Milford chronicle., 1931-01-30
FARM NEWS

many regions reduced food supple.
for quail, grouse, pheasants, anC
other upland game birds, the Bureau
of Biological Survey U. S. Depart.
ment of Agriculture, urges people
to feed the birds this winter. Meth
Ods of feeding include leaving stand
ing and shocked corn in the fields
providing grain in the sheaf, open
ing straw stacks regularly, spread
ing manure in the fields and scat
tering threshed grain with it, plac-
ing wheat and other grains in shell
tered feeding places, and feeding ear
corn.
Retail potato dealers in the East
prefer potatoes ranging from 2 Ia
/ to inches in size, the Bureau of
/ Agricultural Economics found in a
| survey of market preferences in six
eastern cities. Very large sizes of tu-
bers weighing more than IA ounces
called bulls" or "lumpers"-are
not wanted by any class of trade.
Although most dealers do not want
small potatoes, some Independent
retailers carry seconds" for certain
classes of trade. OF 4l6 dealers in
terviewed by the bureau, 1872 pre-
ferred Maine potatoes; and SIS pre-
ferred Pennsylvania Rural-type
stock. Prince Edward Island pota-
toes ranked third and the Long Is
land product fourth. Idaho bakers
are handled as a specially.
The marketing of hogs direct
from the country to the packer is
rapidly increasing, says the Bureau
of Agricultural Economics. In Iowa,
where approximately One-fOurth of
the commercial supply of hogs is
produced, about One-half of the hogs
marketed are now sold direct as
compared with One-third in 1920.
Although poultry ratiOns with al
high protein content tend to stimu-
late egg production, protein is eX-
pensiVe and it is not always eco |
nomical to feed such a ration. Chic
kens bred for high egg production
do well enough on feeds containing |
from 16 to IS per cent protein. says !
the u. S. Department of Aericul-
ture.
Climate has much to do with the
quality of fur produced on Il fox
farm, says the Bureau of Biological !
Survey of the u. S. Department of /
Agriculture. A cool or cold climate
with a moderate rainfall, principally !
in spring, helps TO produce fur of
high quality. A fairly deep snow
throughout the winter aids in con-
trolling most of the common para
sites of ranch-raised foxes. Hot
summers are not detrimental if they
are short and followed by a period
of frosty weather when the animals
can renew their coats.
The annual farm fire loss of $780,
900 900 could be cut at least in half
by proper safeguards, the u. S. De-
partment of Agriculture believes
The first of these is fOrethought in
the construction, maintenance, and
use of property with a view to elm
mating needless fire danger. The
second is home preparedness in the
form of simple Gre-fighting equip
ment. The third is community pre-
Daredness through a lre-fshting or
ganizatiOn equipped to check larger
fires or to prevent their spread. Far
mers' Bulletin 1643-F, Fire Safe
guards for the Farm, tells how to re-
luce fire hazards on the farm. 1t
may be obtained from the u. 5. De-
Dartment of Agriculture. Washing
on, d. c.
Humidity in houses jhould be
rom 80 to so per cent, but in mcstil
houses it is probably 20 per cent or
ower-too dry for health. The dIier
he air, the more difficult it is to
leat house, as moisture IN the air
carries and retains heat. A rought {
practical test of humidity is to no. l
ice the inside of the windows On c
,Old day. If frost forms freely on $
he inside of the glass there is
enough humidity; if there I
$ no sign of frost the air is too dry.
Pans of water attached to the fur :
lace or to radiators are ineffective :
IL supplying moisture to the air. !, =
'he better types of commercial :,
for spraying the heated y
ir as it leaves the furnace are very In,
n