Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1901 — GARDEN AND FARM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GARDEN AND FARM

EFFECT OF RAIN UPON THE SOIL. Rains and snows assist to a certain extent in adding fertility to the soil. In one year rains bring down about four pounds of ammonia per acre. Nitric acid, chlorine, sulphuric acid and ammonia are all brought to the ground, though the amounts are not large. KEEP ONLY PRODUCTIVE COWS. A cow that gives sixteen quarts of milk per day is worth two that give eight quarts each, for the reason that she will occupy but one stall, while the others require two. One cow will incur less expense to the owner for shelter and also for labor and care, consequently she gives more profit not only by reason of greater product but also because she is less expensive than the un profitable cows. BUILD CISTERNS FOR CATTLE. Cows in order to do their best and give us the greatest amount of profit must have ready access to pure drinking water at least three times a day in summer. Farmers who have no wells or springs on their land should dig a few large cisterns around their buildings and see to it that the supply of water is constantly replenished by each rain. Cisterns will be one of the best investments they can make, for they are not only useful in summer, but in winter as well. During the cold days water freshlydrawn will be drunk in pails full, whereas a few swallows would suffice if sucked through a- hole in the ice. POULTRY IN THE GARDEN. Late in the season all kinds of poultry may be allowed the run of the garden, except geese and ducks, which should be turned out on a pasture. Fowls do not injure gardens after the crops are well under way, though hens with chicks will scratch for seeds on newly-prepared plots. The fowls will destroy many insects and also consume the seeds of some weeds. They also eat the young and tender weeds that are coming up. Geese will consume that persistent and annoying weed known as purslaine, or pursley, while both ducks and geese will thrive on green food entirely if allowed. It is a waste of grain to give it to fowls that have the run of grass and young weeds, as they can select for themselves ill the food desired. A LATE FODDER CROP. Listing corn is a quick way of growing a late crop for fodder. A lister is a double plow, or a right-and-left hand plow set together at the landsides, so as to throw a furrow both ways, thus making a ditch. At the back end of the beam is a subsoiler, which stirs up the bottom of the furrow. The one-horse drill follows, which plants the seed, though the lister and drill may be combined if preferred. The seel is thus planted deep and somewhat thick, no checking being required, as the corn is cultivated but one way. Even as late is August corn may be planted with the lister, and as the method is a quick one the cost is not great. If too late to mature the corn it may be cut at any stage of growth and cured, but the proper time is when th? ears are in the milky stage.

TRENCHING. It is doubtful if there is any more effectual method of pulverizing the soil to the depth of two feet or more than by trenching. In fact, it is difficult to see how it could be dpne in any other way, as the surface soil which is the richest should be turned below and the subsoil thrown on the top. This is the indispensable condition of a good vineyard. It is not the mixture of the surface with the subsoil that is wanted, but about twelve inches of the surface soil, mixed up and put below, and the subsoil thrown on the top of it, a complete reversion of the soil, so the foot roots of the vines will have rich soil and make a strong growth. There arc other methods of partially accomplishing this result. One is to dig large holes and throw the rich soil below and the subsoil on the top. Another is to trench in narrow rows about two feet wide and deep, reversing the soil. And still another is by plowing with a heavy plow as deep as can be done, and follow after with a subsoil plow. This method might do in loose, rich or sandy soil, but in clay soil is of little value over digging holes. It is the cost of trenching compared with other methods that must be considered in going into the business on a large scale. Trenching costs about $75 per acre, in narrow strips about S4O, digging holes about sls and plowing and subsoiling about $25. 7 he Efitotni/t.

WHERE THE TROUBLE WAS. While making cheese I once had a patron whose milk was seldom perfectly sweet. I expostulated and lectured, and he seemed to really try to improve matters, but without success. He claimed to aerate and cool his milk down to a low temperature every night, yet in the morning it would be on the verge of acidity. In passing his house one afternoon just as I had finished my day's work I saw his wife washing the milk cans, which had stood in the- hot sun since early morning! The next day I told my delinquent patron that I had discovered the source of his trouble, and that if he would still continue to aerate and cool his milk with the same assiduity, and in addition sec that his milk cans were thoroughly washed and scalded with boiling water before 8 o’clock every morning I would be almost willing to guarantee the quality of his milk. He did 00, and we had no trouble thereafter.

Fven -iKith the best facilities, coupleft with painstaking efforts, it is sometimes very difficult to preserve milk quality for twelve or eighteen hours in hot weather. Many fly to ice, and depend upon that solely. But this does not necessarily imply good dairying. If one is possessed of a supply of ice it is a valuable adjunct in these matters, but it should be used circumspectly. Do not cool milk down suddenly with ice before that milk has been thoroughly aerated. With pure air surrounding, and except in the most sultry and “muggy’” weather, I have no fears of preserving milk quality without the help of ice. I would simply aerate it, and thus cool it at the same time.—Dr. G. E. Newell, in Nebraska Farmer. BEES AS BLIGHT DISTRIBUTERS. I have thoroughly worked out the question relative to bees carrying blight. The conclusion reached is that bees carry pear blight extensively, and with other insects are the principal or almost the only agency of distribution of the germs. The occurrence of the blight on the blossoms in great quantities and the great rapidity with which the disease spread-, from flower to flower indicate a normal and very effective method of distribution. The germs were found growing freely in the nectar of the blossoms. Bees were seen repeatedly visiting the infected flowers, and some were caught taking infected nectar, and by means of plate cultures the pear blight germs were isolated from their mouth parts. By covering parts of the trees with sacks of various kinds of material, including mosquito retting, and then artificially infecting certain flowers on the tree, the blight was observed to spread very freely over the uninfected and uncovered blossoms, but was entirely absent in the blossoms covered by mosquito netting. Elossoms were infected and at once covered with sacks and the blight in such cases was retained in the infected blossoms. Pear blight germs died very soon after being dried up, and lived for only a brief period on exposure to weather conditions out of doors, hence they cannot live in dust and be blown around to any great extent by the wind. Pear blight virus, particularly that which occurs on the blossoms, is a very sticky substance, and is readily carried by insects. birds or other animals, but cannot be blown by the wind. It may also be well to state that as a result of this serious charge against bees I was led to carry on an extensive serieof experiments in the pollination of pomaccous fruits, and as a result of these I found that bees arc indispensable to the pollination and setting of most of our pomaceous fruits, hence they should not be destroyed, as some California growers think. They simply carry the pear blight incidentally while performing an important and necessary function. —Professor M. B. Waite, in American Agriculturist.

SPRAYING AND CULTIVATING ORCHARDS. In order to get the most from the orchards there is nothing like thorough spraying every season, and liberal fertilizing with ashes a.’.d commercial and barnyard manures. No surer protection against blights, droughts and other injuries can be conceived. The force of this is not always appreciated. Some- > times it is necessary to have a lesson brought straight home. Well, if one wishes to learn by experience, take two orchards or two parts of the same orchard, and spray and fertilize one and neglect the other. Keep at it for two or three seasons, in order to make sure of the results. If this does not convince one of the value of spraying and fertilizing, then you are justified in giving up both practices. Sometimes exceptionally good seasons will not make the difference between care and an orchard very apparent. When the blights and insects are not around in the orchards much, and the season is well adapted to produce good crops of fruits, even the neglected orchards will show a fair yield; but. then, every orchard in the country is full, and it is no sign of good farming that one has raised a good crop. It is the off season that tells. When all other fruit trees are injured by the blight, insects or dry weather, then is the time that your trees will pay the most in full. It is in the off season that the experienced horticulturist makes his greatest profits. He has fruit to sell when nobody else has. and the high prices he receives for it make his profits large and satisfactory. It costs to fertilize and spray the trees every season; but the work will pay if done thoroughly and economically. The spraying should be so thorough on every, tree and on every side and part of the tree that no insect is missed. Only in this way will the tree be absolutely guarded against attack. The fertilizing with ashes and manures should be conducted in the same thorough and economical way. Not a load of either should be wasted. Only so much as the.trees and vines need should be used, and some years the soil may get jo full that nothing but a little stirring and plowing will be needed. We do not wish to overfeed the soil lest it should get sour. Trees growing on rich soil, supplied with ashes, potash and phosphoric acid, will grow so thriftily that they will not be very susceptible tp the attacks of insects and blights. They form their'own protection in the strong, vigorous growth of root, trunk and leaves.—A. B. Barrett, in American Cultivator. The sun spot was a little late in getting into the hot-wave proposition, but when it did arrive it made up for lost time by promising four years of sizzling weather. About one-half of the world's requirements of camphor is produced in Formosa and about one-third in Japan.