The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-07-11
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Pigeon Raising for PROFIT.


there is great loss of the young birds. There
are some killed by cats, some by hawks.
Others are shot as they fly to and from the
fields bordering the village, and a large per
cent. of them are caught in traps by boys
Only small and inexpensive building Is
needed to eonine them. For so pairs, o house
about 10 feet by 20 feet, the upper story Of
the hen house, or other building being prefer
able to setting the house on the ground The
yard should be about 20 feet by 80 feet, and
not less than 10 feet high. Cover the top
and sides with wire.
One Of the important points in keeping
pigeons is to have the same number Of each
sex, If there is an extra male, he will make
an attempt to secure a mate from the other
males, and thus break up the matings, "a we'll
as keep the colony in perfect turmoil He
must be taken ont OF mate for him must be
procured from elsewhere.
Keep the house and yard clean, and place
plenty of litter on the floor for nest materials.
Lice are very destructive to pigeons, and
must never be allowed to become established,
as they will render the flock Improbable
Pigeons should be kept supplied with
plenty of wheat, as well as with boxes %
ground bone and meat, charcoal, ground
oyster shells, and rock salt where they can
help themselves. salt Goldfish is some
times hung up where they can pick it, and
chopped cabbage or other vegetable food NAV
be placed where they can use these, if they
prefer them.
They will hatch and raise from sir TO 10
pairs Of squads year. If kept in confine-
ment, pigeons will thrive well, as long as all
their wants are supplied and lice are not al
lowed TO Overrun their quarters. Water
should always be plentiful, and rOosts should
he placed here and there in the yards at diff
ferent nights, so as to permit them to enjoy
the open air.
Mellow Soil and Plant Food.
Even the poorest soil contains much PLAN
food, but much of it is not available for abs
sorptiOn by the roots of the plants Thus,
Prof Snyder, of Minnesota, has shown that
in the average wheat producing soils there is
sufficient nitro9en for 125 successive crops Of
wheat. But much of it is insoluble chemical
action and fermentation in the soil being
needed to set the plant food free. BY fire.
quent cultivation and keeping the soil mellow
and well mixed with air, it will not only re-
main more moist during drouths, but much
more plant food will become available. Deep
blowing IN the Fall is most useful, but done
in the Spring it may leave the under soil too
open and bring too much unchanged earth TO
the top. Thus the weeds do some good by
requiring Summer cultivation.
American Flax for Fiber.
Flax is grown for the seed from Ohio tS 10
Dakotas, although, as vet, little attentie @
paid to the fiber. At the Minnesota So. -
at Fargo, fax has proved an especially ggsS
yielder of seed, and of fiber as well and tins
variety is being used as a basis for selection
and crossing. White-blOssomed Dutch fax
does not do well in the rather dry American
climate. 1t has been thought necessary to
use h;xseed imported from Russia for grow
ing fiber, or at least that which has been
grown only one or two years in western
Europe, where it is the custom to get part Of
the seed every year from Riga and vicinity.
The experiments OF Prot. Hays indicate, how
ever, that the States west of the Great Lakes
are quite as good source of haxseed for
America, and possibly for the growers OF flax
fiber in western Europe, as is Russia. 1t is
noteworthy that this flax is grown on wheat
land. and would replace that staple to some
extent.
American Meat I'm Germany.
The United States Department of Agri-
culture is publishing series of reports on
''The Worlds Markets for American Prod
ucts." Bulletin 2 of this series treats Of
the German Empire, and is of special inter-
est because of the amount of American meat
products consumed there The reports do
not show separately the number of pounds OF
dressed beef ham, bacon, and canned meats
consumed they show, however, the money
value of the importations of these articles.
10 ola haf
considerable adverse criticism in Germany
on the use of our meat products, but says
that when merchants and those who deal in
them are visited and interviewed on the sub
ject to ascertain what the defects or injurious
qualities really are, no one seems to have any
reasons to give. The objection seems to be-
based entirely upon prejudice.
In spite of the prejudice, canned meats
have become popular with the German PEG.
pie, but the opinion regarding American ham
and bacon differs. At Mannheim and Frank
fort large quantities are sold at present, and
the agent OF the Department of Agriculture
was informed by the merchants there that
they cannot readily get the quantities they
could dispose of.
1t is well known how stringent the German
food laws are and if our products were aduk
terated the Government would long before
This have prohibited the sale, as they take adj
vantage of every opportunity to issue pro.
hibitive orders against our exports. Tho
agent was informed by leading lard refiner
in the city of Berlin that, inasmuch as
American hogs are principally fattened ON
maize and maize products, the meat Is not
equal to the German product.
The total amount of dressed beef, canned
meats, sailed, smoked, and cured bacon,
ham, etc, from the United States consumed
in Germany Inst year was 81 ,297, 200 pounds,
out of total importation of 81, O29, 720
pounds, showing that the United States sup
Piled more than half of these products. The
declared value of the importatiOns from the
United States was S3,037, $50. Any Of our
readers wishing this bulletin can obtain it by
writing the Secretary of Agriculture, Washs
lngton, ID. G.
Repairs for Harvesting Machinery.
All kinds of moving and reaping machine
cry are much cheaper than they were few
years ago. But in some cases the manufac-
turers put inferior material into their work,
so that more repairs are needed, and these
always come very high. The separate pieces
cost enough more than they should to make
up the deficiency in price Of the completes
machine, which competition obliges them to
,uhD,;+ 10 When thew have sold a machine