Warren sheaf., 1908-03-19

the wire is stretched onto them.
Braces should be Of good length and
made Of 4x4's, which should %,
selected. and knotty one is to be
preferred to one with sap and no
knots; but knots should not be large.
enough to weaken the brace.
In setting the smaller posts. /
much prefer to sharpen and drive
them, using a wooden maui to drive
with, which does not split the post.
The post should be sharpened with a
rather blunt. round point, not too
slim. The top of the post should
have the sharp edges hewn off. which
helps to prevent splitting by the
maui. Then. too, water should al
ways be used in the hole made by
the bar before driving in the post. as
this will save one half the labor and
the post will always stand tirmer
when driven into wet ground. 1
prefer setting the posts with the
small end down, as they are tirmer
and it is thought bv many will last
longer. The posts should not be
driven in more than 20 or "a inches.
as this. on our ordinary. hard, dry
prairie land is just as good as deeper.
and then when the post rots of. it
can be sharpened and driven in
again, thus prolonging It's life two
fold.
| Small Lots for Hog Pastures.
Too much Importance cannot be
attached to the value of pasture for
hogs. and in our plan will be. found
four small lots of about one and one
half acres each. One of these might
be seeded in bronze grass, and one in
blue grass; these two for permanent
pastures. while the others can be
sown in rye. barley. rape or any sue
culent crop that can be best utilized
by the pigs and hogs. These will
provide ample pasture for ten brood
sows and their spring and fall litters.
especially when supplemented with
the larger fields of pasture when
needed.
Crops
On account of alfalfa being a crop
that is difficult to obtain perfect
stand of. would selct a ten-acre
tract somewhere on the farm that
thought suitable for the crop, select
ing rolling ground. or that with good
drainage. The ground should have
been thoroughly manured in pre-
vious years. 1t should be plowed
early in the spring and then kept
narrowed and perfectly clean from
weeds till about the Goth of May
when. if the ground is moist. the
seed should be sown broadcast and
lightly narrowed in. no nurse crop
being used. No CROP should be taken
off the first season. but it should be
moved and the. crop left on the
ground whenever the weeds are
showing up too much. Great i'm
portance is placed on getting this
seed bed perfect before sowing the
seed. These ten acres are going to
be the source of more profit than anv
other ten acres on the farm. hence
no Dains should be spared in making
it success.
Now by the time the alfalfa is
ready to be cut for hay. I would
have the farm CROPS divided up 20
acres timothy and clover for hav. "a
acres timothy and clover for pasture.
40 acres corn. 25 acres oats and rape.
IA acres barley and rape. 10 acres
permanent alfalfa.
The 20 acres of timothy and clover
hay and the 10 acres of alfalfa. to-
gether with the fodder from the 40
acres corn. should be ample to
furnish hav for all the live stock on
the farm and have some left each
year to SELL The 80 acres of corn.
oats and barley should furnish ample
grain feed for 10 COWS. and to fatten
each wear 100 hogs to 225 pounds
each. furnish grain feed for fatten-
ing loo lambs. and grain feed for
horses together with all colts raised
on the farm. The "a acres timothy
and clover pasture together with the
small hog pastures and the 40 acres
rape grown with the barley and
oats should furnish ample pasture
for all stock except perhaps the
growing colts which can usually be
pastured more cheaply away from
the farm. The timothy and clover
pasture and hay land should be used
two years in succession, then they.
except IA acres, should be broken up
and 40 acres of the same planted to