Friday, August 2, 1912.
THE ASHEVILLE GAZETTE-NEWS.
PAGE TEN
HOW TO DEAL WITH QUACK GRASS
THIS GRASS IS NOT SO VERY EASY TO DESTROY,
BUT PERSEVERANCE AND THE RIGHT KIND
OF CULTIVATION WILL DO IT.
By W. J.
Every farmer knows bow rapid Is
the Increase of weeds on the farm. As
a rule each farm is annually getting
more sorts of weeds and as each
farmer is cultivating weeds, these are
becoming more freely distributed in
every field and along every roadside.
The great mass of farmers and
gardeners think to kill a weed by
Borne royal easy process, such as mow
lng in a certain phase of the moon or
a certain definite period in the year or
by once or twice cultivating. After
the cultivator he waits until the leaves
are several Inches high before ma'"'ng
the next effort. Such persons will .
ways have the ccmnany of a wee
after its lirst introduction into his field
garden.
To kill countless thousands of weeds
coming from seeds, cultivate the
Quack grass.
ground weekly during the growing
season and do not permit the weeds
to go to seed, or, If this is too costly,
let the weeds have their own way
except during the early growth of cul
tivated crops. Frequent cultivation Is
necessary to a first class yield.
The following concerning quack
grass, contains points tjiat will apply
to many other weeds.
I have long considered quack grass
the worst Weed that vexes the tiller of
the soil. It Is because it holds Its own
well and spreads whenever there Is a
chance, and chiefly because the farmer
does not recognize it until it Is scat
tered far and wide. It is carried by
the plow, harrow, and cultivator from
one end of the field to the other. To
have a farm well seeded to this grass
Is a calamity to be avoided.
All that Is needed to exterminate a
field of quack grass is the right kind of
a man who will carefully observe and
study the plant, fighting with method
and thoroughness.
I have killed 100 or more patches
and can speak from practical results
and success. Plants of this sort can
not gain any If the green leaves are
not allowed to appear. The nourish
ment stored in the white root stocks
underground will aid the plant to
end up slender leaves and if these
remain, the plants gain and recruit,
but If the leaves start underground
and are cut oft before coming to the
HELPING THE SOUTHERN DAIRY
MAN. One of the most encouraging lines
of work which the U. a Department
of Agriculture is carrying on in the
South is the Institution of herd records
on dairy farms. By this means the
unprofitable cow Is detected and can
be disposed of for slaughter. The
heifer calves from the profitable cows
are raised to take the place of the
unprofitable animals. In this way the
quality of the herd is steadily Im
proved. The dally weighing of the
milk and the testing for butterfat en
able the dairyman to feed the Individ
ual animals according to the produc
tion and to select such feeds for the
ration aa are shown to give the best
results.
The Department receives many let
ters from dairymen of the South bear
ing on the value of this work. Mr. J.
K. Morrison, a dairyman of Grenada,
Mississippi, writes aa follows:
"I write to express my great appre
ciation of the work done for me by
your department.
"From the records kept I found two
cows that produced over $200 profit.
One, 8110.88 the other $108.80. A
two-yenr-old heifer made $$7.60. net,
profit I began to test with six cows.
I have sold two of them as they were
unsatisfactory. I have four more that
have not finished the year's test but
I will probably sell three of them and
replace with registered stock.
"I built a concrete floor In my dairy
barn. Have laid the foundation for a
silo; have ordered stanchions and a
registered bull.
The butter I sell Is put up In paste
board cartons and brings $8 cents per
pound. I get an average of 28 cants
for milk.
"I wish lo assure you as the head of
the dairy department that I shall help
to spread the gospel of better cows,
better methods of handling, and more
feeding of carbohydrate value.
"Bxcesslve use of meal and hulls Is
doing much to keep us down In dairy
work In the South. Cheap protein
should be a help and not a hindrance.
I thank you that you arc trying to
help the little dairymen.
"I shall not ha satisfied until I have
a dairy of ten cows producing a net
profit of $100 each. 1 should do this
aa early data with the aid of the
BEAD.
light, these white root-stocks are
drawn on again to furnish food to
start more leaves and thus, in time
become exhausted. If convenient,
pasture closely for a whole growing
season which prevents the production
of new thrifty rootstocks. then, if the
soo. oe well turned under deep, rolled
and harrowed, much of the grass will
be killed at once.
Ordinarily I plow late In the fall or
very early in spring, rain or shine, wet
or dry, or even In June, and cultivate
with a shovel-toothed cultivator every
uiree anys tin tne middle of June, or
later if starting- tho n-orir io-
Rarely, If the weather be wet and hot,
cultivate every two to two and a half
days. Keep all green leaves from
showing themselves. Do not delay to
see green leaves. A harrow that does
not cut off the stems below the surface
of the ground Is not efficient.
The worst luck I ever had In th4s
work was In summer-fallowing a piece
of quack grass during a dry year. A
good deal of It remained dormant and
grew the following spring.
one year I tried the application of
salt on one side of the bank of a brook
wnere cultivation was very inconven
lent. The strip of grass was about
four rods long and the slope about five
reet. Whenever seen a little at a time
two barrels of salt were freely applied
for the whole growing season, and the
next spring tho grass started ud in
several places ready to continue the
fight, which was abandoned on that
line.
For five years I tried (on the banks
of a brook, or where there were only
small patches) the following suheme,
with great satisfaction
During the wet and growing part of
a summer I put on tarred building
P-iper, taking care to have it overlap
and completely exclude
iglit. bix weeks to two months is
enough, possibly four to five weeks, if
the weather Is hot and wet.
Very likely the reader will think
this method costly and will hesitate
and dally along, giving the grass a
good chance to extend Its domain. It
Is not worth while to plow deep or
rake out the rootstocks. It is much
better to be thorough in spring during
a growing time than during a drouth.
I mean that it can be subdued faster
In wet weather than In dry. When
very dry the underground stems re
main dormant. Of course, small
patches can be dug over with a hoe.
Where one is neat and thorough he
may prefer to take two or three years
In the extermination, growing two or
three crops of corn in succession.
The climate of southern Alaska is
more moderate than that of Chicago,
owing to the Japan current. Zero
weather is unknown, except when due
to the active gales off the glaciers.
The islands of Prince William sound
seldom know a temperature lower
than 10 degrees above zero.
The weal: and vascllating man may
likened to "Thompson's colt" who
stood between two stacks of hay and
starved to death because he could not
make up his mind on which one to
begin.
When dlSDOslnir of some nf thn nirt
stock pick out the poor layers. They
are -just as good ' for roasting pur
poses, and you can not afford to nan
with the money-makers.
Stormy days should not be idle rtnvn
on the farm. Look ubout and see If
you cann it find some profitable work.
POLLEN CARRIED BY BEES
It has been a question in the minds
of many experimenters for some time
Just how much the wind aids in carry
ing pollen from tree to tree. If the
wind does aid In distributing pollen,
is It distributed In sufficient quantities
to Insure the fertilization of the
ovules?
Since so many of our varieties of
apples are known to be self-sterlle. and
must depend upon foreign pollen for
fertilizing the ovules, this question Is
Apiaries should net kept In orchards,
as tin bee Is the beat agent for cross
IMtlllnallon. of serious consequence. Is It the wind
o. our common honey-bee that does
the work?
From observations mude the past
few years It Is evident that bees play a
moat Important part In the fVrtlllza
llun of the blossoms. To arr.ve at
some definite conclusions aa to how
Babcock tester, the scales, silo and
more grain, which I have to raise
this season. I am thoroughly Imbued
with the dairying spirit snd hope that
1 ran repay the Department for the
aid given me by lie, ping others."
At the opening of the second sem
ertar of the College year 70$ men and
women enrolled In the Missouri Col
lege of Agriculture. This represents
87 per cent Increase over last year.
The enrollment for last year, the en
tire session, was lit.
CO-OPERATIVE FRUIT MARKETING.
Of all foods, fruit is the most nat
ural, wholesome and refined. The
appeal It makes Is not alone to appe
tite, but to taste, smell, and the sense
of beauty aa well. One would
Imagine, then, that fruit should
be of ail things the easiest to market,
and therefore the most profitable to
cultivate.
That the real conditions should any
where be the reverse of this, affords
one of the most striking illustrations
of the fact that present methods of
collecting and distributing the prod
ucts of the soil are except In a few
Instances of recent improvement
altogether askew and out of harmony
with common sense.
Every year, while in the centres of
population fruit of all kinds com
mands enormous prices, millions of
dollars' worth perish on the farms
where grown.
But that, by co-operative endeavor,
nil difficulties may be overcome, and
fruit brought within the reach of con
sumers at prices which the multitude
ran afford, and yet high enough to
yield good returns to the grower. Is
being demonstrated hy the successes
attending the operations of fruit
growers' associations already organ
ised. Conspicuous among these Is the
California Fruit-Growers' Exchange
(formed twenty-three years ago)
which now represents 6.000 growers,
and which handles 60 per cent of the
citrus fruits grown in California, and
handles It In such a way that both
waste at home and over-stocked mar
kets at the points of distribution are
alike practically eliminated.
Smaller but similar associations
handle about 25 per cent more of the
Callforlna crop, leaving only 15 per
cent to be marketed by Individuals.
The establishment of organizations
of similar character In the middle
west would eliminate much of the
waste nnd loss which occurs annually
in that section. C. R. Barns.
Incubators do not lessen the labor
but they increase the profits.
Sheep will thrive on pasture In
which other animals could not exist.
Cool your milk to 5 or 60 degrees
as soon as it is drawn If you wish It to
keep.
FARMERS LEARNING TO CONSERVE LABOR
With tlie? latest machinery In hay
much as they could under old methods.
much pollen Is transmitted through
the air by the wind, experiments have
been carried on In several states to
determine this question. These ex
periments demonstrated beyond doubt
that plum pollen as well as pollen of
s vera! species of apples .xperiniented
upon Is not transmitted through the
air In sufficient quantities to In
sure cross-pollination. Hence, the wind
cannot be relied upon us an agency to
transfer pollen from tree to tree
throughout the orchard.
That the honey-bee Is not nttr.ieted
to the bloasom by the Inflorescence
has also been shown. It Is apparent
that the showy petals o! the blossoms
aid materially In attracting the bees.
The blossom is well supplied with
nectar, and the open churtu tef of the
nectary makes It accessible to almost
all insects. The bees. In trying to
reach the nectar, brush against the
anthers and carry away with them on
their hairy legs and Hllnmen large
quantities of pollen. The Inserts In
visiting other blossoms transfer some
nf the to reign pollen to these pistils.
Since the wind aids so little In cross-
i n lllnutlnu it i evident that the vurl-
uus Insects, especially the bees, are
camera of pollen.
As the assurance of a crop depend
upon Insects as distributors of the
pollen. It is necessary that apiaries be
rstiDllshed In the different fruit sec
tions. With favorable climatic mull
Hons and proper planting of varieties
the beea would Insure pollination
C, L Lewis C. C. Vincent
0UU.M). OOstMCR HRMNI..
Have the cows come fresh In the
full. If this practlca were followed
generally, there Is little question but
Hint at least 60 pounds of butler-fat
per year would be added to the ever'
age product per row In the Htate.
Having cows freshen at Ihia time
brings the heaviest milking during the
Winter, when one has the eioet ti.no
It bring the care of i:. . ulves in the
winter; It allows the feeding ef the
sklm-mllk to the ralvee In the winter,
while they need tt and to the yuung
pigs during the early summer, when
CANE IN THE PHILIPPINES
The growing of sugar-cane In the
Philippines received a damaging set
back during the progress of the late
Insurrection.
Prior to that ' time a great deal of
good raw material was raised, and
only in very late years has the Indus
try awakened with both the natives
and the government (not to mention
U. S. interests) taking an active part,
the natives furnishing the land for the
government to show them how to do
things on a grander and more up-to-date
scale.
It may be said to the discredit of
the Spaniards, lords for so long over
the country, that not a single cane-
Philippine Sugar Mill,
grinding mill or refinery operated by
steam could be found in the Islands
before our occupation.
Then carlboa or water-buffalo fur
nished the power for grinding up the
juicy stalks. In many instances the
mill itself could be loaded on a bull
cart and transported anywhere.
The machinery was crude, and the
product, as a consequence, not of the
best. Now, big mills and modern re
fineries are going In throughout the
rich cane-belts on Luzon and In
Fanay.
A colossal refinery was lately
shipped In from Honolulu, the cost of
the Importation being: the largest ever
received on one manifest.
The plant was valued nt $220,000,
and comprised some 1 625 pieces, the
largest weighing etKleen tons.
With this huge establishment and
many others In operation, the natives
will have to raise cane In the fullest
sense of the term to k,ep the wheels
turning. In the Interim, the sugar
corporations of this country, and num
erous American planters on the ground
will help them Out M. Wolley.
'.
"H-lv.",.
and praln fields an ordinary force nf men
It means so much to them. Calves
dropped In the full are ready for grass
as soon as it comes in the spring.
Cows freshening in the fall will. If
well cared for, give a good flow of
milk In the winter; and when the grass
comes, a good flow during the early
(summer; and most of them will be
I dry during harvest and fall work,
when there Is plenty to do without a
lot of milking. The average nrice of
! butter-fat will also be higher, because
I of a larger portion of It being pro
duced during the winter, when prices
iare IllVRrfuhle hii,h tt,-.,. In Diinin.ur I
GOT HIS LETTER MAILED.
To Joseph Fleet, of Blandvllle, III. .fire
and letter-boxes looked alike. He had
written his wife Informing her of hls
Intent to leave the strenuous city of";
t'hleiigi) nnd return to his own quieter!
territory; the letter he slipped Into the!
(Ire-alarm box! To say the least the
city was cross with him The mistake
only caused a fire-boat to Aeam down
the river; swing two Hues of hose
ashore; drew five nre-eiiglnen. twa
truck companies and Fire ffhlef Key
ferllch to tho scene; called, out two
fire Insurance auto petrols: stopped
work on the pert of the ofa.ee force In
five big office buildings, and drew
a crowd of 10 ooo people What did
Joseph Fleet cost the city?
Washington The reran of a year's
irusade against gel-rlch-qyick schem
ers, who have been lining the United
States malls In the consummation of
i heir eehemie, lias exposed U the in
'SftectPTs of the pnstoffles eeartmeiSl,
end through them lo the public, a
distinct line of new -rlnilnala. An
Estimate mseV by Postmaster Oeneral
Hitchcock shove that the American
public has been, wlthm the last year,
swindled out of $ I $0,000.00$ through
ths Illegitimate husla . of this class
of criminals.
T' :..': ."T,?5 .t.;-i-.- ...,::!
-. . .V.--.-V... -
ORGANIZE COLT SHOWS.
Nearly every person, whether Irving'
In the city, village or country, takes
more or less interest in the horse. It
lu easy to get an audience when It
comes to studying horses, be it at a
county fair, farmers' Institute, or live
stock meeting of any kind. We all
have our favorites among the horses
In a community, and are always ready
to express our opinion as to the merits
and demerits of the individuals.
Such interest should be encouraged
In every community, and one of the
best ways of doing it Is to hold "Colt
Shows" during the fall and winter
months. In the State of Iowa, a num
ber of these shows have been held
during the past few years; and they
have done much to improve the horses
In the State.
In planning these shows, the first
step is to solicit, among the farmers,
stallion-owners and business men, for
prizes that are to be awarded. These
need not be in the form of money, but
may be merchandise, machinery, or
live stock of some kind. After the
prizes have been assured It will be
necessary to advertise the show and
appoint a committee, who should i
make a personal canvasB of the com
munity, to encourage the owners of
colts to bring them out for the con
test. Proper classification should be
made; so that all colts, such as draft
ar.d light colts, will not be shown In
the same class. Also, have pure-bred
and grades shown in separate classes.
If possible. It is a good plan to have
the colts from each township show In
separate classes, and the first-prize
winners come together as champions
of the show.
The Colt-Shows may be held In con
nection with local market days, or
live-stock meetings of some kind. Out
side uninterested parties should be
secured to do the judging: and they
should In each case give rensons for
placing the colts. After the Judging Is
done, practical talks on horse-breeding,
by local men and those secured to
do the Judging, should be given.
Colt-Shows of this kind will also do
much to advertise the stallions in a
community. One of the best ways of
Judging the value of a stallion Is by
the crop of colts which he has sired.
W. H. Tnmhave.
Milk sold in bottles is more likely to
be clean than that which Is otherwise
sold. Nevertheless It Is well to be sure
i. Is clean.
will accomplish throe times
DESTROYING
By F, U WASHBURN.
Cutworms are the larval forms of
moths belonging to the family known
ob Owlet Moths. The first name was
given this family because they are
particularly night-flyers, most of them
remaining concealed during the day;
and the second name, on account of
the fact that their eyes shine at night,
in the presence of a light, to which,
hy the way, many of the species are
attracted.
Doth the moths and their larvae are
fund nf sweets; and this fact Is made
use of both hy collectors In catching
the moths and by the farmer and
gardener In killing tho "cut-worm"
itself. The larvae, when full grown,
averages In length about one and one
half Inches, and Is as a rule, dull col
ored, with or without obscure mark
ings. This full-grown larva burrows
Into the soil a short distance, and
turns Into a brownish or reddish
brown or mahogany-colored pupa.
These pupae may winter over, when
formed late In summer, or give rise to
mollis In August and September, which
lay their eggs at that time on various
mis. of on the ground near their
food-plants. The larvae, whluh hatch
In lute summer or fall, winter over In
r.ome concealed situation, and are
ready for business In the spring.
While many birds prey upon cut
worms and although they are eaten
by some other Insects, and are the
victims of parasitic forms, to say
nothing of dlseusee bacterial or fun
gold nevertheless farmers sre often
obliged to take active means against
them In urder to save their crops.
A bait made of bran mash sweet
ened with cheap sugar or molasses,
and made decidedly green with a lib
eral application of Paris green. Is a
vary good remedy In a garden. A
tablespoonful of this should be put at
frequent Intervals among the plants
subject to attack; not. however, nearer
: - --t -' t ' rii t- r
Nowhere should contentment be
more conspicuous than In rural com
munities, where far from Ignoble strife
for riches the residents pursue the
even tenor of their way.
PHEASANT RAISING
INTEREST IN PHEASANT RAISING IS WIDESPREAD
THOUSANDS OF THE BIRDS ARE NOW SCAT- '
TERED THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY.
By W. Ik MfcATEE.
Conservation of the fauna Including
the game birds of the United States
requires the strict enforcement of laws
Intended to control the shooting and
marketing of wild birds, and necessar
ily limits both the period during which
they may be hunted and the number
available to supply the increasing de
mands of those who desire those table
luxuries.
This lack may be remedied by the
product of aviaries, preserves, and
private parks, devoted to rearing of
domesticated game, the marketing of
which under suitable safeguards Is
already permitted in several of the
States,, Indicating that American mar
kets will open more and more to these
domesticated substitutes to the fast
disappearing wild game.
At present there Is no lack of de
mand for pheasants for various pur
poses. Owners of private preserves,
and state game officials pay profitable
prices for certain species for stocking
their covers, zoological and city parks
and owners of private aviaries are
ready purchasers of the rarer and
more beautiful species, and large
numbers of dead pheasants are annu
ally imported from Europe to be sold
for several times the price they bring
in European countries. The demand
for pheasants is Increasing.
Ulngneck pheasants have long been
established in Oregon, Washington,
and British Columbia, and are less
common in the wild state In Mass -chusetts,
New York. Indiana and
Kansas.
Efforts to acclimatize pheasants In
the United States, are of comparatively
recent origin, though earlier than is
popularly supposed. More than a
hundred years ago, Richard Bache, an
Knglishman who married the only
daughter of Benjamin Franklin, im
ported from England both pheasants
and partridges, which he liberated on
his estate in New Jersey, on the Dela
ware River near when the town of
Beverly now stands. Uut although ' e
provided both shelter and food for
them, the birds had all disappeared
by the following spring.
Other attempts were made later on
In New Jersey, New York and Mary
la , but while the birds seemed to
thrive for a time, the attempt to raise
pheasants in the United States proved
more or less a failure until about
thirty years auo, when a successful
effort was made to Introduce the rlnr.
neck pheasant into Oregon. Since
then ai t limatlzatlon experiments have
followed broader lines and have as
sumed greater Importance.
Severe criticism of pheasants and
fulsome praise are about equal In vol
ume. The birds, are accused of dtg
glt g newly planted and sprouting cor:.,
oats, barley and beans, and seeds of
melons, cucumbers, and squashes. It
is claimed thai because f their depre
dations it has been eecessary to iv
pitvnt whole fields of corn. They are
sf.ld to drive chickens away from their
food and even to kill y ung poultry.
Seme landowners In Ontario County,
N. Y., claim that the loss suffered on
account of pheasants has been more
than twice the amount of their taxes.
On the other hand the birds have
not proved a nuisance in Oregon and
Washington, where they have been
numerous for years. Some farmers
even value them so highly that they
will rot permit hunting on their prop
erty. The few pheasant stomachs ex
amined indicate that these birds are
very fond at grain. Oats and wheat
compose about 34 per cen. of the food
THE CUTWORM
than twelve Inches to the plant; for,
in case of rain, the Paris green might
be washed against the roots, and
would Injure or kill the plant. The
Paris green should be mixed with tho
bran when the latter Is dry. Thorough
cultivation is an aid. Pieces of shingle
or board, placed at Intervals over the
garden, serve as traps under which the
outworma hide toward morning, when
they may be found and killed. Fre
quently the depredator will be found
In the morning, within an Inch or so
of the plant cut. buried an Inch under
the soli. Young plants like cabbage,
cauliflower, etc., when not too numer
ous, when first set out In a small gar
den, should be protected by paper or
tin, or a barrier of some sort, which
A cutworm and Its work.
should extend Into the ground m Inch
or so. and two or three Inches above
the surface. This can be removed
when the plant becomes so tough as
not to Invite attacks from the cut
worm. On large acreages, fall plow
ing and thorough cultivation afford
perhaps the most practical treatment.
Cutworms are likely to be especially
troublesome the, rext year after sod,
for It Is only natural that, whan de
1 1 r i v . nf sod land by farm cultivation,
they should attack ths crop Immed
iately following.
This family nf moths Is an enorm
ous one. two hundred and thlrty-flva
different species of the group havfng
been found In ins state Of this list,
something like forty-five species are
typl al cutworms.
After burning some brush I dashed
water on a large bed of ooals. It
made fine charcoal. It I surprising
how much of It ths hogs will eat.
J. R. Zimmerman, Farmlngton, Mo.
A NEW INDUSTRY
of 12 rlngneck pheasants collected 1
Oregon and Washington, and 82.5 p.,
cent of the stomach contents of two
English phea. .nts from British Co
lumbia. But all of these birds were
taken In September, October, and De
cember; hence It is probable that all
of this grain was waste. The next
largest Item of food In these stomachs
was Insects, consisting entlmiv nf i..
vae of March flies. One stomach oon-
talned no fewer than 360 of these lar
vae and another 482. The remainder
Rlngneck Pheasant.
of the food included acrons, pine seeds,
browse, peas, rose hips, sno wherries,
and seeds nf dandelion, lupine, bur
clover, black mustard and chick
weed. From 200 to 960 kernels of wheat
and oats were taken by various birds;
about 200 peas were found in one
stomach, but It was evfdent that these
were the old and partly decomposed
refuse of the harvest. Twenty-three
acrons and 200 pine seeds were taken
by the birds which ate the largest
amount of mast, and abou. 800 cap
sules of chlckweed, containing more
than 8,000 seeds, were in the stomach
of the best weed-seed eater.
What is most evident Is that pheas
ants are gross feeders; their capabili
ties for good or harm are groat. If a
number of them attack a crop they are
likely to mako short work of It, or If
they devote themselves to weed seeds
or insect pests they do a great deal of
good. It seems therefore that the
question of the economic value of
pheasants Is peculiarly a local one.
Much depends on thu proportion of
land under cultivation, the kind of
crops raised, and the quantity of wild
f- cd available. Apparently the chances
are about even that imported pheas
ants will or will not become useful
economic factors.
$20,000,000 Is the approximate sum'
si cnt for gum In the United States in
one year.
A man who has made a decided sue
cesi: in BWlne husbandry in a large
way said before a recent farmers' in
stitute that the man who has plenty
of sklm-mllk for his hogs will make a
profit if any one can on SO-cent corn.
FEEDING MOULTING HENS.
During moulting the hens require an
extra amount of care and in fact all
tho attention which can be given
them. In too many Instances moult
ing Is considered Just a natural se
quence of poultry keeping. The fowl
at this time are Just as bad as a child
cutting his teeth. It Is not the mere
fact of losing feathers or pushing a
tooth through as much aa the consti
tutional disturbance that Is set up.
One symptom of moulting is lethargy.
The birds. Instead of being early risers,
mope about on their perches and will
not venture out In search of food that
Is so essential to them at this trying
period. Dainty food should be pre
pared. Warm meal with a dash of
spice In It In the morning and contin
ue I change.
In regard to grain: Corn, wheat
barley, oats and maahed potatoes with
meal anything to tempt the appetite
two or three rusty nails or a bit of
sulphur In the drinking water are
great helps. In confined runs meat
must be added and In fact, scraps of
meat may well be given n any run.
Two things are essential: (1) That
fairly early each morning the hen
house should be clear, d of belate4
risers; (2) the floor eh aid be swept
at the same time us a lot of vermin
come off with the i Med feathers. Thess
sweepings should be tsken right away
and not put on the nearest manurs
heap. After moulting Is over gitr
morning mash of shorts and bran In
a crumbly condition and feed plenty
of onts.
The city forestry department of
Kansas Is preparing to fight the bag
worms which are Infesting that part
of the west. In May, when the worms
hatched the city employes of the
tats went ov.r all the trees wltn
sprayers. The worms do not kill the
trees but they eat the verdire ana
retard the growth.
Oalloway cattle are being raised to
Alaska, their hides being consldsred
equal to bearakln for beauty and serv
ice. Coops containing broods of rbloke
should not be moved frequently-