Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-23

tc0lLuSuI VIII uldhe Iue OdlS SIOW
quicker, and some say produce a bet
ter crop.
Very often fields of oats are attacked
by the smut even afte. such treatment.
and the cause of it puzzles many.
There are two causes for this. One
is that the spores may have been
lodged in the soil, and have not vet de-
terminated. The manure applied may
have contained the spores. Again the
smut may be in the field of bar
ley or wheat adjoining, and the wind
have carried the spores to the oats.
This is very common. and sometimes
the spores are brought from a neigh
boring farm.
Live Stock.
In portions of the west farmers have
disposed of their live stock because of
the low prices obtained last winter for
meat. and the question of farming
without live stock has entered largely
into the discussions of their club and
general meetings. The reason is that
when the prices paid for live stock are
so low that there is no profit in the
business, it is time to abandon the
work. This is very true, provided the
prices are permanently below the cost
of raising, a fact which many today
doubt. The past season can not be
taken as the only one for judging the
future course of prices
But the more important question is
whether in large grain growing regions
live stock are really essential in good
farming. Of late years the value of
green manure for blowing under has
been better appreciated than ever be-
fore and many are ready to contend
that with this and commercial ferti-
lizers the soil will get all the food it
needs. 1t is consequently poor economy
to raise live stock at a loss simply to
provide manure for the land. This has
been done ia many Instances in the
past. The farmers believed that the
manurial value of the animals was be-
yOnd price, and that the land could
not be properly fortified without this
animal manure. The question is a lit !
tie different on truck farms where the
manure is purchased in carloads from
the city stables The isolated farms
all over the country, however, could
not depend upon this supply. They
have consequently been compelled to
raise their own supply.
The only question that concerns the
farmer is whether the fertility of the
land can be maintained without the
manure Of live stock. VIII clover, rye, I
and peas plowed under and applica- /.
Of al, +i,,fv l,O
soil where heavy crops of grains and
other grOWthS are annually raised?
Vegetable material certainly furnishes |
plant food, and the commercial ferti- !
iiZerS tend to transform this into avail
able food at once. Too much of the /
chemicals. however, exhaust the soil
and gradually makes it deteriOrate. \ !
great deal Of the vegetable material
turned under with the pillow is never
brought into an available condition for
the plants. The application of the !
chemicals is consequently largely for !
stimulating the latent powers of the !
soil, and in this process of exhaustion .
it is sure to cause considerable harm. |
In the manure Of live stock. however, |
which have been properly fed, we find !
the ideal plant food. The stable |
manure has already passed through the
decomposition period, and a great deal
of it is Immediately ready for absorb !
ton by the plants In addition to this !
it is storing up unavailable humus for
another seasons crop. 1t is not calling !
upon the natural resources Of the soil, !
but is rather increasing them. The
stored-up humus haStens the disinte-
gratiOns of the soil, take nitrogen from
the air, and sets free the phOSphOric
acid and potash. In short the stable
manure supplies more for the present.
and the future than the combination
of vegetable material in the shape of
green crops and chemicals. If our ami
mails only paid for the cost of keeping
them With their milk, wool or carcasses !
they would be profitable investments. !
For rightly managed farms live stock |
are essential, and we cannot dispose
of them without losing considerable. |
The time has not yet come when our
farming should be made Independent
of them.
Beneficial Birds and Insects.
Lie COSL VI liz UT IlCCo anu
bushes in this country amounts to!
many thousands Of dollars annually, !
and any escape from this labor and eN-
penSe would be greatly welcomed byj
these engaged in the fruit business.
At present spraying is absolutely neces-
sary, but from experiments made re- I,
Gently it would seem tnat science
might eventually do away with this |
costly method of keeping down the
bugs, insects and fungi. Nature has
evidently provided birds and friendly |
insects to do this work for man if he !
only understood his friends from his
foes and knew how to treat them. |
Tie best authorities agree that If we
had the right birds and insects in our
orchards i'll sufficient numbers our /
trees and fruits would be kept clean
and free from the ravageS of the in
furious creatures. Illustrations Of this
have been given on the Pacific coast in
The last few years.
In California some ffty-fOur bene-
fetal insects have been experimental
with. many Of them having been i'm :
ported INFO the state direct from AUS
tralia, and by their aid many fruit or +
chardS have been entirely rid Of in
sects. The most interesting class Of
+haca iOSactC arc tho Ia1vhir6S which