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Address communication* to Agronomist 73 Adelaide St. West. Toronto THIS EQUIPMENT MAY SAVE YOU EXPENSE. I know from personal experience that a medicine chest equipped for 1 first aid is necessary on a successful! livestock farm. While it is a grave' mistake for a farmer to attempt all of j his stock doctoring, yet oftentimes he can prevent a lot cf trouble if hei knows how and what to do until the; veterinarian comes. You can handle j slight injuries or sicknesses, but calli a competent veterinarian for major' operations, severe injuries, and in all casts of infectious or contagious dis- eases. I want to tell you in this article ubout the instruments and material! you may find useful. What you needj most depends upon tha kind and num- j ber of stock you keep. Keep all instruments and supplies in a convenient place where they will be safe from frost, direct sunlight,! dampness, and dust. I keep my surgical instruments in a; chamois bag or in special cases, and I keep them as sharp as possible. You know, a dull edge causes a lot of pain. To sterilize an instrument, boil it for fifteen minutes or more and after : using, clean, disinfect, and dry before patting away. j On large stock farms the medicine chest should hold the following snp-| plies: Bandages These should be of ster- ilized gauze and unbleached muslin,' two to three inches wide and three yards long, rolled ready for use. Derby and flannel bandages are used on horses' legs. Bull Rings These are made of gun metal, jointed, supplied with screws, ^nd should be filed smooth before they {.re put in the animal's nose. Cotton Sterilized cotton comes in rolls in sealed cartons, and is needed as covering for wounds, compresses, and swabs. Dehorning Shears, or a saw may be used for this purpose. Dental Instruments Rasps or I "floats" for removal of sharp points! from molar (grinding) teeth will be found useful. Forceps Artery forceps are neces- sary to stop serious bleeding, and ob- stetrical forceps for the deliver}- of pigs, etc. Gloves Rubber gloves should in- variably be worn when removing a re- tained afterbirth, making a post- mortem examination, or doing work in which infection may occur. Knives A special knife for the cas- tration of calves, lambs, and pigs is needed by every stockman. An emas- will also be necessary if older are to be altered. A large and a bistoury having sharp- and probe-pointed blades for opening abscesses, fistulas, etc., will also prove useful. Milk-fever Outfit If dairy cows are kept, an apparatus consisting of a sterilized milking tube, small rubber tube, and a special metal or rubber syringe for inflation of the udder with air is an absolute necessity. Milking Tubes These are used to extract milk from sore or obstructed teats and in cases of garget They should be assorted sizes and must be most carefully sterilized by boiling be- fore use. Needles A few curved and straight needles of-assorted sizes, together with some braided or twisted silken cord for the stitching or suturing of wounds will be necessary for emer- gency use. Surgeons' tape will also prove useful. Oakum, or teased tarry rope, is needed for the packing of abscess cavi- ties, application after dehorning, and on other wounds. Scissors Curved scissors are need- ed for the removal of ha and ir treating wounds. Horse clippers are also jseful. Syringe A two-ounce metal dose syringe will be needed, .ilso a large metal or hard rubber syringe and rec- tal syringe. A container, rubber hose. and funnel for douching the womb or vagina of covvs, mares, etc., is neces- saiy on every farm. A hypodermi syringe is also useful. Teat Instruments In addition to milking tubes, keep on hand some teat "plugs," dilators, and a test bistoury or slitter. 'Thermometer A clinical themo- meter for the taking of temperatures is absolutely necessary. It is beat to keep at least two in stock. Trocar and Canula A large trocar (dagger) and canula (tubo sheath) is used to "tap" a bloated cow, and i - also useful when ringing a bull. A smaller instrument of the same sort is used for tapping a horse when af- fected with "wind colic." Dr. A. S. Alexander. DAIRY. As I go through, herds and nee the little attention given to the young stock I feel strongly the need of ad- vice regarding the various methods of feeding the calves. Many of us go to extra pains to feed the calves more grain than they' require for best results. If we are; trying to get them ready for the mur- 1 ket, well and good; but if we figure' on keeping them on the farm for dairy! purposes then we had better cut down; the amount of grain fed and see that the calves get plenty of roughage. The eating of a large amount of; coarse feed not~only enables the farm-1 er to bring the calf to maturity much cheaper, but it also produces a more efficient dairy animal. Grain fed in too liberal amounts hastens the time when the calves reach full growth. There should be ample roughage. This tends to give capacity to the re- sulting cow. She, from the beginning, develops a digestive system that will take care of a large amount of rough- age which is the cheapest source of material for the manufacture of milk. We feel, therefore, that this is the time of the year when the man who has some likely calves coming along should give them the attention which will bring out the full capabilities. . An Excellent Whitewash. WINTER MANAGEMENT OF BROOD SOWS This whitewash formula is probably one of the best It is much whiter than most mixtures and is almost as ser- ( viceable as paint for wood, brick and j stone. A pint of this wash when ap- | plied properly will cover about ten : square feet of surface. Here is the formula : "Slake half a bushel of unslaked lime with boiling water, cover during process to keep in steam, strain the liquid through a fine sieve or strainer, and add .to it seven pounds of salt previously dissolved in warm water, three pounds of ground rice boiled to a thin paste and stirred in while hot, : half a pound of Spanish whiting, and I one pound of clear glue, previously dissolved by soaking in cold water and I then hanging over a slow fire in a i small pot hung in a larger one filled i with water. Add five gallons of hot water to the mixture, stir well, and let it stand for a few days, covered j from dirt It should be applied hot, ! for which purpose it can be kept in a ketle over an oven or a portable furnace." If color other than pure white is desired a number of very different shades can be had by making the fol- lowing mixtures: For cream color add yellow ochre; a pearl or lead shade may be obtained by adding lamp black or four pounds of umber to one pound of Indian Red or one pound of common lamp black; common stone color calls for a proportionate four pounds of raw umber and two pounds of lamp black. The winter quarters for dry brood i sows need not necessarily be warm.| All they require is a dry, storm and wind protected place to live in. It is preferable to have it opening to the' south. Dry brood sows do not appear, to suffer from the cold so long as they| have quarters well bedded with straw i and are at liberty to roam about the 1 barnyard for exercise. At the Ontario | Agricultural College the dry brood sows are wintered in an open shed facing south with the front closed in to within four feet from the ground.' The shed is sixteen feet deep, ten feet high in front, six feet high at the back and thirty-eight feet long, and comfortably accommodates twenty ma- j ture sows. They are given the free- dom of a yard and so long as they have plenty of bedding are quite com- 1 fortable. The litters come strong and healthy, and the sows are in satis- factory breeding condition. In the event of no shed being avail- able an A -shaped hut or portable pen| can be used to very good advantage. As with the open shed they should be well bedded and located where there is no danger of the floor becoming A brood sow must be allowed to take exercise; if she does not take it of her own accord, some method of in- ducing her to do so should be prac- ticed. Exercise promotes good health in the pregnant sow and ensures strong litters where the sow has been properly fed. Brood sows in winter should get a variety of feed, including some suc- culent feed which can be readily found in mangels or sugar beets. The ma-' ture brood sow will relish a small am-' ount of roughage, such as alfalfa or ; red clover hay, or clean corn silage. The amount of her grain ration must. be determined by her condition and! size. Barley and oats, equal parts, J makes a very suitable mixture to feed. ; Corn may be fed in a small proportion during the winter months when the sow is running outside. Owing to its heating nature and lowness in muscle and bone-building constituents, corn; ghould be fed sparingly during the lat- ter part of the gestation period. If' dairy by-products, such as skim milk! or buttermilk are available, they can' be fed economically during the winter months. A brood sow should always j have access to some mineral mixture while she Is in winter quarters. During the winters of 1921-22 and 1922-23 experiments were conducted at the Ontario Agricultural College to determine the cost of maintenance of brood sows. For the experiment 9 brood sows divided into three lots, were used each year, and were fed for 71 days in 1921-22 and 66 days in 1922-23. In each case one lot was put on a ration of concentrates, slum milk and roots and the other two lots were fed a smaller ration along with man- gels and either alfalfa, hay or corn silage. The following is a synopsis of the experiment of 1922-28 which, in re- sults, duplicates that of 1921-22 quite closely : Keeps Money in a Safe Place. A chequing account in a bank is a necessity to good business farming. It establishes your credit in the com- munity as well as with your banker. It gives security in the way of its returned cheques which are the best of receipts, consequently settles any disputes or complications which may develop through careless dealing in which receipts are neglected. It keeps your money in a safe place where fire or thieves do not trouble. It assists in the book-keeping accounts which every good farmer must keep. Large deposits are not necessary, but when sales are made put the money in the bank instead of in your pocket. It also serves as a restraint to use- less or unwise expenditure as it gives you opportunity to say to yourself, "Do I need this?" Your account may be held jointly so the wife may use the cheque book, or she may have a separate account. It is the best method to teach children how to handle money. G. H. Harper. * _ Seven years ago I tried the follow- ing mixture of painting iron posts: Equal parts of white lead and lamp- black ground in oil, a little turpentine drier and raw linseed oil. Have it a little thicker than ordinary paint; ap- ply two coats. After seven years my iron posts look fresh and no root showing on them. Is Beauty Only Skin Deep. The fact of the matter is, that beauty that really .is skin deep has a mighty good foundation. Our grand- fathers and grandfathers did not know so much about the skin as we do. They did not know that it is as important as the urinary system; that, although working in a different way, it does as much work and ia equally necessary. Of late years girls and women have pone in for giving the skin a lot more attention. The result is that you find women in their forties and fifties, right at the ages where they used to talk of being "old," looking as fresh as their own daughters. They 'ake a sponge or tub bath every day ' many of these women. It is not such a terrible ordeal. They have a room i of comfortable temperature and th water they use does not have to be' cold, nor do they need to use very much of it But they get action on ; the skin with a rough towel and make it glow pint- all over as the blood rushes into it They find it a better tonic than any medicine they can take. It puts elasticity into the skin and helps to take out the sagging crinkles, to say nothing of the lift it gives to the complexion. These women spend some time every . I day rubbing lotions and creams into j the skin, too. They have a number of . different creams and they use them on the exposed parts of the skin in I such a way that it is quite out of the question for grime to become ground . inu> hard lines, as was the case with ; their grandmothers. Some c.t them ! maj add a little coloring matter, but i my private opinion is that they are! 1 better off without it j Does it make for real beauty? I j think it does. It really makes them i younger. The skin is :i worker and j it does better work for being well I treated. Its improved action lightens the load of the kidneys and liver, and I the heart and arteries feel bettc-r be- cause of that. My opinion is that these women look better because they : are better. The beauty that shows in I their faces is the beauty of improved health. I.e', us have mora of tin- beauty that is skin deep. Dr. i 1 . H. j errigo. The Winter Program. One of the disadvantages of farm- ing in this latitude is that it is to : some degree a seasonal business. On ' very many farms there is not a great deal of opportunity for productive work during the winter season. On the dairy farm or the farm where stock i feeding is made a specialty this emer-! gency has been provided for, but on! farnin where cash crops are made the' special line of production this is not the case, and productive winter work is the exception rather than the rule. ; This is a weakness in any system of r farming. In these days of keen com- petition the factory which must be practically closed for four or five! months in tho year is greatly handi- 1 capped so far as profitable operation is concerned. This is no less true of the farm factory than of the commer- cial enterprise. How to employ the, farm factory profitably during the winter season should be a profitable subject for thought at this time. NEWS FROM THE WOMEN'S INSTITUTES The Women's Institutes of Ontario are steadily and effectively working for the improvement of their schools. Some of the latest items reported are: That Maiden Institute has given prizes for regular attendance to the seven schools represented in the In- stitute. Delhi Institute has presented their school with a gramophone. Kin- sale Institue holds one meeting during the year at the school, the children giving part of the program and the Institute serving refreshments. This Institute has made window curtains for the school, and gives a donation to the school fair prizes each year. Feronia, in Nipissing, has provided their school with an organ and is en- couraging the planting of trees in the school grounds. Minening has put sanitary drinking fountains, wash bas- ins and paper towels in the school. Muskoka Falls has presented their school with a piano, chair and flowers. Goderich Institute bought weighing scales for the school and assists in financing the school nurse, Wingham is another Institute contributing to the support of a school nurse. Blue- vale was instrumental in securing medical inspection for their school. At Carpenter, in Rainy River District, the Institute has H committee which visits the school re - ''.arlv to ask the teacher if there is a.;v w.iy in which the Institute can help to improve school conditions. This Institute fin- ances the inspection of school plots in the district. The Institutes seem to be equally enthusiastic along their lines of com- munity and relief work. The Barwick Institute, in Rainy River, where doc- tors are few in rural sections, gives a bonus of $100 towards keeping u doc- tor in the settlement Delhi has erect- ed bathing houses at the swimming pool for the boys and girls. This In- stitute is opening a singing class for the community and starting a fund for a portable staerf. They held a De- coration P:iy at the cemetery and ar- ranged a Victoria Day celebration at which they cleared $234 for commun- ity work. Simcoe Institute has had * busy year with debates, contents, ba--v- quets and garden parties. They havw contributed to the Northern Fire Re- lief and local Memorial Fund, the Hor- ticultural Society, the Hospital for the Blind, and they are now agitating for a local hospital. Palmerston In- stitute built a new skating rink for the town. Woodalee spent $200 ia furnishing a library and buying books. Blenheim Institute arranged Armis- tice Day services for the community on November llth, and on Old Boys' and Girls' reunion at another time. Muir- kirk Institute has purchased an oil stove and tables for the community hall, and a volley ball for the young . people. The Institutes of Haliburton. ' and Minden each have a moving pic- ture machine of their own with which they give regular entertainments for the community. Bluevale Institute ha improved the cemetery and repaired : the town hall, and is taking a most active part in enriching the social life of the neighborhood. Thames River also provides an interesting so- cial program for the community. Some of the features recorded thi year are: a Valentine party, a Christ- mas dance and social, a "waist mea- sure" party and a play by local talent. The members of the Pine View In- stitute have improved their town hall by painting the woodwork themselves and paying for having the walls and ceiling redecorated. Wingham Insti- tute gave $200 to the Agricultural So- I ciety and Christmas cheer baskets to several people in the community. Brussels provided for several peopl* in need of fuel and wood last winter. , This Institute also contributed to the decoration of the town hall, the im- ' provement of the cemetery, the Chil- dren's Shelter, the Library, the Ar- menian Famine Fund, the Northern Ontario Fire Relief, and the Sick Chil- dren's Hospital in London. Godorich is contributing generously to local hos- ! pitals. Morpcth Institute has given dor.ations to the rest room in Chatham. to Byron Sanitarium, Northern Fire, Relief, the Children's Shelter. THE CHILDREN'S HOUR CATS AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM. as it is for dogs, but if encouraged they will play fur hours with a rubber ball, or a cotton reel attached to a string. It is not only kittens who pnjoy a smrip: qui'e dderly cats are also fond of play. At Night tho best place for your cut is in thi' house in a basket or box of her own. Encourage her to com* in for her supper at a certain itme. The Strays. The lost and forsaken Many years ago in other lands the cat was not only treated kindly and cats hom wc constantly come acroM well, but she was actually worshipped. ar f thl? f f test difficulty. Our own If we compare the lot of the cats of 8 " c n do our duty by, **** thcs othcrs? our own country to-day with that of those in former times we cannot help , A11 imal lovers hope that m time _^:,.: n.~ 4. i .. . the matter will be made a public noticing the great contrast between: 1 " 1 -,"! ;"'. w ".' <-'""'--. a them and that local authorities will erect i shelters and lethal chambers to which What we can do to improve their 3tray cats can be taken condition Is a problem of great im-| HolUau TlW . when i eavinfr horat portance, for of all our domestic am- in ^ summer do not f t to mak , mals there is none who is so neglected some provlsion for pussy . Either tokt and badly used as the poor, homeless her with yoUi op flnd a nei hbor or unwanted puss. By nature, dignified friend who wil , take care of her fop and independent, she has, through our ( you> and do not .j,..,^,, her when indifference, become too often a miser- you leave your country or sea-shore able, gaunt shadow of her former self, residence. It Is cruel' and unlawful, Too many cats in the world, you say. j and for such an act you will be and that, of course, is quite true; but to prosecution. PLAINLY UNNECESSARY. "Why do you think it unnecessary ' to take that memory training course?" "Why, man, I can remember every I promise made in their wonderful ad- | vertisement after reading it only ' once!" It requires more intelligence to be a good farmer than any other occupa- tion in the world. There must be a new conception of the farmers' place in the economic scheme. Warren G. Harding. Mailed Apples Sold Crop. are we not partly responsible for this, and what are the facts? You find a family owning a cat, who is fairly Ear , ^ tutumn well treated. Kittens arrive and no ^ k . one troubles about what will happen I ,., _ , .,...,.. i 500 sample apples. The stickers read in the future for the present they: , ,, ... ..... ... f . .. ^,. as follows: are dear little things, and the chil- dren like them for pets. In a few months they are no longer pets, they are "too many cats about the place." They are turned adrift, and share the fate of thousands ill-used, starva- tion, and death. How much the better A Sample Apple EAT IT If you desire more, write (Address) The price is $ ......... per barrel We also obtained from the printer several large sheets of cardboard, and Average weight of sown Lot No. I ..425 Ibs. No. 2 &0fl Ibs. Ne. 9 27 !bs Average daily ration per sow Mangels ...... 7.43 Ibs. Mixed chop . . . 5.72 Ibs. Whey ........ 18. 77 Ibs. Ensilage . . ---- 2.54 Ibs. Mangels ...... 6.30 lb.. Mixed chop Whey Alfalfa hay Mangel* Mixed chop 3.80 IDS. 19.93 Ibs. . 1.72 Ibs. 7.46 Ibs. . 4.24 Ibs. Average daily cost 10.8 cents 8.5 cents 9.3 cents Whey ........ 19.93 lb. Owing to the fact that with the ex- ception of one in Lot 3, the sows were! all pregnant, galas in weight were not an accurate indication and the powers f observation had to be relied upon. In the case of the one tow pregnant,' the ration given Lot 3 proved to be a little better than a maintenance ra- tion, since she showed a slight gain tn weight. However, while Lot 2 showed a cost of .8 cents less per day, indi-! cations were that Lot 3 were in by) far the best breeding condition. Lot 1 were on the fleshy side for best re- ' uults, although all eight sows farrowed good, strong, vigorous litters. Late fall plowing, followed by an inter- tilled crop the following year, will vt rid of wild oi.Ion, or garlic. Corn in checkrows Is a good crop to (j.'o-t. To et rid of the onions in !-;* if J*e plaata are not too M'ii*r..:> dig each plant and destroy it Sheep eat the tops of the onion,. and gracing for a few years often: kills it out. Coal-tar creosote oil ap- plied to each plant at the rate of about four thimblefub is effective tn Wiling both the. plaat and the on- germinattd bulbs. LISTEN ft) THlSt lt way to have destroyed most of them from these sheets made little card- | painlessly soon after birth! That! board boxes, Just the right size for the j seems to be the first and most neces- j apples to fit in snugly. We polished j sary fact to bring home to people who each apple carefully, wrapped it neat- want to help with regard to this prob- j ly in tissue paper and placed it in a lem of too many cats. If you keep ' box to mail. one of them in order not to distress | Friends of the family residing ia | the mother, make it your duty to find , Ontario cities were asked to send u j that kitten a good home. | names of persons who ought be inter- When you move. This is a time ested in purchasing apples for winter when the cat often suffers greatly ! use in barrel or box lots. We secured from want of consideration, but there j 165 names in this way. From a Mon is a "best way" which you may adopt treal telephone directory we picked in times of removal. Place her com- i names at random, especially business fortably in a covered basket, anil or profession men. when the new house is reached shut! The apples were mailed. From an her up, that nhe may have no chance ^nvcstment of less than $40, aside from of escaping. You may butter her the value of the samples, we received feet, which will engage her attention. 83 orders and sold practically all the and you should spare a few moments apples produced on the home farm. to soothe and talk to her. When it is We are repeating the effort this year, dunk carry her about the new place, going a bit more into detail on the and she will soon get reconciled as sticker. -H. W. B. long as she has her "own people" t . ..TT - ?~T -- ^L about her. ; In the Wake of the-Thresher*. Never pat a cat as you do a dog; H seems such a little while ago she should be stroked with the palm T tramped a furrow here of the hand. Their bodies are tender. And scattered on a waiting field so never snatch them up and squeeze ^ sower's gift of grain- and hug them, even if it is meant B ut now a golden mound of straw , klndl y- ' Loo:ns starkly by my barn Food Your cat may like one kind B rown stubble which my harvest left of food mine another, and it is useless j s Baking in the rain. j to lay down any hard and fast rules. I ] CaU will generally share with their H ow swift that glass, tight-clutch j masters the food they take themselves, i Dy Time, | Raw meat should be fed occasionally. r , ete down its cup of sand! teed her at regular hours twice a How soon the sprout of strong-germed day. Butter, cream, milk, oil, these wheat are good and necessary for health. | j s ripft ^j g rn cred in! W*t*r to drink should always be U was so brirf a time ago within your cat's reach. You never My p l ows hare lost il rust know whim she may feel the need of But j O( &* fruitage of my Voil ^ tt-^uid she cannot ask. Is smilinff in m , f,nw is good for them. Som peo- pie k*p a little growing in a flower- pot on purpona for pus*y. j To hull walnuts, just run th flay. They need exercise, too, and through the coro-sheller. This th:<! la not easy to provide for '_h JM -save staining one's han V a G. Sigm^nd