Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-05-05
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Fertilizer ANALYSIS.


offered for sale have resulted in ruin
ing those not up to the representa-
tons made. The farmer who has
| money to invest in fertilizers can
now be safe in reckoning that he
will get his moneys worth. If it
does not pay him it will be because
he is too far from the market to make
his fertilizer produce crop available,
or because having applied the ferti-
lizer, he has neglected necessary
work, and allowed the fertility to run
+ to weeds, while the crop he has
planted is crowded out.
A Fruit-Growing State.
At meeting of the Missouri State
Horticultural society, Secretary Good
man, in his annual report, was in
! clined to boast a little of the fruit pro-
ducts of his state, as, indeed, he might
do. OF the apple crop last year,
year of scarcity and high prices, he
says that north Missouri sent away
, 100000 barrels, south Missouri 5000
900 barrels and central Missouri $780,
600 barrels This would answer in
! part the question which eastern peo-
pie sometimes ask, Where do all the
apples come from when none are
raised here?" Missouri stood last
year first in production of apples and
second in production of peaches, ex-
ceeded only by California. South Mis-
souri, produced 100000 busiest of
peaches, central Missouri 100000
bushels and north Missouri 100000;
300 carloads of strawberries were
sent from Sarcovia alone. He thus
figures up the result: Apples worth
$12,000,000, the peach crop $3,500,000
plums, cherries and grapes $1,50O00
and berries 100000. He says in
hundreds of instances the crop paid
more than the farm was worth, 500,
$3.50 and 5000 an acre.
At the November meeting Of the
Missouri Valley Horticultural society,
Secretary Goodman SAID he could
keep from 5000 to 1000 bushels of ap-
pies in his cellar. He first sprinkled
them with solution of copperas, then
piled the apples as high as possible
in the bins. He did not want too
much ventilation as in his experience
the apples exposed to the air rotted
worse than in the middle. Apples
left in piles have a gray coating
formed on the outside, and if they
once reach this stage they are COM
paratively free from rot. The coat
ing is formed in from six weeks to
two months, and most Of the rotting
is done during this period, The
cellar should be sprayed or sprinkled
frequently to stop fungus growth.
He also advocated building stor-
age houses over springs, as the flow
OF water will keep the house COOL and
also give sufficient ventilation. An
other method, where ice is kept, is to
have the apples stored in cellar I'M
der the ice house, the floor above be-
ing tight to prevent leakage. This
is approximately the method adopted
by one of the cold storage houses in
Kansas City, in which apples have
been kept for three years with re-
markaDly SOod results.
Cooperation.
There is far too little cooperation
among farmers. Because they are iso-
lated is no reason why the more ex-
pensive kind of machinery cannot be
owned in partnership by the farmers
| in a neighborhood, instead of obliging
each one to go to the expense of pro-
curing everything he has to use. In
the early days of every farming COM
munity farmers We're helpful to each
other. This helpfulness did much to
promote mutual good feeling. 1t
ought to do so now. Part of the adj
vantage which the western farmer
has in working large tracts Of land
on his own account can well be Sc
cured if number Of small farmers
who altogether cultivate as much land
would unite together to buy the i'm
| plements needed to do this.
The Problem Solved.
I'VE want good roads" the cyclist
cried.
Said the farmer, so do We;
With you Of the wheel and saddle
Do we ruralites agree.
Now, what shall we do to get them?
Here's plan that's simple, quite
i We men OF four wheels, you of two, ,
| Each one claims an equal right
To half the track; that Is level,
And each ought to have his share
! A road-bed should be wide enough
For us both, with room to spare;
1t should be both hard and solid
With gently rounded top;
In shape, it should be perfect,
And We'll build it so-but stop!
Such fine highways cost money
You are asking half the road
When it comes TO paying for them.
Will you carry half the load?
There's a growing army OF you,
Some say half a, million strong,
Will you each chip in dollar,
| For TO helm Good Roads along