The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-18

not nearly so dirty as we think If given
half a chance to be clean. Both rooms OF
the house should be thoroughly cleaned
each day.
HORTICULTURE IN MAGAZINES
If a number of correspondents had not
written the editor Of this department con-
corning magazine articles on nitro-cul-
ture, space would not be given to the mat
ter here but the inquiries denote that
many farmers are giving serious attention
to such articles which, as a rule, have
little in them to commend them Of u prac.
tical nature. Generally speaking these
articles are put together by men who
know nothing of the subject of which
they write: they have gathered some facts
which are Interesting and are able to put
them together in an interesting manner
but often making a sad mess of them from
a practical standpoint. Some years ago a
brilliant writer had an article on Belgian
hares In a prominent magazine and TINS
article was really the beginning Of the
boom in this industry in which thousands
lost all they owned. Writers for the asri-
cultural press may not be very brilliant
in their writings but at least they are sim
cere and practical. Don't look to popular
magazines for accurate Information on ag-
riculrure or allied subjects for you Won.
find it.
PASTURlNG MEADOWS.
The question of pasturing meadows was
sent to one of our contributors who has
raised the finest hay in his state for years.
He replies don't" but afterward moditios
this by saying that while his first advice
is not to pasture the meadows at all he
realizes that in some locations and und"r
some conditions 1t may be safely done. The
new meadow, and especially the one on
rather light soil ought never to be pas
tured nor should any meadows be pastured
when it is so green and wet that the hoofs
Of the animals sink deeply. Where the
meadow Is on rather g~ravelly soil and is
good and strong the second growth in the
fall may be paStured for a time, provided
1t Is not done too long nor the COWS per-
mitted to eat the grass too short. If this
is done, especially in the colder sections
there is apt to be considerable grass WIN
ter killed. Our contributor makes a prac-
tice Of cutting the second growth in the
late fall and leaving it as a mulch then in
the late winter, but before the thaws begin
he top dresses, on the snow, the meadow.
and reaps a correspondingiy large crop tina
following season. This plan may not suit
you but at any rate be careful about pas
turing too long in the fall.
COWS HOLDING UP MILK.
If one woul realize where indncss to
animals pays let him have a herd of cows
10 llllh WIZ lcdI tIlelI O"llcI DeCduSc lLlcy
are constantly being struck or yelled at
harshly and then turn him over to milk
a lot of COWS who have been kindly treat
ed. While the holding up of the milk may
be due to some trouble with the udder or
the teats, nine times out Of ten it is be-
cause the mixer Is not in harmony with
his cows or because there is no regularity
in his time of milking; this last is import
ant for animals are largely creatures of
habit and are likely to resent 1t if they arc
not promptly cared for. Milk each day at
the same hour you MIXED the day before
feed regularly each day and water as reg
& ularly. Treat the cows with kindness,
teach them by regular handling that when
you place your hand on them it Is in kind
ness; give them a caressing pat or two
each time you pass them and you will
find they will respond in the only way
they can, by giving you milk, all they
have, and being gentle.
FOOD FOR HORSES WITH HEAVES
The horse suffering with heaves has
weak digestion hence the food given
should be a laxative character although
not grass, as a rule, unless the horse is
inclined to be constipated when an hou.
on the pasture each day will do him good,
In the matter of the manager the esscntia,
thing is to keep it free from dust and If
the roughage is fed by itself it should he
we'll moistSled before being placed in the
Manager. A. better plan would be to cut
1t rather fine and mix it with the grain
given generally wetting the entire mass
In some bad cases it will be necessary tc
feed the horse a steamed ration which Is
made by grinding the grain, cutting the
hay very short and mixing the two thor.
oughly then placing in some receptaca
which may be covered and pouring boil
ing water over the mass and let it alon.
for five or six hours. AS a rule more O.
less in the way of root crops may be safe
ly fed to horses with heaves.
LIME NECESSARY FOR ALFALFA
1t is safe to say that alfalfa cannot b,
grown successfully unless the soil is vel
lined. There are many fields today tina
, are yellow and sickly solely for the wan
!, of lime and this is the only bar to sue
, cess where a partial growth has been sue
: cessful. There is the usual idea concern
j, ing alfalfa that obtains with almost al
!, plants that can be easily grown and tina
:, is that Ito use the slang of the day) IAN,
old soil will do" Alfalfa is too valuab!
!, "a crop to lose sight of and it is worth al
/. the time it will take to study It's habit
and for experimenting. To begin with Sc
that the soil is not sour and to be certai,
> of that use the litmus test, given in thi
department many times, and if needed, az
!. ply lime to the soil at the rate of one o
: more tons an acre as necessary, and do
q for at least two years before the groun
Is to be used for alfalfa. 1t will pay t
spend this time in learning about the need
!, of the plant and preparing the soil for II
. DEVICE FOR HOLDING BAGS.
o When one man has to fill a bag he find
t it more or less troublesome keeping it ope
hence the device here described will appea
to him particularly as 1t costs but a trif
and Is easily made. Have the blacksmit
form for you a half circle of stout sprin
II | x,;vo ~ looyyr~ a a rt,pn In +ho r1~tnr ~
crooking each end upward and sharpenin
. then. Then have him make an iron hoo
!: ; - 7
9 IL