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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1917-2-22, Page 6ducted by Professor Henry G. Bell The object of this department Is to place at the service of o,lr f'arrn readers the. advice of an acknow7• edged suthority on, all subjects pretafning to sods and crops. Address all questions to Professor Henry G. BeIl,in care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, To• vonto` and answers wI l appear In this column in the order In which theyere received. As space is limited It is advisable where immediate reply is necessary that a stamped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the questlen, when the answer will be mailed direct. Question—ll. 0,—Would it be pro- fitable.. to, put a piece of land into spring'lvheat this spring, end would it he alright to use artificial fertilizer if no manure is used? What are the best' varieties of seed'? The soil is gravelly loam? Answer.—If the price of wheat re- mains anything near what it is at pres- ent, spring wheat should be a very:pro- that surface drains are kept open, and add tile drains as you are able until all the land drains freely. Valuable Pasture and meadow 'grasses and clev- ers will not thrive in Water-logged If clover is scarce in the sod and sheep sorrel grows freely, it is likely your meadow or pasture land is sour. Apply two to four tons of finely fitable crop in 1917. Prof, Zavitz of ground limestone per acre, or, its. r College advises l e uivtlent of burnt lime or marl, This Ontario Agricultural q using' from 11riu bushels of seed per can be spread on the land as soon as �. r acre. .Ile recommends the Marquis it is dry enough to drive over it in wheat which has done best of its type spring. A broadcast limesower is best to use In spreading the lithe. zt may be the 'plantfood' of your grass land is getting scarce or inas in tests throughout the various Parts • of the province. Another good spring wheat is Wild Goose, which produces an exceedingly hard kernel but one tive. If so, spread from 5 to 10 loads not of very high quality. Early Sava of manure On your Meadow next spring spring wheat is another variety which is also successfully grown, I believe it would be advisable to ap- ply at least 250 Ibs. of fertilizer per acre in order to insure a good vigor- ous start of this money -crop. For a gravelly loam, I would apply a fertili- zer carrying from 2 to 8% ammonia, at least 8% phosphoric acid and 1 to time. 2% potash. This can be broadcasted Grasses. with a lime spreader, but is better ap- Orchard plied through the fertilizer dropping Meadow Fescue attachment of the grain drill. Tall oats • . , , . • , , , W. H. H.—The Maples ---I have 500 acres pasture land and 700 acres just as grass growth is starting. Finally, the kinds of grasses grow- ing in your meadow may be naturally low yielders. If so, let your next seeding be of high-grade seed of good varieties. Prof. Zavitz of Ontario Agricultural College, after 10 years' tests, recommends the .following mix - Lbs. per A. 4 4 3 Timothy. ....,..... mi2 Meadow .?!oxtail The average 10 -yr. yield was 5.09 tons per acre, Legumes. Lbs. per A. Alfalfa 5 Alsike Clover2 White Clover 1 Yellow Trefoil .. ... 1 Total 24r lbs. meadow. Am carrying a little over 100 head of beef cattle, 100 hogs and 85 sheep at present. Ani anxious to make my • land carry more. What can you .suggest 2 Answer—If water stands on your meadows or pastures late in spring, obviously drainage is necessary. See POTATOES FOR ONTARIO The Third of a Series of Five Special Articles by Prof. Henry G. Bell. If Ontario produced in 1917 300 bus. 1 per acre of potatoes on the acreage I devoted to potatoes last year, she could provide one pound of potatoes a day for a whole year for a population of 8,250,000 people. Can she do it? I believe she can. Such an accom- plishment is but the result of applying methods which have "proven out" no further removed from Ontario than Aroostock Co., Maine. The yield d Per this obtained int s county has fre- quently exceeded 300 bus. for areas not of 5 or 10 acres but on whole farms of 75 to 150 acres. Ontario for the most part has a good potato soil. The range of tem- perature and rainfall during the grow- ing season is usually such as favors good yields of potatoes. Labor is very. scarce, and potatoes probably require more Tabor than most farm crops. Nevertheless, if Ontario farmers would individually or co-operatively equip themselves with modern potato machinery, a great deal of hand labor could be avoided, and large areas handled with little more labor than it now takes to work the common 3 to 5 a. potato patches. There are at least five great essentials in growing this crop, each of which must be care- fully observed if big yields or first quality are to be harvested: lst—Potato soil must be fairly open, friable, and must be well drain- ed. Potatoes will not thrive in water- logged soil. See that the open drains are clear and the tile drains are doing their work. Plant your crop on sod land that was deeply plowed. The tu- bers swell rapidly in. July. They must not be constricted by heavy, closely packed soil. Disk and harrow the seedbed till it is mellow. 2nd—Potatoes must have an abund- ance of moisture, especially when the tubers are filling. "Ah, yes!" you say, "that is just where we cannot control conditions." Are you sure youcannot control the moisture supply, at least to a con- siderable extent? Is your soil deeply fall plowed, so :that it can catch and retain the great amount of water that falls upon it in ;the shape of snow and rain during winter and early spring? Is your soil Well stocked with d e- caying plant material—stubble, second ,crop clover, strawy rnanuxe---humus? fit acts like a sponge, catching and 'holding the moisture till it is needed. 3rd --Suitable well-bred varieties al - (ways outyield mongrel stock: Seed ,stock, whether early or late, should to pure, otherwise there will be un- 'ingiiel'ripening, and frequently a Yeti - dation in size and quality which great- ly discounts the product when it is $ready for market. 4th—Potatoes require an abundance t; Well-balanced plant food', Remem- or, potatoes have to be fed just like our hogs, or naives, or poultry, if you re to get largest yi lds of hest qual- Y. Manure is the great farm plant food supply. It will supply much ne- cessary food to potatoes as well as to other farm crops. However, in many of the large potato growing sections, the growers prefer to put the manure on land set apart for other crops such as wheat or meadow, and to give the potatoes their additional food in the form of fertilizers. Stock manure, especially if fresh, forms a splendid Tend •t lodging place for the spores or tiny seeds of the potato scab diseases. A good fertilizer for potatoes should carry from '2 to 4 per cent. of am- monia. It is the nitrogen which forms 82 per cent, of the ammonia, which greatly aids the rapid and sturdy growth of the potato vine. The potato fertilizer should also supply from 8 to 10 per cent." of available phosphoric acid. It is the phos. acid which causes the plant to ripen and form its tubers. Before the war potato growers were using from 3 to 10 per cent. of potash in their ,potato plant food, It is this important food which. aids the starch to form and fill; out the tuber, Under present conditions potato fertilizers had best carry 1 to 3 per cent. of potash. If you have a quantity of wood ashes you will do exceedingly well to scatter it on your potato seedbed and to work• it into the soil. Well -stored wood ashes carries from 2 to 3 per cent. potash. How much shall you use? Prof. Zavitz at the recent conven- tion of the Ontario Experimental Union reported that as a result of 95 tests of potato fertilizers throughout the province during the last 5 years, the experimenters obtained an aver- age yield of 122,4 bus. per acre with- out fertilizers, and 141.3 bus. per acre where 320 lbs. of fertilizer was applied, and 161.9 bus. per acre where 960 lbs. of .fertilizer was added. Dir. Woods of Maine Exp. Sta. be- gan a special fertilizer experiment in 1915 testing low potato fertilizers for Maine potatoes. On one test where potatoes followed sod he applied 1500 lbs. of fertilizer to the acre, and har- vested the following: ylela Por A. Plot Trratment Lush, pier A. 1500 lbs. '.fertilizes sutnilving nitro- gen and available phosphoric acid, hilt iaritrah .,S 1540 lbs. fertilizer analysing 5%n -Aminonia 5 % Available :Mhos. Acici. 34% Potash . •'i, .. 424 In applying fertilizers, as a rule not more that' 400 lbs. should, be sown in the potato drill or furrow, Amounts in excess of this should be sown, broadcast over the potato seedbed` and carefully harrowed or disked into the sdil before the potato.drill are "struck" or the crop is planted:"" Of course the potato planter, with fertil- izer dropping attachment deposits; the fertiliser in the row, to bolt advant- age. dvant a e.• i� Proper potato fertilisation, is u daub t odi , the secret of big yields. b h I t 3 g is the measure that British ngrrcul- turists are so strongly advocating at it s N :tirm i this moment. Ae tong as they were J able to obtain available phosphoric acid, potato fertilization was what', rnaxle it possible: for Britain's enemy' to lir.odrree such qualatitic`of potato. Seed for man and lzeast, 6th --Control potato disease. This is the great perquisite that to- gether with the foregoing means 1a1 - gest yields and hest quality potatoes, This paper; is already long, hence we. shall delay discussion of this large subject for a subsequent article. Remember that well dreined land, plentifully supplied with humus, en, ricked with.suitable available fertil- izer produces largest crops of ' best quality potatoes, if good seed is plant- ed and care is taken to control dis- ease and insect pests. If a horse shows uneasiness, paws a little, looks around to the flank, has an irregular appetite, with evacuation of small quantities of dry Laces, or little or no motion of the bowels, he is suf- fering from constipation. Administer a moderate purgative as. 7 drams aloes and 2 drams ginger. Feed on bran only until bowels aet freely. Give 2 drams nux vomica 3 times daily, and give rectal injections of warm, soapy water every 5 or 6' hours. The principal object in grooming a horse should be to stimulate the sure face of the body by friction. If you have a fall colt, get it to eat- ing ground oats in a little manger by itself as soon as possible, Keep the colts well bedded . and clean. A manure -laden colt is a re- buke to its owner. Never close the stable at night un- til the mud and ice are all cleaned off the horses' legs. I am wintering a mare and a three- year-old colt on the stubs left from the sheep and a small grain ration at noon. A set of chains for use in an unex- pected icy time or to get a smooth shod horse to the shop, is a goocl in- vestment. • The idle work horses should not be fed • so much grain as when at work, but they should have a small ration. FIRE PREVENTION. Modern Methods of Forest Fire Pro. tection for Ontario. "The announcement made by the Minister of Lands, Forests, and Mines for the Province of Ontario that his department is corning into line with those of several other Canadian pro- vinces and adopting modern methods. of fire prevention, so as to put; an end to the enormous annual losses of standing timber., is a welcome piece of news," says Canada Lumberman, "`It means, we feel safe in predicting, that if the methods used in the other provinces are properly adopted and rigidly put into operation in Ontario, we have now experienced the last of our great conflagrations in the forest districts of Northern Ontario such past sum- mer the i during that «h ch as hundreds of existence hon wiped out of settlers, together with their homes and effects, and caused incalculable damage to our standing timber. It means, too, that the families going into Northern Ontario to settle can depend in. future upon practical pro- tection against such calamities, and so feel encouraged to undertake the task of settling in the new country. Undoubtedly the prevention of forest fires will have the double effect of saving timber and giving a stimulus to settlement. "A great source of difficulty in the past has been the conflict of interests between . timber owners, settlers, and prospectors, together with 'the in- ability of the individual settler to pro- tect himself against the carelessness of others. This can now be entirely done away with. The time of year at which the Minister has made his announcement is a fortunate one, because between now and,the next danger season in the summer of 1917 there will be time eough to arrange details and appoint the necessary staff to put the' system into effect sufficiently to reduce greatly and probably almost eliminate the fire losses that we could otherwise predict with certainty for next year." ' ' On' His Estate. Willie—What sort .of a .min ..is he? Gillis -Well, ,if .,he had a- country estate he'd have the Katydids saying "Katy done it," before a week was up. INTERNATIONAL LESSON FEBRUARY 25. Lesson VIII. Jesus At The Pool. Of Bethesda -=John 5. 1.15. Golden Tit --John 5. 15,i Verse 1. A feast ---Some good astir- erities bave the feast; that is, Taber- nacles, clearly, in any case, the Evangelist sees no significance in -the particular feast, tivliich belongs to the old order (hence of the Jews). It gave Jesus an opportunity of meeting to mix business with, pleasure sus great crowds in the temper of worship. 2. By the sheep pool, the [pool cessfttlly. All day in an office and which So read, without altering the all evening at the social game burns 3t candle at both ends, and sp s 11eluew : "het is, Aramaic, as often. i - considerable varia- disaster. Ani occasional dissipation ,is Bethesda—There as e tion among the authorities. Porches stimulating'to all of us; and the tem- -Covered shelters to keep the sun off; porazy..loss of sleep it entails• can be 3. The interesting gloss at the end made up; it is the constant drain that of this verse ` seems to have .arisen tells. " 2. If a girl who is entertaining. Mothers and daughters of all ages are cordially invited to write to this dr,partment. Initials only will be published with each ,question and its answer as a means of identification but full name and acldr'ess roost ;bet'.', given in each letter. Write on one side of paper only. Answers will bey mailed direct If stamped and addressed envelope Is enclosed. Adtrress all correspondence for this department to ,�tVirs. Helen Law, 75 Castle Frank Road, Toronto. Business (;ir1; —1: It is impossible pronunciation of the' Greek, text. t e cane ell early and in Palestine. It is drawn another girl at'lrer home receives an from •local folklore, and its omission invitation to art sheis With by the oldest copies rids us of a great ap Y' May f t �, hostess for diff' Ity the Evangelist no longer pez ee pro 'let agk the guarantees en absolutely nonmoral • permission to bring her guest., miracle! "Each man for himself" was Violet: -1. A cup of hot water or the motto of the crowd, and the best cocoa taken before retiring will sooth legs carried off the prize. No doubt the nerves, and induce sleep.' 2, For, there were geniune mind cures there a sallow skin, eliminate sweets, pas - as at other holy wells superstition as tries, rich gravies, fried foods, fat well as faith can influence the body, meats,; and use fruits and green vege- •-witness Christian Science ° to -i, tables as much' as possible. Drink day! - 5. S mlolic inter refers mal e much taco glasses of water (hot) on rising, y two more about 1.1 o'clock two in the of the thirty-eight like the Israelites of old, he lige lived thirty-eight years early evening and two before retiring. in the desert before he 'came into his Airs. L. H, -1. Probably lack of promised land! Unless we are out for 'flavorin the meat is clue to the manner discrediting the narrative, it is Better of cooking.. Have the oven very hot to recognize a little touch of detail at first, then the meat will be seared such as as an eye -witness loves. ' on the outside, and this will keep the 6, The Lord's question seems, dunces ie..After twenty minutes the strangely superfluous! But he asked temperature sof the `oven can be eon- Bartimaeus one much like it. By such ` siderablylowered. Steaks and chops simple questions he drew out the man's P state of mind: the .very expression ofshould be put into very hot pans, and was a preparation fol -meet-1 turired quickly, thin temperature'low- the need ing it. ered, Meat should be' seasoned just and tucks are in favor. Skirts ', no 7. Troubled—The Evangelist does ;before it has finished. cooking. 2. longer flare but take an inward curve not stop to explain the allusion, which' -Scrambled eggs become watery when around the ankles. does not concern hien. It may have ----. been an intermittent spring; or pos- sibly- (as Dr. Dendel Harris suggests) the world-wide notion of getting "the luck of the water" on New Year's Day. (See ExpositorDecember, 1906.) Mark Compare 2, 11. The pallet (margin) might have been a mere mat, but the word itself (one from the vul- gar tongue) rather suggests a light Creme, such as we see in India.. 10. People who could solemnly dis- cuss whether a man with a wooden leg might carry that burden on the Sab- bath—such was the national lack of humor!=astened on this breach pf their law'. Jesus could have told the man to fetch his property next day! But he regularly set himself to dis- credit a law which made the Sabbath a weariness instead of a delight, 11. One who could do such a deed must have God's authority to regulate the Sabbath. It is the same atti- tude as that of the blind man in John 9. 83, 44. In the temple—"Returning . to give glory= to God." This is a key to verse 15, where the pian thinks he sflonces' objectors by mentioning the name of him who had mediated God's gift. Sin no more -Not that sin had directly`. caused his trouble (John 9. 3). But sin would bring, here and hereafter, a worse thing than even •all years o helplessness. NEW KIND OF SHOE SOLES, they are al'lowed to cook too long Teacher: -Tho "Teutonic" territory occupied by the Allies is 01)004 748,- 800 square miles, including captured colonies. The "Allied" territory oc- espied by the Central Powers is about 125,000 square miles. Mrs, B. K.:—An emery wheel on a sewing machine is most 'useful for sharpening knives and lead pencils, Get a roll of half-inch adhesive tape from the drug store, cut off a strip just long enough to reach around the. small wheel of the maphine and press it firmly to the metal. •hlext, cut a strip of fine emery cloth the same length and width and glue to the tape, then wind the wheel all around with a strip of tape or muslin to hold in place until the glue is dry, which will take a day or so, when it 'may be removed. When worn oil atapthor, strip of emery cloth can be glued over the first. \Vhen using the emery wheeladjust as for;, filling a bobbin. Miss G. L. B. :—The colors, for spring are putty, navy blue, and all shades of grey, a new green called spruce green, and Copenhagen blue. Wool and sill: embroidery in bright tones of gold yellow, Chinese blue, Persian pink, and jade green are used on hats and dresses. Pockets are large and appear in pairs, one at eith- er side of the skirt or coat. Pleats They Are Made of Scrap Leather by an English Patent., A new and recently -patented method of manufacturing soles for shoes from scrap leather is described in a report made to the U.S. Department of Com- merce by Consul H. M. Byington, Leeds, England. While be does not give details concerning the process, A'Ir. Byington says it is claimed that the soles thus produced are nonsuc- tion, nonslipping, and waterproof, and can be made at much lower cost than the ordinary leather sole. It is also possible to use the method in building heels, . ,.mss, • "It Is also claimed," Mr. Byington goes on, "that the novelty of the pat- ent may be enhanced by an ingenious arrangement of strips of rubber et tached to a thin layer of canvas, the rubber strips fitting into the inter- stices of the leather sections. This is said to give a pleasing resiliency to the step of the;wear,er end to do away with -the aching of the feet, ' some- times produced by purely rubber soles," 'Thinlc•;it all over when you feel like doing something to get even with a neighbor, and then don't do it. You will .be glad from the bottom of your heart to -morrow that you did not. So will he. 044,46,4, eahieie ee His Only dope. Sergeant ,(t0 dull recruit) : "Do you.' foil' send you: any parcels down?" - Recruit: "'Yes," • "... l ' Sergeant: Well, tell yam to put a few Inul1. s-oyos in the next —'cos ycr ,don't seemable to get any your•solf l", -•London (Opinion{ This is the time of the year that colds are most prevalent. Keep the front of the house open, but see that there are no openings in the back or side walls to cause draughts. Everybodytoo busy to give the hens a fresh drink, yet there is no other lit- tle chore about the farm more import- ant than watering the chickens. Fix up a sheltered corner for the early broody. A newspaper in the bottom of the nest helps to keep the eggs warm. A dry .atmosphere is a pretty good insurance against canker and roup. Shun low, damp, foggy places for the poultry business. Growing birds need mineral 'natter in their feed a good deal more than do those :that have gained their full growth. Old birds are not making bone and muscle as much as 'they did once. But it stunts chicks and young hens to get short of grit and shells. The hen never lays an egg until all the ingredients necessary for the on p c• r Tt edevelopment of a chick are e present. Since the egg contains pro- tein as well as carbohydrates, any amount of carbohydrates fed in the form of grain will not offset the ne- cessity of protein. Milk given to the birds, either as a drink or in the form of wet mash, will double egg yields. Commercial meat scrap is of equal value, and may he substituted when milk cannot be obtained. Weight for weight, a manila rope is just about"az"strong as" a steel one. In the United_ Kingdom there are al- most two and a, quarter million men and women engaged in making cannon and projectiles: The supply in some lines, : -such as the eighteen -pounder field gun, is now greater than the need, and production is slackening. ` If the War is not .won lack of munitions will not longer be a valid excuse. If farmers were determined to raise as much of their feed as possible, per- haps dairying would not look' so down in the mouth. "Animal heat" is a 'term loosely used, but it means something When it. conies to nraiutaining stock in midwin- ter. It will never do to let the fife go down, however hard it may be upon the feed bin. The best way to bring cream to the right temperature for churning in cold weather is to put the pal in a tuff of very warns water. Stir the cream constantly :so it will get warm evenly. If it is overheat- ed the butter will be greasy and cheesy. If cream is held too long it will be- come bitter and hard to churn. No herd,, of cows can do well unless the supply of water is abundant and clean. If the herd can be watered,ein the stable, and help themselves, so much the better', tag5 Certain breeds of sheep are dis- tinctly more fertile than others. Not ai bit of the drappinge of a flock should be wasted, and a 'flock winter- ed in roomy quarters under cover will give an increased profit. The litter will absorb all the liquids, and the stock will keep the niass'lack- ed down so it will not heat. Sprinkle land -plaster over the pen frequently to keep down any odors. Keep the pens well littered with clean bright straw, and lce,31i thein per_ fectly level. Keep the ewes very thrifty by watchful, careful feeding, Be sure that your ewes do' not crowd though narrow doors. Crowding or jamming may kill an unborn lamb, and. possibly the ewe. TRAGEDY OF A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE The Memory Brings a Fear of Judgment. and Men Dread the Day of Reckoning." "But when Herod heard thereof, be said, It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead."—Mark, vi,, 16. Herod's mistaken opinion as to Jesus was the resultant of two :factors —one the memory of a bad deed and the other a conscience "stabbed awake." When Herod heard of the man who healed the sick and performed mire- cles his memory brought to his con- science the sound .of a prophet's words; brought to his conscience a vision.of a holy and just man; brought to his con- science the gxetii some sight,af a ghast- ly head upon a charger—and suddenly' he arose from his place among his flattering courtiers and, pale and trembling, cried, "I know who it is. It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead." 'bile Court of Moral Judgment: Thus memory aids the conscience: 11 brings the guilty deed before the court of moral; judgment. Sometimes the conscience disturbed will remem- ber where. there is no logical train of association. Pecausehe was troubled by the memory of what he had dere TlcnHerodthorrgbt ofJohn when he heard of JeSmi, although in the normel mind these two men were not at all alike. Aa long as there is a memory the con- science will have no peace.; • 11 we now forget noor hereafter we could rob the conscience of its sting, brut: as long as personal identity coetinuses through time and eternity we will' re member and conscience will sting ibo soul and mayhap in the after world bb the punishment of the unrepentant. Past Views are Altered Iii the story of ;:1rierard'e dieturbed conscience ,'w.e- see anothei remarkable fact -.-all ofdials past thinking was acl tered. As a .Sadducee±� lre did of 'be- lieve in the resui'rection of the dead. But when he hears of Jesus he, casts aside these views and Seim John is risen to trouble hint, From this at- titude of mind we deducie the general lesson that the conscience, when smit- ten, brings a fear of•. judgment. When hi its grip men tremble et the thought that if what they have denied is true there willbe demanded of them a reck- oning. The conscience eenvictr menwith the memory of their sins, but God hrui Pg' a provided tbrou h Jesus Chaletsalve, tion from theipast, strength for the present and hope for the futures ,-ReV. Charles Lee Reynolds, 0,1).