The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-05-05
GAZING EoR 1HE BOAR.

AnNone who starts out to raise hogs
with the idea of a goodly profit in mind
must needs pay some attention 10 the boar.
Admitting all there is in the Importance
of having good females upon which to
build up the herd. a poor boar or a good
boar poorly cared for will offset any value
there is in the high grade females; per-
haps not at first but surely after a season
or TWO the difference will be noted. Money
invested in a good boar is money we'll
Invested if the animal is properly cared
for and proper care means proper food, a
clean, comfortable pen by himself and a
yard of sufficient area TO give him needed
exercise. The boar should be treated
kindly of course, but don't Try to make a
pet of him for he cannot be trusted. See
that he is kept away from the hogs eX-
cept at breeding season and feed him so
that he will be fairly plump, but never fat;
muscle and energy is what he needs in
order that the get be desirable. Find some
way OF letting him have a grassy run for
Il portion of each day even though such
run will be small.
FEEDING ALFALFA HAY.
While we believe alfalfa to be all that
is claimed for it, no one should believe for
a moment that it is a perfect food for
stock and for pasture: il is not ALWAYS a
safe food, although horses do not seem to
be injured by feeding from it while green.
For COWS and sheep alfalfa has its best
value when fed as hay in connection with
some other roughage. 1t is rich in protein
hence gives the feeder ar opportunity TO
feed protein much more chcaply than In
any grain. As a pasture for hogs alfalfa
is all that is claimed for it, although,
rape. it gives the best results when i. is
~alternated with some other pasture. IL
the soil is In good condition, that it, has
been properly inoculated for alfalfa, about
fifteen pounds of seed to the acre is suf-
ticient. The seed should be clean, now
ever. and particularly free from dodder,
which is one of the worst enemies of the
alfalfa plant. A number of seedsmen are
Offering special selected seed (probably
seed which has besn cleaned with unusual
care) at an advanced price, and 1t will pay
to buy this better seed. Don't expect a
crop the first season but be content with
cutting 1t go as to destroy the various
weeds and prevent them from going to
seed. The second season one NAV expect
good results.
EcoNoMlzlNG ON SEEDS.
Regular readers IF this department know
the opinion of the writer on the question
of cheap seeds and particularly when seeds
are bought at a low price from seedsmen
with no particular reputation. Such seeds
are generally worth even less than is paid
for them because there is the loss. partial
or total, of the crop which annot be COM
puted. 1t is considered by those who are
In a position to know that if the soil is
of producing a good crop it would
be cheaper in the end to pay doubl the
prices for seeds than to take the !
risk of buying seeds even a tritie less in
price. Sometimes one may economize to
advantage by the proper selection of seeds,
as for example wh~h red clover is to be
seeded some money nay be saved by buy ,
ing one-third the quantity OF alsike and
of red clover seed. The com
y too % 10, -, a. --.- -, '
red clover which is selling this spring
at from S. to $40 a bushel for first grade
seed. Better a smaller area of any one
thing put out than a larger area when
the cheap seeds are used. for the chances
are the smaller area will give you the
crop.
FOWLS FOR THE FARMERS WIFE !
This may seem strange advice from a !
poultryman of twenty odd years expert |
ence, but VIZ really think it is the best
that nine out OF ten farmers could
DO, particularly when they have the idea,
SO many Of them have. that fowls are not
the room they take up. Just as in
lower raising, a woman can get more out
Of q flock of poultry than a mar and do it
With less effort and with less training.
Why this Is SO Is probably because she
gives the necessary care to the essential
letails Just as she does in raising lender
plants. 1t is not to be inferred that farm
ers cannot succeed with poultry, for they
II they are willing to give the bust
ness attention, but if not they should turn
t over to the wife and daughters. How
bear in mind that the ladies should
not be expected to do the dirty work of
raising; have some OF the men do
his In return for the extra eggs they
viii nave to eat. This disagreeable part of
he work taken out of the business and
he women given some decent stock as a