The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-29

sandy and generally Of poor soil. Manure
Is not made on the farm in sufficient
quantities to give paying crops and the
contents OF the I,ockctbook viii not per-
NIT tho purchase OF commercial fertilizers
N any needed quantities. IL within reason
able distance of a market such a farm
could be gradually turned into a poultry
farm. and, at least. cake a good living
Tor the family. The sandy soil would be
iueal Tor poultry and stiI some of it would
be good enough to grow the bulk of their
fooa, while the fertilizers could be more
heavlly used on the portions which must
furnish the crops for home use or for the
other farm animals. 1t is not possible to
go lnto details In a short item, but any
one with the farm, the right spirit and a
little money could embark in the poultry
business, growing the birds for market and
raising eggs, with every prospect of sue
cess.
COUNTING THE COST OF FARMING
The harvest is over and farmers are in
d position to know pretty well if the oper-
atoms of the past year have been profit
able. In some sections crops have been
partial failures, in others some crops have
been so good that prices rule exceedingly
low but, taking tho country through.
farmers should have had q prosperous
year. Ii not IA has been the trouble.
one thing worthy of serious thought is
whether one is wearing out his farm; this
is quite likely to be the case in the older
states. III the crops have been satisfactory,
nave we, In growing them, furnished to
the soil enough fertility to grow the crop
ana still return to the soil the plant food
which 1t contained before the seed was
soWn? Ii not. we may consider that Just
so much we have taken from tho vitality
OF the soil and that, in consequence the
next crop Will be correspondingly smaller.
VI course there are some exceptions to
this as for example. Assume that by UNI
usual cultivation we have released an ex-
ceptlcnally amount of the potash In the
soil and made 1t available for plant food;
1T would not be necessary, under such cir
cumstances, to replace that potash In
chemical form. Indeed, we might not
apply any potash at all and yet, the second
year, by still continuing the plan of Gull
uVatfon release enough more potash for
another crop. While old time farmers
like the writer, thoroughly believe in the
old rule of making the farm grow every
ming needed for the living of the family
food) and stock before planning to sell
any part Of the crops, condition may
charge this rule Slightly. One would not
be Justified in raising hay for one or two
animals when the soil would bring him a
much better return If 1T grew strawberries.
for AT this season of rest each
OF us should carefully look over the past
and search for the mistakes quite as
earnestly as for the successes.
FEEDING THE IDLE HORSE.
The farm horse who has practically
nothing to do during the months of winter
Is a costly proposition to feed If he must
be kept on the regulation ration. 1t is
really more profitable to find some work
for the animal to do which will enable one
10 afford full rations, as in the summer
for then the horse is likely to be in much
better shape to take up the spring work.
Oh course IL ono is located where the horse
can he on pasture more or less during the
winter months the cost OF wintering the
animal Is materially reduced. In colder
one must rely on the sheltered ,
yafd TO give the horse needed exercise and
largely on the grain one has; do not at
tempt to keep the horse through the win
ter on roughage alone for the plan will
only result in having a rundown animal
In the spring which will be a costly expert
ment. Horses are not fed nearly the guam
tifyeof roots they should have and those
who winter idle animals will find it profit
able to grow roots especially for. them to
feel With the grain ration. In the alb
sence of roots. oil meal bran or some
article which will keep the diges-
tive organs in good condition must be a
part of the daily ration. One can get
along very NICELY on feeding considerable
rougiiage and corn if considerable bran or
root crops Is also used. Remember too, |
that good grooming and a. clean light
will do much toward keeping the
animal iii good health and help to enable /,
him to enjoy the %roughageA
PIANO COX POULTRY HOUSES.
New lumber is very high in price and
likely to be higher so that poultrylnen inc
farmers are put to all sorts of make-slifts.
one who lives near a large town or city
the problem of providing lumber for small
is easily solved for boxes of
sizes may be bought for much less
than the original cost Of the lumber in
them. Upright piano boxes are usually
sold at S. each new but any piano dealer
with a surplus of boxes on hand will be
glad to sell them for much less thar the
sum named. A practical poultry house
be built Of four upright piano boxes
in this manner. The backs and ends
which come together are removed together
with two of the tops. The two remaining
tops are enclosed at the middle end of the
house and at the front and a small door
made in the gable endsof one, which por-
ton of the house is used for the storage
of grain. See figure 4 In the drawing. 4