Middletown transcript., 1898-03-12

carefully and fairly at them and work
accordingly. In no case let US give up
to them and lazily and foolishly be-
moan our lot. We were given dominion
over the earth and all that is in and
that includes the bugs as well as the
bears. Let US not make bugbears of any
| Of them.
The very important part which water
plays in horticulture may not be gem
orally realized. When we think of the
vast amount of water that is needed to
bring crop Of any kind to perfection,
which, for our main crops of grain,
fruits or vegetables, is usually not less
than five inches in depth over the
whole surface of the land occupied,
amounting to more than 135, 600 gall
Ions, we can easily see something of its
Importance. It is also estimated that
there can and should be fully 400, 900
gallons Of water in the first three feet
in depth of an ordinary soil, witho ut
having an excess Of it sufficient to hurt
plant or tree roots. That is, good
moist soil and sub-soil to the depth Of
three feet contains this much.
Then the plants and trees are con-
stantly pumping it out of the soil by
their roots and turning it into the air
through their leaves, and. at very
rapid rate, too. It has been calculated
by good authorities that large apple
tree will exhale 400 gallons per day
when in vigorous state of growth.
And further; the crops whic We
horticulturists sell are largely composed
of water; in some cases more than 95
per cent. Of their weight. Moreover,
it is chiefly water that ourselves and
our customers want. But it must be
delicately favored, beautifully colored
and put up in neat and tasty packages,
such as lucious fruits and wholesome
vegetables. Flowers, are also chiefly
water and sunshine combined with sur
passing taste and contrasted and blen-
ded in endless variety.
We should therefore endeavor to so
manage and prepare our soil that it
will be spongy and absorb the largest
amount of water possible, and then
cultivate the surface so as to prevent
its escape, except through the crops We
are growing. Then we will have water
that is better than wine to use and to
sell and even to give away to those who
are less thoughtful and less provident.
In these days when our virgin land
that nature has been fertilizing for
thousands of centuries is becoming
scarce, and is being robbed Of its fer
tility faster and faster, We should give
the closest attention to not only main
tanning but increasing the fertility of
our land. We have only begun to
farm in this country. We are just
learning the a, b, Of the business.
We have been living upon the stores of
fertility that mother nature has kindly
prepared in the surface ready for our
use. Now it is our duty aud our ne
cessity to understand as we'll as is pos
sible what the plants need and what the
soil needs to supply their wants. We
must also know how best to procure aud
apply what is needed.
Already the farmers and fruit grow
ers of this Peninsula are foremost In
the uss Of crimson clover as Q means Of
extracting nitrogen from the mex
haustible supply in the air, and furnish
ing humus to the soil much cheaper
than by expensive purchase and carriage
of coarse manures. And some Of them
are wide-awake- to the advantage Of
buying potash and phosporic acid in
their concentrated forms and mixing
them at home, rather than to gratuit-
ously swell the bank accounts of the
dealers and manufacturers Of mixed
fertilizers. There are now millions of
dollars lost in this way by the farmers
of America that might easily be saved.
By the practice Of intelligent econ
omy in our plans and operations, such
as the cheap enrichment of the soil and
selling of only water and sunshine. we
may make our farms better and better
instead Of poorer and poorer, and get
pleasure and profit besides.
The past year has been fairly pros
porous as regards crops and prices not
withstanding the many troubles which
have beset US. There have been some
advances made in the matter Of laws
looking to the ridding of our orchards
and fields Of insect and fungous pests
and their future protectio2. We should
be ready and willing to do every
thing within our power to support
these elawsand TO futher their execution.
Our personal preferences should Be
swallowed up and forgotten in our de-
sire to advance the public good. A
little inconvenienceor hardship is moth
ing when compared to the higher duty
which we owe to others.
For all these blessings we should feel
profoundly thankful. We should look
o the future with fixed desires to i'm
prove upon the past, with firm faith Ia
'ur calling, and with hopes that shall
% inspired by the most noble purposes
n. E. Van Deman.