The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-22

feed upon the same materials. Remove
the weaker ones and the stronger plants
are benefited. One good plant will yield
more than two half starved ones. Where
the land is in good condition, well man
ured, and fertilizer also used, it will be
able to produce several strong plants
grown close together. but the conditions
must also be favorable in other respects
for, should there be a lack of moisture,
a struggle between the plants occurs for
a supply, and they will have to compete
with weeds If the are not kept down
by thorough cultivation Of the soil.
The potato beetle will eat tomato
plants. and especially When the plants
are young. After potatoes appear the
beetles will not annoy the tomatoes as
long as the potato vines are young and
tender, but they will attack the egg
plants at all stages Of growth, preferring
them to potatoes. Those who grow egg
plants should examine them twice a day.
as II. requires but few hours for the
beetles to completely strip a young plant.
AS but few egg plants are necessary to
supply an ordinary family, 1t will not re-
quire much labor to look them over two
or three times during the day until the
beetles are gone.
Some weeds prefer cool weather and
start to grow early. Others do not begin
are also weeds which delight in darflp
weather, and others than can flourish
during severe drouth. But no weeds can
stand loosening of the. top soil when they
are just coming out of the ground, for, If
they are not cut down, their roots are
loosened and they perish, because they
cannot secure food.
When land is worth $50 an acre n
should be devoted to that which paws
best and which gives a return for the
capltal invested. An experienced dairy
man once claimed that no farmer can
Keep Cow giving. 8 per cent butter fat
on h1gh-priced land. Such farms must
have or 5 per cent cows
:. II the weather becomes warm do not
be tempted to plant beans, squash, mel
GAS or sweet corn until May. A rule
that is usually followed by. some is TO
sow any kinds of seed desired after the
is cold and damp the seeds will some
times rot in the ground, thus necessita-
ting another planting.
One of the effects of the use of salt on
land is to increase the capacity of the
Soil for retaining the moisture About
one barrel per acre has been known to
benefit grass during periods of Drought
the salt being applied in May. l<ainit
! contains a large proportion of salt, as
well as about u per cent OF potass., and
may be used in preference
The rapid multiplication of weeds is
mavelious. The dandelion is capable of
producing 1900 seeds per plant; shep-
EeIuS puSe, 5t,Oe0; pepper grass, Is, 600:
common thistle, 65 coo; chamomile 10000:
rag weed. 5000: butter weed, 5000: bur
dock, 1900; plantian, 44,G00: while the
persistent and well known purslatn.
which appears to have no seed at al to
the inexperienced, has about 100000 seeds
per plant. Every weed destroyed be-
fore producing seeds means the destruc-
ton Of thousands.
One of the things that should be known
by farmers is that nitrate is very solll-
BILE and Is easily carried away by a heavy
rain. If applied very early in the season
1T makes nearly all kinds of plants show
vigorous growth, but later in the season
its effects are not so easily noticed 1t is
better to apply it two or three, times
during the season, in small quantities
than to apply a full allowance at once
A mixture of one part nitrate of soda and
two parts dried ground blood will give
nitrate alone; also for garden crops, but
Ior wheat 100 pounds per acre, if applied
this month, will be superior to blood as
wheat has but very little time for growth
from now until harvest.
1t is customary to regard all kinds OF
poultry as enemies of garden crops but
it is becoming known that the best mode
OF protecting orchards and crops is to
give the fowls free range Hens will
scratch a newly-planted bed to get the
seeds and worms, but as soon as the
plants terminate they will rarely scratch
among them, If grass and young shoots
OF weeds are plentiful. Usually, If hens
scratch in the garden. it is to Secure bugs
and worms. The guinea and turkey per