The Grit-advocate., 1904-04-22

Until recently, when Eliza died. New
York possessed the oldest hen in the
country. She was seventeen years old.
having been Matched in May, 1887.
She was just a common breed of fowl
and was at first kept for her egg-pro-
ducing qualities, but later to see how
long she would .liYe.
4 te has bM selected at Chico,
California, for government expert
mental station. seed farm and plant
inuoduction garden which will be the
most important institution of its kind
in america and will probably become
the greatest in the world. One hun
dred acres of ground will be Immediate
ly planted and within a short time
three hundred acres will be used. Al
most every plant of the known world
will be grown in the garden.
The Santa Fe stock yards al Trini-
dad, Colorado, are being improved in
anticipation Of Il large. early move-
meut of cattle from Texas to the Da
EOta and Montana ranges. The moYe-
ment is estimated at over 300,O head.
Last season the movement was more
than 100000 and the yards were not
finished when the rush had started.
During last season this yard made a
record of unloading, feeding, watering
and shipping more than 1000 head OF
cattle in one day. This year it is looked
10 pass even that big figure.
Ben Davis. the originator of the apple
bearing his name, was born in Prince
Edwards county. Virginia, in l775 and
/, fa fa btnI
representative of the old fashioned Nir-
gina gentleman. Somewhere near the
wear 800 he settled in Butler county,
Kentncky, where he acquired large
tract Of land and up to the ontbreakins
Of the Civil War owned about twenty
slaves. He was the pioneer apple grow
er and nurseryman of that section OF
the country and his long experience in
propagating finally produced the Ben
Davis apple. There is probably not
another species of apple that has re-
ceiyed more merciless criticism or
higher praise.
tomatoes do very we'll on new land
and especially that which incllnes
slightly to sand rather than
clay, but the application of
manure from the COW shed or
sheep pens is of great value to crop.
In Test of producing tomatoes for the
early markets J. II. Crowley of Otero
county found that with plants grown
in hot beds. transplanted to pots and
later to the open field and where all
conditions were most favorable, those
ir the part of the field where nine
loads of sheep manure to the acre had
been applied gave much the best yield
and ripened three weeks earlier, giving
ripe fruit the 4th of July. The crop
from the manured land was about six
ty per cent. greater than from the area
not fcrtliZed.-Field and Farm.
Hens nests should be in the darkest
corner Of the poultry house. An inch
OF 50 Of ashes or a layer of tobacco
stems in the bottom of the box helps
tc keep Off vermin. Nests should be
vel provided with clean hay which
suits better than straw and as 1t is
rOfter, will not break up and settle
down SO badly. Excelsior is also
mosJ excellent material for use in the
place of straw in nests for sitting hens.
Oat straw is much softer and therefore
better than wheat straw for the pur-
lose if excelsior cannot be obtained.
The nests should be on the ground in
this dry climate. A goodsized room
with nests all around makes a very
good place for setting hens and in the
middle on the floor should be pan
with fresh water and box of feed all
the time