The Brussels Post, 1918-5-23, Page 7By Agronomist.
Thfe Department le for the use of our farm readers who want the advice
of an expert on any question regarding soil, seed, crops, eta. If your question
1s of sufficient general interest, It will be answered through this column. Ii
stamped and addressed envelope le enclosed with your letter, a comtllata.
answer will be mailed to you, Address Agronomlet, care of Wilson Publishing
ee., Ltd„ 73 Adelaide sit W„ Toronto.
The Manurial 'Value of Clover I
The amount of semi -decomposed;
vegetable matter or humus present in
our cultivated sails, sandy and clay
learns, bears an intimate relation to
their productive capacity.
Humus not only fullfills the mechan-
ical function of rendering soils porous
and more retentive of moisture, but
furnishes also the essential medium
for the activities of the bacteria which
liberates plant food in the soil, Fur-
thermore, humus constitutes the chief
natural source of the soil's nitrogen
supply.
Applications of barnyard manure
may be considered the chief means em-
ployed in the maintenance of humus
in the soil. Supplementary means'
are the growing and ploughing in of a
green cover -drop such as rye, buck-
wheat, rape, vetches or clover, Of
these, clover—where conditions are
conducive' to its satisfactory growth—
is to be generally preferred, By means
of its deeply ramifying roots, clover
disintegrates and :aerates the lower
soil layers and brings up therefrom
plant food supplies unattainable by
ether more shallow rooted crops.
An additional advantage which clo-
ver, in common with all members of
the legume family, possesses is that of
its ability to assimilate the free nitro-
gen of the soil atmosphere by means .
of minute bacterial organisms living
and operating in small nodules on its
routs. Thais clover gathers the great-
er part of its nitrogen from the air,
and its phosphoric acid, potash and
lime largely from soil depths beyond
the reach of the roots of ordinary
crops, consequently enriching the sur-
face soil with these constituents ,for
the benefit of succeeding crops.
How does clover compare with ma-
nure as a fertilizer? Barnyard ma-
nure of good average quality contains
approximately 10 pounds nitrogen, 6
pounds phosphoric acid and 10 pounds
potash per ton. Therefore 10 tons
of barnyard manure would furnish
about 100 pounds nitrogen, 60 pounds
p5hosphoric acid and 100 pounds pot-
ash.
Experiments conducted at the
Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa,
have shown that at vigorous crop of
clover will contain, at a moderate esti-
mate, in its foliage and roots, from
100 to 160 pounds nitrogen, 30 to 46
pounds phosphoric acid and 85 to 1161
pounds potash per acre.
A good crop of clover from one acre
if it were turned under maY, there-'
fore, be deemed equal, in fertilizing
value, to an application of ten tons of
barnyard manure.
In the experiments referred to, 10
pounds per acre of common red clover
was seeded down with various grain
crops, while adjoining plots were seed-
ed with grain alone, In no instance
dict the growth of clover depress the
yield of grain with which it was seed-
ed.
In the following year, fodder corn
(Learning) produced 8 tons, 480
pounds more after wheat with clover
than after wheat without clover, After
barley and oats, increases of ]1 tons,
1280 pounds and 5 tons, 1.440 pounds
respectively, of coni, per acre, were
obtained on the clover plots.
With potatoes the results were
equally striking. After wheat, bar-
ley and oats with clover the %creases
were, respectively, 48 bushels, 20
pounds; 29 bushels 40 pounds and 24
bushels of potatoes, per acre, as com-
pared with the yields from adjoining
plots without clover.
The full benefits from clover will as
a rule be noticeably persistent for sev-
eral years.
On soils which are deficient in lima
a satisfactory growth of clover will be
encouraged by an application of, say,
two tons of ground limestone per acre.
As a phosphatic fertilizer, designed to
benefit both the grain and the clover
300 pounds of superphosphate or 600
pounds of basic slag, per acre, may be
recommended.
Unleached wood ashes contain, on
an average, from 4 to 0 per cent. of
potash about 2 per cent. of phos-
phoric acid and from 20 to 80 per
cent. of lime. They are eminently
suitable as a fertilizer for clover and,
when procurable at a reasonable price,
should be applied at the rate of from
25 to 40 bushels (1000 to 1000 pounds)
per acre.
arm'
A year's effort may be lost by neg-
lecting brood mares at foaling time.
In view of the time it takes to produce
a foal, nobody can afford to neglect the
mare and foal, even if it means stay-
ing up for a few nights.
In -foal mares should be provided
with clean, disinfected box stalls, if
possible, sometime before they foal.
As soots after birth as possible the
foal's navel should be tied and disin-
fected with iodine or some. other good
disinfectant. See that the foal's di-
gestive apparatus and kidneys are iq
working order within twenty-four
hours after birth,
Mares, after foaling, should be
given water, not too cold and not in
too large quantity. The ration for
two or three days should be compara-
tively light, and similar in nature to
that fed before foaling, A sound,
pare -bred stallion should be used if the
best results aro to be obtained with
next year's colt. A low service fee is
too often the deciding factor with
many mare owners in the selection of
a sire. A low fee is usually a sign of
an inferior stallion.
Colts from inferior or scrub sires
will sell for mueh less than those sir-
ed by the sound, pure-bred stallion,
A Wisconsin farmer for several years
bred his mares to a grade stallion. He
finally decided to patronize a pure-
bred. Some time after he held an
auction sale. Yearlings, two -year-
olds and three -year-olds, all by grade
sire, sold for $37, $65 and $76 a head
respectively, while weanlings from the
same mares, sired by a purebred stal-
lion, averaged $101 each, Several
Wisconsin farmers purchased a pure-
bred stallion and placed the service
fee at $26—$10 more than any com-
petitor, A. three-year-old gelding
sired by him was sold to a dealer for
$626, and not one went for less than
$225.
"Our busMess in life is not to get
ahead of other people, but to, get
ahead of ourselves,"
"Not only to say .the right thing in
the right place, but far more difficult
still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing
at the tempting moment," --Sala.
Growing stock must bo kept free
from lice by the use of two parts of
vaseline with one part of blue oint-
ment. Apply a piece the size of a
Pea about; en inch below the vent and
to each thigh, rubbing the ointment in
well,
e,.
,, . ®.., - ..
■ Sou and,
Wt4""4 FEATHERS
HERS
Highest Price° Pald
Peceriet neturna--bio C.onentesioa
P. POULIN & CO.
as nonaecoure Market Vioitito;
w.,M.,w,.,W.su.,a,..
ethT-g
"Mangels are the most valuable
crop on the farm; they are ono of
the best feeds we know for malting
records," says the manager of a suc-
cessful dairy farm, "We feed a cow
weighing 1,300 pounds or 1,400
pounds, about forty pounds of man -
gels daily; larger cows " get ' fifty
pounds daily. We always plant about
five acres of the long red variety, be-
cause we receive the greatest tonnage
from those and they are the sweet-
est."
A deep, well manured, thoroughly
prepared seed -bed is used. The
ground is always fall plowed, as it
makes it much easier to control the
weeds while the plants are getting a
start. The seeds are drilled with a
garden drill in rows three feet apart,
as soon in spring as the seeds can be
put in the ground. As soon as pos-
sible the mangels are cultivated with
a specially constructed hand cultiv-
ator. The first cultivation is the
all-important thing with mangels. If
you give them a fair start they will
keep down the weeds themselves.
The mangels are constantly kept
thinned out and are picked up in the
fall before the frost if possible. They
do not have to be dug like beets, as
they are always aticast-three-fourths
above ground when mature. Some
years they have made from fifty- --
seven to fifty-eight tans to the acre.
Roots were used in making nine of
the ten highest records in tho Guern-
sey breed
Spraying.
Unless many kinds of both useful
and ornamental plants are protected
from injurious insects and fungous
diseases by spraying, the loss in fruit
and vegetable crops may be very
great, and, in the ease of ornamental
planta which would otherwise have at-
tractive foliage and bloom, they may
be rendered very unsightly.
The spraying of fruit trees should
be begun just after the buds have
broken in the spring and repeated at
the times recommended in the 'spray
calendars and pamphlets which are is-
sued by both Federal and Provincial
Governments and in which is given in-
formation in regard to the treatment
of the different kinds of insects and
diseases most likely to cause damage.
The apple scab causes, perhaps,
more loss than any other plant dis-
ease in Canada., yet this can 1>e con-
trolled and clean fruit obtained, by
thorough spraying with either Ber-
deaaux mixture or lime sulphur, Oth-
er diseases and insects can be kept well
under control also by the spray which
has been found best for each.
Spraying is a rather expensive op-
eration and it should be done its an in-
telligent manner, otherwise it may be
' wasted money. For instance, if the
spray to kill the codling moth, which
affects the apple, ie not applied with-
in a very few days after the flowers
;fall, the sepals or lobes of the calyx
' will have closed over the opening or
licalyx cup" in the end of the apple
into which it is important to spray the
1 poison. As it is in the "calyx cup"
i where most of the insects begin work,
they are not likely to be poisoned if
spraying is delayed and the apple: will
be wormy. A epray mixture or solu-
tion which will control one insect or
' disease may be of little or no use in
controlling another. Arsenical poi-
sons are the best for biting insects,
iwhile soap or tobacco sprays are best
for those which suck their food and
which have to be killed by contact, and
certain sprays intended to kill insects
will not control fungous diseases.
Get the spray pamphlets and study
them carefully before spraying, but
spray and spray thoroughly!
$illing Potato Beetles.
Spraying potato vines for the pur-
pose of killing Colorado beetles should
be done as soon as the work of the
insect is noticed. This destructive
insect is not hard to control. One
part of Paris green mixed with 20 to
30 parts of air -slaked lime or flour,
and used as a dust spray, affords the
best results on young plants. It
should be used when the dew is on, by
means of powder guns or dust -spray
machines.
The Paris green spray, prepared by
mixing one pound of Paris green with
76 to 125 gallons of water and add-
ing one pound of quicklime to the mix-
ture, makes an effective spray, This
spray will burn vines if the quicklime
is omitted.
For the proper mixing and applica-
tion of this spray a bucket pump or
knapsack sprayer of good quality is
sufficient for use in small gardens, but
on a large scale a potato sprayer
drawn by horses through the rows of
plants is necessary.
Arsenate of lead serves the same
purpose as Paris green, one pound
combined with 16 to 20 gallons of wa-
ter being more adhesive. It sticks
more firmly to the leafage, and is
much less likely to produce scorching
than the Paris green spray,
Cleaning up the vines and plowing
potato land in the fall after the crop
' has been harvested will aid in reduc-
ing the number of hibernating beetles,
if there 'were a dehydrating
(evaporating) plant in every commun-
ity, thousands of bushels of potatoes,
etc., might be saved that may other-
wise go to waste this spring.
As far as possible, the interior fix-
tures of a poultry house, such as
roosts, nests, dust boxes, drinking
fountains; feed troughs and grit boxes,
should be so constructed as to permit
them to be readily removed and clean-
ed.
While growing stook must be plen-
tifully fed with nutritious feed, care
must be taken not to overfeed. Over-
feeding is often worse than under-
feeding.
Nests of sitting hens must be so
situated that the hens can go on and
off at will. Unclor no circumstances
must these nestilee in the regular hen
house, unless one wishes to fight lice
from tate moment the chicks aro born.
Keep plenty of feed and water con-
stantlyabefore the broodier, and do
not annoy them any more than is
strictly necessary.
Be on the lookout for hidden nests,
Hens that are on range are very like-
ly- to hide their nests at this time of
tate yeas•, and thus many eggs are lost,
Do a little house cleaning, (tet a i
broom and sweep clown the cobwebs
and gather up all the dirty litter and !
droppings that will be found on thej
floor, Droppinge that accumulate on
the dropping boards should be cleaned;
up at least once a week. Spray the I
house every month with a coal -tart
Product, like zeneleum, which will not
only destroy vermin, but which will
also kill all disease germs that may
be lurking round.
'''S -ens '1sa e.Kn011° 41'`a4.1,' A 1,,..t.
on the face of an ae'cive, vigorous man, is a very different razor
test from the beard which grows at a desk or behind a counter.
That's why three years' service in the trenches has done more than
ten years' use in the cities to single out, for real, stiff shaving, the
t
or
The man who doesn't get time to shave every morning—whose
beard grows thick, sun -cured and wiry—he's the one who gets the
most solid satisfaction out of his Gillette.
Such an edge as it offers you—always ready without honing or
stropping j How easy it is to ad;ugt it, with a turn of the screw
handle, for a light or close shave, or a tough or tender skin I How
neatly it works round that awkward corner of the
jaw I And how good it feels as it slips through
the stiffest beard you can put it up against I
There's certainly a treat waiting for you the
day you buy a Gillette ! Why not make it,,soon ?
Gillette Safety Razor Co. ®f Canada, Ln rifled
Office and Factory: 55-73 St. Alexander ,.Street. 320
�rir44
,moi,
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GOOD HEALTH Qif STION BOX
By Andrew F. Currier, M.D.
Dr. Currier will answer all signed letters pertaining to Health. It your
Question is of general Interest it will be answered through these columns;
if not, it will be answered personally if stamped, addressed envelope is en.
closed. Dr. Currier will not prescribe for individual cases or make diagnosis.
Address Dr. Andrew F. Currier, care of Wilson Publishing Co„ 73 Adelaide
St. West, Toronto.
Pre -Natal Instruction of Mothers.
We have only begun to consider the
question of disease as the result of
the terrible war in which all the world
is now engaged.
We see how it has not only slaugh-
tered millions of men, but has de-
populated country after country.
We can as yet scarcely realize the
ghastly effect it has had upon com-
munities where the civil population is
worst and weakened with woe and
anxiety, and where there is, and will
continue to be, hunger, thirst and nak-
edness.
Is there any power in medicine or
sanitation which will stay it? Will
there lye doctors and grave diggers
enough to go around? +
The mind reels at the prospect. The
men who are being killed and invalid -
CUT OUT AND FOLD ON DOTTED ,LINES
. ,.w...,.,:�.a pAIU i
"Four tvork's db sgraeoful," teacher said,
"You really cen't be bright."
But Willie folded up the board
And showed that he was right,
ed are the virile, the active, the repro-
duce
But suppose there was a chance for
reproduction; the women are filled to
the brim with hatred, bitterness, with
suffering of every description—what
is the chance for their unborn off-
spring?
What will be their inevitable in-
heritance, physically and mentally?
Only recently has the importance of
instructing expectant soothers in the
hygiene of pregnancy been recognized
as part of the duty of the Health De-
partment.
What duty could more positively
be paramount? No observant farm-
er needs to be told that his stock will
bear better offspring if they are well
cared for when pregnant, than if they
are neglected or abused,
Why should there be a different re-
sult when the pregnant female is a
woman?
From the moment a woman enters
the pregnant state, she enters -a new
condition of being, physiological, it is
true, but as liable to mishaps and de-
rangement as the performance of any
other function digeation or assimila-
tion, for instance.
The mother shares her blood current
with her unborn child, and whatever it
contains is contributed to the child's
life.
An unhealthy mother in body, mind,
or morals, cannot help impressing
upon her child more or less of her
peculiarities. 1
Wherefore, disease or emotional
shock, or strain, of any kind, is quick-
ly communicated to her child, often
with a fatal result. l
A pregnant woman should realize
not only that she is carrying a child
which Is going to belong to her, but
also to the state and to the world.
If she has this feeling, elle will try
veryhard to take proper acre of her-
self.
At her daily task she will spare her-
self us much as possible for the sake
of her child; site will eat food that can
be readily digested so that her child
will hevc its proper share,• she will
to get en • s
fay ge plenty of sleep, ,he will try
to avoid worry, and exposure to wet
and cold; she will not give way to
anger, .fear and Hatred; and she will
often consider that she is the only
Protector her child can have while she
is carrying him within her body.
If women would realize this sacred
I
trust, how much more they would get
from this most beautiful of all physio-
logical conditions, and they would
bring into the world children who
would not be handicapped by an in-
heritance which would cripple them
more or less for life.
Pitiable, indeed, is the lot of the war
baby, with all that is included in the
thought; and how thankful Canadian
women, who are pregnant, should be
that they have been spared many of
the ills which their less fortunate sis-
ters, abroad, have had to bear!
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
J. B. ---If you will send stamped and
aaddressed envelope full particulate
regarding eczema will be mailed to
you,
A Farmer's Son. -1. The noise
which you hear is produced by the
combined action of fluid and air in the
stomach. It often cornea in con-
nection with indigestion, and is not
of very much significance, although it
is annoying. 2. If, when the trouble
occurs, you would add one teaspoonful
of peppermint water to half a glass
of hot water, and drink this slowly, it
would dispel the gas.
T. B.—It is generally supposed
styes are the result of infection, If
the bowels are kept freely open, 'and
the eyeli is are frequently moistened
With a selatien of boric acid, it will
relieve the trouble.
C.R.--Is it possible to cure a fibroid
tumor of the abdomen by means of
X. -rays 7
Answer -I think I may say quite
positively that it is not. The only
successful way of treating them, as
I have found in a long surgical experi-
snce, rnovin•ghn,
Dlrs.is C.by E.t•eD.--Is nc�unrteatbsm some-
times referred to as "growing pains?"
I Answer—It is possible; but if that
'is the ease, it is incorrect. I doubt
if there is any such thing as "grow-
ing. pains,"
Make Honey by Boarding Pets.
A country boy or girl, if he or she
loves to care for animals, tnay com-
bine profit and pleasure by ]seeping
some city child's pets during the far-
ily's summer vacation or while away
on a trip.
City people will pay well for good
care given to prized pets during their
absence. A Shetland pansy, a canary,
Angora ear: or a fine blooded dog will
prove a pleasant companion for the
boy or girl on the farm, and requires
little outlay for food.
If the animals are in first class con-
dition when the owner comes to claim
them, Int will recommend the keeper
to his city friends, and in this way
a goon paying beanie* can soon be
worked up.
4 1[,----
.
-,-
AIAN'T' SWAMI' VS
By The Bride
TEE SWAMP THAT
Charley and I soon discovered that
a good cow and a growing garden
made 'half of our living on the farm.
Fortunately we owned both, so whY
complain? Charley's uncle had given
us an old farm for a wedding present,
Most of the land was in a swamP.
Charley jokingly called it a "frog
farm," and it certainly looked the part.
"This farm is a fine opportunity for
a bright, capable farmer to display his
sticking qualities," laughed Charley.
"But Charley, can't we drain that
boggy, sticky land by digging ditches
and placing tile in them? I believe I
read something like that once."
That is exactly what we did. We
were both young and strong, and
working for our own selves was fun.
I believe it is a wife's duty to be a
real helpmate to her husband. And
when Charley came in at night, tired
and hungry, I always managed to have
an appetizing supper ready.
"Mary," he complained one even-
ing, "you will have less washing to
do if you don't place napkins on the
table."
"That's very true, Charley. But al-
though we may not have much to eat,
what we have must be served decent -
Charley
said.
Charley said nothing, but I noticed
he smiled and whistled as he chopped
wood that evening. He was satisfied
tvith me.
We worked hard that spring and
summer, I in the garden and house,
and attending to the chickens and crow;
while Charley labored faithfully out-
doors. Gradually our farm was trans-
formed into a real one. I sold $25
worth of vegetables from our garden;
that wasn't much, but it helped a lot.
Our kind-hearted neighbors encourag-
ed and praised our work, and that
helped too.
I had a little idea all my own. For-
tunately I had a good education. There
was a schoolhouse located one-half
mile from our place. I reasoned that
I could attend to my household dirties
and still teach that school! But I
failed to mention title to Charley un-
til I had obtained my certificate and
secured the school. The term would
be eight months, at $75 a month.
Then I told him.
He went "straight up in the air," as
the saying goes.
"You must not do it," he expostu-
Iated. "What will the neighbors say?"
I was expecting this, and had my
answer ready. "They might say that
it is a very poor wife who can't make
some of the living!"
"But we can make a living without
it, dear," he insisted.
"And we can have a better living
with it," I argued.
Charley soon decided it was no use
to argue with a woman. He regret-
fully surrendered. I had won my
point, and I taught that school.
That year we had an immense crop
of alfalfa. We decided to start a
small dairy. I helped milk the cows,
and Charley delivered the milk to our
customers. We built up a• good trade,
not only in milk but in vegetables as
well. It is a great satisfaction to
have a steady income every day. But-
ter and eggs sold like hot -cakes. Dur-
ing the school term I hardly had time
to eat. I'm afraid I neglected Char-
ley, but he never complained. Pro-
bably he didn't have time.
The greatest compliment I ever re-
ceived was one day at church. I over-
heard one neighbor say to another:
"There go two hustlers!" That bit of
praise helped us over many rough
spots. We were pressingly in debt;
but work and stick-to-it-ive-ness will
always find a way out.
As we raised almost all our food,
my salary was applied on the debt.
Charley purchased more stock for the
dairy and installed a mechanical milk-
er. Wo didn`'t waste a thing. We
secured some healthy pigs and fed
them the separator milk, Even the
wood -ashes from the cook stove were
saved.
I taught school only one term. The
second year after we were married I
had a little kindergarten of my own
to teach.
Why Orchards Must Be Sprayed
"What's all this new-fangled talk
about spraying?" says the oldest in-
habitant. "When I was a boy—" That
is the difference, Grandfather did
not have to contend with the swarms
of pestiferous insects, that make or -
°herding so ditllcult for his grandson.
Spraying was not necessary in those
days because apple orchards were
more widely scattered and as a result
insects were not so numerous, With
the increase of orchards, insects be-
came more numerous, not only from
multiplication but by importation
from infested territory and from for-
eign lands, For many years insects
were permitted to multiply unham-
pered incl as a result they made or-
charding unprofitable. They are so
numerous and destructive now that
spraying, pruning, and the best all-
tural methods must be practised to
make the orchard pay.
3
Use raisins fox sweetening in rice
pudding.
Save toast mule from wheat bread
by getting up earlier and making mu/ -
fins from the many Wheat euhattttvtes.
Peas and onions can be followed by
tomatoes; onions cabbage and lettuce
can be followed by snap beans; beets
and corn can be followed by turnips;
corn and beans by cabbages, and in
this way the garden can be kopt busy
throughout the growing season,