The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-27

as a body do not realize how they are
eXhausing their soils by their methods.
Some Individual members of the associa-
ton do realize 1t and have for some time
as is indicated by their change in methods
and in each and every case they are rais-
ing more cotton per acre with less deple-
ton of the soil and at less cost than their
neishbors who have not yet seen the point.
Recently the editor of this department met
o reader of 1t and in the course of a long
conversation the reader said; II wish YOU
wouldn't have so much matter in your
department about clover, alfalfa, COW peas
and the like. l don't grow any of these
things so am interested only in the things
1 do raise The reply to this man may
be just the reply many need. We repeat
and repeat again matter on these topics
because we realize from our own eNper-
fence and that of ~thers how vastly i'm
I portant they are to the welfare of farmers.
On the ono point of fertilizers can any one
give u good reason why we should nay M
teen cents or more a pound for nitrogen
when. by the growing legumes, we can ca
tain 1T from the air and store 1T away in
our soils at n 1.-THE of the price asked by
manufacturers? When all who grow farm
crops will realize the value of these plants
then writer's will stop writing about them.
NO NURSE CROP FOR ALFALFA.
1t is time now to make trial of alfalfa.
but do not be misled into sowing the
seeds with ~buckwheat or any other nurse
CROP" Alfalfa does not need a nurse
nor should it be associated with robbers.
which is really the correct name for nurse
crops. at least in connection with alfalfa.
II your soil is sweet, not acid and in need
of lime, use @ good mixture of fertilizer
containing 70 per cent. of phosphoric acid
to 90 per cent. of potash, and apply at
the rate OF 500 pounds per acre at the time
OF seeding. Have the soil in good con-
Gjt}c,, DC unpJ &C fnr n yrGan fa11 and
sow the seed after a good rain. In the
fall top dress with manure from alfalfa
fed COWS and there should be no trouble
in getting q stand. If this manure cam
not be had, some inoculated soil should
be sown with the seed. This Is obtain
able from some of the seedsmen of the
country, or the address of some alfalfa
grower in your own state will be furnished
you if YOU Will write to the director CT
your state experiment station.
MAKING SELECTED FRUIT PAY.
Located near several popular summer
resorts, a number of them peopled in the
summer by wealthy families, we have
learned that it pays we'll 10 offer these
people the very best. They nave the
money to pay for the best and will do
It If offered attractively. This year tho
strawberry crop was poor and the season
comparatively short. so we took extra
trouble with our crop. AS the crates We're
brought in from the field they We're turned
over to trusted women and every quart
was turned out into a contrivance made
by covering a hole two feet across cut
into a bench with muslin and letting it
sag down in the center several inches.
This made a soft bed" for the fruit.
One quart was dumped at a time and
from it the berries selected which We're
up to the high standard set. Sometimes
we got less than ten from a quart. These
We're packed with great care In new bask-
cts previously lined with thin white it's
sue paper. For this fruit we asked and
Obtained % cents a quart. All the other
fruit. except the culls, were put into sec
ond grade and averaged 10la cents a quart
sold fresh. We figured that we obtained
at least one-third more profit net by our
plan than would have been tho case had
the fruit all been sold as first grade at
the prevailing average price of 1872 cents
a quart. Try this plan with anything you
can offer to people of wealth. 1t pays.
ARsENATE OF LEAD.
The one objection urged against arsenate
of lead is its price, and yet it is only q
few cents a pound more expensive than
paris green, and for use in many cases Is
much superior to the latter. One great
advantage in the use Of arsenate of lead
is that 1t may be used in any quantity
without injury to the plants. While 1T is
on the market under several. commercial
! udlIeS, anu dll III lleSc illNluIGS. are W
be depended upon. it may be mixed at
home by using the following formula as
| advised by the workers in experiment sta
tons: Dissolve eleven ounces of acetate
of lead and four ounces of arsenate Of So
da in enough water to cover and dissolve
readily. The product thus formed IS ar
senate of lead and will be in a paste form.
When ready to use pour Off the water.
For use on the potato beetle, mix with
Bordeaux mixture and in the proportions
of one-half pound to each twelve gallons
of the Bordeaux mixture and double this
strength for use on melon and cucumber
vines. Those who have not used arsenate
of lead will do we'll to give it a thorough
trial his summer
INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS.
Those who raise ducks for profit have
been attracted to the breed known as
Indian Runner, by reason of the fact that
it is more easily raised than other breeds
and lays much earlier. 1t reaches matur-
ity, as to size, in nine weeks from hatch
ing and begins laying at 5 months old,
sometimes at a younger age. Moreover,
they are perfectly hardy and for this rea-
son ought to become popular in the cold
sections of the country, where difficulty
is had in raising other breeds. They ars
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