Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-09-27
UNCLE SANS FARM STORIES.

The press proofs are out for a
pamphlet containing nine little stories
| for farmers, to be issued by the
Department of Agriculture as Farm
ers' Bulletin No. 227, a collection of
| Practical Farm Experiments.
'Top Dressing Grass Land" is the
| first story, covering the results of ex-
periments at several of the expert
| mental stations, and conclusions as to
the best proportions of nitrogen,
phosphate and potash as fertilizers for
grass lands.
King Corn.
There is another story on the Eek
tension of the Corn Growing Area"
which shows that the corn crop is in
vading some of the States where it had
been supposed that corn would not
grow well. 1t is rather surprising, for
instance, to find that Montana, while 1t
does not grow very much corn, gets
bigger yield per acre than three
fourths of the so-called corn States.
Peanuts as Forage Plants.
peanuts for Forage is rather in
teresting reading. The peanut is one
of the most valuable of the legumes-
n cousin to the elover-and the crop,
while money-maker, both for the
peanuts and for forage, constantly inn
proves the soil. The Arkansas station,
without special fertilization or cultiva-
ton produced 143 bushels to the acre.
To Prevent Freezing of Fruit Trees.
''The Winter killing of Fruit Trees
is a timely romance, calling attention
to the necessity for providing against
the colds to come in the snappy nights
of December and January. Corn
grown in the orchard is considered one
of the best possible crops to prevent
trees from winter killing, and dress
ings of barnyard manure tend to pre-
vent trees from freezing.
A short treatise on Cranberry Gull
ture can be recommended for those
who live near swamps
Combating San Jose Scale.
The Lime-Sulphur-Salt Wash, which
is described in story No. 6, is the in
secticide in one form or another, which
for years has been relied upon by the
fruit growers of the Pacific Coast
states in combating San Jose scale and
other scale insects. The various
formulas are given, and the satisfac-
tory results noted from the use of this
wash for the destruction of the San
Jose scale. The possibility has been
demonstrated of keeping this destruc-
tive insect In check by an occasional
treatment. The materials for the
washes are not costly, can be obtained
anywhere, and are easily prepared and
applied.
The next short classic is destroying
Prairie Dogs" a description of a.
treatment Of considerable value to the
Western states. but of little interest
to the farmers of Boston.
Clean, Pure Milk.
Next in this series comes "Cleanl
Milk" something which we all agree,
should be, but which the people of the
Department Of Agriculture say Is a
condition often observed in the breach.
Here are few homely suggestions:
Keep the COWS clean, and do not
compel them to wade and live in filth.
Stop the dirty practice known asl
"wettlng the teats," drawing a little
milk in the hands before and during
milking, leaving the excess Of filthy
milk to drop into the pail.
Expose pans In the direct sunlight,
which Is good sterilizer.
Keep out of milk pans, cans, etc., all
sour milk. Using them for this pur-
pose infects them so badly that mol
amount of washing Is likely to clean
them. Bacteria are invisible. and
millions can find lodgment in the thin
film of moisture that remains after
dishes are apparently clean.
Whitewash the barn at least once a
year.
Air In the Poultry House.
The last of the series Is a short essay
on the Construction and Ventilation OF |
Poultry Houses, compiled from num- |
Der of American and English bulletins |
and journals. The idea here set forth
Is that IL eggs are to be obtained from