Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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MAKE BEEF CATTLE I Prize-Winning Heifers?A Her (By E. VAN BENTIIUYSEN.) The most successful feeders of beef cattle are the ones who have made the most correct interpretation of the. laws of nature. Many men who would make a profit by feeding out one carload of beef cattle make a failure when they plunge into the business too heavily. We must have good blood, but it avails little unless supported by a liberal system of feeding and rational care. The future of a steer Is made during ho flpor vonr nf h(? life* nnre erowthv and thrifty, it takes less food to maintain that condition. The well-finished steer at two years of age will bring more money than the same animal would at four years of age in the same condition. It is a .great mistake to send unripe beef cattle to market. They will not ripen on the road like California fruit. One of the chief advantages of feeding a small number of animals is that of getting a better class of feeders. CARING FOR HENS FO Colony House (By A. J. LEGO.) Many poultry writers recommend keeping hens only two years for laying. They claim that after the hen ' passes her second year she is not a profitable layer and yet we have known hens to do a very good business at egg production when they were five-years old. ? The "too-fat" theory has been carried to such extremes that it is used to explain the cause for hens not lay ing, no matter wnat me reai cause js. Did you ever know a real poor hen to be a good egg producer? Hens may get too fat to lay eggs and it must be remembered that they also get too pcor to produce eggs. DYNAMITE TO LOOSEN SOILS It Seems to Give Good Results for Trees, but Is Too Expensive for Ordinary Farm Crops. <Ry O. O. CHURCHILL, Oklahoma Experiment Station.) The use of dynamite to loosen the subsoil has been quite recently originated. Since the powder companies have advertised and developed some * interest along this line many of the f different experiment stations have conducted experiments to test the real value of the work. At this time the i experiments have not been conducted \ for a sufficient length of time to determine the real value of dynamiting the subsoil. The effect of the dynamiting should last four or five years, at ieast this is claimed by the powder companies. We have conducted some experiments here at the college along this line. It seems to give good results for trees, but it is too expensive for ordinary farm crops. In some seasons and on some soils the yield will be increased to quite a marked extent from dynamitipg the soil, but in other seasons it seems to have very little effect. As stated above, we do not have sufficient data to draw positive conclusions, yet at the same time I do not believe this practice will be profitable with corn, cotton, oats, wheat, or, in fact, with any of our common farm crops. FEEDING PROFITABLE 5 flz'Sm eford, Galloway and Shorthorn. The quality of the feeders is Ihe most valuable point In the whole economy of feeding. The farmer who makes beef from his own corn which he grows on his own land, under favorable conditions can ratten Deer cattle more cneapiy than any professional feeder in the business. We often wonder why so few feeders make a success of the busiuess while enjoying so many natural advantages. Thero is nothing in which the results are more certain, clearly visible and financially satisfactory than in the use of improved sires and good dams on the farm. There is no logical excuse for the use of inferior breeding animals. Good breeding is like intense farming: The same amount may be produced by feeding a few animals, good animals that could be made by feeding a larger number of inferior ones; the same as it may be produced by working a few acres in good shape, rather than skimming over a large acreage. R LAYING PURPOSES In an Orchard. Then we are told that hens lay eggs until they get too fat to produce eggs and so they get broody. This theory is as easily exploded by feeling the weight of the broody hens. It probably costs 60 cents to raise a pullet until she begina to lay eggsf If she is kept only one year the cost of raising is added to the cost of one year's egg production. If she is kept two years only, 30 cents is added to the annual cost of egg production. If she is kept three years only 20 cents is added to the cost of each year's egg production. The cost of raising a hen should be considered when we are culling the flock to be replaced by pullets. TEXAS FAVORS KAFIR CROP Yields More Grain Than Corn and Is Excellent Feed for the Work Horses and Mules. Kafir on thin land yields more grain than corn. It is the grain crop to raise for work horses and mules on the upland in the cotton-growing districts of Texas. The heads should be fed without threshing. Plant the dwarf, black hulled kafir in rows three and one-half feet apart and drop seed so that there will be three times as many kafir plants in the row as you would want stalks of corn to raise a large crop of grain. Raise Production of Cow. By testing their cows and disposing of the poor ones, the people of nonmarlr Ho ro in flvo unoro m InnrJ Ayvutiiut u ?1" ? V *u i*? v laiOCU 1U*7 average annual production of each cow over 40 pounds of butterfat, which is equivalent to increasing the profit on each cow nearly $12 a year. Isn't the dairyman's time worth as much in America as in Denmark? Money for Dairy Farmer. The dairy farmer who invests heavily in mixed feeds should keep in close touch with his experiment station. By keeping a close tab on some of these so-called balanced feeds, he will be able to save a big sum of money during the year. LIVE-STOCK-FRUIT DIIRTING-Si New Wrinkles F D ^ A Progressive Agriculture FI] TOLD IN UN INTERESTING MINI BEST RATION FOR THE PIG Econ9mical to Make Use of All Avai able Skim Milk?Furnishes ' Necessary Protein. In making up a ration for pigs, It: 11 * .i si economy 10 matte me Desi use ui n skim milk available. Experiment have proved conclusively that whei sufficient skim milk is available 1 furnish the protein content of tl ration to balance up corn, it is m necessary for good economy to fee any kind of high protein concentrate to growing pigs. The proper proportion in which i feed skim milk and corn for the by results, is from one to three poun<] of the skim milk to one pound of Cor meal, using the larger proportion < milk when the pigs are young, an gradually increasing the amount. < corn meal in proportion to milk usS For young pigs, the ration will I very materially benefited by the ^ dltlon of r, liberal portion of middling I n??! I Well Finished Bunch of HogaH which is a well-balanced feed for PxJ It is a difficult matter to estlma^M nmmint nt feed which will be reauM the On good rape or alfelffcrpast* however, no more than 350 to 4| pounds of grain, or Its equivalegl should be required for 100 pounds o gain. The value of skim milk can h reduced to a grain basis by figuring 350 pounds of skim milk to equal l6 pounds of grain when fed with cor In the proportion above advised. Figuring upon this basis, it wlll| tn be difficult to estimate approximate! the amount of feed which will ba r quired for the time mentioned. I TREATING HORSE FOR THRJ IS' Hoof Should Bo Trimmed Proper! Diseased Parts Removed ard Strong Disinfectant Applied. : (By M. H. REYNOLDS. Minnesota E: perlment Station.) r Thrush in horses' feet is frequuntl caused by standing in filth. . Th changes the texture of the hoof an Infection follows. Continuous stan lng on very dry floors may also oaut this trouble, while in some cases' it ! apparently caused by a contrajctic of the hoof. When the horse is shod with'"frig heel and toe calks or the wall of tt hoof is allowed to grow very long an the horse stands on hard floor sd thi there Is no pressure on the frog < the foot, the condition of the frog ! impaired and it becomes subjefct 1 infection and disease.. Cases of thrue need a dry, clean stall. .1. - 1 * +V I Tim lilt; UUUl tuuycn;, Ibuivic U diseased parts and apply a strong di Infectant over the sole of thej foo Any of the coal tar disinfectant^ ma be used full strength. Pure cafrbol acid may be used, care being {take that it does not run down the he{sl an burn the skin. After the first strong disinfsctan calomel should be dusted over the dl eased surface rfnd some thick clhy a plied to the entire sole. . ( i Working Brood Marea. If mares are kept at light wofk tb last few weeks they are benefited b being worked right up to foaling tlm< Brood marcs are Injured by Sever work which requires them to strain c over-exert. Backing heavy loads 1 not a suitable task for mares heavy 1 foal. In njost years enough marc will miss getting In foal to take car of the heaviest work. They are bes oft if rested for ten days of a coupl of weeks after foaling. Whey for Pigs. Ordinary whey is worth not moi than half as much as skim milk c buttermilk when fed the pigs. Moi of the muscle-bailding material taken out of milk by cheese. s(nd tl resulting whey is very poor in muse1 builders, as compared with ordinal milk. It takes about a gallon, and half of whey to equal the feedir valu$ of one pound of corn or barley I IRDENIN8-FIELD 0ROPS-SILOS-PI6S RM Making the ! N jj Farmers' Business ELD HER EXPRESSLY FOR OUR READERS is big m7stake~of dairymen 11^ Young Buds Disposed of Before Thoroughly Tested?Dehorning Greatly Modifies Temper. j One of the greatest mistakes that le dairymen make Is that of disposing ^ of breeding bulls while they are young and before their get is tested by work In the dairy. t | Some of the very best bulls are dis^ carded when two or three years old This is due, in many instances, to Jg farmers being afraid to handle them after they have reached that age - Dehorning greatly modifies their temper, If It does not completely remove ? all their vicious tendencies. j"v, Horns on a bull are a constant menace and should be removed, then * he need not be sacrificed before his ' breeding value becomes known. We must depend upon Inbred bulls U if we are to secure the transmission f of the qualities of our best cows to \ their progeny, and It is best to seNucleus of Fine Dairy Herd. ; jure the first breeding bull by breeding the sire back to one of his daughters. ; In order to secure the best results ' the bull and the cow ^hould have the 'same general conformation. In no L other way can we secure prepotency B than by inbreeding. If we think there is danger of car tying the Inbreeding too far and fresh H blood la desiredr^iSdfl not necessary to go outside the family to preserve LtkeHMity, for the, infusion of the ftMVrfr sforfrtr jionirfn .'; VnTbe as frtsh and vigor giving as ^ftbat of one not related, and there will ^Pbe no danger of losing the per:,1 manency of the established functions 11 of the family. H MANAGING THE KICKING COW 11) Animal Can Be Handled Successfully / If One of Front Feet Is Tied Up by Means of Strap. iy ? If a cow kicks during milking It Is said that she can be handled success fully if she Is tied securely and one H of the front feet held up by means of a strap reaching around her body ? just back of the shoulder. Slip a common snap on the strap and let it hang down below her belly. Buckle the ptrap closely, then take a c_ small strap with a ring on it and buckle around the cow's right front ly leg Just above the hoof. Then draw Is her leg up, and snap to the ting. As id soon as she steadies down she may d- be milked without the milker being te in danger of being kicked. Is In the course of time the strap in can be dispensed with and the cow, having been used to being milked h without causing trouble, will no longie er kick. ft REASONS FOR COW TESTING >f la Enables Farmer to Discard Animals ;o Not Paying for Board?It Is ih Plain Common Sense. ie A few of the many reasons for cow B. esting are: ^ It enables the farmers to eliminate Y :ows that do not pay for their board. IC It saves many a good cow from the ,n shambles. l(j It is an encourager of good feeding and good care, t It gives the farmer an opportunity *" nn o trr\r\A nrAHnnina ViorH g_ IU UUilU U y U 5UVU pvuuviuQ p. It increases one's interest in dairying as a business rather than as a means of labor merely. In short, it is plain common sense. e Be Kind and Gentle. y Care includes kindness, regularity in B* feed, water and milking, as well as the e quarters. But above all be kind and ,r gentle. If you have a cow that it is '9 not possible to be kind to (and there n are a few such unregeneral.es) better 13 fit her for beef, than to worry along 6 with her because the profit will not be }t nearly so much as with a cow respone sive to kindness, aside from the worry they are to the milkers. Wart* on Teats. <o The ordinary, small, scabby wart is )r generally quite easily cured by smearit ing It with pure olive oil, sweet oil or Is carbolated vaseline. If, after treatie ment of this sort for several weeks, le the growth does not disappear, it may y be necessary to cut it off with a pair a of sharp scissors and touch the sore [g with a stick of caustic potash. This treatment should be followed up with olive oil or vaseline applications. WHITEWASH IS ESSI -|vBi Applying Whitewash by Whitewash is one of the essentials of poaltry success and chicken profits. Whitewash brightens up the henhouse and lets the light into all of the dark corners. And light is deadly to most parasites. Not only does it let in the deadly light rays, fresh whitewash is in itself a strong insecticide. It makes IIJ- ?a ?h A HAA anH Hit) BU luiuiciauic lu wo iivq uuu mites that they are compelled to leave and take up their quarters in some darker and more favored abode. To make a good whitewash, add one-half bushel of salt in hot water to one-half bushel of unslaked lime, also in hot water. Mix the two thoroughly and add three pounds of rice, boiled to a paste. Add also one-half pound of Spanish whiting and one pound of dissolved glue. If it is desired to increase the disinfecting power of the PRACTICE ECONOMY IN FEED For Satisfactory Results One Must Feed Wheat, Corn and Oats? Vegetables. Help Out Grain is high in price for those who seep poultry and have to buy their feed. It is causing some small breeders some concern and the question is already being asked, "How can I economize in the grain I feed to the hens?" It is not possible to economize much on grain to be fed to poultry if you expect satisfactory results. The staples are corn, wheat and oats, meat food, green food, grit^Arcqal and oyster to be fed aftertteamhg,' varicms^e^ tables to be fed rajr, and other vegetables to be fed cooked and mashed and mixed with ground grains, like potatoes, turnips, etc., says a writer in an exchange. These vegetables can often be purchased very cheaply from the growers after they have sorted out the marketable part. Cheap grains, like shriveled grain or sweepings, are generally more expensive m proportion to the nutriment contained than first-class grain. Our advice is, continue to feed good grain, if eggs are expected, and economize in the way it is fed. By this we mean, do not give the birds more than they will clean up. Many breeders feed in a deep litter, and we advocate this practice, but there must not be three or four inches of grain and dirt under the litter as we have seen in some poultry houses. CARING FOR EGGS PROPERLY Ample Number of Nests With Good Supply of Nesting Material Should Be Aim of Poultryman. Poultry keepers may easily reduce the number of dirty or soiled eggs and losses that result. First, an ample number of nests is, of course, necessary, but an ample number means no more than, and probably not as much as, are usually directed by poultry writers. Laying houses are, as a rule, provided with enough nests, but where the keeper falls down is in falling to supply enough nesting material and floor litter. UDViousiy, ine nesuug umienai muov be clean, or the eggs become soiled by contact, and it must be sufficient in quantity, or the eggs are often broken by dropping upon the floor of the nest. In houses where the dropping boards are above the nests, and the custom is to sand the boards, small stones often drop into the? nest and breakage results when newly laid eggs fall upon them. The condition of nests should be noticed daily, and the nesting material replenished when necessary. An ample and clean litter on the floor is also very essential when an A-l clean product is sought Particularly is this true when the hens are allowed outdoors during wet weather. The litter acts as a foot mat for the tens on their way to the nests. / Best Exercise for Hens. Exercise is a fine thing for laying aens but it is hard on egg production whan ft fa taken in the snow. It's much better to let the layers work a little In scratching among some Utter for their feed or Jumping for a peck at a vegetable hung Just above their her ds in the hen house. Provide Plenty of Water. The poultry must have plenty of water. A thirsty hen will lay no eggs, and chicks deprived of water Trill get sic<?. INTIAL WITH POULTRY ii* 'iVi dHHIBTlMWUBBi MjL.. - poBhhIHH ?^i?9i9E9HSi^9 ' '/ Whi^MI HHn^v M Means of 8pray Pump. mixture, add a quart of carbolic acid. Mix the mass well with fixe gallons of water and let stand for five days before using. The best way to apply the white* wash is by means of a spray pump, such as Is used in orchards and in spraying potatoes. Tjse as fine a spray as possible, and use force enough to penetrate all cracks and corners. Aik ply enough each time to soak into the wood well, and apply often enough to keep the pests continually on the move away from it Whitewash is cheap. It can be easily made and still more easily ap> plied. And it does tne parasites up In business. Whitewash your hen* house today and keep it whitewashed from now on. An ounce of preven* tion Is worth a pound of cure?esp? clally when It Is a high-priced cure. RAISING GEESE FOR MARKET All Varieties Are Good 8itters and Only Ordinary Care Is Needed for Profitable Results. (By L. M. BENNINGTON.) Ganders should be sold at four years ' of age, as they become cranky and unproductive them. There should be one gander for every three of four geese. Geese 1 should be plucked about three times a year, and should yield an average of one pound of feathers for each bird. The feathers should.be plucked when there is no blood In the end of the Quills, or when the feathers come off good sitters and need only ordinary precautions in setting them to lqsurs favorable results. After laying a dozen eggs they feather their nests In a manner almost identical with that employed by their wild congeners, and at once commence the duties of incubation. After a few day's trial the eggs may ha olvon tVio oUtai* and llttlo rorfl 4n needed for the next month, during which she will sit quietly, provided she is not too much annoyed and inter* fered with. At the end of the month the goslings will appear in good shape to begin life on their own account. For the first day or two they require only .the Barns' diet of i-viled egg and bread crumbs as chickr or any domestic fowl receive, with, perhaps, the addition of a little tender grass, .cut fine, on the-second day. In the course of a few days they will become strong enough to commence investigation of the near neighbor* hood, and may be transferred from the nest to a coop, slatted up so the old' goose will be confined while the open* ings between the slats will permit the goslings to pass in and out freely. When the goslings appear to have gained sufficient strength for longer explorations, the mother may be given her liberty, when she will lead her flock all over the pastures, and may be trusted to care for them unassisted by her owner. Geese left at large in this way will thrive and grow fat simply on what they can Dick ud suited to their taste on almost any uncultivated meadow. Grass and various wild plants furnish their staple food from April until No* vember, at which time their young are ready for market. Geese should be fed like ducks, the animal and vegetable food predominate ing, with a small proportion of grain* food during the middle of the day. Mashes of bran and cornmeal, with cooked vegetables, should be fed morn* ing and night. Grasses, green rye and green vege* tables wilt be of advantage to the birds. Color of Eggs. The eggs from fowls of the American breeds?Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, in their varieties, and Rhode Island Reds?are sometimes quite a HO rlr KvAnrn Kn f k a an.r>n ^ha*m uuia U|wnu, UUl IUD C550 llUUi ttVCl' age fowls of these breeds are not deeply tinted, while practically all the nonsltting breeds?Mlnorcas, Leghorns, Spanish, Polish, Hamburgs, Houdana, etc., lay white eggs, though occasionally some of these lay slightly tinted eggs. Discard Roupy Fowls. Often a roupy fowl, If it recovers, la liable to be attacked again. Fowls that have had the roup should never be used for breeding stock, as the weakness is transmitted to the offspring. O