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The Exeter Advocate, 1917-3-22, Page 2rSTe4ec .G . feen ✓ traCeese kegs' 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 Identification, but full name and address must be given in each letter. Write on one side of paper only. Answers will be maned direct if stamped and addressed envelope is -enclosed,_ Address all correspondence for this department to Mrs, Helen Law, 75 Castle Frank Road, Toronto. E. F. A.:-1. Vegetables are more wholesome and better flavored \when steamed than they are when boiled or fried: Besides, there is much less waste than in boiling, as much of the. nutrition of the vegetables is thrown away with the water in which they are boiled. The water should be saved and used in soups. 2. If linen is moistened along the line the threat is to be pulled, the task of pull- ing threads is easier. 3. A large pair of scissors is a convenient kitchen tool, especially in preparing lettuce and other vegetables. Of course, they must be thoroughly washed, as are other utensils, after every using. 4. When plaster cracks, add enough, vine- garto plaster of paris to make a mix- ture like thick putty, fill the crack, and smooth off with a knife. If water is used the plaster hardens too quick- ly. 5. Before. storing a stovepipe away for the summer, rub it well with coal oil, stuff the ends with newspaper to keep out any moisture, and there will be no rust in the autumn. R. S.:-1. There is a clear amber shade between yellow and brown that would be ex iellent for the walls of your living -room with the Northern exposure. Have the ceiling of a deep ivory tone, dropped down to meet. the picture molding which should also be deep ivory. Plain oatmeal paper is beat for walls which are to serve as a background ` for pictures, With plain walls one .may have figured madras curtains, but hemstitched scrim in ecru or cream would make very suitable curtains for this room, and scrim wears and launders better than madras. Dip the ecru curtains in strong tea and dry in the shade, A suitable rug would have the amber shade of the walls mingled with blue. and terra cotta: 2. Subdued colors arealways most restful. I would not advise papering any room in red as it is considered byphysicians to be very trying on the nerves 3. Yes, Not tingham curtains are satisfactory,. especially if you possess curtain stretchers. They do not iron well. 4. The tendency is towards simplicity in house furnishings now; as few draperies, cushions and ornaments as possible, and all articles are intended for use and not merely for show. It certainly lessens the housewife's task of cleaning, and is conducive to the family health. H. D.:-1. The trenches on the western front extend about 750 miles. 2. Probably "The New Housekeep- ing," by Mrs. C. Frederick, will sup- ply the information you require in household matters. 3. The, Provincial Board of Health of Ontario will. furnish you gratis a booklet, by Dr. Helen MacMurehy, entitled "A Little Talk About the Baby", which you will, find valuable. W. W.:-1. The new collars are nearly all ofthe sailor variety and of very sheer materials such as ninen, and georgette crepe. They are hem= stitched or edged with lace or silk. braid, and some have tucks or inser- tion set in.- 2. Handbags are seldom of leather, but are elaborate affairs of silk, or beads, or are knitted or crocheted in bright hues of crochet' silk. You might make a round bag of a strip of silk like your dress with a circle of cardboard covered with silk of form the bottom, and then crochet on a top of a contrasting color' about an inch wide, through which to run a silk cord. D. V. C.:—When your time is limit- ed, it isbest to plant flowering shrubs rather than annuals. Once carefully planted in good soil, the shrubs re- quire little attention and are beautiful and permanent additions to the home grounds. Some of the best shrubs are: Spirea vau Houeeti, Flowering Almond, Japan Quince, Tartarian Honeysuckle, Syringe, Lilac, Snowball, Hydrangra, Rose of 'Sharon. 4 These will give you a succession of bloom from May to October. Flowering vines, such as Clematis, Wistaria, Dutchman's. Pipe, Trumpet Flower, and Climbing Roses, are easily cared for. It is best to buy large three- year-old plants. INTERNATIONAL LESSON MARCH 25. Lesson XII. Jesus The Way, The Truth, And The Life (Review). Read John 14. 1-14. Golden Text John 14, 6- 1.. The way. That. Jesus is the way to eternal life for the individual has long : been the confident conviction and the triumphant experience of the :lurch. We are now engaged in dis- covering the same thing for human Society. Men have ever thought an Ideal community life. They have call- ed alled it the brotherhood of man, the co aperative, commonwealth, the kingdom Df God, and through many ages have looked for the way that led there. For this also Jesus is tJi.e way, even as for the individual. Following his teach- ings, men come to the land of their desire. The world wants peace, but It developed nationalism where he taught international ' brotherhood; it followed gain where he taught service, and in such a world there is no. peace. A prominent Hebrew recently declar- ed: "We shall never get out of war except by following the teachings of Jesus." Following" those teachings in a new treatment for the criminal has turned the enemies of society into its friends and helpers. When the nations of the earth are willing to fol- low the same principle of loving their enemies, `of returning good ,for evil,willnot.•the pante transforma- tion form a- tio occur in the external enemies of the state? 2. The truth. To the world of Jesus's day the truth was an abstrac- tion. "What is the truth?" said Pil- ate with a sneer, thinking he had be- fore him only another splitter of logical hairs, but instead he had the truth incarnate— a very different. thing to face, The Logos—the eter- nal truth— says John, became' flesh, that men could touch it and under- stand it; so that we might have with It the,kinship of common exarrenc . Does the wotld doubt that it is pos- ,sjble tp walls in the way that Jesus showed, that sowe might come to righteousness and brotherhood and peace?, He himself :valked in it. Are his teachings a've.in dream? " He him- self lived the • truth that he taught;' Does he say that impossible thing, "Love your enemies," and turn them into your friends? Listen to him u on. "Father, her. � f the �cros 1t or ve them, tpp sIs know:not what theydo." The truth here is not a cold ormula blit aliv- ing farce. When the nations seek. rafter e better world -life, they can walk not alone by faith, not si-nply by reason, but by sight. 3. The life. In his immortal story John Bunyan male his pilgrims run away from the city of destruction, crying "Life, Life, Eternal' Life." That is what the race needs even as jjthe individual. The great lack of to- day in the world is not more technique Ifor better living, but more power; not more machinery, but more dynamic. There is knowledge,erough to build a better world to -morrow, but not to animate it. On paper to.day.you. can draw a better community, life- than now exists in your neighborhood, but can you get it to-morrowto walk and act in the market place? This is what makes Jesus the great hope of the race. He does put power into life for better living. His contact with the Father, the source of all energy, is such that he is able to transmit that eternal power to hu- man life as none other ever has done it. The mystery is greater than our definition. - "Do the will," he says, "and ye shall know the truth." He did the will and found the power. So also he gives the power. Those who will live with him and with the . Father, doing the will in all faithfulness they shall know—men and nations— that he is the life eternal. Bowels in good working order lead to a good time at farrowing.. Pigs have short legs and not much strength. They can't wallow around in long straw. Run the straw through the cutting box and then scat- ter it about ;the, pen, good and deep. A sow that has just brought her pigs to town doesn't need much, if anything, to eat for a while. When she acts as if she was getting hungry,. make her a nice soup of wheat mid- dlings, bran and oats. But we need. to be careful not to give too much at once; better to feed often. Bad results sometimes come when s pi g are die, because of disturbances in the vicinity of the sow's quarters. So far as possible give her a chance to be quiet. Hogs' fill a very important place in the economic world, and will doubt :SOPOR. OR HILLCOUNIRY A Man's Fife Should be a Protest Against the Eve\' About lint And a Potent Appeal For Good. "Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom,"—Gen., :xiii,, 12. Two of the great forces in the'nm- terial universe are gravity, the pull downward toward the centre of the earth, and gravitation, the pull up- ward toward the stars. So, in the experiences of life, two powers are drawing us; one down- ward toward the level of the beast and one nliward toward God. In man's natural estate he is more con- scious of the downward pull, and so we are prone to take a pessimistic view of life. Measured by the span of a generation, the progress upward is usually slight, and it is only as we measure by centuries that we See hu- manity struggling upward—slowly,. painfully, bleeding, yet with a mur- mur of victory that will one day be- come the great Hallelujah Chorus. The life of Lot affords is examples of these two forces: playing upon an individual. Back in his ancestral home he had been susceptible to the influence of a man ,like his 'uncle Abraham. He felt the charm of a godly personality. Lot, yielded to the uplifting power of this good man and followed him out into an unknown country, A Wrong Choice. Blit. Lot did not always yield to the best influences. He and Abraham settled in the Iand' of Canaan. Their flock multiplied until there was diffi- culty in "finding pastures. Lot be- came more concerned that his flocks and herdsshould have ample pastur- age than that he should maintain his harmonious relationship to his uncle. Matters grew steadily worse, till Abraham proposed that they should separate. Lot's salvation depended upon keeping close to this man of God, yet he allowed selfish considerations to dissolve their partnership. Selfish considerations are responsible for many of the worst quarrels and feuds of all ages, and some of the best re- lationships of life .are rudely severed because of men's selfishness, greed and suspicion. But Lot made a yet more serious mistake when he took advantage of Marshall. Abraham's generous permission to make 'the choice of his future home. He could either take the fertile region about the Jordan, with splendid mar- kets in Sodom and Gomorrah, or else go to the comparatively 'sterile hill country. But he chose the better for Himself. Just "so to -clan=; soni,e want the best and more than they are entitled to, which means that the noble and unselfish are constantly penalized. Lot's greatest mistake was in the, motive behind his choice. Ile chose the fertile plains and city markets be- cause these would make him a- rich man. He worshipped the god of Mammon. So at length he became a citizen of Sodom and his children married among. the wicked people 'of the city and embraced their. paganism, No Compromise With Sin. Many a fine family has moved to Sodom in these, latter days.- The simple borne life, with its earnest piety, has yielded to the s orldiness'of Sodom. The old family church has been deserted for the fashion' and society of another; all work has ceas- ed and consecration has been lost. So with all who pitch their tents toward Sodom, unless they carefully guard the portals of the heart. A man is not expected to live az a recluse or a hermit; he may live in the midst of the city, possibly touching elbows constantly with sinners, but he must make no compromise with sin, for that is fatal. His life must be a protest against the evil about him and a potent appeal for good.: Every' young man -or woman—go- ing to the city, with its dazzling splendor and lute: of worldliness, should watch his ideals and ambitions most carefully, and at once identify himself with God's church and people, for thus will he escape the fate of Lot. And to this end every church in city and country should co-operate in maintaining a vital touch with all who go to the city, and city churches and Christian institutions of all kinds must give them a welcome place in the life of God's people. We are missing one of our greatest opportunities when we fail toedo this in the largest pos- sible measure. — Rev. Chester C. A pound of meal before the tem freshens is worth as much as three pounds after she freshens. , Water basins, with a supply of was ter always before the caws, means less labor in milking and a greater quant- ity of milk in the pail. Cows fed a ration composed largely of silage produced 17 per cent more :-milk and 28 per cent, more butter fat than those given a ration consisting mainly of grain. Let your cows know you and study their wants. A finely bred dairy cow is a sensitive and high-strung animal and quick to respond to kind and considerate treatment. So far as possible turn the water out of your; barn -yard, so that the cows may not slip and bring on'trou- ble. A wire barn -yard fence is pretty cold comfort for a cow on a raw March day. Cold and comfort are not on speaking terms in the dairy. The sire which has brought you good calves is worthy of the best care you can give him. Spain is studying its large deposits of peat with a view to utilizing the material for the . production of both gas and electricity. 1 PHOTOGRAPH Q UNDSRWOOD6ruNot l 4016.; ..'1 Their Fathers are Fighting For Right, SHALL THEY STARVE ? less long ,continue to do so, the more , Here are two little Belgian'refugees especially when we succeed in reduc- ing the death rate in the hog kingdom to a reasonable figure. &mat If a ewe loses her lamb, keep her milking as a foster -mother. If she objects to mother a strange larch, put her in a narrow stall, spe- cially prepared, until she"I'iecomes re- conciled. With gentleness, a ewe will soon take kindly to the situation. One night Out in a cold Marsh .storm may cost you several lambs and per - hells take the vigor out of a nice,ewe. Are the droppings+hard and like .bul- lets? ul-lets? ' A little more: laxative food and° not quite so much timothy hay` will correct this. The best physic for sheep is wheat bran, nth frequent rations of vegetables. The humble sheep is getting a great deal of attention just now. Scarcity of wool means higher -priced clothing. two of thousairds upon thousands whose father' have answered the call of duty and are fighting with their Allies for the libeety of peaceful na- tions, Those fathers did not weft oto o findou • ho: count the cost or to t w much help they were going to receive from outside their borders. They perhaps believed that great nations like Britain` and France would not stand by and see them crushed, and that the people of these wealthy and friendly countries would not allow their children and their wives to starve while they were away, But all theythey really knew w -is that they heard the call of duty and rallied to their King. Of course their faith in the nations who guaranteed their neutrality was not misplaced unless they had faith :in Germany. Great Britain and France did rally to their side and with them are putting an end to the Teuton dream of World conquest. And their children and their wives have not been allowed to starve. The two shown in the picture, healthy and happy en- ough, are in England, at Stretham; So are many others, and it is compara- tively a simple matter to care' for them, But there are left in Belgium more. than have been or can be taken to England. n l and. What of them? The Belgian Re- lief Committee has answered that question most efficiently, It has fed diem ever since they were driven.froni their homes to shift for themselves. It has been •enabled to do this through the response of Canadians, with the people of the Motherland and ` the United States, to the call of the Bel- gians' need: The Committee's needs grow great- er rather than less as long a- Ge r - many rules the occupied parts or Bel- gium, and so long as the need lasts the :friends of freedom -loving Belgium are asked to open' their hearts and loosen their purse -strings. Contribu- tions should be sent ` direct to the. Central Beligan Relief Cosnnrtttee, 50 St. Pelee Street, Montreal, or to the branches in each locality. •' ,till. Conducted by Professor Henry G. Bell. The obJect of this departnient is to place at the service of our farm readers the advice of an acknowi. edged authority on all subjects pertaining to soilsand. crops. Address all questions to Professor 1-ienry G. Bell, In care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, To- ronto, ,and answers wiil appear In this column in the order fn which they are received. As space Is limited it is advisable where immediate reply' is necessary that a stamped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the question, when the answer will he mailed direct. Henry 4R. Hell. Question—W. K. : --- I haye a The land has had very lit in the last five years. Plowing for spring crops must be done this spring as we were unable to do any plowing last fall. We purpose sowing bar- ley and oats, and would like to know whether it is advisable to Beed this landwith clover this spring or plow the stubble after the grain is harvest- ed and seed to rye, and then sow the clover a year from this spring. We have no barn -yard manure to apply to the land. Answer;—In my opinion it would, be well to seed your barley and oats with clover this spring. Tho soil is evidently run down and you should, as soon as possible, establish a; system of cropping where you could plow cinder a second crop of clover. This will add organic matter, or humus, to the soil and will also make some addition of nitrogen. * In order to make sure of a satisfactory catch of clover• and at the same time greatly assist your barley and oats seeding it wouldbe well to apply 200 . to > 300 pounds of fertilizer to the acre at the :gime of seeding the crop, since you have no barn -yard' manure to apply to your land. This fertilizer should carry at least two to four per cent. ammonia and from eix to eight per cent, avail- able phosphoric acid. It will not only help the grain crop but will do a greatdeal to insure a satisfactory stand of clover. meadow seeded down last spring, but, owing to the extreme wet, followed by a drought, there is only half a catch.. The clover mostly lived but the timo- thy is nearly all dead. Should I plow them up in the Spring, or would it be advisable to go over the ground with a drag harrow and . sow timothy by hand? Answer:--I:f the clover has lived through the winter in sufficient quantities I would advise re -sowing timothy seed in the spring and at the sane time top -dressing the seeding with well -rotted manure or about 200 pounds of fertilizer. The fertilizer shauld be high in ammonia. I think you would do well also to add three pounds of meadow fescue grass per acre. This is a rapid -growing grass and should make • a valuable addition to your meadow. After this has been applied I believe it would be advisable to harrow the seeding light- ly, making sure to harrow it with the grain drill rows instead of across it.. If the spring is normal this should get you a good catch and make a satis- factory seeding. Question — M. L. S.:—I purchas- ed a farm on which only 6 acres were plowed and part.' of this was done two years ago and left to grow to weeds. A small part of the field was planted to potatoes, but it also is very weedy. lro. manure POTATO SEED SELECTION TION AND DISEASE CO TROL The Fourth of a Series of Five Special Articles by henry G. Bell, Agronomist. To the British nation potatoes con- stitute onstitute one of the great articles of diet. History records the disaster of the great potato crop in Ireland, and the present shortage gives the British- er: of to -day an idea of the importance of :this common but very valuable crop. • Few Canadians realize that almoat one acre'in.40 under tillage in this pro- vince is normally planted to potatoes. The value of ;the 1914 crop totalled nearly $12,0,00,000: When the Canadian -potato grower considers the yleld5per acre he is ob- taining as compared with yields, in England, Scotland, Holland, North- eastern United States and other parts of the world, he must be impressed with the opportunity he-has'in increas- ing yields, The average yield for Ontario is less than 160 bus. per acre, while En& land is growing over 300 bus. per acre, Holland 290 bus., and Maine over 250 bus. per acre. 'One of the reasons that these other parts of the world are exceeding Can- adian anadian yields, is that they are selecting good potato seed; and note.elying on small nondescript stock. There are three grades of seed se- lection in potatoes. Field choice is. first. By field selection I mean simply watching the growingcrop to see that it is a pure variety. First start by planting a pure variety and then save seed from ail the plants having the same colored flowers and, the same characteristic spread of po- tato vines. Dig the pure stock first and cull out the small inferior pota- toes. Discard these mid do not plant them for seed potatoes. You don't; save the calves of the small, weakly heifers in order to build up your herd. Don't plant small interior stock and expect to get good, strong, heavy yielding crops, Plant seleoti•on is the second step in potato improvement. While the crop of pure variety potatoes is growing, go through the field and nark off the strongest best plants by putting. a stick in beside the growing hill. When the crop 'is ripe dig the marked potatoes separately, Save , for seed only those inch have the lar1l ey ,t number of well -formed tubers. Keep these for next spring's seed. Plant only the best potatoes from these. Individual tubes` selection is the most effective means of improving and purifying potato seed, Tuber se- lection starts with seed of a good. variety if possible. Choose a number of potatoes of good marketable size. Cut each of these tubers into four places and plant each four pieces from one potato in a hill, or plant the four pieces of the same potato in a row. When the. crop is ripe, dig these sister hills or plants in groups of four. Savo anly the potato "families" that yield the largest number of good merlcetahle stock, Keep the "fani1- lie.s" separale and planka ill°111 of Bath the second year. C.itoose' again ilia best yielding,g good quality stock and 'a good selection is started. A Michigan potato grower found a dif- ference of 110 bus: per acre in the drop from selected stock compared with the crop from mixed seed grown on the same ground. The selected crop yielded 860 bus. per acre and the mixed stook produced 250 bus. per acre. The methods of seed improvement outlined apply equally to early and late varieties, The Ontario Experi- mented xpertmental Union has tested a gfeat num- ber of varieties throughout the pro- vinee: Prof. Zavitz reports that as an average of 40 testa with two leading varieties he finds Davies Warrior to yield 131.95 bus. per acre and Extra Early Eureka 126,59 bus. per acre. Before planting' the selected seed, it should be dipped in a mixture of one Pound formalin. and 20 gals. water for 20 minutes. This treatment will 1ci11 scab spores or seeds which may be at- tached to the seed tuber. After this treatment if the selected stock is planted an ground where potatoes have not been grown for some time, it is likely no scab will appear on the product. _ Special seed stock should always be grown on good, well-prepared ground, and should receive careful attention while the crop is developing. Much can be done to protect the growing crop from blight and other diseases, but this subject of disease control must be treated in a 'succeed- ing article, HENRY G. BELL. ss The hen that gets cold feet through exposure These raw days is apt to give her master cold feet when it comes to marketing her. eggs. Keep the hens in till the ground 'is warmer. When you turn chickens out for a run during mild days, throw some meat scraps, which .are -too large for them to swallow, within their' reach. The ones that are lucky (7) enough to secure a morsel will be ;chased by the others, thus affording abundant exercise for all. The egg -laying season among geese. pcacti ca1 1 y begins in March, a tl ou gh frequently eggs will be dropped in January and February --much depend- ing upon the age of the geese and the condition of the weather, • An abdominal ' pouch of treat size indicates great i� n" age, a pointer well worth remembering inP urchasing breeding birds.. If you want to know what hen ma - mire will do :for fruit, plant' some plum trees in the yard• where hens run,. Trees that bore very few plums, and none that were sound have been made to beat • it bushels of fruit, just by letting hens run around them at will. Easy y� Method. "How diel Deeds make his i•e1 ita- tion as a lawyer?" "He as so well --do he. ccould', rl de-,'' cline cases he knew he couldn't w'Al."`