Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 194, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1917 — The Neighborhood Corner. [ARTICLE]

The Neighborhood Corner.

A Department of Farm Welfare Conducted by County Agent Stewart Learning. . Formaldehyde Gives Good Result*. “I’ll tell you, that formaldehyde treatment for seed oats is all right,” said W. H. Wortley, of Jordan township, the other day. “The oats that I treated yielded about ten bushels more than those that I did not treat. Although there was only about three per cent' of. smut in the untreatec oats there was much more difference to be noticed. The treated oats were thicker on the ground, had longer and stiffer straw and the grains were heavier than my untreated oats.” This experience is rather common among men who use formaldehyde to treat their seed oats for smut. Prof. F. J. Pipal, of Purdue, says that in the treatment of plant diseases were are at about the “quinine and calomel” stage which physicians used in treating human disease fifty years ago. Formaldehyde not only prevents smut, but it controls numerous other plant diseases, the nature of which is little understood. Experience has brought out the fact that it it profitable to use formaldehyde even if no smut exists. —o —

A Successful Hog Breeder. John R. Lewis left this week for the Indiana state fair, where he will begin the show season which will take his herd through the leading fairs of Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, and which will end with the International at Chicago. The herd, which consists of forty head, is .in the pink of condition and is expected to make a creditable showing for the county. Livestock improvement is making such rapid strides in all parts of the country that every farmer must have at least one class of pure-bred animals 'upon his farm. Are you preparing to do your part in improving our livestock? —o — Your Teacher. * Teachers’ institute is over and within the next few weeks the schools ’of the county will be opened. Many of the teachers will be new to their work and to the communities in which they serve. Can you not help make your school better by showing a friendly interest in it during the critical first few weeks? Be a booster for your school and you will be well repaid.

—o — Lime and Crop Production. , Henry Paulus spent some time last week in looking over the lime demonstration plots of the county and made some interesting discoveries. On the farm of Henry Gowland, of Marion, he. fouhd a good catch of young clover on the limed portion and a very poor one where no lime was applied. Orf’the E. P. Honan farm in Barkley, a narrow unlimed strip in a field seeded to Mammoth clover last spring will produce only a small proportion of crop that will be secured on the lim&i area. “Clover and lime,” says Mr. Paulus, “are what we need to build up most of our soils in this’county.” -—o — Gillam Club. The Gillam Farmers’ Club will meet at the Independence church next Wednesday evening, September sth. The principal topic for discussion will be “What Benefits Are We Receiving From Our Club.” Here is a chance for a good lively meeting and everyone is invited to go and take part in it. —o —

Parr Club. • The new comihittee,. of the Parr Farmers’ Club has arranged for a bumper meeting to be held at the school house next Thursday* evening, Sept. 6. Come out and show the committee that the club is the best in the county. ' —o — Fertilizer* For Wheat. “If your land will produce 50 bushels of corn per acre, you can use 200 or 250 pounds of acid phosphate as a fertilizer for your wheat this fall,” said C. C. Martindale, the wheat expert, who spent two days in this county in the interests of more and better wheat, “but jf it -is not that strong 1 would advise you to use enough bone meal to give the wheat a good start in the fall. Bone meal and acid phosphate make a good combination.” —o— Better Farming •Association Meeting. The semi-annual meeting of the Jasper County Better Farming Association will be held on the farm of President Henry Paulus next Sunday, September Bth, beginning at 11 o’clock. A basket picnic will h spread at boon. The program will consist of talks from extension specialists and the main part of the day will be devoted to the discussion of results Obtained to date and to nrfaking plan? for- further work. Bring your family and come. Everybody welcome. A pprty will leave the court house for the picnic grounds you join. _* ‘ at 10:30 and would be glad to have _ » . —o— A Hereford Story. “I bought a registered Hereford heifer two years ago for $350,” said one pf the cattle breeders of this county the other day. “Not long ago a man from lowa offered me SBOO for her and another man offered me SSOO for the calf that she produced. They are worth a good deal more to me than that and L am going to keep them, although a thousand dollars profit on one cow looks mighty good to me.” ' ■«" Win you let the lice kill your cucumber vines? Nicotine sulphate is death to plant lice,