The Columbus journal., 1903-02-04

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Present outbseak Of Feet-and.aAeuth
Disease.
The present epidemic Of CONTAGIOUS
foot ot-and-mouth disease III New Eng
land was llrst discovered near Boston.
where II rapidly spread into many
towns in eastern Massachusetts, ana
into Rhode Island and Vermont. The
history Of its outbreak In Vermont is
as follows: Sixteen cows bought q
a sale ut Acton, Mass. were shipped
to Gassett's station In the town OF
Chester, and received on November
21st whence they were driven to Q
nearby farm. Thirteen Of these cows
were sold and driven to Chester sta
ton, four miles distant on November
24th, where they were distributed
among the farmers who purchased
them. These infected cows caused .
new outbreak Of the disease at each
place where they went. and also In
fected the highway over which they
travelled. Four Of them were driven
fifteen miles further to . farm IN the
town Of Windham. from which In turn
other farms have become infected. No
vember 26. two days later. the original
Vermont. buyer. becoming alarmed.
drove the diseased Massachusetts, cows
back to his own farm. Before becom'
ing aware Of the presence Of the dis
ease In his herd. however. he sold two
calves to two parties living near
Perkinsville in the town Of Weathers-
field, in whose herds foot-and-mouth
disease now prevails Two herds In
the town Of Springfield are Quaran'
tined on suspicion because Of exposure
through these Perkinsville cases. No
cases are now known to exist outside
of this area. Inasmuch. however. Is
highways, the feet Of animals passing
thereon, the shoes Of pedestrians, Of
visitors to infected farms, ETC.. may
bear the infection. particular watch
fulness and care are called for on the
part of all stock owners.
Strawberries Under Cloth.
The Experiment Station Record
thus reviews some experiments BY o.
w, Blacknall: He has successfully
used thin muslin, known as tobacco
plant bed cloth. as . protection for
strawberries. In his experience the
berries grow larger. the blossoms are
better pollenized. and the plants more
productive under cloth than when
grown in the open. He considers also
that the slight increase Of warmth OBJ
tanned by lessening the radiation at
night was very beneficial to the
growth of the strawberries. Taking
one year with another. he estimates
that this kind Of protection adds from
so to 100 per cent to the yield of ber-
ries, makes them larger and more re-
liable, and ripens them earlier. Care
should be taken not to use . cloth
| too thick and impervious to sunlight
The tar.treated kind. such as is used
| In large quantities for tobacco-plant
beds is considered just right. The
cloth is fastened down over the bed
by driving 18-inch stakes into the
ground about one foot deep. A wire
hook is attached to the tops of the
stakes, by which the plant cloth Is
held in place. The stakes are set the
width of the cloth apart. in straight
rows and 81 inches apart in the row.
The original cost Of q protection Of
this kind is estimated at $50 per
acre. The cloth lasts about three
years, and the stakes, II carefully pro-
tected. from S to 10 years.
Checking Evaporation.
At the Wyoming station expert
ments were made to determine to
| what extent the stirring of the soil
prevents the evaporation Of water. To
have all conditions under control
twenty. .flve-inch cylinders were used.
and the water table was kept within
twenty-five inches Of the surface OF
| the soil. The soil in the various cyl
inders was then stirred once q week.
in one to the depth Of two inches. in
another to the depth Of four inches.
and in q third to the depth OF SIX
inches. The first retarded the evapo-
ration to the amount of 10 per cent:
the second retarded it q per cent.
and the third As per cent. This shows
the tremendous value Of cultivation
in q dry year, when 45 per cent in
crease in the water supply Of plants
might well make the whole difference
between the loss and saving of IN
entire harvest It Is somewhat sur
prising to learn that the sixinch
depth IL 80 much more effective than
the two-inch depth. Doubtless this
arises from the shorter time required
for the two-inch mulch to settle back
into q condition where capillary oper'
alton is possible. This would differ
much with different soils: The nat
ural conclusion Is, however. that Z
two-inch stirring twice week would
be about as valuable ~ . six-inch
stirring once q week.
| Legumes.
Bulletin As, Arizona: The legumes
constitute q group of plants Of q
great importance to the farmer, and
information concerning them is *
much in demand, that . brief state
ment as to which ones may be grown
in southern Arizona IL deemed advisa
bic. The great importance Of thu
legumes is due largely to their ability
to obtain the nitrogen they need from
the air mixed with the soil in which
they are situated. This they d
through the agency Of minute organ
isms, called bacteria, growing In larg'
colonies upon their roots, and BY II
ritation producing there the nodule.
or wart-like bodies 50 characterized
OF them. The group Is very larg'
one, and members Of 1t arc found II
nearly all parts Of the earth. Anon,
the ones best known to us are peas
beans. clovers. alfalfa, vetches. lupina