HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1917-4-12, Page 78-
arnt, Crop ueries-,
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1, "I
Conducted by Professor Henry G. Bell.
T'he obJect of this department Is to place at thlie
service of our farm readers the advice of an acknowl.
edged authority on all subjects pertaining to sells and
crops.
Address All questions to Professor Henry G. Bell, In
care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, To.
ronto, and answers will appear In this column In the
order In which they are received, As space Is limited
it Is advisable where Immediate reply Is necessary that
a starnped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the
cmeation, when the antiwar will be mailed direct.
Question—F. P.:—(a) What fertil-
izer would you suggest for corn in
medium soil, and how much? Have
no manure. (b) What is the best
kind of soil for buckwheat, and when
is the best time to sow, and how thick-
ly?
Answer:—(a). For corn on medium
still I would advise from 800 to 500
pounds per acre of fertilizer carrying
1 to 2% ammonia and 8 to 12% avail-
able phosphoric acid. If it is pos-
sible to obtain. 1% potash, the addi-
tion will be of advantage to the crop.
A satisfactory method of applying this
fertilizer to the corn is to drill it in
through the fertilizei dropping at-
tachment of the wheat drill. Such a
method of application puts the plant -
food into the soil where the material
can dissolve, The available plantfood
acts on the young crop somewhat the
same as whole milk fed to the young
calf. It gives it a strong, healthy,
vigorous start.
In using fertilizers do not neglect
to grow clover or rye on this ground
inside the next two years and then
turn,. under a second crop of
clover or a fair growth of rye or some
other green manure. In using
fertilizers you are adding plantfood
but yet. are not adding organic rat-
ter or :.umus. Humus is essential
to the producing capacity of the soil,
hence must not be neglected.
(b) Buckwheat will do well on most
any type of soil with the exception of
muck. It is successful sown later
than the average farm crops,—even
SOW11 as late as early June. Prob-
ably late in May is ..he best time to
seed it, using from 3 to 5 pecks of
good seed per acre.
Question—T. L.:—What is the
best fertilizer for strawberries, and
when should it be used, on the vines
that are bearing this year or the vines
to be set out this year?
.Answer —In fertilizing strawber-
Henry O. Bell.
ries, good results are obtain_d by ag-
ing from 400 to 600 pounds' per acre
of fertilizer analyzing from 2 to 8%
ammonia and 8 to 12% available
phosphoric acid, and possibly 2 to 8%
potash. This is best applied when
preparing the bed for the planting of
the young vines. When the ground
has been thoroughly disked this avail-
able plantfood should be drilled in
through the fertilizer dropping at-
tachment of the wheat drill, or it
should be broadcasted over , the pro-
posed strawberry bed and thoroughly
disked and harrowed in. When the
young vines are set they will profit
greatly by the added vigor obtained
from this available plantfood. As
a rule, top -dressing growing straw-
berries has not been the most profit-
able way to apply.
Question—M. C.:—What is the best,
way to get rid of wild mustard?
Answer:—A practieable way to get
rid of mustard is to spray the young
plants before they come into flower.
For this purpose a spray machine such
as is used for spraying potatoes might
be used. Empty a 100 -pound sack
of sulphate of iron into a kerosene or
vinegar barrel. Fill it up to the chine
with water and stir until the sulphate
of iron is dissolved. Strain the solu-
tion through several thicknesses of
cheese -cloth when pouring it into the
tank of the spray machine. To be
most effective, it is well to apply 52
gallons of this material to the acre.
The more powerful the spraying ma-
chine the better, since the mist is
most effective when divided into finest
particles. A pressure of 80 to 100
?ounds at the nozzle should be main-
tained. A two -horse spraying ma-
chine will spray from 20 to 100 acres
of grain in a 10 -hour day. In actual
tests which have been carried out, this
method of treatment has proven very
efficient in killing out this troublesome
weed. It does not hurt the grain crop.
r ;elm
8./(0ffi'S
Mother Robin's April Fool.
Mother Robin played an April -fool
joke on little Sammy Patterson; she
played a joke and said "April fool!"
at the right time, only of course she
said it robin fashion. When any robin
laughs after sunset and says "Cheer
up!" it sounds like "April fool!" and
Sammy's robin probably knew what
she was talking about.
She and Father Robin came back
early that year, and built their nest
the last week in March. Ever since
Sammy was big enough to have a
room of his own near his mother's
room upstairs, the robins had built in
an apple tree just outside his window.
This was the first time, though, that
they had come in March.
Sammy did his best to help them so
long as March lasted. He put string
on the fence for Mother Robin to use,
and bits of wool and cotton. He did
everything a country boy could do to
help a pair of robins get settled for
the season. And they must have
been birds of exceptional intelligence
and over, until at last the little boy
called to bis father and mother.
"Come quickly, please," he urged,
"and come softly, because some one is
playing ticktack on my window, and
maybe you can catch him!"
Father and mother came quickly and
softly and both of them were laughing.
They thought that the neighbors' boys
were hiding outside the house with a
ticktack. Mr. Patterson laughed, be-
cause he used to do tricks like that
when he was a boy. Mrs. Patterson
laughed, because she thought how sur-
prised some one would be when she
opened the window wide and said,
"Who's there?"
Sammy's pretty mother did open
the window and did. say, 'Who's
there?" But she was the one who was
straightway surprised, because no one
answered but Mother Robin. Mother
Robin had laid one blue egg that morn-
ing, and she was on the nest keeping
the treasure warm. When Mrs. Pat-
terson said, "Who's there?" Mother
Robin untucked her head from under
her wing and answered, "April fool!"
cheerfully.
"Sure enough!" exclaimed Sammy's
father. "It was Mother Robin who
has been playing ticktack on your win-
dow. Look at this, Sammy!"
Sammy looked. What he saw was
for the' used the string. And then, a long string dangling from the top of
the minute April came, Sammy forgot Mother Robin's nest, A nail was tied
them. to the end of the string, and it was
The only reason Sammy forgot the that nail that made the tap -tap -tap -
robins for a few hours was because the ping noise, helped by the April breeze.
first day of April was his day to play How Sammy and his father and his
jokes on the family and then shout, mother laughed when they saw that, The symptoms of spasmodic colic
"April fool!" He had much fun with string that Mother Robin had woven' are: Uneasiness, stamping, pawing,
everyone that day, and was so tired into her nest, nail and alli The robin throwing. himself down, rolling, get -
t b dt' th t be wa lcd to believe laughed, VI, robin fashion, •
What the clock said without asking a
question.
Sammy's mother went downstairs .1.-1e
fun
after he had d his prayers and she
had tucked him into bed; she suppos-
ed the Rae fellow would fall asleep For specific information regarding,
in less than three minutes. He did breeding, feeding., and general card
not! The reason Sammy did not go and management of livestock, apply
to sleep when he closed his oyes was to your nearest experimental farm.
that he heard a curious tapping at the Feed is high, but it is not so high
window after his mother had left the
room; a gentle tap -tap -tap! tap -tap -
tapping!
When Sammy opened his eyes wide
and looked through the window, he
Sem only the man in the moon, look-
ing pleasant..
Again came that gentle tap -tap -tap! dairy farmers thinking about nie.,
tap-tap-tappingl Sammy sat up and chanical milkers.
wondered. It seemed to him then es The earlier calves are taught to eat
if the man in the moon were laughing, the better. If the calf is given a
for the man in the moon never seemed small handful of ground oelvvith the
far away and Sammy always thought hulls sifted oet, in the bottom of the
of him as a good friend, Pell after he is through taking up the
Sammy said afterwards that he Milk he will be eating chop before he
knew noise one was trying to play knows it.
joke on him; he guessed that the
very first second he hear the tap -tap -
tapping. Of course he did not think of
Mother Robin. If he bad thought of
her he would hey@ believed that she
Was too busy to play April -fool jokes
on
it littleboy.
Tap -tap -tap! came that sound over
LOWER
E
ON10N SEED 61:F-131 rg:;17::DA po0Nd oN nol
LESS THAN LAST YEAR. SOW 5
LBS, SEED PER ACRE. AVERAGE CROP 500 BUSHELS PER ACRE
Yellow Globe Danvers Onion, black seed. ,oz. 25c, Ib. $2,10, 5 1128, 69.25
Giant Yellow Frizetaker Onion, black seed..oz, 25o, Ib. 62.10, 5 lbs. 88.26
Large Red Wethersfield Onion, black seed..oz. 26c, Ib, $2.00, 5 lbs. 60126
Market Maker Golden Globe Onion oz. 25c,• Ib. 132,10, 6 'be, $9.25
Early Yellow Danvers Onion, black seed..oz, 20c, Ib. $1,90, 5 ibs, $8.25
Southport White Globe Onion, black seed ....... ,....02: 40c, Ib, 64.00
Red Globe Prizewinner Onion, black seed..oz. 25o, Ib. 410, 5 lbs. 69.26
Select Yellow Dutch Onion Setts Ib 35c, 5 lbs. $1.70
XXX Guernsey Parsnip, fine smooth roots ..Pkg. 10c, oz, 20e, 4 oz. 60c,
Detroit Dark Red Table Beet (round) Pkg. Sc, oz, 20c, 4 oz. 500.
Chantenay Red Table Carrot Pkg. 5c, oz, 25c, 4 oz. 65c.
Rust Proof Dwarf Black Wax Butter Beans Ib. 50o, 5 lbs, $2,25
Early White Cory Sweet Table Corn Ib 35c, 6 lbs. $1.50
London Long Green Cucumber (great cropper) Pkg. 50, oz. 15c,
4 oz. 40c.
XXX Solid Head Lettuce Pkg. 10o, oz. 25c, 4 ozs. 75c.
Improved Beefsteak Tcmato Pkg, 10c, 42 oz, 35c, oz. 61:1c
XXX Scarlet Oval Radish (mild, crisp) Pkg. 10c, oz. 20c, 4 ozs. 50c,
Little Marvel Garden Bush Peas, very early ........4 Ca, 15c, lb, 40c.
Early -Branching Asters, Crimoon Pink, White or Mixed Pkg. 10c
Mammoth Fringed Cosmos, mixed colors „ .Pkg. 10c.
XXX Mammoth Verbenas, superb mixture of colors ........Pkg. 10o.
XXX Spencer Giant Sweet Peas, all shades mixed ..Pkg. 15c, oz. 35c,
"Pakro" Seedtape. "You plant it by the yard."
2 pkts. for 25c. Ask for descriptive list.
Rennie's Seed Annual Free to All. Delivery Free in Canada
Order through your LOCAL DEALER or direct from
RENNIE'S SERW
S Wm. mENaHr4in
K,nmg
Co., l.T.ioteod
Also at MONTREAL WINNIPEG VANCOUVER
_ _ •
'TRAINING THE PRECOCIOUS CHILD
Great Wisdom is Needed That the Brilliant Child May Be Well -
Balanced and Win Success in Later Life.
Whenever we meet an unusual-
ly bright or precocious child,
there is sure to be some fond
and admiring friend or re-
lative hovering near, anxious to "show
it off." As a matter of fact, the child
of average ability is in much less
danger than the backward or pre-
cocious one.
The backward child may not be un-
derstood or it may not have the most
intelligent methods used in its
management. For this reason, such
a child may fail to achieve as much
as he might under favorable circum-
stances. However, no one expects
very much of a. deficient youngster,
and if he is given healthful surround-
ings, good care and sympathetic un-
derstanding, his handicap may in time
be partly overcome.
Very often the child who is exceed-
ingly bright in certain respects, is
decidedly average otherwise. If you
press a ball in at one point, it will
bulge out on the opposite side. The
bulging or noticeable characteristic is
pretty sure to be balanced by a dent
somewhere. This may be the rea-
son that many people who are really
brilliant in some directions are not
well-balanced or evenly developed all
around.
There is also grave danger that pre-.
cocious children may have too much
expected of them and be urged be-
yond their normal capacity. A lit-
tle boy who was fond of music and
who really did exceptionally well with
his violin lessons was urged to long
periods of practice end encouraged to
take part in many public entertain-
ments. These things were accom-
plished at the cost of play and sleep.
The child developed a nervous trou-
ble and was obliged eventually to give
up both school and music.
It is frequently remarked that the
pupil who is unusually brilliant in
school, winning much favor and many
honors, is not always a success in later
life. There are reasons why this is
often so. If book knowledge comes
too early through an extra good mem-
ory or the ability to see through a
problem quickly, little mental train-
ing is given, and when that individual
goes out into the world, superficial
methods and the expectation of get-
ting much and giving little, do not
make•for success.
The :precocious child is in danger of
becoming over -confident, egotistical,
lacking in thoroughness, and patroniz-
ing in manner. Too often such chil-
dren do not develop the mental and
moral fibre which effort and dis-
couragement, more determined effort
and final victory bring out. One
star pupil was recently heard to boast
that he could stay out of school three
days, attend one day, and still keep
up with his class. I1 may be the old
story of the hare and the tortoise.
He is gaining a contempt for educa-
tional advantages and is likely to be
handicapped for life with the idea that
persistence and conscientious effort
ere not necessary for him.
Teachers often remark that they
are the best instructors in the sub-
jects which were hard for them to
learn as pupils. They know where
the difficulties lie and how discourag-
ing they are.
Great wisdom is needed in handling
the precocious child so that it may
be well-balanced and kindly, and
realize the necessity of achieving its
own beat.
that one can affordeto ruin a good
Pasture by turning stock on it too
early.
Labor on the dairy farms this year
is going to be hard to get, and un-
doubtedly will cost all it is worth. It
is a condition that will start many
ring up, etc. The attacks are spas-
modic, and during the intervals patient
is normal, may appear to want to uri-
nate.
Drench with 11/2 oz. each of lauda-
num, sweet spirits of nitre and tinc-
ture of belladonna in a pint of water,
Repeat in 2 hours if neceseary.
The general indifference to horse -
breeding at present in some farm
sections offers all the more 'foilow the
1110110 00 toose
1 popular course and raise horse before
I they are actually at a premium on
the nuirkets.
IBrood ienres must be properly ex-
ercised, t ferably with light work
but not e there is danger oE
straining or fulling or being crowded
between ehafts. Watch the mare
carefully at foaling, A clean, thor-
oughly disinfected bright cheerful box
stall is the beat place to foal a mare,
unless the weather is warm and a
clean comfortable grass paddoelt is
available. Yearlings and fettle Well
fed end free from vermin will rinks
the' greatest and most profitable gains
on niimmer pasture, but if the pasture
is short., 5 grain supplement is a inost
p1 orlteble inveetment . The secret of
en. • rid horse rearing is to keep the
ne', • elean, healthy and constantly
1.:zer; in sew and weight Until Ina-
turify.
A few years ago it was considered
a normid thing for cows to give 2,500
to 3,000 pounds of milk in a year. To-
day yields of twenty to twenty-five
thousand pounds pass almost un-
noticed. Animal husbandry bee he -
come one of Lite most important Lind
progressive vocations.
lea
Sheep will turn to profitable account
more waste products than will any
other class of farm animals.
A sheep has a low nervous organ,
iaation, and once neglected gives up
with little effort. But kept in thrift
with good care it will be as hardy as
any other animal,
This is the season of the year when
sheep need most care and labor. Rea-
sonable attention In the lambing sea-
son will save a heavy mortality. A
good shepherd will raise it 125% lamb
crop.
Don't forget the spring dipping.
Although other work may demand at-
tention, yet this is the one phase of
sheep husbandry that should never be
neglected.
Shear fairly early, at least before
the very warm spring days arrive, and
thus save the ewe discomfort and loss
in 'weight. With wool as valuable
per pound as butter, the greatest care
should be taken to produce the
cleanest, hest fleece and properly to
care for the same after shearing, Co-
enerative marketing will add from two
to eight cents pev pound revenue from
your wool.
Give the lambs an extra good start
on grass. A lamb creep in tile corner
of the pasture and light grain 'feeding
will usually be found most profitable.
1 Every farmer should develop the
rianseelar system of his children, with
good food, exercisOnd right traiting,
j Which shall it be 1.
0Z17'
47,41", -
Mothers and daughters of all ages are cordially invited to write to this
department. Initials only will be published with each question and Its
answer as a means of Identiflpation, bot full name and address must be
given In each letter. Write on one side of paper only. Answers will be
mailed direct lf stamped and addressed envelope le enclosed.
Address all correspondence for thls department to Mrs, Helen Law, 75
Castle Frank Rc.ad, Toronto,
M, E. 8.;—.A child four or five years
old should ds'ink at least a glassful of
water between five o'clock supper and
seven o'clock bedtime. Children
should get the habit of drinking water
both morning and evening, This will
prevent a good deal of sluggish action
of the liver, kidneys and bowels, and
will obviate the need of laxatives,
which are used altogether too freely.
F. H.:-1. It is misconception to be-
lieve a kitchen should be large. It
should be small, compact, cheerfully
and sanitarily finished, with cross
ventilation, and an abundance of il-
lumination. It should not, of course,
be so small as to be cramped or con-
gested. A long, narrow pantry should
be studiously avoided. Built-in cup-
boards in the kitchen might take the
place of a pantry and save steps. 2.
Any worker desiring to eliminate
waste motion and increase her effici-
ency 50 per cent., can ask herself these
questions: 1. Is my table, stool, hoard,
or working surface at the -right
height? 2. Are my utensils and ma-
terials needed for this task all before
me when I begin? 3. Do I have to
stoop unnecessarily? Do I take use-
less steps? 4. Are my utensils ar-
ranged with proper regard to each
other,and to other tasks? 5. Is my
position comfortable? 6. Am I us-
ing the best and right tool for the pur-
pose? 7. Is the tool properly ad-
justed and in good condition before I
begin work? 8. Am I making any
awkward motions, or ones I could
omit?
L. N. T.:—Here is an extract from
a book entitled "The Efficient Life,"
which may suit your case. It is a
plan that is decidedly worth trying. A
tired and nervous mother will often
find fault unnecessarily, and cause
friction in the home, Give mind and
body a real rest every day, as this
message advises:—
"Many mothers slave for their chil-
dren so many hours a day that they
have but little energy left with
which to enjoy them and love them.
As a result, the dullness and drudgery
of existence are all they come to ex-
perience.
"One mother of five children for
years took at least one hour a day for
rest and quiet reading alone by her-
self. Nothing but absolute neces-
sity could induce her to break into
this hour,
"The result of this is not only that
she had kept her own superb health,
but she is a constant joy and inspira-
tion to her children, her husband, and
her friends.
"It is true that she might have
done more dusting or mending stock-
ings than she has actually accom-
plished, but it would have been at the
sacrifice of that whole part of her life
which meant the most to herself and
others."
W R IC.:—Probably you will find
all the good recitations you need in
"jessie Alexander's Platform
Sketches." The price of the book is
0.00. As for drills, there are three
little volumes you would find useful:
"Ideal Drills," "Wilson's Drills and
Marches," and "Twenty-five Drills and
Several Motion Songs." They are 25
cents each.
R. W.:—How April Fool Day came
Ito be no one really knows. Probably
the best guess is that which credits
the day to France the first nation of
all Christendom to begin the year on
January 1 instead of March 26. Be-
fore the change was made the octave
of the festival, April 1, was the day
on which the celebration culminated,
when visits were made and gifts ex-
changed. With the adoption of the
reformed calendar in 1564, New Year's
Day was celebrated on January 1, and
only pretended gifts and mock
ceremonial visits were made on April
1, with the idea of making fools of
those who had forgotten the change of
date. The custom once started was
kept up after its origin VMS no longer
remembered.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON
APRIL 15.
Lesson ID. Jesus The Good Shep-
herd—John 10. 1-18. Golden
Text—John 10. 11.
Ve:se 7. In studying the other par-
ables of the fourth Gospel, it must be
noticed that the Evangelist reports
parables in a way of his own, fusing
parable and interpretation. Here,
however, he has given a parable
(verses 1-6) in the original form, and
these verses are the interpretation.,
But the parable suggests two wholly
independent applications, which are
given successively without any atten-
tion to their incongruity, a thing that
matters leas to Oriental than to West-
ern modes of speech. In verses 7-9
Jesus is the door: true shepherds and
false are distinguished according as
they enter through the Door, or "climb
up some other way." Recall Milton's
use of it, describing Satan's entry into
Paradise:
"So clomb his first grand theif into
God's fold;
So since into his church lewd hirelings
8. All that came are thieves (mar-
gin —The addition before me may well
have been an attempt to explain a
hard phrase. He that cometh was a
special name of the Christ: see John
11. 27; Matt. 11. 3, etc. 'So this means
false Christs, who tried to coax the
sheep away. But they did not hear
thein (verse 5). Robbers—Or high-
waymen, sheep stealers who will use
vioolen Tete will refer to shepherds, not
sheep. The true lindershepherd (1
Peter 5. 2-4) makes it his,business to
find pasture for the sheep. He can
go in and go out freely, for he goes
through the Door (verse 3 ). To such
is promised salvation, for we can be
saved only by trying to save others.
Compare Phil. 1, 19; 1 Tim, 4. 16.
There is a vast multitude of true
"pastors"—the word,_is only the Latin
for "shepherd"—who were never
ordained by human hands.
10. Cometh—The special sense still
lingers about it from verse 8. Have
abundance (margin)—Christ never
gives just enough: there are always
basketfuls left over.
11. Here begins what is really a
new parable, starting out of the other.
A good shepherd, owning the sheep,
will risk his life for those sheep when
the Wolf comes. The hireling has no
motive for doing so: his life is worth
more to him than his pay! Before,
a,s well as after, this brief parable,
Jesus tens us Diet such a shepherd
filustratee what lie is to his own.
Layeth down—The tense shows that
readiness to face death to rescue the
sheep is intended: offers or risks
comes Newer to the Greek. It is, of
course, in the application of the par-
able that Layeth down beromes true.
12. Whose own—All turns on this.
Hence 11 18 that Peter bids the Lord's
underthepherds to "shepherd the flock
of God . not for base love of gain,
but of free will" (1 Peter 5. 2).
14. This takes up verse 3. Com-
pare the "seal" upon God's "firm
foundation" (2 Tim. 2. 19). Mine own
know me—Verse 5 is the converse.
One recalls the "true Israelite" of
John 1, 47 who instinctively recognizes
"the Ring of Israel."
15. This is the note so often struck
in John 17: the Lord applies to us a
standard actually drawn from his own
relations with the Father. It is es-
sentially like Matt. 5. 48 and Eph. 5.
1. For the sheep—In this context
the suggestion is that he rescues his
sheep at the risk of his own life.
"Risk" we may still say for in Gethse-
mane he showed that he could conceive
of God's finding at the last moment
some other way of accomplishing his
purpose. But here that possibility is
barely in sight: He is sure the offer-
ed life will be taken, as he is sure that
having lost his life he will find it
again.
16. This fold—The Chosen People,
who thought themselves monopolists
of God's mercy. They shall hear, and
so prove that they are truly his sheep.
They shall become one flock—The
margin there shall be is not impos-
sible as a translation of the reading
implied in the text: the difference
made is slight. One flock—Jerome's
extraordinary blunder, one fold, is per-
haps the most disastrous translation
mistake ever made in history. It was
largely responsible for the un -Christ-
ian idea that unity consists in exter-
nal organization instead of the bond
of love. In Greek the word flock is
derived from the Word shepherd: the
vital unity of Christendom is in the
universal dependence on the One
Shepherd,
17. Perfect sacrifice is the condi-
tion of perfect love. It was by carry-
ing his obedience "as far as death"
(Phil. 2. 8) that the Son won his ex-
ataltion. That I may—An addition
like that in Rom. 8. 84. There is an
tuswilhistgsiesa evesi to ti the
Death alone, lest men should think—
es Art has so often persersely taught
them—of a Dead Christ as the object
of our woi•ship.
18. 'rook it away (margin)—If this
reading is right, it is another link
with Jonh 17, in which the Lord looks
back on his earthly career as closed
and lying in the past, Power—Rath-
er authority, derived from God, For
without a clear call from God no man
has the right to give or even risk the
life God gave for his own purpose.
Lay it down—A. different tense now is
need, which justifies this rendering.
This commandment—To sacrifice and
to resume life alike. Careful study
of the Synoptic record of the Passim
will show Viet the Lord was no pas-
sive victim. He chose the time o
his death (see Mali. 26. 5) and the
charge on which he wouldp lead (Marla
14, 61), when his enemies tried their
best to escape both—the former be-
cause of Hie people, the latter because
such a charge would cot appeal to
Pilate, the Roman procurator.
SCANDINAVIA HARD
HIT BY THE WAR
DENMARK, NORWAY AND SWE-
DEN SUFFER PRIVATIONS.
Dread of War With Germany Ilas
Kept the Scandinavian Alliance
Inactive.
For a month, writes a Stockholm
correspondent of the New York Her-
ald, the three Scandinavian coun-
tries have been cut off from a great
part of Europe and practically from
the whole extra -European world. With
the Entente countries of Weet Europe
and with America the only direct corn-
munieation is by cable, Immediately
after the German submarine proclam-
ation optimists expected restoration
of at least the Bergen -Newcastle traf-
fic, but so far nothing has been done.
The great Ruesian transit traffic has
ceased, and the express trains to Ha-
paranda, on the Finnish frontier, no
longer run. The only direct trade
worth mentioning is with Germany.
Business men are proclaiming that
Scandinavia's one resource for the
rest of the war is to tighten the belt
and live on half rations in Germany's
own way.
What Oppression Means.
Consumers who have been grumb-
ling for two years over the minor in-
conveniences caused by British trade
measures are now realizing what
really oppressive measures involve.
All three Scandinavian countries are
threatened with the most serious diffi-
culties, Sweden has not enouhg grain
to last till next harvest, and she is
doubtful whether she will ever see the
200,000 tons of flour already ordered
in the United Statse by the State Food
Commission. Denmark's case is worse.
She is threatened in greater degree
than Sweden with shortage of grain,
and the suspension of her dairy pro-
duce exports to England threatens her
trade balance. Still worse is Norway's
lot. Norway produces a smaller pro-
portion of food than either of her
neighbors, and she risks both having
no food and having her chief industry,
shipping, permanently lamed.
Card System Extended.
All three countries are busy with
measures, already taken 'or suggested
1 or meeting the general famine; the
card system is to be extended; public
buildings, theatres and schools are
partly or wholly closed, owing to lack
of fuel; railway and local shipping
services are being curtailed, and more
' and more branches of production are
being brought under State control. In
Stockholm only one street lamp out
of four is to be lighted, and in one
large suburb domestic electric light-
ing ceases at 9 a.m. A threatened corn -
1 plete lack of English cloth and other
i English manufactured goods has led
Ito a run on shops, and citizens are
laying in stocks of everything obtain-
able in preparation for coming dras-
tic State measures of limitation of
purchase and sale.
A Fear of Germany.
To -day every Scandinavian admits
that the much -complained -of British
restrictions were trifles. In spite of
this admission the Scandinavian States
have not adequately reacted to Ger-
many's latest act of aggression. Presi-
dent Wilson has not been supported,
and Sweden has even gone out of her
way to condemn the United States
policy. Dread of war with Germany
has dominated every other feeling.
Every pro -German newspaper, like the
Svensk Dagblad, admitted that Ger-
many's submarine campaign, in so far
as it infringed Swedish rights, must be
protested against; but, on the other
hand, the strongest pro -Entente news-
papers, such as the Socialdemokrat,
were against accepting Mr. Wilson's
invitation to break off diplomatic re-
lations, much less to take up arms.
Would Escape Hostilities.
In Norway conditions are the same;
the press unanimously condemned
Germany's action, but it proclaimed
that the issue was not worth a war.
Demnark, too, is at one in denuncia-
tion of the "blockade," but there is
the old difference between the conser-
vative opposition's unqualified anti -
Germanism and the Radical -Socialist
. group's dread of giving offence to
Berlin. From the first it was inevit-
able that the Scandinavian countries
would not risk a conflict with Ger-
many, but it is mainly the achieve-
ment of Sweden that so little was
done. The Germanophile Conservative
party, which is now in power, never
so clearly got its way,
Swedes Are Pro -German.
Sweden, as the strongest Seandi-
navian State, has dominated her
neighbors' politics ever since the
t Christiania agreement that all three
should act together. This prevents re-
solute opposition to German aggres-
sion. Even Mr, Hammarskjold's Cab-
inet could not resist the teed for de-
fending some special Swedish interest
or right, but aa long as it is in power
united Scandinavian action against
Germany on general grounds of policy
or humanity will be out of the ques-
tion.
Tile fibre of the Argentine guato
plant having been found suitable for
lace manufacture, a Ince factory will
be established in that reentry.
One of the most eostly buildings in
Bemires is a temple for menkeye, The
followers of Brahma hold ibis animal
awed and worship it as a deity -
It traces more "know how" to farm
successfully than to engage in any
other trade; but the farmer gets hie
living; as he goes along. Other trades
Ron't.