Middletown transcript., 1910-05-07
rARm NEWS AND VIEWS

alL8lkA uAy sueJ Htn SoasSe-1St S.Ds s =
mixture consisting of 400 pounds Of ground
corn; 500 pounds ofbEsn or oats supple
ments the alfalfa very well. Seven or
eiRht rounds Of this combinstio0-is is snfti-
Gent o produce one pound OF fat when
fed With all the good alfalfa hay an
animal will consume. II the droppinga
Of The animal seem somewhat dry do not
hesitate to recommend the use OF one
pound Of oiImeal per day.
In these times Of high priced corn fol
feeding purposes, il is well worth while
% bear in mind that about 40 per cent. ol
the feeding value Of the corn plant is in
the stalk, leaves and husks, and the
other 60 per cent. in the ear. In handling
corn as commonly practiced much OF the
40 per cent. il lost. When corn 10 cut foi
Hilo before lower leaves are dry there Ii
no waste. About twice the amount o.
dry matter can be stored in the form o.
silRRe as in the form of fodder. II bal
been determined that q cubic foot OF hay
In the NOW contains about 4.S pounds oI
dry matter, while q cubic Of hay in the
NOW contains about 43 pounds Of dry
matter. A cubic foot of space ina silc
being worth more than twice an equa
tP5e5s II II = sszasee ssszaseeRH,
No crop In an orchard should be plant
ed 90 near the trees as to rob them ol
moisture.
Manipulating and spraying with Bor'
deaux is required to get rid Of rose bugs
on grapes.
Hogs need comfortable quarters in cold
weather more than horses and cattle
because their hair is coarser and thinner.
The price Of good milk, cream or butter
IL not always calculated in dollars and
cents. Economical and sanitary ways oi
handling must be considered.
The number Of sheep in the United
States il decreasing, while the Consump'
tion Of mutton is increasing, and as q
result we find sheep commanding high
price.
The sooner farmers recognize the fact
that poultry raising should be as care
fully and thoroughly conducted as the
dairy business, the quicker good many
dollars will be added to the family in.
come.
The man who sells bis eggs. at the
country store will not for the present
receive very much encouragement to
produce strictly high grade eggs. Try
some good, reliable commission firm in
some large city and let your grocery man
rest.
In breeding chicks on the farm the
system Of selecting the eggs for hatch
ing is likely to be faulty. The early
laying pullets generally begin to lay their
first course of eggs before the eggs are
saved for Matching. Then when the eggs
are selected they come from the late
laying pullets and hens. 1t will be seen
shat in many cases the characteristics Of
the short-period hens are being bred
along instead of those of the long.period
hens. This may be the factor that de-
Cides whether the flock of hens kept are
bred to pay well or do not pay well.
Careful poultry breeders consider this
point and devise means by which the
eggs set are gathered from the best.laying
pullets.
One point should be kept in mind
There should be as much or more atten-
tion paid to the individual characteristics
of the hens as there is to the breed. One
hen of breed may be good producer
and another of the same breed be poor
producer and an improbable servant.
When We select eggs from the poor layer
We are breeding in the wrong direction.
Do not attempt to save your own seeds
unless you have used every precaution
necessary to prevent cross.fertiIizstion.
Plants often mix without the knowledge
Of the grower. A melon, it is claimed,
may be fertilized by Q pumpkin, and,
though the fruit OF this season may be
apparently genuine, yet the seed Of such,
If used the next season, may cause fail
ure Of the crop or destroy the quality.
The value Of palatability and snccu-
lency in the character Of live stock foods
are well illustrated BY the domestic an.
imal grazing the pastures. The COW can.
not thrive on dry feed as the horse does.
OF conFse ideal and balanced food for
cattle is bluegrass pasture, but for large
part Of the year green pasture is not avail.
able. The best substitutes to furnish
this succulent feed during this period are
root crops and corn siIage. Corn yields
about twice as much dry matter per acre
o. do root crops. As root crops require
much more labor, siiage is by far the
most economical for those where corn
cannot be grown.
Within recent years alfalfa has forged
20 the front as . forage plant in the
United States with extraordinary rapidity.
In fact, it may now be considefed one Of
our most important crop plants. II is
grown to some extent in all sections, but
it is only in she western half Of the country
that it takes rank as q leading forage
crop. In most parts Of the west the
ordinary alfalfa appears TO be we'll adapted
to prevailing conditions, but for localities
where drought resistance is important
and along our northern border, where
ability to stand extremes Of cold is
essential, il has been found very desirable
70 secure improved stFains.
The species OF alfalfa ordinarily grown
bears violet colored flowers, and its seed
pods are coiled into close spifaIs. Persia
was probably the original home Of tbis
species. There is, however, another
species Of alfalfa growing wild in Siberia
and throughout the greater part Of Europe
which bears yellow flowers and whose
seed pods are sickle shaped. The pro-
gtFate stems and poor seed bearing quail.
tieB Of this species are obstacles 10 its use
M foPapa nlauf IL In hnwavar wary