888 
about the tree, the ditch being kept full of water 
the greater part of Summer. 
The Valley oak is a comparatively fast-growing 
tree when congenially established. The age of the 
greatest trees is problematical, owing to the quite 
common decay of the heart wood before maturity, 
but individuals are supposed to endure for three or 
four centuries. The rings for 57 years of annual 
growth were counted in a trunk only 22 inches in 
diameter. One of the most admired oaks in Cali¬ 
fornia is shown in Fig. 378. It is probably not the 
largest, but is almost faultless in its proportions, 
which in 1906 were: height, 105 feet; spread, 212 
feet; diameter of trunk at 10 feet from ground, 114 
inches, or nine and one-half feet. This famous tree, 
which stands on the well-known Bidwell ranch in 
Butte County, California, has been visited by the 
eminent botanist, Sir Joseph Hooker, and was named 
the Hooker Oak in his honor. The open growth of 
the present stands of Valley oak is well shown in 
Fig. 378. 
A DOG NURSING PIGS. 
The picture at Fig. 382 is sent us by M. E. 
Gunsche, of Burlington Co., N. J. He calls it one of 
“Nature's Curiosities,” and says: 
“The small pig marked with a cross was one of 
a litter of five, which was crowded from his mother 
and did not develop very rapidly. About the same 
time this dog, having had a litter of pups taken 
from her, was lying on the back porch when this 
suckling, nosing around for something to eat, dis¬ 
covered her. He at once took the nipple of the dog 
and has been nursing ever since. In about a week 
the other two pigs seemed to find out what was 
going on, and applied themselves to the same source 
of food, and now all three are relieving this proud 
dog of her milk. This pig has grown to a good size 
and is very much of a pet; will come when called, 
and wants to sleep under the stove on cold nights. 
He is very fond of the owner and still follows his 
foster mother around. 
This is a new one to us. We have seen pictures 
of cows nursing pigs and of cats brooding chickens, 
but this is entirely new business for a dog. 
FIGURE OUT THE FEEDS. 
The following letter was sent to a feed dealer in 
Ohio: 
We are shipping into tlie States of New York and Penn¬ 
sylvania thousands of tons of Star Feed. This business 
was established many years ago and we can present no 
better evidence of its satisfactory quality than the fact 
that the same dealers who handled it 10 years ago are 
handling it to-day. 
With our increased facilities for making Star Feed, we 
are now opening up a new trade with Ohio feeders and 
dealers. The purpose of this letter is to acquaint you 
with Star Feed and to tell you that it equals in quality 
the more expensive hominy feed and can be bought at one 
dollar and fifty cents per ton less. It was this fact that 
appealed to the trade in the States named. 
WHAT IS STAR FEED? 
It might rightfully be called Nature’s Feed, as the basis 
of its mixture equals the ear of corn when crushed for 
feeding purposes. It contains hominy feed which is 
higher in protein than corn. It also contains cob meal 
which adds to its feeding value, because cob meal when 
mixed with other feeds makes them better from a feeding 
standpoint and easier to digest. This is a scientific fact 
as emphasized by feed experts who have made a study of 
the feeding problems. the Toledo elevator company. 
Accompanying it was the following: 
IMPORTANT ! 
Why feed corn when you can buy STAR FEED at a 
saving of $4.00 to $6.00 per ton? 
For example: No. 3 white corn will cost, approximately, 
78 cents per bushel, 56 pounds, your market. This is 
equivalent to $2S.OO per ton. STAR FEED delivered same 
rate point is worth about $24.25 per ton, as pointed out 
has equal feeding value. 
Corn shows moisture content from S% to 80%, while 
STAR FEED will not exceed 9%. Feeders frequently over¬ 
look this important consideration. THINK IT OYER. 
ANALYSIS. 
STRAIGHT HOMINY. 
to 9% Protein . 9% 
to 7% Fat . 7% 
12% Fibre . 7% 
Experiment Station in its last 
report gives the following analysis of Star Feed: 
Crude Crude Crude 
Protein. Fat. Fibre. 
Guaranteed . 7. 5.50 12.50 
Found ... 9.06 i .31 10.6S 
STAR. 
Protein . 7% 
Fat . 5y 2 
Fibre not over.. 
The New York 
This feed contained “hominy feed, corn and ground 
-corn and cob and one-half of one per cent of salt.” 
The following figures of analysis are taken from 
Henry’s “Feeds and Feeding”: 
Protein. Fat. Fibre. 
Corn .. 10.3 5 2.2 
Corncob . 2.4 0.5 30. 
Hominy chop . 9.8 8.3 3.8 
Now a farmer can figure from this what he must 
pay for ground corn cobs in such a prepared feed. 
Let him get the value of corn and hominy per ton 
and then figure. 
THE R U RAb NEW - VOi^KER 
WOODEN HOOP SILOS. 
Cost and Construction of a Simple Type. 
Inquiries are coming our way frequently from the 
statement made by my friend John Gould that I would 
be glad to give plans and specifications for wooden 
hoop silos, hence I take this means of reaching each 
inquirer and at the same time others who are inter¬ 
ested. I am quite well acquainted with the needs and 
demands of farmers in regard to the use of silos and 
the feeding of silage. Thousands of feeders and own¬ 
ers of cows are precluded from the building of silos 
and the feeding of silage because of large expense of 
constructing a good silo. Those w-ho are building 
expensive structures are largely those who are finan¬ 
cially able to withstand the expense. Under such cir¬ 
cumstances I have no criticisms to offer; but for the 
rank and file of farmers who most need some sort of 
a silo that will do the work, yet cost possibly one- 
third less than the average manufactured structure, I 
am recommending a plan for a home-made wooden 
structure. 
My friend, H. P. Miller, who possibly put up the first 
wooden hoop structure in this State after a plan of 
my suggestion some years ago, still recommends this 
same plan as a cheap and profitable way to preserve 
the corn crop in good silage. In this portion of Ohio 
but few other plans are in use. The illustration. Fig. 
379, gives a good conception of one of the early con¬ 
structed wooden hoop concerns which has been in use 
about 10 years. This silo has kept silage within it for 
2^4 years, which fed out in perfect condition at the 
end of that period. It holds close to 100 tons, being 
AN OHIO WOODEN SILO. Fig. 379. 
32 feet high and 13 feet in diameter. The cost of this 
silo 10 years ago was $83 as it appears in illustration. 
To-day with added expense of lumber and labor the 
expense in total will reach the $100 mark. These fig¬ 
ures are a representation of all expense for material 
and labor. These figures can be very materially re¬ 
duced in cash expenditure by the farmer doing a large 
portion of the work within his own labor on the farm, 
to within 60 per cent to 75 per cent of the named 
figures. 
This silo was made from oak and Georgia pine, 
though some have used red elm for hoops. The hoop 
stuff was sawed from a small tree to get toughness, 
log 14 feet long cut into strips three inches wide and 
five-eighths inch thick. It would be better if possible 
to have the hoop material taken to planing mill and 
planed to a perfect fitting in width and thickness. 
Care should be used to have the three ply of strips 
break joints at even intervals in the circle. It will 
be necessary to construct some sort of a form for 
nailing the strips thoroughly together. When making 
these hoops make a distinct mark on each one of the 
hoops at the same joint, and when placing the hoops 
one above the other arrange to have this mark perpen¬ 
dicular over each one. looking at right angles like 
the plus sign, -(-. 
The foundation can be made from stone, brick or 
concrete, and need be only eight inches at the top 
where the first hoop is laid. This particular first hoop 
should be laid in cement and allowed to get solid before 
beginning the work of the wooden structure. The inner 
edges of the hoop and wall should be even, made so l*y 
cementing the wall even with the hoop. The lining 
of pine should drop down say two inches to 2\A inches 
below the junction of hoop and wall, and then 
cemented even again so that the wall and siding will 
make an even cylinder from top to bottom. This is 
August 24 
important to insure perfect settling of the silage and 
leaving no open air spaces. 
The second hoop is placed above the other 22 inches 
from center to center by using short studding, six in 
number, placed among the base hoop, toe-nailing 
slightly only to hold temporarily as noticed in picture. 
The studding are only needed while constructing the 
silo, and when completed should be removed, hence 
can be sawed out of any inferior material. The silo 
looks better without them, and their useless presence 
cause early decay of both hoops and lining. We find 
that we can increase the distance apart of hoops at the 
rate of two inches up to 30 inches, then build on to top 
with the 30 inches from centers to top. This silo was 
constructed in two sections of 32 feet each, and the 
lining of the lower section was cut all to the same 
length and the fitting at top made in the center of top 
hoop, then well pitched there when putting on the top 
section to insure an airtight joint. Now the entire 
framework of the whole silo can be put up and joints 
broken at intervals, thus insuring greater perpendicu¬ 
lar strength, yet the labor is considerably greater in 
so doing. 
Begin the work of lining at that point where the 
doors are supposed to begin, first beveling flooring suf¬ 
ficiently for swedging the doors when completed. Put 
the flooring on the same manner as if laying floor on 
joisting, secret nailing at tongue and then through 
lining three-fourths inch from back edge. This in¬ 
sures no racking of the structure. When reaching 
around to within two feet of starting point line the 
last board to be just two feet from the starting edge, 
bevel as before, and nail tight. 
Make doors out of the same material as lining, mak¬ 
ing the doors continuous from the second hoop, meet¬ 
ing in center of each loop with bevel on sides equal 
to that on the siding, so they will swell tight from 
the heat and moisture from the silage. This is the 
cheapest method to construct a wooden hoop silo, and 
will cost about $75 to $80, and will last from 10 to 12 
years. Very many are left roofless, and so far as 
keeping of the silage is concerned no disadvantages 
results. The only disadvantage is the handling when 
it snows, and stock do not relish it so well as when 
kept clear of snow. We tried it one year without 
roof, but roofed it the next season. 
If the person putting up one of these silos wants to 
make it double its lasting qualities that can be done 
by pitching the hoops so as to make them water¬ 
proof, and possibly painting the pine with a cheap 
paint. Some have painted the tongues and grooves 
of the lining while putting it on. A silo made after 
the last suggestion will last many years, will look 
good, keep silage as well as any $500 one, and will 
not fall or blow down outside a cyclone. There are 
no iron hoops to let out or draw up at intervals, 
when if neglected the silo will blow or fall down. The 
advocacy of this silo is by no means a criticism on 
any other type of silo, only to help out the hundreds 
of dairymen who are robbing themselves of a cheap 
feed because they cannot afford to pay out from $300 
to $500 for a 100-ton silo. The past year 75 tons of 
silage enabled the writer to sell from his farm $298 
worth of hay. This silage came from five acres of 
ground that would not have made more than five tons 
of hay all told, which would have sold for $75, yet 
the silage grown from that soil took the place of 25 
acres of hay that otherwise went into the market and 
brought the $298, enough to construct two 100-ton 
silos. geo. e. SCOTT. 
Ohio. 
It is the iuteutiou of this family to settle in the East 
just as soon as we can accomplish/ it. I have been in the 
West for a number of years, and have traveled extensively 
in various parts of the world, and since I desire or rather 
do not desire to leave my country (the United States), 
there is no country from Australia to Europe that appeals 
to me as does New England. T. M. 
Oregon. 
We have, during the past few months, received sev¬ 
eral letters like the above. In the first three months 
of this year there were about 100 calls from the Pa¬ 
cific slope States for the farm pamphlet issued by the 
New York Agricultural Department. We cannot say 
that the immigration tide “has turned,” but without 
question many reasoning people in the Far West have 
come to see the great advantages of Pennsylvania, 
New York and New England. In the section em¬ 
braced by these States are to be found the best mar¬ 
kets in the world, some of the best farms, some of 
the cheapest land and the best transportation in the 
country. There are solid advantages which may be 
claimed for this section—often overlooked in the roar 
and hurrah of the Western and Southern land boom¬ 
ers. We are glad that the East has not joined the 
bell-ringers and howlers in trying to attract settlers, 
but our people ought to let the public know what we 
have to offer. 
