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THE COLBORNE EXPRESS, COLBORNE, ONT. MARCH 29, 1956 MFABMFB0NT |orw12u3sell Low fertility and hatchability results in a considerable loss to pounltry breeders and hatchery-men since incubated eggs that are infertile and those that fail to hatch have no salvage value. There are. many factors affecting fertility and hatchability and many of them are under control of the poultry breeder. A. P. Piloski, poultryman at the Canada Department of Agriculture Indian Head Experimental Farm, states that the age of chickens seems to have some effect on hatchability. There is a slight decrease in hatchability in the second year and a more pronounced difference in succeeding years. Males do not seem to be affected to the same extent by age and males exhibiting good vigor may be used for several years. Frozen combs will make a male inactive for several weeks so that dubbing is a good practice whenever there is danger of the comb freezing. Dubbing, however, should be done early in the fall when the weather is still mild. Rations that hens receive prior to and during the breeding season have a great effect on match-ability. A hatching ration should be fed at least a month prior to the time that eggs are to be collected for hatching. It is not desirable to change rations during the breeding season as this may result in lower production at a time when all eggs are required for hatching. Hatching eggs should be set as soon after laying as possible, as the time that these eggs can be held is relatively short depending on the temperature at which they are stored. The optimum range of temperatures is between 45 degrees and 60 degrees F. At these temperatures eggs can be held a week without hatchability being affected significantly. Up to two weeks the decrease in hatchability is small, but beyond this time, hatchability decreases very rapidly while the hatching time increases. This factor is important in hatcheries where a rigid schedule is maintained. *0 FROM ITALY - This statue, a replica of the famous "Discus Thrower" by ancient Greek sculptor Myron, is a gift to the American people from Italy. CROSSWORD e PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Varnish Ingredient In order to maintain a high level of fertility it is usual to mate one male to fifteen females. Under a system of pen-mating where several males are used in one pen this ratio should be maintained. Too many males in one pen may actually result in decreased fertility because of excessive fighting. Once a pen has been made up it is undesirable to introduce a strange male into the pen because the fighting which will follow usually results in fewer fertile eggs. Males should be placed in the breeding pens at least one week before eggs are to be saved to assure a high level of fertility. Under some conditions such as individual breeding, crossbreeding, or where time is an element, it will be found that artificial insemination is of great value. By this method eggs may be saved the second day following insemination. Under normal conditions high levels of fertility can be maintained by natural matings and following good management practices. The development of improved cabbage varieties is closely associated with changing human food habits. For many years cabbage was used mainly as a cooked vegetable and in sauerkraut production. The varities available were satisfactory although they produced large plants, thick leaves and a leaf skeleton that was coarse and hp/1. In recent times a change to greater use of raw vegetables, including cabbage, in the form of salads necessitated the introduction of varieties with finer plant parts. I The new cabbage types have ! fine - textured, closely - spaced leaves with thin leaf skeletons and a small head core. A marked change is noted in the preference for head size in cabbage. Large heads are still i required for exhibition and commercial processing but a small head is preferred in the home, j The latter is related to the needs i of prsent daj small-sized families I and smaller quantities of cabbage consumed in salads as com- i pared to those used in cooked 1 meals. Eye appeal has had an effect in developing cabbage varieties : with a deep green foliage colour; \ red cabbage is becoming popu- ; lar because of the distinctiveness colour gives to salads. Cabbage can be kept in good condition for several weeks after harvest with the modern home cold-freezer. But the preference for freshly harvested j heads has stimulated the devel- j opment of cabbage that will remain in good condition in the garden for an extended time and can be used as needed. The heads of most varieties tend to burst or split open as they attain mature size and therefore the ! gardener must use measures to retard this unfavourable con- j dition or cut the crop before the j heads begin to split. The new I non-bursting cabbage can be left i in the garden and used as de-Recommended caobage varieties, for first early use are Canadian Acre; for second early use, Viking Golden Acre; for i mid season purposes, the non-bursting Bonanza: for late season, Danish Ballhead; and the red variety, Red Acre. THESE TOOK THE PRIZES - These odd-looking homemade hats are prize winners, believe it or not. Folks in Casper make the long, cold and stormy winters seem shorter by holding unusual contests. The oil-derrick hat at left symboiizes the main industry in the area. The one at upper right represents gardening and the other, made of doll-sized pots and pans, represents household activities. The designers are Mrs. Philip Kretz, left, Mrs. Philip Clark, upper right, and Mrs. Pat Alsup. GCEEN THUMB Answer elsewhere on this page. These Like Queer Places No matter what the location, one should not be discouraged. Provided there is soil and at least light, a garden is always possible. For dark shady corners there are things like begonias, lily of the valley and such that will thrive there and nowhere ^se. At the opposite end of the s^ale are portulaca, poppies, alysSum and so on that delight in the hottest sunshine, will stand drought and are not particular at all whether the soil is rich. There are certain things that must be in a dry location and others that don't mind getting their feet wet. And, of eourse, there is a wide range in colour and height and time of bloom- If the ground is rough and slopes sharply there is always an opportunity for a rock garden. Here we simply reinforce the slope with the most attractive stones we can find, rough mossy ones are best, and in between we plant tiny rock plants. These thrive in the shallow crevices and it is surprising the amount of bloom they provide. For getting the best out of these gardens in unusual locations, one is advised to study the seed catalogue thoroughly, note the special likes and dislikes of certain plants, and be more careful than usual in making suitable selections. Nursery Stock Anything started in i nursery bed is termed nursery stock. This covers everything from herbaceous perennials like Iris, peonies, or strawberry plants to vines, shrubs, fruit and ornamental trees. Usually we buy and plant this in our own gardens as early in the spring as possible. Good nursery stock will be green and pliable, covered with buds if it is shrubbery or trees, and it will not be too far advanced, certainly not out in leaf. Actually the more dormant it is by the time we purchase it the slower and better the start, and the more certainty of sturdy life later on. If we can plant this stock just as soon as it arrives it is best, but if we must hold for a while, it should be kept cool and moist. In planting the roots should not be exposed any more than we can help and it is wise to shade from sun and protect from the wind. It should be planted in well prepared soil and the same tramped down firmly about the roots to exclude air. Big things like fruit and ornamental trees should be tied firmly to a stake to prevent being whipped loose. Water is the secret of successful transplanting with this stock just as it is with plants like tomatoes, cabbage, petunias, zinnias and other things we set outside in the spring. Use plenty until the new plants really start to grow. Avoid These Two of the commonest mistakes in gardening are planting FORMAL TITLE - Top hat and cane are the crown and scepter of this beauty queen. She's Gwenn Shepard, recently chosen "Miss Formal Wear" at the convention of the National Association of Retail Clothiers and too deep and too close together. The size of the actual seed has little to do with either. Some tiny seeds produce mighty big plants that will require plenty of room. Some big seeds, like that of beans, produce only moderately sized plants. The general rule for depth is three times the diameter of the seed. For tiny seed like that of portulaca or alyssum or lettuce, this simply means sowing on top of the soil and pressing in lightly. To spread more evenly, we may mix seed with sand before we sow. For bigger seed say the size of peas or corn, half to an inch deep will be about right. Potatoes, gladiolus and dahlias go down from six to twelve inches. As for spacing, it is well to remember that even tiny things like alyssum or portulaca, or green onions, require some space to develop properly. The safe rule is at least half as much space between sprouted plants as they will be high when full COMMON COMPLAINT Joe's pal Bob was always up to his neck in debt. One payday Joe thought he'd try to help his friend with his budget. "How do you spend your wages?' he asked him. "About 30 per cent, on the home, 50 per cent, on food, 20 per cent, on clothing, and 20 per cent, on amusement, was the reply. "But that's 120 per cent!" exclaimed his pal. "I know. That's my trouble." SOME DOG HEROES A little lost child was crying helplessly in a New York police station, refusing to be comforted. The desk-sergeant looked at her with anxiety and turned to one of his patrolmen. "Send for Bess," he said. "Oh!" The toddler forgot her tears as soon as Bess paddled into the room, for Bess, a full-grown female St. Bernard was as soft and cuddly as a live teddy bear. For all her size, the smallest children never feared Bess. She went across and licked the tear-wet little face. "That's O.K.," said the sergeant, "she'll be all right now." When he had finished entering his boo'rs he looked across at the huge dog and the little girl, curled up in a corner of the office, fast asleep. The child's head was pillowed on Bess's soft flank, and a great paw rested on the small relaxed body. Bess was a police dog Not in the sense of the highly trained specialists who scent out the trail of a criminal and perform spectacular feats of detection and arrest. But she was a real police dog, engaged in a no less valuable part of police work. She patrolled with the men when she felt that she needed exercise, but her main job was looking after lost children. - Bess was a type. She represented those game and nameless dogs, often of dubious ancestry, who for one reason or another have attached themselves to policemen and have learned some of the trievks of the law. Another such was Rum who only used his nose to follow food. He had pretensions to Irish blood, could never mind his own business when there was a fight in the offing, and couldn't bear to see children cross a road without his fussy escort. Then there was Nigger, a big fellow with rescue on the brain --he haunted canal banks hoping that someone would need rescuing. In the hot weather indignant small boys were always being "rescued" by a helpful Nigger. Another mongrel hero was Brownie. Nobody knew where he came from or why. He just turned up one day and adopted a police station, endearing himself to the men for his sterling qualities. He would wade in and assist any policeman in a fight, and grab anyone that a policeman indicated. What's more, he liked his beerl A glass of ale in his drinking bowl in a corner of the canteen was part of Brownie's wages. Small wonder that he was solemnly invested with a collar studded with police uniform buttons and promoted to the rank of Station Mascot. Another mascot was Mouse. He strayed into a Banbury police station and was told to go home. But he had no home. Three times he came back and was then taken into custody under whatever statute it is which preserves police premises from canine tramps. Mouse didn't mind being under arrest. He grinned all over his hungry face and set about the best meal he'd seen for weeks. But poor Mouse didn't know that there are stern regulations for the disposal of homeless strays. The pats which he received from men about the station he took as pure fool fellowship when they were more often expressions of pity. For Mouse had been condemned. He was saved by a fluke. A high-ranking police officer who \ as a dog-lover happened to see Mouse and was impressed with his intelligence. He decided to send hin to school. The vagrant found himself at a sort of doggy police college at Washwater, in Berkshire. Here, the nondescript "Banbury Cross," as one wit dubbed him, was among hounds of impeccable ancestry -- golden labradors,. ^ pedigree blood-hounds, champ::j-i ion and sons of champions. Was,13*1, he downheated? Not a bit. tmp The dogs were in training^ tflL.^: pass out for the police service*^ Mouse learned all their tricks ancf*~ a bit more. What other dogs did competently, he did with enthusiasm, and in better style. So he was made a mascot and placed on the permanent staff. Other dogs of various breeds have quietly carried out the routine work of policing. Thirty years ago the North Eastern Railway company was plagued by thefts, fires and attacks on their policemen. A pack of Airedale terriers was introduced. Soon there was a drop in the tramp population of docks and railway property and a big decrease in fires which were attributed to their carelessness. The dogs patrolled with policemen, caught or scared off thieves and several times protected their masters when attacked. Other dogs, though not police dogs, have often performed great public service. A little dog, which belonged to the manager of a shop in London's Whitechapel Road, was perpetually scratching at the floor of a room in the shop, trying to draw the attention to the spot. Wainwright, the shop owner, had killed his sweetheart Harriet Lane, and buried her beneath that floor. When Wainwright saw the dog's activities he killed it. But the dog did not die in vain; the murder was out. In the reign of Charles V, King of France, a French gentleman, Aubrey de Montdidier, was murdered in the Forest of Bondy. There was no clue to the murderer, but Montdidier's dog showed an extraordinary aversion to a man called Macaire, and this led to suspicion. In those days a man could vindicate his cause by defeating his accuser in battle in the arena. It was therefore decided that Macaire should be armed to do battle in the arena with his dog accuser to find out the truth. Macaire was given a shield and a wooden club, the charge was read out, the oaths taken, and then Macaire stood alone to defend his life. The dog was let loose and flew at the man. To and fro they struggled, and even the hardened fighting men gasped at the ghastly ferocity of it. Up and down in the eory dust they fought for hours. And then Macaire was down and striving frantically to escape those wicked fangs. Onlookers covered their eyes as a weird, bubbling cry welled from the man's throat. Then he rolled over and was still. The people went home satisfied that truth had prevailed. SLICKERS, BEWARE Listed among the 50,000 people in the newest edition ot "Who's Who in America are a few individuals who don't belong -- because they never lived anywhere except in the imaginations of the editors. The fictitious names are printed to trap unscrupulous promoters who sometimes reprint these biographies without permission. The appearance of the fictitious names gives the publishers clear proof of theft. Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking ebeuebh hbsoe DHBH EBBS EEJB H&iE HHHEIH QBUaEfc BBPH BflHBQE SHE BAKED A CHERRY PIE - And it won her the title of Cher,, Pie Queen. "At home on the range" -- most any range -- An» nette Hunt, 17, gives a taste of a pie made from her prize-winning recipe to J. R. Poteat, at contest headquarters!