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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1917-3-1, Page 2ries' +oi �ti' Ii11iia{rPirl�,lj # ,;" r ��`". F Conducted by, Professor Henry G, dell. Theobject of this department Is to piece at the service of our farm readers the advice of an aoknowl." edged authority on all subjects pretai.ning to solar, and p!wtic 1 v {ryki ttv? crepe. Address all questions to Professor Hepry G. Bell, in rare of The Wilson Publishing Company,; Limited, To, ronto, and answers will appear in this column in the oder in which they are received. As space Is limited It is advisable where immediate' reply is necessary that a'stamped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the question, when the answer will be mailed direct, Question --S. If, (1) Haw can I best get humus into a sandy soil? T have a field of about 5 acres -which is unpro- ductive. Last year it was not even good for grazing. I ploughed it last fall and have been thinking of sowing it in the spring, and turning it under the following spring. What would. you suggest that I sow and get a fair crop the same year, yet improve the soil? Answer -You would do well in the spring, as soon as the ground will work, to harrow it down to a smooth seedbed, first having given it a dress- ing of :from two to five tons of manure to the acre; then seed it to an early variety of oats, sueh a. 0, A. C. No, 92, or Daubeney, using about 1.-a bus. of seed to the acre. Seed this with about 10 lbs. of Common Red CIover and 4 lbs, of Alsike to the acre. The oats will harvest early, and the clover should get a. • pretty good growth by fall, As soon as it has made a sat- isfactory start in 'spring, instead of cutting"it, plow it under, and you will have enriched your soil by a good ad- dition of organic matter. Question -(2) What is the best fertilizer to use for potatoes on sandy soil, and what quantity should be ap- plied per acre? Answer -Potatoes on a sandy soil f suggestions, along with instructions for planting, which most reliable seedemen supply with purchases of sceda arid, plants, should, enable tin thoughtful anti a ubitious person to, make a ,suecess, of growing the corn- mon and most popular summer vege- tables. Henry (. Bell. should receive a ,fairly high-grade fertilizer. You will do well to use' one carrying from 4 to 5% ammonia, 8 to 10% available phosphoric acid, and as much potash (up to 3%) as you can get this year. If you cannot buy a fertilizer with a high amount of potash, you will do well to apply wood ashes, up to ton to the acre, work- ing it into the -soil before you ripply the fertilizer. If you do apply wood ashes, be sure • to treat ; your . seed potatoes with formalin in order to hill the spores 'of the scab' which is like- ly to thrive where wood ashes have been appl'iod. • In applying the fert- ilizer, if you are putting on 500 lbs, or more to the acre, apply one-half through the fertilizer attachment of the grain drill; if you have a grain drill with fertilizer attachment,' or spread it broadcast over the potato field before the last harrowing if you do not have a drill distributor. Thor- oughly harrow this fertilizer into the soil and apply the rest of the fertilizer through the fertilizer dropping at, tachment of the potato planter. It is not advisable to apply more than 300 lbs. to the acre through the fert- ilizer attachment of the potato plant- er; hence any excess of this amount should be worked in broadcast when preparing the potato seedbed. MOR. DIVIDENDS F ROM GARP OPS This Tear; If Ever, the Opportune Time for Making Money From Vegetables. Five acres of Ontario soil near a good market can be made to .easily support a family in comfort. In pota- toes alone the returns would run, un- der ordinary prices; at from $100 to $200 per acre, From $400 to $500 ter acre can be made from cauli- flower. Many people .will be inclined to regard these figures as exaggerat- 'ed, but they are facts, and many cases can be pointed out to substantiate our statements. With proper soil treatment, the average garden will produce at Ieast a half more than it now does. Several things must be borne in mind, how- sver, to make a success with garden crops, such as onions, potatoes, cab- bage, etc. The soil must be suitable, cultivation muet be thorough, varie- ties the best for the district and the market, and good salesmanship. The plot selectedfor the garden should be well drained, and must not be shaded to any extent. Drainage takes away surface water rapidly, and keeps the soil water away from the surface, thereby allowing the roots to grow deep and the air to enter the soil and aid in decomposing it. Fertil- ity is another most important feature. The need for . fertilizer is shown by low growth and pale color in the plants. Stable manure, bone meal, or good commercial fertilizer should be used to gene: the elements required Dy the soil. Germination. Crops are often lost through the failure of the seeds to geminate. Don't blame your seedsman for this. It is usually because in planting the Soil is left loose about the tiny seeds, and the dry atmosphere penetrates to them, shrivelling there up until all vitality is destroyed. Vegetable crops as a rule are sown in rows, and For example a crop' of radishes, tur- nips, spinach or` lettuce sown in April, will have ripened so that the ground can be cleared, dug up, and manured, and again used by the first of Juna, when such crops as cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, or sweet corn can be plant- ed, and so on all through the list, The crops should be moved around from year>to year, so'as to give the soil a chance to recuperate. Where a number of successive plant- ings are desirable, as with peas, it is an excellent plan to' plant a third or fourth crop between the rows of the f in every case, as soon as the -seed is sown, it should be pressed down in the drill with the foot, then covered 'up level by the back of a rake, drawn lengthwise of the drills, and again firmed by the roller or back of a spade. For want of this simple.pre- caution, perhaps one-quarter of al seeds sown fail to germinate. Again, for the sane reason, when setting out plants of any kind, be certain that the soil is pressed close to the' root. We have seen whole acres of cauliflower, cabbage and strawberry plants lost solely through neglect of this precau- tion. Value of Rotation. In order to secure maximum yields, and to keep down weeds,:the°system- atic rotation of farm crops' is an ac- knowledged necessity. Why not, therefore, plan the varieties of vege- tables and their planting time so as to secure a continuous and abundant supply of good, fresh green things? It is just as easy as any other method of garden management, and it is much more satisfactory. If a horse has a loud, dry,. hoarse cough, becoming moist later on, loud end frequent respirations, drtllness, ropy saliva from mouth, bowels c-etive and urine high colored, and nds continuously, & in i s s showing e h Y 3 symptoms of bronchitis. See that he has comfortable, well - ventilated quarters, excluded from draught. Apply mustard to breast and sides, Steam nostrils, holding head over boiling water with a -little carbolic acid. Give cold water:, with 3 or 4 drams nitrate' of potassium In it. When inflammation subsides, give dram doses each of gentian, ginger, and sulphate of iron 3 times daily; If hay is kept in front of idle horses ail the time they will keep On eating it, to their own detriment, and at the waste of a Iot of good feed. It is more economical to'give a small feed of grain at noon than to stuff them with hay. Give just as much hay morning and night as'` will be eaten up clean in a reasonable time. Study your horses. Same require more roughage'than others to keep them in condition, Some horses wills never stuff' themselves with hay, no matter how much is given them; otlf- ers'.will eat everything in sight.' The intelligence of the feeder must control the situation. Bring the Bead -stalls Into the kit- chen at night if the stable is frosty, or cover the bits with smooth leather. Never put a frosty bit in 'a• horse's mouth. The idle work horses and the colts should spend a few hours every plea- sant day lea-sant.day in a sheltered yard. Never leave them out until they are chilled; that doesn't pay. Be very careful with the breeching near es. Don't let them slip, and don't melee them back heavy loads. A good teamster will manage to make his team back as little as possible. Back- ing is unnatural and very straining. Never 'feed chicks till the third day after hatching, let them have all the i the dry sand and water they will take. Their first real feed should be -:rolled oats and hard-boiled: eggs chopped fine. Two tablespoonfuls suffici- entare.l for 100 chicks. Are pens. mated up? Don't delay any longer. first crop, removing the vines of the first crop as soon as the peas have been picked. The observance of the foregoing FICRUITS FOR NAVAL The Women of Canada Are Asked to Support Campaign for Royal Navy Volunteers. Captain the Hon. Rupert Guinness, A.D.C., G,B.,-- C.M.G., R.N.V R., Senior Officer of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and hie wife, Lady Gwendolen Guinness, sailed a few weeks ago for England af- ter having spokenin almost every town of any size in Canada from Sydney and I-Ialilax on the Atlantic, to Vancouver and Victoria on the, Pecifi e. Their aim was to. organize Committees to secure recruits for the Overseas Division of the Royal ` Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve, and the work which they launched and whieli was unreservedly. helped along by the lion. Mr,..Ilazen for the Canadian Government, has already had splendid results, andhundreds of good recruits have joined The Pendant offered by the Navy under the e.vspiees of the R. N. C. V.11. Lady Gwendolen Qui