The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-01-10

~ 6ASC lCly, Oil Nhopid5 VI
blossoms may be a in any farm
house window all winter.
Protect Young Orchard.
If there is no snow on the ground and
the soil is not frozen too hard it will
pay to do some work to protect the
young orchard from the attacks of
rabbits and field mice. Take a supply
Of long, coarse straw, or better, burlap,
to the orchard and place a handage
about the tree reaching from the earth
for a foot or more. Before doing this
rake off all the leaves or other trash
around the tree for a distance, of two
or three feet from it. If the ground Is
covered with snow it will pay to go
through the richard and tramp the
snow down firmly about h base or
each tree. Mice work under the snow
when 1t is soft, but will not burrow
through hard packed snow. If any or
the trees have been gnawed by rabbits
or mice they should be bandaged with
thin cloth over which is tied another
bandage of the burlap. It will be some
work and trouble to go through the or
chard as suggested, but it will pay to
do it.
Plant Small Trees.
AS a rule the call from nurserymen
is for large fruit trees. Fruit grow
ers rarely make the mistake Of ordering
trees five or six years old, but farmers
frequently fall into this error. Two
year-old trees, with the exception OF
peach trees, which should be one year
from the bud, are the best for planting
especially where large numbers are 10
be set and if h soil was rich and well
prepared it would be as well, and some
cheaper, to set 1-year-old trees II hey
were strong and Well-grown. The young
tree has more small roots, Is dug In the
nursery with less injury and Will STAND
packing and transportation much bet
ter than the older tree, hence IS IN pet
ter condition to take hold in the new
sol and grow thriftily. If planning to
set an orchard next spring keep this
advice III mind. 81
Feeding Sheep P~rofitabiy.
There is much difference of opinion
among sheep raisers as to the value OF
corn fodder. After several years ex-
perience in the use of corn fodder Tor
sheen the, writer has concluded that 1t
Is profitable when made a small part
OF the ration and fed after shredd1ng.
Fed without cutting or ~shredding II Is
simply wasted. In some sections sheep
men have used shredded corn s.over
entirely as roughage, but this plan has
not worked we'll with us. By using
good hay, clover or timothy every al
iernate day with the shredded corn
slower, the results have been sat1sfac-
terry. especially when the sheep had
roots once a day and were on a varied
ration OF grain, oats, bran and corn
meal. It is not intended that the corn
stoyer. even If shredded, h supply
more than the roughage, for the grain
and root feed must be liberal to carry
the sheep through the winter in gooG
shane. The cost in money or labor IN
the corr slower for any stock
a considered offset by the added value
in manure.
Start the Incubator.
TT Is. OF course, too early to start the
tncnbator on the farm to hatch out
any number of chicks, U 1t Is a good
time to obtain the needed practice. Fhe
Incubator is no longer an experiment
and Is just as essential on the farm as
IN hands Of the professional breed
ar if the farmer expects to tax up
poultry raising to make money. There
are q nrmber of good ~incubators on
fhe market and it is safe to u any
one AZ them and operate it according to
rules and directions which come with
the machine. That is n directions
should be followed during the test Of
the machine and then let experience
assist. for it Will be found hat local
conditions often decidedly upset printed
directions. One can afford to spend a
month testing an incubator at this sea-
son of the year for it will put him in
shane to operate it much more success
fully when the season for earnest work
begins, in February and Mario.
For Winter Eggs.
Every man who goes into the poui-
try business with a view of supplying
e has in mind the profits which
must accrue from the sale of eggs dur
ing early winter. but many of these
men give little thought as to the best
methods Of producing these eggs. The
question of feed is an important one,
but does not. by any means. cover the