The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-05-23
FARM NOTES.

the ilrst signs OF the appearance OF
beetles, SO as to avoid as much
damage to the plants as possible.
The peach borer works from June
to September, or rather the moth
is always busy attacking the trees.
Careful examinations should be
made for the borer at least every
two weeks, and if the trees show
indication of being attacked cut the
borers out.
1t may not be known that if COW
peas are moved while the pods are
very small new growth occurs,
but such is the case. and sheep will
prefer the second growth to any
other. The roots of COW peas con-
tain nitrogen, and will improve the
soil, even when the tops are cut off
and used.
No plant will long survive if the
leaves are cut off, hence the way to
destroy Canada thistles or other
plants that persist in growing is to
keep them cut down. AS fast as
they appear above the ground cut
them and as they will become
weaker after each cutting, there
arrives a time when they can no
longer grow.
All kinds of coarse food can be
rendered serviceable by judicious
combination of the ration. Even
cut straw will be eaten if bran and
oil meal are added to it. Fodder
can be made acceptable to stock by
preparation, and hay may be fed
with other foods in a manner to
make the whole ration very palata-
bic
1t is time lost, and broken backs,
to undertake the planting of gar
den seeds by hand. Use a drill,
which puts the seeds i'll regularly
and evenly, marks the rows and
covers them at the right depth.
There are many handy little inn
plements suitable for the garden
that are not in frequent use. Even
trowel does excellent service in
transplanting, and a weeder will
tear out the weeds much quicker
than can be done by hand.
Families that keep only one COW
should endeavor to have the best
animal that can be procured. More
labor is required to care for a single
COW, proportionately, than tor a
herd. A COW for the family should
give a large flow of milk for at
least 10 months of the year, and
the milk should contain not less
than a per cent. of butter fat as
cream is one of the essentials. 1t is
better to have COW that gives even
richer milk, but the majority of
family cows are selected without
regard to merits in that respect. 1t
is difficult to rear the calves in
such cases, hence in purchasing the
family COW it will be profitable.
No vegetable is more popular
than the Lima bean, and it is suit
able for all classes of persons, as
we'll as for all manner of dishes.
The difficulty with Lima beans is
the poles, which are sometimes ex-
pensive; but if strings are used, as
is done for the climbing flowers,
the vines will grow and thrive
equally as we'll. All that is neces-
sary is TO keep them off the ground,
and it is not necessary to pole them
if inconvenient. The late crop
should be large one, not only for
the purpose of supplying the fami-
ly with a sufficiency of green ones
for the table, but also that they may
be dried and laid aside for winter.
If stored away they are very SER
viceable at that season, as they may
then be soaked and used for the
same purposes as when they are
green. The dwarf varieties do not
require poles.
There have been many disputes
as to where potatoes originated or
were first discovered. Some per.
sons claim that tubers were first
grown in America while others de-
clare their home was in Ireland.
According to Prof. Samuel Fraser,
of the Cornell Experiment Station,
the potato sometimes called white
potato, Irish potato, English or
round potato, is native of the ele-
waited valleys of Chile, Peru, and
Mexico, one form even being found
as far north as Southern Colorado,
The potato was introduced into the
eastern section of the United States
in the latter part of the sixteenth
century, and returning colonists
probably took them from there to
England. The name Irish potatoe
has been generally accepted, be-