The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-23


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ALL but a space in the middle which is left
for tho hands. The material to be carried
NAV be loaded on this then the whole thing
folded together and easily carried. me
appliance Is easily made, costs but a eflhe
and will save much labor and the loss Oh
material. The illustration shows the laea
plainly and portions market "A. "A, peihs
the spaces left for the hands to carry 1t oy.
WORKING POULTRY AND STRAW
BERRIES.
When one speaks of poultry IN conhec-
ton with any iow-growing plant most PEG.
pie can see only the scratching birds and
the ruined plants but the combination has
been and Is being probably carried out.
II one selects one of the larger breeds OF
hens for this combination the scratching
part of the proposition will be reduced 10
a minimum and If the fowls are not re-
ouired 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 gathered but from that time urlal
they go into winter quarters they Will DE
exceedingly useful for they Will take care
OF All IlS llSSCLS, uO lllliS oAiih6 ~ NfO
way of scratching which can be readily
repaired by going over the plat each lay,
and their droppings will add materially to
the richness of the plot. If the plantation
covers a considerable area it will be a good
plan to have 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 If the fowls are
raised for egg production. Try 1t on a
small scale and increase as experience
proves it pays.
COSTLY STABLE MANURE.
Unquesttonably If one can raise tue food
on the farm which is fed to the stock that
supplies the manure stable manure Is the
most profitable fertilizer to use. but ii the
manure must be bought and carted a con-
siderable distance then 1T Is a question
il one can afford to use 1t 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 truckers
who use little of 1T relying upon the high
grade commercial fertilizers entirely and
keeping up the humus in the soil by green
m%anuring. Local conditions must deter
mine if this is the most profitable plan but
IL IS lIue III any CASE tlal II Il tllSl SI1dc
of commercial fertilizer is used and 1T 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 manuring though this can be only
worked out by trying 1T under local condi-
lions. The experiments along this line will
not, of necessity. be costly and 1T 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 1t contains, of itself, considerable
fertilizlng valne. If, 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 II the idea is to
use 1t largely for soil acioity then a little
will often suffice. Especially OH 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 Is bushels at most is ample. Ii
should I've remembered that while the
litmus paper test is generally reliable there
are chemicals in the soil which has the
am effect on the minus pdpeT us lIle
acidity of the soil SO that the surest way
is to test a portion of the plot If the sol
Is thought to be sour by using lime on II
at the rate of 80 bushels per acre and com.
pairing the result in the crop with an equa
area not lined. Another season one will
know exactly what to do.
PREPARING THE POTATO GROuNC
All potato growers ADMIT THAT a soil thai
is mellow and w~ell-draincd is ahsolutel,
essential for the best success in potato
growing; this is more than half the battle
and in this age of insects and bacteria
diseases one cannot afford to grow pota.
toes for market unless he can supply the
soil and the soil condition mentioned. TIL,
thorough preparation Of the seed bed 4!
also important and the best growers pre-
pare the soil as thoroughly as they woul.
for wheat. First grade tubers for sees
and then constant cultivation to keep tn,
weeds down are the rest of the %essential
{ in successful potato culture. In almost al
sections near large markets potato grow
} ing is exceedingly profitable and the ma
with the soil and equipment to raise pota
toes will find it profitable to thorough.
study the situation particularly the de
I. mands of the markets nearest him an,
then go at the work In earnest.
RAISING THE EARLY CHICKS.
Many poultrymen experts as we'll a
novices do we'll with the incubator bu
fail to raise a fair proportion of the chicks
to say the least this is discouraging but
!. little study of the situation should convin
, one that the trouble is largely due to to
/, much heat in the breeders. In our expert
ence the best way to overcome this is t
/, locate the breeders indoors where they wi
!. not require to be heated to such a degre
as they do when the breeders are In a
open shed or a not-too-warm poultr
house. The cool and damp shed or hous
together With the practice of permittin
, the chicks to run out of doors too soon ha
:, much to do with the great mortality whic
: exists among chicks raised in brooder
Their too, many brooders are so cor
y structed that much of the heat Is at or
end while the other portion OF the broodt
Is nearly cold; as a consequence the chtcl