The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-08-03

IN1
and cut into a v shape so that by a single
push the corn stalk may be cut out. An
old saw blade will answer for this purpose,
the only necessary feature being that 1t
be of thin steel so as to retain the sharp
edge. The Illustration shows the shape of
thish handy tool, which, If made strong
enough, could be used for thinning other
plants and save many back aches.
IMPORTANCE OF HUMUS IN THE
SOIL.
All farms that AVE been worked for
years are not worn out II they have been
fairly well fertilized. In the majority OF
cases lack of .humus or vegetable matter
in the soil is the cause Of the poor crops.
There are farms where this is not needed
except occasionally and once green ma
nuring is sufficient for several years.; on
the other hand when the soil needs vege-
table matter it needs it badly and all of
the commercial fertilizer one can heap
upon it will not mend matters. The farm
that has been largely MANFRED
from the stable is not. likely to be SO bad
ly in need Of humus as the farm which
has had commercial fertilizers most OF
the time. While some Of the vegetable
matter is expensive to apply there Is
nothing more satisfactory nor cheaper In
the end thar clover If one can get a good
catch of it. Often times a mixture will
accomplish the purpose. We have had
excellent success by sowing clover and
1.r..e J>,.a,, 1870 . ,,{val ar tho Glover
and cow horn turnips doing the work at
the last cultivation of the corn and plow-
Ing under in the spring using the ground
for oats. The next season 1t may be used
for corn again or better for potatoes and
this green manuring will last over the
next season so that with a rotation OF
corn, oats and potatoes the green manur-
ing is not likely to be needed again until
the next corn crop.
SUMMER SETTING OF STRAW
BERRY PLANTS.
While there Is no question about the
value Of strawberry plants set in the
spring over those set in the fall, except
where the winters are very open, the mid
summer set plant gives one the adVant-
age Of a portion Of a season of growth
which will count big in the$neXt fruiting
season. The method Of setting pot-grown
plants is known to most strawberry grow
els ~ 4 ~ Nfp>ia 4 SAA~ e-S
the plants. If the plantations are to be
Increased from the old beds then one car
readily obtain their own pot-groWn plants
Using the method described in this depart
ment before. 1t must not be inferred,
however, hat only pot-grown plants car
be set in midsummer; we have had splen-
did success with layer plants by the fol.
lowing method. Strong layer plants are
selected, the first on the runner next tt
The parent plant, carefully dug and set II
soil that had been well prepared. The
work was done in July and, as there wa
no rain soon after the plants had to be
watered twice after setting, which wa!
a big job. A little strawberry fertilizer
was scattered about each plant after set
ting and they grew finely SO that wher
early fall came they had made a goot
start. Because of their tenderness the.
were lightly, mulched in the late fall aftel
growth stopped and an additional mulch
was put on just before the ground brok'
up in the very late winter. The crop thu
following season was all to be desired.
KEEP POULTRY GROUNDS CLEAN
Much has been written in this depart
ment concerning the necessity for keeping
the poultry houses clean both winter am
summer but it Is just as important tina
the grounds over which poultry run b
kept sweet and clean. One Of the bes
methods Of purifying soil on which fowl
have run IS to spade it up and then cove
It with fine lime allowing this to remain
tor twenty-four hours and then spadini
It under. If the run Is grass covered i
may be purified by using a mixture mad
by dissolving one pound Of copperas i
Two gallons of boiling water and addin
one gill Of sulphuric acid. When the com
pound Is cold place it in q %sprinking pc
and sprinkle the grounds thoroughly. nc
turning the fowls on to the grounds unit
twenty-four hours later. This same mix
turef may be used on bare grounds If
does not seem desirable to spade the sol
and 1t may also be used with good effec
4 as a spray on the walls Of the poultr
house. During the summer 1T is not pos
sible to have the houses and grounds to
ylean especially for the growing poultr!
INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF
MILK.
1t does not require a long array of sta
q :istics to prove that the consumption
milk is rapidly increasing and Particular
N the larger cities. The writer spent
Few days in New York city recently ar
TWO sights particularly impressed hir
Opposite the house occupied II large bull
y Sg was in course Of construction and Il
j sight of the iron workers sending the
4 cans for drink at noon was an iuterestir
q one, so interesting that l took the troub
a Of circulating among them unobtrusiy
n ~ and noted that in a group of twent
4 six men the pals of ten contained bee
u coffee was in the pals of four and the r
a naming pals contained milk. That twel'
4 strong husky men should voluntarily b,
y milk instead Of beer was to be remark
a IN a large city. In a combination saloo
d cafe l saw more han fifty glasses of mi
a sold over the counter and the prophet
a told me that he sold more than a hundrr
n quarts of milk daily in this way and tn
the trade was increasing. The profit
lbout the same as in beer so he was sd
- SIZED. All this leads up to the opportuni
VI the milk producer, and the necessi
e or extreme care in sending only the pu