Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Feb. 19, 1915, edition 1 / Page 3
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J. CARE IN HATCHING Tiin - -Tii-ifTimr m t-T--inT finniiHr i i inn r MirflT n r'-mi VL- :J, 1 f fill i Artificial Brooding of Chicks, Showing (Prepared by the United States Depart ment of Agriculture.) When it is noted that a hen sits on the nest for two or three nights In succession, she is ready to be trans ferred to a nest, which should be pre pared for her beforehand. This nest should be in a box and composed of straw, hay, or chaff for nesting mate rial. Dust the hen thoroughly with insect powder each week while set ting. In applying the powder hold the hen by the feet, head down, work ing the powder well into the feathers, giving special attention to regions around the vent and under the wings. The powder should also be sprinkled in the nest. The nest should be in some quiet, out-of-the-way place on the farm, where the setting hen will not be disturbed. Move her from the reg ular laying nest at night. Put a china egg or two in the nest when she is set and place a board over the opening so that she cannot get off. Toward eve ning of the second day leave some ,. feed and water and let the hen come off the nest when she is ready. Should she return to the nest after feeding, Temove the china egg or eggs, and put under those that are to be incubated, in cool weather it Is best to put not more than ten eggs under a hen, while later in the spring one can put twelve X3 Dusting Hen With Insect Powder Be fore Setting, to Kill Vermin. to fifteen, according to the size of the hen. If eggs become broken while the hen is setting, replace the nest with new, clean material and wash the eggs in lukewarm water bo as, to remove all broken egg material from them. Many eggs that are laid are infer tile. For this reason it is advisable to set several hens at the same time. After the eggs have been under the hen for seven days they should be tested as to whether they are fertile or infertile. Infertile eggs should be removed and used at home in cook ing or for omelets, and the fertile eggs should be put back under the hen. In this way it is often possible to put all the eggs that three hens originally started to sit on under two hens and reset the other hen again. A good homemade egg tester or candler can be made from a large shoe box or any box that is large enough to go over a lamp by removing an end and cutting a hole a little larger than the size of a quarter in the bottom of the box, so that when it is set over a common kerosene lamp the hole in the bottom will be opposite the blaze. A hole the size of a silver dollar should be cut in the top of the box to allow tv heat to escape. An infertile egg, when held before the small hole with a lamp lighted inside the box, will look perfectly clear, the same as a fresh one, while the fertile egg will show a small dark spot, known as the embryo, with a mass of little blood veins extending in all directions if the" embryo is living. The testing should be done in a dark room. If the eggs hatch unevenly, those which are slow In hatching may be placed under other hens, as hens often get restless after a part of the chick ens are out, allowing the remaining eggs to become cooled at the very time when steady heating is necessary. Hens should be fed as soon as possi ble after the eggs are hatched, as feed ing tends to keep them auiet; other-, m X ...Fl rV-iy"" EGGS ESSENTIAL Arrangement of Outdoor Brooders. wise many hens remain on the nest and brood the chickens for at least twenty-four "hours after the hatching is over. Chickens hatched during the winter should be brooded in a poultry house or shed, while the outside weath er conditions are unfavorable; after the weather becomes settled, they should be reared in brood coops out of doors. Brood coops should be made so that they can be closed at night to keep out cats, rata, and other ani mals, and enough ventilation should be allowed so that the hen and chicks will have plenty of fresh air. Hens will successfully brood ten to fifteen chickens in the early breeding sea' son, and eighteen to twenty-five in warm weather, depending upon the size of the hen. The hen should be confined in the coop until the chicks are weaned, while the chickens are allowed free range after they are a few days old. When hens are allowed free range and have to forage for feed for them selves and chicks they often take them through wet grass, where the chicks may become chilled and die Then, too, in most broods there are one or two chicks that are weaker than the others, and if the hen is al lowed free range the weaker ones often get behind and out of hearing of the mother's cluck and call. In most cases this results in the loss and death of these chicks, due to becom ing chilled. The loss in young chicks due to allowing the hen free range is undoubtedly large. Chickens frequently have to be caught and put into their coops dur ing sudden storms, as they are apt to huddle in some hole or corner where they get chilled or drowned. They must be kept growing constant ly if the best results are to be oh tained, as they never entirely recov er from checks in their growth even for a short' period. Hens should be left with the chicks as long as they will brood them. TIME TO INVEST IN MULES War Is Having as Great Influence on Industry as on Market for Meat Animals. To the man who has feed, but who hesitates to invest in cattle or sheep, either because of the high initial cost or the uncertain prospects at selling time, may occur the idea of feeding young horses or mules. The war is having fully as great an influence on the horse and mule business as on the market for meat animals. Seemingly, therefore, the present time is most propitious for buying young mules. They may be bought $25 to $35 lower than usual, and when they are three or four years old there is every reason to believe they can be sold for $25 to $50 a head more than in an ordinary year heretofore. Growing mules will have a greater value than usual during the next two or three years, in case owners want to borrow money on them. In buying mule colts, it is advis able to buy females. The cotton trade pays $15 to $25 a head more for mare mules than for males, because they are better shaped and look more trim. Mare mule colts will cost $5 or $10 a head more than males. Railroad con tractors and mine workers prefer male mules because they can stand more work, but the cotton trade pref erence for females overbalances this demand to the extent indicated. Kansas and Missouri are the great est surplus mule states. At the pres ent time It is possible to buy . any reasonable number of weaning mule colts within a radius of 100 miles, or less, of Kansas City, in a compara tively short time. Missouri posses ses about 350,000 mules. Kansas some thing less than 300,000. Each of the cotton growing states has between 200,000 and 300,000 mules, Texas more than 500,000, but they raise compara tively few mules. Raise All Your Feed. While it may be better to use some mill feeds during the winter, profitable dairying can be carried on with farm raised feeds alone. The man who has plenty of alfalfa hay and good corn need not worry about not having the elements of a balanced ration. If in addition he has silage he can afford to forget about the mills and their prod ucts. Save the Best Heifers. Good cows are scarce. Save the best heifers and grow them into big, useful cows. LIYE-STQCK-FRUIT-DAIRYINS-6ARDENIN6-FIELD CR0PS-SIL0S-PIGS FARM AND FIELD New Wrinkles In Progressive Agriculture TOLD IN AN INTERESTING MANNER PRUNING A RASPBERRY BUSH Canes That Have Borne Fruit Should Be Cut Away Soon as Possible Overcrowding Is Fatal. (By W. R. GILBERT.) ' The raspberry is too often left alone or prepared by rule of thumb methods only. When this is the case it is useless to look for good crops. The canes that have borne fruit should always be got rid of a3 soon as they performed this duty. Choose fine weather for this opera tion, and leave three or four young shoots to each stool. Manure and let them grow away until spring. Then if they appear very crowded, let the side shoots be shortened back before mid summer down to about six or eight leaves from the ground. By doing this the light and air will have free play, and without their ft rrssss, Harvesting a Fine Crop of Raspber ries. beneficial agency no good results can be had. The canes of the bushes must never be allowed to press one another. When this is the case good fruit is impos sible. Overcrowding is fatal to either fruit or flowers. The great object in pruning is to open the heart of the trees or bush, so as to admit the sunshine and air. The thicket of young suckers should also be removed. To form a raspberry hedge, plant the canes a foot apart, and train on wires. Cut out those that have borne, and train the young canes so that they are six inches apart. In regard to varieties, the very large kinds I consider very undesirable,' ex cept, as the dealer said, when asked1 "What are the utterly useless razors you have to offer made for?" "To sell." These mammoth varieties look well, but they lack the juice and the pecu liarly acid flavor of the raspberry. PLANT TREES WITH DYNAMITE Excellent Results Secured at Two New Jersey Experiment Stations Cost Is Little More. With peach trees planted at the Vineland substation of the New Jer sey experiment station, the average growth of the dynamited trees the first season was 794 inches, as com pared with an average growth of 655 inches for trees planted in the ordinary way. In all cases the ground was thoroughly plowed before planting. In another test in the same orchard there was a difference ranging from 652 Inches, or over fifty-four feet, of growth to 1,397 inches, or over 116 feet of growth per tree in favor of dyna miting. Similar results were obtained with peaches at New Brunswick, whereas the' apple trees showed prac tically no difference in the amount of growth between the trees planted with dynamite and those planted in the or dinary way. In all the tests made the percentage of trees living through the first season was practically the same under both methods of planting. The cost of planting was about five cents greater per tree for the dyna mited trees. Although no conclusions are drawn from the first year's work, the opinion is expressed that the use of dynamite for planting fruit trees is worthy of a thorough trial. Apples in Storage. If the apples In the cellar are not keeping well, carefully sort out every one that has the slightest speck of decay or broken skin, wrap the sound ones in a paper, pack loosely In boxes and barrels and keep them in a cool place. Second Year Pruning. Pruning the young tree the second season after setting consists primarily n removing the superfluous branches and in shortening the new growth. A -MSI- " VTW5TK3 Making the Farmers' Business Profitable L EXPRESSLY FOR OUR READERS TIMELY HINTS OF SHEEPF0LD Animals of Medium Grade Lack Condi tion and Quality Necessary to Bring Best Market Prices. Why are pure-bred sheep the best for mutton? Because both lambs and sheep of the medium grade lack the condition and quality necessary to bring the best prices on the market. Poorly bred sheep as a rule have long, loosely-coupled bodies with lit tle spring of rib and rough outline, and are coarse and often paunchy This class of animals is not desirable, and market buyers make the best of their bad points. A good thing to remember when lambing time comes on: A lamb that is so badly chilled that It appears to be dead, may be revived by pouring down its throat a half pint of warm milk, into which a tablespoonful of gin has been poured. If there is no gin in the house, dip the lamb in a tubful of warm water, dry it off with a rough cloth and place it near the stove. Get some warm milk into its stomach, if possible, and in a few minutes it will be as frisky as ever. A bunch of sheep will clean up the cornfield in which the stalks are left- standing in fine shaps. They strip on tne Diaaes ana pick up every kernel of stray corn left on the ground. The great loss of lambs is, In some Instances, due almost entirely to the fact that the ewes are allowed to run down and become weak before wean ing time. The quality of the marKet lamb de pends largely upon the first four weeks of its life. Given a good boost then, he will, with reasonably good care, prove very satisfactory at mar ket time. If sheepmen will take the pains to dip their sheep at least twice before the winter sets in they will save much loss from ticks and scab. This takes time and some trouble, of course, but it pays. Many farmers have the Idea that after sheep are shorn, the ticks will abandon them. Certainly they do to some extent, but they immediately go to the Iambs, where they find a com fortable nest and make life a burden to the youngsters. Buy a dipping tank and dip regularly twice a year. OVERSHOES FOR THE HORSES Device Built Over Regular Shoe Pre vents Anirrals From Slipping on Icy Pavements. A recently patented shoe, designed to save horses on icy streets, consists of an overshoe built to fit over the regular shoe and is kept in place by leather straps which fit neatly around the upper edge of the hoof, says Popu lar Mechanics. The overshoe has five large, sharp calks, the largest being in front. One calk on each side pre vents skidding or side slipping, while one on each point holds the foot firm ly on the pavement. It is made of malleable iron and adds but slightly to the weight of the foot. WINTER RATION FOR SHEEP Fine, Well-Bred Hay, Ensilage or Roots, With Grain Is Excellent , Overcrowding Is Bad. Feed is a great point in sheep grow ing. A good winter ration for mutton sheep consists of fine, well-bred hay, about four pounds of ensilage or roots, with a grain ration approximating the following: Two parts each of wheat bran, oats, corn, one part of oil meal, divided into two feeds a day. The prices for prime mutton are usually best In the winter, after the cull stuff is cleaned up, but the price generally stays on a profitable basis. Sheep are nervous animals and of rather delicate constitutions, and suf fer more from bad ventilation and overcrowding than any other animal on the farm. It is a mistake, there fore, to confine sheep during the win ter In close quarters. If kept dry. their fleece will keep them warm. BREED ONLY THE BEST SOWS Animals Showing Poor Feeding and Milking Qualities Should In All Cases Be Avoided. It is of very great importance that you use for breeding purposes animals that are easy reeders and good suck- lers. Sows In many lines of breeding show very poor feeding and milking qualities. The sow that can produce six pigs or more and bring them through to weaning time in good con dition is much more valuable to you than the one that will produce that number oi pigs and, on account of poor milking qualities, bring them to weaning time in poor condition. all means avoid poor sucklers and hard feeders. With a dozen kinds of taneces in vogue, baseball, football, basket ball, footracps and common walkine. there is reason to believe that modern male students tax their legs more than they do their heads. PLAN FOR CLEAN EGGS Sunshine Is Necessary for the Health of Laying Hens. ,oultryman Should Follow Nature's Plan and Make Winter Months Comfortable to Fowls Furnish Plenty of Nests. (By A. C. SMITH.) Sunshine is absolutely necessary for the health and vigor of the laying hen. Low windows should be set so that the sun will shine into every part of the house during some part of the day. Roosts should be placed on a level, and not too high, as the hens are apt to injure themselves either by crowding, falling or flying against a projection about the house. Keep the windows In the poultry house clean. A Trap Nest With Door Closed. Rub them repeatedly with old news papers. Sunshine in winter is the greatest of tonics. When poultrymen and farmers real ize that the sooner they follow na ture's plan and make the winter months as near like spring and sum mer months, the sooner they will real ize the height of their ambition win ter eggs. Getting winter eggs is really quite easy if given a little thought and study. Using the gray matter in your skull will make you a successful poultryman. Poultry keepers may easily reduce the percentage of dirty or soiled eggs, and losses entailed to insignificant fig ures. First, an ample number of nests is, of course, necessary, but an ample number means no more, than, and probably not as many as, are usually directed by poultry writers. Laying houses are, as a rule, provided with a sufficient number, but where the keeper falls down is in failing to sup ply enough nesting material and floor litter. Obviously the nesting material must be clean, or the eggs become soiled by Door Opened, Showing Position of Trigger When Trap Nest Is Set. contact, and it must be sufficient in quantity, or the eggs are often broken by dropping upon the hard floor of the nest. In houses where the drop ping boards are above the nests, and the custom is to sand the boards, small stones often drop into the nest and breakage results when newly laid eggs fall upon them. The condition of nests should be noticed daily, and the nesting material replenished when necessary. Plenty of nesting material prevents breakage and insures clean eggs. An ample and clean litter on the floor is also very essential when an A-l clean product is sought. Par ticularly is this true when the hens Door Removed to Show Position of Trigger When Door Is Closed. are allowed outdoors during wet weather. The litter acts as a foot mat for the hens on their way to the nests. Clean eggs bring better prices than dirty ones. Raise More Sheep. The domestic wool clip does not be gin to satisfy the home demand, and more and more we draw upon the for eign markets for our needs. The rem edy is to raise more sheep. Green Feed for Hens. Snrouted oats are a SDlendid green feed for hens in winter and may be quite easily supplied on any farm. They are fed when they have reached height of about three inches. PREPARE FOWLS FOR MARKET Dry-Picking Method Allowable for Broilers Only Attractively Dressed Poultry Sells Itself. Either scalding or the dry-picking" method can be used for fowls intended for market, but for broilers only the dry-picking method is allowable. A chick only a few weeks old is a very tender bird,, but if scalded it will be found Impossible to pick it without occasionally rubbing a little of the skin off. These spots will darken and give the broiler a stale look. The scald ing will also increase the tendency to decay. With dry picking not only will the bird keep much longer, but the natural firmness of the flesh pre vents all fear of skinning. The more neatly a crcass ia dressed, the better the chance to sell it to a good trade. Attractively dressed poultry sells itself, while inferior stuff goes begging. Dry picked poultry will stand larger shipments than those that are scalded. The carcass should be dressed Im mediately after being killed. To al low the feathers to remain on for several hours will hasten decomposi tion. When scalding poultry for market it is best to first dry-pick the legs, so that they will not necessarily be placed in the water and change color. Neither the heads nor the feet should touch the water. The water ought to be as near the boiling point as pos sible, without boiling. KEEPS COWS' STALLS CLEAN Device Shown In Illustration to Pre vent Animals From Standing in Gutters With Hind Feet. The sketch shows a device to keep the cows from standing in the gutter with their hind feet and making a filth in the stall when they step out, then lying down in the mess, writes A. C. Dillon of Lincoln County, Colo., In Farmers Mail and Breeze. Some have, the habit where movable stanchions Fig. 1 The Device. Fig. 2 In Use. are not used. This device works to perfection and sometimes cures cows of the habit. You will need two pieces of 2 by 4. Cut them to fit your gutter as shown in Fig. 1. Angle off one end so the cow does not lie on a sharp corner, make two half-diamond cuts In these pieces and set in the cross pieces. These are made of 3 by 3 and are se curely nailed. If the gutter is very wide you may have to put in three strips, as a cow used to standing in the gutter will soon find she can get her feet down between the strips. If you have two or more cows that have this trick stand them together. You can make the strips long enough for several cows and put extra 2 by 4 pieces in to support the strips. Lift the rack and place it back to the wall before turning out the cows. This de vice effectively cures your heifers of the habit. Keep salt before the cows at aU times. Regularity In feeding is of supreme importance with the dairy cow. Keep the floors warm. Cold floors cause much loss in milk in winter. In salting butter one ounce of salt to a pound of butter is generally about right. Dairy barn ventilation should be fur nished by a system, not by cracks and drafts. The successful dairyman is the man who puts thought into his work. He is a student of conditions. Now about those cow stables. Don't forget that a hole in the side of the cow barn means a hole in the pocket. On warm days let the cows out in the yard for a change and to get In the sun. When cold keep them In the stables. Just can't afford to let the cows lose flesh or get a setback. Remem ber It costs money to get an animal In good condition. Many times the cow that does not yield a profit at the pail is just as liberal an eater at the manger as the cow that does mak you money every day. Feed cows daily one pound of gra'n for every three pounds of milk pro duced, twenty-five to forty pounds of corn silage, and what clover or alfalfa hay they will eat. Very frequently a cow that is only fair a3 to breeding and productive ca pacity will do better in the hands of a good dairyman than a good cow under poor management. BAlieYM)Tr$ s '
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 19, 1915, edition 1
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