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â- ?ii» â- i'»i9f»; THE FLESHERTON ADVANCE. Thursday, April 22, 1920. FARMING In this department each week will be given general Information to farmers and stockmen. No attempt will be made to criticize the work already being done by Canadian farmers; but an effort will be made to present to the farmers of the country summarized Information contained in government reports, and the actual experiences of men and women who have achieved success in farming by following modern methods. Farmers who have found new "wrinkles" or have nrade a success in any special lihe of agriculture are Invited to send short letters to this paper giving their experiences, or criticizing any of the information contained In these columns. Vegetable Growing (Concluded Irora last week.) Leave Lots of Boom .\fter II thoryuj;!i spring cultivation of the soil furrows should be run out to a depth of from six tu eight inches and from four to five feet apart. This latter distance between the rows is arbitrarj , some growers planting four feet and others five feet apart. It is ad\-antug(ous to leave plenty of room between the rows in order to have ample room for cultivation. Five feet apart for the rows will prove a very satisfactorj- distance. The furrows should be made in the shape of a V, and this can be done by running out one furrow and coming back and turning one directly away from this. The plants can be dibbled in in this furrow, or can be simply planted in this by drawing some loose earth around them and afterwards raking in some of the soil to fill in the spaces. The plants should be set from two to three feet apart in the row. The farrow should not be filled in at once, but should be gradually filled in by subsequent culti- vation as the plant grows. Where crowns are used they should be in fur- rows eight inches deep, and should bo covered with from t\.o to three inches of soil, which should be firmly tramped down. The furrow should be gradually filled in as above mentioned, planting should be done in the spring as soon as the possibility of severe frosts is over. The cultivation of the young seed- lings should be carefully looked after. Frequent scuffling and hoeing, which will keep down the weeds, will be suffi- cient during the summer season. In the mature patch or one four to five years old, the scuffler should be used as long as the tops will permit during the summer. In early spring a light disking as soon as the land is fit will prove sufficient. The cultiva- tion of a mature patch after the cutting season is over should consist of a thor- ough disking as previously mentioned. Too much emphasis cannot bo given to this point. Harvesting The asparagus shoots which come through the ground in early spring are the part of the plant which is used for human consumption. These should not be cut on a new patch until the third year after the plants have been set. This must be carefully watched, for if the young plants are subjected to a heavy cutting while young *ljey will receive such a severe check that they very seldom reach the stage ot a healthy crop-producin;; plant. It will pay to wait until the plant has become thoroughly established before cutting is commeucod. The crop is harvested by cutting off the young shoots below the surface of the ground about an inch or an inch and a half. This i« best done by means of a long butcher knife, which should be inserted in the ground close to the stalk at an angle so as to cut off the atalk with a sloping end, and yet not cut off the youMK slinots which luivc not yet reached the surface of the soil. This can be easily done after a little practice and it will bo found that by taking the shoot in the left hand and gently inserting the knife with the right hand an<l cutting the shouts ii large number of hills can bo gone over in a short time. The shoots shmild not be cut unless they arc above the sur- face of the ground six inches. It is advisable to go over the patch every other day and to cut everything that is marketable, because these tender shoots grow rapidly, and if allowed to remain growing long become woody and are not suitable for use. It will be found that many shoots will come through the ground and only be the size of a darning needle. It is advis- able to cut these as well and throw them away. Leave nothing all through cutting season, because it will only weaken the plant and harbor insects. If bleached or white asparagus is grown, it should be cut when the tip is barely coming through the surface of the ground which has been moulded up over the crowns to a height of ten or twelve inches. The cutting season on a young patch should not be much over three weeks, but in a mature plot the season should extend to July 1st. It is not advisable to cut after this date, and if it is done the patch will become worn out and unprofitable. Sold in Bunches Asparagus is usually sold in bunches, the size of which depends on the mar- ket. Usually as much as can be casi'j held in one hand constitutes a bunch. The stalks are trimmed with a knife after grading, so that the butt ends, as well as the tip ends, are even and have a trim appearance. These bunches are usually tied with two bands of ordinary bundling twine, one near the tip and the other near the butt end of the bunch. Klastic bands, raffia, or col- ored twine are also used. If so desired these bunches can bo kept thoroughly fresh by standing them in a pan of water butt-end down. This is done in extremely hot weather to keep the bunches fresh for market. Asparagus is sold by the average vegetable grower in baskets or boxes or any convenient affair to carry it in to town. Where it is shipped to market boxes or baskets holding two to three dozen bunches are used. These should bo of light ma- terial and yet have sufficient air space left that a good circulation can be kept up, and thus overcome the danger of heating. Where this crop is grown for a canning factory it is purchased by the top, and it is usually hauled to the factory either loose in a wagon box or in bushel boxes. The old custom of digging the trench for the a8[)aragus crown, of putting In four or five inches of brick bats, etc., for drainagle, is still supposed by some to bo the only way to grow asparagus. This method is old-fashioned, unneces- sary and should not be followed. The as]iiiragiis being a maritime plant or si'jialiore plant in its original state, has been tlii^ cause of many growers adopting the practice of applying large quantities of common salt to the aspara- gus )il()t. This theory has been ex- ploded and revived many times in the iilstory of vegetable growing, and it can be dednitely stated that just as good a croji of nsparagus can be grown without the use of salt as with it. I'liciiomcnal yields after the use of salt cnn usually be traced to some otiicr cause. In no case; wi.. a heavy apidica- tion of salt pay for itself in increased yield, hut it is useful as a weed de- stroyer. In the fall, the tops should be cut off a couple of inches from the ground, carried off the patch and burneil. This will destroy disease spores and insects which might otherwise cause consider- al)l<' damage to the next season's crop. THE COW, THE SOW AND THE HEN HUGH G. VAN PELT. There are instances innumerable in this broad country of ours where spe- cialized farming proved very safe and [irofitable. In Certain sections expert garden- ers, who know how to retain soil fer- tility and coax vegetable^ to grow rapidly, would sacrifice were they to add other phases of farming to their operations. Fruit growers in large numbers pros- per because of their expert ability in this one direction, and there are grain farmers whoso knowledge of conserving and replenishing soil fertility by rotat- ing crops and using fertilizers enables them to succeed admirably without keeping livestock. Breeders of various classes of pure- bred livestock sometimes become so intensive in their operations that were they to deviate from their course of specialized effort their success as breeders would be curtailed. Dairying is a type of agriculture fairly well adapted to specialization and there are dairymen who succeed best when they eliminate all other ob- ligations and stick strictly to the dairy business. In all such instances, however, those who succeed enviably with one spe- cialty to the exclusion of all other phases of agriculture are men who have devoted their lives to intense and exhaustive study and experimen- tation with the one line of endeavor to which they are peculiarly adapted. They are specialists and experts in their chosen lines. They must be; otherwise they would fail. Because they are specialists and experts in a chosen field they are incapable of at- taining full success when their thoughts are divided. DlTentiflcatlon Best. Fortunately, agriculture in the main offers more certain, if not great- er, success where diversification is followed than where specialization is attempted. Excepting a comparatively few in stances, the gardener, the fruit grow- er, the grain farmer and others whose T HE CQW fc A poultry paradise on the dairy farm is a very logical ambition. No farms offer better opportunities for utilizing the efforts of the hen as one of the principal factors of • diversification than the farms where cows are milked. On no farms can poultry be raised more successfully and with greater profit than on those farms where an abundance of skim-milk is available. The cow and the hen are the two animals that are worthy of much consideration and respect; they are the two farm bonds from which coupons can be clipped with rare regularity. Their products, milk and eggs, are the great sources of vitamines which have been proved to be essential to life and growth, to development â€" physically and mentally. On dairy farms it is well to keep good poultry, and on poul- try farms it is well to keep good cows. Each profits most where the other serves best. preference may be to specialize, sue- 1 amount of human food in return for ceed with more certainty when they keep a few cows, a few sows and a few hens. Invariably the poultry man, the horse breeder, the hog raiser, the sheep enthusiast and the dairyman succeed better if they have good gardens and raise some fruit. It is a conceded fact that the most sueeessful livestock and dairymen are those who raise a large percentage of the feed, especially the 'roughage, their animals need. BssentiaUy Animals. In all phases of agriculture there are three animals that are ae essential as is diversification itself. These are the eow, the sow and the hen. They pro- duce the most useful of human foods, using largely of feeds that would be wasted without them. Incidentally, they are also the three animals that yield the greatest the feed they eat. It is not uncommon for farmers, dairymen, poultrymen, nurserymen, gardeners and breeders to fail, "but I have never known a farmer who prac- ticed diversified farming diligently and intelligently to fall short of rea- sonable success and favorable pros- perity, providing he used good dairy cows as his major specialty and good poultry and good swine as the minor associates. Formerly farmers, as a general rule, looked upon poultry raising as too in- significant to be considered a regular part of their farming operations. The few chickens kept were sco'ubs and, like Topsy, "jest grew up." They rustled for themselves in the summer time, and got scanty feed â€" or the axe â€" in the winter months. Farmer Has Awakened. farmer â€" has awakened. The gradually increasing prices received for poultry and their products made him aware of their importance, and on some farms poultry raising is approaching a par with the other farming and dairying operations. It is realized that poultry amply repay any extra effort given them. Having realized the importance of having better cattle, the dairy farmer readily sees the advantages of better poultry. And so, the day is past when poultry keeping is to be regard- ed as merely a pin-money chore for the farm housewife. Cows, poultry and hogs^re about as miserable a mixture as is conceiv- able where they are allowed to live together in the same bam and lots, but where kept apart and each herd and flock efficiently cared for they form a tfombination that marks their owner as a farmer plus â€" a farmer who does everything any farmer does, plus the very things which make success a certainty. The Farmer Flos. The farmer plus is the farmer who is found in every community. He is the one who has the best crops, the best buildings, the best equipment, the best home. The farmer plus has these things not just because he is lucky, but be- cause he does everything good that every other farmer in his community does and then he recognizes the pos- sibilities of the three greatest of all classes of farm animals â€" the sow, the sow and the hen. The farmer plus gives his cows good care and by the use of their by-prod- ucts he is enabled to raise the best chi<5kens and the best pigs and do it in that manner which nets him the largest possible profit with the utmost certainty. As surely as diversified farming is known to be the safest type to fol- low, so is it known that no combina- tion can excel the cow, the sow and the hen. They are the three great I factors upon which diversified agri- But the farmerâ€" especially the dairy I culture is based. THE CHICK THE EGG KUMBEB OF BOOS TO SET. This will vary witli the size of the eggs, the size of the hen ancl the sea- son of the yr-nr. For eggs of ordinary size, from 12 to 15 is the usual num- ber. Karly in the season, perliai)» I" or n will be sufficient for a hen of medium size. Later, in warm weather she can handle 15 equally as well. A number of hens may be set at once. If not many chicks hatch they msy be given to some of the hens niii' the others reset. Reset those in til- best condition. FEEDINO DUKINO INCUBATION. 'I'lie broody hen frecpieutly does not take her meals very regularly and is not very particular as to her bill '<( fore. If there is some whole grain, jireferably corn, but, lacking that, buckwheat, oats or wheat, ni'arliy, ami also a pan of water, little else is re- j quired. OccnHioiinlly she likes n lit- ' tie grass or otiier grern stuff and a little grit or gravel and these cnn en»ily be supplied. It is bi'st to have the nest so arranged that the hen can come off to cat or exercise whenever i she desires. Occnsionally a hen will leave the nest a little too long or too j often, but this seldom happens if she is n good setter. > one of the chief reasons poultry spe- c.inlisti of the Department of Agricul turc are urging the importance this year of th(^ early hatch. Karly hatched chickens are easier to raise, as they live and thrive bet ter than those which are still small when the hot weather begins. Oity Chickens Need Room. Whether the backyard poultry keep- er should try to renew his flock either by hatching or raising chicks or by purchasing and raising day- old chicks is an open (piesllon. liaisiM;; cliielis should not be attempted unless a plot can be provided sejiarate from that to which the hens have access and upon which there is grass or where a sup- ply of green feed can be furnished, llntchinj; under these conditions can best be done with hens. NUMBER OF OHIOKS WITH HEN. This will vary with ^limatic condi- tions and the size of the hen. A me- dium size hen in warm weather can satisfactorily care for 18 or 20 chicks. In the early season when cold spells are more or less frequent IS chicks will be sufficient. If the hen is small 15 in warm weather and 12 or 13 at the most in the early season will be clean | all she can cover and raise well. A hatch of 20 to 25 chicks early in the season should by all means bo divided between two hens. It is false econ- omy to take chances by giving each hen more chicks than she can prop- erly care for. MOST SATISFACTORY BREEDS. The medium-size breeds of poultry, such as the Plymouth Rock, Wyan- dotte, Rhode Island Red and Orping- ton are the most satisfactory for rais- ing chicks. The larger breeds, though they may cover more chicks, are too heavy and clumsy. The small breeds like the Leghorns cannot cover as many chicks as the larger and are sometimes wild and nervous. They are likely to injure or kill some of the chicks if they are molested. A hen for raising chicks should have a kind and quiet disposition. PROTECTION AGAINST LICE. Hefore ^hicks are placed in the coop, especially if they are hatched by hens, they should bo examine.! for lice. The control of lice on broody hens is very difficult, especially in hot weather, hence when the chicks hatch they are almost sure to bo covered with these parasites, which usimlly gather on the top of the chick's head and at least part way down the neck. A simple and effective treatment is to rob a little lard on the down of the head, nock and throat. If the lard is melted when applied there will be less danger of its running into the clhick 's eyes and causing trouble. Lard in the solid condition is likely to be applied in too largo qvinltities, which when melted by the heat of the chick's head will spread out and run farther than intended. Orcat care must be taken after applying lard to see that the chicks are not forced to run in the hot sun too much. This is advisable at any time. The chicks should be examined quite frequently for head lice during the first six weeks or two months of life, especially if they appear to be un- thrifty. These lice are large gray in color and are usually firmly attached to the down with the head close to or buried in the skin. Whenever found the foregoing treatment should be ap- plied. Before placing the hen and chicks in the coop, the former should be dust- ed for lice with a powder made from crude carbolic acid or creosol, gasoline and plaster . of paris. Too much should not be applied however or it may get into the eyes of the chick and cause irritation. The hen should bo examined from time to time and dusted if lice are found. (Continued next week.) Planting OnionXSets Onion sets may be planted as early as the land can bo worked. Make the onion bed rich. T^se well rotted stable manure, preferably cow manure, and mix it thoroughly with the soil. frequently by the use of a rake or hoe. Keep free from weeds and it will surprise you how they grow. Poultry Lice Remedy A remedy for poultry lice was de- veloped by the Connecticut station. It is a mixture of one part of mercurial ointment, also called "blue ointment," and one or two parts of vaseliue. These are mixed thoroughly, and a bit the size of a pea is rubbed onto the fowl under the wings and about the vent. It is not necessary, nor even desirable, to rub it over the en tire fowl as the chicken lice are rest- less insects and in crawling over the fowls are sure to get into the mix- ture. This remedy is cheap, efficient and easily applied. on. THE HAMMER HANDLES. A hammer handle costs money nowa- days, so it pays to make one last as long as possible. A simple manner of adding life to hammer handles is by oiling them. To do this, bore a hole in the end and fill with lubricating oil, allowing the oil to soak in. If the hammer must be used before the oil has soaked in, a cork in the hole v.ill make this possible. After two or three oilings the handle will be more Pulverize the soil well. Do not | springy and ready for harder service (Continued next week.) BAKLT HATCH, EABLT lATERS Chicks Should Be Out by the First of May. . I Hatching should be completed by the first of May, If possible. Chick ] ens hatched before this time will have ' n good chance to mature and ho in | laying condition as pullets before the ' cold weather of fall sets in, and should j in consequence, be producers during i the entire fall and winter. This is ; DR. Q. C. CREELMAN WIm la (Mno to England as Ag«itt- OMMnU for Ontario. \ leave clods or stones on or near the surface, as these interfere with grow- ing a successful crop. Use fair to medium sized onion sets. The smaller ones are too slow in mak- ing a good sized onion. The larger ones do not develop as quickly as the medium sized ones. For a small bed, plant in rows from eight inches to one foot apart, and set the onions from two or three inches apart in the row, if they are to be used while young. Even a little near- er will produce excellent results. If the sets are planted to produce large onions for late summer or winter use, they cnn bo set farther apart, or the bed may be carefully thinned out as the young onions are pulled for early use. In planting onion sets, always push the little onion down at least two inches below the surface. Cultivate than would be possible with an unoiled one. FARM BETTER LIOHTING FOR BUILDINGS. Few buildings on farms have enough window space. It is a recognized fact that plenty of direct light in the barns, outbuildings and house is the cheapest and best germ destroyer. In the dairy barn there should be four square feet of glass for each cow. Horses should have from two to three square feet of window space. It is best to have one square foot of glass for each 25 to 30 square feet of floor in the young stock or feeding barns. Hogs require all the direct sunlight that can be secured, especially in the spring farrowing months. The win- dows should be spaced so the light strikes the pens for some time each day. BEPAIBINO SPADE HANDLES. Very often a spade, pitchfork or any other steel implement equipped with a wooden handle becomes useless be- cause the two parts are loose at the joint. As this joint is usually riveted it is impossible to tighten it and as a re- sult the wood rapidly wears away and the tool can no longer be used. A simple and effective way to repair it is to clean the joint well, center the handle and pour melted sulphur into the crack. Care must be taken to have the sulphur hot enough so that it will run freely and fill the crack without voids. This costs but little and can be done in a short time. Once repaired, the implement can be put to use almost immediately, serving as well as a new one. HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FROM INCUBATORS See that the incubator is running steadily at the desired temperature be- fore filling with eggs. Do not add fresh eggs to a tray containing eggs which are undergo'- ing incubation. Turn the eggs twice daily after the ."lecond and until the nineteenth day. Cool the eggs once daily, accordinj; to the weather, from the seventh to the nineteenth day. Turn the eggs before caring for the lamps. Attend to the machine carefully at regular hours. Keep the lamp and wick clean. Test the eggs on the seventh and fourteenth days. Do not open the machine after the eighteenth day until the chickens are hatched. Don't forget that you are invited to give your views on any farm Im- provement subject in these pages. If you know something new and worth while In fanii buildings, equipment or methods, tell others about it here. OPPORTUNITY working overtime IS " ()pportunily hasn't missed a working' rlay since the Garden of Eden was laid out in building lots." So wrote a popular writer six years ago. Hut tliat was ^jefore the war. To-dayâ€" opportunity is not only putting; in a full day's work, between sun-up and sun- down, but it is working; overtime. The country has never been so prosperous. Take advertising, for instance. There's opportunity right her(> in these pages. ---for the men who sell. â€"for the men and women who buy. Don't miss the advertisements, you money. They are guide posts to better buying. They will save