The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-01-05

for early and prolific laying. In our locks
we have a number OF hens of different for,
nation, all of them equally good layers,
and we have one hen with the highesti
record in the lot for eggs Produced eachl
year for three years that is decidedly not
OF the form poultrynen 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 Isl
in shape.
USE THE EXPERIMENT. STATIONS
There is not a state experiment station
in the country whose staff 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 oper-
ations of the, past season and jot down,
in considerable detail, each operation
which gave you trouble and unload these
troubles on the experiment station of your
state. TIL staff may be book farmers,'S
as you think, but all of them are trained
men and sincerely anxious to help you'll
1T skiing about any particular crop de-
scribe your soil in detail, your method of
culture, and give any other Information
Which will enable the station people to
give you an intelligent answer. If any
particular crop was unusually short and
you cannot account for it on natural rea-
describe ycsr method of culture. of
tertilizing, the seed, ETC., and, more than
all, describe wherein any treatment diff
fered from that given in any previous
year when the same crop was satisfactory;
Do not be bashful 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, who for many years.
was at the head of the Cornell Qtliaca,
n. W Experiment Station, in q recent adj
dress made this remark: III I were TWEEN
ty years younger l 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,
i should use plants. Blessed be weeds;
Some are minute, but all are soil buildN
ers. They give their bodies back to thea
soil and add to the supply of highly avail-A
able plant food. Village and plants o.
would emphasize in soil building" FAIRY
Iners are indebted to Or. Roberts for so
Professionally advocating, and proving, too.i
the value of cultivation to make avaiIable
the immense amount of potash stored in,
The soil. AT first the statement was ridi-.
culed, but the doctor was known TO be Al
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,H
of legulninous plants and the blowing OFT
them under to add nitrogen to the SOIL,
which had been gathered by the plants
from that boundless reservoir. the airy
Thus the. two most expensive plant foodst
became the least expensive. Then came,
his advocacy, renewed persistentiy. OF thet
cover crop so that the plantiess soil dur,
ing the winter is only to be found ont
farms whose owners are too stubborn to
learn. These incidents are mentioned to
point out anew the value to the soil OF
green manuring and of cultivation so thai
he who runs may read. Il
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 iii the matter of va
riety, not in the main food, for this is.
limited to three or four grains, but I'M
the odds and ends which can be picked.
up on the farm. In sections where cow
peas are grown it is a gopd plan to save
enough of the seed so that the fowls may
have a small portion two or three times
a week; grind them rather fine and mix,
with other grains. Then root crops may
be fed in the same way: two or three po-
tatoes chopped up one day. a few turnips
another day and a few carrots d third
day; all help to furnish q fair amount Of
food of value, but, more han all, furnish
a variety which will be of great benefit
to the fowls IN the way of an appc.izer.i
There is no reason why any scrap of fruit,
n NeSet5DIe or meat from the taDle aSf1OulQ
go TO waste if one will go to some trouble
to prepare them for the poultry in an al
petizing manner. 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 raostl
, Try the plan and you will find that tho
!. full meal following these daintics viii be-
eaten with greater zest.
FARM BUTCHERiNG APPLIANCE
!, Much of the disagrceable work of butch-
cring on the farm might be avoided il
r one would take the trouble to have the
necessary conveniesces. AS a rule n1ake-
shifts are used and the work is made
? much more difficult inpconseauence. Try
: the GLOWING plan and build the structure
described. First build a low and strong
:, platform, having it large enough so that
! there Will be no danger of those at work
5 on it stepping off. 1t should be made of
: lumber faced on the top side and made
: extra strong by cross pieces underneath.
g The legs are short but stout and wen
. braced. At one end cut out a piece so
: that the barrel described may rest in this
! opening properly In order that the bars
y rel may not be overturned accidentally q
!, strong brace is made in the form of a
! frame in which the barrel rests and this
= is we'll braced. The barre, is used for
r. ei ---