The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-12-29

'aiAS Ai'' oi' - ~ - - ONN
We have d number OF hens of different for
nation, all of them equally good layers.
and We have one hen with the highest
record in the lot for eggs produced each
year for three years that Is decidedly not
Of the form poultrymen claim is the rec
ognized egg producer. We believe there is
more in the question of proper size, proper
vitality and proper ancestry than there is
in shape.
USE THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS
There is not q state experiment station
in the country whose stan of experts will
not welcome knotty problems from the
farmers of the state. This would be the
case especially this winter when they are
not rushed with work. Go over the opcr-
atoms Of the past season and jot down,
in considerable detail, each operation
which gave 0 trouble and unload these
troubles or the experiment station of your
state. The. stan may be hook farmers"
as YOU think, but all OF them arc trained,
men and sincerely anxious to help you.
If asking about any particular crop de-
scribe your soil in detail, you method of
culture. and give any other Information
which will enable the station people 10
give YOU an intelligent answer. If any
particular crop was unusually short and
you cannot account for it on natural rca-
sons, describe ycer method OF culture, of
fertilizing, the seed, etc. and, more than
ell, describe wherein any treatment diff
fercd from that given in any previous
year when the same crop was satisfactory.
Do moi be hashfnl about asking for help
from the stations for you help support
them and they are in existence to assist
you, which they will do if you will give
them any sort of an opportunity.
BUILDING UP THE SOIL.
Professor Roberts, vino for many years
was at the head of the Cornell Qthaca,
N. " Experiment Station, in a recent adj
dress made this remark: "ff | were TWEEN
ty years youngerI should go up and down
our country emphasizing The work of
plants in producing soil productivity. In
stead of using a mallet, as ] once did, to
put a piece of land in productive state,
1 should use plants. Blessed be weeds.
Some are minute. but all are soil build
crs. They give their bodies back to the
soil and add to the supply of highly avail
able plant food. Iillage and plants !
would emphasize in soil building" Far
mers are indebted to Dr.. Roberts for so
Dersistently advocating, and proving, too,
the value of cultivation to make available
the immense amount Of potash stored in
the soil. AT first the statement was ridi-
cused, but the doctor was known to be a
cautious as well as "A learned man and
not given to making rash statements, so
others investigated and found, to their
surprise, that he was right. Then he and
others took up the question of the raising
Of ~legurninous plants and The blowing of
them under to add nitrogen to the soil.
which had been gathered by the plants
from that bouEdless reservoir, the air.
Thus the two most expensive plant foods
became the least expensive. Then came
his advocacy, renewed persistently, of the
cover crop SO that the plantlcss soil dur
ing the winter Is only to be found on
farms whose owners are too stubborn to
I-~- rL- -.sl -
point out anew the value to the soil of
green manuring and Of cultivation SO that
he who runs may read.
ODD SCRAPS FOR POULTRY.
Bearing in mind the excellent plan of
trying to feed the poultry during the win
ter so as to make them feel it is summer,
one should be liberal in the matter of va
riety, not in the main food, for this Is
limited to three or four grains, bat in
the odds and ends which can be picked
up on the farm. In sections where COW
peas are grown it is Il good plan TO save
enough of the seed so that the fowls may
have a small portion two or three times
d week; grind them rather fine and mix
with other grains. Then root crops may
be fed in the same way; WI or three po-
tatoes chopped up one day, d few tnrnips
another day and "a few carrots "A third
lay: all help to furnish =: fair amount of
food Of value, but. more than all. furnish
a variety which will be of great benefit
to the fowls in the way of an appetizer.
There is no reason why any scrap of fruit,
vegetable or meat from the table should
go 20 waste if one will go 10 some trouble
TO prepare them for the poultry in an APP
p~etizins 'lanner. Always try to feed
these tid-bits in the middle OF the fore
noon or afternoon when the fowls haven't
much To do and will welcome them most.
Try the plai, and you Will find tina the
fun meal following these dainties will he
eaten with greater Zest.
FARM BuTcHERING APPLIANCE
Much Of the disagrecablc work of butch
ering on the farm might BIZ old IL
one would take the trouble to have the
necessary coBvenieDces. AS a rule make
shifts are used and the work if made
much more difficult In consequence. Try
the following plan and build The structure
described. Frs build II low and strong
platform. having it large "nongh so tina
on ii stepping on. 1t should be made OF
lumber faced on tho top side and made
extra strong by cross pieces underneath.
The legs are short but stout and well
braced. Al one end Gu, out q piece so
that the barrel described may rest in this
opening property. In order that the par-
re! may not be overturned accidentally a
strong brace Is made in the. form OF a
frame in which the barrel rests and this
IS well braced. The barre, is used for
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