a more durable warehouse
should be constructed. To Insure
durability all underground construe
tlon should he of stone, brick or con
Crete, and in most instances conoreti
will be found cheapest and best suited
for basements. Care must be taken
to Insure that all planks. Joists and
supports of driving floors have ample
strength to support the heavy loads as
well as the dead weight of potatoes
which may be stored on the floor
Roughly, the cost of a large first class
potato warehouse will amount to about
10 cents per bushel of Us storage ca
parity. That Is, a good 10.000 bushel
warehouse, for example, will cost
about SI,OOO so that 10 cents per
bushel on the first crop stored pays
for the warehouse.
Adjustable Flower Stand.
An adjustable flower stand, which
may be extended from a small square
to occupy an elongated position acros
a window, to the product of a Germat
lllS o-Wbr
BP
factory The construction Is simple
the material being Iron or steel coatix
with some rust preventing paint am
the ordinary extension Joint being
utilized.— Popular Mechanics.
To Destroy Weeds In Walks.
There to no need of weeds in walk
er path* Either salt or blue vltrim
boiled In water a |>ound to the gallon
and sprayed on boiling hot with a wa
terlug |Htt will kill them About a gal
leu to the square yard will cure the
most stubborn case, and the cure lasts
(or years.
Eradicating Weeds.
Getting a weed In time saves more
than nine. An average plant of wild
mustard, for instance, will produce 15,
set* I- In n* , t*i>»t Don’t let weeds
READ HERALD WANT ADS.
Making the Little
Farm Pay
By C. C. BOWSFiELD
Duck farms are becoming numerous
in the middle west This kind of a
poultry enterprise is easily started and
pays well. Ducks are hardy fowls and
grow into money fast, returning a big
profit on the investment and tabor.
The general aim is to meet the steady
demand for poultry in the lurpn cities,
and to do this ducks are supplied at all
ages from six weeks to six months and
at weights varying from two to eight
pounds, it is one of the best features
of this industry that prices have con
etantly advanced and that the market
never has been oversupplied.
Experts have shown that general
purpose ducks, preferably the Peking
breed, can he placed on the market at
a total cost of 5 cents a pound where
breeders are able’to raise the feed and
have good facilities for shipping
Those who do not have the best facili
ties for rxMng poultry will have to
reckon the cost of production at some
thing like 7 cents a pound, but even
this outside figure leaves a large mar
gin of profit The retail price averages
2.7 cents a pound for young roasting
ducks and 20 cents for matured stock.
It is claimed that ducks are more
uniformly healthy than almost any
other domestic fowl, that the percent
:
A PEKING DUCK.
age of loss Is light, that the market
prices are steady and that the product
grows into dollars fast.
It Is n knowledge of these facts in
connection with a generally high level
of prices for farm commodities that is
causing the duck farms to spring up
in all directions. Many of the new
poultry plants are quite extensive, and
perhaps the development at present is
much greater with ducks than with
any other class of poultry, although
there is material progress also with
chickens and geese.
it can be truthfully said that no
class of poultry will prove safer or
more profitable than ducks in the
hands of amateurs or farmers whose
experience along this line is limited
Many beginners with poultry enter
prises fail completely or at best barely
save their investment. Others clean
up money fast and build up a perma
nent, successful trade. The reason for
this difference is rather hard to define.
Intelligent care and perseverance have
much to do with success in poultry as
well as in other lines of business. Only
once in awhile is success or failure a
matter of luck.
The first move in getting ready for
a duck farm should be to set apart an
acre or two of ground for a pasture
and on which a variety of vegetables
as well as grass and clover can bv
grown. Another early move must be
to provide a glean. snug building or a
series of small buildings. In which the
flocks may be housed safely and com
fortably. The birds at nil ages need to
lie shut in tight at night from intru
ders of all kinds, and vermin must not
be allowed to get a hold on. the prom
toes. A third step is the selection of
stock that is known to be large and
vigorous. Nothing is to be left to
chance, but every detail must be care
fully managed, and then there is a eer
tainty of success, for the fowls are
hardy and their food requirements slm
pie and cheap.
A plant should not be started with
less than an acre. This is sufficient
to hnnde 500 ducks, and if more are
desired a little more land should be
used for range aud pasture. Swim
ming ponds are not essential and. in
fact may be considered a detriment
but it is best to have trough* and keep
them supplied with fresh water for
drinking and splashing. As ducks
feed largely on green material, calling
for very little grain, their feeding 1*
not expensive considering their rapid
growth into marketable poultry. The
main food required outside of pasture
to a soft ration of mill stuffs, such as
middlings. When it comes to fatten
ing time they can be forced by adding
ground corn to the diet This grain is
only needed once a day The mash
should be given twice a day. and there
needs to be a supply of green fix’d such
as clover, cabbage, etc., at all times
but this eau be of the most Inexpen
sive sort.
Housekeepers may look with satis
faction on this new move to increase
the supply of wholesome poultry
Duck meat at 20 cents a pound Is not
considered an extravagance, and it
compares favorably with beet This
class of poultry might easily be raised
in such quantities that It would sell
for 10 cents a pound, and breeders
owning a few acres of land for range
aud the production of feed would find
the business profitable at much lower
prW« than t*m-’e now nrevnlllng.
READ HERALD WANT ADS.
WINTER WHEAT.
Since the introduction of hardy
varieties of winter wheat from
southeastern Europe the winter
wheat area in this country has
expanded steadily northward, it
has been found by experience
that winter wheat in genera)
gives larger yields than spring
wheat, because of its greater
drought resistance and its earlier
maturity, which enables it to es
cape hail, winds, disease, etc. In
lowa, for example, the average
yields for five years show an ad
vantage of 4.8 bushels in favor of
winter wheat over spring wheat,
and a four year test in Minne
sota was even more favorable,
showing an advantage of 8.0
bushels. A great number of va
rieties, however, of winter wheat
make a careful selection on the
part of the farmer advisable.
POTTING OF PLANTS.
It Is Absolutely Necessary to Have
Good Soil.
“To have the best of success in the
raising of plants it is absolutely nec
essary to have good soil," says M. P.
Ahearn, associate professor of horti
culture in the Kansas state agricultur
al college. "As a rule, there is only
one way to get a good soil, and that is
to mix it yourself.”
A workable soil may be made from
loam, sand and manure, but it will be
greatly improved if leaf mold or peat
is added.
Here are some directions given by
Professor Ahearn for the preparation
of loam used for the potting of plants:
“The best loam for plants is made of
well decayed sod taken from a pasture.
After the grass has been killed by hard
freezes in the fall the sod should be
cut three or four inches deep and
placed in a pile, the grass side down.
For the sake of convenience make the
pile three or four feet wide and as high
and as long as necessary. Hollow out
the top so as to catch the rains. If the
year is a dry one a garden hose may
be lised to supply the moisture. In the
construction of this pile alternate lay
era of sod and manure should be used
This compost should be allowed to
weather for at least a year, preferably
two years, before being used. When
ready to be used it should be chopped
and thoroughly mixed with well rotted
manure.”
The addition of leaf mold, peat or
muck to this loam makes the potting
soil more friable, increases its capacity
of holding water, aids the circulation
of air through the loam and induces a
better growth of roots.
Mailing Bag For Parcel Post.
A mailing bag that can be used to
inclose a great variety of goods Is
made as illustrated. An ordinary sack
is procured, such as a salt sack, and a
strip of cardboard about an inch wide
and equal in length to the width of the
t - '
bag is placed in the bottom. The bag
to then stitched on a machine just
übove the strip of cardboard. This
keeps a space of one inch at the bot
tom stiff enough to write upon where
it is easily seen. The remaining
of the bag is used for the goods.—Pop
ular Mechanics.
Danger of Dingy Stables.
There are thousands of dingy stables
that might be sweetened and bright
ened immensely by sweeping and
cleaning out the dust and cobwebs of
years, giving the place a treatment
with sulphur or other disinfectant md
applying a coat of good whitewa to
the walls and partitions and > mg
that it reaches every crack and crevice
THE COW AND THE DAIRY.
It to the cow and not the capital that
makes or breaks the dairyman. Nel
ther elaborate equipment nor expen
eive feed can make a dairy profitable
if the cows are poor. In so far as the
cow to an efficient machine for turning
feed into milk and fat, her owner will
succeed, and nothing can save him if
she is lacking in such efficiency.
The cow is distinctively the most
courteous animal in the world. She al
ways responds to better treatment
What shall we say for some of the
men who own tier and use her with a
niggardliness that shows bow little
they know of a cow and how little
they appreciate her?
It Is impossible to induce the cow to
give returns before she provides for
her own wants She will use all th*
food she needs before she will begin t”
pay for what she gets. What the man
who gives his cows a short ration
saves in feed represents the feed tbai
would be used by the good cow in
making returns.
Keeping steadily at a thing usually
produces the best results, aigi mnny of
our best dairy cows are thf4<e which
do not give the large amounts of milk
for a brief period, out give a fair qtmn
tity and keep it tip n long time. It to
not what a cow can perform in a week
w month thnt determine* her value.
It is what she to able to do in a year
or lifetime that determines this.
READ HERALD WANTS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28.
Farm and
Garden
WINTER WASTE OF MANURE.
How It May Be Prevented In the
Barnyard.
Because of snowfall and snow melt
ing, wet weather and some hard and
beating rains at intervals through the
winter that season is the one in which
the losses of barnyard manure are al
ways very heavy. In handling barn
yard manure the farmer can save or
lose the eqivalent of many dollars ev
ery year. Winter Is the one season
when he should guard against these
losses.
There are Always weeks upon weeks
of bad weather, when the farmer does
not feel like getting out with the
spreader and getting rid of the increas
ing accumulations. Possibly before
this manure cun be moved a heavy
rain or u series of freezes, sudden
thaws and heavy rains will appear.
The more water falls on the exposed
piles of this fertilizer the less actual
fertility there will be left in it
A pile of manure heats or it becomes
a hotbed of germ activities, A part of
tho very valuable nitrogen in the
manure is changed Into ammonia and
vanishes into the air. Some of the ni
trogen is changed over into nitrates,
and it is this part of the manure that
is dissolved and carried away by the
running water.
The soil around a manure heap out
in the open always testifies to this
waste. You can see the waste in the
brown and reddish brown water that
runs away from the manure heap aft
er a rain or during a thaw. All the
strength is washed out of It if the
manure remains exposed long enough,
and no great stretch of time is neces
sary to spoil much of its usefulness.
This is the one year in the memory
of most of us when it is absolutely
necessary that no manure be allowed
to waste. The fertilizer market is
very unsettled. The stoppage of pot
ash shipments has created much un
easiness among manufacturers of the
commercial fertilizers. There to quite
n little potash In the country, but no
one pretends there to enough. The
shortage may not be felt very keenly
this coming summer, but if the war is
continued for even a few months long
er there will be a shortage that will
be undeniable. The one practical sub
stitute we have in this country is sta
ble manure. It therefore becomes far
more valuable than it was a few
months ago.
Of course the concrete manure pit is
the last word in m inure preservation.
It holds the liquid as well as the solid
parts of the manure, and the liquid
parts ure certainly more valuable than
the solids. Where the concreted ma
nure pit is out of the question the next
best thing is to store it somewhere
under shelter. Of course the sproader
should be used steadily if the fields to
be manured arc in shape to receive it
When labor and field conditions per
mit manure should be spread on the
ground to be benefited as soon as pos
sible.—Farm Progress.
WEBWORM AND ALFALFA.
The Missouri College of Agriculture Is
Studying the Pest.
[L. Haseman. Missouri station.]
The Missouri College of Agriculture
has received reports of a small green
ish caterpillar with black spots, which
destroys the alfalfa crops. This little
caterpillar is one of the so called web
worms, and In earlier days it was call
ed the "garden web worm” on account
of its injury to truck crops. On ma
turing It spins a small cocoon, from
which emerges a small yellowish
brown moth. In this latitude there
seems to be three broods during the
summer and fall. The last brood of
worms Is due to appear toon if it has
not already arrived.
Several native weeds. Including the
common pig weed, garden crops, clover
and alfalfa, all furnish food for this
caterpillar. In earlier years it has
been Injurious to clover in Missouri,
but this Is the first year It has done
much Injury to alfalfa. It feeds on the
leaves and tender shoots and spins a
considerable amount of silk for tying
together the leaves and stems. When
abundant It leaves but little foliage on
the plants, and what little is left is
badly webbed. The crop is not likely
to be killed unless the attack be un
usually severe or unless It occurs dur
ing a severe drought
The only feasible method of reach
ing the pent Is to cut the crop when
badly attacked, even though It may not
be ready to cut This will help to
check the work of the pest and If the
alfalfa be cut at the right time, when
most of the caterpillars are inclosed In
cocoods. they will be removed from the
field with the hay, and few of the
moths will get back to lay eggs for
the next brood of worms. Clean cul
ture so as to keep down all pig weeds
and other plants on which they feed
In or near alfalfa fields will help to
prevent the pest from getting a start
In alfalfa.
Control of Black Knot.
Black knot a fungous disease of
cherries and plums, la controlled by
cutting out and bnrning all evidences
of the knot several times a year and
using bordeaux mixture once late in
winter, again when buds liegtn to swell
and two or three applications at Inter
vals of ten days. The best time to find
disease bunches Is when the foliage is
gone
READ HERALD WANT ADS;