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THE FLESHERTON ADVANCE. FARMING in this department «ach week will be given gen«rai information to farmers and ctockmen. No attempt wiil be mads to criticize tlie work aiready being dons by Canadian farmers; but an effort wiil be made to present to the farmers of ttie country summarized Information contained In government reports, and the actual experiences of man and women wiio have achieved tuccesa in farming by following nriodern methods. Farmers who have found new "wrinkles" or have made a success in any special line of agriculture are invited to send short letters to this paper giving their experiences, or criticizing any of the information contained In these celumns. Vegetable Growing , uji m 11 TUENIPS. Turnips grown in the garden are of superior quality to those grown in the field. Tho vegetable growers aim to 8e<i\ire early turnips of medium size and"g<iod flavor. Seed should be sown in drilfs 15 inches apart as soon as land is in good condition. Thin to 6 inches. Late varieties are planted a mouth or six weeks later, usually after aomo early crop sUeh as spinach. Late white turnips may be planted as late as August 15th, and if thinned to 6 to 8 inches in the row will yield well. Early turnips are pulled when quite small and sold in bunches of three. Late turnips are h.Tvested by pulling and cutting off tops and selling in boxes or bags. WATEK OR£SS. ^ This crop can be grown on any soil that is moist. Low-lying land on the edge of a swamp or on the side of a slow-running stream is best. It can be grovm from seed or from divisions of the plant barely planted in the moist soil. It could be grown in the witchen garden if it were thoroughly watered every day throughout the sea- son. It is much more profitable where a natural supply can be had. When long enough the leaves and stems are cut off with a sharp knife and made up into a small buuch. Once estab- lished a bed will last a number of years. WATEKBCEXONS. This crop is not grown extensively in any district in the Province. The bulk of the watermelons sold in On- tario markets are imported from the Southern States. All vegetable grow- ers annually plant a few hills of this crop and quite a few kitchen gardens also have a small bed of this crop. Sou. Watermelons thrive best on a fairly open soil, well drained. A sandy loam is best, altÂ¥ough a clay soil which is not too heavy will grow good melons. The best soil is a light sand. Planting. Almost altogether the seed is sown in hills 6 to 8 ft. apart. Seven or eight seeds being planted and three plants being allowed to grow. Very few gardeners start the plants in hot- beds or greenhouses as directed for muskmelons, although the same method may bo followed to secure large early melons. Some growers place a fork full of well-rotted manure under the hill. This helps to supply plant food. CnltlTatioa The same cultivation as given for muskmelons, cucumbers, etc., is ad- visable for this crop. Harvesting and Marketing. Watermelons should be harvested when they are fully developed and mature. For local markets they are usually hauled in in bulk. For ship ping they are loaded into cars in bulk. List of Standard Varieties of Vege- tables for Ontario. Recommended for Both Commercial and Am- ateur Oardeners. ^^ Artichoke â€" Hed or White. Asparagus â€" Palmetto, Conovers Col- ossal, Reading Giant. Beans â€" Wax â€" Golden Wax, Davis White Wax. Green â€" Valentine, Bo- fugee. Beetsâ€" Plat Egyptian, Detroit Dark Red. Broccoli â€" Walcheren. Brussels Sprouts â€" Dalkeith. Cabbage â€" Early â€" Jersey Wakefield, Copenhagen Market. Main Crop- Glory of Enkhuizen, Short Stem Ball Head. Savoy â€" Chester Savoy, Green Globe Savoy. Redâ€" Red Rock. Carrots â€" Chantenay, Danvers, Half Long, Scarlet Nantes, Ox Heart. Cauliflower â€" Erfurt, Snowball. Celeriac â€" Large Smooth Prague. Celeryâ€" Early â€" Paris Golden, White Plume. Winter â€" Winter Queen. Bed â€"London Prize Bed. Chives â€" Common. Citron â€" Colorado Preserving. Corn â€" Early â€" White Cory, Golden Bantam. Main Cropâ€" Perry's Hybrid, Sto well's Evergreen. Cucumber â€" White Spine, Improved Long Green Chicago Pickling. Egg Plant â€" Black Beauty, New York Purple. Horse Badish â€" Bohemian. Kale â€" Dwarf Scotch. Kohl Babi â€" Carentan. Lettuce â€" Grand Bapids, Non Pariel, Big Boston. Trianon â€" Cos. Muskmelons â€" Paul Rose, Osage Burrell's Gem. Onion â€" Seed â€" Southport Yellow Globe, Southport Bed Globe, Danvers Yellow Globe, Bed Wethersfield. Pick- ling â€" Silver Skin, Barletta. Green â€" White Welsh, Egyptian. Transplanted â€" Prize taker. Parsley â€" Champion Moss Curled. Parsnip â€" Hollow Crown. Peas â€" Early â€" Gradus, Sutton 's Ex- celsior, American Wonder, Thomas Laxton. Late â€" Strategem. Peppers â€" Buby King, Chinese Giant, Large Long Red. Potatoes â€" Irish Cobbler, Early Ohio, Delaware, Early Eureka. Pumpkin â€" Quaker Pie, Connecticut Field. Badishâ€" Xe Plus Ultra, Scarlet White Tip Turnip. Winterâ€" China Rose, White Chinese, Bound Black Spanish. Ehubarb â€" Victoria, Linneaus. Spinach â€" Viroflay, Bound Leaf Sum- mer. Squash â€" Green Hubbard, Golden Hubbard, Boston Marrow, Vegetable Marrow, Bush and English Marrows. Swiss Chard- â€" Silver. Tomato â€" Bed â€" Earliana, Bonny Best, Chaulks Jewel, Bed Bock, Bed Canner. Pink â€" Byron Pink, Imperial. Turnip â€" Golden Ball, Early White Six Weeks. Watermelon â€" Coles Early, Peerless. iSHORTHORN BULLS i GET GOO_D CALVES But They Must Be Pure Bred in Order to Make Money for the Farmer Questions Asked About The Making of Butter Whlck is the best way to obtain tho cream? Tho best way is by using a separ- ator. But a separator requires scrupu- lous care and intelligence and some ex- perience in handling. Tho deep set- ting cans arc tho next best, and have been used with eJccellent results for years. The milk is kept at a low tem- perature by setting the cans in cold water, which affects very greatly the quality of the butter. Setting milk in shallow pans is the method least ad- visable. Uniform results cannot be «btained because the temperature is higher, a large surface of the cream is exposed to the air and consequently to dust and of the bad odors. How does scalding the scream affect the butterf It gives a distinctly rich, creamy flavor, but the butter will not keep longer than a few days. How should the cream look and taste wh«sn it is ready for churningf It sbould be thick like molasses, free from lumps and with a smooth, glossy appearance as it is poured out. It should taste pleasantly acid and have a clean sharp smell. As far as pos- sible the cream should be kept sweet until the day before churning. If then it does not sour nataraUy, stand the cream jar in a pan of slightly warmed water until sour, when it must be cooled again in readiness for churn- ing. What should be the temperature at -churningf This depends upon the time of year: it should be two or three degrees higher in winter than in summer. Bich, closely skimmed cream requires a lower temperature also. The lower the temperature, the firmer and better in quality the butter. The butter should come in thirty-five to forty min- utes, and the temperature should fce regulated accordingly. It will range, according to conditions, from 50 to 62 4egre«« Fahr. How can I make the butter come when it takes longer than forty min- utes 1 By adding some slightly warni water. If butter takes a very long 'time to come, it is lifely that the cream was too thin to begin with^ What should the butter look like when it is ready to be separated from the buttermilk? It should all tloat to the top of the buttermilk in granules like wheat, or r little larger. If finer it will be difficult to seprate. If churned to a lump the buttermilk cannot properly be washed out. Rinse with cold water; strained through a cloth twice will be sufficient if the grain is kept open to permit thorough washing away of the buttermilk. How can I prevent butter sticking to wooden utensilsf By scalding them thoroughly and then plunging into cold water. What causes a mottled appeamnce in butter after it has been worked upf Insufficient working and uneven salting. To work butter properly it should not be warm enough to form a greasy mass, nor so cold th.it great difficulty is met with in working in the salt. The best way is to keep the butter cool and use a little extra work upon it. Why is my butter very light in eolorf This depends upon the breed of cows kept, also it may be caused by churning at too high a temperature. If the quality is right, there is noth- ing against its being rather light in color. Why is my butter softf Probably because it was churned at too high a temperature. Also the feed of the cows has some influence. Succu- lent food has a tendency to make softer butter. What should the butter look like when donef It should be fairly firm, though It will attain its right degree of hard- ness after being set away In a cool place for a few hours; in tint it should be like the rind of a lemon or a little deeper. It ^ould have a fine grain, not poor and greasy through over- working, nor with holes and cracks from underworking. How can I make my butt?r keep? It is impossible to keep first class butter. People just will eat it and will pay top price for it. If yoo nae care and cleanliness from the milk- ing of the cows to the wrapping of the butter in its white parchment paper you will have no worry about its keeping. POULTRY Selecting the Good Layers. In view of tlio soaring prices of feed the importance of the most careful culling of the flock to be carried over to another year cannot be overesti- mated. Tlie birds to be kept over should not be chosen according to age alone, e.specially hens intended to be used as breeders. Many birds become poor producers during their first year, while a large proportion of the good layers are two or more years ol<i. A hen that is laying in October of her second year is a good hen to keep to breed the next season. Having come through two seasons of the strain of laying, with a good constitution, it is desirable to reproduce her. 'The average person who keeps more than fifty hens cannot afford the time necessary to make trap-nest records. The following method, though not pro- viding individual records, has given good general results in the selection of the most productive birds. As soon as the egg yield begins to decrease in the summer, the hens are examined while on the roosts on one night each week, until the middle of November. Hens with empty or only partly tilled crops, in summer or early fall, are rejected; they are usually troubled with im- paired digestion and are not lit to carry over. Early molters are among the poor producers. Some of them lay a few eggs in the early part of the winter, but in the long run they are expensive to carry another season. The hen that retains her old fea- thers until late in the fall, and has a full crop at night; warm but not hot shanks; breathing regularly with beak closed; pelvic bones pliable, admitting two or more fingers, should always be kept over. Two-year-old hens with these qualifications can be upon for breeders for another year. The last half dozen hens, to answer these tests in November, are given a distinguishing leg band. In the fol- lowing spring they are mated to a strong, well-developed cockerel, a son of a proved layer. Cockerels raised from this mating are used for breed- ing in the main flock. Cold shanks usually denote poor cir- culation, and hens possessing them, ex- cept in extremeely cold weather, sel- dom pay their board. If the pelvic hones are firm, covered with fat, and 30 close at the bottom that the thumb cannot be inserted, the hen has stopped laying or is about to stop. These birds are among the poor layers, since they generally stop laying early, tliough they eat their share of feed. In yellow shanked varieties it has been accurately established that the heavy layers "lay out" the coloring matter from shanks and beak. There- fore the hens witli pale shanks and beak in tho late summer or fall arc kept. These birds generally prove to be excellent layers the following year. By following this method of selection, the work of trap-nesting during the ilay may be eliminated; the cost of feed consumed gradually reduced as the summer and fall progresses, while the value of the egg yield is kept up until late in the fall. The writer desires to impress the fact that a good hen two, or even three^ years old can be profitably kept another year, while it is wasteful of feed, labor and house room to carry over a poor yearling. â€" J. Ernest Place. Skim Milk and Sebstituccs for uVtine Skim-milk and milk products gener- 1 added ti or S per cent blodd meal. ally are considered to be the cheapest Until the little pig is 10 or 12 weeks and best foods available for swine. I old his rations should be as free of Freqicutlv, liowiner, conditions and i fibre as possible and contain, ir at all feeds are found suitable for hog rais- j possible, some skim-milk, ing, where no milk product is avail- j Moif Sugstitutes for the Growing Hog. able. .\re there efficient and econ omical substitutes f Before consider- ing these let it be once more empha- sized the value of milk for the hog. The production of milk bids fair to be one of the greatest of live stock activities, â€" in the ascendancy this year. There is no equivalent for milk products for the hog. There are only substitutes. Every effort should be directed toward the conservation anil proper use of milk. High prices and scarcity of feeds at any price are the prospect. Milk products promise to be fairly plentiful. MUk Sabstitutes for Weaning Hogs. The weaning period is a critical one with the little pig. For tho best re- Milk by-products for the growing pig, while not so vital a necessity as in the case of the weaner, can not be en- tiiely replaced, ^j'asture, green food roots and vegetable refuse, oil meal, tank- age and fish meal may, any or all, be profitably used as partial substitutes. Tankage again has been widely re- commended. As an addition to a corn ration or a ration low in protein, it will show surprising results. In one experiment which might be mentioned a ration of grain only was responsible for .92 lbs. gain daily; grain and tankage, 1.39; and last but not least, grain and milk 1.57 lbs. Similarly grain self -fed with milk fed separately suits milk is Dracticallv a neoessitv for ^*^ responsible for gains with grow suits miiK IS practically a necessity tor j . ^ a few weeks alter weaning at least. -^ ^ ^- ^.»jj^. The Mongrel as a Forager. The question iu the minds of most farm folks who are considering re- placing their flocks of mongrels with given breeds of poultry is: Have these well-bred fowls the ability to take care of themselves and forage for a living as the average mongrel must do? Speaking from observance of actual cases I may say that fowls of known breeding are every bit as capable in this line as the mongrel hens, provided they have been hatched and reared on the farm under the particular condi- tions. Poor results are likely to be had when mature fowls, unused to farm life, are purchased and put out on th» farm to shift for themselves. Such hens don't know how to care for them- selves and are too old to learn; they must be brought up ' under the par- ticular conditions, then the breed adopted will show every bit as much ability in foraging lines as does the mongrel. There is one thiqg, however, that the farmer must remember: In rearing a given breed of fowls he cannot expect to have the extraordinary birds of the show room unless he is willing to give the birds special attention and feed- ing, for such stock is chiefly the re- sult of special care. â€" J. B. K. A bull will sire anywhere from one hundred to several hundreds of calves during his lifetime. ;',;)poso we pii'.re lite number of calves at one hundreil, and suppose the calves by one bull are worth an aver- aye of $5 pur head more t':an the i-ui'-H of aiiotJier bill!, \v!u.: would this meanf It would mean that tho one bull would be worth to his owner $500 more, than the other bull, cs.-ept the si.iull difference iu interest on invest- ment. If the difference iu value of the <T.Kes was •.•Uj per iiead, iho differ- ence in the value of the bulls would be $1,000 and cor.-espondiugly greater for wider differences in the value of I the calves. < There are cases where steers by a good bull have brought $50 jior head more than atoers of tlie same age by inferior or scrub bulls. These figures should make any man pause before buying an inferior bull merely because t!ie price is low. It is true that merely paying a high price for a bull does not make him a good one, and excellent bulls are often bought at very modest prices; but it is equally true that really good bulls are always worth the money paid for them, wiiile inferior bulls are dear at any price. No man can afford to use a scrub bull. A good bull at $1,000 is cheaper than a scrub bull received as a gift, as the figures given above amply prove. It is also worth noting that steers by Shorthorn bulls have ''topped" the open market in Canada and the United States, and still hold several open mar- ket high price records. In a test at the Kansas Experiment Station, steers by Shorthorn bulls were the only ones which showed a pro- fit. Add to this, the fact that Shorthorn steers not only produce beef as cheaply as any other kind, but give greater weights for ago than any other breed. Surely the thoughful farmer will see to it that the bull he uses in future Much has been written regarding the efficiency of tankage as a substitute for skim-milk with the little pig. Sev- eral j'ears' work at tho Central Experi- mental Farm with skim-inilk and sub- stitutes revealed the following facts: Pigs fed grain and milk required 1.54 lbs. meal per lb. gain; pigs fed grain, oil meal and milk required 1.39 lbs. meal per lb. gain; pigs fed grain, tankage and milk required 1.04 lbs. meal per lb. gain; pigs fed grain, tank- age and water required 2.59 lbs. meal per lb. gain. In other words: 1. The milk fed pigs made cheap- est gains, (a) The addition of 10% depended | oil meal to a meal and milk ration was an improvement, (b) The addition of 10% tankage to a meal and milk ra- tion was a detriment. Therefore as an addition to a ration already con- taining milk oil meal is apparently superior to tankage. 2. That a direct replacement of milk by tankage resulted in lowest gains and highest cost of production. 3. That the use of tankage was not indicated in a ration already balanced and of fair variety. Little pigs to be weaned without milk should be left with the sow as long as possible. When they are about a month old they should be sup- plied with a small trough iu a creep and fod small quantities of dry rolled oats which may later be changed to a mixture of ground oats, (sifted, if possible), middlings, equal parts, 10 per cent ground com and 10 per cent oil meal. The pigs may be fed from a self-feeder from this time on. Or tlie little pigs may be started with an oat meal gruel and gradually dinngod to a slop of milldings, ground oats and oil meal to which might be the milk was replaced with tankage i must belong to tho Shorthorn breed with pigs of similar age the daily gains dropped to .52 lb. What is the Value of Sklm-lMilk To-day? There are several interesting and, in the light of experimental evidence, more or less reliable methods at arriv- ing at the value of skim-milk for hogs. When corn is worth $3U per ton milk is worth 32 cents per cwt. (Fed 1 lb. corn to 3 of milk). In other words milk would now be worth about 80 cents per cwt. 2. Multiply the market price of hogs by 5 to arrive at the value of skim- milk fed alone. Multiply by li whore fed with corn or barley. On this basis skim-milk would be worth from $1 to $1.20 per cwt. 3. -V very old rule, 100 lbs. of skim- milk id worth half the price of a bushel of corn where fed with the lat- ter, or about 90 cents at the present time. 4. With meal at $10 per ton, milk is worth 20 cents per cwt., from 05 to SO cents at present. The foregoing are general rules and capable of wrong interpretation or application. Kxperinivnts iii <"ana<la show the value of skim-milk to be at pre-war prices of nii.xod meal, (about $28j from 28 cents with heavy hogs to "9 cents with light, growiDfj animals, 400 pounds of skim-milk has con- sistently beeu worth about 100 pounds of meal. Milk products are valuable. Tliey should be conserved. One pound of meal to three of milk is a safe rule in the feeding of young pigs. For the 100 pound hog from 5 to 8 pounds daily shows the most economical re- turns. â€" Geo. B. Rothwell, Dominion .\nimal Husbandman. the breed which will give him more beef, more milk, and more profit. â€" G. E. Day, Secretary, Dominion Short- horn Breeders' Association, Guelph. ing into favor more and more each year. The birds go off their feed very easily at this season, and the bene- ficial effects of a mild purgative are very noticeable when tho flock gets sluggish. The remedy most commonly used is ordinary Epsom salts, given about once a month in a moist mash at the rate of a liberal teaspoonful to every two birds. When such a mash is given it is well to withhold the morning scratch feed, so that the birds will be hungry for the mash. Summer PnrgatiTe. The practice of giving the adult stock regular purgative treatment dur- ing the not months of summer is com- SAVINQ HOKE OBOWlf 8B BD. Although tho cost of seed that is used in planting a vegetable garden is small compared with the returns, it is very easy to grow the seed one's self, and, moreover, if pure seed of a good strain is produced at home, one is surer of having what is required. Seed of most varieties of vegetables can be grown at home of as good or better quality than is the imported seed, but to ensure having good seed, it should be saved from the best plants rather than from those which happen to have been left in the garden un- used. A few plants of peas left to mature without picking any green pods from them will furnish enough seed for the garden next year. Reserve a few feet of the row of beans for seed, or> better still, mark a few productive plants which are free from disease, and do not pick green beans from them. Quickness of dry- ing is important with beans and peas, as with most seed, and it should be cleaned and kept dry until the fol- lowing spring. If seed is damp it is liable to mould and lose its germinating power. For this reason it is particularly import- ant in the ease of corn to dry the seed thoroughly and rapidly. When corn becomes ready for use, a few of the earliest and best developed ears should be marked to be left until ripe for seed. One cucumber will contain enough seed for tho wants of the home gar- donor. .\ specimen which is typical in shape and color of the variety tfrown or tho tyiie desired should be l^ft on ilie vine until it turns y.'llow, w!i..ii it is cut open rtnd the sced.s spread out thinly and dried and put in an envelope until noe<le<l. Seed is readily obtained from let- tuce. One plant will produce mou- than enough seed for home use, and no doubt some radish plants have gone to seed, which may bo loft until teh seed ripens. The 9oed of tomatoes for home use should be saved from the plant bearing tho largest crop of early and best fruit. "The tomatoes are cut in half and the pulp presstid out into some vessel, adding about one-third its vol- ume of water. Put in a dark room until fermentation sets in, which will be in about two days, when the seed will separate readily from the pulp. It is then washed out and spread out to dry, but not in the sun. When dry, store in paper bags until neeuen. â€" W. T. Macouu, Dominion Horticul- turist. KEROSENE EMULSION. Kerosene emulsion is one of the best lice killers on plants and animals. It is easily prepared and cheap. Made as follows: Dissolve half pound soap in gallon of boiling water. Add 2 gallons of kerosene and stir very vigorously, or better yet, chum with a force pump for a few minutes. For use, dilute one gallon with 9 to 10 gallons of water. If only a small quantity i.i wanted, use I to 2 ounces of soap, 2 quarts of boiling water and 1 pint of kerosene nnd dilute to 2 gallons. Stir well; it is best to use rain water. HUMANE METHODS IN JORSE TAMING Ilk. British Army Officer's jWatchword is Kindness in Dealing With Equine Outlaws ' • The Hcforming of Dangerous and Useless Horses ' ' is the title of a new book on an okl subject by Lieut. Mike Rimington of the British Army. After a career in the far east the author served in France with the Indian cav- alry during the great war, and was in charge of a depot where unmanageable horses and mules were sent to be re- formed or shot. His experience was thus broader than a horseman could hope to have in times of peace, and his statement that kindness, patience and determination, combined with common sense, constitute the keynote of his system, is gratifying to those who believe that horses are seldom if ever vicious, but are made so by mis- management or cruel treatment. "The -irab is tho most wonderful horse master in the world," he says. ' ' He governs his horse by the law of kindness from the moment they are foaled. They live with the family. The eonsei|uence is they have become more intelligent than any other breed of horses, and have developed such u deep and lasting affection for their masters that thoy will obey their voices. I reform the sovage outlaw on exactly the same principles as I educate nervous horses and colts that have never been handled. There is, I regret to say, a firm belief with a good many grooms and others that the one and only method to show refrac- tory colts who is master is by cruelly ill-treating them whenever they do wrong. This system has the opposite effect, and makes them more savage than ever. ' â-  I have two equally humane meth- ods, and adopt either or both, accord- ing to the ciroumstances of the case. The first I apply to colts, nervous horses and some that are on the verge of becoming vicious. The .second is used for the dangerous horses and the few horses you fail to reform by the first method. "First method: Cause your horse to see, smell and touch with his nose everything that he does not under- stand, until he is satisfied that it will not hurt him. Get him to follow you about loose by kindness and by mak- ing much of him. When riding him apply the correct aids to show him what you want him to do. Reward and caress him when he obeys your aims .ind wishes. Never on any ac- count cause him pain or be rough with him. In a very short time he will willingly obey you. "Second method: Tie some hay se- curely around a stick eight feet in length, and let him eat and rub his nose with the end the hay is attached to. Hold the other end out of strik- ing distance, so as to give you a chance if he attempts to savage you. Do not attempt to enter his box until you have persuaded him to eat the hay from the stick, which is long enough to reach any part of him from outsido the box. Bub gently, talking to hira all the time, every part of his body, fore and hind legs. Contiane to rub any part that he resents tlM he stands quietly and leaves off kicking, etc.