Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-08-18

not nearly so dirty as we think II 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 a prac'
teal 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 this
article was really the beginning of the
boom in this industry in which thousands
lost all they owned. Writers for the agri-
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-
riculture or allied subjects for you won't
find ii.
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 modiies
this by saying that while his first advice
Is not to pasture the meadows at all he
realizes that in some locations and under
some conditions ii may be safely done. Tho
new meadow, and especially the one on
rather light soil ought never to be pas
tured nor should any meadows be pastured
vThnn ~ Il or aud met chat tho hnnfS
of the animals sink deeply. Where the
meadow is on rather graVeIly soil and Is
good and strong the second growth in the
fall may be pastured for a time, provided
ii Is not done too long nor the COWS per-
mitted to eat the grass too short. II this
is done, especially in the colder sections
there is apt to be considerable grass win
ter killed. Our contributor make 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 correspondingly large crop the
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 kindness TO
animals pays let him have a herd of COWS
TO milk who fear their owner because they
- NSAASNANAANAJ DNAAAo - $1,000 49,
harshly and then turn him over to milk
a lot OF COWS who nave 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 1t 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 it If they are
not promptly cared for. Milk each day at
the same hour you mike 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 our hand on them it is in kind
ness: give them a caressing pat " 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 hour
on the pasture each day will do him good.
In the matter of the manger the essential
thing is to keep it free from dust and IL
the roughage is fed by itself it should he
well moistened before being placed in the
manger. A better plan would be to cut
It rather fine and mix it with the grain
given generally wetting the entire mass.
In some bad cases it will be necessary to
feed the horse a steamed ration which Is
made by grinding the grain, cutting the
hay very short and mixing the two thor
| oughIy then placing in some receptacal
which may be covered and pouring boil
ing water over the mass and let 1t alone
for five or six hours. AS a rule more or
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 be
grown successfully unless the soil is well
lined. There are many fields today that
| are yellow and sickly solely for the want
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
ing alfalfa that obtains with almost all
plants that can be easily grown and that
is that Qo use the slang of the day. amy
old soil viii do" Alfalfa is too valuable
a crop TO lose sight of and it is worth all
the time Ii will take to study it's habits
and for experimenting. To begin with see
that the soil is not sour and to be certain
of that use the htmus test, given in this
I department many times, and II needed, APP
ply lime TO the soil at the rate of one or
more tons an acre as necessary, and do IT
for at least two years before the ground
is to be used for alfalfa, il win pay 10
spend this time in learning about the needs
Of the plant and preparing the soil for 1t.
DEVICE FOR HOLDING BAGS.
When one man has to fill a bag he finds
Il more or less troublesome keeping it open
hence the device here described will appeal
to him particularly as it costs but a trif,e
and is easily made. Have the blacksmith
form for you a half circle Of stout spring
wire looping 1t once In the center and
crooking each end upward and sharpening
them Then have him make an iron hook