Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1919 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

A DEPARTMENT OF FARM WELFARE CONDUCTED BY COUNTYAGENT TEAMING. - A Stitch in Time. * In spite of the general feeling of pessimism in regard to the condition of "the wheat crop, it is not too late to take measures which will result in saving thousands" of acres of wheat in this county which are now in a very critical state. The very •best wheat at the present time in the Turkey Red or other hard variety sowed before September 25 on reasonably good land with a liberal application of fertilizer. Such wheat, if given a fairly heavy coat of straw or manure has an excellent chance to come through the winter in good shape and to produce a good crop next summer. A number of leading farmers are taking advantage of the frozen mornings and are busy with straw spreaders or manure spreaders and have protected most of their crop. ~, The same treatment, coupled with judicious &nd continued rolling next spring, will give a new lease on life to many fields which now seem almost helpless. Straw and manure applied to wheat fields at this time will not be wasted even if the crop should fail. Jasper county farmers have between >150,000 and >206,000 invested in labor and seed for their 1919 wheat crop. 4 It would be regretable if any wheat farmer could not find the time to protect his part of this investment. A few days now spent in caring for the wheat may make the dierence between a good crop and a complete failure at harvest time. ——.

A Good Resolution. “This is the year that I am going to start to take care of my orchard in the way that I know it should be cared for,” said a farmer the other day. “My regular work is up in good shape and I have the time to start a ‘reconstruction period’ right on my own farm.” There are plentv of fruit trees in the county to supply good fruits for everyone if a little time and thought is bestowed upon them, .*l3lllß far the winter has been unusually favorable for orchard care, practically every day being suitable for pruning and many days being satisfactory for winter spraying. A general use of the pruning saw, lime-sulphur and arseriate of lead would make such a change in the quality of fruit produced in the locality that old residents would not recognize it. And certainly the change would be for the better. Corn Stalks and Wheat, Scab. The discovery of the fact that wheat scab, a disease which is becoming prevalent in this locality, has for its host the com plant will probably bring about some important changes in crop rotation. In aseries of observations last summer it was found that in wheat fields Which were planted to com the year previous, the amount of scab averaged about 11 per cent, and where some other crop preceded the wheat the average was 1 to 1.4 cerft. . . .. It is thought 'by specialists that the wheat scab is a natural parasite of the corn plant, living on the dead stalks through the winter and attacking the wheat heads at ripening time. It is probable that this disease, Which appeared to be a gfave menace to wheat production in Indiana, may be controlled by removing the wheat crop as far as possible from cbm in rotation,- - - -'

In order that we have first hand study of the matter in the county, the writer suggests that farmers who have on their farms wheat after both corn and small grains, count the percentage of scab in each at harvest time and report on the same. A simple study of the relation can be made by trying a small bundle of corn stalks in a field of wheat sown on uninfected land and observing any increase in scab immediately around the bundle. Tractor Experiences Reviewed. Unbiased information as to the success of the farm tractor in, Indiana is given in Circular 89 of the State Agricultural Experiment Station, copies of which may be obtained at the Better Farming office. A discussion of size of farms needed, cost of fuel and repairs, proper size of

tractor, life, effect on increased acreage, delays due to mechanical trouble, number of days service per year, together with a detailed discussion of the proper construction of the various units of th etractor are some of the more important items taken up in this work. Hot Luncheon in Rural School*. Do you like eating a cold box luncheon at noon day after day? This is what ntany of our school children do eight months out of the twelve. Besides beingSmappetizing, investigations show that children will do (better mental work when provided with something hot at noon. Is it fair to ask a child to miss his good hot dinner at home and expect him to do good work at school? The problem of serving hot lunch in the rural schools is easily solved. Only one hot dish to supplement the cold lunch brought from 1 home. This could be done by practically every rural school in Jasper county by using the ordinary heating or oil stove. Baking potatoes, apples, squash, roasting meat and sandwiches, soup or cocoa. Wednesday Miss Luther at Surrey served, potato soup at noon made on an oil stoves Mita Knapp at Giord has her domestic science class prepare the*‘lunch. Miss Day Jordan at Newland uses her oil stove, part of the time and also uses the furnace. - Some of these schools serve every day and others only once or twice a week. -An adequately su-

pervised lunch at school, whether prepared there or at home, is conceded to contribute to the child’s health and to hi? readiness to learn. Home Economic* Club 'Meet*. The Newton Township Home Economics Club will meet Thursday, Ferris. The topic for discussion is Poultry, Incubators, Brooding, Feeding, Rearing of Chicks, and Diseases Among Chicks.