Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-03-23


all but a space In the middle which is left
for the hands. The material to be carried
may be loaded on this then the whole thing
folded together and easily carried. Ihe
appliance is easily made, costs but a tribe
and will save much labor and the loss OF
material. The illustration shows the IDEA
plainly and portions market A. A, being
. the spaces left for the hands to carry II by.
WORKING POULTRY AND STRAW
BERRIES.
When one speaks OF poultry In connec-
ton with any iow-growing plant most peo-
pie can see only the scratching birds ana
the ruined plants but the combination has
been and Is being proitably carried out.
If one selects one OF the larger breeds Oh
hens for this combination the scratching
part OF the proposition will be reduced TO
a minimum and If the fowls are not re-
CURED to obtain their entire living from the
patch of strawberry plants, they Will DO
comparatively little damage. 1t Is, OF
course, understood that the fowls are not
allowed on the patch until after the frult
has been gathere but from that time until
they go into winter quarters they VIII be
exceedingly useful for they will take care
of all the insects, do little damage in the
| way IA SCI dACihllAo bAS N"A ~ Nv
repaired by going over the plat each day,
and their ]droppings win add materially TO
the richness of the plot. If the plantation
covers q considerable area it will be a good
plan to nave several small colony houses
on the plot so that the hens may have
their own quarters and thus work over a
smaller area. The profit from this COM
bination is good and neither will interfere
with the other especially II the fowls are
raised for egg production. Try it on d
small scale and increase as experience
proves it pays.
COSTLY STABLE MANURE.
Internationally if one can raise the food
on the farm which is fed to the stock hat
supplies the manure, stable manure is the
most profitable fertilizer to use, but If tho
manure must be bought and Carted a con-
siderable distance then it is a question
If one can afford to use it entirely or even
in considerable quantity. Indeed, in the
event Of one raising truck in considerable
quantity the commercial fertilizers will
give the best returns. While 1t is not
advised to do away with stable manure
entirely, by any means, there are FUCKERS
who use little OF it relying upon the high
grade commercial fertilizers entirely and
keeping up the humus In the soil by green
manuring. Local conditions must deter
mine If this is the most profitable plan but
it is true in any case that if a high grade
of commercial fertilizer is used and it is
suited to the crop it Is generally profitable;
stable manure to be equally profitable
should be from grain fed animals and be
raised on the farm or bought at a low price
with a short haul. The combination of
stable manure at a low price and of high
grade fertilizers is probably to be pre-
ferred to the commercial fertilizer and the
green I~nanuring though this can be only
worked out by trying it under local condi-
tons. The experiments along this line will
not, of necessity, be costly and II will GER
tainly prove interesting and likely profit
able in the end.
USING TOO MUCH LIME.
Experience has shown that too much
lime is often used through the impression
that ii contains, of itself, considerable
feTtiIizing value. II, as explained several
weeks ago., 1t is used with an idea of set
ting free some of the plant foods in the
soil that is one thing but If the idea is to
use It largely for soil acidity then a little
will often suffice. Especially on sandy
soils is the lime overdone for II used to cor
rect soil acidity on such soils . bushels
per acre of slaked lime is generally suffici-
ent and on heavy soils double that guam
tity or % bushels at most is ample. 1t
should be remembered that while the
litmus paper rest is generally reliable there
are chemicals in the soil which has the
same effect on the litmus paper as the
acidity of the soil so that the surest way
is TO test a portion OF the plot IL the soil
is thought to be sour by using lime on 1t
at the rate of 80 bushels per acre and COM
pairing the result in the crop with an equal
area not lined. Another season one will
know exactly what to do.
PREPARING THE POTATO GROUND
All potato growers admit that a sol, that
is mellow and well-drained is absolutely
essential for the best success in potato
owing this is more than half the battle
and in this age of insects and bacterial
diseases one cannot afford to grow pota-
toes for market unless he can supply the
soil and the soil condition mentioned. The
thorough preparation of the seed bed is
also important and the best growers pre-
pare the soil as thoroughly as they would
for wheat. First grade tubers for seed
and then constant cultivation to keep the
weeds down are the rest of the essentials
in successful potato culture. In almost all
sections near large markets potato grow
ing is exceedingly profitable and the man
with the soil and equipment to raise pota-
toes will find 1t profitable to thoroughly
study the situation particularly the de-
mands OF the markets nearest him and
then go at the work In earnest.
RAISING THE EARLY CHICKS.
Many poultrymen experts as well as
novices do well with the incubator but
fail to raise a fair proportion of the chicks:
10 say the least this Is discouraging but a
little study of the situation should convine
one that the trouble is largely due TO too
much heat in the brooders. In our expert
ence the best way TO overcome this il to
locate the brooders indoors where they will
not require 10 be hea Ted to such a degree
as they do when the breeders are in an
open shed or a not-too-warm poultry
house. The cool and damp shed or house
together with the practice OF permitting
the chicks 10 run out of doors too soon has
much TO do with the great mortality which
exists among chicks raised in breeders.
Then too. many brooders are 80 con-
structed tina much OF the heat Is at one
end while the other portion Of the brooder
"a NEARLY cold. az a CONSEQUENCE the chicks