The Blackfoot optimist. [volume], March 30, 1911, Page 2, Image 2

About The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
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FARM AND
BEES
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SUCCESS IN BtEE MANAGEMENT
Profit Not Now Measured by Increase
by Swarming as Formerly—
Various Methods.
(By E. F. PHILLIPS, PH. D.)
The excessive rearing of brood at
the wrong season or increase in the
number of colonies greatly reduces
the surplus honey crop by consump
tion. The ideal to which all progres
sive bee keepers work, when operat
ing simply for honey, is to stimulate
brood rearing to prepare bees for
gathering, to retard breeding when
it is less desirable, and to prevent
swarming. Very few succeed in en
tirely preventing swarming, but by va
rious methods the situation can be
largely controlled.
When a swarm issues. It usually first
settles on a limb of a tree or bush near
the apiary. It was formerly common
to make a noise by beating pans or
ringing bells in the belief that this
causes the swarm to settle. There is
no foundation for such action on the
part of the bee keeper. If the bees
light on a small limb that can be
spared, it may simply be sawed oft
and the bees carried to the hive and
thrown on a sheet or hive cover in
front of the entrance. If the limb
cannot be cut, the swarm can be
shaken off into a box or basket on a
pole and hived. If the bees light on
the trunk of a tree or in some inac
cessible place, they can first be at
tracted away by a comb, preferably
containing unsealed brood. In these
manipulations It is not necessary to
get all the bees, but if the queen fa
not with those which are put in the
hive the bees will go into the air
again and Join the cluster.
It ie desirable early In the season,
before any preparations are made for
u
Perforated Zinc Queen Excluder.
swarming, to go through the apiary
and clip one wing of each queen so
that if a swarm Issues the queen can
not fly and the bees can be easily re
turned to the old stand. This should
be done before the hive becomes too
populous. It is perhaps best to clip
queens as they are Introduced, but
some colonies may rear new ones
without the knowledge of the owner,
and a spring examination will insure
no escaping swarms.
When clipping the queen's wing is
not practiced, swarms may be pre
vented from leaving by the use of
queen traps of perforated xlnc. These
allow the workers to pass out, but not
drones or queens, which, on leaving
the entrance, pass up to an upper
compartment from which they canhot
return. These are also used for keep
ing undesirable drones from escaping,
and the drones die of starvation.
Queens sometimes d : e during the
winter and early spring, and since
there is no brood from which the bees
can replace them, the queenless colo
nies are ''hopelessly queenless." Bee
keepers in the north can frequently
buy queens from southern breeders
early In the spring, and naturally this
is better than leaving the colony with
out a queen until the bees can rear
one, as it is important that there be
no stoppage in brood rearing at tills
season.
PRINCE AS BANK WRECKER
How the Famous Regent Tried to
Close the Coutts Institution by
Trick That Didn't Work.
The Gentlewoman of London recalls
the following story of the prince re
gent and Coutts' bank; ''When George
IV. was a regent he had a grudge
against Coutts' and determined to play
a trick on the authorities. In those
days even the great banks kept very
small reserves of cash and the playful
prince thought out a plan to close
Coutts'. So he sent his equerry round
from Carlton house with a check for
£100,000, fondly hoping that the bank
would not be able to pay over the
counter. The prince's trick, however,
failed of success, as the wary old part
ner of the Strand bank proved equal
to the occasion. He said at once to
the equerry: ''How will his royal high
ness take the amount, in gold or
notes?" The equerry hesitated, and
then said he had better go back to
Carlton house to inquire. So he de
parted, and Coutts' had time to send
to the Bank of England and get the
cash required, but it was not needed,
as the prince regent, seeing that
Coutts' had got the better of him, did
not return the check in question.
w -8
COOP FOR FATTENING FOWLS
Maryland Poultry Fancier Gives De
tails of Convenient Cage to Iso
late Feeding Birds.
I built a coop for fattening poultry,
as shown in the illustration, four feet
long, two feet wide, three feet high
In front and two and one-half feet be
hind. The upper half of the front is
boarded solid, while the lower half
is covered with strips three inches
wide placed two Inches apart, which
gives the fowls room to get their
heads through to eat, writes Ely Kin
sell of Maryland in the Farm and
Home. About six inches from bottom
on outside I placed a feed trough aboift
four and one-half Inches wide and full
length of the coop.
At top of slatted front I hung a
lid made of one-half-inch woven wire,
r«.t
Details of Fattening Coop.
which drops down and covers this por
tion of slatted front and the feed
troughs, keeping other fowls and spar
rows from helping themselves. In this
trough is placed feed and a vessel of
water. The lid can be held up by a
button at top while feeding and wa
tering. The bottom of coop is made
of woven wire, which allows all drop
pings to fall through.
A door is placed in center of the
back so that one can reach any por
tion of coop to get a bird when
wanted. Legs are one and one half by
three, and bolted fast to ends of
coop, as shown in cut. The legs
are made long enough to bring
the bottom of coop about two feet
from the ground, which brings the
feeding trough to a convenient height
for feeding.
MAKING MONEY IN POULTRY
Dairyman Tells How He Makes Hens
Profitable In Connection With
Herd of Cows.
I have only a small farm of 56 acres,
but we are keeping £0 head of dairy
cows, dual-purpose dairy cows, grade
Shorthorns and sometimes a few Hol
steins, and practice winter dairying.
Besides dairying I have at present 700
laying hens, says a writer in an ex
change. They are not laying as well
at present as they did last year. What
I mean by last year Is that my year
runs from December to December.
Last year from December, 1909, to De
cember, 1910, I had 600 laying hens;
on December 1, 1909, had 69% dozens
of eggs; December 9, 85% dozens of
eggs; December 16, 106% dozens of
eggs, and so on; but I did not have
that many hens the whole year, as I
kill every week and when spring
comes I sell some, and I am sure I
did not average 500 hecs for the year.
The receipts of my poultry for the
years. Including broilers, some squabs,
25 ducks, and three geese, netted me
a total of $2.019.40. The eggs sold for
$1,434.45, leaving $564.95 for poultry
sold. I keep an account of everything
except what we use in our family of
seven and what I use for setting.
There is no doubt about the figures,
for they are In black and white.
Variety of Feed.
A variety of feed does not neces
sarily mean that you must have a
great many kinds of food, but that
you shoul.'. not feed the same kind at
every meal. A little sunflower seed
among other grain is a great appe
tizer.
D%!
The Barred Plymouth Rock is the
best single breed for family use.
Dealers say for dressed fowl Barred
Plymouth Rocks are most in demand.
Of the Asiatic breeds, the Leghorns
come first, Brahmas next and Cochins
last.
Draw up a pile of straw near the
chicken house where the hens can
work on it.
Scald thoroughly once a week the
feeding troughs and drinking vessels
for the poultry.
The Leghorns are the greatest egg
producers, but are not much sought
after in market
The Wyandottes are good layers,
sitters and mothers, and their flesh
if of the finest color.
For broilers and roasters, the white
Plymouth RocKs and the white Wyan
dottes considered equally good.
If your hens are not laying these
days, the best stimulus you can give
them is fresh ground bene or meat.
The Plymouth Rock is generally ac
knowledged the best fowl for the
farmer and raiser of market poultry.
The Plymouth Rock and the Wyan
dottes are about »quäl in weight and
in the number of eggs the hen will lay
in a year.
An occasional feed of chopped
onions '-.ill be very acceptable to the
chickens now that they are confined
to their houses.
Well fatted Barred Rock one year
old dressed fowls sell for one to one
and a half cents per pound more than
any othei breed in the northern mar
kata.
BUILDING PERMANENT HOUSE
FOR THE HOGS.
Details Necessary to Follow If You
Would Give Them Up-to
Date Shelter.
Itni building a permanent hog house,
attention sfoauMi be given to the fol
lowing definite (1) The pens should
be about 8 by 10 feet wide and 10
feet tileep; their number being deter
mined by the (number of switne jit Is
propped to r.iise each year. (2)
They shoui'dl arranged to face
a certain alley, with doors at each
ei.id', wide enough to perni.it a wa,gon
being driven through. This will en
able straw to be hauled in for bed
ding; the manure hauled iciut; and
(during the fattening season corn may
be hauled in direct from the field and
scattered on file feeding floors; also
the skip, milk and water for the
troughs. (3) The nests entered fron
two adjoining pens' should be togethei
and the doors <ct each pair of pens
should be together, so as to avoid
drafts over the nests. The troughs
should be togehter ini pairsi, like the
nesits, amd the opening from the al
ley into the pans should' be opposite
the openings through the outer
walls. (4) The most suitable floor
is one of cement, with wooden pan
els to be placed upon it during the
farrowing season. The floors of the
pens should drain toward either side
of the central alley into a "drain
which slopes from the center of the
building toward; each end. The drain
can usually be located just, "under the
feeding troughs. ' (5) Over the
troughs should be swinging panels so
that the slop feed can ail be put into
troughs before the pigs are admitted
to it- Also fenders should be pro
vided for the protection! of the young
pigs aganist the sow. (6) The par
titions shculd be of plank or heavy
wire-meshed panels', which may be re
moved when, the house lis not desired
for farrowing purposes.
The wails of the 'house should be sc
constructed as to insure warmth. An
orddnary wooden frame, sheathed, tar
paperedi, and wdth sddtr.g over the pa
per is warmer than a brick or ce
ment wall, unless such wall is care
fully built, with ample aliT-space in
cluded in its> thickness.
The building should run east and
west so the south sun. may shine in
all day lotng. The "broken roof is
desirable, os admitting the most light.
It should be supplemented, however,
by an abundance of windows. If roof
and wlindbrw do not afford sufficient
ventilation, ventilators' maiy be placed
on the roof. For this purpose, ven
tilators should be used that have lit
tle turrets which are moived about by
the wind, so that ventilation is al
ways permitted to take place, but the
wind cannot- blow down through the
the ventilator. In this way drafts
may be be avoided.
ONION GROWING
Largest Crops Can Be Raised on
'Soil That Is Naturally Moist or
Easy to Irrigate.
Onions will do well on almost any
rich soil, but the largest crops' can be
raised, on soil that is natun.11 y moist
or soil that can be easily irrigated.
Onions will do very well when grown
upon the same land year after year,
especially if the land is manured
every year or so. Only finely ret
ted mat ure should be applied and it
should be placed' upon the land the
previous fall and plowed under. Be
fore applying the manure the ground
should be cleared of all rubbish.
Fresh manure applied in the spring
has a te Idancy to cause the bulbs to
become scabious and become soft and
for this reasoni this practice should
be avoided 1 .
If the ground bias not been plowed"
In the fall it should be plowed gs
early In. the spring as possible. The
soil should be made fine amid level
and the seed sown In perfectly
straight rows about fifteen inches
apart. They should be cc-vered about
one-fourth inch deep.
Cultivation shouid be commenced
as soon as rows can be plainly seen
at;d when the plants are about two or
three inches high they should be thin
nod cut to about four inches between
each plaint. Orions are easily cultiva
ted by a wheel hoe or by any garden
cultivator. The soil should be cul
tivated very frequently in order that
the weeds may be kept down, and if
any weeds appear among the plants
they should be pulled by hand.
Onito.'.i roots should n t be disturbed
nor should the bulbs be cut, for this
will cause a decrease in the yield. If
a crop is wanted for very earl^ use
it is advisable to use the sets instead
cf the seed.
Rich, fertile soil promotes the rapid
growth cf onions and if quick crops
are wanted we should be careful to
note that our soil contains the es
sential fertility elements. When the
bulbs are of fialirly gcod size, the tops
should be broken off as this will en
courage the ccrmimg of sciid, well
ripened bulbs. After the tops begin
to turn yellow the crop is ready for
harvesting. The bulbs should be
pulled and placed in small boxes and
stored in a ccol dry place.-— H. F.
Patterson, Montana Agricultural Col
lege.
Too Many Permitted to Die
At this particular moment, when
the magazines and the newspapers
are giving up space to differences
c*f opinioi.'.i between former President
Elliot of Harvard college a,nid. a mem
ber of the faculty of the college on
race suicide, it Is instructive to turn,
to a recent report of Dr. C. W. Stiles
ot the government public health and
marine hospital service, and get his
views based on cold figures. In the
opinion of this noted expert the trou
ble in this cou. (try is not that too
lew children» are born, but that too
many are permitted to die. And the
dcctor supports his contention by an
array of figures which is startling.
Accordii. g to Dr. Stiles there are
630.000 deaths due to preventable
causes in the United Stotes every
year, or 42 per cent of the total "num
ber. Of these 35,000 are due to ty
phoid" fever, a filth disease. The ty
phoid death rate in this country Is
over 46 per 100,000 inhabitants; in,
Germany the rate is 6.3 aind In Switz
erland 4.8 per 100,000. Besides the
35.000 fatal cases of typhoid there are
300.000 others, in-:aipaeitatlnig a large
army of people for at least 30 days
each. Tuberculosis kills 150,000 Amer
icans ai year and about 500,000 are
constantly suffering from t'he same
disease. Dr. Sitiiles presents a ter
rible Indictment of modern; civiliza
tion when he says:
"Recall that about one sixth of all
Américain children 1 born die before
they are a year old, and one-fourth
to one-third of all American children
born die under five years of age—
children, the great majority of whom
could be savedi to "make their mothers
happy during old age. Each year we
hove over 1,500,000 oases of malaria,
and over 12,000 deaths from this dis
ease. We bury 15,000 to 30,000 per
sons from diphtheria, 6,000 from scar
let fever and 10,000 from whoop».. g
cough."—Montana Record.
Are You a "Shamaieur?''
There is ai new word which is re
ceiving genera] favor, because it de
cribes a lot of people who in the
past have been difficult to denomi
nate in a terse way. The word is
' shamateur," air.idj it describes most
accurately a class of persa. s one
finds everywhere. The word comes
from "sham,'' and the term accu
rately fits ' a would-be "sport'' and
even some politicians. Having already
the words connoisseur, amateur, crit
icaster, dilletante, with "shamateur"
in the view of a writer ini the New
York Tribune, it is noiw possible to
make a complete classification. Ac
cording to the same authority the
word first made its appearance in
the world of sport, but wherever It
originated the Englishman— : cr wom
an—Who has added it to the language
deserves a bay leaf; nay, a whole
wreath of laurel. Has it come to
staiy? It "has a serious value that is
lacking in many of the ephemeral
words joyfully invented to meet the
needs of the 'hour by our exuberant
American humor. In its intellectual,
but mot in its sporting connotation,
it was In a measure anticipated in
this country by "cultureen,'' descrip
tive of a class of persons also, and
more widely, known as "high brows,''
but neither bit of slang is Its exact
synonym, for, whereas the "cultur
een" and the "'high brow'' take them
selves with portentious seriousness,
the "Shamateur's'' only aim is to
make tethers take him so.
He is in 'his greatest glory, per
haps, at the ringside of the painfully
exclusive clubs Whose members at
regular Intervalls devote their even
ings to exhibitions of the mac ly art.
According to George Bernard Shaw,
every Anglo-Saxon believes himself
by rlight of birth am expert on the
subject. The boxing "shamateur''
has long annoyed the connoisseurs
among his fellow members with his
loudly spoken "shamateurishness.''
He will continue to do sic, but now
the annoyance has at least a n me
and that is something.—Montana Ree
ord.
Feed for Milk Cows.
Some dairymen believe that If the
food of their cows is changed it will
have a bad effect upon the milk flow,
but repeated scientific experiments
show that changing from one feed to
another, with frequent additions to
the regular food, helps the milk flow.
Flies In Alfalfa.
Prof. H. W. Howard of the Wash
ington state experiment station has
discovered that the common house fly
multiplies and thrives in the alfalfa
fields. This discovery has caused a
great deal of Interest in the west, and
investigations by sclertlsts are now
being made to ascertain just how the
fly breeds in alfalfa and how the pest
may be overcome.
The Ocean.
Of all natural stores of water the
ocean is, of course, the most abun
dant, and from it all other water may
be said to be derived. From the sur
face of the ocean a continuous stream
of vapor is rising up with the atmos
phere, to b*> recondenaed in the upper
regions and precipitated aa rain, snow
and sleet. Some eight-elevenths of
these precipitates return directly to
the ocean; the rest, falling on land,
collecta Into pools, lakes, rivers, or
ela« penetrates the earth, perhaps to
come to light again in spribgs and
walla.
LET THIS ENGINE DO YOUR
HARDEST WINTER WORK!
Pumping water, running chums and cream separators,
turning the washing machine, sawing wood, the tan
ning mill and other "chores" are especially disagreeabledunngthese
cold winter months. Unload all of this work on the Far.n Pump Engine,
the wonderful little portable power plant that is creating i.uch a sensati ^
This Engine Now on Exhibition at Our Show Roonts^
Wo have secured the agency for this territory and are
demonstrating its many superior points to crowds of farmersP
every day. We show it at work just as it would be on thej
farm. _
Fuller & Johnson
Farm Pump Engine
This Wonderful
Utile Engine
pumps all the water
needed for the house, dairy,
barn, feed lot, pasture.
Has pulley for running
hand and foot power
machinery.
Can be moved anywhere
on a wheelbarrow. Weighs
but 240 pounds.
Attaches to any pump
with four handy bolts.
Attached to force pump
with air chamber, it pro
vides ample fire protection
for all the farm buildings.
Throws 60-foot stream with
considerable force.
Runs all day on a few
cents' worth of gasoline.
No trouble, little expense.
Can be operated by any
child with perfect safety.
Does a Hired
Man's Work
and does it without
fussing or grumbling,
no matter how cold the
weather. You can move
it anywhere on a wheel
barrow and run any
machine usually oper
ated by one or two men.
Made Like
Auto Engine
The Fuller & John
son Farm Pump Engine
is compact and self-con
tained. As high grade
in material and work
manship as best auto
mobile engines. It is
perfectly air-cooled and
self-oiled. Cannot
freeze or overheat. All
of the important work
ing parts encased in
metal. Starts with a
turn of the fly wheel.
Any child can operate
it with perfect safety.
____________A. Jod.15, 1*10. AIM
Dominion of Cnnsdn freptembor 6, 1UIÛ,
■ml other foreign OountriM. Oths*
patents applied for.
ALL READY FOR WORK
No Extras Needed
We sell this engine
complete and ready for
work. Everything
required, except gaso
line. Comes on its own
base. Needs no cement
foundations or special
platforms. No belts,
shafts, traveling arms,
walking beams or
anchor posts.
Costs Less Than Windmill
Does 10 Timeses Much Work
Outpumps a windmill
and does loads of things a
"wind jammer" cannot
do. Provides all of the
water needed—water right
out of the well at the right
temperature, neither too
cold in winter nor too hot
in summer. Costs less to
operate than bothersome
Tank Heater,
Come In and See the Little Engine at Work
You cannot believe what a wonderful little power plant it is until you see it work.
Right now—in the cold winter months—is the time you need a farm pump engine
most. It will lighten your winter work 50 per cent. Be sure to see the engine at
work the next time you come to town. / 90S)
N. F. Boyle & Co.
I
THE GOLDEN RULE OF HOME
BUYING.
We hear so much now-a-dajys about
buying a home, boosting for tihe home
town, and the newspapers are con
tinually importuned to knock the mail
ondier houses, but it is harder than
pulling iteeth to "get the average mer
chant to look at the question from
the same viewpoint when he wants
something for himself or his family.
The New York(Nebn ska)Daily News
man sets forth the situation in, the
following terse and truthful descrip
tion of htow it works among those
who complalin most about foreign
buying:
"A dry goods merchant was starting
down town, when his wife reminded
him of the most important duty dur
ing the day. 'Now, my dear, be sure
and don't forget to send to the city
for that new Stainihope, so we can
have it by Sunday. You know our
cld buggy is getting so it's net fit
to be seen.''
"Just a few blocks away the mer
chant who handles vehicles and im
plements was sitting at breakfast
wich his family. The conversation
drifted around to the tr.ear approach
ot school. 'And that reminds me,
John,' c.aid the lady wiho sat at the
head of the table. T must be going
to the city no Inter that» next week.
I must get goods for the children's
school ciothes and 1 then see about a
fall suit for myself, ac.d while I'm
there perhaps I'd better see about a
new rug fi r the parlor and some lace
curtains for tlie front windows.'
"An hour or two later the town's
leading grocer stepped into the bank
to buy a draft, which he was going to
send to a catalogue house fer a
''swell' bedroom suit 'How's busi
ness?' asked the banker. 'Oh, not
so very good,' replied the coffee and
sugar merchant, resignedly. 'Things
are a little dull just now.''
"Before the banker finished writing
the draft a dapper young man with
a grip stepped! in and asked how
everybody was. The banker seemed
glad to see him. He was the repre
sentative of a big printing establish
ment in another state. He and the
banker chatted pleasantly for a few
minutes, after which the young mi.n
inquired casually of his friend be
hind tile window if he wanted any
thing. 'Weil, yes,' replied the other
good naturedly, T believe I da Prit. it
us 5,000 checks, 5,000 dlrafts and a
couple thousand letter .heads.'' The
young man thanked him cordially for
the order and bustled out.
"That (..light the local business men
had a meeting in the town hall to
discuss the growth of the mail order
evil All of the gentlemen mentioned
in the narrative delivered short talks.
They all agreed that the fl inner»
were guilty of treason to their home
merchants when they persisted, in
buying their gocldls of ml-il order
houses, and the meeting closed by
adopting strong resolutions aiguilr.st
trading away from home which were
ordered to be printed in home papers
without compensation.''
Slow.
Innkeeper—Going to make an early
start to see the glacier today, I see.
Do you know. It moves at the rate of
only one foot an hour?
Tourist—Yes, but my wife is so slow
getting ready that I'm afraid we'U miss
it after all!"—Puck.
...The... I
Blackfoot Auction
Company
Holds Sales every Sat
urday on their Sale
Grounds in Blackfoot
and Idaho Falls. Three
experienced auciioneers
See us for aïiy kind of
auction business.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Blackfoot Auction
Company
Don't Worry About Panics,
Money Stringencies
Or
Runs on the Bank
Our Depositors Are Fully
Protected Against these Cal
amities by our Bond of Bank
Insurance with
THE AMERICAN BANKERS
ASSURANCE CO.
CALL AND SEE THE BOND
The Blackfoot State Bank
Muskmelons.
There is a general lmpresslc
muskmelons are of much bette
Ity when grown in sandy soils
talnly melons of very high qual
produced In sections of the c
where the soil is very sandy a
it would be difficult to find
cantaloupes than were product
year at State College, Pa., on I
town clay loam. The plants
started in paper pots under gla
tiangplanted to the open groum
danger of frosts.
Oldest of Musicians.
William Kuhe, the veteran plan!
who claims the distinction of bel,
the oldest musician in the world
87 today, having been born at Prkg
of German parents In 1823. *
Throughout his long career v
Kuhe has given concerts in assn^i
tlon with all the greatest artists
the last half century and he im
duced Patti, Trebelll and Chriari
Nilsson to the concert platform '
thU country.—London Evening s taa