The Agricultural College Is a Friend to
VIEW OP WASHINGTON
Making the Best of
Home-Made Vinegar
APPLE vinegar or elder vinegar is
now made by commercial, plants
to such ail extent that the home-made
product is rarely seen and has but
little place in the market.
Apple cider will go through the
normal process of fermentation and
develop vinegar of splendid quality, if
given the proper temperature and
time for development. As the cider
ia stored in the barrels it should be
exposed as much as possible to the
air and be kept in a temperature
above 80 degrees and below 100 de
grees. The best results will be obtained
if the material ia kept at a tempera
ture ranging between 80 and 90 de
grees. At this temperature it re
quires approximately a year for cider
to develop enough acid to pass as
first-class vinegar. It should have
between 4 and 7 per cent of acid
content, and with the process of mak
ing being that of slow ferment in bar
rel quantities, it will seldom reach 6
per cent of acid content.
Ordinarly the vinegar that is made
y being permitted to ferment in
barrel quantities must be kept in a
basement or cellar storage where the
bigh temperature can be obtained. It
does not kill the ferment in the vine
gar to pass below 80 degrees in tem
perature, but it retards its action,
and the longer the material is in the
process of making, the less valuable
it is and the more difficulties are
liable to be encountered in the work.
The best results will be obtained
if the head of the barrel is taken out
and the barrel left entirely open. It
can be stirred to advantage once in
a while, but ordinarily the process of
letting it stand entirely undisturbed
will develop a very clear and satis
factory grade of material.
The mother of vinegar that devel
ops ordinarily in the top of the bar
rel is of no special advantage after
it assumes the form of a condensed
or bard cake. As long as it is in a
loose, slimy form, it will work fairly
rapidly, but as soon as it assumes
the caked form it may as well be re-
moved from the barrel. Ordinarily
if touched or pressed down on one
Bide, it will sink to the bottom of
the barrel.
The live, active mother of vinegar
when collecting appears as a thin or
mucilaginous gelatine-like mass, and
is rapidly reproducing the ferment
yeast that Is making the vinegar. It
is not necessary, in all cases, to use
this mother of vinegar to start the
process of fermentation. It Is a good
plan, however, to use small quanti
ties of it for placing in each barrel
of cider to start the process of fer
mentation. ,
If this is not done a great many
different kinds of bacteria will de
velop In the cider and not all of
these will tend directly to the manu
facture o! acetic acid, which is the
valuable acid in vinegar.
The home process of vinegar man
ufacture is slow, but easily handled,
and can, in a small way, be carried
on very satisfactorily.
Bum Refuse in Orchards.
Dead and diseased wood in the or
chard should be removed and burned
as soon as possible. Tho Nebraska
College of Agriculture finds that If
the orchard is kept clean of such re
fuse the problems of insect and fun
gus control are much easier.
A page of inlercstlng Ileitis from
tlie Orejop Agricultural College at
CormllU will alternate in the farm
weekly tvllb a page of new noted
from the Watlilogloa Slate College
at Pullman. Thl will afford aa 1b.
terchange of views from the two biff
agricultural college of the North
weat that tumid prove of benefit t
the "eaur, for the ln(ltullon deal
ultb, iliuliar problems,
HOME AND "FARM
Bulletins and News Notes
Sssssss1 """"
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT P11.LJIAS. WASH. ITS SOLK Al 19 TO AID
Needs of Dry Land
Belt in Washington
THE needs of dry land agriculture
in Washington are great. They
may be grouped under four heads, as
follows: Improved Methods of Till
age; Introduction of Livestock; Im
proved Crops, especially forage crops,
and Better Living Conditions in and
About the Farm Home.
Improved Methods of Tillage.
With reference to the first of these
there is needed a considerable
amount of investigational work
along tho line of moisture require
ments of plants, the handling of soil
to conserve moisture and fertility,
and prevent blowing. Considerable
investigation has been carried on in
this line, but much remains to be
dono. There is also great need of the
dissemination among tho farmer of
knowledge already obtained. Inves
tigations in this connection must be
carried on primarily in the dry belt.
The more extensive production of
livestock will undoubtedly solve many
of the agricultural problems of this
district. Tills problem is one which
calls for propaganda work rather than
investigation. It, can best be made
by rendering assistance to farmers in
obtaining and selecting stock and
giving instruction for the caring of
the same and production of suitable
feed. y
The state can well afford to ex
pend some money in the Introduction
of good stock for breeding purposes
into this district. The use of this
stock should be carefully supervised
by members of the department staff,
and the stock placed where it will do
the most good.
Improved Oops.
Perhaps the greatest need in the
dry belt at the present time is in
vestigation to determine the forage
crops most ' stilted to the. district,
New and promising forage crop plants
are constantly being introduced into
the country and being produced by
plant breeders within tho country,
These should be tested out under the
crop conditions of our dry belt and
distributed among the farmers first
in an experimental Way, and later, if
satisfactory, extensively encouraged,
This work of crop testing and
breeding of agricultural -plants can be
carried on adequately only by the es
tablishment of a branch experiment
station in the dry belt. This, then,
becomes the greatest need of this dis
trict. The establishment of such a
station will go far toward solving
many of the problems of tho district.
' Improved Living Conditions.
One of tho difficulties connected
with the dry land agriculture in
Washington Is the lack of home con
veniences and comforts on the farm,
As one travels over this district farm
house after farmhouse is passed with-
out seeing a tree or shrub growing
near.
Tbe houses themselves are fre
quently poorly constructed, and any
thing but homelike. The . general
planting of trees both for shade and
fruit about the farm homes will do
much to ameliorate living conditions.
Much also may be done by the en
couragement of poultry raising, gar
dening and work along the line of
home economics; for upon many of
these farms which are more remotely
situated from the main lines of travel,
the life of the women and children
must be far from attractive. Their
nearest neighbors are frequently two
or three miles distant
Anything, therefore, which can he
done to improve living conditions will
tend to render the tenancy of the land
more stablo and greatly improve the
economic conditions of the country
aa a whole. From first annual re
port of Dry Land Department of
Washington State College.
Dairy butter has made its way on
its merit and everything lost to oleo
margarine Is chargeable to itself
alone, for It never was any good in
tho first place.
MAGAZINE SECTION
From the Staff at Pullman.
Insects That Will
Injure Clover Seed
THE adult of the clover eed midge
(Dasyneura Ieeuintnlcola) is a
tiny delicate midge resembling the
HesStian fly. It appears in late Spring
when clover is beginning to head
and by means of a long tail-like
ovipositor it pushes its microseoplc
yellowish eggs ia among the hairs
surrounding the seed capsules of the
developing clover heads. The pink
ish maggots work their way into the
open floreta to feed on the seeds.
Their feeding prevents the open
ing of such -florets and therefore the
heads are irregular, a condition
known to farmers as "slick heads."
Toward the end of June these mag
gots drop to tbe gronnd where they
cocoon and pupate, and several weeks
later tbe adults of the Summer brood
appear.
At the time that the heads of the
second crop of clover are forming
the adult midges become abundant
and repeat the life cycle just given,
There may be two or even three such
generations during the season, the
last maggots doing the most harm
to the seed.
The adult of the clover send chal-
cid (Bruochophagus funebris) is a
tiny black wasp which - measures
about one-twelfth of an inch in length
and whose wings are practically vein-
less. These adults appear in early
June to deposit their microscopic
eggs in the soft seeds of the wither
ing florets.
The maggots develop from these
eggs and work their way into the
center of the seed on .h-mcd tney
feed. When fully grown they pupate
within the seeds and later appear as
adults during August. These place
their eggs in the second growth of
clover heads and by tho time tho
late crop is to be threshed for seed
the insects have emerged.
This leaves the seeds hollow so
that they are easily blown out in
threshing, although the heads in this
case may bo well filled. As with tho
midge there may bo two or three gen
erations during the season.
Both of these Insects are widely
distributed wherever clover is grown
for seed, and both of them at times
prove very destructive, affecting from
20 to 80 per cent of the seed crop,
states Professor A. L. Melander, en
tomologist of the Washington Agri
culturist Experiment Station at Pull
man. Fortunately the pests can be con
trolled by harvesting the first crop
of clover two or three weeks earlier
than usual. Tho cutting should be
done before the bloom withers, as
at that time tho young maggots would
be unable to mature on the cut heads.
This destruction of the first brood
carries with it a decided lessening of
the late broods, so that when prac
ticed the seed crop may be almost en
tirely saved.
The early cutting of the first crop
for hay hastens the development of
the second cutting, so that when the
second brood of adults appear there
are but few green heads for them to
work on.
To guard against tree repair fak
ers, or quack tree surgeons, the
Massachusetts Forestry Association
will Inspect the shade trees belong
ing to its members, free of charge.
FREE-BOOKLET-FREE
"The Use of Explosives in Agriculture"
How and why to subsoil, how to get out stumps, how to ditch, how
to break up boulders. Written by an expert. This is a modern
farmer's handbook on up-to-date methods.
Sign blank below and send today.
Name
Address
CALIFORNIA TROJAN POWDER CO.
307 Railway Exchange BWg. PORTLAND. OREGON
the Farmer
K i J-
AURIUUL 1LRIST9.
Proper Feed and Care
of the Pregnant Mare
ON many farms in Washington'
there are mares at the present
time which are with foal. So far, the
mare's need of additional nutrients
to develop the unborn youngster has
not been very great. From this time
on the amount of nourishment that
the fetus will demand will constantly
Increase, since the greatest growth is
made during tho last few months ot
pregnancy. Hence the present is tba
time to pay attention to the ration
which the brood mare is receiving.
At this season, a pregnant mare
represents two animals. Overwork
at this stage is equivalent to starving
the colt before it is born, states Pro
fessor William Hlslop, animal hus
bandman of the State Experiment
Station, at Pullman. If the mare is
forced to do a large amount of work,
one or the other must suffer. Of
course exercise is essential.
Furthermore, the pregnant mare
can and should do some work, for
entire cessation would be likely to
cause digestive troubles. As long as
the mare is not overtaxed, she may be
worked moderately to within a few
days of foaling with no bad effects.
Bocause grain-is high there is a
very common disposition to save it
and to supply the deficiency by using
entirely too much "filler" a3 found
in straw and timothy hay. There is
too much indigestible fiber in such
feeds, and as a result tbe maro has a
staring coat, dull eyes, low spirits,
and a shoddy appearance. ,
The mare should bo "humored" in
her feeding at this time. The full
ness of tbe abdominal cavity calls for
concentrated feeds, rather than bulky
ones, and briugs out the Importance
of feeding three times a day instead
of twice, which may be all right for
idle horses.
Good, bright alfalfa or heavy mixed
clover and timothy hay, wltb oats,
bran, and oil meal, fed in tbe pro
portion by weight of six, three, one,
make a most desirable ration. Pro
tein is highly essential during the
latter part of the gestation perfod,
while bran will tend to prevent con
stipation in the mare.
A quiet but roomy box stall that is
well bedded and free from draughts
should be provided for the act of
foallug. The loss of a few hours'
sleep in assisting tbe mare to foal, If
necessary, is but a trifle, so bo on
hand when the critical time arrives.
Awful 'Sponsiblllty.
Two women were absorbingly en
gaged In an Intimate conversation on
tho street car. No wonder another
woman was much Intm-pslert Tihon
she overheard the following:
'Got a letter from my ol' man.
Hadn't heard from him for a long
time, Says he's comln' home,"
"Now, ain't that too bad," said the
other consolingly. "An' you got such
a good start."
"Yes, I hate it. ' Was getiin' along
so well."
"My experience was th' same. Was
makin money and llvin' easy, when
my ol' man come back. He set aroun'
and et until my easy time was over."
Then the woman who had received
the letter heaved a sigh. "It's an
awful 'sponsiblllty on a woman,
havln' a husban' at home," she said.
Tndlanapolis News.