Middletown transcript., 1909-12-18
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS

!, Big fortunes have been made on small
. farms
knowledge without practice makes bui
half farmer.
u A straight liue is The shortest distance
between the crop aud the market.
Farming " a big scal.-slat is, weigh.
lug your stLn oefore hauling to market
is splendid IDEA.
No nlau can get along without rnnnipg
expenses, but he can at least prevent
them from running too fast.
| Although there may be nothing new
under the sun, the farmer continues to
discover something about his work that
he has not known before
The demand for phosphate rock has
become so great that Secretary Ballinger
OF the Interior Department is holding all
the known acres of public phosphate lands
until the next Congress takes official
action respecting them. In the interest
OF the present aud succeeding generations
the general government should retain a
supervising interest on all our public lands
Where phosphate rock, beds Of inter or
sources Of potash are known to exist.
Il is only with good winter storage aud
some care that farm tools can come out
bright in the spring. Estimates of tools,
Left to rust out from exposure, rather
than worn out by use, run up into the
hundreds of thousands of dollars an
nually; that is why the manufacturer is
getting wealthier year by year. True, it
takes quite building to house the i'm.
plements and machinery of an ordinary
farm, but, like stacking out hay, the
waste will soon pay for shelter, and the
sooner the shelter is made and the tools
put in, the quicker the farmer begins to
reap toll that usually goes to the manu-.
facturer, Axle-grease or machine.oil ap-
piled to the ploW-shoyels aud mold. boards
of breaking plows, disks, and the like,
prevents their rusting and caves. many a
weary hour when the spring work sets in,
in the way Of securing.
Save the old shingles, corn cobs and
small pine knots for handy kindling on
cold mornings.
Burdock is one of the most pestiferous
weeds the farmer has to deal with. Grow.
ing readily in all soils and being OF strong
vitality it thrives wherever the seeds fall.
Carefully digging up the young plants
with hoe or dandelion spade will de-
stroy every one. But after the plants be-
come larger the roots must be cut out |
quite low below ground For several |
inches below the crown the long, slender
burdock root is covered with eyes or buds |
which will send up new stocks if the root |
is cut off above. For this reason many
efforts to dig them out with spade or
grubbing hoe fail.
Keep the hens out OF damp quarters.
Dampness breeds roup and other diseases.
Put floor in the chicken-house or throw
in lot of straw to keep chickens off |
frosty floors.
Clean the windows Of the poultry-house
BY washing with soapy water and drying
with cloth or paper. Clean windows let
in the warm sunlight on cold days, add
ing health and comfort to the flock.
Que hole in the floor Of hog-pen may
break the leg of hog, aud a hog with a
broken leg is a spoiled hog.
Double up the corn ration to the hogs
that are almost ready to turn off. Push
them along. Get them out of the way so
that the rest may have better chance.
Cement is the cheapest material in the
end for the floor of hog-house. The
floor of the outdoor department should be
six to ten inches lower than the house
floor, so as to insure good drainage and
dry sleeping quarters.
When hogs show an insatiate desire to
IOOtJ ~ 70 Wcli W etuuy CatCIulIy tuClL Uiu |
of fare. The chances are that it is out of
balance and that the hogs are simply
trying to help the feeder out by hunting
for what is lacking.
Thumps is one of the worst complainte
which trouble young pigs. The way to
prevent it is to cut down the rations and
compel the pigs to get out into the sun
shine and run about. The pig that is a
greedy eater and lies around in the bed
is the one that usually has the hardest
case of thumps.
Set your own standard in the dairy
business, and follow it, provided it is
above that of your neighbor.
Snug, sanitary quarters, kindly care,
variety of proper rations-What world
Of meaning contained in those few words!