Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-03-16

Catch Crops.
It is very difficult matter to get
some farmers to see the great impor-
tance OF having some crop always grow
ing on the ground. They can't see
the use of a catch crop. When crop
is taken from the land in summer or
autumn they can't or won't be per-
suaded that the proper thing to do is
to Immediately start another to pre-
vent the soil from washing away, to
gather up nitrogen from the soil and
subsoil, and from the atmosphere, and
hold it through the winter so that it
can be made available for another sea-
sons crops. They S sem to look upon
the idea as absurd when it is su ggested
that crop can be grown Just for the
sake OF plowing it in to help grow an
other crop. When lands were new
and the soil full of vegetable mould
there was not the urgent necessity for
using catch crops that there is now.
But after lands have been cultivated
OF even pastured for long time they
become deficient in humus, and are
consequently unproductive. Much of
the improbable lands we find over the
country are Improbable, not so much
because they are deficient in plant food,
but more on account of the short SUP.
| ply of humus. The humus will not
feed the plant, of course, but in it's ac-
ton on the soil it will generate plant
food sufficient to produce paying
| crop. 1t is then as much our object
to increase the supply of humus in the
N G. of,,In
conserve available plant food, and the
farmer who neglects to get in some
vegetation between his money crops
is losing money. Ii there is nothing
else to be done encourage the weeds
| to grow and turn them under before
they mature, dry up or blow awav.
Turn an old field over to briars for a
| few years and they will renovate and
loosen up the soil in a surprising man
ner. You never cut down and plowed
up briar patch that you didn't find
the soil loose and pliable with good
color on top. Anything is preferable
to bare land. Nature abhors it, and
the farmer should do 50 too, and al
ways calculate ahead and determine
what can best be grown between crops
" PtONO ohO oOlls" III ll6IS
Kerosene Treatment for San Jose Scale.
The kerosene treatment, consider
ing its efficiency, simplicity and cheap
ness, is the best Since pure kero-
sene is highly injurious to plants, it
must be applied in diluted form to
avoid this injury. Because kerosene
and water will not mix when poured
together, this mixing is accomplished
by means OF a kerosene sprayer. The
two liquids are mechanically mixed in
the act of making the application to
the trees. We have determined by
numerous experiments that 25 per
cent. of kerosene so diluted with
water applied in the dormant season,
and Is per cent. applied in the grow
ing season, will not injure the orchard
trees and will be effective against the
scale.
In the fall soon after the foliage is
shed, say about November 1, spray
the trees thoroughly with the 25 per
cent. mixture lone part of oil and
three parts of water). The trees
should be thoroughly wet, so that not
dry spot as large as pin head will
be left. At the same time the tree
should not be drenched and left drip
ping, as there is always some danger
OF injury to plants in the indiscrimin-
ate use of Kerosene. The usual an
nual pruning can be done at any time
during the winter after the first APP
plication of the remedy, and at the
same time care should be taken to re-
move all trash, as leaves and bird
nests, that may be attached to the
bark or lodged in the forks of limbs.
Such trash affords protection for the
scales. In spring, just before the
buds begin to swell, make a second
application of the same 25 per cent.
mixture. In case of large orchard
the work should begin early enough
to finish before the fruit buds are
fully opened. In making both appli-
cations, bright, dry days should be
selected for the work to insure rapid
evaporation of the OIL The finest pos
sible spray should be produced.
Our experiments, which cannot be
given here, have shown that such
course of treatment. if properly pur-
sued, will pretty we'll clean an orchard
of this dreaded pest. 1t must be un-
derstood, however, that some of the
scales will almost certainly escape, and
it may be necessary to apply the same
remedy year OF two later In fact,
it is continual fight When one once
gets it on his premises, he has per-
manent pest unless he should dig up
and destroy his whole orchard, which,
after all, is the best plan in great
many cases. But it can be controlled
and fruit culture continued, and ener-
getic fruit growers who are in tho
business to stay will control it in spite
of its perniciousness. w M. Scott,
state entomologist of Georgia.
The War Color for Ships.
Orr with Snain thrau 1,a1,ck