The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-12-07

and that clover, rotated with potatoes
and corn, cannot fail to insure con-
tinued prosperity to the farmers.
''The soil cannot be discounted for
either clover, potatoes or corn, and
there is no place in the United States
better adapted for the former'' BY
the cultivation of clover the soil is
kept we'll supplied with nitrogen, as
the roots of the plant contain myriads
of bacilli which draw from the at
mosphere that particular Ingredient
which is necessary to their existence,
and in the process of decay the roots
in which these bacilli exist become a
fertilizer-one of the best. Then
again, clover shades the land-it
gives the finest kind of shade and
shade increases the fertility of the
soil for crops that follow. There is a
prevalent superstition that clover
gives horses the heaves. This is all
humbug. It is best to pillow up clover
at the end of the second year and not
seed the same ground to that crop
again for at least three years. This
will give satisfactory results.
In answer to a question how to "get
a catch" on sandy soil where the crop
is subject to "wind blow'' Mr.. Henry
advised light top dressing with
manure and the sowing of clover with
small grain.
He said that the blowing under of
green clover was very detrimental, as
it's. decomposition generated gases
which destroyed important properties
in the soil. Talking of alfalfa, he ad-
vised farmers to buy dollar or two
worth of that seed and experiment
with it, and if they found land upon
their farms which would bring forth a
crop that land was worth 800 an acre.
Glover seed that is left in the. field
until it sprouts is no good for seed
purposes. Thresh before such con-
ditions arise Or your crop will be
valueless.
Frank Yahnke of the Pleasant VAL
ley Nursery and Fruit farm of
Winona, next addressed the meeting
upon the subject of apples. From the
manner in which Mr.. Yahnke handled
the subject he is certainly familiar
with not only apples but trees in gen.
eral. In the history of apples in Min
nesota he went back to 1878, when it
was impossible to secure a variety
which was adapted to the climatic
conditions Of the states There were
apples, but they were failures. So it
became necessary to acclimate apples
to use the hardest obtainable and
to experiment with seedlings-t to
originate varieties. By degrees
species were secured of sufficient
hardness to withstand the Minnesota
winters, and now we have apples which
cannot be equalled for flavor or keep
ing properties in all the world. The
improvement has been wonderful,
magnificent, but nothing more than
that which experimentation and per-
severance might be expected to accom-
plish. Apple trees should at all times
have their roots in moist soil. They
should always be planted on the north
side of the farm, for on the north side
the snow acts as a protector and in
the spring, as it dissolves, it moistens
the roots, the dead leaves which fall
in the fall acting as a sponge. to re-
tain Such moisture and permitting it
to drip gradually onto such roots,
while on the south side the snow
melts rapidly and precipitates mois-
ture in too great a quantity upon the
roots. In summer time the sun on
the south side dries all the moisture.
Thus the north side, or the northeast
or northwest sides are the right loca-
ton to plant an orchard. Groves of
Norway spruce or any sort of an
evergreen planted on the south side of
an orchard is a protection which will
pay for the time consumed in setting
out the trees. When you plant your
apple trees plant them in big holes,
give the roots plenty of space.
Cramping or COMPRISING of the roots
will never bring satisfactory results.
They must have chance to grow
naturally. When planting an apple
tree dig hole sufficiently large to en-
able. the roots to attain their full
spread, then fill in the hole with earth
and lamp down solidly. Pour a pail
full, or a pailful and half, of water
when the hole is about half full of
earth and then fill to level of surface.
Use no manure, as manure means
death to trees. Then, after a day or
two, bore holes into gronud above
roots and pour water into those holes,
SO that the roots will be enabled to
suck up the moisture. The throwing