West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-06-24

Considering the kind OF a spring we
had this year. there was possibly some
justification for the admonition con-
tanned In the April issue OF western
agricultural paper to beware frosty
bits@
A small area OF mangel wurzeis
might well be grown on every farm, as
they are highly relished and bene-
icial ration for hogs. cattle, sheep and
chickens In the fall and winter months,
when other succulent feeds are scarce.
Dispatches OF n short time ago told
OF farmer who lost several head OF
horses supposedly from eating sllage
that was moldy. While Il was not
stated Just how this came about, Il
would seem to suggest caution in the
use OF siloge as horse ration.
Ohio agricultural papers mention the
significant fact that carloads OF silos
are being shipped into the southern
part OF that state. There Is many an
other state whose farm papers ought
TO contain just such an item, only II
should read northern and southern"
From the very nature OF the case
horses do not require as much salt nor
so frequently as do cattle, but they
both need and relish II, and X It is
where they may get 1t whenever they
want II quite bit will be done toward
keeping them I'm good condition.
However good any pasture may be,
II is not what Il should be unless Il
contains some corner I'm which the
dairy cows may seek shade In the hea,
OF the day. A clump OF shade trees
fills the bill. II these are lacking a
shed open on two or three sides or all
around Will answer the purpose.
Pumpkins do not possess large food
value, but, like turnips and some other
root crops, are n good system regula-
tor which tends to create hearty ap.
petite for the regular rations. They are
good for the milk COW, tho steer in the
feed lot and the porker. They are
easily raised In the cornfield and are
preferable to n like volume OF weeds.
A whole lot OF dairy herds look like
30 cents when they have had a
round with the Babcock tester and
wind up with IN examination for tu-
berculosis. The more herds there are
made to look like 30 cents on the
two above accounts tho better Il Will
DO for the pocketbook OF tho owner
and the health Of the consuming pub
lie.
In some sections OF Germany cows
are used with horses In the blowing
operations. the practice being to bal.
ance the work OF four cows against
that Of one horse. giving each COW an
hours work I'm the forenoon and In the
afternoon. The plow used cuts a fur
row nine inches deep and eight wide,
and about two and q half days are re.
quired to pillow an acre.
There hasn't been n period In the
past fifteen years when grain prices
have ruled as high as they have dur.
ing the past two years and when II
was so urgent n matter to weed out
the Improbable cows In the dairy
herd. When corn Is % cents and 9th
er feeds in proportion the COW which
Is just barely paying her keep is use,
less, but when 1t is GO cents n bushel
or better she becomes a good deal OF a
luxury.
Ohio is In advance OF many other
states In that she has lately passed
stringent laws touching the sale OF
milk. It requires, among other things
that the cows themselves must be
healthy, that they must be fed whole.
some food, that the conditions under
which they are kept must be sanitary
and that the milk must reach a given
standard as to butter fat and must be
free from water or other foreign or in.
furious ingredients
Not every farm hand-and this In.
cludes q lot OF pretty good ones-can
successfully adjust and operate the
surface cultivator, but where they do
get on to the hang" OF II very excel.
lent results are obtained, for not only
do the knives kill many weeds which
the shovel cultivators do not, but the
surface soil IS left so fine and level
that moisture is more easily conserved
resulting I'm an increase I'm yield OF ali
the way from eight to twelve bushels
per acre.
There would be considerable benefit
TO the horse raisers in any community
IL they could agree on the raising OF
some particular type OF draft horse
Not only could they thus by co-operat
Ing secure higher priced and more per.
feet sires, but the raising OF one breed
would tend to give the community g
reputation In this regard which would
attract more buyers and in so far in.
sure considerably higher prices through
the competition which would result.
There ore large areas Of arabic land
In the United States where there Is no
gospel which needs proclaiming more
emphatically than that OF an intensive
type Of agriculture-the thorough and
intelligent working Of forty, fifty OF
sixty acres, IN place OF the shlftless,
skin over and devil-may-care methods
the baleful effects OF which are seen
so commonly on 100 10 800 acre farms.
Increase in land values, coupled with
a decrease in yield as a result OF fol
lowing slipshod methods and the scar.