Connecticut western news., 1908-09-03

Cantaloupe growers in portions of southern California report serious dam- age to this years crop as a result of the devastation of the cantaloupe lice, which have killed all the vines in cer- tain sections.
 In times of drought the work of wa tering the garden can often be most easily done by frequent and thorough cultivations or hoeings. This keeps the surface mellow, with the result that moisture in ample quantities is pumped up from the subsoil and made available for the thirsty plants.
 In a recent installment of these notes tansy was recommended as con. sidered effective by some in driving ants from the food cupboards While this may be true of the smaller black and red ants, 1t is not so of the large black variety which still raid the sugar box, feeding on the sugar by day and roasting on the tansy at night
 It is a fair assumption that if the man enjoys and Is refreshed by drink of cool water in haying time and har- vest his horses, which usually work as hard as he, take about the same view of the matter. The careful driver will see that they get sip of water once or twice between feeds during the hot days. They will enjoy the water and work the better for 1t.
 An even more toothsorne dish than the fine peas and string beans from the family garden are the green lima beans when one has the good fortune to raise them. Only Q small per cent of the seed planted germinates and grows, and this tends to discourage one in raising them. But where plenty of seed Is planted, the bushes given thor ough hoeing and tine weather being warm and favorable one will get enough of the big green pods to more than pay for the trouble.
 Reports from the whole country show that the condition of the apple crop on July l was 576 per cent as compared with 66 per cent on June 1 and A per cent on July 1, 1907, and 62.3 per cent, the ten year average for July l. This would seem to indicate that, while this years crop Is 13,6 per cent better than 1t was last year, it Is nevertheless far enough below the average so as to insure a good price for all good fruit. It will be we'll for the apple grower to keep the crop sit uation in mind when closing deals for the sale of his apples this fall
 The laws in a number of states re- quiring the cutting of weeds along the roadsides by the abutt1ng property owners or road supervisors specify July 15 and Aug. 15 as the interval in which this work should be done. This Is probably better than no regula- ton at all, simply from the standpoint of the looks of the road, but it is defective statute in that the seeds of most weeds and grasses are mature by the 1st of August Better results would be secured were cuttings re. quired June 15 and Sept. 15, at which times most weeds would be laid low just as they were ready to head out.
 Mrs. H. NJ. King of Texas is said to be the largest landowner of her sex in the United States. her holdings reaching the enormous total of 1,470,- 900 acres. She has a magnificent ranch home in I<ingsville, Tex. Most of her land is valued at from $15 to $20 per acre, her total wealth, includ. ing land, live stock and other property. being placed at $30O00,0O0. While Mrs. King inherited a large part of her property from her husband, she has more than doubled 1t through shrewd management and investment. Great numbers of live stock are raised on this farm, and agricultural opera tions are carried on on an extensive scale.