The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-01-04

nation, all of them equally good layers,
and VIC nav one hen with the highest
record in the lot for eggs produced each
year for three years that is decidedly not
of the form poultrymen 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 is
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-
atoms of the past season and jot down,
in considerable detail, each operation
which gave you trouble and unload these
roubles on the experiment station of your
state. Thu staff may be book farmers"
as you think, but all of them are trained
men and sincerely anxious to help you.
If asking 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. II any
particular crop was unusually short and
you cannot account for 1t on natural rea-
sons, describe yer method Of culture, of
fertilizing, 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 il you will give
them any sort Of an opportunity.
BUILDING UP TIE SOIL.
Professor Roberts, who for many years
was at the head of the Cornell Qthaca,
N. " Experiment Station, in a recent adj
dress made this remark IF l were TWEEN
ty years younger I should go up and down
our country emphasizing the work Of
plants in producing soil productivity. In
stead of using a mallet, as l once did, to
put a piece of and in productice state,
I should use plants. Blessed be weeds.
Some are minute, but all are soil buildA
ers. They give their bodies back to the
soil and add to the supply of highly availN
able plant food. Tillage and plants l
would emphasize in soil building FarA
mers are indebted to DR.. Roberts for SO
persistently advocating, and proving, too
the value Of cultivation to make available
the immense amount of potash stored in
the soil. At first the statement was ridi-
culed, but the doctor was known to be .
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
of leguminouS plants and the blowing Of
them under to add nitrogen to the soil,
which had been gathered by the plants
from that bouEdlesS reservoir, the air.
Thus the two most expensive plant foods
became the least expensive. Then came
his advocacy, renewed perSistently, Of the
cover crop so that the plantless soil dur
ing the winter is only to be found on
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 that
he who runs may read.
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 %unfIner
one shoul be liberal in the matter of va
riety, not in the main food, for this is
limited to three or four grains, but in
the odds and ends which can be picked
up on the farm. In sections where COW
peas arc grown it is a good plan to save
enough of the seed so hat the fowls may
have a small portion two or three times
q 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 a third
day; all help to furnish n fair amount of
food of value, but, more than all, furnish
d variety WHICH Will De OI great dement,
to the fowls III the way of an appetizer.
There is no reason why any scrap of fruit,
vegetable or meat from the table should
go 20 waste if one will go to some trouble
to prepare them for the poultry in an APP
pctizing 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 most
Try the plan and you will find that tho
full meal following these daintics will be
eaten with greater zest.
FARM BUTCHERlNG APPLIANCE
ering on the farm might be avoided il
one would take the trouble to have the
necessary Conveni4nceS AS a rule make
Shifts are used and the work is made
much more difficult in consequence. Try
the following plan and build the structure
described. First build Il low and strone
platform, having it large enough so tina
there will be no danger of those at worl
on it stepping off. 1t should be made o
lumber faced on the top side and madt
extra strong by cross pieces underneath
The legs are short but stout and vel
braced. At one end cut out a piece 81
that the barrel described may rest in thi!
opening properly. In order that the bar
rel ma not be overturned accidentally
strong brace is made in the form of
frame in which the barrel rests and thi
is well braced. The barrel is used 70