Show PAGETW0 THE AG CLUB LINK ON CHICKENS THE AG CLUB LINK Devoted to the development of greater junior citizenship Published every month Printed by J P Smith JOSEPH REED & Son Logan LTtah Editor ’20 Associate Editors J HART ’22 V H WILLIE C RALLISON E W ROBINSON R L ’22 ’21 ’20 State Leader in Club work HENRY OBERHANSLEY Assistant I)r M H HARRIS WEDNESDAY DEC 17 1919 Number Volume IV 3 EDITORIALS Chickens are homely little birds aren’t of Sort they: shapeless and bunchy and aw’kward Worst of all are the ones about six weeks old Didn’t you ever wonder why it is they call the classiest type of feminiirity a chicken? It began this way Her name was Maggie and she lived in a day when the word chicken suggested nothing at all except perhaps stew with plenty of gravy or eggs at twenty cents a dozen or ugly unimaginative little details like that Her name was Maggie because all properlv-ru- n farms have a daughter Maggie Sometimes this daughter Maggie is a raving beauty and o' her times she isn’t This time she wasn’t She was a scrawny little kid with sort of sharp eyes and a pointed nose and big feet Yes she looked just like one of the 2000 chickens she used to feed — one of the funny n ones Then there was the way she ate Just a peck at a time— you’ve heard of these bird-lik- e appetites— but the point of it was that she never stopped She ate everything in sight and then went hunting for more Now her father bad always longed for a child who was more decorative than his sturdy Maggie one who might possibly perpetuate the family honor by starring in Keystone comedies or something and he used to call her terrible names when his disappointment got him too strong One day while watching her lumpy little form feeding chickens in the doorway he grew' very hitter and struck by an awful resemblance he evolved the idea of calling this child of his who did not look like Mary Bickford (oh he was verv hitter) of calling her “Chicken” So as “Chicken” she grew’ and flourished and consumed endless cycles of bread and milk and beefsteak and soups and puddings and things Time passed and little Chicken picked up her simbonnets and knitted hosiery and went away to school More time passed and she came home again She no longer wore simbonnets she wore nondescript concoctions which filled one’s eyes ami nose and mouth with fuzz when one talked to her Also she did not have her knitted hosiery Being quick to learn she had taken to rainbow-tinte- d silk ones with beads and eyelets and clox and had unravelled her old ones and made sweaters for all the hoys Her skin under several inches of a number of things looked like peaches and cream and smelled like violets Her eyes were alluring all gummed up with Lashbrovvine and all of her eyebrows except three over each eye had been tweaked out one by one Her nose had its sharpness and was now a half-grow- This month’s issue of the Link contains an increased number of Ag Club reports We congratulate the various clubs from which these reports have been received on the spirit and activity shown It is the kind of spirit that is going to make our little paper a “Link” in the true sense of the word If the clubs will let us hear from them each month in reports and contributions new thoughts and ideas will be exchanged between the different sections of our state and Utah will be able to boast of a veritable chain of Ag Clubs o A HEN THAT LAID GOLDEN EGGS We have all read more or less fish stories and bear stories and we have believed very few of them The following is neither a fish story nor a bear story It is an egg story and contrary to the fish story or the bear story it is absolutely true had a Rhode Island Red hen which be-- c e r y interested in the high cost of urn living So interested in fact that when b '‘Vneo that m eggs were selling for $100 n "he undertook the unique task pm a of layit e double eggs Not just double oiv but leal double eggs One egg 1 o si ot l ! oi’mr to be specific The out-m- h momed nine inches in circum-U’f'- c '11 ao and seven inches in cir- - oi tin r double Cgg in two weeks so to make her undertaking even more miraculous sin laid six double wlk eggs during the same two weeks making a total of twenty v oiks in fourteen days Unfortunately the strain proved too great for the iittle workers eonst itution At the end of the two weeks she died and the career of my hei: which surely outrivaled ht that of the goose which laid the golden eggs was brought to a sudden close Editor's note — Although this story may appear fictitious it is nevertheless true DEVELOPING DAIRY Geo HEIFERS Associate Professor of Animal Husbandry U A C B Caine On the average farm in Utah neglect of the growing dairy heifers is the worst mistake that can he made Heifers are generally w'caned from milk much too young and as a result are too small and in poor condition At this stage the owner thinks the calves are able to take care of themselves so he turns them out with larger animals where they are hooked and pushed around the feed lots as they try to find enough to keep them alive To mention that farmers should use more feed in developing their heifers seems very poor judgement a year like this when feeds are so high priced That however is the only sure and safe solution of the problem It has been written and said many times that growing heifers can do very well on alfalfa alone This is partly true in most cases providing the heifers arc large and strong and in good condition at the time (continued on page three) o THE PREVENTION OF FROST INJURY TO CROPS (continued from page one) ticed on scale and frost injury is prevented with financial prhfit In Utah however the value of the crop that is to he saved is in most cases worth less than the cost of the heating The heating cost must include not only the fuel and labor cost hut also the interest on and depreciation of the heating equipment The frosts that occur just after the storms are frequently accompanied by winds of such velocity that it is practically impossible to keep the temperature above the danger point by heating The farmers of Utah should not attempt to prevent frost damage by heating Injury from light frosts has been prevented by irrigating during the night in question by covering the crop with straw or hv plowing between the rows and throwing dirt over the crop piquant pug (She had fallen for the magazine ad— you’ve seen it—And under a year’s diet of coke and lemon she was now fashionably shaped like a beanpole Naturally the old home town fell for her The old name of Chicken had become noble — beautiful— sublime Her father died a happy man and Maggie went hack to the city and married a street car conductor All of her little cornfed friends lived very happily suffering without her and whenever they wanted to pay supreme tribute to some would-b- e doll they thought of Maggie heaved great sighs and breathed “She’s a chicken!” Elicul Egamlat |