Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-01-25
Agricultural Notes.
IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD SIRE.

One of our Kansas Creamery pat
rons had two heifer calves in success
sion from an old red COW, one by 9
Holstein and the other by short.
horn. In a seven days test the Hol.
stein heifer with her third calf pro.
duced 2.3 pounds of butter per day,
and for the same time the Short horn
with her second calf produced 1.1
pounds of butter Per day; the Holstein
giving milk eleven montns of the
year and the Short horn only five
months. This speaks very emphat.
ically as to the value of good sire
in raising dairy cows.
Out of eighty two patrons OF the
Meriden Creamery from which we
have reports for 1897, there we're
only nineteen, or twenty-three per
cent, that were using pure blood
sires; aud two of these had Herefords,
and one an Aberdeen Angus, animals
that as brood are unfit for profit
able production of milk. This leaves
seventy seven per cent that bred to
grades or common bulls of no partic-
ular breed. Some of those bred to
any kind of bull they could find to
get fresh cows. One man bred to q
Red Polled because he was working
for red color. Another man did not
know what kind of bull he had last
year, but said he had fine one this
year. When asked the breed he re-
piled, "Don't know guess he is Red
Polled.' Right here lies the secret
of many of the low yields of our Kan
sas cows. Our farmers little realize
how extravagant they are in using q
common or ordinary bull. Their
short sighted policy leads them to
believe that because good animal
costs 500 it would be money thrown
away to invest, when in reality 1t
would be money in their pockets. A
dairyman can much better afford to
pay 800 for good bull than to ao-
cept a poor one as gift.
D. H. OTIs.
VETERINARY SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY.
j. w. Kibley, one of the leading
cattle men of Butler county, was at
the Agricultural College, January 5.
to make arrangements for obtaining
sufficient vaccine to protect 300
calves against blackleg. This vac
cine is furnished free by the Ve5eri-
nary Department to those farmers
and stockmen of Kansas who request
it.
Twenty-Five students have regis
tered for dairy bacteriology.
Two additional microscopes have
been ordered for class work in biology.
The junior class in biology consist
of sixty students, divided into six
sections. Each section meets one
afternoon per week for laboratory
practice.
The microscope and it's manipula-
tion was the subject under discussion
for the first week in biology.
The Veterinary Department has
several fine prepared specimens of
Taenia fimbratata, obtained at tho
time of the investigation Of this dis
ease in Logan county, when nearly
300 out of sos sheep died of this form
of tapeworn disease.
GREENHOUSE NOTES.
Beds have now been placed under
all the high benches in the propiga-
ting houses. Here we can store a
large lumber of bedding plants till
the hot beds and cold frames can be
used. We hope to produce enough
of plants to supply number of beds
on the lawn next spring.
An excellent collection of chrysan-
themum sprouts have been received
from Mr.. Raymond Miller, a florist
in Abilene, Kansas.
The chrysanthemums that bloomed
last year have been turned out of the
pots, and the sprouts potted in small
pots. We hope to be able to give a
larger and more complete chrysan-
themum show next year.
A large pumber of cuttings have
been made from coleus, geraniums,
and altermanthera, also a number
have been made from the forcing
roses and carnations.
The Gala lilies are showing som, +,
very fine blooms The bulbs that
were potted and put away in the cool
cellar have filled the pots with roots,
and we are bringing them to the light
and heat as the blooms are wanted.
w. III. MOORE.
ALFALFA HAY AS A PORK PRODUCER,
Alfalfa hay is worth $I7.OO per ton
when fed with Kaffir corn to fattenina
hogs; according to the result of expert.
ments now under way.
To obtain further information on