The National tribune., 1894-11-22
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

wheat IN 1873, 81 The varieties giving the
largest yields in 1891 were New Michigan
Amber, Yellow Gipsy, Crate, Rock Velvet,
Royal Australian, Currel's Prolific, DiehI
Mediterranean, and Missouri Blue Stem.
The variety tests at the Station did not sus-
tain the claims made for wonderful produc-
ti'eness of kinds recently introduced. Some
of these appear to be identical with WELL
known varieties
The results of seven years experimenting
at the Station with oats show that it is not
advisable to pillow the land in the Spring if
the crop follows corn, the use of the disk
harrow giving better results; that the seed
should be sown near the last of March or
first OF April; that if sown broadcast il is
better to sow from two and One-half to three
and one-half bushels PEI acre, covering the
seed not more than one or two inches deep;
that there is no one variety greatly superior
to all others, so that it is not wise to put
full credence in the claims often made for
new varieties; that some varieties are, how
ever, distinctly better than some Others;
that neither color nor plumpness Of kernels,
nor weight per bushel, nor the form of the
head certainly determines value; but that,
generally. varieties with long, slender, COM
paratively light kernels have the smallest
percentage of husk, and probably the great
est feeding value; that early maturing va
rlet1es are to be preferred TO those ripening
later; that il is desirable 10 harvest the crop
before it has fully ripened, and that binding
and shocking the sheayes at once is an adj
vantage rather than disadvantage, if the
grain Is IN fit condition for cutting.
Chicken Cholera and It's Prevention.
Why submit to heavy losses from this
disease? Up to April, 1894, this disease
had not been on the Experiment farm to our
knowledge. Early in that month hen be-
came sick and dumpish, with dark comb.
All food and water refused. 1t was thought
useless to treat this case but EPSON salts
by copious watering, put in the mouth with
a spoon. The hen was placed in warm,
sunny place, isolated from usual runs, and
recovered very slowly.
Another hen died in few days and then
another and cockerel, and several persons
who had had experience with cholera pro-
nounced this disease TO be cholera. The
hen and cockerel died near night, and next
morning two other hens were dead and eight
more were in different stages of the disease.
Treatment was begun at once. Two hens
were killed and buried as those previously
dead had been. The six were brought out
into the sunlight and given salts and water.
The house and yard were thoroughly dis
infected with one pint of strong sulphuric
acid to eight gallons of water, as suggested
in poultry books. The hens themselves were
sprayed with this. Their drinking water
was charged with carbclic acid zone teaspoon
ful to half gallon water, and asafostida was
put in their food at the rate one hesping
tablespoon to the food of 80 chickens.
The next morning six hens could not get
off the roost, though all but two had gone
up as usual the night previous after their
treatment. These were treated as before
and put outside the yard. Before night all
but four hens were walking about pecking
grass. After three days of isolation these
four were returned to.the yard cured, and
all have been in good health since. Six
hens and q coekerel were lost before the
health of the flock was restored by the treat
ment as given above.
Had we known the disease at first, it is
doubtful if a single bird need to have been
lost. Promptness to disin.e feet and treat the
sick birds will save many losses. The
doses of salts, not before recommended to my
knowledge, doubtless help rid the birds of
the cholera bac ILL sooner han If it had not
been given, and so fastened the eradication
of the disease. The asa .etida acts as q
stimulant to help keep the birds
warm.
The drinking water was for some days
kept charged with carbOlic acid, and all that
is now needed to secure immunity from
another attack is q second thorough disin-
lection and to continue for some time the
addition of carbolic acid to the drinking
E. Emery, AgrieultHrist, ". O.
Experiment Station.
Feed Well for Market.
Farmers annually sustain a heavy loss
in the selling of their horses through not
having them in fit condition for the market,
says a writer in the Breeders Gazette.
This applies to all kinds and breeds Of
horses which leave the farm, and there
never was time when it paid as well to
have horses real fit for selling as it does at .
the present time. do not advise fieshing
horses up like hogs-very far from it-but
q liberal and judicious system of feeding
combined with sufficient exercise will in
variably yield good return, no matter
whether the horse is kept working on the
farm or intended for the market. Many
people will say that horses are so cheap
that there is no profit in feeding them lib
orally. If this be so there is still less profit
in stunning or starving them. During the
past season horse buyers have frequently
urged the farmers to get their horses into
good selling condition, otherwise they could
not buy them at any price. When times
were brisk, q few years ago, horses would
sell at profit no matter how thin in con-
iition. Now things have changed. Ordi-
nary and even fairly good young horses
yield but small margin of profit even
when properly marketed, but if thin in flesh
Dr. otherwise unfit, loss, and sometimes
Iuite heavy one, is inevitable.
As to the kinds of grain to use, let this
depend largely on what the farmer has
readily at hand or is of the lowest market
value At the present market prices oats,
wheat and bran would seem most ecOnOmi-
al, but all grain should, if possible, be
mixed with chopped hay, straw or corn
talks. This roughens the leed-prevents
boiling and is consequently less danger
,us than in feeding grain alone. Carrots,
urnips and other roots should also be
crown more extensively and be more freely
ised as horse feed.
Another word of advice scarcely less
,eeded is to have all horses thoroughly