Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-01-13

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flock during the winter months should
be kept constantly in mind. Exercise
means health, and health means eggs
If any one Of the house plants have
sickly yellow color 1t Is fair to as
sumo that there is lack of nitrogen
In the soil. This may be supplied by
using moderate amount OF plan,
food, watering the plants with dilute
ammonia or a small quantity Of ma
nure water.
The question of fresh air for tht
poultry Is not vital one during thu
summer months, when they are out Of
doors all day and when, the door and
windows Of the poultry house are LEFT
wide open at night. During the win
ter months, however, the question Is
very important 1t Is true with hens
as with human beings that there Is no
more prolific cause Of colds and other
bronchial troubles than bad air.
Fresh air should be supplied in the
henhouse during the coolest weather
even at the expense Of warmth.
The New Jersey mosquito, which
has deservedly achieved a national
reputation, has in the past had as
breeding ground some 29O,0 acres OF
salt marshes. But Its days seem to
be numbered, for long straight ditches
are now being dug through these
marshes which drain the fepressions
and which contain sufficient running
water so that myriads Of little fisl
with which the drainage bitches have
been stocked are enabled to live, feast
ing on the mosquito larvae. for which
they have lusty appetite. Depres
sions which do not drain readily are
doped with oil or filled with sand
While the words gutta percha and
rubber are sometimes used inter
changeably, they are quite different
The former Is procured from trees
which grow In the Malay peninsula
while rubber is from tree native to
the western hemisphere, the supply
coming chiefly from the wild trees of
Brazil and the cultivated groves Of the
Straits Settlements. Rubber has been
known since the discovery of Ameri
ca, but it was not until 1923 that any
| serious attempt was made to use 1t on
| a commercial scale, while the major
| portion Of the present enormous rub
| Der business has been a growth Of the
past fifteen years.
| Corn smut, known to every one who
is acquainted with the corn plant
was formerly thought to be injurious
to stock, causing abortion and in rarel
instances what is known as the corn
stalk disease. Some time ago the bu
reau of animal industry at Washing
ton conducted some feeding expert
ments in which as high as eleve,
pounds Of smut per day We're fed Il
some of the animals. The animal.
seemed to relish the smut and to thriv,
on it, no Injurious effects whatever be
ing noted. From this 1t is safe TO as
sumo that the amount of smut which
cattle would get hold of in eating corr
fodder in one shape or another would
be entirely harmless.
AS the time for the winter snow.
approach the owner of the newly Sc
family or commercial orchard SHOULD
straightway take the measures neces
sary to protect the trees from the at
tacks of rabbits and mice. In guard
ing against the mice one of the frs
things to be done is to remove al
dead grass, leaves or litter from tn,
base of the tree within radius O
two or three feet. which will proven
their nesting near the trees. To pro
tect from both mice and rabbits tn
trunks of the young trees should b,
wrapped with some kind Of paper wei
up to the lower branches. For thi
purpose wood veneer or building pa
per may be used, though old newspa
pers used four or six ply will answe
the same purpose and be the cheapes
wrapper that can be got. The pape
or other wrapper should be tied Sc
curely with binding Irvine or cottol
cord. In way of supplementing thl
rodent campaign. guns, traps and fer
rets should be called into service.
The efficiency Of thousands Of rura
schools might be vastly Increases
were serious attempt made to teacl
in simple and direct way some Of th
, fundamental and very importan
things which are taught deliberately q
the agricultural colleges. The list o
subjects discussed and demonstrate,
ought to include the testing of see,
corn, the determination Of butter ia
in milk by the Babcock test, the test
ing and cure for sour soils, study 0
small grains and demonstration o
the advantage of growing pure bre'
over growing scrub grain, somethin
about balanced rations and the phi
losophy of them. The rural scho6
would seem to offer an admirabl
meeting place for the young people 0
) the country and fundamental instrut
tion in things which promise so niue
for the agricultural betterment Q
farming communities. 1t may be th
teacher Is city bred or knows littl
about these interesting and importau
! subjects. But this should not prov
I a serious obstacle. for enterprisiu