Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 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 rails
ing more cotton per acre with less deple-
ton Of the soil and at less cost than their
~neighbors who have not yet seen the point.
Recently the editor of this department met
a reader of Ii and In the course OF a long
conversation the reader said: Il wish you
wouldn't have so much matter In your
department about clover, alfalfa, COW peas
and the like. 1 don't grow any of these
things so am interested only In the things
L 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 exper-
fence and that OF others how vastly i'm
portant they are to the welfare of farmers
On the one point Of fertilizers can any one
give a good reason why we should pay If
teen cents or more a pound for nitrogen
when, by the growing legumes, we can OBJ
tain 1t from the air and store 1t away In
our soils at a 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 a 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 hould II be associated with robbers,
which is really the correct name for nurse
crops, at least in connection with alfalfa.
If your soil is sweet, not acid and In need
of lime, use a good mixture of fertilizer
containing 10 per cent. of phosphoric acld
to 30 per cent. of potash, and apply at
the rate of 500 pounds per acre at the time
80 aAaIIn- Have tho soil In GOOD con-
dition, as good as for a wheat field, 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 a stand. II this manure can
not be had, some inoculated soil should ..
be sown with the seed. This Is obtain
able from some of the seedsmen of the
or the address of some alfalfa
grower in FOUR own state will be furnished
you If you will write TO the director or
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 1t pays well to offer these
people the very best. They have the
money to pay for the best and VIII 90
It II offered attractively. This year the
strawberry crop was poor and the season
lllp oNlNS Ay AAS ~
trouble with our crop. AS the crates were
brought in from the field they were turned
over to trusted women and every quart
was turned out into a continuance 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 ard
from IL the berries selected which were
UP to the high gtandar set. Sometimes
we got less than ten from a quart. These
were packed with great care I'm new bask-
cts previously lined with thin white It's
sue paper. For this fruit we asked and
obtained 25 cents a quart. All the other
fruit, except the culls, were put into sec
ond grade and averaged 1917 cents a quart
sold fresh. We figured that we obtained
at least one-third more profit net by our
plan than would nave been the case had
the fruit all been sold as first grade at
the prevailing average price OF 1219 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 it's price, and yet IL IS only q
few cents a pound more expensive IMAM
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 AZ may be used in any quantity
without injury to the plants. While 1t is
on the market under several commercial
names. and all Of these mixtures are TO
be depended upon, it may be mixed at
home by using the following formula as
advised by the workers IN experiment sta
lions: 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 of 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
vines. Those who have not used arsenate
of lead will do well to give 1t a thorough
trial this 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
II 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 Ole,
sometimes at a younger age. Moreover
they are perfectly hardy and for this rea-
son ought to become popular In the colo
sections of the country, where difficulty
is had in raising other breeds. They ars
IA