davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-12-01
Horticulture

Inquiries are being made as to the
best method OF destroying field mice
in orchards. Sometimes these little
ordents do much damage IN young or
chards. 1t must be remembered that
mice will not attack trees unless
under cover The first thing to be
done is to carefully remove all rubbish
for distance Of two feet around each
tree. If this is done the mice will do
no damage to the trees unless there
is snow on the ground. If the snow
is tramped around each tree the mice
will not attack any of them. This
will be quite a job in large orchard,
and especially so where there are
many SHOWS during the winter.
believe the best thing can do in
giving advice how to meet the ravages
of field mice in the orchard, is to give
my own experience. In 1876 bought
a samll farm in Iowa containing 1900
apple trees that had been planted six
years. The orchard had been neglect
ed during the summer of that year
and the result was heavy crop Of
weeds and grass all over the orchard.
Early in January Of 1877 there fell a
foot of snow which lay on until in
February when it went Oft with a
thaw. | found that some 300 Of my
trees we're knawed more or less by
mice. | made inquiry of some promi-
nent orchardists and was instructed
to take a peck of corn meal and mix
in it half pound of white arsenic.
| was to cut papers into squares four
or five inches across and put tea
spoonful of this compound into each
paper and then fold it up as doctor
folds his powders. These papers con-
tanning the arsenic and cornmeal,
were to be placed all over the orcharp
under the rubbish. This was done
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-12-01
EDITED BY f. WALDEN

and we waited results. A snow fell
soon after and it lay on a month or
longer. When the snow was on could
not Sue the tracks of any mice and
when the snow thawed off, could
not find any new damage by the mice.
We "doctored" our orchard the next
winter but were never bothered by
mice any more on that farm or any
other. We have made it a practice,
whenever we found we had mice In
our orchards or any where else on the
farm, to place our little papers, con-
tanning oornmeal and arsenic, about
under the rubbish or in some place
where the mice would find them and
have always been successful in Kidding
the premises of these troublesome
rodents.
Someone may express the fear that
stock will get these little papers and
be killed by the poison. We have never
had any trouble in that direction. A
small amount of arsenic will not prove
dangerous to horses, cattle and hogs
or even man. Fowler's Solution,
which is used great deal by reputable
physicians, is a preparation of asenlc
and soda. At one time a great cry
was raised against the use of arsenical
compounds, such as Paris Green and
arsenate of lead, in spraying. The
contention was that stock would be
poisoned by eating grass under the
trees and people would be poisoned
by using the fruit that had been
sprayed. The matter was taken up
by the experiment stations and thor
oughly tested when it was found that
no harm would come to man or beast
from the arsenic used in such work.
So we need not fear that in our effort
to kill the mice in our fields by using
arsenic, in the manner here described
will ever do any harm.
In the case where I had some 300
trees damaged by being knawed by the
mice, I think none OF the trees were
completely girdled. AS soon as the
ground was thawed out We went
through the orchard and covered with
dirt the parts wounded by the mice.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-12-01
This IS A
REAL NURSERY

The above remark was the first
expression of a gentleman who
dropped in on us a couple of weeks
since. He is horticulturist and
manager for one of the largest land
companies in the state. A company
that is putting on the market good
lands at fair prices, and that he is
looking up good trees to plant there
on.
He had just completed a tour OF
the nurseries, and ours was the final
one on the list. He walked along
our lengthy platform, saw our load
ing crew at work filing cars with
we'll packed, plainly marked boxes,
walked through our packing house,
saw our crew at work there, saw
the system and the care exercised,
walked among the tree stalls, ex-
amined the stock, saw the size of
our storage and packing houses, all
at his own sweet will-for every
thing is open and above board with
us-then came in the office, dropped
the above remark and told us his
name and his business.
He also said: ''I've learned a lot in the
last week or two i've found that merely
advertising as nursery doesn't make nur-
sery. While there are many SO called nur-
series in the state there are only four or five
that are really in the business of growing
and mark citing trees and doing it right, and
YOU men certainly know your business
We took the gentleman through our
fields, showed him where stock is grown,
and the manner of digging and handling,
but regretfully refused nice order he wish
ed to place, as we were sold up on varieties
he wanted although we began the season
with double the usual quantities.
We have, however, many trees yet to sell.
Write u.s. If we're sold out Of your variety
we will tell you so.
WASHINGTON NURSERY CO.
TOPPENISH, WASH.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-12-01

two it would have been difficult,
without very careful inspection, to
determine which trees had been at
tackled. Had any of the trees been
completely girdled, l should have
protected them by what is called
"bridge grating" This is done by
inserting CRAFTS in the bark below the
wounds and let them reach above the
knawed place. Anywhere from four
to six such CRAFTS should be used.
This method of grating is fully de-
scribed in horticultural books.
Heming Suel, Tacoma, Wash,
writes under date of Nov. 4th as fol-
lows: "When Strawberries bloom the
first time should the blossoms be
picked off? Some say it makes
difference. There is something about
the male and female of Strawberries |
do not understand. Gould you tell
me what it is?
l am not certain that l understand
what is meant by picking off the first
blossoms. 1t IS the custom with many
strawberry growers to cut off the
blossom buds at the time plants are
set in the spring or as soon after as
they make their appearance. This is
a good practice for it has been found
that the newly set plants make a
more vigorous growth and bear much
better crop the next where this done.
If that is what Mr.. Suel means, |
would say pick off the bloom buds the
first year unless the plants were set
early the previous fall and got good
start. If we let our newly set plants
bear the first season we will not get
any fruit to amount to much and the
growth OF the plants will be so retard
ed that it will prove to be an unprofit
able practice. Ii, however, Mr.. Suel
means that we should pick off the first
blossoms that come out each spring,
I would say, "dont' do it," | think
my answer will cover his question
whatever may be his meaning.
What botanists mean by male and
female flowers are the stamens which
are called the male parts and the
pistils which are called the female
parts. Some plants have both parts
in the same flowers and some have
only one. If there are pistils and no
stamens the flower is called pistilate
but if there are stamens and no pistils
then it is called staminate. If both
parts appear in the same flower 1T is
call a hermaphrodite or a perfect
flower. Some strawberries are perfect
in flower while some are pistllate be-
cause they lack stamens. All straw
berry flowers have pistils, hence,
there are no staminate strawberry
plants. 1t is true that some pretty
we'll informed horticulturists speak
about their staminate plants when
they mean that the flowers are per-
feet, but in doing so they give them
selves away so far as their knowledge
of botany is concerned. Every straw
berry grower should learn to know the
stamens and pistils in the flowers of
his plants.
Whether my description of these two
parts of the strawberry blossom will
enable Mr. Suel to know these parts,
| do not know, but | will do the best
L.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-12-01

(All inquiries for information from this
Department should be addressed to
21O Twelfth Ave. N, Seattle.)
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

If the lawn grass seems to be getting
weak and thin or dying out in spots Il
may be in need of either more sun
shine or fertilizing and maybe both. If
1t Is sunshine. some Of the trees should
be cut away or the lower branches
trimmed of; II fertilizer, a thin coat
Of well rotted stable manure should be
scattered over 1t and after 1t has lain
about three weeks and been soaked up
with couple Of good rains all of 1t re-
moved that can be raked up with an
iron rake. While this will make 1t nee
essary to NOW the lawn somewhat
oftener. the sward will look much bet
ter for its tonic.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

In sections of the country which are
likely to be visited by heavy wind
storms during the summer season.
when the silo is empty, there seems
to be a considerable advantage In the
cement or brick structure over those
built of wood Where the wooden one
Is on the place 1t should be stayed
with three or four strong guy wires
which will enable 1t to withstand most
anything short of a tornado.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Any reader of these notes who is In
terested In giving his orchard or berry
patch more intelligent care along the
line of spraying to prevent damage
from worm and insect pests and fun
gous diseases should write to his state
experiment station for copy of its
latest spraying calendar. which will
tell all about making the different
spraying solutions, what to use on
each and how and when to apply. If
the address of the agricultural college
is not known the editor of the home
paper will be glad to look 1t up for
you. The bulletins are furnished free
Of cost and should be kept for ready
reference.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

By way Of showing that the west
does not have monopoly In the op.
portunities 1t offers for home seekers
may be cited the case of a colony Of
Italians who a short time ago settled
in Chnutauqua county. N. Y. There
were 400 men in the colony. which
numbered 1000 with women and chill.
dren. They bought up 1.7oS acres of
land at $50 an acre and put It into
vineyards. and the same land Is today
valued at $50 an acre. an increase
In value of more than 400 per cent.
The same thing on smaller scale Is
being done by other foreigners in this
and other New England states. the
land being used for the production Of
a great variety of early vegetables and
other staple food crops Bred 70 an
almost painful thrift in the old coun-
tries. they have come to the new and
by applying the same methods In the
sections mentioned are becoming well
to do, where the less thrifty American
is scarcely able to exc ont living.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

The pasture should be one of the
best assets on a well managed farm
and If properly handled should give
as large return with as little outlay
Of work as any other acres on the
place. One way In which its efficiency
may be increased Is to give 1t light
top dressing Of fertilizer with the
spreader, paying special attention to
the spots where the soil seems to be
the thinnest. In this way an effective
disposal can be made Of much Of the
manure which accumulates about the
stables during the summer months,
which If not carried out would lose
about half Of its fertillzing value from
exposure to rain and weather.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

The Bermuda Islands are known
chiefly for two products that from the
aesthetic point of view are as nearly
opposites as possible-their celebrated
onions and the Bermuda or Easter lily,
which was introduced into the islands
many years ago from Japan by trav-
eler named Harris So laden does the
mir sometimes become with the heavy
fragrance of the enormous lily fields
that the smell Of the onion is said to
be quite acceptable as change
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Following one line means success In
a majority of cases. but did not with
the Illinois farmer who got fine
homestead land at $1.25 per acre sixty
years ago, has grown nothing but
wheat and corn on 1t since and today
gets but two bushels of wheat and ten
Of corn per acre, and even to get this
paltry return has to let his land rest
part of the time at that to get its
breath. He was one of your practical
fellows who followed in the agricul-
tural ruts Of his forefathers and had
no time for lead pencil farmers or ex-
pertinent station bulletins.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Sorghum hay IS roughage ration
that may he grown late and makes
an excellent feed. After being cut.
which should not be done until there
has been a good hard frost, 1t should
be piled In good sized cocks and al
lowed to lie thus until fed. IL put
together IN large quantities, as is
cured hay. 1t will spoil Stock relishes
the sorghum fodder and seems to do
well on 1t.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

1t is fact conceded by all dairymen
and feeders that pasture grass is as
nearly perfect feed as 1t Is possible
to have There are several reasons for
this. One Is that It is juicy and succu-
lent and. entirely apart from its nutri.
tive properties, is eaten with keen rel.
ish by all domestic animals. Added to
this is the fact that 1t contains in nice
ly balanced proportions the several
nutritive elements required for meat
and milk production. Another point is
that 1t is not eaten in stuffy. III venti
lated and poorly lighted barns. but In
the open, where with every mouthful
of grass taken into the stomach a
breath Of sweet fresh air Is taken into
the lungs. purifying the blood. aiding
the heart action and increasing to a
maximum the animals power Of as
siMilation. which In turn makes posi-
BILE the consumption Of still larger
quantities of food and an increased
production Of milk and meat
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

One resourceful chap we read of the
other day-a Missouri man 1t was-has
hit upon the plan of attaching a small
sized road drag to his empty wagon on
trips to and from town. In this way
one side Of the road Is leveled Off GO
ing and the other returning. In such
good condition hns this stretch Of road
been put that merchants of the near
by town as we'll as the farm owners
are adopting the scheme on other
roads.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

A remarkable instance of the In
crease In value of Washington fruit
lands Is told In connection with one
orchard proprietor In the Hood river
valley who nine years ago advised one
Of his workmen to buy forty next his
own. The latter closed the deal at SIS
per acre. The tract was set TO apples
and is today valued ut $1,000 an acre.
or $4,000. This smacks of the days
of 40, only the gold is picked off the
trees instead of being washed out of
the ground.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Secretary James Wilson of the de
partment of agriculture estimates that
in the twelve years In which he has
been at the head OF this department
the farmers Of the country have pro-
duced the enormous aggregate wealth
Of $60.OOOO00,000. In view of the fact
that the value of all farm products
last year was $3.50, 1000 900. this twelve
year estimate would not seem to be
oyerStretched
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

A discerning contributor to a well
known dairy paper in accounting for
the financially strapped condition of so
many dairymen In sections of New
York which he visited finds the chief
reasons for their unenviable condition
to be poor cows, the buying of much
feed that ought to be raised on the
farm, failure to utilize to their full
value the crops that are produced. es-
pecially corn, and waste of money in
extravagant personal habits when II
ought to be spent for supplies for the
home and feed for the dairy cows The
causes cited by this Investigator would
seem to be sufficient to account for
good deal of low ebb dairy1ng and
farming.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

OF the 100000 dairy cows in the
United States 1So0UC@ are just
scrubs-that is. having no particular
dairy ancestry. A glance at these fig
ures will show that the business of
raising blooded dairy cattle has lots of
room In which to spread.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Only the marauding hawks or owls
seen raiding the poultry yard and
actually caught with the goods should
fall victims to the shotgun When
they develop the chicken stealing
habit they belong TO the same class
rs the cat which kills little chickens
or the egg sucking dog. and It is then
nil right TO dispatch them.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

If the feeding schedule carried out
with the dairy cow-so many pounds
of feed for milk given-were applied
to good many men and boys and so
many ounces of food given for hours
work done, there would be big bunch
of them scratching gravel or reduced
to a fare of cheap toothpicks and wa
knr
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

II buckwheat is soWn in the potato
patch shortly after the potatoes are
laid by. the weeds will have some pret-
ty hard shedding and the bees In the
neighborhood a welcome pasture IN Al
usually dry season.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22
TORTURED ON A HORSE,

"For ten years couldn't ride horse with
out being in torture from piles, writes L. S.
Napier, Of Rugless, KY, "when all doctors
and other remedies failed, Bucklen's Arnica
Salve cured me-" Infallible for Piles, Burns,
Scalds, Cuts, Boils, Fever-Sores, Eczema,
Salt Rheum. Corns, asc, Guaranteed by G..
r. Fogg.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Beet sugar men who have looked the
section over believe that beets can be
grown successfully without irrigation
In the Arkansas valley In Kansas be-
tween Dodge City and Great Bend.
and an experiment will be made along
that line this season. If 1t Is shown
that beets can be grown In the val
ley without irrigation 1t Is possible
that coming years may see beet raising
extensively carried on along the old
Santa Fe trail from central Kansas
to the mountains In Colorado.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Mrs. Taft. the new White House
lady. has shown her good sense by
buying a family COW, which, according
to report. she has staked out on the
lawn In the back yard. The Taft
kids will be the better for this rustic
adjunct To their household economy.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

The prospective young wife can get
a pretty good idea beforehand of how
she will be treated by her husband
to-be If she takes note Of his conduct
toward his mother 1t is a criterioB
that seldom deceives.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

There are still sections In the auth
where geese are driven ioug DISTANCES
to market In order To Keep them from
getting footsore the birds ar" driven
over spot sineared with tai and then
over fine sand. which gives them u
patent footgear.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Every well regulated home should
operate Its own curfew ordinance and
not look to the town To herd the boys
and girls of the street when they
ought to be home and In bed.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Dampness should be done away.
whether II be In the cellar. stable. poul-
try or hog house. as IL stands for posi-
tive discomfort In some uf these cases
and an insanitary condition I'D all Of
them
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

A chap In New Jersey has been re-
lieving lot of folks of some of their
surplus cash by graft worked under
the guse Of the benefit to be con-
ferred by spraying Of their fruit
trees. His plan is to spray their trees
on a guarantee that they will be free
from attacks of insect and fungous
pests for a period Of two years.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

What makes a man 30 lonesome for
his wife when the family is away for
the summer is there's nobody to blame
because 1t rains on the day he was 60
ing to baseball game.
Itching, torturing skin eruptions, dlsf g.
ure, annoy, drive one wild. Doan's Oint-
ment brings quick relief and lasting cures.
Fifty cents at any drug store.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

1t is estimated that the blight caused
a loss to the potato crop In South Da-
kota last year Of between 30 and 40
per cent of the possible total yield.
This pest. which Is purely fungous
disease. usually appears early In July.
sometimes a trife earlier. and seems
to spread most rapidly and do most
damage In damp. muggy weather.
Spraying with the bordeaux mixture.
which has several times been describ-
ed in these columns. Is an effective
preventive. 1t Is well to give the first
treatment when the vines are about
eight inches high and to repeat at in
terva1s Of ten days 30 long as un-
favorable weather conditions exist
Usually two or three treatments are
sufficient. II bugs are bad at the same
time they may be fixed by adding
paris green to the bordeaux mixture
at the rate of pound to 150 gallons
Of the spray mixture.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22
ORGANIZED 1923
Annual Statement of The Vermont
Mutual Fire Insurance Co.


For the Year Ending Dec 81 1908
Insurance In force Jan. /, 1908 s77.359 0l7.0O
Written In 1908, 26,203, 063.00
Sl03.562 0S0.0g
Policies terminated during the
year 2lIb6l9'OO
Insurance in force Dec. 81, 1908 s5i ,385, 90
ASSETS, DEC. 81, 1908.
Deposit notes, s7.39o,359.O0
Real estate, J0.000.00
Cash deposited in Bank, 1O,699.S9
Cash in office, blb.99
Bills receivable l4,OO0 81
Total assets Dec. 81. 1903 $40, 1861 2l
LIABILITIES
Reinsurance reserve S45,70Si9
Losses adjusted, not yet due 5919.30
Losses reported, 19,6l0S
Com mission and brokerage ll,7ll96
Assets to protect policy holders s7,627 ,6s565
s7,7iO,7o6.2l
Summary for the Year 1908
Total admitted assets, s7,7lO, 706.2l
Net surplus, not including deposit
notes, 232. .336. .65
Losses paid In 1908, 356,SlS.6S
Losses paid since organization 7,233,9 ,9SS. 46
Gain In assets In 1908, i03, 208.2I
+. II. e. c. G, PLUMMER
General Agents for Me.
l2l Exchange ST. PORTLAND, MAINE
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

T5tUEJs
xBingham Village.
'Day Sundays included.
CONNECTIONS
Al Oakland with Maine Central Railroad. AT Som.
erset Junction, with Canadian Pacific Railway. Al
kineo Station with Coburn Steamboat Company
wock with stages for Skowhegan, Smithfeld and
Mercer. At Madison with Somerset Traction Co.
At Anson for Sawyer's Mills. At North Anson for
North, East and West New Portland. AT Bingham for
Forks, Garry Pond, Carratunk. Mayheld, Kingsbury
and Rowe Pond At Lake Moxie for The Forks.
MORRIS MCDONALD, V.ce President
r. Z. BOOTHBY. General Passenger Agent
Portland. Me
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Owing to the lateness Of the spring
a good many northern feeders ran
badly short of rough feed. and as re-
suit both dairy cows and steers In the
feed lot went on pretty short rations.
with q distinct loss In both instances.
The time to provide for next winter
and spring feeding Is now. and enough
should be secured to leave margin
for Just such a contingency. This will
not make 1t necessary to turn the stock
on to the pastures two or three weeks
before it is time. which does stock lit
tie good and is a distinct injury to the
pasture through the whole season.
The Somerset reporter., 1909-07-22

Both string beans and sweet corn
may be kept in perfect condition by
preserving In salt at the rate Of four
parts of the vegetable to one of salt
With the corn 1t should be boiled on
the cob for about twenty minutes. then
sliced and scraped of. mixed with the
salt in the above proportion and pack
ed in stone jar and covered with
cloth and plate, as in the case of salted
cucumbers. The juice In the corn
should make brine enough to Just
about cover II, but II not small guam
.ity Of water may be added. The beans
should be prepared as for the table
and cooked for twenty or thirty min
utes and then mixed with like pro-
portion of salt and put down In the
same way. Both vegetables should be
put to soak the night before they are
to be eaten. the water being changed
three or four times to remove the ex-
cess salt. Kept IN this way. both are
crisp and tender and keep their flavor
remarkably well