The Democratic advocate., 1909-04-23

The verdict of scientists seems to be
that there are useful and pernictous
bacteria, and good fortune seems 70
consist in being hooked up with tne
right kind.
Where possible it is well to let the
poultry have the run Of the orcnaro,
as they will destroy great NUMBERS Oh
worms and bugs and will not nJure
the trees. as will cattle, sheep or hogs.
The owner Of a large turkey rancn
in North Carolina who is also an ex-
tensiye tobacco grower is authority TOT
the statement that a flock OF from
twenty-five to fifty turkeys Will keep
tobacco field almost entirely free from
The worms that do them so much dam
age.
The milk COW should be given one
pound of a grain ration per day for
each three and half pounds OF milk
which she gives, and to be balanced
the ration should consist Of about
equal parts Of bran or gluten meal and
corn chop or meal, with thirty pounds
of silage and ten pounds of clover hay
added. Where alfalfa hay or meal IS
available 1t may be substituted for
the gluten meal and bran.
OF the several conditions which af-
feet the growing Of crop-seed quail
ity, physical condition Of soil, Light,
heat, moisture and available plant food
in the soil-the last, which is largely
under the control of the owner Of the
land and should receive most atten-
ton, is usually given the least. I'M
provement in the type Of agriculture
at present followed in this country de-
pends upon a reform in this matter of
attention to soil fertility. Agricultural
bankruptcy is the alternative.
A committee of public spirited wo-
men in a little town we read Of the
other day are going to see what they
can accomplish in the way of mun1c-
ipal improvement by Offering several
substantial cash prizes for the back
yards within the city limits that pre-
sent the neatest appearance during the
coming season. The plan is to be COM
mended in every way and should be
generally adopted, as it will do more
along the line Of making a neat town
than could be accomplished by passing
all kinds of ordinances.
If any man would make an invest
ment for his children to reap the bene-
fit from twenty-five or thirty years
hence he could hardly do better than
to plant a ten acre tract to cotton
wood trees If they were given good
care at the start and stock kept out
during the whole period they would
give lumber yield at the end OF the
period mentioned that would be sur
prising. With lumber prices advanc-
ing as rapidly as they are, timber lot
of saw logs will be a veritable gold
mine a few years hence, when any
kind Of a stick will be called lumber
and will fetch high prices.
In the spraying Of potatoes the bor-
deaux mixture should be made up,
according to the lilo recipe, Of cop
per sulphate lime and water or
even stronger. This should be applied
with paris green added if the bugs
have appeared when the vines are
about six or eight inches high and
should be repeated at intervals Of ten
or; fifteen days until growth of vines
stops. For large fields it will be found
both economical and advantageous In
the spraying work to use a special po-
tato sprayer which is so arranged that
from four to six rows may be sprayed
at once and q large area covered in a
short time.
Some one has figured out that on the
basis of an average annual rainfall Of
thirty inches a year the total amount
Of fresh water of the country is 215,-
OO,OOO,OO0,O00 cubic feet. OF this
enormous volume it is estimated that
one-half is evaporated, third flows
into the sea through streams large and
small, while the remaining sixth is
by living beings or absorbed
into the earth. Of the volume Of wa
ter in flowing streams only 5 per cent
is utilized for power. The remaining
100000 horsepower, If utilized,
would be sufficient to furnish all the
power needed for every purpose what
soever in every town and city in the
country This is one of the great nat
ural resources which are very little
used and where used are too often
for the benefit of the
Few.
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