FARM AND FIELD

Lake County Press, Issue 2796, 31 July 1919, Page 7

FARM AND FIELD

J ORIGINAL ARTICLES J (By F. 0.8.) e j- FERTILITY OF ORCHARDS. f The maintenance of fertility is moi > frequently neglected in the orchar [ than on any other part of the farn . Trees, oven on poor land, will produc | fruit, but it is only on soils where fei tility is maintained that paying crop • are produced. Each year that fruit i i harvested some plant food is removed If profitable crops aio lo ho expected the supply of plant food it) tho soi must be maintained. The most essential elements for th production of fruit are nitrogen, pot ash, phosphoric acid, and lime. Nitre gen encourages leaf and wood growth which are essential to the developmen I of the tree and to the production o [ the best quality of fruit. Potash is ai essential constituent in tho growth o fruits. It constitutes a largo proper tiou of the ash of tho wood and mon than 50 per cent, of tho ash of the fruit and is also associated with the development of flavour in tho fruit, Phosphoric acid is essential to tho development of the tree and tho propel ripening of tho fruit; lime is not in itself an essential element, hut assists in liberating plant food. On a soil doI ficient in lime, growth often continues i so late that tho woe ‘ does not mature nor the fruit ripen properly. ' Farmyard manure supplies nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid, besides improving tho general condition of the I soil. Artificial fertilisers can bo used I in conjuuction with the bulky manure HOME GARDENING. Of lato years most suburban homes possess more or less a plot of ground wherein to grow a few flowers at least, and occasionally the land is of sufficient dimensions to grow a variety of vegetables for homo consumption, and then homo gardening becomes delightful, iot only in health-giving employment in planting and assisting the development, but also profitable in yielding a generous variety of fresh vegetables for the daily meals of very superior flavour, ' because of their freshness. Many 1 vegetables, like many fruits, lose their j delicious flavour through being kept for some time after being gathered, • and by frequent handling in that way home gardening becomes doubly profitable, inasmuch as they may he freshly gathered. It has been estimated that the vegetables from a well-tended half-, acre garden are worth at market prices upwards of twenty pounds or more money value. In forming the garden there is not much danger of making the land too rich, so one need not fear piling on well-rotted manure, as most vegetables are strong feeders. The soil should he well worked and made fine. Only by thorough preparation of the soil can the best results be expected. Plant everything in long rows. By planting in freshly-worked soil and working close to tha row the labour o' hand-weeding is very much reduced. Plant good seed and thin out the plant* when of suitable growth. By so doing a much larger return from a given quantity of land is obtainable. Sowing in rows has many advantages, and avoid sowing the seeds too deeply. There is at the present time a great variety to choose from, so that tho different fancies of individuals may be gratified, and no occupation more healthful and profitable than growing vegetables for home use. * ' to great advantage. A dressing of a complete artificial fertiliser applied not in contact with the trees, but around them about as far as tho branches extend, will often make, a great difference in the yield. The manure should he hoed in. COLOUR IN BUTTER. Recent experiments carried on by the Department of Agriculture have demonstrated that the rich yellow colour demanded by the public in dairy products is due to the character of the cow’s feed; for, although to some extent a breed characteristic, the intensity of the yellow colour may, within certain limits, bo increased or diminished at will by changing the animal’s rations. Chemical tests show that the yellow pigment in milk consists of ! several well-known pigments found in j green plants. Of these the principal j one is carotin, so called because it constitutes a large part of the colouring matter of carrots. Tho other yellow pigments in the milk are known as xanthopyles. These are found in a number of plants including grass, but are especially abundant in yellov autumn leaves. These pigments pasf directly from the feed into the milk litis explains tho well-known fact tha 1 . fresh green grass and carrots increase the yellowness of butter, the only standard by which tho average person judges its richness. DO BEES INJURE FRUIT? An agricultural society of Florenc-, Italy, has recently carried out a thorough investigation of the alleged injury of fruit by bees, and has completely exonerated the latter,. Bees are unable to perforate the skin of fruit, and it is only incidentally that they suck the juices of fruits injured by other natural causes. Instead c f being harmful to orchards and vineyardr these bees perform the useful service cf effecting the cross-pollination of flower i and lienee the setting of fruit, as wei 1 as the desiccation of damaged fruit (especially grapes) by sucking ihe juict and pulp, and thus preventing fermen tation and rot extending to sound individuals. The orchards- and vineyards frequented by bees give '’he mosl constant crops. CARE OF FERTILISERS. Artificial manures are costly items ii. .be requirements of any farmer, and rareful treatment is necessary and common sense observance of propei practice in their handling. A fertilise! should ho in a condition sufficiently fm< to he delivered from the drill without any blockage. ft is comparatively a rare thing nowadays for farmers to like to see bone manure in lumps showing partly-dissolved hones; and it is fortunate that it is so, as lumpy material cannot be spread evenly over the soil, and, if persisted in, some plants are, consequently, injured by getting too much, and others are deprived oi their proper supply. The fertiliser should be uniform in quality and condition, so that there can be an evonI ness of distribution, and the plants may thus get their proportion of the fertilising constituents. The artificial

f manure should be kept dry. Often 1 manure is left out in the paddock un--1 covered and exposed to heavy dew or I rains for days, so that it becomes damp 1 and sticky, and cannot be distributed Iby the drill in an even manner. If a fertiliser is worth buying it is worti . looking after, and bags of manur* ( should always have some covering—at extra sack will do—if left in the fieii i overnight, and they should be set ul an end; otherwise it is impossible fo the crop to benefit to the extent tha'" may be rightly anticipated. Farmyard manure has advantage.* ■ e which commercial fertilisers do not pos■d It supplies to the soil a Bulk of organic matter, developing humus, !0 and acts with great benefit on the i-. physical condition of the soil. Stiff IS and is loosened by its action, and light | s toils rendered more retentive. L I, 11 THE SUB.’S LEAVE. 0 ‘‘Leave!” said the Colonel. “You don’t want leave!’’ The subaltern looked pained, but t spoke with patience, f “As to that, sir,’’ he remarked, “it i would be disingenuous on my part to f agree with you, I do want leave, and . want it badly. Whether I shall get it t is quite another matter.’’ , grimly. “Now, tell me this. We’ve . only just had a new B Company. For . nearly a fortnight there was practic- • ally nobody there, and nothing to do. i Why didn’t you ask for leave then?’’ i “I was not due for it, sir,” said the . subaltern, with a deeply-implied reproach against the Colonel for think--1 ing he could possibly ask for such a i concession out of his turn. “Therefore, I did not ask for it.’’ “I’m an old soldier myself,’’ said the Colonel. “Don’t try and put that stuff across me. No, I’ve been thinking it over, and I’ve come to the dc--1 cision it’s time you stopped in camp j and did some work.’’ ( “Sir!’’ The voice was full of outraged conscience. * “I realise that lam asking a great deal,’’ continued the wily old gcntleI man. But, after all, Macdonald, why should you be the only officer in the | battalion who never, by any chance, ; does anything to earn his grub? It’s bad for you, my boy. .You’ll go into ! civil life after the war thinking you ! can do the same thing here, and I shall see you one night on the Embank.raent and give you a shilling ’’, , “I’m sure you will, sir,’’ interrupted Macdonald. It was tactful of him, but he got nothing by it. “No, Macdonald,’’ says the Colonel. “It’s no go. If you could give me any reason why I should let you have..the weekend in town —any real, valid reason over and above your private desire to waste your money—l might HsV ten to you.’’ “But I can give a . reason sir. An official reason, sir, in my capacity as assistant musketry officer. Let me refer you to the Musketry Regulations for iqi4, para, umpty-ninc, note three.’’ “Don't be foolish.” “But really, sir! Here’s a copy on your table.” Macdonald seized the little red book- and turned the pages until he found what he wanted. Then he marked the paragraph with his finger, and pushed the book across. The Colonel read the text aloud; under “Judging Distance.” “Eyery. musketry officer should be given frequent opportunities of revising his impressions of the human figure at comparatively short ranges. The Colonel’s mouth twitched. “Anderson.’’ he said to the Adjutant, “give him a half fare voucher—and run him in before me if he’s no’ to mess on Tuesday night!" Love comforteth. like sunshine afte rain.—Shakespeare. '“We have a saying that when the Lord made a Methodist He didn’t do anything else the whole day, and it was a good day’s work.”—Dr. Fort Newton. “No great Empire can secure the world’s unity. The only thing that can heal the woes of this sad world is the Gospel.”—Sir Donald Maclean. “The art of examination, cross:examiuation, and re-examination is to turn nine people out of ten inside out to discover truth, and to make them into hypnotized blackguards.”—Sir E. Wild, K.C. “I’m a man of few words.” “It’s a pity you haven’t got a few ideas to go I with them.” “I never kissed a girl before I met you.” “Why, you never kissed me!” “No, but I’ve kissed lots of other girls since.” She: “Jack, when we are married, I must have three servants.” He; “-You shall have twenty, dear—but not all at the same time.” I 1 i Little Boy—“ That ink that papa ! writes with isn’t indellible ink, is it I mother?” Mother—“ No.” “I’m glad |of that.” “Why?” “I’ve spilt it all ! over the carpet.” 1 A Paris cabman found a splendid tur- ! hot that had been left in his cab. He I went at once to the Commissary of 1 Police. “Very good, jny friend,” said the latter, “come back again in a year and a day, and if in the meantime the turbot has not been claimed, it shall be yours.” ! “That house I have rented from you,” said the dissatisfied tenant, “is horribly draughty. When I was sitting in the middle of the room, my hair blew all over my face. Can’t you do something?” “Don’t you think, sir,” replied the house agent, suavely, “it would be easier and cheaper for you to get your hair cut?” t “Your landlord has gone mad, 1 hear?” “Yes, ma’am, we took him off to the asylum yesterday.” “Who would have thought it? And bow did you find out that he was wrong in his head?” There was no possible doubt whatever ; he had lowered the rents all round I” CORNERED. ! “Freddy.” said the curate to his ( host’s little son, “wouldn’t youf like . lo come to our Sunday school class? i I am sure some of your little friends i have joined.” : “Does Tommy Smith come?” asked Freddy, after thinking deeply for a few moments. Oh. ye-, he is always there.'” “All right. I'll come next ’Sunday. i I’ve been trying to find that kid for > a long time. I owe him one of the I biggest hidings he’s ever dreamt of.”