Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, February 23, 1916, Page 20

DAIRY ano CREAMERY PURE AIR FOR COWS. Lack of Barn Ventilation Cause of Serious Losses to Dairymen. One of the great functions of the cow is that of conveying digested nu- trients from the digestive apparatus to the udder, where they are made into milk and butter fat, says Kimball's Dairy Farmer. This process is accom- plished by the blood which circulates between these two parts of the body, absorbing the nutrients at one point and depositing them at the other. To fulfill its mission the blood must be frequently and thoroughly purified. Nothing except oxygen will do this. The only oxygen the cow finds avail- able is in the air she breathes. The cow with small, closed nostrils, a shal- low chest and a small heart girth is lacking in constitution because she does mot have the capacity for utilizing large volumes of air containing oxygen to purify her blood readily. It is for this reason that cows of large breathing power and extensive heart and lung capacity are considered more valuable than those lacking in these respects. ‘When cows are on pasture they do well, and one reason is that they are Brown Swiss cows are plain and substantial, rather fleshy, the hind quarters being full and round. While in Switzerland the breed is considered dual purpose, in America the Brown Swiss breeders are de- veloping their animals strictly as a dairy breed. The average Brown Swiss cow can be counted on to give 6,000 pounds of 4 per cent milk. The cow pictured is a Brown Swiss. afforded by nature unlimited amounts of air and oxygen. Too often, how- ever, men who realize the value of constitution when they select cows for purchase do not realize that, regard- less of how large the cow’s nostrils may be, how deep may be her chest or ‘how well sprung her front rib, she is Do more valuable than a cow showing less evidence of constitution unless she is afforded an abundant supply of fresh air. Because of this on thou- sands of farms cows are stabled in barns that are dark, cold, damp and poorly ventilated. Cows are compelled o breathe air which contains only a MNmited amount of oxygen. Because of this it is absolutely impossible for them to do their best work. Even though they may milk largely when first stabled, under these conditions they gradually decrease in their milk flow and finally become unprofitable and in many instances fail to live long. Under such conditions the germs of contagious abortion. cow pneumonia, calf cholera and many other diseases thrive to greatest advantage. Farmers would not willfully subject their cows to such couditious, and the reason they do so in many instances is because they have not given the subject their careful thought and consideration. What many barns need more than anything else is an efficient ventilat- ing system. Such a system permits the entrance of an abundance of fresh air loaded with oxygen and removes the foul air in which there has been substituted carbonic acid gas, a poi- sonous product, in place of the oxygen which has been used up by the ani- mals that inhabit the barn. Many dairymen wonder why their cows do so poorly in winter time when they feed them so well and care for them in the most excellent manner they know how, furnishing them in abundance with the choicest of feeds. They wonder why their herds are trou- bled with contagious diseases of every sort. why their veterinary bills are so high and whby their death losses so great. Lack of ventilation is the great- est reason. It should be borne in mind that noth- ing will take the place of fresh air and oxygen. Regardless of how prop- erly cows are fed, how thoroughly they are groomed, how well they may be exercised or how regularly they may be attended and milked, if the barn in which they are stabled is not prop- erly ventilated, they will not do good work. and they will not remain healthy. Therefore they cannot be a source of proflt._ Tying the Calf. It cost me some good calves and a lot of real sorrow to learn that no calf ever should be tied about the neck with a rope and a common knot, writes a correspondent of the Iowa Home- stead. Put a strap and ring around the neck and let the rope be fastened to the ring. A better way than this is to get a chain with a swivel and snap at one end to pass through the ring, or, rather, to be snapped into it. Begin early to groom the calves, too. It ought to be done every day. If calves are cared for well they will come through to spring in fine shape and not skin poor and stunted, as we 80 often see them. Scientific Farming ERADICATING QUACK GRASS. Methods Are Based on Knowledge of Its Habits and Growth. The experiment station of the Uni- versity of Minnesota has conducted a series of experiments for the eradica- tion of quack grass, which is a serious pest throughout the northwest. In some instances farms have had to be abandoned to it. Following is a sum- mary of the results of the experi- ments: Methods for successfully prevent- ing the spread of quack grass and for eradicating it are based on knowl- edge of its habits of growth. Quack grass seed will grow even if the plant is8 cut-'before the seed is mature. In order to prevent quack QUACK GRASS. grass from developing seeds to the point where they will germinate, crops in which it is growing should be cut not later than the last week in June. Young quack grass plants, attack- ed before they have formed under- ground stems, are as easily killed as plants of wheat or other grains of the same age. Manure containing quack grass seed may be applied on plowed ground be- fore preparing the soil for a cultivat- ed crop. The seed will grow the same season, and the young plants will be killed in the preparation of the seed bed and the cultivation of the crop. Digging by hand and removing from the field all portions of the plant, smothering with tar paper and spray- ing with a solution of sodium arse- nite are best for the complete eradi- cation of quack grass on small spots. All methods of eradication on large fields are based on thorough tillage. The implements found on any well equipped farm are all that are needed to eradicate quack grass, The most effective bare fallow meth- od of eradication was plowing in July three or four inches deep, replowing not later than Aug. 15 five or six inches deep and again in November six or seven inches deep. The disk was used as needed between plowings to keep the quack grass from showing green above ground. The cost of the addi- tional labor necessary for complete eradication under this system was $9.60 per acre. No crop was secured from the land that season. Complete eradication of quack grass while following a system of crop rota- tion was found practical when more than the ordinary amount of tillage was given. Tillage given now and then when nothing else needs immediate attention is largely lost effort in the eradication of quack grass. To be effective there must be a well planned and carefully carried out campaign with which other work is not allowed to interfere. Till- age operations should injure the quack grass as much as possible and should be repeated often enough to make ef- fective the work that has preceded. Eradication of quack grass on land that has been plowed each year is more difficult than on land that has been undisturbed for a number of years. In carrying out the different rotations a regular plan of ‘‘cleanup” to eradi- cate the quack grass was followed on each field with uniformly successful results. The plan was varied on three of the fields to secure additional data. A four year rotation on four fields, each one in turn having in successive years grain, hay. corn, and corn, gives exceptional opportunity for the eradi- cation of quack grass. This rotation can be followed to advantage. especial- ly on fields where quack grass is very vigorous or when weather conditions make the eradication unusually diffi- cult. Storing Squashes. Squashes should be stored in a dry place at a temperature of about 50 de- grees. Do not lay more than one deep on shelves. Farm and Garden | DIGGING THE DRAINAGE DITCH Should Be Started at Outlet and Dug by a Line. [Prepared by United States department of agriculture.] Unless a farmer has had consider- able experience in drainage work and knows how to run levels accurately it will usually be advisable for him to employ some one who has had this kind of experience to assist in plan- ning and laying out the drainage sys- tem. Tile should have a fall of not less than an inch to 100 feet if pos- sible, and a greater fall than this is de- sirable. Where a little fall can be ob- tained, particular care must be taken to secure a true grade and alignment for the drain. If the land is level the drain must be started deep at the out- let in order to get the fall. If the ground surface is level for 1,000 feet a two inch fall to 100 feet can be obtain- ed by starting the drain five feet deep at the outlet and running to three feet four inches deep at the upper end. A ditch should be started at the out- let and dug by a line. It must be kept clean cut and straight, for any crook that occurs in the top is likely to be greater in the bottom. If the direction is changed it should be done by an GBADING THE DITCH. easy curve. Sharp turns must be avoided. Where a lateral joins a main or submain it should be at a small angle, so that when the tiles are laid the velocity of water flowing from one into the other will be but Ilittle checked. Digging to the grade and making the .bottom are the crucial operations in excavating for a drain. Where there is plenty of fall, grade is often made in wet seasons or on wet lands by using the water for a level. If the water runs from the ditcher as the bottom is made it indicates that there is sufficient fall. Where there is no water or where the fall is slight a ditcher’s level or a straightedge and carpenter’s level should be used. If the fall is less than four inches to 100 feet or if it is necessary to go through a rise in the ground to get a low place beyond, the best work requires an engineer to run the levels and set stakes fifty feet apart to indicate the grade. Laying the tile, like digging the ditch, should begin at the outlet. Un- der ordinary conditions tile should be laid and blinded, or primed, every day as far as the ditch is made. Any delay in laying may cause injury to the ditch by rain or by particles falling into it. If the banks are likely to cave the tile should be laid as fast as the ditch is completed. The smaller sizes are laid from the bank with a hook. Large sizes must be laid by hand from the bottom of the ditch. All misshaped and badly cracked tile should be dis- carded. If a tile does not join closely with the preceding one it should be turned over until it fits at the top. Any large cracks are covered with pieces of tile or with cement. Where a lateral joins to a main or a sub- main the connection should be made with a Y. Neither a T nor an elbow is desirable, as either checks the flow of water. After the tiles are laid and inspect- ed they are ready for priming or blind- ing. This is done by caving a little earth from the sides of the ditch and letting it settle gently alongside and for a few inches over the tile. The purpose is to hold the tilein posi- tion and prevent breakage when the trenches are filled later. In sandy soils there may be danger of the sand entering the tiles and clogging the drain. This can be prevented by cov- ering the joints with pieces of old sacks or straw. After the tiles are primed they may remain without injury for several days or until all the ditches are ready for filling. If the soil is close and it is desirable to aid the water in reaching the tile quickly the ditch can be par- tially filled with straw or brush or, better still, with stones and pieces of brick. Lime is sometimes thrown upon the excavated material and turn- ea into the trench with it to make the s0il looser in texture. Under ordinary conditions the ditch is most easily fill- ed with a turnplow equipped with an evener twelve or fourteen feet long. POULTRY ano EGGS HINTS ON INCUBATION. \ 8pecial Points to Observe In Handling the Hatching Machine. Bxperienced poultrymen follow the general standard methods for incubat- ing eggs, but as they adapt their prac- tice to the local conditions under which they work the detail of their methods shows more or less individuality, writes a correspondent of the American Agri- culturist. For instance, the subject of cooling of the eggs has been widely discussed. Heber M. Cubberly of Un- ion county, N. J., explains this cooling idea as largely & misnomer. He be- The Barred Plymouth Rock of to- day is a wonderful improvement over that of former years, and great strides have especially been made during the last ten years. Size, shape and color have been im- proved, and we are able to breed them true to the standard require- ments to an unusual degree. It is also true that their practical quali- ties have been improved, and in laying qualities and all other quali- ties they are improved today and better than ever before in their history. The bird shown is a Bar- red Plymouth Rock cock. lieves that ventilation has been over emphasized and that in reality the pur- pose is to air the eggs. However, he thinks that it is very necessary for the eggs to be turned twice a day. The more often they are turned the better the hatch. Beginning then after two days, he turns the eggs twice each day. Among the other points to which he calls attention are the following: If the thermometer is below the level of the top of the eggs in the machine it will run about a half degree cooler than if hung above. The second week the eggs are run at an even temperature of 103 degrees. This is raised in the third week to 104 degrees. He believes it a good deal worse to have the tempera- ture fall below 102 degrees than to have it rise to 105 degrees, After the eggs begin to “pip” on the eighteenth day or so the machine is closed and the eggs are only viewed from the outside. The machine is not even opened to make a closer examina- tion of the thermometer. After the hatch begins to come off a curtain is dropped in front of the glass, and the hatch is not observed at all. When the hatch is complete the chicks are dried off in the incubator at about 103 or 104 degrees. If the trays are too crowded the stronger chicks are put down below. The lamps are filled and trimmed every day. From experience it has been found that the lamps will burn more evenly when filled only two thirds full of oil each wmorning after turning the eggs. The wick is trimmed with an old toothbrush. This has been found to be a more satisfactory method than trimming with a knife or scissors. The charred part is scraped off lightly with a match stick. If the cellar in which the incubators are run is espe- cially dry wet trays of sand are placed under the machine. If the conditions are very dry the eggs may be sprin- kled. although Mr. Cubberly does not deem it advisable to have the eggs too wet. Brooding Temperature. It is impossible to state for each case at what temperature the brooders should be kept to raise young chicks. However, it will run from 90 up to 100 degrees, says the Orange Judd Farmer. Some broods of chickens seem to re- quire more heat than others. An aver- age 13 93 to 95 degrees for the first week or ten days, when the tempera- ture is gradually reduced to 85 degrees for the following ten days and then lowered to 70 or 75 degrees for as long as the chickens need heat. This de- pends somewhat on the season of the year and the number of the chickens. The heat generated by fifty chickens would raise the temperature under the hover to a higher degree than the heat given off by a lesser number. Conse- quently the amount of heat furnished by the lamp or stove will have to be regulated accordingly. As the chickens grow larger and need less heat the Jamps may be used only at night and later only on cold nights. The Full Crop Hen. You can help to decide which hens are kept at a loss by going through the house just after dark and feeling the crop of each bird. Those hens whose crops are packed full are in all proba- bility the hens which are laying well. You may well be suspicious of the hen which night after night has only a partly filled crop. Farm and Garden : B ) KEEPING CABBAGES. Can Be Stored For Winter Use In a Barrel Out of Doors. When the cellar is too warm and you must devise a plan to keep a few cab- bages for family use try putting them in a barrel out of doors, says a con- tributor to the Iowa Homestead. Puta headless barrel into the ground, leaving the top slightly above the surface, and put in the close trimmed heads. Leave room enough at the top to put in a little clean straw or hay—or papers— and spread an oilcloth over it or some boards to keep the rain out. ) It does not harm even if the cabbage freeze, and you can open your cache any time in winter and take out a head. But one may say: “Oh. that's no good. I've tried it and they all rotted.” The answer to that is, “You may have tried it, but you didn’t do your work carefully.” Failure will follow shiftless disregard of rules. In following any such plan use a Iit- tle good horse sense. You must plan to keep water out of the-barrel, so let it be tight enough to keep out seepage. Then so fill up and level the surface that the drainage will be away from OABBAGES WORTH STORING. the barrel. Another point is that the cabbage must be carefully trimmed, re- moving every broken or decaying leaf and putting in only sound, smooth heads. If you put in any rubbish you not only invite decay. you make it certain. It is well to put a few sticks in the bottom to leave an air space. And do not try to see how closely you can pack them, but rather lay them in loosely and so place them that there will be air spaces all through. If you aim to keep the frost out it will require considerable covering, and if you do that you will be likely to make your cache too warm and that will induce rot. The best way is to plan to keep the cabbage close to the freezing point and far better have it frozen than too warm. But if it freezes it must be kept frozen. for it will never do to have it freezing and thawing out a half dozen times during the winter. After the cabbage is in and you have filled up the top of the barrel with a little clean straw or hay. rounding it up in the center, then put over a piece of oilcloth or heavy canvas. This is to turn off the water. Harve it large enough se that all of the dripping will be outside the barrel. Then turn a square box over it and it is done. The box should be just big enough to hold the cloth in place. Barnyard Manure. Barnyard manure has value on the farm aside from that as a fertilizer. It improves the physical conditions of the soil and makes it easier to handle. Its decay produces heat and its pres- ence aids chemical and bacterial proc- esses. Moreover, it absorbs and holds a large amount of water and helps to aerate the soil. The benefits of these indirect aids to plant growth are in some cases worth as much as the fer- tilizing power of the manure. These are observations made by F. L. Kennard, agronomist in the north- west experiment station at Crookston, Minn,, in response to numerous ques- tions received from farmers. ‘When it is added that barnyard ma- nure is worth perhaps $2.50 a ton and that each farm animal produces from five to seven tons per 1,000 pounds of live weight each year, it is easy to see that as a fertilizer the material should not be wasted. The best practice is to haul the stuff directly from the barn to the fields. If this is done there is little loss through fermentation or leaching. Marketing and Co-operation. It is not enough to grow a good crop or even to grow a good crop at low cost. To make a big crop a business success it must be disposed of as effi- ciently as it is grown—must be so graded and packed as to meet market standards and so marketed as to bring the farmer the highest current price. The farmer who is too suspicious to get together with his neighbors in or- der to do co-operatively what no one can do alone is sure to pay dearly for his incapacity for team work. Making the Little Farm Pay By C. C. BOWSFIELD Diversity 18 just as important in fruit growing as in any other kind of farming. It pays to make a long sea- Son by having both early and late fruits. In carrying out this idea with tree fruits the June plum comes prominent- fruits, cherries, harvest apples, ete., open the season, and for four months there may be a good income from these products. Just here I would like to emphasize the tmportance of farm canning opera- tlons. By simple canning methods which every iitelligent housekeeper understands and which beginners read- ly learn fruit products are doubled in value and may be kept almost indefi- nitely. There is a large waste of gar- den and orchard products unless the owner employs preserving and mnnifih-_.i! processes, Plums, as a rule, are hardy and pro- Hfic. The June plum is worth $4 per A LESSON IN CANNING FRUITS. bushel, or fully twice as much as the later varieties. The trees are hardy, and little trouble is experienced from insects. In the spring there are usual- ly some insect pests, but if once de- stroyed there is no more trouble for-:= Al ly into the scheme. Strawberries, busufi the rest of the season. The plums are - easy to harvest, as the trees are not very high. The money for this prod- uct of the farm comes when other fruit crops are beginning to ripen, and on most farms it is greatly appreciated. Currants and gooseberries, like plums, give the farmer a few days in which to turn around. The work of picking, marketing and canning is less urgent than with strawberries. In planning a little farm all these facts must be kept in mind. Then there are other prod- ucts which seem to harmonize with fruit growing and help to keep up a cash income without a great deal of drudgery. Poultry and bees belong in this category. Honey is an interesting side line to fruit growing that may be profitably enlarged upon in many localities with benefits accruing two ways. and aside from this bees are about the best thing going to develop full fruit- ing and perfect fruit in an orchard. There are many instances where peo- ple with old orchards uncertain and unsatisfactory in fruiting have devel- oped them into fine producers by keep- ing a lot of bees and distributing the colonies over the orchard so that they get at the trees in bloom time. It may be necessary—probably will— to grow other crops to supply the bees, such as white clover, buckwheat, alfal- fa, and so on. However, the return from the honey crop will justify all this. Meantime the bees will get part of their support from the apple trees while they are in bloom. and in re- turn they will improve the quality and yield of the apple crop itself enough to make them a profitable investment. Of course some people take more kindly to or have better success with bees than others. It is a mistake to be easily disheartened. Bees seem es- sential to the welfare of orchards, and those who have had trouble and be- come discouraged shotld persist in ef- forts to keep an apiary. By continued study and experiments difficulties can be overcome, and in time the bees can be made profitable themselves, while at the same time they contribute ma- terially to the profits of fruit growing by the work of fertilizing the trees while in bloom. Sowing Spinach Seed In Winter. Few people realize that spinach seed can be planted during the last of Feb- ruary or first part of March, says the American Agriculturist. The ground should be prepared the fall before by plowing’ and harrowing. At the time mentioned the spinach seed is broad- casted over the ground, using about twenty pounds of the thick leaf vari- ety to the acre. If the soil happens to be workable at that time it may be lightly harrowed. In any event a light, even coating of rotted stable manure should be spread over the ground to cover the seed. Planted in this manner the seeds will germinate and grow a little every sun- ny day, and by the usual time for plant- ing the spring Spinach these plants will be well started. The crop will be ready for cutting a week or ten days earler than it would be otherwise The hon- _ ey crop itself is often a money crop. . r*“‘“