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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1948-5-12, Page 2Door -to -Door Selling Often Clever Racket y The annual door todoor sell- ing of bulbs, seals, bushes, plants and fertilizer is often a racket of the very worst kind; and countless holtscholders have lived to regret cloinn business with salesmen peddl- ing merchandise which hater proved U. be worthless. One of the conuuonest of these rackets, also one of the hardest to Bltt, is that of the fertilises sales- men. "Be on the alert' conies the warning, for the man who arrives at sour door in the dusk of evening with a load of fertilizer to self right theta and there. \ isibility is at its poorestthen and there is no way of telling what you are buying. 'The rarkrteer counts on this; and al- though it sounds almost uubeliev- ab,e, people has actually bought coal dust, colored sawdust, and even poor clay earth a' fertilizer. Unless one is expert at such things, one dank colored substance sprinkled on a lawn looks much the same as another, and doubtless there are hundreds of people who never find out how they have been victimized." Two Inch High Grass There are other clever schemes in the garden racketeer's repertoire too. Recently for, example, a case carte to light of a grass salesman who sold seed which he claimed would grow to a height of two inches only. HIe had quite a good sale for his product before he ran afoul of an alert businessman in the United States and the Last word of him was that he was heading for Canada to give the benefits of his "dis- covery" to tired gardeners here. So be on the alert for him. Of course, this grass would be a wonderful boots to the head of the house, weary of pushing a lawn mower all season, and it's not to be wondered at that he had a very good sale for his seed. The. truth probably is that the grass won't grow beyond two inches, because it won't grow at all. Paid In Advance At this time of year too, com- plaints are heard from gardeners who have paid in advance, during the winter months, to salesmen at the door for shrubs and plants to be delivered in time for planting. After waiting months, the merchandise is never received and nine times out of ten the salesman has gone his way and the money with him. Do not pay in advance for anything, unless and until you know all al2out the individual or firm with whom yon are dealing. It is surprising that gardeners of experience would believe that a salesman could guarantee that shrubs, trees, or plants will grow, yet a lot of worthless plants are sold every year to otherwise care- ful gardeners. Nobody ,not the fin- est gardener, can guarantee what any planted thing is likely to do, and the very fact that the salesman is so sure should put you on your guard. It goes without saying that anyone who guarantees that fruit trees or bushes will bear flowers or fruit the same year they are planted is unethical, to say the least. Anyone who possessed such a magic formula would not be peddling shrubs from door to door, but would be a consultant to scientists who have worked for years on this matter. Plant Doctor Another racket which blooms each year at this time is that itinerant "termite man" or "plant doctor." He appears at the door and offers to examine the trees and shrubs for possible infestation of insects, In- evitably he announces that the trees are infected. I -Ie finds carious in- sects have attacked the tree. or plant diseases have started upon it, or he declares that termites are present which will get into the house. He then volunteers to treat the trees and destroy all theee things — for A fee. a: a. Lweury on Wheels in New Trans -Continental Buses—there'll be no dry spells for trans- continental passengers on this new bus. It has a fully equipped snack bar, plus other inno- vations, such as a two-way radio telephone. Two fair maidens sample the snack Far, with the driver's approval. Some Notes From The Farm Front By John Russell Considerable interest was aroused by something we published last week about a method of bringing unthrifty apple trees back to good yields. It consists of planting from four to eight young trees — even crab apples will do — near the old trunk, then grafting them right into It. Going still further into the matter, those who have tried it say there doesn't seem to be notch difference In ylelds from such "grafted" trees and others in the same orchard which have always been healthy, Last year one man claims to have harvested 40 boxes from a "grafted" Red Delicious; which is a real yield considering that the original trunk is dead and the grafts now make up the entire root system. At times, when trees have been blown over, they have been straight- ened, and the same plan of grafting young trees to them used. A few years later yields were equal to those of nearby unharmed trees. But here's something that should be noted; all water sprouts should be rubbed from the young trees used for such grafting, or else their sap will fail to flow into the old trunk. Plenty of Bugs More than 470,000 different species of insects have already been iden- tified and entomologists — bug spe- cialists, that is — estimate that the total number of species in the world la over two million. And we know one man who swears he has every last one of them, right on his own farm. It Takes Time First reaction of many who use such weed -killing sprays as 2, 4-D is often one of disappointment. They expect something spectacular to happen right away; but the trouble Is that most weeds Just won't curl up and die in a few hours, even if they've been fatally injured. Com- mon plantain, for example, may take from s to 6 weeks even to look different. That's because the leaves remain green and healthy in ap- pearance, even though the entire root system is decomposed. But such spraying really pays, nevertheless. One man had 350 acres of oats so badly infested with Can- ada thistle that it looked like a hope- less task to make them eligible for certification. But when the oats were knee-high he rigged up a spray out- fit and soaked them with 2, 4-D, The spray, which cost around $3 an acre, returned him $20 an acre on the oats, THIS CURIOUS WORLD By William Ferguson WHICH OF THESE ARE REPTILES S • rare? 72E4* (RCE PAPER f5 Nor MADE FROM fit'/, Bur FROM THE PITH OF A 7REE 'THAT6ROWS iN FORMOSA. 0000. 1046 BY 505 001Y100, I00. A OUFi4G t. At 550.14 e, PM, 0f:, 0 LINES IN THE PLUMAGE OF THE BITTERN BLEND WITH'1HE UPRIGHT REEDS IN WHICH THE BIRD NESTS.,,, PRODUCING acs ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NATURE'S PRoTG,CTIVE, oOLORATIONs 1 to say nothing of the increased value of the land. Real Oil Crop With the great shortage of vege- table oils and fats which exists throughout the world, the sunflower is coming in for more attention than ever before. In Manitoba last year no less than 23 thousand acres were devoted to this crop which, with an average of 800 pounds of seed per acre. would give a total production of something like 9,200 tons. Probably few of us realize just how notch sunflower seed oil is used in Canada. In addition to our own production — in 10.15 over 5 million pounds — two years ago our im- ports of sunflower seed oil amount- ed to over 14 million pnnnds, mostly from Argentina. There are other vast possibilities for sunflower growing. In the United States university seed doctors and cooperating farmers believe that they are so close to solving the "sunflower secret" that beferre long we may be eating rakes made with sunflower steal — and thousands of farmers may have a new crop to harvest. Although sunflower seeds have long been recognized as valu- able winter feed for rattle and poul- try, up to now commercial use of the crop has never been on a large scale. It is interesting to note that the university of Illinois seed specialists, who are conducting the experiments, had to turn to Canada in order- to secure the type of sunflower they wanted. The traditional tall sun- flower plants, with heavy stalks, were much too hard to harvest. Now, with a Canadian "dwarf" variety called the "Advance" they feel that the battle is won and that planting, cultivation and harvesting can be done with the machinery used for cont, "\\-e can definitely promise that dwarfed sunilenters, harvested by modern machinery, will produce yields of sunflower meal and oil that will be equal on to economic basis to soybean yieIds in terns of value of meal and oil per acre!" they state. So it looks as if it mightn't be a bad idea for many Ontario fanners, in areas suitable for this crop, to look into the pos- sibilities of sunflowers, Turn About And then there Was the motorist who got lost down in the Southern "hillbilly" country, taking shelter in a lonely -looking farmhouse just at duels. After eating supper he and the farmer settled down for a chat,' "books as if farming would be pretty tough artamd here," said tine motorist, "How do you ever manage to make it pay:" "See that feller down there,' said the farmer, pointing toward the hired man who was eating silently r at the end of the table. "%,'ell, he works for me and I can't pay hien nothin", So in two years Ile gets the farm, Then I work for him till I get It back. We've been doing that now for 22 years — and things are 50 good that right now we're thinking r.1 taking in a partner," Eoo..;erang The guest spcalcrr was late, and the audience was growing restless, The harassed chairman espied a 'witty professor friend clown in the crowd, and handed down a note requesting his brief appearance on the platform. The professor carte tip on the rostrum, and announced: "My friends, I have been requested to come up here and say something funny," "You'll let no know ttltcn you say it, won't you professor?" a rowdy student called out from the rear of the hall. "I'll tell yon," the professor shot back; "the rent will know.", The Green Thumb By Gordon L. Smith Thinning After the first planting is up the next major job is thinning and spacing. This is vital work and applies to either flowers or vege- tables. Crowded flowers will grow thin and spindly, will not bloom freely and the biggest plants will topple over in the *„ f P first storm. Allow •a. about four or five inches between plants for flowers like nasturtiums, less for alyssum, much more for tall marigolds, cos- mos or spider plants. Spacing 'With the smaller vegetables, a couple of inches between plants is sufficient. This applies to leaf let- tuce, early carrots, beets, etc. Beans and peas should have from four to six inches between plants, and as all the seed usually germinates it should be planted about this far apart. Rows should be front fifteen incites to two feet apart. Corn is usually planted from three to six seeds to a hill, about eighteen inches apart each way or rows two to three feet apart. Tomato plants re- quire at least eighteen inches each way; melons, squash and cucum- bers three plants to a hill, and hills abntn two to three feet apart, Zinnias Zinnias are among the easiest garden flowers to grow, They will grow in almost any kind of soil but will thrive better in rich, deep soil, well dug and ntanured. They neer] plenty of sun, Water them generously, particularly during the hot, dry weeks of midsummer, by soaking the soil. Overhead water- ing may cause mildew. Keep the soil from becoming caked by either a straw mulch during the hot months or shallow cultivating in the forst of a dust mulch, to conserve mois- ture, Zinnias offer long -season bloom in the utmost variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They are also prints for cutting. The large dahlia -flowered giant types grow to three and four feet and naal,e showy plantings at the back of the flower border. Fantasy, chrysanthemum -flowered, cut -and - come -again types are suited to the middle heights. For the front of a border and for bedding are the baby or pompon zinnias. Zinnias are often thought of as autumn flowers, but will Start blooming in early July and will continue until frost, especially if a new sowing is made in mid -jure to take the place of those that have started early, Keep the old blooms raft off. Anti -Fogging Natural science has a solution to the problem of windshields that log over in cold weather, .A cotton cloth impregnated with an anti -fog- ging chemical will $oon be intro- duced commercially. One wiping with the treated cloth will keep winc'aws clear for hours, The cloth ran be used indefinitely, Seventh Inning Stretch B3' FERN LSUBLE The stadium oar filled to eapa• city for the opening game and a swelling chorus of voices filled the air. The sun was a brilliant ball in a sky of blue. But Johnny 1,o141ctreel sat hunched in the dugout, his huge hands hanging loosely between his knees. The banter of his teammates was a meaningless babel to hint, "I wonder how she is by now," he thought miserably, I-Iis blue eyes darkened in despair as he thought of the interminable afternoon be- fore hint, He groaned and glanced at Corky Blanton, It was too bad that Chuck Leigh- ton had sprained an ankle, Doc said he'd be hack in the lineup by next weekk, but next week was too late and Corky was depending on Johnny to pitch this opening game, "How's it going, Johnny?" Corky dropped clown on the bench beside him and laid a comforting hand on his knee. "Gosh, Corky, I don't know, The Doc said she'd be all right, but I wish to I -leaven I could be there with iter," His knuckles whitened as he clenched his hands and Corky watched hint with troubled eyes. As Johnny took the mound for the top half of the first inning, a cheer rose front the stands, His heart warned at the sound and some of the sag lifted from his shoulders, lie looked at Windy Norton, who was catching, and nod- ded as he caught the signal, As Ise started his wind-up, a fleeting vis - bus of Milly's scared little face cros- sed his mind. IIe knew when the ball left his hand it was a stinker. Sure enough, Bill Lofton, the big Pirate shortstop, laid on it for a three -base bit. A groan went up from the crowd. He got hold of himself and fanned the next three men up, leaving Bill Lofton stranded on third. As he faced the first 511521 up in the second inn- ing, Johnny's arm felt like lead. "If I just knew how she was," he thought, "If I knew she was all right." IIe tried desperately to keep his mind on the game, to keep front thinking about -Mills', but, in spite of himself, he failed miserably. 13e simply couldn't keep, iter out of his mind, It happened in the sixth inning. He walked tine first ratan and the next batter up bit for a single, put- ting a nr<uf on first and third, A sacrifice hit brought in the first run of the game for the Pirates. As the seventh inning carte up, and the boys trotted out to their positions, Corky turned impatiently as someone tapped him on the shoulder. Ile tools the note landed to him, His fare spread into a huge grin and he ran out to the mound, 'Veil," Johnny thought, "here's where I get yanked and I don't blame hint. Any rookie pitcher could toss rings around me today." But Corky simply handed Johnny the paper, Johnny read it and let out a whoop, The fans watched in �dc Quick Growth For a couple of days after it is born, a baby giraffe goes through a stretching period which adds greatly to its height, One recent ar- rival at an English Zoo is said to have increased in length from 62 to 75 inches in thirty flours—an aver- age of almost half an inch per hour. bewilderment as they sate Joh nay go into a dance. Then they saw his tcanttnatee come sauteing, in and cluster around hint to break away n'itlt how las and back thumping. Finally, everyone Karl: fn posi- tion, ,Johnny turd the monad and squinted at \\'indy, waiting for the signal. As i1 came, he pate a satis- fied nod and started Itis niud-up, The ball whirred over tate plate and you could almost see the smoke trailing it. The next 5,555 was a hcau- tiful slow, ball [hat broke iur[ riuht, ,Johnny- grinned happily as the bat- ter took a healthy swimg at the nett one and mis,cd, The Reds got ttwu rut; in the eighth, giving thein a one-rtin lead over We Pirates and Johnny put them away one, two, three in the ninth, Not a very big lead, to be sure, but big enough, especially when you ronsidet• that Johnny hadn't really pitches' touch of a game before Corky'cl brought him that little slip of paper a1 the be- ginning of the seventh. Olt yes, tate note? Well, it really wasn't a very big message; that is, not very big in words. It merely said, "ft's twins, darling. Two future major league ballplayers. See that Y011 make them proud of their Daddy today." And it was signed, 'Mitly"' Modest Request -- The driver of ono of those very stall motor eel's that look its f1 they'd dropped off watch chains 1led a1-aiust the end) by 1211/:5' motor transport, le ensc Ole," the driver of the tiny ear called to the truck driver, "is this 'Talbot street?" "Yeah!" answered tate truck driver. "\Veil, would you mind moving 00er and letting the have a little more of it:" asked the driver of the tiny Cao'. Lewes zeote ,+5'w -..,smenu WA r with Itlinard's, the great rubbing lints ntenl, sworn foe of muscular and joint soreness, stiffness and pain. Use 15 generously, It's greaseless, has no unpleasant odor, dries quickly. Use it for dandruff and skin disorders, too. Get a bottle at your druggist's today. Keep it handy on your bathroom shelf. 125R tt , `t ��yp � tri t�+ YvTtt7 W ., , , % tiCis Trea s E hariy um GORDON ST. ONGE OF WINDSOR, ONT., feared parents' scolding more than danger to himself IT was early in February , , , and the ice on the Detroit River looked safe enough — near the shore at least—for the four boys to walk on. But, as boys will, they ventured out too far , , , and, almost before they knew what had happened, a large section of the ice gave way ... and into the frigid waters fell young Maurice Palwada. TWO BOYS RUN FOR SHORE The two older lads, panic- stricken, raced in to shore. But not so 10 -year-old Gordon St. Onge. The sight of his chum floundering helplessly in the water urged Gordon to act. Gingerly he started to walk to- wards the edge ... and then hear- ing an otninous cracking noise, he got down and crawled. Gradually, inch by inch, he reached the water's edge ... and slowly dragged Maurice out of the river, onto the ice, and in to share. He then took the shivering little victim home, Gordon St. Onge of Windsor, Ontario, is a modest hero. In fact, his greatest worry when crawling over that treacherous ice was not the danger to himself. It was the thought of the scolding his parents would probably give him when they learned of the incidenr. We are proud to pay tribute to this brave and unselfish boy through the presentation of The Dow Award. THE DOW AWARD is a citation for outstanding hero. ism mid iadudcs, es a. tangible expression of a iPreciatima, a Sum Canna Savings Bond. Winners are selected by the Dow Award Committee, a group of editors of leading Canadian newspapers. The two older boys headed for shore , but Gordon stayed on the danger- ous shell ice ... determined to rescue his young friend. Slowly, as lightly as possible, he crept nearer the water. Carefully Gordon dragged the exgg- th that boy anymomenttheymightntboth be thrown into the water, But luck was with thein .. , they reached shore safely. �Ow PneW tpY !-� JirrrER A PASSENCER WANTS somerutNG ....BE 0000 UNTIL 1 GET BACK, Look,PAL, ILL SWAP SOME CHEWING GUM FOR YOUR SEAT NEXT TO TtlE STEWARDESS, A DOM BANANAS WHENI'lEGETOFF THE PLANE Ps.oRRy,Ra.-,.rl' INE0D THAT 5E/2 FOR AWHILE, ... 15y Arthur Pointer rrta 401, p ir; ,,,,.3 , r `a \ rtat v ,N TWO CHOCOLATE' BARSANO A BIG BANANA SPLIT!.