Milford chronicle., 1923-02-09

put in the drinking water in the win
ter so as to keep it warm. The nests
are located under the dropping boards.
The house is built so as not to allow
any draft on the birds while on the
roast.
The laying stock is fed about twice
as much as the breeding stock. All of
the feed is mixed at the poultry farm
instead of paying the dealer of feeds
two prices for mixing THE mash is
composed of equal parts of wheat
bran, wheat middlings, corn meal,
ground oats and meat scrap. The
scratch ration consists of equal parts
of cracked corn, wheat and oats. In
severe cold weather the amount of
corn is doubled. At noon sprouted
oats are fed at the rate of 2 square
inches per bird. Semi-solid butter
milk is also fed with the water which
the oats are soaked in. Enough is fed
to last the birds about twenty min
utes.
Under the feed house was a cellar
containing an incubator. This incuba-
tor has a capacity of 2160 eggs, and is
divided into compartments of 40 eggs
each. The machine turns the eggs au-
tomatically. This does not give salts
faction and the eggs are turned by
hand. The average hatch for this
year was 67 per cent while the highest
was 81 per cent. The standard weight
for setting eggs at the poultry plant
is two ounces.
The last place which we visited in
! the morning was the orchard. The
| q foI, he, f6oro
was an apple tree cleft-grafted with
pear tree ciOns. This was an accident
as the cions were sent there for apple
ciOns. The graft has made a good
growth and it will not be removed.
There was also some apple trees
cleft-grafted with some new varieties
of apples. In trying out new varieties
if you can obtain an old tree, and
top work the cions of the new varie-
ties in the old tree, results can be OBJ
tanned much earlier than setting out
young trees of the new variety. The
trees which were grated were as large
as the trees not grated of the same
age. These trees bear fruit 2 or
years after they are grated. The |
trees in this orchard were set 20'x2O.' |
The idea in setting out the trees so |
close is that more experiments may be |
carried on.
There were several experiments be-
ing carried on with both fertilizers |
and varieties. Each experimental plot !
contained 25 trees. AS a conclusion of |
the different fertilizer experiments it |
may be seen that the use Of nitrogen
is very necessary. This element |
causes heavy yields and more yigOr-
GUS growth of the trees. The pilots
where no fertilizer was used gave
very poor results. The yield of fruit
was very light and the growth of the
tree was not nearly as good as when
nitrogen was used. When nitrogen is
doubled the yield is heavier and the
trees have a more vigorous growth,
but it is doubtful if it pays to double
the nitrogen.
In these experiments every apple is
weighed from each tree and in this
way each variety is tested as well as
each mixture of fertilizers. In few
years the experimental station will
know which variety is best suited to
this climate and which mixture of fer
tilizer is most profitable to use. These
figures will be very valuable to the
farmers of this community.
This concluded the program for the
forenoon. Then all of the boys assem-
bled on the green" of the University
Farm for picnic lunch. The Agriculy
tural Club treated the boys to hot CO.
Goa and apples. After lunch Mr.. Arm
strong, Supervisor of Agriculture, or
ganized the boys into groups for var
ious games. The afternoon program
began at 1870, when short addresses
were made by Prof. R. w. Helm, Di-
rector of Vocational Education and
Dean Charles A. McCue. head of the
School of Agricultural, University of
Delaware.
After the addresses the boys took
part in judging contests in cattle
hogs and poultry. Each boy judged the
stock according to his own instruc Z
tions and placed them in first, second
third and fourth places stating rea'
sons for placing the stock as he did.
The final event of the days program
was a tour of the University buildings,
including the different laboratories in
Wolf Hall, the Gymnasium, Old Col I
lege, and the Frazer Field. Dean 3. L.
Smith in the absence of President
Hullihen addressed the boys before 4
they returned home. He expressed his
desire that the boys visit the college
1t any time.
FRANKLIN GORDY, 4
Laurel Delaware.