The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-04-12

ened 10 the handle by stout cord The
hook would allow the basket to be hung
on limb often, giving the picker the use
of both hands.
Anacre Of land will produce five or six
times as many strawberries, In bushels,
as IN wheat, and the prices usually oh
tanned for Strawberries are moro than
three times ~ much an for wheat. One
acre Of strawberries will bring as much
profit as fifteen acres OF wheat, while the
cost OF growing the strawberries is pro-
portionately but little more than that OF
growing the wheat
The better the preparation of the soil
the less seed will be required. Many
failures in the seed are not due so much
10 the vitality in the seed as to the un-
favorable condition Of the ground. II Is
always Il matter OF chance germination
when seed IL brcad-casted and left b be
covered by the washing Of the rain, and
the harder and trmer the seed-hed the
greater the difficulty In securing Il crop
from the seed. Puverize the soil har-
row II down as fine ~ posi- BILE and then
brush the seed in.
The best grasses are those naturally
adapted to the soil In America about
one dozen varieties are made specialties,
while in England the farmers select iron,
over one hundred, A nrm sod OF native
grlss should never be turned under to
make room for some other kind until the
new grass has been tested on the farm.
Soils vary, and grass that may thrive on
one farm may fail on another.
The rock on which many who enter the
ranks as breeders Of good stock split Is
that OF stinted feeding, says Professor
Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural Col
lege. The Shropshire, Percheron, and
Shorthorn owe their excellence to the
fact that they can make good paying use
OF large amount OF food. Unless they
have the food to work upon, they fail OF
their function, and their keeper fails OF
his expected gains. II may be best to
half starve the Jersey in his calfhood,
but surely ii il runous to thus treat the
Shorthorn or Hereford. The breeders
motto should be: "Keep all those ami
mails in thrifty, growing condition from
first 10 last" Unless we intend and will
feed literally we had better keep the
scrub. II was brought up to enjoy rough
ing it.
The intrinsic value Of pure dissolved
bones is frequently made apparent as an
ingredient in low grade fertilizers. A few
pounds are introduced in n for
mula mainly composed oil cheap mate
rials, from the use OF which surprisingly
good but very transitory results follow.
Ii in leaven Of dissolved bones which
has quickened the mass and given 1t the
only vitality really possessed. lmpuri-
ties and foreign matters akin in color and
weight 10 dissolved bones cannot be
mixed with them beyond the chances Of
discovery any better than they could
with bone meal. Deception can no more
be eflectually practiced with the partially
acidulated bone than with the raw bone.
The sulphuric acid employed in dis
solving has simply honey-combed the
particles in such state that the natural
action Of the soil and the elements can
convert them Immediately into plant
food Bearing these facts well in mind,
and having the guarantee OF the manu-
factufer that the article is made OF raw
bones, that pure sulphuric acid is en-
ployed in dissolving; that II is not made
wholly or in part Of foreign matter, it is
better for farmers tou strictly pure dis
solved bones than to invest the same
amount of money in substances contain
ing less phosphoric acid. II is unques
tionably the better policy TO select a fer
tilizer that is ready for immediate action
and one sure to give twO-told quicker
return, with an almost equal reserve
store Of rich ingredients for the benefit
Of grass and hay crops.
The Rural is asked II IL will pay TO
pipes that will carry water from
a tank filed with water by a wind
mill, so as to supply water for small
fruits. The same correspondent also
asks il the pipes might not run under
ground with advantage. We are unable
10 answer the questions, and we doubt il
can answer them definitely.
Even il some such system worked well
with one man-and we believe there is
one fruit grower who has adopted some
such system Of irrigation---he could
hardly say whether it would pay another
man or not. Ii is certainly very desira-
bic to have water for both fruit and veg
etables. Not to have ii is to lose the
crop in some cases To have il artificial
Iy supplied is to save the crop very often.
We think there is no way for anybody
10 settle the question Of profit, but to sit
down and give the subject his own close
study In regard to furnishing the water
from pipes buried in the ground, there
would unquestionably be some adyan-
tage over supplying it TO the surface. In
deed, it Is the proper way 10 do it. II
would require less water and the soil
would not be in danger Of baking for in
stance. In that case, however, there
would need be subsoil, Of course, Of