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MAKING A HOT-BED. The man fag on his neighbor. ~~ mee the crooked rows. A little plan- ning and a stake and string would _ Bave prevented this tragedy.' 60 by 100 feet on the farm, with a fence around it to keep out the chick- ens, will keep the table going in the matter of vegetables from early sum- mer until fall with a few bushels for winter storage. Where horse culti- vation is to be used all rows 80 inches apart, except in the case of spread- ing vegetables such as tomatoes, cu- cumbers and similar plants, which should have three to four feet. Early maturing stuff, such as spinach, let- tuce and radishes, can be placed in the regular rows, as they will be ready and gone long before the main crop requires all the space. 'Where space and sunlight are Nmit- ed run the rows north and south, and they will not be shaded as much be piled in a flat-topped heap an as if run the other way. Stake and! Watered lightly to start fer they will be giving table returns i matter. beans. will result. To relieve the and at the head of the rows, have the sure that there is good drainage, the rows. CARE OF THE LAWN. . is to build d f After this more or less open win- procedure 0 bil ¢.8 Wooten fram ter the dawn will require a little ex-| the size of the window and place thi able to freshen up the bare spots | thermometer in and cover the fram with good seed, raking this in lightly| With 8 window sash, in which th or sowing it on a late fall of snow Panes fit snugly. The frame shoul seed down into the soil. able, cover the freshly seeded spots work to scare away the sparrows. planted. ALFALFA HAY AND ALFALFA MEAL BY L. STEVENSON, 0.A.C. v The practice of grinding hay, corn- stover and other coarse feeds for live stock is carried on to a limited extent, and the enquiry comes is the practice worth the cost. Some feeders say it is, some say it is not. In a recent experiment the digest- bility and net energy values of al- falfa hay chopped to one inch lengths and of alfalfa meal were compared In a series of digestion and metabolism feeding tests with cattle. The hay ployed, and he can get power cheaply; far as digestibility is concerned. . ®nd meal were given alternately dur-) Chief Causes of Pigs Not ing six periods and comparisons were G . Sel 2 made. Each feeding period lasted 21 rading Selects. days and the results of the experl- ment were tabulated in detail. They show that the alfalfa hay was slight- Iy better digested than the alfalfa meal, probably due to a euppression of the following: 1 | ing. Pigs must be grown on protein {grown feeds and finished later, unted in early life or héld until old, coarse, and rough before they are up to market weight--generally soft in carcass and coarse in texture. 4. Under Finish--Pigs not finished to' the desired 1%4 inches of fat down the back, generally through lack of feed or a mistaken idea of what the finished bacon hog really fs. Extract from Ont. Dept. of Agri- culture Bulletin 820, now ready for general distribution through Dept. of Agriculture, Toronto. Send there for your copy. Eggs and More Eggs. production are clean, dry, comfort- able houses, that are free from di- that are well: lighted. ~The feeds consists of a variety of grains, green of rumination from the alfalfa meal the paunch. The difference was 2.2 per cent. of the dry matter. learn that there is litfle likelihood of| 2. Heavy Feeding Just increasing the digestibility of a good; We of equal coarseness, ruminants or cud-chewing animals, coarse fodders may have advantages In that coarse materials aré reduced st ough mixing therewith finely divided grains, or sweeteners. A ruminant '® limited time, it may be forced to! eat feeds that are off flavor when fed | hard to masticate, but in so far as| quality feeds are concerned for well grown cattle. For pigs, chickens or calves it may be different i Measure a Farm by its oi The best farming systems Without an abund- - of. pasturage, the large scale is sel-| and is given to the. birds regularly, Pasture and hay and in such quantities that they have ) {roost at night; that the s i drinking material is clean and abun- in his or her work and is in d in the same; that the birds are from good laying 'a {they are hatched ' swallowed, at least in part beyond From the foregoing experiment we' pounds, grade of alfalfa hay or other fodder! ten by any grinding process. Grinding to a condition that permits a thor- | ; mnimal can éat more ground feed in alone, or caused to eat feeds that are! is nothing gained by grinding and some advantage is derived by the give a prominent place to pas- 'economical production of live- which is clean, sweet and wholesome, fant also be: | all they want to eat before Seine .|dant; that the attendant is regular 'his or and : son and well reared, with a hot-bed has the a month earlier than usual, and his crops come on that much sooner also. Lettuce and radish may be grown here and be ready for the table by the first of April and tomatoes and cabbage given an early start, so that July instead of August. Those excel- lent annuals, Cosmos, Zinnias, Pe- tunias and a host of others that will not only stand transplanting but are actually benefited by it will be ready to go into the open garden almost half grown by the end of May. The construction of a hot-bed is a simple Locate facing the south, with a protecting building, hedge or fence on the north side and the west also, if this is possible. Fresh horse manure is usually used to generate heat for the hot-bed, This should tie up cucumbers, tomatoes and pole!tion. When the pile starts to steam This will mean a little fork it over, and a day or twb later, trouble, but earlier and cleaner crops, Pile it on the site of the hot-bed. green|One can dig out a shallow pit or monotony of the vegetable garden build up the manure pile above plant a few flowers in the corners | ground with a frame around it. Make regular flower garden for cutting Pile up your manure to a depth of purposes located here and grow your at least 18 inches, when well tramped sweet peas along one of the regular |down, and about a foot more each way than the size of the window frame used to cover it. The usual tr f thi : ,on top of the manure. Then add a Alter Brat pon oe the, ong. { two-inch layer of fine soil and stick a : h A ! be so constructed that the sash slopes Which, when melting, will fo (the iu little to the south, which will allow to sow in early morning, or evening,'it to catch more sunlight and also whien' the: ind, "ished rain. The temperature will rise n fe 1s no wind, If practic | quickly for the first few days, then with a bit of chicken wire. or trellis-| cool down, when the seeds may be use of finely divided feeds for 'these three classes. But this advantage in making the feed more acceptable is not always offset by any showing of profit over the cost of grinding. If the stockman's labor is not fully em- it may be worth while to grind the coarse feed, but no one need look to any material increase in value in so When pigs of the right type do not grade "select" the cause may be one Overwelght--Overweight at the market. Fed too long, possibly wait- ing for a rising market. Feeder loses out because the pigs sell for $1 per cwt. less and do not make as econ- omical gains as are made under 200 After aning--Pigs pushed on heavy fat- ing feeds such as barley, buck- when fed to wheat and corn too soon after wean- 8. Poor Feeding--Pigs starved or The requirements for high egg| rect draughts over the birds, 'and eeding | feed, animal feed, grit and shell,| * fl n d CLIMBERS THAT 4 1 LIKE BY WARREN WILMER BROWN. ee While I was preparing my garden for its long winter vacation--the work was started late in September and ended with the planting of sev- 9 eral thousand tulips just before Oc- ably lovely color over our Maryland forests--while this task was under way I came across a solitary cobma seedling. : How in the world it ever happened to have started its career so late in the season I could not tell, but there it was all by 'itself and, though but a few inches high, it was as healthy a little plant as you would want to see. So I decided upon an experiment, I dug it up with a good-sized ball of earth, taking care not to cut the tin- jest rootlet, put it in an eight-inch pot and took it indoors. It was" placed in the sun parlor, which has an eastern and southern exposure, in a position where it could get all the sun possible and after that it was given exactly the same at- tention as my other house plants, It got along beautifully from the very first and, while nothing like so rapid nor so robust in its growth ee those raised outside, it was soon spreading its delicate tendrils in all directions and showed signs of want- ing to take: possession of the wall against which it was planted. Know- ing that this vine likes even heat I fam waiting rather eagerly to see what it will do in the way of bloom, for the room that contains it is afflict- ed with terrific temperature ups and downs. e ° d ' THE BEAUTIFUL COBAEA. QUEBEC CARNIVAL QUEEN Miss Clarida Moreau, of Quebec City, who was chosen Queen of the carni- val week which began February 21, the opening event being the first race in the three-day Eastern International Dog Derby. Miss Moreau presided over all the events of the week of festivity in which the entire city joined as a Grand Finale to the Winter Sports season. tober frosts sent waves of unimagin-| -------------- "thrust into the ground sidewise and covered with/ about an inch of soil, which should be light and rich. To get strong plants ready for the open grounds during the first warm { June days I plant them in my sun parlor any time in March, usually placing a pane of window glass over | the seed box. Germination is virtual- ly 100 per cent, if the seed is plant ed properly. They demand plenty of moisture j and. after they are transplanted to { individual pots light stakes are nec- { to keep them from sprawling ,all over the. place. Their final quar- jters are the sunniest spots of the garden, . There are a number of other an- nual climbers for which I have a marked preference because of their { decorative and airy effect in back- ground positions such as the moon- flower, the cardinal climber, the canary-bird vine with its odd flowers, like miniature yellow orchids, the scarlet runner and the climbing nasturtium, © 4 Armee Egg Laying Trials. The highest records at the various 'Canadian egg-laying trials are as follows: Canadian National, 832 eggs, won by White Leghorn. Vancouver Island, 827 eggs, won by White Leghcin. Dominion, 291 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock, Prince Edward Island, 288 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock. Saskatchewan, 287 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock, Ontario, 284 eggs, tie, White Leg- horn and Barred Plymouth Rock, each laying 284. New Brunswick, 281 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock, > Nova Scotia, 260 eggs, won by White Leghorn. In eleven egg-laying trials held in | is the most desirable of 'all annual; climbers. Outdoors in my garden it) makes a growth of 156 or 20 feet a' season and during the latter part of the summer it is covered with its strange and beautiful blossoms. These resemble, somewhat, in shape the "cup and saucer" campanula, their odd characteristic being that they come out apple-green and gradually change to deep blue. There is also a white variety (alba); > «+ - =» The cobeea is rather exacting in its requirements; particularly must they be met in the method of planting seed. They object to being put to bed, as it were, on the flats of their backs, a fact it took me several years The cobsa (cobma scandens) to me] Canada during. 1925 there were 3,930 hens, and their average was 139 eggs each.. There were among the 8,980 birds, 17 that laid over 300 eggs each. Egg-laying conipetitions give the breeder an accurate line on what his stock will do in egg production. The real producers are singled out and used in the breeding pen for the propagation of a select race af egg producers. There is no one best breed or variety for egg production. Laying ability lies more in the strain or family than in the breed. While modern poultry-keepers' know how to. get more eggs from their hens, these eggs have thinner shells than those laid under more to learn. What they crave is to be' natural circumstances, 4x 4 feet should be provided. to iso- late each ewe with her lamb for thirty-six to forty-eight hours after lambing, especially if they come dur- ing thé cold spell or in case for any lightful visit to the Dominion ives stimulated this resolve of Beeton. Poultry was being done. One che fa method, thus helping both herself and the boys and girls. t the farm young rest rooms, hospitals, and school boards as well as. needy mothers and children had received active and prac- tical aid during the year. Not only had they a dentist's talk for them- selves on the care of the teeth at Delta Junior Branch but arranged with the achool board for a dental in- spection of the school children. These girls entertained the grandmothers, encouraging their ancestors by giv- ing a prize to the youngest and an- other to the one with the most grand- children. J Although a most successful Girls' Conference just concluded at Kempt- ville lessened the girl delegates' num- bers, the Seniors felt the time devoted to their 'interests amply justified by the fresh youthful point of view they brought to the Convention. This was again touched on by Miss Emily Guest in a talk on "Backward, Around, Forward in Nation-building" when down through the generations was traced the part played loyally by women in building up this country. "We were happier then," said d people, "when we were all the same in the woods and all helped each other, in'self-contained homes where we grew and the women manufactur- ed the clothing as well as did the housekeeping." Then came the era of brick and stone structurs and the growth of towns, and the homemakers realized that the whole community had become the home and had to be made safe for the family. To the girls of to-day, the womep will hand on the"trust for the future, girls whose young heads, hearts and bands were being trained for this responsibility through the Institutes. The value of practical experience to the individual and the fact that the Institute is first and foremost an educational institution was never lost sight of and was specially stress- ed by the Superintendent when urg- ing that the girls and 'young women of the community be given some re- sponsibilities in the work of the In- Save the Lambs. Every reasonable effort should be made to save the lamb crop. Much trouble and loss can be avoided by having the ewes in proper condition. If the lambs come on grass usually very little special attention is requir- ed. If, however, they are lambed in the sheepfold prior to turning out, the ewes should be watched closely until each lamb has nursed, after le pens about A few small portab n the ewe fails to own her lamb Boosting the farm fncome and the means farm women were taking 4 | it, was dealt with by Mrs. H. Al | growing, turkey pools, tea rooms, the right kind of tourist accommodation| ~ were some of the ways in which this delicate od girl turned to turkey raising as a means of creating an income from out-of-door work. So successful were her efforts that her birds were this year rated highest in those sent to American markets. Another young] Business College teacher opened a small school in her living room where people g, shorthand and business The Girls' Institutes told of how i rif i i 5 ak to 'know thin g to fear : : about in 5 iH £g ' st 28 versity, gave an informative talk. Women, who were still bearing the burdens of a war which destroyed thousands of sons and mothers, had pleaded: "I did not raise my son to be. a soldier, to kill some other moth-| er's darling boy," end laid a burden of debt upon the people that consum- ed half the revenue. "In thinking internationally," he told. his sudience, "three qusstions forced phermsel ete upon us. were population, raw nj 'morning the same resources, rates. Italy and Japan ig Sug te Then ag receds claim they have not room for their! yy 'tyure was the chipmunk for the people and ask if Canada has the third: time. : right to spread over half a continent. "We will watch closely this timé," Canada's raw resources are practic- said Miss Allison, "and see if wé can ally untapped. Europe wants to pool tell where he goes." the resources of the world. The race They were gathéred by the window, question of the mixing of the white, then a sudden sound and he was gone. Jellow and Black rdces ig we Hugh But the childrén were nearer this ace sooner or later. Such problems can only be solved by thinking inter-| Sry ne weal "hers bh on orto nationally." Robert, excitedly "pointing. There was a great drift which started al- most directly below this feeding shelf 'and extended across the yard ten feet or more to the foot of a great pine tree. - "He's sitting in a little hole right to the ground, in that drift. " » "Oh, 1 ses him, 1 ses him," cried several voices as they caught sight of a tiny head with sharp ears and bright "eyes, peering out of a round - hole in the side of a drift of snow. Even as they spoke the head disap- pesired and almost at the same mo- ment, Miss Allison called out as ex- citedly as any of them, "There he fs, on top of the drift over by the tree." Soms of the children saw him as he leaped from the snow to the trunk of the tree and scampered up out of sight among the branches. ; | "He has a tunnel under the snow," said Miss Allison, and a little later, | they all went out to see. Sure endugh j there was the round hole at one end (of the drift where they had séen him looking out, and there was another rounid-hole in the other end of the drift, close to the tree where the chipmunk lived, and through the tun- jnel beneath the snow he went and came no matter what the weather. He visited the feeding shelf often after that, and the birds learned not to be afraid of him. There was plenty of food for all, so they waited near by while he ate his fill, and then re- turned and finished their meal . front paws, scolding the birds and nibbling the corn turn an turn. about. i The children laughed eloud, and at the sudden sound, the chipmunk drop- ped to the then was gone. F A very high note of idealism in service was also struck by President Mrs. Field. Robertson and the Conven- 'tion went on record ss condemning the narcotic evil and asking the De- partment of Education to distribute literature and give regular instruction as to its evils in curriculums of schools and colleges. y Equal franchise with farmers' sons. in municipal elections wae also asked for farmers' daughters, a stricter ob- servance of the Lord's Day, system- atic training in vocal music for coun try schools, and legislation for the further care of the feeble-minded were some of the other things asked for by the Convention. . The consideration of improved agri- culture reached its climax in the hum- orous and pithy address of Mr. El- ford of the Ottawa Experimental Farm who explained the whols work- ing of these farms and the expert service that might be had just for the asking, while he paid a warm tribute, as did the whole Convention, to the work of the Superintendent, Mr. Put- nam, in his administration of the De- partmental services from Toronto. and will consume much mdre water. Lack of it will retard the milk flow. If the lambs come before the ewes have been sheared, any loose tags around the udder or flanks should be! cli off. The lambs seem to crave this wool. It forms wool balls in the stomach which are almost certain to reefs rp sod be fatal : : Things Discove At from two to four weeks of age Hands NM Readers. : the lambs should be docked, and the! malo lambs not selected for breeding! A limber spatula is indispensable which very little individual attention !should be castrated. The docking in my kitchen for scraping cake bat- should be required. It is very essen-| can perhaps be best performed by the; ter from the "bowl and re- tlal that an attendant be on watch yee of a hot docking pincher, Lambs moving cooked food from any con- for lamba whith are born during the docked and castrated do better, pre tainer. 1 ¥ how valuable night. Pa * lsent a better appearance and sell for a roun enameled bowl seamless, y was until I invested in one this sum- mer. It has been in 'constant use every day since --~Mrs. LA. more money.--H. L. G.