The Exeter Advocate, 1922-7-27, Page 6! ! T Y T 'Y VI
Address communications to Agronomist,. 73 Adelaide St. West, Toronto
The Advantages and Disadvantages of ed. The suggestion of a trial would
the Fall Breeding of Mares. be let order r here the necessary
The breeding of mares in the fall MC as are av:►iiable, by breeding cue
#e looked upon by many as a last op- nirre this fall ter foaling next full any
portunity to get the mare in foal, time from Septeanber to December.
where for one reason or another she—Geo, B, Rothwell, Dominion Animal
was not bred nor could not be settled
earlier in the season. This is but a
superficial consideration of the case.'
There are decided advantages in the
regular practice of fall breeding.
The Advantages,
Husbandman.
Autumn Care of Sheep.
Next year's profits from the flock
depends largely ou the care during
the autumn. The lambs must be kept
More work for the mare. Much of l growing, and the breeding stock must
the dual capacity of the mare for be thrifty. Ewes in poor condition in
work and increasing her species is lost the breeding season will usually bring.
when she foals in Islay or June. Under single lambs and have a small milk
ideal conditions for the foal, she should : ;How. On the other hand, fat ewes
spend several weeks or the better part are usually difficult to get in lamb
of the sunxmer on pasture. On the and often give trouble in lambing, To
average farm then, where horse power give efficient service, the ram should
is limited, the in foal mare cannot be be in a good thrifty condition.
heavily worked for a short time before The flock should be carefully culled
she foals or worked at all for some in the fall. Old ewes, ewes with dee
months after. Where, however, she' fective teeth or damaged udders, and
does not foal until late fall, her sere all ewes which have shown themselves
mothers
t
x
vices are available when they are in indifferent breeders or poor n
urgent demand and ehe is exerting the should be discarded. To replace those
other side of her dual capacity, feel discarded, the best ewe lambs should
r aring, in the winter,wren on most be kept, and becauseuse of the
tendency
farms she would be idle or tempera- for like to produce like, preference
tively idle in any case. An animal should be given to twin lambs and to
that can work at two such fundament- lambs from ewes which have proved
:illy necessary jobs as the above and themselves good breeders and mothers.
Accommodate her work to the seasonal The ram used with the flock should he
demands so effectively is indeed ale the best obtainable, and both ram and
most a perfect power plant. ewes should be fed liberally so that
Stronger foals at birth. What, in they will be in thrifty condition at
general, is the fundamental cause of the time of breeding.
weak foals? Invariably lack of ex: The lambs should be weaned early
ercise or the too heavy feeding of in August, This gives the ewe a
grain to the mare in the winter, In chance to rest before the breeding
this connection, "exercise" does not season. After the lambs have been
necessarily mean standing outside on weaned the ewes should be put on poor
the lee side of a straw stack. Exercise pasture for a few days to dry up the
of the best kind is derived from work milk flow. After that they should
judiciously given, where plenty of be put on a. pasture that will keep
fresh air not only is, but must he, not them rather under good store condi-
only drawn but forced through the tion, Three weeks before breeding, or
lungs and where the scavenging or about the 10th of October, the ewes
cleansing organs of the body function; should be flushed,. This may be done
at highest efficiency; and the foetus by turning them into a good clover
being an integral part of the mare is aftermath and feeding half a pound of
similarly benefited by this insured grain per day to each ewe. If treated
cleansing, in this manner the ewes will be just
The foregoing explains the fact that
passing good store condition when
there is a higher percentage of strong bred. If the ewes are treated in this
foals in fall. Undoubtedly it also ex way they will breed regularly, and
plains, in a more obscure way, the fact
that there is a remarkably low per-
centage of joint -ill eases in foals com-
ing at this time of the year.
Gives the foal a better chance for
the first year. The fall born foal is
usually an active individual at birth.
As a rule it can get considerable ex-
ercise on pasture during October and
November, an fine days. It does not
suffer from heat, or from having to
follow a hungry mare over a bare
pasture. The flies that render the life
of the foal almost unendurable in
summer are gone.
There is no healthier environment
for a strong, shaggy -coated foal than
the barn -yard in winter for a few
hours each day, particularly where
there is a shed or shelter; this and a
box stall, preferably weli ventilated,
make conditions for healthy and rapid
growth, other things being equal. Fin-
ally, the foal is weaned from his
mother and faces the more trying
summer conditions in a much different
condition from that of his spring -born
brother.
have a larger percentage of twins and
a shorter lambing period next spring.',
The ram should be taken from the
flock in August and put in a fair pas-'
ture. About the first of October he
should be given a grain ration of
about one pound of grain, preferably
oats, each day. The ewes should have
their tails clipped before putting the
ram with them. The ram should be
marked with red ochre on the breast
so that records can be kept of the
sheep which are bred. During the
breeding season the ram should get a
liberal grain ration to keep him in
good thrifty condition.
After the breeding season the ewes
do not require grain until three weeks
before lambing, if good clover hay
and roots are fed,
The destruction of ticks and lice, by
dipping the sheep, must by no means
be forgotten. This should be done
during the warmer weather of early
fall, For ticks one thorough dipping
will be required; for lice at least two
must be given at ten-day intervals.
There are several good dips available.
The Canadian. Co-operative Sheep
The Disadvantages. 1 Breeders Association is an excellent
Stallions not always available. Ur. source of supply for these and for all
less there is a stallion on the farm or sheep requisites.
owned near by, it is often impossible The lambs when weaned should be
to breed a mare out of the regular put on a good pasture, preferably
season, when stallions are on the road, clover. This shouldbe supplemented
standing for service, or leased to as- by some green feed such as rape, and
soeiations. a grain ration of a quarter of a pound
Some mares difficult to breed. Cer- of grain per day. It is good practice
tain mares will be found almost im- to feed the young: lambs 'liberally as
possible to breed outside the natural they make their most economical gains
season. While this is a decided diffi- when young, and a lamb that has been
cults', the fact remains that in .many checked never does as well as one
oases it is one of theory only, existing which has been kept growing
in the mind of the owner and not Success with sheep means careful
troubling the marc at all. weeding, breeding and feeding, and
In general, this practice of fall at no time is this more important
heeding of mares is to be recommend- than in the• fall.
Some Recent Investigations
on Poisonous Plants.
Since the publication in 1920 of Bul-
letin No. 39,: Second Series, by Miss
F. Fyles, on "Principal' Poisonous
Plants of Canada," some further
vestigations have been made on var-
ious other species,
Grab -grass or Finger -grass (pani-
c um sanguinale L.) is an annual plant
which has been introduced from Eur-
ope and now occurs in Eastern Canada
and else' in the Priarie Provinces, It
bas been looked upon with suspicion
as the cause of a disease affecting cat-
tle on different farms in Maryland,
U.S.A.
Fowl Meadow -grass (Glyceria nerv-
ata Trine). is a perennial species grim-
ing on wet ground from Newfound-
land to Vancouver island. It contains
hydrocyanic acid and some cases of
cattle poisoning have been attribute&
to it.
Sea: Arrow -grass (Triglochin mari-
time. L.) does not belong to the Grass
family as the name would imply. It is
a perennial plant with a tuft of nar-
row leaves and a spike of inconspicu-
ous flowers. It; occurs in salt marshes
on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
and is found in similar situations en
the prairie. It contains a substance
which breaks up in the stomach into
hydrocyanic acid gas. It is poisonous
both to. sheep ^ and cattle and is far
more dangerous when cut and dried
as hay,
Common St. John's Wort (Hyperi-
cum perforatum L.)' is a perennial
plant with opposite leaves and showy
yellow flowers. It is a native of 1•;ur-
ope but has been introduced into East-
ern Canada and British Columbia. Ob-
servations made en this plant in New
South Wales, Australia, when in flow-
er, have shown that it is injurious to
sheep and cattle.
Investigations made on certain trees
have shown that • they possess more
or less poisonous properties. The
Western Choke -cherry (Prunus dem
isse Nutt) occurs in Alberta and Brit-
ish Columbia. It contains a substance
which gives rise to hydrocyanic acid:
The leaves of species, of Oak (Quer-
cus) may prove fatal if eaten ex-
elusively for sixteen to .thirty-five
days.
Henbit (Lamum amplexicaule L,) is
an anual plant with opposite leaves
and reddish -purple flowers. It has been
introduced from Europe and has been
found in Eastern Canada and in Brit-
ish Columbia. It is said to produce
staggers in sheep in New South Wales,
Australia.
There is also a case on record of
cows having died after eating green
potato tops.—J. Adams, Botanist.
A swarm of bees in July is not
worth a fly.—Old Proverb.
The Largest. Horse Farm
East of Manitoba.
It is not generally known that the
most important horse breeding estabe
lishment'east of Manitobais situated:
at ,St, Joachim, County of Mox►ti or-
ency, Province of Quebec. This farm Dominion Department of Agriculture,
was started by the united efforts of deal og with the insect'.conditions in
the Dominion Department ee Agricul- ,June, report the grape leaf hopper
ture, the Quebec Department of Agri, pertieularly active in the Niagara dis
culture, and the French-Canadian trict; the tent .caterpillar especially
Horse Breeders' Association. The work numerous in the, Maritime provinces
is being carried on 'by the first -named and fairly so throughout Canada; the
and is under the direct supervision of Bud moth unusually abundant in Nova
Mr, Gus Langelier who is also Super- Scotia, Ontazio and British Columbia;
intendent of the Dominion Expert- the gooseberry borer busy en southern
mental Station, Cap Rouge, Que. There Quebec; the measuring worm giving
are at present, on the Horse.Farm. trouble in British Columbia orchards0
over ninety horses, all; pure-bred the cuxa•ant sawfly ,and spanwarm
French-Canadians; an idea of the heard from in Quebec and Ontario; the
scale on which breeding operations .are strawberry root worm causing injury
conducted can be had when it is known in southern Ontario; the strawberry
that twenty-two mares have young- weevil showing vitality in tbe Mari-
sters this year,, while thirty-four axe time provinces and the strawberry
due to foal is 1923. root weevil (a different species) in
It is fully admitted. that part -f she British Columbia, Successful efforts
work is to improve French-Canadian are being made in southern Ontario to.
horses, but it is also clear that not cheek the activities of the rose chafer,
of the problems of horse breeding, but the raspberry leaf -roller is unusu-
feeding, housing, and management can ally prevalent in southern Ontario,
be investigated as vv ell with this breed wbere the San Jose scale is also in evi
as with any other. These preblenis are Bence, The canker worm is also noted
quite numerous; inbreeding, close, in in certain sections• of Ontario, As re-`
line, and outcrossing; in feeding gards vegetables, cutworms are re-`
rougixages, concentrates, pastures; in Ported more numerous than usual; flea
housing, the big special barn, part of! beetles are particularly injurious on
the cattle barn partitioned off, cheap: potatoes, turnips, tomatoes, etc., and
single -boarded shelters; in manage -e the onion maggot is exceptionally ae
meet, work or no work for breeding tive in parts of Ontario, Quebec and
animals, prevention of diseases in! British Columbia,
youngsters, raising autumn colts.
These in themselves show the advise The Passion Play.
ability of having started such a farm. The Passion 1?lay, which was re -
What will be the future of the The
this year after having been
place? From an investigational paint omitted since 1910, goes back at least
of view it is assured, as even a guar- to the sixteenth century and Is rather
ter of ' a century is not near long a development than a creation. As
enough to solve many of the problems. presented at Oberammergau, it is in
As to the effects of any improvement effect au open-air play, tor, although
of the French-Canadian harse accent- tee auditorium is covered, tbe stage is
plished thereby and the scope of the open, with a background of sky and
distribution of unproved breeding forest -covered bills. The eutdoQr set -
stock, the future of that enterprise is ting, the songs of birds, the trees
really in the hands of the fanners of swaying in the wind, give the scene an
the Province of Quebec. If they show air of reality that Is moat affecting. On
enough interest, no doubt French- one occasion a thunderstorm came up
Canadian horses will continue to be during tiie crucifixion scene, and to
bred at St, Joachim; but if it is found many of the spectators the black
out, which is improbable, that French- clouds and the liglutning were more
Canadian stallions and breeding stock realistic than was pleasant,
are not in demand, then it will surely—•fi------
be in order to look into the question of To sharpen dull files, put them in.
using another breed for the experi- a dilute solution of sulphuric acid and
mental work at St. Joachim. leave them there till they are eaten
In the meantime, old Quebec can deep enough. Use twenty-four parts
boast of having the most impartant of water to one part of acid,
horse breeding establishment in East-
ern Canada.
Fruit and Vegetable Pests
Numerous.
The Entomolegical Branch of the
Hired Hand or Partner ?
By Russell Adams
To be strictly candid, I am lazy. If
I have a problem to solve, I look
around until I locate a man who has
solved it to his entire satisfaction—
then I take advantage of his exper-
ience.
That's why I spent last Sunday
visiting with Tom Ewing, for Tom had
solved the farm -help problem as satis-
factorily as any man I know of.
"It's as easy to keep a good man
as it is to keep a good team, and. just
as profitable," was Tom's answer to
my leading question.
"In the old days I hired and fired
pretty regularly; I'.d hire anybody who
happened to drop in, and if he didn't
suit me he didn't last long.
"In those days, practically all farm
labor belonged to 'The Rambling Rov-
ers'; single men roaming -from prov-
ince to province across the country.
Very seldom would you see a married
man hunting work on a farm, for the
reason that land was cheap and he
started out en a place of his own, but
to -day it is quite different,
"For the last five years I have em-
ployed one man (a. married man by
the way) steadily and, taking every-
thing into consideration, he is the most
profitable man I have ever employed.
"Right at the beginning I thought I
Could not afford to hire a married man,
pay him living wages, furnish him a
house, a cow, fuel, etc., but I have
learned better; he is the cheapest man
I have ever hired.
"If you hire the right man, the
longer he stays with you the more
valuable he becomes. Fred knows as
much about my system of farming: as
I do, and such is far from being the
truth when you hire a man to -day and
let him go next week or next month.
A man must know your system, your
stock, your farm and your plans before
he can give you his best service.
"Married help is preferable to single
help, for one reason at least; cooking
and washing for help has long been the
bug in the butter of farm women; but
many farmers believeit is cheaper to
take single help into their homes than
! it is to employ married :men, furnish
them a house, fuel, • etc., and possibly
pay higherr wages, but that is a mis-
,taken idea from start to finish: Add
$15 'a'month to the wages demanded
1 by the single man; and you can hire
a married man who will stay with you.
indefinitely. The best part of it is,
that he is always on the job when
needed. Single help is, prone to rush
away Saturday afternoon and not
I show up until Monday morning, leav-
1 ing all the chores for the boss to do,
but when married help is employed' it
is different; his interests are where
you wish them to be—on the farm;
"How do I find work for my man to
do the year around?' That's the
easiest question to answer that I have
been asked in many a day,. We'' have
our general work to do, about the
same' as on any other 160 -acre farm,
our fencing, hauling, marketing and
roadwork; besides, we do considerable
hAuli
ng for others. A year ago last
fall. I bought a two -and -a -half ton
farm motor -truck, which I consider
one of the best investments I have
ever made. We are only four miles
from a railroad station, but the motor-
truck enables one man to do the work
of four men, four wagons and eight
horses, and' has reduced my hauling
costs mare than a hundred per cent.
In addition it has opened up good mar-
kets heretofore closed to us. The
motor -truck has much to do with the
contentment of my man, as you will
understand when I tell you that last
spring I told Fred that he could have
all he raised on that little three -
cornered patch you probably noticed
between the river and the corn -field,
below the bridge. That is rich soil,
but unprofitable for corn on account
of the short rows and much turning in
cuitivating. He planted the patch to
tomatoes and potatoes and marketed
the stuff in the city, twenty-five miles
away; while hauling for me. Off a
scant two acres of ground he sold al-
most $300 w.orth of vegetables, and
he was as tickled as a boy with his
first gun.
"If Fred had been forced to sell his
truckpatch products at ' our' shipping
station, it is doubtful whether he
would have received enough for them
to pay hint for his trouble; but by tak-
ing them to the city, when the demand
was strong, he cleared up a splendid
profit on his spare time work.
" `What should a person pay his
farm help?' Why, pay him what he
is worth; some men are worth $40 a
month, some $50, while there are
others who would be overpaid if they
received a• dollar. a week. Worthless
help has ruined more good teams and
sent more machinery to the junk -pile
than all other causes combined.' When
we haul for others, we use a scale of
charges. based on ton -mile haul, and
Fred gets 20 per cent. of the net pro-
fit realized on each haul.. This gives
him a little extra income and at the
'same time causes him to take an add-
ed interest in the 'work and the best
of care of the truck; he feels, that our
interests are the same, he realizes
that in a way we are partners, and
when you get a man to thinking along
that line, you have solved the farm
labor problem' to your mutual satis-
faction."
"Tom; how do you get time to keep
the road along your place in such good
shape?—every time I come -this way
it reminds 'me et a• paved street," I
asked.
"Oh, that's easy; when. Fred and I
tadplansh
we ex-
pect to understand God's providence
over us.
return from a trip, to town, if we have
a spare half-hour, we hitch the truck
to the grader. and fix the road a bit.
We plan on working a full ten-hour
day, and every minute has to count.
`Keeping everlastingly at it brings
success, you know," he ' grinned in
reply.
As Tom pays income tax and enjoys
the good things of life along with his
family, I believe; he is correct,
MOKE
TheT�Lac000f Quali y
11/2 LB.T1 8
and in packages
I
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
JULY 30.
The First Return from Exile, ,ler. 29: 10; Ezra 1; 1-8, 11.
Golden Text:..: We know that to them that love God all
things work together for good. Rom, 8: 28 (Rev. Ver.)
Lesson Foreword --Under the Baby -
Ionian regime the Jewish exiles in
Babylonia were allowed considerable
freedom but they were not allowed to
return home. They cwelt in colonies,
had their own houses and engaged in
trade and agriculture. When in B.C.
539 the Babylonian Empire gave way
to the Persian Empire the Jewish ex-
iles had still more liberty. It was in
accordance with their general policy
to the subjugated peoples within their
empire, that the Persians permitted
the Jewish exiles to- return to Pales-
tine.
1. The Prophecy, ler. ch. 29: 10.
This verse is from a letter which
Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Baby-
lon, v. 1. His purpose in writing them
was to advise them to make themselves
at home in Babylon and not to revolt
against their masters, vs. 4-7. After
seventy years; here probably a round
number and: not any definite length
of time. The exiles left Jerusalem
in B.C. 537 and B.C. 586 and their
first return was about B.C. 536. I
will visit you. Jeremiah, who be-
fore the exile had threatened
the people with God's punishment for
their sins, now changed his note and
proclaimed God's mercy to them.
II. The Decree, Ezra 1: 1-4.
V. 1. The first year of Cyprus. In
B.C. 559, Cyrus commenced his career
as king of Elam, an insignificant pro-
vince east of Babylon. Then he con-
quered the Median Empire and later
the Persian Empire. Finally in B.C.
539 he captured Babylon. The decree
of Cyrus would be issued in his first
year after the capture.of Babylon,
that is in B.C. 539-538. The word of.
the Lord. . , fulfilled. God had in-
spired Jeremiah to utter this prophecy
(ch. 29:' 10) and then had led Cyrus to
carry it out. ' The Lord stirred up, etc.
It was the view of the Hebrew pro-
phets that all the events on the plain
of history were originated and direct-
ed by God. (See Isa. 44: 28 and 45:
1-13.)
V. 2. Cyru§ here avows his reason
for making the decree. It was because
he derived his rule from God and be-
cause God had commanded him to re-
build the temple in Jerusalem.
V. 3. The decree of Cyrus was pro-
claimed throughout all the Persian
realms and gave permission to the
Jews, wherever they were to be found,
to return to their native land. His
God be with'him; literally, "May God
be with him." It was an ancient form
of blessing like our farewell: "God be
with you."
V. 4. Whosoever remaineth, etc.
Ryle paraphrases his. rather ambigu-
ous passage thus: "In any place where
survivors of the Jewish captivity are
to be.found sojourning, there let the
natives of the place, the non -Israelite
neighbors,render them all assistance."
Cyrus commanded that local assistance
should be provided for those Jews who
wished to, return'` to Palestine. The
assistance was to be of two sorts: (1)
Silver and gold, etc.;- necessaries foe
their journey and their new home' (2)
Freewill, offerngs; gifts for the temple
of"Jehovah which was to be'rebuilt.
III. The Return, 5-8, 11:
V. 5. The chief of the fathers, etc.;
the chiefs or elders of the leading
families in the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin who had been carried cap-.
tive. This was a return of the two
tribes here mentioned and . not of the
ten tribes who were exiled in B.C. 721.
(2) Priests. (3) Levites; a lower order
of priests. (4) With.all them; who -
were not included in therthree' preced-
ing classes.
V. 6. All .. that were about them;
their heathen neighbors and the. Jews
who did' not wish to return. This re-
fers to Cyrus' decree, v.4. Strength.
ened their hands. This Hebrew e?xpres-
fsion means, "They encouraged them
or rendered them assistance" by giv-
ing them the gifts mentioned, For the
gifts see the comment on v. 4.
V. 7. Ryle says, "The Jews were
assisted not only by private indi-
viduals, their neighbors, but by the
example of the king himself." The
vessels of the house, etc. On two oc-
casions these had been taken as booty
from the Jerusalem temple by Nebu-
chadnezzar ---at the first capture of
Jerusalem in B.C. 597 (2 Kings 24:13)
and at the final destruction of Jeru-
salem in B.C. 586 (2 Kings 25; 14-15),
In the house of his gods. The vessels
taken from the Jerusalem temple were
set�.up as trophies of victory in the
heathen temples of Babylon.'
V.:8. Cyrus handed over these ves-
sels to one of his officials who listed
them and then restored them to the
returning Jews. Misredath. This is a
familiar proper name among the Per -
Wens. It recalls the great Persian
sun-god, Mithras. The Greek form of
the word was Mithradates. The official
mentioned here was "the king's Privy
Purse, the bearer or dispenser of the
royal treasure." Sheshbazzar. In all
likelihood, this was another name for
Zerubbabel, a prince of the house of
David, and the leader of the returning
exiles. (See 3: 2, 8; 4: 2-3, Hag. 1; 1;
Zech. 4: 6.)
V.11. The expedition, well equipped
with valuables both for the journey
and for their arrival in Palestine, set
off with Sheshbazzar er Zerubbabel at
the head. The journey would require
several months. In all likelihood their
route would lie north and northwest
along the Euphrates up to the fords
of the Euphrates at Carchemish, and
the south through Syria and Samaria.
Application.
Cyrus assumed that if the Jews were
really anxious for the restoration of
the Temple.. they would be willing to
make some sacrifice. Some could go
back to Jerusalem end faee the diffi-
culties, and those who could not return
could help with contributions of sil-
ver and free-will offerings. An Ontario
man, much interested in the establish-
ment of churches in growing commun-
ities, made liberal contributions, but
stipulated. that the local church raise
a similar amount. Cyrus was "stir-
red up," but he took it for granted that
the people were also willing to make
sacrifices,
Paul's entrance into Rome was -not
what at one time he desired it should
be, yet he recognized that God's. Pro-
vidence had been over him in a re-
markable manner. In a letter written
from Rome to his friends in Philippi,
the says: "I would ye should under-
stand, brethren, that the things which
happened unto me h-ve fallen out
rather unto the furtherance of the
gospel." Many centuries before this,
Joseph -:also bore testimony to the won-
derful way in which God had taken
care of him so that even his afflictions
had worked out - for good. (See Gen.
50: 20.)
In every family there,is a good deal
of forethought going' on about which
the childrcen know nothing: Fond par-
ents are always looking r ahead and •
snaking plans, for the little folks, and
this goes on for • months and.years
though the children are scarcely con-
scious of it. There is an enormous
difference between the knowledge and
experience of the parents and that of
the children, but it es as nothing com-
pared to the vast gulf between us
and God,.If the- , children cannot
unaers • n our , • ow. can
Plow.; early for fall wheat.
During the first three months: of the
current year 4,345,400 pounds of hali-
but was taken in Canada, of a'value
of $425,531. Last ' year 'n the,same
period
5,300,000 pounds .was taken
valued at $607,196:
�l,