Middletown transcript., 1909-03-13
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS

A herd Of goats will clear the under
brush from a farm In q very short time.
For the last five years a herd Of 40 goats
in the vicinity of LaWrencevilIe, Ind,
has been eating and working on different
farms. In that time the animals have
changed owners ten times
i Dry hay, as well as grain, should be
fed with silsge and soiling crops through
the summer for the effect that it has On
the digestive tract.
To have finely-colored fruit it is neces-
sary to have plenty Of light. A dressing
Of wood ashes, or potash, around the base
Of the tree, will also help considerably to
improve the color.
Now is good time to trim the rasp-
berry and blackberry fields. Not much
fruit can be expected from feeble canes,
and even the best canes will not give
much fruit if they are too close together.
Manure or fertilizer is also required.
Blackberry fields have been known to
give good service for years without fer
tilizers, but if the field is given good cnl-
tiyation, and well supplied with plant
food, the increased yield and better quail
ity of the fruit will make some unproit-
able fields pay we'll.
A French naturalist asserts that if Ghe
world should become birdless man could
not inhabit it after nine years time, in
spite of all the sprays and poisons that
could be manufactured for the destruc-
ton of insects. The insects and slugs
would simply eat all the orchards and
crops in that time.
The San Jose scale is the insect that
should be sought out and fought at this
season of the year. 1t is soft-bodied
insect protected by a waxy covering,
which can be penetrated. only by very
corrosive chemicals. Owing to injury to
foliage, these chemicals must be used in
winter, or when the trees are dormant.
When buying clover, alfalfa or grass
seed, ask for guaranteed analysis and
test. If your dealer cannot or will not
furnish such test, his seed is not above
suspicion.
The impression is growing that no ami.
NAL intended for beef should be carried
beyond the 2-year period of life, or q
years at most. The steer that cannot be
finished at these ages, or is not, cannot be
relatively profitable.
The Crop Reporting Board Of the Bn-
reau of Statistics of the United States
Department of Agriculture estimates the
numbers and values of farm animals on
farms and ranges in the United States on
January 1st, 1909, as follows Compared
with January 1st, 1908, the following
changes are indicated: Horses have in
creased 64S,O00; mules, $4,000; mich
COWS, 52G, 900; other cattle decreased 694,-
600; sheep increased /, ,45S, 900; swine de.
creased 1881, 900. In average Ralue Rsr
head, horses increased 1928; mules,
cents; mich COWS, $1.69; other cattle, 90
cents; sheep decreased 45 Centstswine in
creased so cents.
The colts and calves should be kept
thrifty and growing at this time. They
require variety and abundance of feed
to put them into the proper condition for
best growth on summer pasture. The
grain ration should be kept up, and an
occasional feed of oats and wheat bran
should be given. 1t is good to give the
young stock daily about 5 per cent. Of
linseed NEAL
Pigs are more apt to be ''rootera" in
spring, when the ground is soft, than
they are at any other time Of the year.
Much of this can be prevented by feeding
regularly with coal, charcoal, ashes or
other mineral matter. Ringing the hogs
should be resorted to in extreme cases.
Owing to the poor feed in the pastures
and the high price of grain, no money
was made in milk production last year.
The day of cheap grain is past and in
the future the producer must plan more
to raise his own grain. The price of milk
has advanced somewhat in proportion to
that of grain and is one-third higher than
it was eight years ago, and is now higher
than at any time in the past twenty
years.
The horse blanket should always be
ready for use after a hard drive, for
horse will chill very quickly if LEFT stand.
ing in cold wind. Forgetting to take
the blanket along has caused many g.
horse to develop lung trouble that no
veterinarian has been able to cure. The
shoes are carefully looked after by every
experienced horseman. The horse that
is to be kept in the barn much of the
time in winter should be guarded against
becoming soft. Some farmers try to save
money by feeding their idle horses 10
hay during the period of slack work.
The result is that they begin work in the
spring with soft muscles and little energy.
Some grain should be given during all
the winter, enough to keep the muscles
in good form. Exercise is absolutely
necessary to keep horse in good trim,
and there is no system Of feeding that can
be developed that will carry a horse
through an idle winter and into spring
with good, firm muscles.