The Seaforth News, 1948-05-13, Page 7777,7
Some Notes From
The Farm Front
By John Russell
Hydroponics sounds like some
Dew kind of medical treatment. Actu-
ally it's simply a highbrow name for
the process of growing fruit, vege-
tables and flowers without the use
of soil - and it's something that's
interesting more and more people
every day.
It isn't really new by any means,
More than a hundred years ago a
European scientist, in a laboratory
teat proved that plants would
grow in nothing but clear water in
which soil had been previously
soaked. But its development was
speeded up terrifically during the
war, when large hydroponic farms
were established to provide fresh
vegetables to the troops on soilless
rockeries like Iwo Jima and Ascen-
sion Islands. Even now American
forces in japan get vegetables
grown !ri tremendous "tank• farms"
The process is a simple one. Those
wishing to start in a small way
just punch a little hole or two in
th bottom of'a cigar box, fill it with
fine, clean gravel, put hi seeds, give
the whole thing a southern exposure
and begin the feeding process.
The necessary chemicals can be
obtained through many drug firms;
and there are also different brands
of "ready mixed" plant foods on the
market. A little of the mixture in
powder form - stirred up in ordin-
ary water - goes a long way, as the
liquid caught by means of a drain
hole in the bottom of the box, can
be used over and over again.
You keep the gravel moist until
the seeds sprout, after that sprinkle
twice a day. Soon the little seedlings
are ready to
L transplanted to your
regular garden, and are said to be
as healthy and sturdy little fruit,
vegetable and flower plants anyone
would wish to see.
But that is what might be
sailed a half -way hydroponic pro-
cess depending, as it does, on the
final use of soil. For those who
want to go the whole way with
gravel, here's how one man - told
about in Collier's Magazine - went
about it.
He made two boxes, each 30 by
54 inches, and set them at a con-
venient height - then planted his
seeds in the five inches of gravel
She boxes held. A pound of pow-
dered chemical salts in a gallon of
water as his "feeding stock" -
this being measured out as required
at the rate of one ounce of the mix-
ture to a gallon sprinkling can of
water.
Five 'weeks • after the planting he
and his family were eating tender
string beans. Cucumbers were ripe
on the vines in 36 days. The first
tomatoes, started as seedlings, were
ready for the table in 64 days. And
he says that the quality of all he
grew was incomparably delicious.
As a strictly coinmercial proposi-
tion, hydroponic gardening is still
hi the experimental stage, although
'lir millions of dollars have already been
invested and some commercial
growers have made a cleanup.
others have not been so fortunate.
Tomatoes, cucumbers and straw-
berries are among the favorite crops;
and in many cases superior flavor
and appearance are claimed to bring
premium prices.
However, even if hydroponic gard-
ening should never develop into a
real commercial threat for the old-
fashioned kind, as a diversion or
hobby it's catching like wildfire.
That's because any home that has
at back yard, a roof or even a window
sill can now have a garden - and
one that grows things with a mini-
mum of trouble and attention, and
with record-breaking speed.
And then there's the very old
one about the Southern farmer who
was told that he could get his pigs
to market a whole lot faster by
adopting some new, time -saving
method of feeding. "Why should I
bother?" he replied disgustedly.
"Heck; what's time to a hog?"
Paint Whole House in 5 Minutes, 40 Seconds -With crowds cheering them on, members of the
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers slap paint on the Memphis home of
Mrs. Juanita Webb. The painters finished the job in 5 minutes, 40 seconds. The time is believed
to be a new world's record.
CIIRONICLES OF GINGER FARIdI
By Gwendoline Y Clarke
We are all feeling so much better
satisfied now than we were a few
days ago because the Wien have
actually been able to get on the
land. The hum of the tractor has
indeed been a welcome sound after
such acol
cold, wet and backward
spring. Now, although we have
no grain sown the ground is ready
and we expect the drill will be
doing its job tomorrow -that is,
if it doesn't rain again. Bob has
been running the tractor all the
time -with his leg still in a cast. It
is amazing what can be done once
a person is fitted up with a "walk-
ing cast", though I am sure it must
be a very heavy and tiring thing to
carry around.
* * *
From what I hear very little has
been done in gardens anywhere -
nothing at all right here -it has
really been too cold and windy
to work outside for very long. Our
garden, this year, is full of dis,
appointments. There are not nearly ,
as many daffodils in bloom as
usual and some of my shrubs are
in a sorry plight. Two variegated
elders that were so very decorative
are just about done. The roots are
still living but the long, sweeping
branches will have to be cut right
down to the ground. Some of the
other shrubs also look pretty sick,
partly due to the winter nibbling of
rabbits. Growing things on the
south side of the house have been
more fortunate. We had asparagus
before it appeared in the stores and
the rhubarb has been particularly
sweet and tender.
The taste of asparagus and rhu-
barb may have whetted his appetite,
anyway Partner has been ambitious-
ly planning our vegetable garden.
My, won't it be good to have home-
grown vegetables again? After be-
ing without a garden last year we
shall be doubly appreciative of
what we hope to get this summer.
But I ant afraid that will depend
largely on Partner. When I look
' around the hoose and see the work
ahead of me this year I can't see
myself putting in much time on
the end of a hoe.
* * *
1 can see now it doesn't pay to
let two years go by without doing
some papering and painting around
the house Now it looks as i1
every room from attic to cellar
needs attention -and all at the same
time. But housecleaning has its
good points. There 'were days this
week when it was so cold and windy
I wanted work to do that would
keep me warm. (We don't like
e 38. Puzzles
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
ACROSS
1. Bang
L Domestto
animal
II. Frosted
12. Ran swiftly
18. Corroded
14. Mention
16. Ireland
•16. Adult boy
17. Turn rapidly
18. Having feet
20. Blood vessel
22. Farewell
14. Clock dial
17. Absconders
21. I•Iarem room
22. Dogma
14. Old card
game
6 Sign
7. Veiny
8 Going up
41 Window
' framework
Y4. Sounds
48 Stone
9 ,.ate
1. Glut
2. Norse capital
3 Malt drink
4. Prong
6. Equal
. Half dozen
. Cuff
DOWN
rasG earning
aron
ghold
4. Mindanao
native
7. Defensible
1. Pedal part
8. Headland
10, Arabian
commander
19. Refuse - 86. Clothes maker
19. For 37. Pastures for
21. I11ndu peasant pay
23, Hollcwa as. ForefingerE4. Dude "^ `rot any
26 Fuer 41. Chicken
26. Elevator
carriage
18. Tree
29, lilggs
80. Male child
32. Sea bird
',:rt of
church
4 . Auction
4 ,. Voyage
4 . Volcano
47. Ooze
60. Fourth calif
12
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The answer to title penile ip a eewhere on Oils page,
burning wood'in a high wind and
our coal supply is just about done,
so the house was really cold).
1 looked around at the kitchen.
Cleaning it was not on the agenda
for that day but I couldn't think
job keepme
of betterto
awarm,
so I went right at it. Believe me,
by the time I had the ceiling, walls
and woodwork thorouglily separated
from their winter coating of grime
and smoke, I was warm all right:
It was also an opportune time for
another reason -the Wren were so
busy in the field they had no time
to pay any attention to what I was
doing -nor to interrupt ate. So
long as meals appeared on the
table as per schedule I night turn
the house upside-down, or sleep all
day, for all they would know about
what I was doing. That night I
said to Partner -"Do you think my
kitchen looks any better?" He
looked around. "011," he said casu-
ally, "Have you been cleaning it?"
Had I1 My hands were proof of
that even if the kitchen wasn't,
* * *
Now what do you think of this
little episode? Last Monday Bob
and I drove to the city. On the
way out to the "pick-up" I stopped
to pick a bunch of daffodils for
Daughter. Some of them grow
practically wild among the grass.
Soon after arriving in the city I
went to a washroom in one of the
stores and upon looking in a mir-
ror I was horrified to see, caught up
in the net on top of my hat, a
bunch of burrs, the kind that grow
on those beastly burdocks. "Well,"
I thought, "there is nothing like ad-
vertising the fact that one comes
from the country!" Bob said -
"Why worry? I don't suppose city
folk would even know what it was
in your hat." He, by the way, hadn't
so much as noticed them. What a
ntanl But when I told Daughter
. . . "Mother -how awful -didn't
you even know they were there?"
No, but I did afterwards I sat in
the waiting room for fifteen minutes
picking burrs out of that bit of
netting on my hat.
Rain, Today
Waiter (putting down plate of
soup): "It looks like rain, sir."
Diner: "Yes, take it away. I or-
dered soup."
New, -- And
Useful Too
The following are brief descrip-
tions of some of the latest useful
novelties and inventions to come
upon the market.
A UNIQUE CEMENT. Plastics,
wood, metal, rubber, leather, crock-
ery, glass, mirrors and labels can now
be easily made to adhere to them-
selves or to each other by means of
a versatile cement having a vinyl
base. Two years of research has re-
sulted in the development of this
efficient all-purpose transparent white
cement, which is easy to apply and
does not affect any material to
which it is applied.
LOW PRESSURE TIRE. A new,
extra low-pressure tire which is said
to increase an automobile's safety
and comfort has just been announc-
ed. Officials of the company making
this tire say that it requires only 24
pounds of air pressure, and that it
will run cooler than conventional
tires, In addition to making car
handling easier, the tires provide
better and safer steering.
SELF FEEDING PAINT ROLL-
ER A new painting tool has just
been put on the market. It consists
of a patented roller made of plastic,
into which is poured a pint of paint -
enough to cover half the average
wall or ceiling, The cylinder has
holes, like a sieve through which the
paint "leaks" to saturate the close -
fitting nylon roller cover.
TINY BINOCULARS. Only one
fourth the weight and one third the
size of conventional kind, these tiny
binoctIars will be useful either for
sport or at the theatre. Housed in
magnesium, Ind weighing but 44
ounces, the binoculars are said to
have a performance equal to those
many tines the size and weight.
WET WATER FOR FIRE
FIGHTING. A newly developed
concentration of organic chemicals is
of such fast penetrating action that,
added to water in small amounts, it
increases the fire -extinguishing action
of the water from 200 to 400 per
cent. Normal use calls for only 1
part of the penetrant to 100 parts of
water.
NOVEL REY CHAIN. Made on
the principle of the retractable tele-
phone cord, this key chain extends to
six times its coiled length and, on
release, immediately retracts to its
original shape, A 54 -inch coiled
length will extend to approximately
three feet.
KINGSWAY CONTRACTORS
for dependable
HOME & INDUSTRIAL INSULATION
we specialize in
HOMES SCHOOLS CHURCHES FACTORIES
If you have any problems in regard to saving fuel in winter or
having your home cooler in summer, drop us a line at 3215 Dundas
St, W., Toronto 0, Ontario.
We will send FREE complete information that would cover your
problems, or telephone LY. 6536 and we will furnish FREE of
charge, a competent technician any place in Ontario.
J. C. McMULLEN, H. R. DOWNER,
President. Gen. Manager.
TABLE TALKS
Mix Easy --
New Cake Method
Here is the newest, quickest way
to make perfect cakes. It's "Mix-
Rasy" because It puts a cake to-
gether in just two chart beating
steps, saving time, work, and
dishes. This new method calls for
specially balanced Mix - Easy re-
cipes, like the following delicious
Happy Day Cake.
Preparations. Have the shorten-
ing at room temperature. 0410 bot-
toms of pane With paper; grease.
Use two round 9 -inch layer pans,
13/2 inches deep, or a 13x9x2-inch
pan. Start oven for moderate heat
(375 degrees F.). Sift flour once
before measuring. (Use standard
level measurements.)
2'4 cups Swans Down flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
14 cups sugar
y. cup shortening
1 cup milk with vegetable
shortening or 1 eup less 2
tablespoons with butter or
lard.
Step 1. Stir shortening just to
soften. Sift in dry ingredients. Add
about 3/4 cup "f the milk and mix
until flour is dampened. Then beat
2 minutes or 300 strokes.
Step 2. Add eggs end remain-
ing milk; beat 1 minute longer, or
150 strokes.
(Mix by hand or at a low speed
of electric mixer. Take time out to
rest as necessary and scrape bowl
and spoon often).
Baking. Turn batter into the pane.
Bake in moderate oven (375 de-
grees F.) about 25 minutes for
layers, 35 minutes for oblong cake.
Lemon Cake
Flavor the Happy Day Cake with
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, add-
ing it to the shortening. Bake in
two 9 -inch layers. Spread with
Orange Mist Frosting, adding
chopped dates for filling.
Luscious Spice Cake
Add spices -1 teaspoon cinnamon,
yS teaspoon cloves, / teaspoon all-
spice -to flour mixture in Happy
Day Cake. Add 1 tablespoon mo-
lasses to the shortening. Bake in
two 9 -inch layer pans as directed.
Spread with Lemon Cream Icing.
Picnic Cake
Carry this cake to picnic or church
supper, right in the panl Bake Hap-
py Day Cake in a 13x9x2-inch pari.
While cake is still hot, spread with
Praline Topping and bake 5 min-
utes longer, as directed. Cool and
cut cake in pan.
Note: Recipes for Frostings will
be given next week.
Answer To This Week's Pussle
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SSeteet your BOORS and CASH - Yret
*tax and THIEVES. We have a sl
aad We of Sate. or Cabinet, ter ASS
serpose, Visit us, or write for Driees.
ate.. to Dent. W.
&J.TAYLOR LI MITE')
`f ONTO SAFE WORKS
149 Front St. E., Toronto
Established 1260
� a
Fiery, Itching
Toes and Feet
Here to a clean. stainless antiseptic *1p3
that Will do more to help You get rid of
Sur
trouble than an. -thing You've ever '
Its motion le so powerfully Denotratintt
Hist the itching le quickly stopped; end
la a short time you aro rid of that bother-
some. fiery torture. The same is true of
Barber's .1011, Salt Rheum. Eczema -
ether irritating unsightly akin troublee.
You can .obtain Moono's Emerald 011 ht
Hie original bottle at any modern drug
More. It is safe to use -and failure in
any of these ailments le rare Indeed.
PHILLIPS
MILK OF MAGNESIA' -
TABLETS
a
WHEN YOU'RE LOW
ON ENERGY
THERE'S NOTHING QUITE
LIKE UPTON'S TEA
ONLYLIPTON'S
BRISK -TASTING
TEA GIVES YOU THAT
You've never had a cup of tea like Lipton- it's so delicious, so
rich, so full-bodied, and above all, so exhilarating! That's
Lipton's FLAVOR -LIFT -and only Lipton has it. For it's the
blend that makes Lipton -and the blend is Lipton's own secret.
Ask for Lipton at your grocer's today!
MR.BR<SKSOf'S=ONE CUP OR TWO...
LIPTON'S TEA BAGS FOR YOU 10
LI PTO Ntbasfilties'i4E
COPYrlght-Thos J. Lipton Limped
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