Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-09-14

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might term it. That is, the congress,
makes the laws and the people in the sew.
eral departments have no voice in the mat.
ter but TO enforce the laws as they find
them. For example the free seed distri-
button humbug has no greater enemy than
the secretary of agriculture for no man
more than he knows what a farce it IS.
Yet the law is there and he has no al
tentative but to obey it, There are other
things quite as serious of which the papers
Of the country made more or less mention
yearly. No man at the head of the de-
partment of agriculture has done more for
the farmers, within his powers, than the
present secretary and he would do much
more, for he is a practical farmer him
self, IL the people would help him get some
Of the foolishness out of the department.
This can be done by getting at the law
makers and doing ii with enough vim to
make them understand thatthe foolishness
must stop. No better start can be made
than by a concerted attack, through your
congressman, against the free seed dis
tribution. SO strong was the fight last
winter that ii was nearly done away with
and a stronger fight this fall and winter
will abolish this evil.
WV ii@Eh !
Many poultrymen object to the use of
water glass for the preservation OF eggs
because Of its expense hence Will be in
terested In the use of vaseline which has
been tried and pronounced of great value,
The idea Is that a coating of any kind which
will prevent the air from reaching the
inside of the egg is all that is necessary
to preserve it. Those who have tried vase
line pronounce it perfect. The plan OF
working it is to select strictly fresh eggs,
no other egg can be successfully preserv-
ed, by any process and coat them thickly
with vaseline and then pack them away
in shallow boxes in layers with bran and
keep them in some cool place. 1t is said
that eggs in this way will keep in condi-
ton as long as those preserved by water
glass and the expense is about one-half.
SELECTING SEED POTATOES.
Much of the trouble in getting a good
crop of first class potatoes is due to the
use OF home grown seed selected without
intelligence. In some cases it were better
not to use the home grown seed at all
although there is no objection to 1t if
the variety is doing well and is not rum
ming out. By all means select the seed
tubers at the time the crop is dug and
plan your selection on this line. During
the growing season, so far as possible,
mark the hills that are the most vigorous
and when the tubers are dug select the
seed potatoes from these marked hills pro-
vided. of course, tbey have turned out
well. Select the medium sized tubers and
always those without a flaw. Never I'M
der any circumstances select the seed
from the hills which have done poorly for
the chances are nine out Of ten the follow
ing crop will be far from desirable. This
is a simple method Of selecting seed po-
tatoes yet there is nc surer way of get
ting what you want.
CLEAN UP THE HOG YARDS.
There is no doubt but what the main
diseases with which swine suffer are those
known as transmissable diseases and these
invariably come from the dirty pens and
yards. We have never believed that it was
necessary to have hog wallows although
we will admit that II requires some trouble
to prevent swine from making a wallow.
If you consider it inseperable from hog
raising then make it a part of your work
to see that the waliows are filled up fire.
quently and that the enclosure in which
the hogs run is Sown to rye or cow peas
once a year and plowed under the FOL
owing spring. During the winter see to il
that the swine ave plenty of water TO
drink but none to muss in. Nothing is
better for disenfecting purposes than a
two per cent solution of the tar solutions
~ lOA NlllS Jul posN. ollCt III dNl IA
the swine themselves should be sprayed
with a mild solution Of this tar. Try this
plan of keeping things clean and your
have healthier hogs.
STARVING MoULTlNG HENS.
1t requires very nice treatment to prop
erly force the moulting hens to drop the
old feathers and take on the new and the
danger lies in carrying the starvation plan
too far. The essence Of the whole plan
is to give the hens (the mature hens only
don't try the plan on pullets) just as lit
tie food as possible during the first two
weeks Of moulting and at the end of thai
period to feed them heavily on rations
which would contain considerable oil meal,
meat and other oily foods and at the same
time enough good grain in variety, barring
corn, to keep them in vigorous condition.
During the starving period, as experts call
1T. the feed is light grains, cracked oats
and wheat being largely used and fed
only once a day and that sparingly let
ting the hens pick up what additional food
they may get on the range of limited
size. The idea is to so reduce the vitality
Of the hens that the partly loosened feath-
ers will fall the more quickly. There is
an element of risk IN this hence one must
be exceedingly careful or the starving per-
Tod will result in starved hens in very
truth.
A HELP IN BINDING GRAIN.
Where sheafs of grain or corn stalks
ave to be bound by hand the device de-
scribed will be found very useful. Two
upright pieces are fastened to a light
plank on one end of which is fastened
a square of board a foot across each way.
These uprights are shaped as shown in
the engraving at B.. In one Of them. at
the ton is Dlaced a lever O. into which 10