Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-10
GROWING CATALPAs.

tiers of enquiry in regard to the Catal-
pa, promised to give my experience
in the Farmer. sowed the seed
three years ago, as for parsnips, and
raised 1877 which / planted in rows
AKA feet. At one years growth, cut
back six inches. They madesa growth
of from four to six feet. This year
some of them have grown to Is feet
in height, and as straight as fish
pole. Last spring planted another
grove that will average 51s feet.
now have a thousand yearlings
that will average 31s feet, which |
transplant next spring. | give them
thorough cultivation and good soil.
i know they are OF the hardy var
iety, as have timber cut 10 yeas ago
that shows TO signs of decay, the bark
still adhering to the posts.
Bulletin from the U. S. Agricultural
Department No 81, informs me that
a post can be raised in six years and
telephone pole in 16 years.
My experience as an amateur is
that the seed should be gathered in
March, when the beans begin to open,
wrapped up in wet clcth and buried
to keep moist. Tie seed bed is made
as for garden, and sowed about as
for parsnips; thin to three inches in
the row.
In transplanting cut stalk back
inches leaving but one sprout, plant
feet in the row, and feet apart.
l use no horse in their cultivation,
planting row OF potatoes between
and making them a hoe crop.
A pest has appeared this year in
a 3 inch copper colorel worm with
dark spots, but it yields readily to
Paris green treatment.
In the summer of 1904 the drouth
and early fan rains caused a second
growth, which caused the late growth
to be winter killed; this caused many
sprouts to start. cut back the top
which caused rank sprout and but
little crop is noticed on the tree at
this time.
The heavy leaves on the trees, |
find, wnen wet, are easily blown over,
and their weight causes them to be.
come crooked. They should receive
cultivation at this time, be straighten-
ed up, and the leaves trimmed from
that side. Don't expect grove with
out labor and attention.-V. M. c. n
Indiana Farmer.
THERE'S MILLIONS IN THE SOIL.
A recent bulletin from the Illinois
Experiment Stations asserts that "at
ordinary commercial prices the nitro
gen contained in the air above each
acre is worth more than ten million
dollars and goes on to say: by
means of bacteria which live on Their
roots, clover and other legumes have
power to draw on this unlimited sup.
ply OF free nitrogen.
"Ihe ordinary, naturally well sur.
faced-drained land of the corn belt in
central and northern Illinois contains
in the soil of one acre to depth of
seven inches sufficient total potassium
for hundred bushels of corn each
year for 1900 years, If the stalks are
returned to the land directly or in
manure. The supply is about $4,000
pounds and one hundred bushels OF
corn tgrain only contain 10 pounds
of potassium. Potassium may be l,D.
Grated from the soil as. needed, by
means of decaying organic matter,
such as farm manure, clover res.dues
and legume catch crops as green man.
ures.
IF we could draw at will upon the
total phosphorus in the first seven
inches of soil the supply (about 1900
pounds would be entirely exhausted
to that depth during the lifetime of
one man If hundred-bushel crops of
corn were taken from the land. A
hundred-bushel crop of corn requires
seventeen pounds of phosphorus for
the grain and six pounds for the
stalks. Oats, wheat, and clover also
draw heavily upon phosphorus. When
crops are fed the animals store in
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