Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-29

news story of public interest con-
nected with your farm, your Grange
or Farm Bureau or any of your ac-
tivities, the editor will be glad to
publish it. If its publication Incl
dentally helps you. the gladness will
be two-fold.
Features Of Afternoon Exercises
1.-The House That Health Built,~ an
exercise patterned after the familiar
juvenile story of 1.-THE House That
Jack Built" was pleasingly present.
ed by Miss Gertrude Peabody. in
structor in home economies at the
University of Maine, and the follow
ing children: Eleanor Hill, Mary
Deering, Beatrice Jones, Edith Hill,
Airline Smith and Barbara Corbett,
all daughters of members of the
faculty.
when + received the request to
speak on this subject / assumed it
meant run-out farm that could be
easily cultivated; also that there
would be a lack of barn dressing to
fertilize," said l.. f. McIntire of East
Waterford. Speaking on the subject.
How to Bring a Farm to Good
State of Preservation.
Personally, l had to remove rocks
and stumps, lay more than mile of
underdrain in about 80 acres of land.
which 1 would not advise doing at
the present price of labor. / will
tell you how we managed some of our
own run-out fields, on our hill farm.
one mile from home. and with no
barn dressing available.
we'll remember one field that had
not been plowed in more than 80
years. II is needless to say that field
was run out. Our method of work.
ing that kind of land was this:
First. we plowed, fairly deep. and
removed what stone would interfere
with the plow or harrow. We found
this soil light in color and lifeless.
The work was done in the late fall.
In the spring, as soon as the soil
was fit to work, the wheelharrows
were used until we had a good seed
bed. Chemicals were applied. in
quantity. sufficient to grow a good
crop of oats.
Again in tie fall of the second
year the field was thoroughly plow-
cd. The action of the frost. sun and
air was beginning to make more
plant food available, and with the
decay of the old sod and the oat
stubble to add humus. the whole
makeup of the soil had taken new
lease Of life and was getting ready
to work again.
When Spring came and the soil
was in proper condition to FORK, the
harrows were kept busy until We had
4 seed bed like Il garden spot. We
applied liberal amount of chemicals
and again sewed the field to oats.
with the result that we had a good
! crop of oats. and as fine a stand Of
clover and other grasses as anyone
could wish for.
Now that field was in grass many
years, yielding from two to two and
one half tons per. acre each year. q
light top dressing of chemicals be-
ing applied every second year. 1t
was doing that when chemicals be-
came so high VIC had to stop using
them.
Some farms would not respond to
any treatment. But | am taking it
for granted that we are working with
land that can be made productive.
Housing Poultry
o. NJ. Wilbur, poultry specialist.
speaking on this subject said: There
are three prime essentials necessary
in any poultry house to make the
house satisfactory for laying hens.
These three essentials are comfort,
cost. and convenience. OF these COM
forts is tho most important because
hens are kept under artificial condl-
tons and VIC also wish to produce
eggs out Of the natural season.
Therefore to get eggs during the fail
and winter months it is necessary to
make the birds comfortable. The first
quality in bringing about comfort is
to make the house dry. Dampness
is the most detrimental factor in any
poultry house. The moisture may
come from the surrounding air. from
the soil, or from the birds themselves,
through their breathing. Moisture
from the air is only troublesome
when houses are situated on low
land where there is poor air circula-
ton. In many houses it is frequent
ly the case that the floor becomes
damp and it is impossible to keep tho
litter dry. There may not be any
frost or dampnesS on the roof or
walls. This condition is usually
brought about by the fact that the
house ia ton close To the ground To
overcome this soil moisture or damp
floors it is advisable to have the
house foot or more from the ground,
and it should not be banked but left
s,per1, thereby allowing for air circu-
lation underneath and preventing
rats from entering.
Another factor contributing to
comfort is ventilation 10 rid the house
Of moisture and poisonous gases
given off in breathing. This ventila-
ton is obtained without draught
through what is known as the open
front. This opening should be in
the south SIDE Of the house and is
of size equal TO onc-t tenth of the
floor space. This opening is covered
with burlap or muslin curtain dur
ing cold nights and southerly storms.
Sunshine is very beneficial to hens
but too much glass is detrimental.
because of it's producing extremes in
temperature between day and night.
About four square feet of floor space
should be allowed per hen.
County Agent r. II. Lovejoy spoke
Of "SOme Facts Learned from Our