davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Western news., 1903-07-08

CEMENT AND BOARD FLOOR.
former. If the heap should begin to
heat, let it be drenched with water,
either from nearby we'll or from the
eaves-trough of the barn. Often the
manure heap can be located so that wa
ter can be conveyed directly upon it
from the pump by means of a spout.
Cow manure is considered cold and
slow to heat, but it has been my eX-
rerience that where all the liquids are
saved with the solids, the mass is much
more likely to heat. Where heat is
generated, and water can be turned on
as needed, decay will take place very
rapidly and the manure will soon be
in Il condition to become readily avail
able for the use of plants. With such
a foundation, and with water at hand
TO apply as needed, the dressing will
lose little or none of its valuable ele-
ments, entirely uncovered as it is.
l present also a diagram showing the
plan have recently adopted in village
stable for saving the solids and liquids
without loss. Two cow and two horse
stalls occupy closed room by them
selves in one end of the stable. desired
cement floor here, but could not well
make it's foundation upon the ground, as
the stable sets well up from the ground.
| therefore laid a double board floor,
slopng it toward the rear. Upon this
double floor was laid u coat of cement,
following the pitch of the floor to a
point little behind the stalls, at \.
From that point it pitches the other
way till the partition is reached, as
shown in the diagram.
The platforms of the stalls are raised
several inches above the inclined ce-
ment floor. All the liquid that runs
through the platforms will be conducted
down the inclined cement floor to the
point a, where it soaks into a lot oil
litter, sawdust, etc, with which the
floor behind the stalls is kept covered.
present this plan because it can wei
be adopted in barns and stables already
built, the incline being secured in the
coating of cement. since the board floor
will be level.
\ thin coat of cement behind the
stalls would be injured by the sharp
shoes of horses, but this will not occur
II the cement is kept well covered with
absorbents, that are removed as they
become saturated. Without some such
arrangement as this, large part of the
liquid manure is likely to leak down
through the floor and be lost in the
| ground beneath, or become menace
to health if the stable be adjacent to
ones house or we'll.
Both of these plans that are figured
call for no expenditure of money ex,
eept for the cement hat is needed, and
his is not large in amount.-Country
Gentleman.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
The Curse of Farming.

The first great lesson that we must
earn to avoid waste. That has been
he curse of farming. We pay taxes on
and that we do not farm; we only half
cultivate our fields, and so waste both
and and labor; we have large per.
centage of a crop in a field; we waste
time and capital raising inferior ami
mails; we waste money in buying what
we should raise ourselves; we waste en-
ergy in trying to do more than any one
man can do right; we waste opportuni-
ties to improve our condition by staying
away from institutes and by neglect
ing to read papers; we waste-in thou
sand and one ways we waste, and then
we are ready to say that farming
doesn't pay.-Troy IN. W Times.
4 A00vCvrT.TUR AT lR66
The Western news., 1903-07-08
PLANTING THE CORN.
Have the Soil Mellow and Fine and
Stirred Deep.

Have the Soil Mellow and Fine and
Stirred Deep. {.
If a good stand of corn is secured.
care must be taken first to have good
seed and then to plant under such con-
ditions as will bring quick germina-
tion of the seed and a thrifty start to
grow. Plants, like animals, are easily
stnnted when young, and no. after treat
ment will wholly overcome the effects
of stunting.
While it is best to plant reasonably
early, it is of no advantage to plant
when the soil is wet or cold, or before
1T has been carefully prepared. Better
delay the planting rather than to plant
under unfavorable conditions. Corn
is crop that should germinate in
short time after the seed is planted,
and the plants should make steady
growth to maturity.
Plow deep and thorough. If the
ground has been plowed during the
fall or winter go over it with disk
or spading harrow. It is an item to
have the soil mellow and fine and stirred
reasonably deep.
Taking one year with another, deep,
plowing or stirring of the soil before
planting should be the rule, with shall
low, thorough cultivation afterwards,
1t is only occasionally that it will be
best to plow or cultivate deep after the
plants are up Generally thorough stir
ring OF the soil keeping down the weeds.
and the soil fine and mellow, will give
better results than to plow or cult
vate deep.
Rather more and better corn can be
grown by planting in drills than in
hills, but it is nearly always done at
an increased cost. In nearly all cases
It will cost more to give clean cultiva-
tion with drill-planting than with hill
But where the land is free from weeds
so that the cost of cultivating is not
increased too much, drill planting will
give the best growth and yield.
But in an average soil, it is usually
more economical to plant in hills far
enough apart each way, so that cultiva-
ton can be given both ways. One ad-
vantage in using only good seed and
planting under the most favorable con-
ditions is that just the number of plants.
wanted in each hill, that many kernels
of corn can be dropped.
While it is better to thin out than
to replant, both of these may usually
be avoided by using good seed and talk
ing care in planting. When the soil
is warm and dry deep covering will be
best. If the soil is rather wet or cold.
it will be best to cover shallow. The
| fertility of the soil must determine the
number of stalks in each hill. 1t is bet
ter to have one or two strong, vigorous
plants than three or four small, un-
thrifty ones. tt is better to thin out
than to let the plants stand SO thick
as to stunt their growth.-St. Louis
Ranuhlic
The Western news., 1903-07-08
MARKETING SHEEP.
Right After Shearing IL q Good Time
to Sell Them.

Right After Shearing IL q Good Time
to Sell Them.
When the sheep are sheared it is
good time to select out those to be mar
keted. Under present conditions it is
hardly advisable to keep sheep that do
not produce good fleeces of wool. The
quality must be such as to bring good
prices, and the quantity must be suf-
ficent.
When select flock is kept on a small
farm, nearly or quite all of them should
be good breeding ewes and bring good
lamb every spring in addition to grow
ing good fleece of wool.
Many farmers make serious mistake
in failing to feed their stock until they
are in good marketable condition. In
many cases sheep well fattened for mar
ket will bring twice as much as those
sold in poor condition. Not only is
more realized on account of the increase
in weight, but a better price can al
ways be had per pound for good fat
sheep than for poor ones. With prop
er management sheep can be fattened
easily and rapidly, but they are easily
cloyed by overfeeding and require more
care in this respect than almost any
other kind of stock. Commence feed
ing small quantity Of grain and grad
ually increase until they are given all
that they can eat up clean. 1t is not
pest to depend upon corn alone. While
it is one of the best fattening foods, yet
if given to sheep daily as their princi-
pal ration they soon tire of it and will
not thrive as they should.
Any animal, when fed heavily, should
have a good variety, and this is es-
pecially true of the sheep. If kept in
good thrifty condition six weeks feed
ing of all that they will eat OF GOO.
fattening ration VIII fatt : them for
market. But with sheep that have been
poorly wintered longer feeding will he
necessary. While corn can be made the
principal ration, bran, shipstutf, oats.
barley and Oil meal should be given to
make up q good variety, ard in this
way keep the sheep in good appetite.
See that they have all that they VIII
eat up clean and at the same time are
not overfed.
With old sheep the best plan of fat
tt~ ing is on good farm pasturage.
changing from one place to another
every two or three weeks. 1t is difficu:
to fatten old sheep ON dry feed of an.
kind. Fairly good success may /,
realized by feeding ground grain, h
the more economical plan is to deper
u lon good rasturage, selling wheneye
good marketable condition is reached
1t is usually good economy to fatter
and market the old sheep during tbs
spring and early summer rather than tc
keep them over.
Always select sufficient number OF
young. vigorous ewes to take the places
of the old ones sold of. ST. Louis Re
| nuhlir
The Western news., 1903-07-08
FACTS FOR FARMERS.

No other instrument is so we'll adapt
ed to pulverizing small clods as the
plank drag.
4 great man once said that the most
important secret of success with crops
is to remember to stir the soil.
Even half a dozen sheep are better
tEan none, as they will keep down the
weeds and prevent the farm from be-
ing seeded with such pests.
Feed up the corn fodder, millet and
other cheap forage as closely as may be
and save the timothy hay, which is a
cash article, while the others are not.
Not only must the soil contain food
elements, but they must be thoroughly
mixed and incorporated in the soil to
become available as plant food. There
fore, let the ground be heavily mauured
and every square inch for foot in
depth we'll pulverized.
Farmers who sowed crimson clover
last fall will have an excellent fertiliz-
ing material for plowing under. No
nitrogenous fertilizers will be required
where crimson clover has grown, but
application of phosphates and potash
will be beneficial. They cost but a
small sum, however, compared with the
substances containing nitrogen.
1t is seldom that farmer can accu-
! nulate a sufficient amount of wood
,shes for large field, but on farms
rhere wood is used there is limited
supply, which can be put to good use
IN the garden or on the young clover.
Ashes are excellent also on all grass
ands and in orchards. They are ap-
lied broadcast, in any quantity de-
ired, as many as 100 bushels per acre
,aving been used on certain Soils
Prairie Farmer,
The Western news., 1903-07-08
LIVESTOCK POINTERS.

If there are ticks on the sheep dig
them and the lambs when the shearing
is done.
When the sheep are sheared is one OF
the best times to Gull out the unprofit.
able ones.
Teach the little pigs to eat as soon as
possible and feed them skim-milk, al
they will eat.
AS lamb is perhaps the most diff.
cult of all animals to recuperate after
once stunted, it pays to keep thrifty.
1t is well to remember with all classes
Of stock that it is better to keep one
good thrifty animal than two poor ones.
Wool is product that does not take
fertility from the soil, but actually adds
to the value of the soil for grain-grow.
ing.
1t will be an exceptional case when il
can be considered advisable to allow the
stock to pasture in the meadows at this
time.
Besides the profitableness of growing
the better animals, there is the advan
tage in that there is always a demand
for such stock.
While high-grade animal of any kline
may develop into good-sized, valuable
animal, yet for breeding purposes will
always lack one essential feature, ant
that is pedigree.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
WITH THE BUSY BEES.

In hiving swarm make sure that
the queen is inside the hive.
A worker grub can be transformed in,
to a queen when it is five or six days
old.
In breeding queens artificially it il
important to get good cells for brood OF
the right age.
An absolute requisite of successful
beekeeping is a prompt attention to all
of its varied duties.
If colony has young queen and is
strong in numbers it will curry out the
eggs and moths as fast as hatched.
Bees when building comb begin at
the top and hang in heavy clusters to
the comb until they complete it.
Never allow swarm of bees to re-
main out long after settling. Hive
them as soon as possible and lessen the
risk of loss.
In each family of bees there are three
distinct kinds, which differ in form,
color, structure, size, habits and func-
tion.
The activity of queens is governed
largely by the activity of the workers.
While the workers are storing honey
she will lay sparingly. She is stimulat-
ed to lay when all is life and activity
In the hive--St. Louis Republic.
The Western news., 1903-07-08

FOUNDATION FOR MANURE HEAP.
it's appointed mission marked out for it,
even before it is received.
1t is all very well to describe ideal
conditions, but it seems to me that more
good is often done in describing condi-
tions that are less than ideal, but still
serviceable, practical and easily within
the reach of all.
With this end in view, l present n
sectional view of homemade founda-
ton for manure heap in the open
air, which will keep the manure in a
condition very nearly at it's best. This
foundation is made just far enough
away from the stable to escape any
drip from the caves. 1t is made square
or round, as may be preferred, and has
rough stone wall about the outer
edge extending down below the frost
line. Within this, over the surface OF
the ground, are placed loose stones,
lowest in the center, as shown. "A coat
OF cement, two inches thick, is placed
ever them, the surface thus being made
saucer-shaped.
To this foundation is wheeled the
manure from the cow and horse stalls,
he latter being spread evenly over the
The Western news., 1903-07-08
DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
Homemade COntrivance Which Has
Worked Very Well.

A Homemade COntrivance Which Has
| Worked Very Well.
In caring for young chickens, ducks,
poults, etc, one often has difficulty in
keeping water before them in sufficient
quantities, and at the same time keep it
pure and fresh. Many arrangements
have been contrived to obviate the diff
Guilty, all working with more or less sue
cess. Probably the most successful is
the drinking fountain gotten up on the
principle of the siphon. The market is
well stocked with several patterns, all
on the same general principle, but vary
ing in lesser details.
Probably one of the most popular is
the earthen fountain. 1t has the adj
vantage over some others in having
thicker sides and is less liable to be
affected by heat or cold. One of the
most serious objections we have to this
make is the difficulty in cleaning. In
this respect there are others far ahead.
The earthen fountain will not work
successfully during severe weather, es-
pecially if it is SO situated that there'is
danger of freezing. Like an earthen
crock, a coed stiff freeze-up will ruin it.
There is still another make gotten up
on the same idea but made of galvanized
iron. This one has the advantage over
the other during freezing weather, but
otherwise the same disadvantage that
will apply to one will to the other.
We have noted another make gotten
up on the same principle but on an alto
gether different pattern. This one,
which is also made of galvanized iron,
has false cover fitting over the can
proper and extends down into the water
about the base. Such a fountain has
every convenience of the others and the
additional advantage of being readily
cleaned.
For the past two or three years we
have been using one of our own con-
trivance, which ordinarily works very
satisfactory. We used an ordinary
crock, boring a small hole through the
side about Y inches from the top. The
crock is then filled with water and a
shallow dish placed over the top, with
sides sufficiently high to allow the water
to rise just above the aperture in the
crock. The crock and dish are then in
verted and if everything has been done
properly, you will have practically just
as good a fountain for the ordinary
poultry yard as some more expensive
ones. This will be found to be very
satisfactory in the yard with young
stock. especially with young turkeys.
BY it's use the youngsters are not apt to
become veto. p. Reynolds, in Ohio
Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
PRACTICAL POULTRY HOUSE.

ira large windows are placed in the
front of this scratching apart me mt, both
for the purpose of giving plenty of
light. sunshine and fresh air. and to
make access to these low spaces con-
yenent. Any litter, dressing, etc. that
one wishes to remove, can be raled to
the window from the outside, and so re-
moved. The windows are hinged at
the top, and can he raised from the
windows above, by cords. Inside the
lower windows are stretched gratings
or wire netting. With the window open,
the scratching-room has all the advan-
tages of an open scratching shed, SO
highly recommended of late, withou:
the open scratching sheds disadvan-
tages of becoming filled with drifting
snow and of having no protection in
cold or raw weather.
Such a plan, at very slight added
expense, nearly doubles the room in
a poultry-house, enabling the owner
to keep nearly double the number of
fowls under the same roof that he
could keep without this added room
below.-Country Gentleman.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
This Is Worth Remembering.

A wagon box ten feet long, three
feet wide and 25 inches deep will hold
27.S bushels of ear corn and 50.2
bushels of shelled corn. A crib ten feet
wide, ten feet high and 16 feet long
will hold I'll bushels of ear corn.
OF ear corn, one bushel is contained in
2A cubic feet. In figuring shelled corn
or grain the same space will hold As
times as much grain as it will of ear
corn. A crib that will hold 500 bushels
of corn will hold of shelled corn or Of
lother grain LAO bushels.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
Glover Pasture Ii Rest.

The best pasture for colts, calves,
lambs and pigs is clover, but it is still
better to have a variety of pasturage
plants, such as blue grass, orchard
grass. red top, timothy and red clover.
Let these seeds be well mixed and care
fully sown and those best adapted to
the soil will soon assert themselves and
give largest and best growth of pastur-
age. Now is the time to scatter the
seed. Plow well, harrow finely, sow
the seed, let it become weN established
and you will have pastures that you will
be proud Of.-Rural World.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
Raising Geese for Market.

If the flock of geese is given a grass
plat it will be all that they will require.
In winter. however, they should have a
mess of ground food once a day. Old
geese do not sell in market, and it is a
waste of time and money to attempt to
so dispose of them. Keep the old ones
for breeding purposes. as they will be
serviceable for from ten to twenty
years. and sell the young ones. One
gander may be kept with two geese.
There is also a fair profit in feathers.
The Embden gander and Toulouse
geese produce excellent offspring for
market.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
FIG. 4.

just in advance of the uprights of the
knife or cutter, allowing their points
to project half an inch below the cutter
bar. Fig. shows the cutter complete
with the bottom up. Rings can be put
in front and short chain attached to
hitch the horse to.
In cutting, drive straight and stand
on the cutter over the knife. 1t is best
to cut crosswise at each end of the
strips and remove it, and there will be
less trouble to start it each time. The
whole expense of such cutter ought
not to exceed a dollar, and if we'll made
will last lifetime and be very easy to
lend, but harder to keep trace of.-S. L.
Harper, in Ohio Farmer.
The Western news., 1903-07-08

Dairymen who keep swine, and they
always should unless all the milk is sold.
should mix grain of some kind with the
skim milk or whey that goes to the
pigs. Corn meal and skim milk mixed
in proper proportions cannot be ex.
,elled as pig feed. 1t is improvident for
dairyman to grow hogs on the wastes
from the dairy without any grain, yet
the only way to prove this to some men
would be by the use of the scales, in
tests with mixed rations.-NationD
Stockman.
The Western news., 1903-07-08

1t does not take such large sum to
buy flock of good grade ewes, while
a thoroughbred mutton ram does not
cost anything at all, as his lambs will
bring about one dollar per head more in
the market than the lambs from COM
mon ram; while the similarity of all the
lambs fleece both in staple and weight
would cause the tleeces to bring much
larger sum of money in the wool mar
ket than the get of a common ram.
Therefore, on lambs bred from pure
bred ram there is enough clear gain
over and above those from a common
ram to pay for thoroughbred yearling
ram. AS the male is half the flock,
how extremely unwise it is to use. poor
male.
The Western news., 1903-07-08
ABOUT COMB BUILDING.
1t Does Not Pay to Let Bees Make
Their Own Eoundatian

1t Does Not Pay to Let Bees Make
Their Own Foundation.
The ma WHO; ssl4oiws his bees to build
their owlfsfouadation is merely wasting
the timeS Of ,rthe, bees. Sometimes it
seems lii te. Speeding great deal of
money that might be saved to buy
foundationf but it is really economical
to do SO. ..j;fIoney comb is made OF
practicallX pure wax, and this is, in
fact, the fa of the bees. 1t is un ler h"
scales of tie abdomen and may be seea
there if tltt bee is put under glass Of
very ordinhry magnifying power. This
wax is pulEed from its place by the claws
If the bees and worked into comb, and
this operation takes time that is lost
when the colony might be storing nectar
If the foundation has been furnished
No man has been able to make founda-
tion that is as soft and piiable as the
comb the bees make, but IL pretty fair
Imitation is made that answers all prac
tieal purposes.
When honey comb is first made it is
as every one knows, sweet and perfectly
palatable, but as soon as brood begins to
be grown in it, each embryo weaves Z
thin cocoon that is never removed, and
the cell becomes smaller and the coml
darker with each succeeding brood
fatched in it. This makes the bee,
grow smaller and smaller, and such
comb should be cut out and melted dow
for sale before it gets too dark to fine
place to keep them.
Where sections are used the comb is
of course. removed often end sold, ant
here is where the most profitable use O
foundation comes in.-Journal of Agri
culture.
The Western news., 1903-07-08

many. They are compact, easily moved,
easy to Eleah and other hens cannot
disturb the sitters. The sitting hens
are confped, but cannot break the eggs
if they try to, get off; the nest is we'll
ventilated and. secluded, and can he
closed atsnight SO the hens cannot roost
in them.r One is sufficient for so lay
ing hens.-a 1 have used one for sitting
and ones for laying for number of
years. [ originated the idea, and have
seen nothing like ps well.-Cor. Orange
Judd Farmer
The Western news., 1903-07-08
One Re.uIt Of Hi.h Feed,nx.

When streaks of blood occur in eggs it
is sign that something is amiss with
the egg-producing organs of the fowl
and it will be found that the faulty
eggs are all laid by the same fowl. They
should be confined for time, fed spar
ingly on hard corn, so as to check the
production of the eggs. 1t may be that
matters will right themselves under this
treatment, but nothing more can be
done. Iti probable that the blood spots
are the outcome of high feeding.-Da-
kota Field and Farm.
The Western news., 1903-07-08

inches wide and seven feet long. Cut
in the center and shape one end of each
piece Like Fig. 1. For the top use a
piece of pine two inches thick, IA inches
wide and three feet long. Spike or fas-
ten the top board firmly to the side
pieces or runners as though making a
sled, as in Fig. 4. It will require two
steel cutters about eight inches long
ind firm enough to be substantial, like
Fig. 2. One steel cutter (3), the bottom
to be fiat and about 1A inches wide, the
length of which must be width of sled,
but which must be fastened to the sled
The Western news., 1903-07-08

IN an angle SO that the knife or cutter
which is fastened upright in front will
must be well made of good steel, with
good stout upright ends and we'll bolted
to the sides so it will project below the
bottom of the runners about ~. inches,
or whatever thickness is deemed best
to cut the sod. Have it well sharpeneG
across the width. Place the two up
right knives, well sharpened, just
in advance of the uprights of the