JUL 171908
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VOL. LXIII             , ,. . _ __„. WY INDIANAPOLIS,
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JULY 18, 1908.
NO. 29
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RAISING DUCKS.
More   Profitable Than  Hens.
lst Premium.—Ducks are more profitable than chicks, if we raise the right
kind and give them the proper kind of
feed. Duck raising has developed within
ihe last twenty years into a flourishing industry. Prior to this the duck was not
considered a profitable fowl to raise. Its
flesh was not in general favor, on account
of its being obliged to pick up its living as
best it could along creeks and marshes,
living mostly upon fishes and water insects, and of course this gave its flesh a
strong fishy flavor. But ducks will respond very rapidly when handled for a
profit. They   are   very   heavy   feeders
and will grow twice as rapidly as chicks.
On account of the duck being without a
crop the food passes directly to the gizzard, and consequently the food must be
in a soft mushy state. Soft food, together with grass and vegetables and animal
food, is their natural diet. Too much
hard grain does not agree with these
birds, and they will not thrive on it. T>
produce best results the food must be such
;ss will be easily assimilated. From time
ol hatching to five days old the following
mixture is all right: Crackers or bread
crnms and corn meal, equal parts; harsl
1 oiled eggs about 15 per cent; sand about
•j per cent; mix with water or milk and
teed four times a day. From 5 to 20
slays old feed wheat bran two parts, corn
meal one part, beef scraps 5 per cent, sand
o per cent, green food 10 per cent; mix
with water and feed 4 times a day. The
hours for feeding ducks are 6 a. in., 10 a.
m., 2 p. m., and 6 p. m.
The food of the duck is such as to re-
<;uire drink while eating. When feeding always replenish the water trough
with pure fresh water, as a duck while
feeding will take a few mouthfuls then
no to the trough for a drink. The amount
s)f feed varies as does their growth. The
growth should be about one-half pound a
week; then as it increases they require
an additional quantity of food. Feed
each meal what they will eat clean with a
relish. It is better they should have not
enough than to overfeed them.
Houses for ducks are simple affairs;
they have no furnishing whatever. A
duck is differently constituted from a hen
nnd must be cared for under different eon-
slitions. The hen needs drier, warmer
surroundings. A duck does not mind the
cold at all if she can keep her feet warm.
(old feet will affect a duck as a frozen
comb does a hen, retarding laying and insuring ailments. Again, the duck cannot stand the amount of confinement in a
house that a hen can, as she is more restless in disposition. Her ceaseless motion aids the digestive organs and keeps
her in good health.
There is quite a number of different varieties of ducks. None stands higher in
popular esteem on the farm than the
White Pekin. They are easily raised
uud are considered among the best for
table use. They are very large, some
leaching as high as 20 pounds per pair.
When handled and fed properly ducks
:<rc quite  profitable. On     account    of
fewer diseases and not getting affected
with vermin, they are more easily manned and more profitable than chickens.
G. E.
Easily   Managed.
2d Premium.—I have had several years
experience in raising ducks. The first
thing to acquire is good breeding stock.
I prefer Pekins, as I consider them a
hardier breed than some others. Ducks
are more profitable than chickens because
the mortality is much less among them
and they are always free from lice. Also
their feathers sell at a good price.
The eggs should be set early, so the
ducks will be ready for market while they
are a good price. When the ducks are
hatched I put them in a small inclosure.
If hatched at different periods they should
be kept separate,   for the larger ones will
once a day. Once a day I give them a
mixed feed of clabber, cheese and meal,
of viiiieh they are very fond. In each
pan of water I put a little of copperas as
a preventive against disease. I keep them
in plenty of fresh water, by filling pans
often. They never run off, and are happy
catching flies the whole day long, making
hundreds of trips back and forth. Last
year I sold them by the pound. They
averaged eight pounds and I received 7
cents pei pound, beating the usual method of selling them as soon as full feathered at 25c per head. R. V. K.
No. 640, July 25.—Show the importance
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Home of A. J. Logan, Cass County.
trample ihe others. When they are
about a week old they can be let run at
will. 1 keep water in shallow vessels
for awhile, but as the ducks get larger I
use vessels about five or six inches deep so
that they can swim. I feed them ground
corn, not meal. I put it in a pan,
cover with water, and let the ducks spoon
it up. They run after insects and in
that way supply their meat food. If
the ducks do not have a large place to
run in they should be given finely ground
meat scraps. When they are about five
weeks old they begin to feather. It is
very essential that they should havo
plenty of water to swim in at this time;
When they are feathered they weigh
about three pounds. Now is the time to
get them ready for market. They
should be fed cracked corn and given all
they will eat. They are ready for sale
at ten wee*ks old.
I have not lost any ducks this summer
and I have some that are almost ready
for market. I have been very successful with this management.
J.  F.
Grow  Very Fast.
3d Premium.—I raise the large Pekin
ducks and find that they are easily
raised and soon grow into money. As
soon as they are hatched I place them
in a pen by themselves. Here I keep
them until a week old, or till able to run
around and take care of themselves. I
do not keep them with hens, hence they
are free from lice. I feed them coarse
corn meal, and with a little ginger, a very
little salt and some black pepper in feed
of attending the County and State Fairs.
No. 047, August 1.—Explain why you
should have a supply of silage, or vegetables, or other green stuff, for winter feeding of dairy cows.
Domestic Science.
Professor Latta informs us that
Professor Henrietta W. Calvin, for
the past five years Head of the Domestic Sicence Department of the Kansas
Agricultural College, will succeed Miss
Harner as the Head of the Domestic
Science Department of Purdue University.
Mrs. Calvin, like Miss Harner, is a grad
uate of the Kausas Agricultural College.
After graduating she took charge of the
library of said college. At the end of two
years she became Head of the Domestic
Science Department of the same institution.
Mr. W. E. Blackburn, a member of the
Board of Regents of said college, writes:
"Mrs. Calvin has excellent educational acquirements, the highest personal character, and great capacity to teach and inspire girls; she is one of the foremost
workers in her chosen field in the United
States."
Professor Dickens, Head of the Department of Horticulture of the same institution says: "Professor Calvin is a
forcible speaker and can interest and hold
an Institute audience throughout her address.
Mr. J. H. Miller, Superintendent of
Farmers Institutes and of the Extension
Department of the Kansas Agricultural
College, writes: "Mrs. Calvin has done
a   great  deal   of  very   faithful   and   able
work in our Farmers' Institutes. I think
she is the most popular one of the entire
force so far as the people are concerned
and everybody likes to hear her. She
has lived in the country, is thoroughly familiar with the privations and opportunities and pleasure iu country life, and is
a woman of deep sympathy for all who
ere trying to make more of life."
— Domestic Science at the Farmers'
Institutes. —
The high character and quality of the
instruction at the Farmers ' Institutes
given by Mrs. Romine, Miss Miller, and
others, have created an interest throughout the state in this work. While the
services of these effective workers will
uot be available hereafter, it is highly
gratifying to be able to announce that
Miss Ethel E. Berry, a promising graduate of the Kansas Agricultural College
and a Domestic Science pupil of Mrs.
Calvin, will discuss Household Economic
topics at the Fanners' Institutes in Indiana the coming winter.
Value of  Tile Drainage.
Editor! Indiana Farmer:
Millions of acres of good farming land
have been tile-drained with great benefit
thereto, but there are millions of acres
more in the country which will be improved, sooner or later by such treatment.
In many sections of the country, the experts of the Department of Agriculture
ftate, the farmers are growing fair crops;
but they do not realize that with tile drainage they could greatly increase their crops.
Soil drainage is a matter, however, which
requires some study of the conditions. Systems whieh will perfectly drain some lands
and enable their owners to produce maximum crops are entirely inadequate for
other soils. The questions of the area
of ground to be drained by a tile line and
the depth at which the tiles should be laid
are oues which each farmer must consider
on his own particular farm. A great
many experiments have been made by the
government and the experiment stations;
but these)serve only as a general index, for
soils vary and two adjoining farms, or
even land in the same farm may require
different treatments. But the subject is
worth studying. Many lands need drainage which appear to be naturally well-
drained and the drainage literature of the
Department of Agriculture which will be
furnished on application is well worth
reading. A well-constructed tile drainage system will last for years and the
cost of installation is soon overcome by the
increased production of the land.
Only recently the Department of Agriculture issued a bulletin describing the use
of cement on the farm, in which it was
shown that concrete tile drains are a
means of reducing the expense of a system
of drainage. But withal the ingenious
farmer can at little expense manufacture
his own pipes out of concrete by utilizing
a home-made apparatus.
In a Wisconsin Experiment Station test
in corn growing on comparatively naturally well-drained soil, the yield was more
than doubled by tile draining, lines 70
feet apart, while with lines at 40 feet
intervals the yield of both corn and roughage was increased over 300 per cent.
G. E. M.
The offlee force of the John Deere Plow
Company, of Indianapolis, held a delightful picnic at Farview Park (a trolley ride
of seven miles from Indianapolis) on Sat-
uiday afternoon July llth. About thirty-
five in all attended this picnic.