SOY BEAN PlW IS VALUABLE IN SOUTH I
<? ? ? -
Tick-Free Jersey Cattle In Mississippi.
(Prepared by the t. M. Department of Af
rtculture.)
As hay, as A pasture plant, as en
silage with corn, as a green manure
crop, and as a human food?in ail
these ways the soy bean la valuable
to the southern farmer. In general It
may be said that It will succeed In the
Vnlted States wherever corn or cot
ton Is cultivated, but It Is especially
adapted to the cotton belt wbere tba
later and larger varieties, which give
yields that make their extensive cul
tivation profitable, can be grown. No
special labor or machinery la neces
sary and the ordinary farm equipment
will meet all the requirements of th'
crop. The high yield of seed, the ex
cellent quality of Its forage, the ease
of growing and harvesting It, and Its
freedom from ' Insect enemies and
plant diseases, should all encourage
' "soy* bean la an erect, rather
hairy leguminous plant which resem
bles somewhat the common field or
navy bean. It Is also called the sola
bean and the Mapchurian bean and in
China and Japan la grown extensively
for human food as well as for
and green manure. As an article of
human food Its use should Increase
In this country also, for It can be util
ised In many different ways. Excel
lent results have likewise been ob
tained when the seed or meal has
been substituted In the feeding ration
for cottonseed or oil meal
The soil requirements of soy beans
are quite similar to those of corn, but
the plants wtll make a satisfactory
growth on poorer soil than corn. The
best results, perhaps, are obtained on
medium loams, although clay and
aandy soils may be made to produce
good crops The soy bean does not
require a well-drained soil, although a
soil where water stands Jor a cousld
eralile length of time Is not desirable
It Is able to withstand a greater
amount of moisture, however, than
either cowpeas or corn. The soy bean
Is also decidedly drought resistant;
mvcb more eo than the eowpea.
Soli Preparation.
Boy beans summed best on a tbor- I
eughly prepared soil. The land should
be plowed early and deep, fitted, and
then harrowed at Intervals until the
beans are planted. The young plants
of soy beans are not able to push
their way through a hard crust as are
corn and cowpeas. Thus, to Insure a
good stand, the seed Bbould_have a
light covering of loose, mellow soli.
, The um of commercial fertiliser?
Is recommended where sandy soil pre
dominates or the soil Is of low tertll
lty Where fertilisers are used good
results hsve been obtained by using
? dressing of stabl# manure or MO to
300 pounds of add phosphate and 100
pounds of muriate of potash. In us
ing the commercial fertiliser It Is well
to spply broadcast before the beans
are planted. Lfme baa been found
almost in varlAbly to Increase the
yteld.
Inoculation.
-toy beans, like other legumes,
when well Inoculated add much nitro
gen to the soil. Natural inqculatton
now occurs quite generally through
out the soy bean region In the south
ern Units? Statea. In localities where
I the crop has not been previously
I grown however. It la advisable to In
oculate.v Inoculation may he moot
certainly secured by applying soil
from an old soy bean field, using 300
to 500 pounds of soli to the acre, or
by dusting the seed with such soli
before sowing.
Seeding end Cultivation.
Soy beans may be sown at any
time after dange. of severe frosts Is
over ranging from eariy spring until
midsummer In the cotton region
two crops of the early and medium
early varieties can be grown In % ?in
gle Reason by planting the first early.
As a rWe, howerer. the late varieties
are preferable tn the South and should
be planted about the same time as
??Soy beans are grown either in cul
tivated rows or broadcasted, depending
oil the purpose for which they are
grown The row method Is prefer
able in weedy labd gnd usually gives
larger yields of hay and practically
always of seed. The general practice
tor seed production la the row meth
od 30 to 48 Inches apart. For hay,
soiling or green manure a drilled or
broadcasted crop furnishes a finer
quality of forage. In rows, from 20
to 30 pound! of lead to tbe acre are
required; when eown broadcast or
drilled with an ordinary Igraln drift.
Hy covering the feed cupg not In use
the distance between rows can be ad
justed as desired. The cotton planter
has also been found satisfactory for
use In planting large fields. For
small flelds the ordinary garden drill
does well. ?
Under proper soil conditions soy
beans germinate In three to fire days.
As soon as the seedling plants appear
above the ground cultivation may be
gin. Soy beans should receive at least
three cultivations.
Soy beans may be combined ad
vantageously In many systems of crop
rotation. The cash value of the seed
Is sufficient to encourage the growing
of these beatts as one of the main
crops of the rotation, in the South
eoy beans are adapted to practically
the same place In rotations as are
cowpeaa. In some localities a soy
bean crop Is grown between two
wheat crops and In other parts be
tween two oat crops. Wheat, winter
oats, and winter barley may follow
soy .beans. Where a whole season
can be devoted to soy beans In the
South two crops of early varieties
can be grown In place of one late va
riety. By this practice much larger
yields can be obtained where seed
production is the object
Mixtures.
Soy beans may be satisfactorily
grown In combination with other
crops, thus affording a greater variety
and a, larger yield of forage. A mix
ture of soy beans and cowpeaa makes
a very satisfactory hay. Soy beans
are more generally grown with corn
than with any other crop. When sown
In 'rows with sorghum or 8udan
grass they have given very good re
sults.
Soy bean hay makes a very nutri
tious feed and Is relished by all kinds
of stock. Tbe chief value of the bay
lies In Its high content of digestible
protein. Feeding experiments Indi
cate that soy bean hay Is fully equal
to alfalfa hay. Tbe use of this hay,
which can be grown on the farm,
should reduce the quantity of feed
which It is necessary to purchase.
Soy beans may be cut for hay at
any tlihe from the setting of tbe seed
until the leaves begin to turn yellow.
The crop Is best lltted for hay when
tbe pods are well formed. Soy bean
hay Is cured much more readily than
cowpea hay. The. yields of hay range
from one to three tons to the acre,
and occasionally four tons to the acre
are cut
The soy bean may often be utilised
to advantage for pasture for all kinds
of stock, the most profitable method,
perhaps, being to pasture with hogs,
supplementing the corn ration. Corn
and soy beans may be grown together
and then pastured down. In this way
the crop Is not only profltable In feed
ing valpe but also In the Increase of
soil fertility due to the manure and
refuse vines.
Soy Beans for Soiling.
Among soiling crops tbe soy bean
has an Important place. Having a
high protein value, the crop may be
fed to good advantage with less nitro
genous crops, such as corn, sorghum,
and millet The great variation In
the maturity of the varieties makes
It possible to have a succession of
forage throughout the greater part of
the summer and fall.
The use of soy beans alone as en
ellage Is not to be recommended.
Good results are reported where soy
beans and com are mixed, three parts
of com and one part of soy beana. In
Idling the silo. This silage kgeps
well. Is readily -eaten by stock, and
the animals show good gains In flesh
or milk production. (
Soy beans have also proved a proflt
able crop when grown for seed, but
the Industry has only been developed
In a few sections. Finally a valuable
vegetable oil can be expressed from
the bean and the cake that remains
fed advantageously to all kinds of
live stock.
Profit and Loss.
Condition In which the farm prod
ucts are sent to market often deter
mines the question of profit and loss.
Even though they may not be of high
quality, yet. If they are put up In good
shape, so as to make them acceptable
to the dealer, they may be often sold
at a profit or at their true value.
. DODDER IS SERIOUS MENACE
Weed Soon Kills Out Alfalfa If There
la Much Preeent?Will Not Grow
on Cultivated Plants.
Dodder la first Introduced tn eeed
such aa alfalfa. The seed of dodder
arminates at the same time as the
'alfa. It sends up Its stem, which
twines around the young alfalfa, and
from that time on It Is a parasite, liv
ing entirely on the alfalfa.
It soon kills out the alfalfa If there
Is much pr?ient It spreads entirely
t>y the seed. If dodder Is general all
over the held, the best thing to do is
to plow the fiefa and plant to some cul
tivated crop aa corn tor two or three
seasons, when It may again be seeded
to alfalfa. If the dodder occurs only
In patches, the best thing do do Is to
mow the patches before the dodder
forms seed. The crop should be left
on the Held and burned as soon aa It
becomes dry. If the growth Is very
small. It may be necessary to scatter
some straw before burning. These
patches which are killed by bu-nlng
oan be started again with alfalfa tbei
' . '? , . * ''-is. l ' *?
same way as the original field.
In the control of dodder the best
thing to do Is not to Introduce It tn
seeds which are planted on the farm.
It will not grow on corn or any of the
common cultivated plants on the farm.
?Department of Agronomy. Oklaho
ma A. and M. College, Stillwater.
Location of New Buildings.
Have you carefully considered the
location of the new building you ex
pect to build this year? Did you
consider Its location as a time-save:
In doing the chores and all the uses
to which It will be put? Tims is
money; save money by properly loca
ting all the farm buildings.
Farm Is Not a Mine.
A farmer will begin to get the best
results from his farm when ha real
ises that It Is a farm and not a mine
?he can't take everything out and
put nothing back.
????
Convenient Garden.
The garden should be near th<
house so as to make the gathering 01
vegetables convenient.
LIVE.ST0CKFRUIT-DAIRYIR0-RARDEHIR0-F1ILD CR0PSSIL0SPI8S
Nm WrlnklM FARM I Making th*
... - fktnara"
Fregrwlve ?ualaaaa
Agriculture FIE D ProfKaWc
TOLD M AH MTERESTINO HARDER EXPRESSLY FOR 00R READERS
BREEDING OF DAIRY CATTLE
Community Plan Has Many Advan
tages? Stimulate. Friendly Rivalry
Among Dairyman.
By JAMES PHILAN of New York In
Kimball's Dqlryman.)
Where two or more men etart to
breed the name kind of dairy cattle in
the eame neighborhood. I feel eure
that if they are men that can get to
gether, they will find it to their ad
vantage to do so. In the cue of
email herds the cost of a good ball
may seem quite an item. If two or
Fine Herd of Dairy Cows.
more men buy a bull together, they
may be able to yet a. better bull than
either would own Individually and
?till have money to buy females.
There are other advantages, ona of
which is that the more daughters a
bull may have the better he may be
judged as a sire. In the case of men
who are doing official test work this
has considerable advertising value.
Another advantage Is that when dif
ferent neighbors watch the growth of
their neighbors' calves and young
stock they will try not to let the other
fellow's stock get the start of theirs.
This will resuli In better growth and
better developed cattle.
To show that I practice what I
preach I will say I have only one cow
In my herd that was sired by a bull
owned exclusively by myself. At
present I have a breeding Interest In
three different bulls that I have used
In the last year. This would seem
to indicate that I Intend to cooperate
with my neighbors.
I believe that the greatest advan
tage of community breeding will re
sult from friendly rivalry In the grow
ing and development of the stock, and
then from good team work in the sell
ing of the same.
USE FOR A HAND SEPARATOR
Lesa Work Necessary in Handling
Milk With Device Than Without
?Machine Saves Waste.
A hand separator saves all waste of
btttterfat. What Is the use of feeding
cows good corn, hay and other stuff
that costs money and then allowing
the product to go to waste? '
Leas work is necessary to handle
milk with the separator than without,
because there are fewer utensils to be
used and the skim milk may be fed to
the pigs and calves and chickens at
once, and does not have to be handled
again.
Forty or fifty dollars win buy a good
separator, big enough for a herd of
four or five cows, and it will save Its
cost the first year. If properly cared
for, a separator is good for tea years.
The cream. from a separator will
bring more money because it Is uni
form In richness, and Is sweeter be
cause. as it is separated while the milk
Is warm and fresh, it does not absorb
odors as It would if left standing
around.
The separator saves hauling milk to
the creamery and then hauling the
skim milk back to the farm. Then
skim milk hauled any considerable dis
tance becomes cold and sometimes
dirty and tainted and not fit to feed.
If a farmer has ten or more cows he
will require a, larger separator?one
that will handle say 150 pounds-of milk
In about fifteen minutes, and he then
should have a small gasoline engine to
do the work. It Is quicker and cheaper
than hand power.
CAP PROTECTS MILK BOTTLE
Device, Just Plsced on Market, Aids
In Keeping Out Dirt and Files?
Liquid Kept Airtight ?
In order to keep milk bottles, while
in use, free from dirt and files, a sani
tary milk bottle cap has been placed
on the market. This is arranged bo
? "1
Cap Protects Milk.
that by moving the stop,' milk may be
poured without difficulty. When
closed, the milk la kept almost air
tight
Maintain Cow's Efficiency.
Each cow in the da^iyinan's herd Is
a plant that makes the most profit
when running at Its highest efficiency.
To maintain the maximum efficiency
In each cow is a large part of thr
dairyman's business.
Equipment of Paying Dairies.
The paying dairies are always
equipped with a good quality .of
brains; a lot of Industry, watchful
ness, patience and hope; liberality,
forethought, foresight, lnqutalttveness,
Investigation, open-mlndedness?and
eows,
: V ' ?.
CULTIVATION OF AN ORCHARC
Stirring of Soil Holpo to Cones rvs
Moisture ? Young Tress Qlvsn
Longsr Psrlod of Grswth.
The apple growers are nearly all
practicing clean cultivation in their
orchards, says a writer In Indiana
Parmer. This Indicates that cultiva
tion is the quickest method of bring
ing young trees to a bearing age and
perhaps It Is the best method to pur*
sua In gaining annual crops. Prom my
own experience and knowledge falned
from growers In all parts of the coun
try, I am convinced that apple treer
set on rolling or nearly level land will
come Into bearing two or three years
earlier If given annual cultivation.
It makes very little difference wheth
er the land be Intercropped or not
provided sulllolent fertilising materia!
la added to grow the extra plants. The
stirring of the soil seems to help In
conserving the moisture and gives the
young trees a longer period of growth
each year than they hare under sod
methods. It Is well to remember that
a cover crop shouid be put In late in
the summsr to affqrd the roots some
protection from the winter cold.
When crops are grown between the
trees, something should be raised
that can be taken off early enough to
allow for this. In the northern sec
tlons, rye or winter vetch Is perhaps
best. I think It a good plan to alter
nate these for cover In the growlnf
orchard. Farther south there Is noth
lng that can compare with crimson
clover toy this purpose. An orchard
bandied after this method maket
rapid growth up to the bearing age. 1
have continued It after bearing, with
the result that some of the trees hare
formed the habit of annual bearing
To my mind this Is most important.
With the older orchards, sod meth
ods with the grass mulch and annual
top dressing of manure produce excel
lent .results. This means considerably
less work. My experience Indicates
that cultivation Is of value where It
ran be practiced with convenience
Where the trees are left in sod, the
grass should be mowed and left under
the* trees to hold the moisture. One
canqot successfully take a crop of hay
and strop of apples from the same
land, unless heavy fertilisation Is prac
ticed.
PRUNE RASPBERRY CANES
Object Should Be to Grow Berries, Not
Woody Growth?Cleaning Out
Destroys Many Insects.
Though the two main varieties ol
raspberry, black and red. need slight
ly different treatment, the time and
manner of pruning are greatly stmllai
with both kinds.
The blackcaps do not put out new
growth from the root stalks, as the
red varieties do, but new plants are
started from tips of the old plants
These are bent over and covered light
ly In August, after which they send
out rootlets and can be taken up the
following spring as new plsnts, to be
set put where they are needed.
These new plants need to be pinched
back to a height of 18 inches, so thai
they will throw out more latere.'
branches. These are the brenchet
which bear fruit, and It Is very lmpor
tant that they be numerous.
In addition to this first pruning, th?
winter or early spring pruning should
be done to get rid of the i old ? ca'net
-
Fine Crop of Raspberries?Result PI
Careful Pruning.
which are past bearing, and whlct
only sap the plant system of ltf
strength. It Is the berries that w<
want to grew, not so particularly the
wdody canes.
This cleaning out of the old wood al
so aids In getting rid of many' Insect
pesta If the work is done .before fhe>
come out from shelter In the spring
All these old canes should be burnec
to destroy the Insect life hidden In anc
around them. Many do this In the
fall, but the main point Is that It tx
done, and at some time before sprln;
growth starts. v -?
Easier Spraying and Picking.
All limbs that chafe or cross eacl
other should be removed, and the topi
made open enough that all fruit It
the center of the tree will be wel
colored. This open top will also en
able one to reach all parts of th?
tree In spraying, and make plcklni
much easier. Trees that are too tal
should bare the tops cut back.
Remote Dead Limbs.
Dead limbs from trees In the or
chard should go Into the brush heip a
woodshed.
| USE OF CHICK DETERMINES THE FEEP
Mother and Queon of Thorn All.
In bringing the chick from the
natch to maturity, the kind of feed
"eed depend* much upon the
*? ?hlch the bird 1* going to be
put. If the fowl 1* to be marketed
fLX,***!* *??? "Pld growth 1* ee
l.n ^; The mlIk fading method
will atlmulate thta rapid growth."
If the bird la to be uaed a* a layer
or breeder, oj the other hand, there
ahould be a slow but ateady growth.
This: can beat be obuined by feeding
a wheat and corn or kaflr ration sup
plemented by bran, ahorta, aour milk,
beef acrapa, clover, oyater ahell, and
grit
Many a poultryman make* the ml*,
rake of feeding only fat producing
rood*. He expect* the chick to pro
duce bone, alnew and feathers from
this one food. Perhap. the grain
that la moat frequently uaed In thla
?ay l* corn. A certain amount of
corn la essential In producing energy
and animal heat but the mistake
ahould not be made of feeding It ex
clusively and expecting the little chick
to develop bdne and muscle.
Ash and mineral matter are essen
tial parts of the chick's rations If
?on expect It to develop Into a large,
strong-boned bird. Some of thlt min
eral matter the chick gets from
clover, alfalfa and other green fooda,
but not enough. Mineral matter,
therefore^ ,applied in the form of
beef scrap and finely ground oyster
Shell. The beef scrap should be fed
In small quantities, and the amount
Increased as the chicks grow older. J
Poultry authorities do not agree as]
to whether or not the chick should be
saade to scratch for his food. Some
advise a shallow litter of light strew
or chaff, some a deep litter, while
some say to use no litter at all. One
thing Is certain, however?the chick
must have exercise.
When the chicks are kept cooped
?P and cannot run on the ground
they soon form the habit of standing
around, and then the poultryman'*
troubles begin. Artificial exercise
must be supplied. Some poultrymen
make the chick scratch for his food
others suspend vegetables at which
the chicks Jump. When the chicks
can have access to an outfioor run
way they will, as a rule, exercise suf
ficiently so that no artificial form cf
exercise need be supplied.
For the first week after hatching
a feed composed of hard boiled eggs
ground shell and all. mixed with five
times as much rolled oats as eggs,
will serve as a good feed. A little
finely ground chick grit and pulver
ised charcoal should be sprinkled
over the food. Plenty of clean, fresh
water must be supplied at all Umes
our milk Is good If it can be s<h
cured. Finely cracked wheat and corn
should gradually be added after the
first day or two. A shallow box con
taining bran should be kept before
the chicks at all times. This should
be given to them on the first day so
that they will form a taste for it A
little beef scrap and cornmeal can
gradually be added to the bran.
Constant care, watchfulness and
patience are qualities of the good
poultryman. and the person who ap
plies these to the raising of young
chicks Is bounfl to succeed.
Be particular to keep a supply of
pure -water In clean vessels for the I
hens, and grit where they can get It ]
If a hen becomes broody when she
Is not needed for hatching do not let
her sit a single day. As soon as she
begin to cluck shut heir In a cage with
slatted bottom and set the cage on
supports where the air can circulate
under It, and the broody fever will be
cooled In two or three days.
Keep the chicks growing. Do not I
be afraid of overfeeding them. Make
a little yard covered over the top,
leaving openlnga In the aldea large
enough to admit the chlcka while pre
venting the old fowlt' from passing
through.
In this yard keep feed for the chicks
all the time so they need not go hun
gry a minute. The pullet which la
fed liberally matures quickly and be
comea the producer of winter egga.
If a poultry keeper Is really Interest
ed, he will soon learn to read Instruc
tions and modify them to suit his lo
cality.
PULLETS FOR LAYING STOCK
One Pouttryman Keepa Hans Through
First Laying Year and Then Se
lects Best for Breeding,
How many years shall we keep a
hen? This question oomea up fre
quently for discussion, and the an
swers made by practical poultrymen
are bewildering to a beginner. One
man says that we should depend upon
pullets entirely for laying stock. His
scheme will be to keep the hens
through their first laying season, then
Select the best of them for breeders
and let the rest go. This plan Is
based on the general theory that a
hen lays more eggs In her first year
than In any other. Jdany poultrymen
seem to believe that most of their
hens cannot come back and give a
profitable egg record the second year.
The system based on this theory de
mands. of course, a vast amount of
work In hatching' and brooding. In
order to keep up a full supply of pul
lets each year. On the other hand
there are poultrymen who say that
we may well keep our bena two, three,
or even four years, provided we have
the ability to Judge the layers prop
erly or hare some system of weeding
out the drones. Naturally If we could
keep our hens three years It would
mean leas work at hatching and brood
In*.
FEEDING THE YOUNG CHICKS
Nothing Given Until Youngsters Are
Two Days Old?Whole Grain Fed
at End of Eight Week^.
(By C. E. BROWN. Minnesota Experi
ment Station )
We do not feed little chicks before
they are two days old. but from the
beginning give them water. During
this period the hen Is given her food
out of reach of the little ones. The
first feeds are given sparingly every
two boura, and are usually wet
mashes.
After the third day we feed some of
the cracked grains, a little at a time,
till, at the end of the fifth or sixth day
we are giving the three feeds of the
cracked grain. Occasionally we give a
little whole wheat, and by the end of
eight weeks we are feeding most of
the grains whole. If the chicks are un
able to get worms or Insects In suffi
cient quantities, they must be supplied
with a substitute, such aB milk or beef
scraps. Green feed Is given in the
form of finely chopped lettuce, a piece
of potato or turnip or mangel when
they are not able to run outside on the
grass.
?
Keep Ona Breed Only,
The farmer should keep but one
breed of poultry. Just as he keeps but
one breed of hogs or cows. Keeping
several breeds means much additional
work and expense In building the nec
essary houses and fences to keep
them separated.- Besides, housed and
yarded poultry will not do nearly as
well as those allowed the range of the
entire farm.
Right Feed for Chicks.
Little chicks should not be fed too
won. If the heat Is kept Just right
most any kind of sound food will do
to feed the chicks. Any of the chick
foods on the market are good If one
has not had any experience In feeding
:hlcks. Give them orcaslondlty a feed
tf green food, also a little meat scraps,
gnd always It should be borne In mind
that exercise Is the only method to
levelop muscle and make a strong,
healthy chick.
Best Looking Eggs for Sitting.
Choose only the smoothest and nic
est looking eggs for sitting, as the
rough or ill-shaped ones account for
yonr crippled and deformed chicks at
hatching time and they are liable to
be entirely ruined by their being rup
tured when hatched from these Ill
shaped eggs.
Sunlight In Heit> House.
A good rule for getting plenty of
sunlight Into a hen bouse is to leave
one square foot of glass space for each
16 square feet of floor space In the
building.
Uu the Axe.
Fowl* suffering from cholera, con
sumption or bad attacks of roup arc
not worth the medicine with which
they are doctored. Even If they ap
parently recover, the disease leaves
them In such a weakened coSdltlon
that they are worthless as layers and
breeders. Save the medicine and use
the axe.
Selecting Best Chicks.
Watch the chicks closely and mark
the ones making the most satisfactory
growth. Select the ones that are
plump, full breasted and In good pro
portion. You will not care to keep
those that grow leggy and have thin
breasts.
Start In June.
The purchase of a few baby chicks
from some fine pen of birds will make
a splendid start It you oar* to start
In June. ,
laying Chicks.
Remember full-fed" chicks an pay
lng chicks. It pays big dividends to
hurry their growth.
FARM
ANIMALS
PROPER CARE OF BROOD SOW
Animal la Oftan Neglacted Befora and
After She la Bred?Purniah Har
With Separata Pan.
The care of the brood aoar ia too
many tlmea neglected before and after
she la bred. Many tlmea tbey are kept
In the fame lot with the fattening
hoga, which la a aad mlatake and al
most sure to result In a weak bunch
of plga. Good care at this time meena
much towards a good crop of strong,
healthy plga.
In the first place the sows should
have a separate lot from the rest of
the hoga, and K should be large
enough so they get plenty of exercise.
If they do not take plenty of exercise,
) they should be urged to do so either
by drlrlng them dally or by having
their sleeping quarters and their feed'
| ing place some distance apart.
Another good plan. If a person baa
his farm fenced hog tight, la to let tl^e
sows have the run of the farm. They
Pig* In Clover.
will wander around quit* a little tf
the weather la nice, and pick up a
good deal of their living.
Another Important part at thia time
la the leed. Their feed Ahould be of
rather a bulky ration. Corn ahould
be fed moderately along with alfalfa
hay, aome mill feeda, and a email
quantity of oil meal or tankage. The
aowa ahould be kept gaining elowty
from the time they are bred till -far
rowing time, and care ahould be taken
that the feeda are not too fattening.
A week or 10 before farrowing time,
each aow ahould be ahut by heraelf
and watched closely. Her feed ahoald
be reduced a little.
If thia plan were followed more
closely, the average of the pig crop
would be somewhat larger.
SHEEP AND SOIL FERTILITY
Everything Possible 8hould Be Done
to Bring Ewes to Vigorous Con
dition at Mating Pecriod.
As the country ages and the fertlH-.
iy of Its fields becomes exhausted
ltS\appreclatlon of the sheep will In
crease. Early maturity la an lm
portent quality to consider In select
ing sheep.
Whether you are keeping sheep for
pleasure or profit your desires will
be more fully met It your flock la of
superior quality. A strong sheep does
not necessarily have to mean a large
one; In fact, a majority of the strong
est sheep are medium in else.
Every sheep owner should keep a
purebred ram, but every man Is not
qualified to keep purebred stock. Ev
erything possible should be done to
bring the ewes to a vigorous, flesb
formlng condition at the mating pe
riod. Sheep are excellent tang clean
ers. weed killers and fertilisers.
The man who desires large profits
from his flock should afford It the
best that good management will pre
dues.
BREEDING CRATE FOR SWINE
8tout Frame Made ot Two by Four
Stuff, Closed In Front and Open
Behind, la Useful Device.
In answer to a query for an Uhin
i ration and description of a breeding
crate for hogs, one la taken from
'Swine in America," by Coburn, and Is
given herewith
"It Is a stout frame made. say. ot
two by four Inch stuff, closed in front
I ? 1
A Breeding Crate.
and open behind, with a bar adjusted
to slip behind the sow above the
hocks, and a two by four inch strip
attached to the forward end of the
crate on either side at abont where the
sow's head comes, and extending to
the rear and bottom where it is fas
tened. These strips are for the boar's
forward feet to rest upon and hold
his weight off the sow. A very good
size for such a crate is five and one
half or six feet in length, two feet
four Inches In width, and three feet
Ibtgh. Cleats can be nailed crosswise
of the crate floor to prevent the sow's
slipping. When necessary, in breed
ing a small boar to a large sow, a
raised platform for his hind feet, such
as the illustration shows, can be pith
faced."
Rheumatism In Pigs.
The first thing to do Is to put the
pigs in dry. comfortable quarters, H
they are not already there Keep them
away from old straw stacks or manure
heaps. Bed them well with clean, dry
straw in a house that is well lighted
and venttlated. but free from drafts
Salicylate of soda is the most asefu.'
drug to give. The dose is 20 to It
grains in the feed, or. as a drench
three times a day. Quinine and bittae
tonics can alto be given. Blistering
ointments and Uaameats should he
applied to the inflamed articulations.