| OCR Text |
Show SHEEP INCREASE ' NEEDED BY ARMY Wool Production Now Only 50 Per Cent of Amount Required for Peace Times. RAISE MORE FOR SOLDIERS Department of Agriculture Urges More Attention to Industry Especially In Eastern and Southern Portions of Country. Pointing out the serious shortage of wool at a time when this material is of such vital importance In war operations, opera-tions, the department of agriculture In its agricultural program for 1918 urges that an effort be made to increase in-crease the production of sheep and wool. Increase in farm flocks, is recommended rec-ommended wherever conditions are favorable and the first cost of stocking Is not too high. Amount of Wool Produced. The wool produced In this country furnishes only about 50 per cent of the amount used in peace times; the war demands have emphasized the seriousness of this domestic shortage. To equip two million soldiers and clothe them for one year would require re-quire the entire quantity of wool irrown annually in this country. easy to disinfect thoroughly when sue!" disinfection is necessary in case of an epidemic. Stalls made yf metal pipes are, therefore, preferable. swing stanchion is usually preferred, as it allows the cow plenty of freedom. A low, smooth manger without sharp, angles is easy to keep clean. . If the cows are tied facing the center of the barn the walkway behind them should be five feet or more in width, so that the walls will not be soiled by the spattering spat-tering from the gutter and the manure ma-nure carrier. How to Keep Tools. Tools should be kept dry, for moisture mois-ture causes rust, which is very injurious, injuri-ous, especially to sharp-edged tools. In climates where the atmosphere is moist keep tools in a wall cabinet or tool chest. If the atmosphere is dry they may be hung on the wall about the work bench or arranged on shelves. It should be the aim to have n place for every tool, and then cultivate the practice of returning it to its proper place immediately upon the completion comple-tion of the work in hand. A very good plan for keeping the tools in their respective re-spective places is first to draw an outline out-line of each tool in Its place upon the wall and then paint this space black or some color in contrast with the wall itself, so that when any tool is not in its place its absence will be readily apparent.' Many persons are in the habit of leaving tools where they finish using them. In the first place, a tool can not be kept in working condition if" allowed to remain exposed to the weather, and in the second place the time lost in locating the too! when It to nn-r- pnnninrl frxr- CQ r)ll ha miich lirAi irun ni iui wot; n i:i greater than that which would be required re-quired to return it to the proper place. Brighten Bank Barns. Very few farm buildings constructed con-structed 15 or 20 years ago "meet the sanitary requirements of today. Bank barns are generally dark and damp. Light is often excluded from one ot more sides, thus making the stable-difficult stable-difficult to keep clean. Stables which have basements open on one side for the manure furnish a breeding place-for place-for flies. Barns which have many exposed ex-posed beams, braces and ledges on which dust may lodge are undesirable. In these old types of buildings little or no attention was paid to proper ventilation venti-lation and distribution of the light. Many of them, however, can at small expense be remodeled to meet all sanitary san-itary requirements. Aiding Farmers by Groups. One of the important ways in which a county agricultural agent serves the-fanners the-fanners in a community is hy means of farm management demonstrations. In most communities there are a low farmers who are much more successful success-ful than the average of the res't of the tanners in that community, and at the same time they are working under very similar conditions, with similar soil, climate, transportation facilities, anil the same markets. In conducting farm management demonstrations, groups of farmers are assisted in keeping keep-ing records of their business. Each farmer is assisted in determining from these records what labor income he receives re-ceives for his year's work and what each part of his farm cunt rihutcd toward Ibis income. At (he same time lie is -icu certain informal ion rc-anl- ing how some of his more sii -Mill neighbors conduct their business. Sell (he hroken-nioul lied ewes anil any others thai have not pnned good producers, and eet the ewe Mock in good condition before breeding beu-ius. During recent years we have shorn about 35 million fleeces annually, and the pulled wool taken from sheep and lambs slaughtered for meat brings the total clip up to the equivalent of about 40 million fleeces. If all this wool were suitable for military use, it would supply only two million men. The production of wool in the United States has remained practically stationary sta-tionary from 1914 to 1017, while imports im-ports increased 48 per cent, and the estimated net supply Increased only about 21 per cent. Mutton and Wool. That mutton and wool production In this country can be increased great! v admits of no doubt. This can be accomplished ac-complished by developing sheep husbandry hus-bandry on farms, especially In the Eastern and Southern states. Steps should he taken in the East and South to do away with the sheep-killing dog menace by state or local action. Large results can be secured by Improving methods of breeding and management on the range; by securing secur-ing the restocking of Improved farm lands witJi sheep; by the larger use of forage crops and pastures; by encouraging en-couraging sheep and lamb clubs; by the elimination of parasites: by protection pro-tection against losses from predatory animals; and by having Iambs ready for market at from 70 to SO pounds weight, thereby requiring a tniilimum of grain to finish them and making possible the maintenance of larger breeding flocks. Clean Barns, Cleaner Milk. Const ruction of the dairy barn may be less important 'ban careful methods In handling milk when .keeping down tile bacterial content of the milk is considered, hut the barn construction may be such ;is to lighten Ihe labor necessary to keep the barn and its (Miuipinent in a clean condition. The sltilile should have a hard door which can be readily cleaned: for this reason a dirt Moor is undesirable. A ce-ini ce-ini nt Moor is easily cleaned and prevents pre-vents waste of the liquid manure. It Is likely to be cold, however, and therefore extra bedding Is required for the cows. The gutter back of the cows should be large enough to bold the droppings one 1(1 to IS inches wide and 7 Inches deep Is usually sulllclent and It should Incline so as to drain readily unless the liquid Is taken up by absorbents. absorb-ents. The best types of stalls and mangers are those which present the leant surface for collecting dust and dirt and the least obstruction to the circulation of nlr. Stalls of wool have many flat surfaces and cracks which are difficult to keep clean and lire not |
