The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-03-14
GUe 0albona 01brointte.
EVANSVILLE. w. Va
TUESDAY, March IA, 1911.
FARM NOTES,
by Verde Peterson, Science Teacher, Glenville
State Normal School,

be well to plan to raise more con-
centrated food yourself this com
ing year and thereby increase
your profit on your stock. II
seems rather strange that a dis
trict like this part Of West Vir-
ginia would be obliged to buy SO
much feed shipped in from the
western markets when with a lit
tie more energy and information
on the subject much of this feed
could be raised right at home.
This could all be done without
seriously eXhausting the soil, pro-
viding crop rotation was practi-
ced and the work done in a
scientific way. There is plenty
of land in most places which lies
well enough to plow without
blowing any steep hillsides pro-
viding proper use is made of all
available land. In the last ten
years the state of Ohio has raised
the average yield of corn per acre
something like ten bushels.
West Virginia could Edo as we'll.
In planting crops for feed either
rough or concentrated it should be
kept in mind that in composition
there are two general classes of
foods, protein and carbohydra-
ties. Also that each class of
these foods has it's particular
function in the make up of the
animal. The carbohydrates
to which belong to corn, oats and
timothy hay have as their func-
ton the supplying of fat as need
ed in the fattening of hogs or
steers.
The energy needed for a work
horse, the tissues needed for a
growing animal the substance
which in the body e a hen pro-
duces eggs and in the cow pro-
duces milk is mostly supplied by
the protein class of foods. To
this class belong bran, middlings
clover, cow pea, soy bean, and
vetch hay. rhe oil meal aud cot
ton seed meal of the market sup
ply this element nitrogen which
is the principal one in protein
foods. This class Of food is
more expensive on the market
than the carbohydrates but the
farmers cut their profits very
much if they fail to feed protein
or if they feed the protein foods
to be had in the market since
they are so high priced. The
only plausible solution seems to
be for the farmer to raise more
protein foods. This means that
he must raise more clover, cow
peas, soy beans and such things.
1t would be well to write to the
department of agriculture Wash
ington d. G.. for information on
both the feeding of farm ami
mails and the growing of these
crops which contain protein,
~
In selecting eggs for Matching
early chickens it is best to select
the eggs from hens which have
just begun laying, since their vi
tally is higher than later in the
laying period. The eggs of pull
lets should not be used for hatch
ing purposes for not a very high
percentage of them is likely to
hatch. Eggs that are left in the
cold nest all day often have the
life germ killed or so badly chill
ed in them that not many of
them hatch. Gathering the eggs
several times a day in cold
weather will remedy this.
A hen can not cover well
enough to keep warm so many
eggs in cold weather as she can
in warm weather. This time of
year no hen even a large one
should have over thirteen eggs
placed under her Twelve if You
are superstitious) and smaller
hens a smaller number,
~
The farmer who has not raised
some kind Of root crop to feed
his ewes this year is at a great
disadvantage. Roots make both
a cheap and a very healthy food
for lambing ewes. Either man
giles or rutabagas are best for
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