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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1918-09-12, Page 7By Agronomist, This Department Is for the use of our farm readers who want the advice of an expert on any question regarding soli, seed, crops, eto, If your question le of sufficient general interest, It will bo answered through this column, if stamped and addressed envelope le enclosed with your letter, a complete answer will be mailed to you, Address Agronomist, care of WIlson Publlehlne Lee Co., Ltd., 7a Adelaide St, W,, Toronto, Saving the Grain. Our Government estimates that the farmer loses three per cent, of his grain each year through careless threshing. methods, and very often it is the fernier himself who is most to blame. Anxious bo speed up a wearisome bub very necessary job, he forgets that the big idea is to get as much grain as possible instead of getting the work done in the shortest time, • While the causes of waste are com- paratively •few, every precaution should be taken for its prevention, Grain threshed when it is tough and damp is sure to represent a loss. It is impossible for the separator to re- move all the kernels, and an unbe- lievable amount of grain goes over with the straw. The value of the time lost in waiting for the bundles to dry will be more than made up by the saving in grain. A competent separator loan will 'keep his machine adjusted and reiS- ning at the proper speed, but he of- ten becomes careless and thinks more about the number of bushels going into the feeder than of how much .grain gets to the bin. From long as- sociation many farmers understand - down the speed, which means a Pro- portionate toss In effloleney, with the result that much grain is carriedover into the stack, Who Rune Your Farm? "The government runs my farm, and I am quite wilting to lot them do 50." Thee spoke., a farmer whose financial credit balance is represent- ed by six figures. He has made a practice of teading and adopting the results of the government's experi- ence on the experimental farms, both Dominion and provincial, and has been rewarded handsomely. This farmer was Instrifnrentnl in forming a farmers' olub in his neigh- borhood and securing lectures by the travelling representatives of gov- ernment agricultural departments, He took advantage 'of these by adopting the good points from each. A govern- ment report advocated the installation of lightning rods on farm buildings. He put them on his buildings and ad- vised his neighbors to do likewise. Sonne of them followed his lead; oth- ere ridiculed the Idea, one of whom lost his buildings the following sea- son by lightning. Neither was he too• proud to make arrangements with threshing machinery well enough to the town store and livery to supply find out for themselves if everything them with street free that he mlgat is working properly, and should not haul away the manure from their neglect to see that adjustments are stables, and thus keep his land up to matin whenever needed. the hconsider ib too ng point.. He did Where the portable elevator is usedclean consider too much trouble a to so demand the waste in transfering grain from' 1 50 per bushel hfor hisat coats as seed, wagon to bin is very slight. However, while his neighbor was get'iing tint 65 not every farm Is so equipped. Shovel- cents. ing grain is hardly child's play under' ]'arming means production, just as the best of cir0umstane c, and if the truly as does manufacturing. The man with the scoop is compelled to farmer, however, has an advantage reach a high door or work in. a cramp -I over the manufacturer in that the kit- ed position, not all the grain will ter must make his own experiments; reach its intended destination. A he must pay for his experience. If the blanket on the ground and one fnomIresultsof his experiments are satis- the grain door to the wagon will -save considerable. Careless and fast pitching into the ee, machine is another cause of waste. On a neighborhood run, where help is lost, and, in many cases, means ruin. traded -back and forth instead of Flow different is the farmer,a. posi- having a hired crew, more care is take tion! Canada is making the expert - en, as all the men are farmers and merits for the farmer, Canadians—the remember that their own turn will be manufacturer, the mechanic; and next. But even your best neighbors every resident of Canada—are paying. get in a hurry at times, especially if the cost of securing the experience by they happen to be on the tail end of which the.agriculturist may, personal= the run and it looks like mire A ly, be the gainer. separator .will not stand crowding. It is only too true, however, many The machine is set at what is con- of our farmers neglect to .profit by the sidered a fair pitching speed, and at help thus provided. Innumerable that speed Is supposed to handle the bulletins are left unread, and the in- grain properly. Overcrowding cuts formation they contain is not utilized. factory,.tley may produce financial returns fully warranting the outlay, If they are unsatisfactory, the ex- penditure upon the investigation is ' Feed, care and cleanliness this month and next are all important. If any important item is overlooked now . that neglect will show in the results next winter, also next spring and summer. All young stock should now be sorted and culled. Besides those showing very undesirable calor and shape defects and serious disqualifi- cations, it is important' that any and all slow growing and slow feathering chicks be culled and sent to market ' Never breed or attempt to get eggs from such stock, Youngsters show- , fog leg weakness, twisted wing feath- ers or any inclination whatever to ' lack of vitality should be sorted out ande sent to market as soon as pos- sible. Standard size and shape, which are obtained through strength, vigor, pro- per housing, feed and care, are nec- essary to success. Even strictly egg farmers must select and breed to a standard for size and shape. Pure bred fowls unless carefully culled will degenerate, showing different charac- teristics, different sizes, shapes, etc., and as a class difficult to handle in large flocks, to house and feed them to insure uniform conditions. There are o`her reasons also why the young stock should now be culled, thus per- mitting more house and range room for the more desirable during the au- tumn months. G„g„een food In some form, as well as sour milk or bu't'termilk, should be supplied to both the old and young stock if poss1! 1e. A good grade of meat meal, beef or fish scraps should ' also be supplied. These faods will develop better youngsters and will in- sure the adult stock being in far bet- ter condition this winter.. Training to Stand There is no one thing that shows. the amateur quite as much as to bring nniMals into the ring that are not ac- tually broken to lead.- The show ani- mal ought to be taught to lead right up beside the master and not have to be pulled and hauled and tugged.. An- imals being shown for the first time should be previosarly led about so that they are accustomed to the noise of automobiles, shouting, etc. In teach- ing an animal to walk' up beside the master, a long buggy whip held around behind one's back will be found quite useful. It is not necessary to mistreat the animal to teach him to lead. Most animals are easily taught if approached in a sensible sort of way, In dealing with bulls they should, of course, be sufficiently handled so that, they are tractable, but the only sad bull is a dead bull and most fairs make it a misdemeanor to bring a bull into the ring without a staff. The one thing to remember about handl- ing bulls with a staff is to keep their heads up. As soon as a bull can get his head dower, he can use the huge muscles of his neck, but as long as his head be kept up, he can be hand- led with considerable ease. Animals intended for show should r he started on feed at once. Showing a has always been accounted a means of advertising and it has never been c looked upon as a money -making 1 p ,aikarne#ohz&sieszraMazi.awle g no er,onoini 4h- c'r , gorxel not - ,1 pill iced a r/xe'7 tin a ,airnii par iP t f. ' aa� • AM+ Stcoua —144e �P8 %ale -today Val —121 Oise :/`O"L44 4ot z wa4 ll.®nze valua 811 '-2(' ,Pat, en/CY:efri'd '4.44 T. H. Estabrooks Co. LIMITED 'ht. John, Toronto, Wiontpna, Coluary C•nodiwn 'rood Control Lienee No. 6-276 MOTHER -WISDOM An Day Long the Happy Fatly, Child Learns by_Poing, By Helen Johnson Keyes, Education has a new siege "Learn by doing." I That Is a way in which farm chil- dren always have received much -of their education though neither they nor their parents nor their teachers have been in the habit of calling it education. Education has been con- sidered something learned out of very dull books and the "higher" it has been the less practical use it has had. All this is changing and something very odd is happening at the same time. n: You remember that when our littl district school began to be not quit what we needed for our new farm lif we turned to the city schools and be gan to copy them. Soon we foun they were not right either, at lea not for our country children. Se w developed a kind of school all our own in which arithmetic is taught b working out farm problems, and Eng lish themes discuss the operations which' occupy us day by day, and chemistry\uses the- kitchen and'the soil for laboratories. The oddity is that suddenly this country idea has taken hold of the city, and the farm school at its best is being imitated in the most modern of the private, city schools l I do not mean that for their.arith metic city children are taught to cal ciliate the shrinkage of hogs, nor to write themes about silos. That would be as absurd although no more so than were the old stock -exchange and banking problems formerly imposed on farm children and the compositions concerning the sewers of Paris. I mean that the principle, of bringing knowledge into touch with life and of learning to do things which it is go- ing to be our part in life to do, in- stead of only learning about things which have fallen to the share of oth- er people to do, is making over the city schools as it has done the farm schools. There are two very solid reasons for this; one of them is a business eason and the other a scientific once nd each vital. The business reason Ties in the in- reasing difficulty and complexity of ife. When you compare the busi- ness of farming to -day with the sun- k occupation which it was in our grandfathers' time, you will under- tand what I mean. No one does anything more in a very small way. The whole world is tied together in a network and the threads of your business are knotted oto the threads of other people's usinesses so that you are obliged to ake very good care' of your own strand when you knot it into the net and do it very properly •or else you will disturb the business ofother people, who, in turn, will injure- yours, Life having become so complicated, there is not much time left for mere- ly thinking about things, Every man, woman and child must do things and dei them well. A new science has ,grown up in the last generation which consists of the study of tho brain and nervous sys- tem, It has a very long name and very delicate and complicated imbrue melees With which to make its dlseov-. erica. The truths the learned men establish through this new science, are taken up by educators and put to use in schools, and its this way many changes in methods of teaching have. come abeet, One of these discoveries is that our musetee play an important part in the *'row of our minds. It has been found that tisoeo parts of the brain in Which are seated the centres which outrol our muscles Ile reend those e e e, d st e y centres which makes us think and that sometimes the centres for mus- cle control and for thinking are the same. e This scientific revelation must be a comfort to farm mothers. We have realized that our children ought to be taught.to be good farmers and house- keepers but we have been afraid that if our schools filled up their time with "nature" and agriculture, manual training and domestic science our boys and girls would know nothing else. Now we have Been shown that, occupied with these studies while they are young, they are not only learning useful occupations but at the game time are developing their brains in the very best possible way so that they will be quick to understand the higher branches of learning at a more mature age. We know that only a small propor- tion of farm, children continues through high school but the number is rapidly increasing. I believe that there is no stronger reason for this increase than the fact that more and more the elementary schools have been - developing children's brains by teaching them through doing. The old dull way of committing to mem- ory facts- out of books is discarded In - the schools of our more progressive - regions and where it is discarded there are found the brightest, most ambitious children and the ,largest number going on into high school. Aa a result of mental development through muscular training they are full of energy and ambition when they finish the lower grades and they seize eagerly on the more cultural studies. A great educator says that prob ably no city school can equal the good farm as an educator for the mind through the muscles. It offers a splendid variety of employments, de- mands accuracy and promptness, punishes forgetfulness, neglect and shirking and shows definite results from work done. This is easy to understand. There are machines in use in some city schools which develop the same mpscles which housework on the scheme. The young breeder should by all means show at least at his local fairs since a man usually gets his first and often his best advertising right in the -home community. There is no "hocus pens" about showing animals despite the fact that once in a great while a judge can be deceived into putting an inferior animal ahead of a good goo, Animals with good , in- b d'ividuality, well-fed, well -taught, well -I t bred and with ale exterior appearances in first-rate form cannot help but be a credit to the breeder, even though they do not stand in first place. Be Cheerful. It doesn't hell) the boys out therm' To whimper that the foe le strong, It doesn't lift their load of,care To wail that things are going wrong, It doesn't keep their spirits high For us to sit at at borne and sigh And prophecy in manner glum That grim disaster's sure to come. Keep cheerful! though the tasks is hard And hopeful though the days are grim. Our own morale we now orbst guard, we must have faith whop, hope is dint, Though hearse grow heavy now and: llleed, Tile bo one cry: "We shall teteceedt" And though disasters round us fall Levi's be oourageout through theist all, c FUNNY FOLDUFS CUT OUT AND FOLD ON DOTTED L NE5 "WELL SPORT, ITS SATURDAY AGAIN , I'LL SIUEEP THE WALit FOR NA,ANDj11Et'l Po40 FORWARD WE'LL BORROW BROTHER 5019'5 CANOE AND TAH@ A TRIP -JUST 1IE AND 'fGIJ GOOD HEALTH QUESTION BOX By Andrew P. Currier, M,1?, Dr. Currier will answer all /signed lettere preteining to Health, If your Question is of general interest It will bo anaworod through theee eolumpe; if not, it will be unsweroti personally if stamped, addressed envelope le ea* closed. Br. Currier will not prescribe for individual wises or make diagnosis.. Address Dr, Andrew V. (Currier, care of 'Wilson I'abtishtug Co.. 73 Adelaide Bt, West, Toronto. The Meaning of Tonio:s. No medieinos are used by chose who do not consult a doctor for their ell- ments to such an extent as tonics. Many of these preparations are not tonics as advertised bat simply mix. tures in which the principal ingredi- which there has been great loss of onto is alcohol, blood. But alcohol is not a tonic, it stifle- Tonics are often needed after pro- ulates wt first and then depresses and longed exertion which has exhausted is the worst kind of a 'habit-forming- the vitality, after intense heat or cold drug. But it is of great value in certain conditions especially when it is neees- eary to produce heat quickly and stir up a fainting heart. It cannot posslbly be useful when for a tonic, and it is then that the taken for weeks and months in pre- highways and byways are alive with parations in which it forms 50, 60, or flaming advertisements of all sorts of 10 per cent. patent medicines, presumably tonics, Such preparations surely- are not bo deceive the unwary. medicines in the proper sense of the I The tuberculous weakened by wog, term. ing, cough, loss of sleep, and absorp- A tonic is a substance which helps tion of poisonous material need tonics, the organs of the body bo improve, those should be :selected which the quality of their work, the heart to ' will help and not delude and dieap- int bR Or it may bo the means of putting the patient on his feet and making him well. This is often seen in the use of tonics after severe sickness or sure gieal operations or any condition in and after prolonged confinement in an improperly heated and ventilated bowie or place of business, The dull and Hatless feeling which comes in the snline is an indication beat more slowly and vigorously, the lungs to expand and contract more forcibly, the digestive apparatus to dispose of food more effectively, the brain to think more clearly and per- sistently. Perhaps it will not do all these things directly, but if it does one of them successfully this may be fol- lowed by a successful action in other directions. The pure air of the mountains or the forest is a tonic to the lungs, but it also brings more oxygen to the when such a situation is brought be - blood and hence means better blood In fore her? the digestive organs, heart, liver, Answer-1—This disease is other-, brain, and kidneys. wise known as contagious conjune-, Therefore pure air is one of the tivitis, being an infectious condition best and cheapest tonics to be had, of the mucous membrane which covet urs the eyea. Its principal symp- toms are swelling, redness, soreness and a free discharge from the eye. j This discharge must be removed with) great care very frequently, and a` solution of boric acid instilled into each eye, as'often as the discharge is' removed. It usually gets well in the course of a week or ten days. 2.— j I should say that such a person should keep away from high places and avoid every opportunity for carrying out the desire to jump. The anaemic, pale and weak from poverty of blood and impairment of functions require' tonics and are often greatly benefited by them. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. M. V.-1—Please inform me as to the symptoms, cause and curability of pink eye. 2. What is your opinion of one who cannot look out from a great, elevation without a desire to leap' down, and who starts in h available to almost everybody.People need bonlcs sometimes be- cause they really have some kind of disease, and sometimes merely be- cause their machinery is slowing down and needs bracing. up. The tonic in the first instance, may not cure the disease, the disease may be incurable and yet it may make the patient feel better for a while and perhaps enable him to do much useful work before he is permanently laid by. farm does—one, for instance, which repeats the, exercise of scrubbing bhe washboard; another which callt Into use the muscles which- are exer cited in mopping up a floor. In sons of these schools no arithmetic i taught out of books till the four grade. Before that time it .Is learn ed indirectly through the measurin and collecting of materials for mak Ing and doing things. These open tions are only what every child on farm grows up with, sees every on round him do and does himself. So you will see that the farm 1 serving as an example, a copy, fo those elementary city schools which represent the most scientific ideas and educate toward the most scholarly professions. The basis of brain de- velopment is now known to be muscle training and the occupations of farm life, whether learned in school or at home, are being copied artificially in elementary city schools because great educators know them to be bhe very best means of producing' active, effici- ent minds, capable of making the most of whatever higher culture or business opportunities life may offer in later years. They produce the kind of men and women who act; Three cheers for the Canadian farm! It is the best place in all the world to raise great citizens. s e Cleaning Milking Machines. s Placing the rubber tubes and teat th cups of a milking machine in an anti- septic solution while not in use will g keep them clean with very little trou- ble. Salt water is often used, and opera whatever solution is used should con-' tain salt because of its preservative: o effect on rubber. Salt water alone is not very effee f r live in keeping the tubes and teat cups sanitary. The addition of a small amount of chloride of lime will masse the brine solution germicid- al as well as antiseptic. The solution that has been found best is made of eight and ;one- half gallons of water, tin pours of salt and one-quarter pound of chloride of lime. Fresh chloride of lime should be added each week to keep the solution at proper strength. The odor of chloride of lime can not be detected in the milk. This solution has been tested just to determine what results it would give when used under ordinary farm condi- tions. When- it was being tested, the tubes and cups were placed in the solution immediately after each milk - Ing, being first rinsed In cold water, while the tops were thoroughly wash- ed with hot water and washing -pow- der and the pails sterilized with steam. Once a week the tubes and cups were thoroughly -cleaned with hot water containing soda, and were scrubbed with long brushes. The mills drawn from the machines sone tabled no more bacteria than is Parsed in certified milk. h ti DOING �il'1H OBVIOUS THING' War, we are told, is proving the mottle of our men, It is stripping them of all pretences and forcing them to show themselves in their true light, either, as the real, stuff or weals - liege, No one remneni'bers the bluff when bhe time _coulee to face the Hun, so every soul stands revealed. It isn't the men over there who are being shown up alone. The folks back here are little by little, and bit by bit, being robbed of their pretences and revealed for pretty much what they are, Same of them, I almost I said many of them, are not looking very well. In fact they resemble childten, to put it as Igin as I can, j They do a great deal of talking about their patriotism and wanting to do their bit, but when the bit they ought to do is shown them, they side- step and choose something easier or more showy, but not one-half as no emery. A great many women aro out looking for "a war job," who have left behind them at home the biggest war job they could do. I dropped in to call on a neighbor 1 the other day. Three children, aged four, three and two years old respee- Lively, were whining and clinging to her skirts, while a six -weeks -old baby lay in the crib. It was two o'clock, but the breakfast dishes were still un- washed, the beds unmade, the living - room untidy and a basket of ironing welting to be done. She dropped into a chair and burst into tears. " I know it's awful to let things go so, but what can I do?" she sniffled. "I can't get a girl for love or money and the woman I have can only come one day a week and I can't find an- other. The children have cried all morning and the baby screamed with eolic for two mortal hours. I did get a hatch of cookies baked, and my cur- ra.nits ready for jelly, but I haven't been able to do another thing. When Jackie hasn't wanted something, Mol- ly or Peggy have, and all the lunch I have had was the cold coffee and a piece of. hard, cold toast that were left from breakfast, I wish I was dead and the children were, too. What's the use of,llving when you haven't the strength to take care of your house and family?" "Why can't your sister come and help you?" I asked. Bessie is seven- teenjears old and the prize canner in her school. "School is out now and I should think she could help a lot. Surely helping you is the best sort of war work." "Oh, she's gone up north to pick cherries;" said Mrs. K. bitterly. "She pledged herself to work eight hours a day, with a half-hour for lunch, and she'll get just enough to pay her ex- penses—has to board herself while she is there and pay her own tran- sportation. We'd be glad to give her her board and five dollars a week, but there isn't anything romantic about working in your sister's kitchen. She's helping the conservation move- nent,rso she says. But I don't see any special patriotism in picking fruit or a commercial cannery. If she was going up to help a farmer's wife, I might forgive her." "But -1 should think your mother would make her come and help you. Surely she can sea it is more neces- ary to do the work right at home ha.n it is to chase off across the rovince and clutter up traffic. I bought the government wanted us all to travel as little as possible, Your mother talked so beautifully last week t the club about doing the duty near- st and giving up our vacations." "Oh, that's all for the other fel ow," she sniffed. "Mother and Bes- ie need a rest. Poor Bessie is just orn out with standing around street orners on Tag Days and such hike. Mother says she is entitled " to a ange and besides, there's a bunch f 'boys from the Junior College going p and there's a good swimming each near and a dancing pavilion, nd what have I to offer against the mportance of cherry picking as ne- easary to win the war?" "Your mother surely comas in and elps you out, though," T ventured. She was around trying to get women o volunteer to go out two or three ours a day- and take care of children r mend. Doesn't she. do your mend - g and take the youngsters off your ands a few hours every day?" "Mnther is running a taxicab to re- eve a man for war work. She never ould do housework; it is too heavy. believe she has joined the ',back -to- m -farm' movement, or. whatever ey call it, and is going to the coun- y soon to help in the wheat bar- est. She can handle a pitchfork all ght, but it hurts her back to wring it a map." There was a few minutes' eloquent knee, "I am ashamed of myself," e broke the silence, "and if I hadn't en so tired I would never have creel - sod my own mother and sister. But does seem funny that so many folks n't see that their own blood and kin ed a' Iittle help, isn't it? Mother n't the only one. I know a half zen, yes, a half a hundred, who ars glocbing their obvious duty to chase out doing something everyone wish. they wouldn't do. And then we old children for eventing to make a ke when all they cab do is dry the atleera. ". --a Fence The Garden. Fencing for the farm garden is un- doubtedly a.necessary investment un- less all stook ill the neighborhood is maintained under good control. It should be high enough and tight en- ough to keep out poultry. Some farmers fence their poultry and leave the garden unprotected. Others fence their garden and give the poul- try the freedom of the fame My observation leads me to believe that Ibhe farmers with the fenced gardens raise the mast and the best yege- tables. A confined hen will fly out on occasions but a hen with the free- dom of the remainder of. the earth will often condescend to remain out of a fenced garden, In order to do'their best, vegetables need a little rain at frequent intervals. Light showers corning often are more conducive to growth than a heavy rain followed by a long dry spell. Some market gardeners install. watering systems and they find the investment an insurance against the dry periods which sometimes nearly ruin fine crepe of vegetables. Doubtless the installation of systems for `?supplying water to farm homes will he followed in same cave by an effort to irrigate the garden crops. This will prove an especially valuable asset if vegetable growing is to be depended upon for a part of the farm income. Vegetable 'growing means hard worle•and a large amount of time 'ex. pended on a small area. However, the effort to produce a fine variety of first-class truck for home use eaves expense in keepingt up the table and makes the farm a better place to live. ti or Many a woman Las a fine carriage who never owned a horse Fertilizers the Necessary Gear Fertilizers made hun- dreds of acres strong enough to survive the bad conditions of last winter and spring. Do what you calf to in- sure best wheat conditions for this fall and next winter. Fertil ze! Write /or free Malin ou Pali Moot Production The Soil and Crop Improvement Bureau of tits Canadian Pottlneci Association 1111 Temple Bldg., Toronto kT P t a e 1 s w c c4h 0 u b a e h t h 0 in h c I t th tr v ri 0 si sh be ci it ea ne is do no ab 85 sc. ea s' Cut out and burn the old blaolcberry and raspberry canes as soon as they've' fruited. "'g Celery may be Mouthed by 'means . of boards, paper of drain -tile. gerbil.is likely eco dams() (hooey -a applied when the soli or foliages wast, . n. 1