The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-04
FARM NOTES.
A CHAPTER ON SAVING POTATOES
AND ONE ON TURF OATS.
How TO Poison Chicken Hawks-The Boil
Worm and Its Peculiarities
Described.

This department is edited by Capt John
C. Edgar of Duval, to whom all correspon-
dence should be Addressed
To the Agricultural Editor of Statesman.
MAXWELL. Tex, May 27-SIR:
see in THE STATESMAN of May 81 you
confess that YOU have made a first
class failure every time you nave trled
to keep Irish potatoes. | Will try and
tell you how kept my little crop last
year. We picked them up close atter
the pillow, and as soon as we got atwo
bushel basket full we carried them and
piled them down in one corner OF the
crib to keep the sun from burning
them. But before emptying them on
the floor we sprinkled lime over the
floor, then every time we put basket
full en- the pile we sprinkled lime over
them. put up thirty bushels. l am
sure we did not lose a peck. We had
potatoes all the fall and saved our seed
potatoes out of the spring crop, and
they come up fully as well as the north
ern seed and are keeping as well.
A SUBSCRIBER.
OATS.
To Agricultural Editor Statesman.
SIR expected to have been able
To send YOU some information about
winter turf oats, but have failed to
catch up with the right party to posi-
me. But while hunting information
about turf oats came across another
variety which is gaining big reputa-
tion in Tennessee. l have seen the
oats. and they will fill your bill exactly
thew are known here as the Clay oats,
but are really the Burt or Brit. l do
not know which, and are OF Georgia
orig n The gentleman who introduced
the CLAW oats was the first to intro
duce the Texas red rust proof oats
here many years ago. He says, the
CLAY oats is as far ahead OF the IeXas
red rust proof oats as that was ahead
of our other kinds of oats. The Clay
oats is three weeks earlier than any
other kind, and actually rust proof.
The head and the grain is larger
and with a better straw, and
not subject to mould under
the band in the shock. They have
also stood the winter we'll here for
three or four years. He says that he
believes the oats would do we'll in
Central Texas, that it could be sown
| in the fall and that two crops could be
raised lust the same as Irish potatoes,
as he has seen them fully matured
where the seed had fallen from the
wa gon when hauling from the thresher
| He expects to make a test OF the
second crop this season and l think
shall do the same. If you would lik'
to try the oat let me know and l will
get YOU some pure seed. They will b
worth about 81 or 81 % per bushel.
Yours, etc,
Brunswick, Tenn. II. q. L.
HAWKS AND CHICKENS.
The greatest impeachment to CHECKER
raising in Texas, especially in the tim
bered sections, is the number ant
voracity of the hawks.
The experience on my ranch is tina
hawks, snakes and polecats destro.
about 30 per cent of all chicken
Matched, and that other pests and all
ments SO reduce the balance as t.
leave not more than one.third OF tn
original stock to reach maturity.
| OF all the enemies of the CHECKER
tribe the hawk is the most annoyin
and worst to deal with. Once in
long while one of them will alight in
spring trap and die the death, bu
;they, like rats, seem to have an in
tuitive sense of the danger of sue
contrivances and avoid them; and h
must be a patient and expert gunne
who gets them on the wing.
You may load up your old shotgun
and walk around your premises fror
daylight till noontide without seein
the enemy, but he has seen you
and the dinner bell that called yo
to refreshment was the signal for hi
midday meal. Before you had got tn
first taste of that aged rooster whic
your loving wife had stewed tender TO
You, his hawkship has swooped dow
and scooped up one OF your plumpes
lspring chickens. II ever q goo
Christian should be excused for pre-
lfanity it is at such a moment.
| The nux vomica treatment find
flavor with many people who declar
that it is poison to hawks, but not t.
chickens. Writing on this subject IL
Home and Farm, Patsy Shamburge
says:
II have used nux vomica in the fee,
of my chickens for years past ant
| newer AneW III 10 lnJure Unem IN TN
least, though have heard it said tina
If fed continuously it would kill yer,
young chickens. 1 mix a level tea
spoonful of the nux vom!ca with 9
quart of dry cornmeal, stirring wei
before adding water enough tc
thoroughly moisten it; just enough tC
make the dough stick together, and
give to the chickens early In the fore
noon. If the hawks are numerous
repeat the dose in the afternoon.
III continue this treatment
for three or four days
then wait several days before repeat
ing, then do not give it at all when
| the hawks cease coming.
| If a hawk eats one of these chickens
with its crop full Of poison dough it
will not live to take another. l sup
pose that after the system is complete
ly inoculated with the poison that the
flesh would have bitter taste and in
a measure disgust the hawk, but per-
haps not kill it. ! always try to man
age SO that it will take one with its
crop full OF the flesh poisoned dough,
then / know that it will not repeat