Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-05-04
AGRICULTURAL.
Devoted to the Interests Of Farmers
and St0ckmen.
Value of Straw.

Said a well-known farmer: "The
time has come when every man should
bale his straw as soon as threshipg is
over, and what he cannot use ship to
Portland and sell for seventy five cents
per cwt. or whatever it will bring. He
should have his own feed MILL or there
should be one owned in every neigh
borhood, and farmers should thus CO.
operate to be able to grind their own
meal"
Now, every man should have a tank
or boiler for steaming stock feed. The
cut straw should be put in the boiler,
and meal or chop mixed with it, and
when steamed or cooked it should be
fed to stock. This feed will keep cat
tie gaining and make them fat enough
for beef.
Any farmer can have cattle worth
raising and fattening, and should uti-
lie his straw for that purpose. His
oats, wheat, barley or corn can be
ground into meal or chop, and by
mixing with straw and cooking and
stea ming you can make beef or feed
milk COWS to advantage. When our
farmers get this far ahead there will
be no complaint made by the grange
that agriculture does not pay four
per cent. interest on the investment"
OF course it does not pay where men
use no judgment or are too lazy to
work, but here in the Pacific North
west, the best country to farm that is
known, any good farmer should earn
his living and clear ten per cent. per
annum upon the value Of the farm
and tools and the stock on the place
or on all the capital he has invested.
The farmer who burns his straw
sins against knowledge and deserves
no sympathy. Last summer, stand
ing on hill in sight of the state CAPT
toll, the writer saw columns of smoke
by day and fire by night, going up
towards heaven to bear witness against
Oregon farmers. 1t is criminal and
inexcusable. The time is come when
all this waste should stop, and straw
, become means of income. To farm
properly men should make all things
: around them that can be utilized a
source of income.
, A man with forty acre farm well
titled can raise grain, roots, fruits and
vegetables; can fatten sheep, pork anc
beef and sell wool; can sell live stock
, and poultry; make butter and sci
eggs and honey, and put to shame
the showing of many farmers, so
called, who now pretend to cultivate
a whole section of land.-P0rtland Ore
gontdn
e This is generally month of abund
ant rain on the Pacific Coast. Sc
, that the poultry yards are we'll drained
I and that all depressions where muddy
e filthy water may collect are filed ur
0 AS rule shortlegged fowls will
r fatten more rapidly than those "wel
r up ON their pins" This is importan
to the broiler raiser, as his object is t.
!. get nice plump chick as soon a
! possible.
= A good supply of dry earth and fin
:, gravel will be found great conver
= fence during the winter months. TIL
= gravel supply should not be neglecte
- until the creeks are running full {
water, and it is impossible 10 get it,
!, Almost the entire crop of hem
grown in the United States is raised j
. Kentucky. The total is about IL
. 600 900 pounds. But the annual pre-
:, duct of the manufacturers of cordag
y in the United States is ten times a
- great, or 120,0O0,0OO pounds.
:, The best roots for horses in winte
3 is the carrot. Give two or three messe
n a week, though when they are plenty
= feed some every day with oats or othe
4 grain, the ration of which may be pre-
- portionately diminished.
l. A damp roosting place is an abom
n nation and yet fowls prefer a we
e roost free from lice to dry one co,
h cred with vermin, which sap thei
e blood and strength. This will explai
e why some peoples chickens prefer t
lr roost in trees.
" If eggs are the main desideratum i
- keeping fowls, avoid short-legged fowl
10 of any breed. They rarely lay we
the second year on account of layin
" on too much fat, while fowl wit
:, good length of leg will ordinarily la
=, wen until Inree years OF age.
e, When scalding hogs, if the water b
ID too hot the hair will not come off 8
Re readily as if the temperature be lowe
r. Boiling water discolors the skin.
n temperature of 1907 is warm enoug
st for young hog, but there are som
y hogs that require as high as 1902.
& slab or smooth surface permits of tn
Is work being done in cleaner manne
d than when a rough bench or table
2 used.
Some years ago benevolentminde
,e people denounced the dehorning {
n cattle as cruel practice, only worth
n of barbarians. Lately the stock jou
IA nails of the country have asserted til
or contrary, and cite proof that the OF
lie Grafton of cutting off the horns of
/ IL FL