The record-union., 1891-01-27
FARM And ORCHARD.
The Farmer Should be Posted in
His Business.
He Must Understand the Best Methods
of Raising Crops and Feeding Stock
Skim Milk the Best Food for Pigs
General Farm Notes.


commendable features is very much lack
ing in giving instruction in the special
lines that interest the agriculturist. While
to many of us this cannot now be reme-
died, to our profit, yet to the future
farmer better facilities should be open for
acquiring practical knowledge in those
branches that are of permanent import
ance in thoroughly understanding his
business.
But to the young farmer who has
passed his school days, and to the older
farmer, who keeps his faculties awake to
acquiring knowledge, there should be
avenues opening up, in measure at
least, these fundamental principles that
have heretofore been closed to them.
There are earnest readers of the farm
press with its vast fund Conformation;
but not many of these have now the in
clination, time or money to have a library
of books tor study and reference, as they
might have had, if early education had
been what it should have been. But now
what is the best practicable plan to secure
the much-needed information? The
farmer reads of albuminoids, carbo-hy
drates, fat, protein, chlorophyl mineral
and woody fibre, nitrogen, ammonia,
phosphates, super-phosphates, ad i,,fn-
at'tan, and they are as much of a tumble in
his mind and of as little use to him as
many of the so-called popular medical
books or veterinary advisers with their
technical jaw-breaking words.
Cannot our great minds that are fan1il-
lar with these, to them, common things,
give series of articles making them
plain to the common people. We believe
no greater service could be done at this
time than such work. There are many
practical farmers who know something of
these things but who do not feel capable
of explaining to others.
More and more is it becoming necessary
that the farmer must be a thoroughly
posted man in his business. He must I'M
derstand the best method of raising crops,
and the feeding of the same. How can he
do this without thorough knowledge of
the properties of his soil, and what its
merits are; what are the constituents of
his manure or of the fertilizers he may
try; what are the elements of the differ
ent crops proposed to be raised; what
kinds of food are necessary to produce in
his stock muscle. fat and meat? These
and a thousand other questions demand
his attention, and upon the proper solu
ton of them, coupled with practical COM
mon sense in applying the knowledge
gained, will depend his future success or
failure. The farmer of the future must
be thinker as well as a practical observer
and worker. The winter months, when
the mind is active, is the time to study
and plan for the work of another crop
season. In many ways the farmer has
been rudely awakened to the fact that he
must think more for himself. The pres
ent time is one of disaster and depression
to agricultural interests, but we believe
that in the end great good will come of it.
We look for farmers to make more adj
vancement in the next decade than they
have made in the past quarter of q cen-
tury. We have been led by others or al
lowed ourselves to drift with the current
until we have nearly reached the rapids
where only the most strenuous efforts will
save from ruin. The farmer is now par
tally awake to his position. There are
two lines of thong hit and action open to
him-one in regard to economic questions
with its remedial legislation; the other in
the thorough study of his business as sug-
gested above, becoming conyersant with
his capital stock, that is, his farm in all
its capabilities. To the knowledge of
these things let the winter months be
given.-Prairie Farmer.
ABOUT GUINEA FOWLS.
1t is doubtful whether, under proper
management. any description of poultry
is so profitable upon farm as guinea
fowls. Time was when they were so deli
cate and tender to rear that the trouble
they occasioned could scarcely be re-
paid, but they have now become COM
pletely acclimatized and in suitable To-
caiities will rear as easily as will pleas
ants or cartridges, without human inter
ference. And yet they are but little kept,
and are often found very difficult to man
age. One reason of this is that for the
most part they are so inbred as greatly to
increase the delicacy of their constitution.
Only treat them nationally, however, pro-
cure healthy birds unrelated to each
other, and the worst trouble is at once
dispensed with.
Guinea-fowls, as is well known, are
very prolific layers. A very large per-
centage, too, of their eggs prove fertile
The shells are so hard they rarely or
never get broken in the nest. After the
first fortnight or so the chicks grow and
feather much quicker than poultry chick
ems. while with free range they get, till
winter sets in, nearly all the food they re-
quire in the grass field, where they APP
propriate the grass seeds, and on the fal-
lows, where they look well after insects.
etc. In this manner, they grow apace,
and if killed before frost and snow, by de-
priving them of their natural food, de-
prive them also of their chicken flesh, few
II any OF our game birds can compare
with them for delicacy of meat and de-
hcious flavor. Owing, however, to their
being in season long after poultry have be-
gun to lay and nest, and when pheasants
and cartridges are out of season, they are
rarely killed till spring, when a good
clearance is always experienced for them
at remunerative prices.
They are less harmful then poultry, very
rarely scratching, and may even be
reared in a kitchen garden without APP
preciable damage to the plants or crops,
their chief draw back being their puenac-
ity with other birds, which renders them
unwelcome occupants of yard where
there are other poultry, but if
kept and fed at some distance from
others this is easily obviated.
To those intending rearing guinea fowls
l would say, be sure your stock is unre-
lated. The first eggs must be set under
hens, and about the twenty-sixth day the
little ones will make their appearance. 1t
is necessary to keep them with their
foster-mother in an inclosed place for
about n week till they become accus-
toned to her. Otherwise, failing to
recognize her voice. they will stray away
with the great danger of being lost.
Feed at first upon mixture of bread
crumbs, sweet curd, chopped egg and
chopped lettuce and onion tons. The
whole, made very fine, must never be
allowed to get sour or stale, and should
be given in alternate meals with n few
greats. a little chicken rice and canary
seed, ut first every hour, but when they
can be allowed their liberty, three or four
times a day will be sufficient, never at
any time giving more than they can
clear up. Ii it is possible to locate them
under the hay-stacl, they will look after