Road & Farm Improvement.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3618, 11 January 1906, Page 4

Road & Farm Improvement.

A GOOb FLOOD GATE. , On That Will Stay In Place the Y««* Around and 'i'aia MjcJc from , Adjoining Field*. t fThose who have 1- irge ditches ox creeks running through their farm! 'are desirous of getting a good, serviceable flood-gate, one that will stay in place all times of year, and turn Stock from adjoining fie ids. The oldfashioned flood-gate, bring by the top ito a foot log, was always being pushed

Open by hogs and calves, unless staked • down, axtu then the first heavy freshet

was sure to burst it from its fastenings and carry it down stream. The gate shown iu cut can be mad* upon any farm, and when in place will take care of itself. Two posts are 'set near the outer banks of the chan-

Bel; an oak log ten to fourteen inches In diameter is fashioned like a windlass and attached to the posts, ai shown in illustration, with clamp bands made from heavy iron and fastened with lag screws to posts. The ’ roller is then bored full of two-inch

£uger holes, the desired distance apart, to receive , the pickets, which . ■ are split from tough oak. A weight ■ ahown at A completes the job. This weight is intended to iceep the guts always in* an upright position, and ahould be placed upstream, i. e., abov« the flood-gate. When heavy freshets are in evidence, the force of the watci raises the weight and allows easy passage of water, driftwood, etc., and at the water subsides tne weight settles back, leaving the gate in proper position, where hogs eannol root it oui , nor other sto -k tresrw-.- into adjoining fields. T.e ■■ / ■••-at be made to correspond wi! n Vighf and weight of gate. If the weight be too heavy. , so that the force of current does not open it, saw a piece off of weight. O-.’y actual test will determine this. I) in 'the illustration is the surface line of the water.--George W. Browa, in Ohio Farmer.

f PHILIPPINE ROADS.

A Million Dollars to Be Spent In tl« improvement of Hoads at and I Near Manila. j

The Philippine oommission has appropriated SI,OOD,<.UO for the improvement of the roads in the island of Luzon.' If this sum be wisely and economically expended in constructing highways connecting important towns, so as to enable the inhabitants toiiavo easy communication with each other, even during the rainy season, it will have a beneficial edi ct upon the people of the territory through which the roads pass probably greater than could have been secured by afay other expenditure.

The Spaniards did not seem to regard a road as necessary or even desirable unless it would serve a military purpose. The railway from Manila to Dagupan gave them ample means of transporting troops, ammunition and stores between those places, and beyond Dagupan they built a tine, hr. •;d macadsionr Ized boulevard ns far us Vigan. There is a similar highway across the island near its southern'extremity. Generally speaking, however, Luzon has no roads, except these t.wo, that can be traveled by a vehicle in the rainy sear non, and few of them are navigable on horseback. Naturally the Filipinos do not stray far from their home villages, and news as well as merchandise dbes not circulate freely. It is no uncommon tiling to find a variety of dialects epoken by the natives in traversing 30 or 40 miles, and' this diversity of language has been perpetuated by the difficulties in the way of travel. Already a start has been made by the United States officers in Manila, where the streets have been greatly Improved, and this feat ure of American progress ha® been one of the most popular of any introduced by our people, There seems to be a noticeable connection between the means of communication of a country and its progress t<v word civilization. Bodily motion appears to stimulate movement menrtally and spiritually. If. therefore, the sl,000,OOd just appropriated for good rondfc tn Luzon is devoted to the making of satisfactory highways and is not partly diverted into the pockets of shiftless or dishonest contractors who give no equivalent therefor, it is proibable that, whatever may be the ultimate fate of the Island, future generations of Filipino® will applaud the first legislative not of the American commission as one of the wisest steps it could have taken. —Oblcago Record. >

!f Philippine Poreat P»«aerr»«. Upon the recommends tlon ol the war department the agricultural department i* preparing an order setting •part aa forr~t renrrvf the isl.nml o>f Eodtblon, wh ch is n d the island o 1 Panayj el o of Pauitani,

which ja*oi!i , f , it ;ue group of the Jolo islands of the Philippine group. Officers of the army who have been investigating tire islands have found that these are the richest lands in the world for rubber trees, and it is the intention of the Washington authorities to have the trees preserved •<. . , —— * - ■

j*.' ■ v-».^k>kj*x i i\y*

Tlie t !sx oi S?c rabs as u Pouiidallon Has Retarded Progress IVlitrever It lias Been Tried.

Any farmer who will uee scrub hens and begin with them as a foundationfor improvement will lose a year or two by ao doing, as he can get fowls or eggs oi pure breeds at such small cost that it will be really extravagant to retain the scrubs. Move effort lias been made in improving scrub fowls than with large stock, but nothing of importance has been gaifaed thereby. On the contrary, the use of scrubs as a foundation has re tarded progress. The farmers mugt first get rid of the supposition that crossing breeds is an advantage. If they should judiciously cross, knowing what they are doing, they might probably accomplish something, but as it is they do mare harm by crossing than is expected. For instance, let the farms have two breeds—Plymouth Rocks an'd Kamburgs. The first he finds an excellent market fowl, well up to the average as layers, hardy and adapted to nearly all climates. The Kamburgs will lay more eggs than tlie Plymouth Hocks (mostly in summer), but are small and not hardy in winter. Now, if -we can combine the productive capacity of the Kamburgs with the hardiness of the Plymouth Rocks, the farmer considers that he will have a superb cross. Ho does not stop to consider that the breeders have crossed in every

possible manner to get the same results, and'that the pure breeds are themselves cirosaea that have been fixed in characteristics; nor does the farmer consider that 50 farmers in every 10j have done just what he is about to do. So he makes his cross, and gets birds that do not lay as well as the Hamburgo, are not equal to the Plymouth Rocks in any respect, will not endure severe winters, and which are of all colors and sizes. Then he ceases, as he makes no careful note of the cross, neglects the birds'because they have become scrubs, his interest in pure breeds has passed, and he la on the down grade to ruin, so far as keeping poultry for the best results is concerned.—Farm and Fireside.

CROP-BOUND POULTRY.

I’ltaw s Remedy Is Immediately Applied Fowls So At£loted Will Dio Syce ally.

Crop bound is especially prevalerit among, fowls in close confinement, where in their desire to procure green food they consume large quantities of dry grass, and I have observed its being brought on in at least one case by eating tea leaves, the whole mass forming a hard lump in the crop, thus being indigestible, causing the bird to dump, and unless a remedy is speedily applied, to die. In one of our exchanges a writer gives the following remedy: First, procure a piece of the smallest size rubber tube about IS inches in length (this can be obtained at any drug store); attach one end to a small tunnel, grease the other with laid or vaseline for aboutfour inches, and are ready for business. Oetanassistanttosecurelyhold the sick bird, now carefully place tube in the bird’s mouth and push well down the crop, about four inches of tube will be required,.hold the tunnel slightly above the fowl’s head and slowly pour in as much luke-warm water as the crop will hold, about one teacupful. Have the assistant work the crop carefully during the process and until the hard mass becomes softened. Great care should be taken both in pouring water and working crop lest the fowl become choked by water rising in the throat. Next grasp the bird by the legs and.hold head down, gently working crop to assist bird to vomit. In most cases one trial is enough to completely empty the crop, but in case it is not, let the fowl rest for half an hour and repeat the process. This remedy Las also been used by me very successfully in cases of acute indigestion. Keep the bird on soft food with plenty of sharp grit and charcoal for «v few days and the euro is complete.

A MODEL FEED-BOX.

Hmm Cannot Get Into It, Neither Can the Greedy Bird* Crowd Out the Weaker One*. The cut shows' a feed box that the heua cannot get into, and 1 with which they capnot crowd each other. The cover (which slopes so that the hens will not fly upon it) is covered with wire netting, which permit® dry grain to be

thrown into the box without raising the cover. The hens, moreover, do not like to fly up and alight upon this netting. A square pan should be placed n one end of the box to keep water in. In this position it can neither be soiled nor spilled.—Orange Judd Farmer. Rational Diet lor Chickens. If it is desired to create a glossy plumage for exhibition purposes, a little millet and sunflower seed may also be thrown occasionally into the scratch pile. Bright red combs and wattles come with good health, and are found among laying hens. Good health comes as a result of good sanitary conditions, pure feed, fresh water, aiul clean quarters. Corn is a very wholesome article of debt for chickens, at times, and under certain circumstances. But the common practice is to use it to the exclusion of all other forms of food. Wheat is by far the best grain, and is always permissible. —Rural World.