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The Seaforth News, 1917-04-05, Page 6.r`\ '( ' i, ll woo 11; conducted by .Professor Benny G, Hell. The object of this department la to place at the, cerulea of our farm readers the advioe of an acknowl• edged authority on all subjects/ pertaining to soils and Crops, Address all questions to Professor Henry G. Bell, In care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, To- ronto, no 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 8 stamped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the question, when the answer will be malted direct, Henry lx, Bell. Question -H, Te -What is the value of sweet clover for roughage, as .. Pasture, and its effect on the sone Wile..hnuicl be sown, and how much per acre? Would it be all right to sow with other clover and grasses? Answer: - The attitude toward sweet clover is turning from one :0 direct opposition to one of consider- able favor. The plant for a long time was looked upon as a troublesome weer), but it is now regarded as a valuable source ofroughage and good material for pasturage and a form of legume which is beneficial to the soil. Sweet clover plants grow exceeding- ly rapidly and will thrive on soil of low fertility. On account of its rapid growth if it is not cut sufficiently early it will make hard unpalatable hay. For roughage sweet clover should be cut at the time the flowers begin to show. Sweet clover plants contain a peculiar organic matter known as Coumarin, which gives it a charaeteristio odor. At first this is distasteful to cattle; however, they soon learn to eat sweet clover hay and actually prefer it later to poor forms of hay. If a good seeding is obtain- ed, sweet clover will cut at least two or three crops a season, If cut early and handled carefully the hay will retain a large percentage of the leaves which are most valuable in the feeding ration. As a pasture, sweet clover is valuable especially if pas- ture is cut over with the mower suf- ficiently often to keep down plants' which would grow up and become woody. Again the livestock pastur- ing on the sweet clover have to acquire a taste for tine plant. S. -eet clover has a beneficial effect on poor soil, In! our investigation of the question of legumes improving the fertility of the soil we were not able to obtain de- finite figures as to the amount of nitrogen fixed by any of the legumes under all conditions. The eoncensus of opinion is that if the soil is rich the legumes will tend to get a large amount of nitrogen from the soil like other grain crops, but if the soil is poor, by virtue of the bacteria growing on the roots of the legumes they can make use of considerable of the nitro- gen of the air circulating around the roots of the plants. Under all con- ditions of course, the growing of legumes adds organic matter to the soil and organic matter is exceedingly] valuable, in that it gives the soil wa-' ter -holding capacity, plantfood-retain ing capacity, opens up heavy clay soils, binds together sandy soils and . forms the home and food of bacteria. In seeding sweet e'over, Michigan Agricultural College advises from 15 to 20 pounds per acre of hulled seed, or 20 to 25 pounds per acre: of unhulled sweet clover seed,' Speaking generally, the halls of the seed are so hard that frequently the seed does not germinate until the second year, Sweet clover seed should be sown about the same time as other clover is sown in the spring. A m -store of sweet clover and other clovers would be ail ight, but speak- ing generally, it is r et best practlee to sow sweet clover seed with a grass mixture, The grasses tend to offer too strong competition for the young sweet clover plants. Care should be taken to inoculate the soil at the time of seeding, so that the right kind of bacteria for the clover will be pre- sent in the seed bed. Question 1.---.W T.: -Are oats that are muwburnt till they are light brown on the }mil good for seed? Answer: -Oats that are burnt until they are a light brow'. color should be carefully tested before they are used for seed. Count cut two lots of 100 e.ch, Place these between wet blot.. teas or damp cloths. Keep near n source of heat such as a stove or furnace, for a period of a week or ten days, At the end of this time count the seed that have sprouted strong 'and you will have the percentage of seed that will germinate. Speaking generally any sweating of oats in bulk to such an extent that it discolors the hull of the oats is very detrimental to the vitality of the seed. If you have to use the oats for seed and find the germination is only 50 per cent., necessarily you will have to increase your rate of seeding to double what is normally used, in order to be sure of a good stand. Question 2.:-.I have a field of stiff clay land which was ploughed once last fall. What is the best way of work- ing it into a seed -bed for the oats in the spring? Answer: -In preparing fall plowed stiff clay land for a seed -bed for oats this corning spring, I would advise that you apply 1,000 to 2,000 pounds per acre of air -slaked burnt lime, Scat. ter this evenly on top of tee plowed land as soon as the soil is sufficiently dry to work, Follow the application by a careful and thorough discing and harrowing. This air -slaked burnt lime, besides correcting any sourness in the soil, will gather together the tiny soil particles and make the crumb of the soil a little coarser so that air can circulate better in the seed -bed. When you are seeding to oats, I would advise also seeding to clover and timothy. After you have taken off one cutting of hay plow under the sec- ond crop of clover to increase the organic matter, Your stiff clay land will not greatly improve in texture un - till you have increased the organic matter or humus within it, TIME FOR INDOOR GARDENING Preliminary Sketching of Rows and Space to Be Devoted to Varieties Means Time -Saving Labor. Seeds for elauting the home vege- table garden should be ordered at once, so as to be on hand as soon ae the weather and condition of the soil make planting possible. Before o•- dering reed the home gardener should look over his plot, measure its area, size up the soil, decide on the best location for each vegetalle and deter mine hew mach steed he will require for the spare available for each kind.' Seeds cost mere this year than in re cent seasons and they may go higher, so it is well to he prepared. It. .e 11 be helpful to .iake a rough plan of the proposed garden. On this plan indicate the spaces to be used for each variety and also by means of ieweseeeeeee.eeeeseeseeeseee— HERE COMES RAN K BLAKE- A U W t-1,3 ta rtrt sucKs 7uu TO HIM - ,5 WLF .pencils or symbols show where a second crop is to be plant& or in- terplanted between growing rows, and also r,rrmige for the second and third crops which are to follow those .previously harvester!, Such a plan will enable the nardr:nei to keep the ground busy all season, supplying fresh vegetables during the summer and producing in the late fall root and other crops for winter use. Once the preliminary spading and working of the garden has been done, it is aS easy to raise two or three crops as to keep the garden clean of weeds for producing only one picking. Those who are not used to gardening or who wish to have their children talcs an interest should have some one to do the heavy evading or breaking up of the soil. This work frequently disgusts crevices and Children who would continue an interest in the gar- den if the task was simply to cultivate soil already broken up. A couple f hours of labor would be sufficient for a small back yard. In case of 0 patch from twenty-five to fifty feet and upwards, it is cheaper to have the place plowed and tiara owed at a cost of about $1.50 for that area 1111(1 more in proportion to huger extent, The questions of how much epace gold time one must have for certain sized crops and results are important, but 'us these t now es o can be deferred, since out -door work is impossible on account of the bard winter and late spring. Indoor gardening such as the seed buying and planning spoken of is possible, Uf'any plants can be started in the house, both vegetable and flower, and be ready to plant out when the ground is dry and warns, Even without a hotbed one can get earlier crops of tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, pep- pers, eggplant and lettuce by starting seed early in boxes in the house. Early potatoes aometinres are forced in the same way, Seed,, so planted germinate and are ready for transplanting by the time it is safe to sow the same kin,. of seed in the open ground. When danger of frost is over and the soil is dry en. ough to work, therefore the home gar- dener starts his early garden with seedlings well above tho surface. Transplanting}1 properly done, in- stead of hurting, • seems to help such plants develop a strong root system. Garden enthusiasts should get a good deal of pleasure from this kind of prelimia.ary indoor gardening. They also can use boxes, to hasten the blooming period of many sorts of flowers which stand transplanting. Any sort of wooden box filled with good soil answers the purpose, The following directions for making seed boxes and handling the plants should be carefully followed: Seeds of early tomatoes and cab- bage, as well as cauliflower end pep- per, should be planted TO a seed box in the house at once. The seed box should be three to four inches deep. twelve to fourteen inches wide and twenty to twenty-fc,ur inches long. Special boxes can be bought cheaply, if nothing suitable can he found around the home. A layer of about one inch of gravel or cinders should be placed in the bottom of the box, then it should be filled nearly full of The Mending 43" ctzonaf' if 1E, /tern 'r, ta.r, mu: M..11110.1.11,4 acv' `INN ,.n^ura,E. rich garden soil, or soil enriched with decayed leaves or manure. Bonemeal, sand and backyard soil, equally nixed, is good. Soil should be pressed down firmly with a small piece of board and rows made one-fourth to one-half inch deep and two inches apart crosswise of the box. The send should be distributed eight to ten 'co the inch in the rows and be covered. The soil should be gentle watered, so as not to wash up the seeda, and the box set in a warm place in the light -in the sunshine by a window being best, Water enough must be given gently from time to time to cause the seeds to germinate and grow thriftily, but not enough to leak through the box. If a piece of glass is used to cover the box it will hold the moisture in the soil and hast- en the germination of the seeds. When the plants are from an inch to an inch and a half high they should be thinned to one or tvvo inches apart in the row, so as to give them space enough to make a strong, stocky growth. If it is desired to keep the plants which are thinned out, they may be set two inches apart each way in other boxes prepare! as mentioned for the x, When theseed wetbo,ther becomes mild the box of plants should be set out of doors part of the time, so that the plants will "harden off" in preparation for transplanting to the garden later. A good watering should be given just before the plants are taken out of the box for transplanting, so that a large ball of earth will stick to the roots of each one, E + SEED ATONE DOLLAR A POUND 1 �a LESS THAN LAST YEAR. SOW 6 LBS. SEED PER ACRE. AVERAGE CROP 600 BUSHELS PER ACRE Yellow Globe Danvers Onion, black seed..oz. 26c, Ib, $2,10, 6 ibe. $9.25 Giant Yellow Prizetaker Onion, black seed. .oz. 26c, Ib. $2.10, 5 lbs. $9.26 Large Rad Wethersfield Onion, black seed. ,oz, 26e, Ib. $2.00, 5 lbs. 69.25 Market Maker Golden Globe Onion oz, 25c, Ib, $2:10, 5 Iba. 09.28 a Early Yellow Danvers Onion, black aead..oz, 20o, Ib. $1.90, 6 lbs. $5,25 Southport White Globe Onion, black seed oz. 40c, Ib. $4.00 Red Globe Prizewinner Onion, black seed.,oz, 25c, Ib. $2.10, 6 tbs. 09.25 Select Yellow Dutch Onion Setts Ib. 35e, 5 lbs. $1.70 XXX Guernsey Parsnip, fine smooth roots ..Pkg. 10c, oz, 20c, 4 oz, 60e. Detroit Dark Red Table Beet (round) Pkg. 5c, oz, 20c, 4 oz. 500, Chantenay Red Table Carrot Pkg. 5c, oz. 25c, 4 oz, 66c, Rust Proof Dwarf Black Wax Butter Beans Ib 50c, 5 lbs. 62,25 Early White Gory Sweet Table Corn Ib. 350, 6 Iba. $1.60 London Long Green Cucumber (great cropper) Pkg. 5c, oz, 15a, 4 oz. 40c. XXX Solid Head Lettuce Pkg, 100, oz. 25c, 4 ors, 75e, Improved Beefsteak Tomato Pkg, 10c, IA oz. 36o, oz. 6'0c XXX Scarlet Oval Radish (mild, crisp) , .. , Pkg, 10o, oz, 20o, 4 ozs. 500. Little Marvel Garden Bush Peas, very early 4 oz. 16c, Ib. 40o. Early -Branching Asters, Crimson Pink, White or Mixed Pkg. 10e Mammoth Fringed Cosmos, mixed colors ., Pkg. 100, XXX Mammoth Verbenas, superb mixture of colors Pkg. 10e. XXX Spencer GlanE Sweat Peas, all shades mixed ,.Pkg, 16c, oz. 36c. "Pakro" Seedtape. "You plant it by the yard." 2 pkts. for 25c. Ask for descriptive list. Rennie's `Seed Annual Free to AIL Delivery Free in Canada Order through your LOCAL DEALER or direct from 7 WritS. n I�dEP1ARsE§i�rketta., LT lnorontoifed SEEDS n 5 l;t>%„ Also at MONTREAL WINNIPE(. VANCOUVER 213C : L CD i HELL° THERE 7oM— I`LL PM `kV Ti•iAT'1sN I BORROWED LAST KIEEK -i il1-l=T IT Go UNTI L- TOMoRROW 1401,J DoNOU PO MR. BLAKE. �L. O Ur 6-722 Cone(acted by 1Y -Ad XeCerk -frau Mothers and daughters of all ages are cordially InVitoci 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 mailed direct If stamped and addressed envelope le enclosed, Address all correspondence for this department to Mrs. Helen Law, 76 Castle Frank Read; Toronto, A, H. B,: -This plan has been tried by a mother and was successful in curing her little daughter, who had violent spells of temper. When a fit of temper came on, the mother took a basin of cold water and sponged the little girl's face and neck, holding the cold sponge especially long at the temples, behind the ears, and at the back of the nock. In a few moments the tense little muscles relaxed, the eyes grew less wild and the child would lie down. Then the mother would take her daughter's hand and talk to her lovingly but firmly on self- control. After six or seven treat- ments a complete cure was brought about. L. D. M.:-1, The milk bottles that are used for infant feeding can be thoroughly cleaned by rinsing first with cold water, then washing with hot soapsuds and a clean bottle brush. Rinse the bottles both inside and out- side in an abundance of flowing clean water, preferably under the cold water f •ucet; examine each bottle to see there is no cloudiness or speck re- maining. Then place in a bottle rack and set' in a moderately hot oven for an hour•. The bottles will be sterile and fit for use. Bottles may also be put over a fare in a boiler filled with cold water, to boil for half an hour, after which they should be carefully drained and kept dust-free.But the oven method is preferable. Cool the oven slightly by opening -the door a few minutes before removing the bot- tles; this will prevent the cracking that '.right result on sudden exposure to the colder air of the room. 2. To tell when a child has scarlet fever the followir.g should he noticed: The hatching period is from a few hours to several days, no longer. Then comes a scarlet rash, appearing first on the neck and chest, then covering the face and body. This eruption peels as scales and flakes. There is fever and quick pulse, and the "straw- berry tongue." The glands in the neck are swollen and there ie sore' throat. The discharges from the nose and throat are more dangerous than the rash -more catching. D. G.: -Try these games at your party for boys and girls. 1. "Pic- tured Verbarium." You take some long - word, such as "Caribbean" or , "Beloochistan", and by rearranging' the letters find a number of smaller words, such as cat, loot, bean, belt, sed others. Then from advertise-; reents in the papers and magazines cut opt pictures which represent the] word:' and paste them on cards for an' exhibition. From these pictures the, guests are supposed to guess the smaller words and then pick out the individual letters and guess the whole' largo word from which they are taken. 2. "Geography." Take each letter) of the alphabet and in five or ten min -1 utes' time write down as many towns, seas, rivers, etc., as you can think of which begin with the letter chosen.I 3. "Change Places." For this the players sit in a circle and there must; be a leader, who tells a story, The story teller goes very rapidly, invent ing as he goes along, o.nd•suddenly and: frequently introducing the phrase! "change places." No attention must; be paid to this unless he odds, "The; King is here." Then all must jump up and try to take different Beats. In I the confusion the leader tries to slip; into a seat, and then the one left; without a place has to start a story., It adds much to the excitement if the i leader sometimes seems on the brink of giving the soutence which means a: general move, such as "Change places,' the King -will come sou •," or soma•' thing else of royal news, to which no: •- I attention should be pail, pe, �4 Shear fairly early, at least before the very warm spring days arrive, and thus save the ewe discomfort and loss in weight. With wool n5 valuable per pound as butter, the greatest care should be taken to produce the clean- est, best fleece and properly to care for the same after shearing. Co- operative marketing will add freer) two to eight cents per pound revenue from your wool. Clean all vermin from the flocku and herds before the young stuff comes. Feed is too high in price to waste on lice and ticks, and the new- ly -born animals will thrive better if they are free from them. Undocked and uncastrated grade lambs are always an indication of primitive methods in the handling of sheep, and 110 farmer who takes an interest in his frock will neglect the performance of these operations. Oats should be treatod,for snot be -I fere planting. men,' Take only healthy birds for breed- ers. A vigorous cockerel and yearl- ing hens are best. If pullets are .used. ;have their well matured. In tight) breeds, mate one male to 90 females, and in heavier breeds one male to 15 ;females. 10 Undersized or very large eggs are)" more apt to be infertile than medium-' sized eggs. The poultryman makes his greatest' I profit from the chickens which are! ;hatched before May 1 , The curly 1 s hatched cockerels are sold as broilers't when the broiler market is at its hest. Is The flood of late. hatchec'l broilr s' brings prices down enc] congests the' 1 market. The greater returns received t from early hatehed broilers go far to- ward defraying the cost of raising the' 1 pullets. These pullets in turn begin , laying when eggs are twinging the highest prices and when there is the 1. greatest shortage of stiictly fresh e eggs. 0 i Health Digestion and Health. Attention is called to the fact that starchy foods are more quickly and thoroughly digesto.l in the secretions of the glands of the mouth than in any other part of the digestive system, The digestion of starch always begins with the saliva. The proper masLica- ticn o'1" starchy foods depends upon their being' held in the mouth long en- ough to permeate them thoroughly with ptylain, If the starch is swal- lowed without being saturated in the mouth it passes on through the stom- ach proper into what might be called the second stomach, where its diges- tion is again taken up; but there is no substance like the secretions of the mouth. . The expert chemists are constantly testing the commercial substances sold as digestive agents, yet one has never heard of any of then that would compare in digestive strength with the saliva of the mouth. The important lesson to maintain health in youth and old age is the pro.. per digestion of the starchy foods by mixing them up with the saliva in the mouth and not swallowing them down until that takes place, This will pro- duce the chemical condition necessary for it to be taken up and circulated through the body and give strength to it along with that given by meats, beans and fats. The following represent some of the starches to be well masticated and mixed with the saliva before swallow- ing: Potatoes, corn, rye, hominy, rice, white bread, toast, macaroni, bananas, crackers, all cereal breakfast foods, tapioca, arrow root, sago, buckwheat, barley and parsnips. How To Avoid Pnemnonili. There is a great variety of lung con- gestions called pnepmonias, sometimes preceding the true infectious pneu- monia, which are caused by micro- scopic organisms or germs. The lesson much needed at this sea- son of the year, is how to avoid these different congestions of the lungs. Avoid the use of all alcoholic drinks. 'Seek fresh air at every opportunity, but keep the body comfortably warm at all times. Keep the feet warm and dry. Avoid an excess in starchy food- stuffs, as they are apt to set up a catarrhal condition, which may pre- dispose to catarrhal pneumonia. Habits should be regular. Avoid crowded rooms or vehicles for transportation. The greater number of persons confined in a poorly ven- tilated room increases in proportion the chances of contracting influenzas commonly called "colds." Never overexercise and exhaust the strength and then eat during the physical exhaustion. Never take drugs excepting under a doctor's advice, as they often do much harm. Avoid coming in contact with infec- tious pneumonia. THE 4C'BM,tltiNE NET. Once Trapped, the Submarine Has Little Chance. A sill marine net is made of wire rope, about as thick us a lead pencil; and the meshes are of great sire - about ten or fifteen feet square, The net has floats on top that keep bob- bing up and down )ilea the float on a fish line and on the bottom aro weights that keep the whole thing in a perpendicular position, The sub- marine cannot submerge to very great • depths on account of the pressure 00 feet being about the limiting depth.. It sails innocently along, herefore, until it pushed it.. nose. into these meshes. The net now trails long on both sides of the submarine -its progress revealing the fact that omething below is supplying the n- ova power. Perhaps the net eucl-lenly tops; that means that the hidden ubmarine bus stopped, its uavig,U''8 utvieg made the horrible done uvery hat they are trapped- •or perhaps the net has beemne twisted in the proud- er, Under the: e c0nditi012 the wise ubmarine risco tri the surtat ,, It ureendrr becomes the memot and•: of he enemy, and its sew made prison - re, If it ,loos not take such oeti,141 I ALL Rkel4T WnLL TOM, IF You DONT L, THANKS J WAi4-r Ir, PERHAPS r- t— MRS. DUFF WiLLTAKE -1 IT ?l 1 THINK MR, BLAKE IS SUcll -- --- _ A PERFECT Gi14TLEMA14 WSLL,OFALL i IHar. DARN Fool S LIN ?Ht WORLD, IHIST Gpy Is THE L L WoRsT1-f_" TLa P? �'0 i •.Yc etZee.n a t. ne of two things will happen. The esa, :enemy will wait upon the surface un - 1.11 the sulmtersible cremes up :or, Ir it !starts moving the enemy ,rill folow until the inevitable ul,rivine.:. iBut { perhaps the surface ('0111ninud,a• 5r1a Iin,patient; in such a case he Vali IL l a 'bomb down into the nater, w hb h vv 111 Icxplode w11011 1t touches th of toot o the submarine Of ccul the eh :merged fie -mans know that lira b"mlh lis likely to drop at any Minute; the "psychology" or such 0 situation tendis to persuade the impriemied crew , to conceder. One On :10'her. Wore out by a 10115 0urie or lappa)) frig French ecorebes, a hI piece, High School mistress (10011! ''d Le" 11110a tion of writing to lelorm,rn'e malice". Female()looked her.. leacher in 1'10 face. "Ma will be awful tnagrc "1 11tH afraid she will, but It 1s ins duty to write to her, ielnrenee." "1 don't know," said ielorenee doubt. fully, "1'm see, 111011rer always does my Wrench fon me." Love of at good woman is the best protection n 1n1111 can have.