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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1924-02-14, Page 7Address commiihlcatloni to`Aeronomtit,,73 Adelaide St. Whet. Toronto AIR YOUR' POTATOES. bed for growing the early plants, no Thousandsof bushels of potatoes seed should besown forseveral'. days etre lost'to•' ear after the manure has: been placed, in .. Ontar•io farmers every -year, due •to' two diseases which occurfre- the 'bed' If a good :grade of manure queitly and are preventable with pro= has been used the bed will heat yery per precautions. violently at firstand it is' not sate to ds in the soil until this initial! These diseases:are 'chilling 'injury, sow•isee -, , or ",field frost " as it is sometimes heating is over. It is a' good plan to calls : and ,Ipreaidown. "The first •of plunge• a thermometer through the these etwo. diseaseanis .caused bye slight e oil into the manure and as soon as chilliri of'the potatoesthe tem eiature• has' falloff .to about g after they,�are P dug fromthe or are in storage eighty or. eighty-five degrees: •Fahren-' or transit. Potatoes subjectsper- heif the bed, is- ready' to plant. J dfor iods as small ,as, three or four:: hours The soil' of the lied should be loos - at temperatures near the freezing ened and made as nearly level as pos- point ofwater; thirty-two degrees, are Bible. For growing lettuce or radishes'' 'affected....Often' the tubers are nor- to maturity the seed should be planted mal "toy all •external appearances, but directly in the>soil of the bed. They when cut open •5hoiv brown or grayish- should be sown rather thinly in rows black areas in the flesh of the stem about four to six inches apart: This end, 'abut an eighth' of an inch be- will allow of thinning the seedlings neath the skin, theflesh being some- and stirring the soil when necessary. what withered at these places. Others If the plants are to be grown for show a blackening in the interior part early transplanting, they may be of the flesh, which may extend for a started in the soil of the hotbed, but considerable distance into the tuber it is better to start them in shallow from';'the stem end. When cooked, such boxes or flats. ..Flats slightly , less tubers, instead of . being white and than twelve inches wide and eighteen mealy, are blackened and soggy, much .incheslong outside measure, and to the chagrin of the housewife. about, two and one-half inches deep, Breakdown of potatoes may be of will be found convenient to handle two types—the one a superficial dying and they will fit into the frameswith- of areas of the skin, and the second a out leaving any_ waste space When deep internal discoloration of the flesh. the flats are used, the seedlings can The surface breakdown of potato be taken to a warm place when they tubers is an injury which makes its are ready for shifting, and the work appearance after the tubers have been can be done more easily than when placed in storage. The first symptoms bending over the frame of the bed. are observed by the grower three or The flats can also be shifted from one four months after the date the pota. part of the frame to another ,and toes were stored, when some tubers whenever necessary they can easily in the bins show on their surfaces be transferred to coldframes where slightly sunken, round or irregularly- the plants are to be hardened in pre- shaped spots varying in size from paration . for transplanting to the one -sixteenth to three-fourths of an garden or field. inch in diameter. The borders of the Some kinds of plants, such as mel - spots have a blueish' or gun-metal hue, ons and cucumbers, do not transplant Upon cutting these sunken spots with readily, but if the seeds are planted a knife, it is found that they are only in soil placed in some receptacle so skin, no rotting has progressed into that the plants can be transferred to brown layer of deadeells beneath the the., garden without disturbing the akin, no rotting has progressed into roots, much earlier crops can be se - the tuber. This surface breakdown cured. Commercial gardeners use trade, is dethbut t called "Buttonrot" of the special dirt bands extensively for this it is nua true rot of the purpose. Old berry boxes, clay or tuber, The pitting of the ' paper pots, squares of inverted sods, P g tubers becomes more pronounced as the season ad- or tin cans with the tops and bottoms melted off are also used. vances, and with the coming of warm A good soil for starting seeds and weather in the spring the most severe symptoms of breakdown, are seen' plants is made by composting sods Many tubers` are found to be soft and and;;;stable manure, but if a compost mushy, and others, when cut open, heap is not available, a satisfactory Chow black centres, a condition known- soil may be made by mixing together as "blackheart." Blackheart often oc-.' one part of well -rotted manure, two curs in refrigerator car shipments or parts of good garden loam or rotted in shipments where stoves cause over- sods, and one part sand. These must heating of the tubers. It is common be thoroughly mixed together , by. with pitted potatoes when the spring shoveling, after which the soil should weather is excessively warm. be sifted through a screen before The enormous loss caused by break -I placing it in the fiats or bands in down each.year can be prevented bye which the seeds areto be sown. giving more attention to ventilation' The date of starting seeds , in the in the construction .of new potato hot -bed is governed.by the date that )torage houses or by remedying the, the 'plants can be set in the open detects of those already constructed., ground, „Cabbage, cauliflower and let - The followingrecommendations twee are.cool season crops and the e dations areP Made: (plants may be set out as early in the 1. Provide each potato cellar oro season as the soil San be worked in )torage house with inlets for fresh air good condition, but it is not safe to and outlets for foul air. 1 set out tomatoes, melons and other 2. Provide false floors and walls warm season crops until the soil Is for the bins. . warm and all danger of frost is over. 3. Provide air spaces between bins.1 As a rule, cabbage, cauliflower and 4. Never store potatoes in piles' lettuce may be started about Six more than five feet deep without mak- weeks before the plants will be needed ing some provision for air for settingin thegarden or field; to get to' to- the centre of the pile. reatoes and peppers eight weeks; egg • SOWING SEEDS IN HOTBEDS, plant, celery and onions about ton 1 weeks; melons and cucumbers, four 'When using the manure -heated hot- to six weeks. POULTRY ( Save the Woodlot. I find that farm house floors are sometimes not exactly level, whether they are concrete basement floors or the wooden floors of upstairs rooms. It pays to have the incubator level, as heat tends to move upward and we wish, an even temperature all over the machine. • A level' machine is less subject to vibration than one whit}.^ is not setting squarely on all fdtir legs. In some incubators I have used, the legs have not beenmachined/carefully enough to make the machine set level. I find wooden shingle' are a great help in firmly planing•' an incubator. They are thiekeeent one end than the other and c n"' be gradually shoved under th egs entil the machine is exactl ]e,:el There h is no .satisfac- P substitute for the spirit level fitrn. P ev n plating an' incubator, but a dish of P, water placed in; the middle of the machine is the next•hest'method, Be sure that the legs are not sprung in shifting the machine. They must rest squarely under each corner to prevent a jar every time the eare- taker walks around the machine or touches it, -I think unnecessary shalc- n,g of the machine maybe a cause of some of .the clurrlut failing, to develop properly, or dying Sn the shell.—K. Meeting tax obligations taxes' the ingenuity of most of us. SALESIVIEN. We pay weekly and offer steady em- ployment selling our complete and ex- clusive lines of whole -root fresh -dug - to -order trees and plants.. Best stock and service. We teach and equip you free. A money -making opportunity. !Luke Brothers Nurseries, Montreal. ISSUE•. No. • It is a shame the way some farm- ers neglect their weod1ots. Trees that blow down durieng storms are allowed to remain ag'they fall, to rot and de- cay. LaL'ge heaps of brush are allow- ed to,aecumulate and litter the woods, preventing the growth of new trees eefd'harboring rodents that do serious 'damage to. orchards and crops that are nearby. These brush piles are first-class places for forest fires . to start. Fallen 'trees in a woodlot should immediately be cut up and 'disposed of. The stumps of these trees should be blasted out and hauled ° away. Dead trees that are standing should be cut, as they are of no good to the forest, but slowthe e growth of the little trees by shutting otrt the sunlight, the food of the little trees. - In Germany, whenever a tree is cut or destroyed, two small trees must be planted to preserve the forests. This is part of the German law. We wish a similar law was in force -in Canada. If every woodlot -would be kept in the condition yl have just stated there would be plenty of timber for the coming generation. But as they are beingkept now, in another century there will be no, forests., to speak of. .. To Protect Trees from - . - Rabbits. To prevent 'rabbits from chewing trees, rub the bodies of the trees, as high as necessary, with smoked pork rind. This is an old German remedy which is much more valuable at pres- ent than the German marls. _ The farmer is going forward 'even if only "on low." It will be but a short time when he can probably "hit on high" again. How to Start Beekeeping. .. Bees can, be kept, profitably ,almost anywhere" in .Canada and each; year the slumber of beekeepers 'gradually increases. :Anyone can keep bees, but it is advisable that persons having an unusually high nervous temperament end those who are badly affected .by the poison of bee stings should not attempt, it. The returns from •bee- keeping are as certain'"as those in any other, business and I do not think there is any other branch of agii- culture-that,yields as high returns for the small ,amount of capital invested or the .time required. Anyone Anyone intending to start beekeep- ing must have a fair knowledge of bee behaviour and what the bees require. A thorough knowledge of modern methods is, not necessary to make,'a start; indeed, this ;knowledge can only come through years of practical es• perience. The wider one's experience the better beekeeper one becomes. It is essential to be able to apply knowl- edge promptly and to do the right thing at the right. time. The business of beekeeping is one of details and one that requires specialists. To, gain the knowledge .required, it is, advis- able Eor:the prospective beekeeper to spend at least one season with a good beekeeper :if at all possible, If this cannot be done much may learned by attending short coursesin bee- keeping at any of the colleges, road- ing good books on the subject or visit- ing neighboring isit-ingneighboring bee yards as often as possible.• "' When ready to take up the business the first consider•atien is one of lo- cation. A good location is one that will produce a fairly continuous sup- ply of pollen and nectar from early spring, until fall, with at least one source that can be depended upon for a heavy crop. Transportation, avoid- ance of overcrowding, and shelter from winds are other factors to bear in mind when choosing a place for the apiary. Locality will also deter- mine the system' of management, the equipment used and kind of honey produced. Whenever possible the beginner should purchase one or two colonies of Italian bees with tested queens in his own vicinity. These should be in modern hives. The hive in common use is the ten -frame. Langstroth, al- though some beekeepers now prefer a larger hive carrying twelve frames, or. the ten -frame Jumbo, which is a deeper hive. Bees can also be bought in one, two or three -pound combless packages, and if obtained early enough in the season are often equal to oveiwintered col- onies. No one should make the mis- take of purchasing package bees until he has hives and other accessories in readiness. • In addition to the colonies of bees a supply of. •supers is necessary for the storage of the crop,the•equivalent of three deep supers being allowed for each colony Queen excluders, bee escapes, smoker and.a veil are also necessary. If increase is desired a few complete hives should be on hand for this purpose. There are several manufacturers of bee supplies that send out catalogues on application, and by studying these the beginner should•have no trouble in choosing the supplies he might require. .It must be borne in mind, however, that the equipment purchased should be mod- ern and suitable for the purpose it is intended for; also to keep it stan- dard. The importance of a small be- ginning with as little expense as pos- sible cannot be too strongly urged. Unless he has had some • experience with bees, do not be tempted to pur- chase a large number of colonies, even though they are offered at a bargain, It is discouraging to invest a large sum of money in an apiary and then to lose most of the 'bees der ng the first winter through lsc1C of ex- perience:. .."- Fall Wheat Acreage. According to official figures from Ottawa, the area sown to fall wheat in 1923 fore1924is considerably less than in 1922. Up to the end of Oc- tober, the acreage for all Canada was 767,200 acres in 1923 compared with 877,500 acres in 1922, a decrease of 110,300 acres. In' Ontario, the area sown is. 702,100 acres compared with 763,100 acres in 1922, a decrease of 61,000 acres. In Alberta, it is esti- mated that the acreage sown is 49,600 compared with 99,000 acres in 1922, a decreaseof fifty per cent. In Brit- ish Columbia, 15,600 acres, Were sown in 1923,•being 200 acres more than in 1922. The man who cultivates a taste for reading will undoubtedly use better taste in cultivating his fields. Absorbents in the Stable. Approximately by of the excrement voided by animals is liquid. The liquid voidings of . cows, accord- ing to analysis, contain in one ton 20 pounds of• nitrogeri and 27 pounds of potash. The solids voided contain ati One ton 8 pounds of nitrogen, 2 pou(rds potaah and 4 pounds of phosphoric Dropping in at a friend's the other acid. Taking the price of commer- day, I found her sitting on the floor tial fertilizers as a basis: forcompu-admiring a wooden aeroplane her tation, :approximately $66 ter nitrate small: son was making. of soda 16 per, cent. ' 24' -fon amid.- "Isn't it splendid?" she' smiled, P ,,� phosp'hato'i(116'per%cent.); and460 for handing it to me.. muriate of potash (50 per cent.); per "I'm gotin g to build big aeroplanes, ton One;value of these elements would and bridges'; and houses; and things, be 271 cents ,gen Nein('efgr, ;rtrogen, when I grow up!" Buddy exclaimed,, 3„ and .- `Indeed ,; press u e his 7i/a cents;, for,;pliosp7roric sed, . 5 he iso the mother declared. the':bea ty hidden away n cents„per;pqundater ,potash,g`., r s ;-:When six year old Buddy had re- soul, the father refused, and packed Erna the above calculation it will turned to hos playing his mother said; him off to a military' academy.. He be seen '11h'e` 1i hid. i5id fe`•is- worthI "Ever since Buddy was.old; enough,:to never accomplished anything.:So- 9 • sow "an special interest alon any I'm trying hard not to be that kind of $440 for,tlie nitrogen, it contains and h y P g y g $1,36 for ',the, otash, a total.. value' of;'line, I've -tried to detect his natural parent.” $5.76 . er,ton while the. solid's are, gifts i;,elle 'always loved building After I left, I thought how wise worth $1.76 for the -nitro gen 10 cents things, And 'I have encouraged tins Budd`y's mother is, for ,the potash and: 30 cents for the talent the best, of my ability. We How much talent has'been lost to phosphorus, a total value of $2.16 pert havefurnished, him with plenty of the world, through the stupidity, care - ton. It is obvious that it is very inn, building material. And I'm never too lessness, and thoughtlessness of par - portant to conserve all liquids voidedi busy to st'op, look, and admire.!' eats!` "You're right," I replied, ver much So let us study:our boys and girls, by animals, This Tan be done inprac-� , K � P Y Y 1 tice by using absorbents of some kind interested. Plenty of talent has been encouraging and developing the tan Home Education .'Tho Child's Phot school Ji tha Faintly"-Froebel." Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Talent BY HELEN GREGG GREEN. 'on' the partof the'parent"" " "I •had;:.a; cilusln;'..the mother con- tinued,. "who :would have been a fa- mouspainter but for his, father." "His father-?" I interrupted. "Yes. He -was always saying, 'No artist son for' me. I want a regular boy.' When Joe begged to be sent to an art school, where he could ex - which permit the return to the land of thisvaluablefertilizer with as little left to die because of lack of interest ents they possess. Ioss as possible. IOno pound each of well dried peat, 1 throughly dried sawdust, and dried leaves will absorb,._respectively, 5, 4, and Pk pounds of liquid. It is diffi- I cult to dry peat thoroughlyunder our climatic conditions and to get good dry sawdust is equally difficult. For- tunately, good dry straw, the absorb- ent most generally available, is also done ofthe best absorbents. Tests show that one pound of straw , will absorb in twenty-four hours from 214 to 2% pounds of liquid. Oat straw is found to be a slightly bettor ab- rbent than wheat straw, Oat st• according to analysis, contains 12 pounds of nitrogen, 4 pounds of , phosphorus. and 24 pounds of potash per ton. If we attribute to the plant food constituents in oat straw the same value as that given to them in commercial fertilizers, we find that a ton of oat straw is worth $2.64 for the nitrogen it contains, 30 cents for 1 the phosphorus ..and $1.20 for the i potash, a total of $4.14. Assuming 1 that two tons of liquid manure (urine) can be conserved by using a ton' of straw, the three tons so pro- duced would have a fertilizing value. of $15.64, or $5.21 per ton. Our tests have shown that 1,000 pound steers kept in box stalls aver- age 78 pounds of manure per day, including the bedding used, which was ten pounds per steer per day. That is, the voidings amounted to 68 pounds each per day. One-third of this am- ount, twenty-three pounds, being liquid, provision was made for itsab- sorption. This the ten punds of straw did 'satisfactorily. - This amount of straw -may at first thought seem to be excessive, as ten pounds of straw has a considerable bulk, but it is no more than is necessary to take up all the liquid thoroughly. It is not wise to be stingy with bedding materials and it is doubtful if straw can be used in any. other way to as good advantage. If. we desire that gains be, made, the comfort of the animals should be cone sidered, though, judging by the bed- ding used in many stables, this fea- ture is not given great consideration. Everything favors a more gener- ous use of absorbents, and fortunate- ly With a good straw crop this year, this requirement can be much better met than during the past few years. It is also wise to keep in mind that straw has a considerable value above the fertilizing elements contained, in that it eventually furnishes humus to the soil, thus greatly aiding in keep- ing it in good tilth, maldng it more resistant to drought, and much more suitable for the development of soil bacteria. Totals of Livestock Move. ments. Sales of cattle for the eleven months of the year ending November, accord- ing to Dominion Live Stock Branch returns, were 748,242 compared with 774,300 in the same period last year, and the cattle billed through Member- ed 157,496 compared with 194,177 in 1922. Sales of calves totalled 235,340 compared with 247,5541ast year. Sales of hogs totalled 879,460 compared with 713,345 and billed through were 95, 845 compared with 54,542. Sales of sheep and lambs numbered 423,593 competed with 506 420 p - and billed through e2,769 compared dwith 33,657. It will be noticed that there has been a decrease in every case last year, ex- cepting in hogs. THE CHILDREN'S HOUR - A Mother Goose Party in Woodland. All the Woodland folks were so glad to see Bruin after hisadventure with the manand the boy, that they decided to have a party in his honor. Never before had one of their friends had such an experience and Iived to tell about it. So the very next day after Brunn came home, the Woodland folks re- ceived invitations to a party at Roily Rabbit's house that read something like this: "Come with a whoop, come with a call; Colne with good will, or not at all To a Mother Goose party at Rolly's home,' At two o'clock Monday afternoon." On the invitations each one was re- quested to carry or 'wear something representing a Mother Goose, char- acter. Everyone was so excited about this new kind of a party, There was hus- tle and bustle throughout all Wood- land as each one made preparations. At the appointed hour they gather- ed at Rolly's house. And what a jolly time! When the greetings were over, Roily Rabbit came out all dressed up as, old Mother Goose. What a funny picture he 'did make with his full skirts and white apron and a little white cap. "Now each one must guess who the other represents. The one who guesses the most right will get this," exclaim- ed Rolly, holding up .a pretty red package. Then all the animal folks began to puzzle their brains. Little •Molly Woodchuck carried a toy sheep, and was Little Bo Peep. Benny Fox carried a little pie and was Little Jack Horner. But his pie was so tempting that before the game was finished the pie was finished too. Mrs. Jackie Rabbit wore a long string of red hearts and was Queen of Hearts. There isn't room to tell fou about the rest. But Little Mary Mink won the prize, which was a nice book of Moth- er Goose stories. "If you went into a restaurant," asked Roily, "what would you order for supper?" And he read these • sug- gestions to help them: 1. What Tommy' Tucker had for his supper. 2. What Queen of Hearts called for. 3. What the little pig had. 4. What Curly Locks fed on. 6. What the Man in the. Moon burn- ed his mouth with. 6. A dainty dish for a king, Granny Fieldmouse guessed the answers all right like this, and won a pretty picture of Old Mother Hubbard. 1. Bread and butter, 2. Tarts, 3. Roast beef. 4. Strawberries and cream. 5. Cold peas porridge. 6. Bird pie. • Talking about. good things to eat made them . all so hungry that they sat down to a bountiful feast of all the Woodland goodies you could think of. After the acorn pie and cream cheese, Bruin told them all about his adventure with the man and the little boy. y "But Ie b have if we are kind to men and boys and don't try to harm them, they will not try to harm us,". he said. And all the Woodland folks danced around him singing: - Ontario Th ee Month Schools "Old 0 Kmg Brain is a merry old soul And a merry old soul is he, Long may he live in our happy land,. Just as happy as he can be,." And each one went home saying he had had a fine time. • BY L. STEVENSON, .B.S.A., The three-month schools in- elemen- tary.agriculture and domesticscience for the rural young people of Ontario have, this winter been increased to twelve. In 1921.22, when they were justorganized, four such courses were held, and in the winter of 1922.23, on account of popular demand, the num- ber was increased to eight. ,' The courses are conducted by. the Agricul- tural Representative, assisted by resi- dent teachers and visiting specialists. They aro being held this year at the following places: Barrie (Simcoe, North and. South):; Lindsay : (Victoria) ; Keene (Peter- boro) ; Kingston (Frontenac);' Brine ston (Dundas) ; Renfrew (Renfrew); SUPERVISING DIRECTOR.' Essex (Essex) ; Belmont (Middlesex and Elgin); Exeter (Huron) ; Ancas- ter' (Wentworth) ; Fergus (Welling- ton), and Caledon (Peel). Instruction is given for boys in ani- ' mal, field and poultry husbandry, farm dairying, veterinary 'science, horticulture and vegetable growing, ' soils, fertilizers, farm mechanics, �diainage, beekeeping, botany, eco nomics, and public speaking, and in household science, nensing, sewing and millinery for girls. The schools are held during December, January and h • iand their object Pebrlary, o J c is to give practical instruction to those who have boon unable to take up - this work in regular -,institutions. -sp- When : the winds are •blowing, and the storm raging, then is the man for- tunate who has 'a work shop with an ambitious stove in it, for he can spend many a pleasant hour tinkering around and incidentally getting things ready for another season. You will enjoy the first fine open weather more if you clean and over- haul that sprayer "now. • Humanity should not necessarily lessen the knowledge ive have of our own powers. Pleasure and Profit. I was autoing along a provincial highway one bustery winter day. Have ing been on the road for hours, I was tired, and I was still far from a large city or ;town. Chilled through as 3 was, a sign, hanging in front of a little home, was very welcome. It read; HOT TEA OR COCOA Served at the Farm House Come in and Get Warm Driving in through the open gate- way, I stepped to the door. It was opened before I could knock. A cheery "Come in and get warm," was the greeting from the woman of the house. Then I was shown into . a sunny dining -room. A wood fire was burning in the open fireplace -a real one, such as city folks do not often gee. "Do you know," said the little wo- man, as she prepared my cup of cocoa, and also made (at my request) a tasty telly sandwich, "it's a real pleasure to have people dropping in as they do, from near' points and distant ones. In cold weather I'm more or less shut in, and I like company. Many people, too, like to step into a real farmhouse. Once a group of young people from the city, asked if they could came out and have a little party in mydining room. I planned old country games and refreshments for them, and I had the time of my life with them," "But doesn't it tie you :down con- siderably?" I asked. The farmer's wife laughed. "No," she said, "because the sign isn't tied down. When I don't wish to be dis- turbed, or .when 3 am going away, I just unhook the sign. Much of the trade, you see, is transient, I do not advertise meals, although at noon- time, now and then, some one sits down with us. I em going to add coffee to my dist during severe wea- ther—and I make sandwiches and toast." I was warm and comfortable when I left the house. "You are a public benefactor," I said as I drove away. "I wish others would think of this." "If they did, they would make a fair income, and enjoy it, too. Good- bye, drop in again."—E. P. L. It is getting to be seed catalogue time. Has the mail man delivered your supply of picturesque pamphlets yet? If not, it may be your fault for not having sent requests for them. Ortriation neneen „F to Farmers Any of the following bulle- tins, giving timely information of value to farmers, will be gladly sent anywhere free on request. No postage required. Simply tear out this -advertise- ment, check bulletins you de- sire, and slip it in an envelope addressed to— Publications Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa Canada. Beat Varietiesf Grain. Feeding Beef Cattle in Ontario. Co-operation in Marketing Poultry Produce, ' . Grading and Marking Eggs. Feeding Influence on Typo of Hark Swine husbandry in Canada. Dairying in'Noo- Zealand` iiad Auotranr. Milking Machines, Tho Corn Borer. }Tardy Rosea Storage of ice. Modern 'Orchard Practices. The. Maple! §e gar industry. Poi Ra.ichinin Canada. ad k Beep T Rabb and Ilo,v'toTHeep'•Tham. Rabbits. The Strawberry in Canada. Poultry- Keeping in Town and Country. Bush Fruits. Weeds and Weed Seeds. Fertilisers for Field Crops. List of 800 Pcbiieetieiw. • Warne Post 01i5ce R, R. No FLOWERS ON TkIE BY L. K. LONG. ''Driving through the. country I had occasion, to stop, at the home of a familythat had but recently some to Y live on their farm.' It was a fine tract :of' land, and had been well cultivated, but had Heyer before been a home. house as modern The 'new , h se w , the barn and other farm buildings attrac- tive loo)cing, and, the grounds ,were well laid out; but there were as yet no'trees.ori shrubs --be cosy: corners: or enticing slopes: for, the children's games."' It will be many a year before the place has a home -like appearance. Only a few miles from this farm "I stopped in the shade of two wide- spreading maples that stoo in front of an old dilapidated tee-, Ouse. In ', the house were stored eine of the owner's farm imlilements and a flock of sheep wandered through its rooms at will. •Nb',Ionger was it used as a dwelling, the owner having bought an adjoining farm on which was a .large house. "Not a very attractive pic- ture," you are saying. But wait a minute. I saw something more. On either side of the front door, not too close -to the house, were two large syringe bushes in full bloom. Near. the side door, on the almost obliter- ated path leading to where the ruins of the stable could be seen, was a magnificent specimen of the Persian lilac. These bushes, situated as they were, gave an air of distinction to the place, and I felt invited to walk' in and look about. Upon investigating lfound a fire bush, a smoke tree, roses growing in grass and weeds, great clumps of peonies and rows of poets' narcissi. How I wished that this old house could be cleared away, that the new house I had just seen could be set down in its place, and that the barn could have been placed on the pleas- ant slope where were the scattered remnants of the old stable.' With a little expense and some hard work, in which the children would have gladly shared, the 'rubbish about the trees and shrubs :could have been cleared away, borders rearranged and old paths restored. Within a year or two it could have been made into a neat, attractive and altogether delightful home place for a happy family. Tree4, shrubs and flowers give an air' of real distinction to a farmehome. No farmer should be content with- out a fair amount of standard shrubs, vines and bushes. They are neither expensive nor difficult to grow. Lllacs of different colors, syringes and espe- cially the large flowering fragrant sorts, forsythias, roses, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, clematis, wisteria, morning-glory and moon flowers are among the very 'satisfactory' kinds. "I take a good look at the morning glories as I make my first trip to the barn, and feel better all day," says one farmer. - Peonies are wonderfully satisfying, se luscious in their freshness. They prosper for years in the same situa- tion. Bleeding lieart, lemon lily, day lily, and June lily give an abundance of bloom throughout a long season and do not require frequent changing, Tulips, narcissi and hyacinths are good bloomers and increase rapidly, With iris one can spend considerable money, but at a small outlay a start may be made with very lovely kinds. If nasturtiums, verbenas and petu- nias are planted so as to fill consider- able space, they will not only satisfy the farm family, but will also cheer every passer-by with their riot of color. It is a safe guess that the farm- stead which is abundantly supplied with attractive flowers will have plenty of customers to patronize its wayside market for orchard, garden, poultry and dairy products. Skin Disease in Livestock. Farmer, Middlesex Co.: Ques.— One of my animals seems to have some kind of skin disease. What had 3 better do? , Ans.—Report at once to the nearest 'Veterinary Inspector, You might also write to the Veterinary Inspector General, Ottawa, for a list of disin- fectants, with,which is given full in- - structions as to preparation and use. A recently issued bulletin by , Dr, George Hilton, Chief Veterinary In- spector, which can be had free from the Publications Branch, Department of Agriculture, ultureOttawa, willalso-fur- nish. you with necessary information. Breaking all previous records, Fort William ,and Port Arthur during 192a shipped from elevators 296,871,361 bushels of grain. Shipments for the crop year from September 1 until the close, of navigation, December 24, were also higher than in 1922, being 211,- 597,969 bushels, compared with 187,- 600,052 in 1922. Canadian ports re- ceived 156,094,675 - bushels, -United States ports 140,625,986 btisbels, and 196,300 bushels were shipped, direct to Europe in foreign bottoms. In addi- tion, 180,308,636 pounds of mixed grain and 135,143 tons of screenings were shipped Perhaps the greatest knowledge a man can have is to know .that he does not know. Agricultural success in this irides- trialage "is made., ince . easy 'through Province the use of mechanical helps which: in-.: solimmerawasomomosammonommouLie dn5triel: have given ua.' ' `