Middletown transcript., 1909-02-27
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS

inches apart in the drill.
S. H. Critics, Of Hancock county, o.,
recently butcbered 8 3-year-old Duroc-
Jersey SOW, which had been veritable
gold mine. The SOW bad four litters Of
pigs during its life, in all about so pigs,
one Of which weighed 274 pounds when
it was killed at the age of seven months.
The mother weighed $50 pounds before
she was dressed and $50 pounds net
Her hide weighed 20 pounds, 81 gallons
of lard we're rendered from the carcass,
and $50 pounds OF excellent sausage was
made from her.
! Oklahoma is the only State which re.
quires the teaching OF agriculture in all
country schools. The courses include
agriculture, horticulture, stock raising,
fertilizers, dsirying, drainage, irrigation
and grazing.
| More pigs are underfed than are over
fed.
Give them salt often, also plenty of
Iresn water dally.
Don't let the hogs have access to dirty
or filthy water holes.
Pigs that mature early are the ones for
profit when well cared for.
Wood charcoal, wood ashes and salt
should be accessible at all times.
Ground wheat and corn give better
feeding results than ground wheat and
rye.
The profit in feeding young pigs is with
those that are not stinted in their food.
The greatest profit of the dairy consists
in converting the by.prooucts Into pork.
A mixture of wheat and barley is more
valuable food for growing pigs than corn
alone.
A large saving in the cost of raising a
hog may be accomplished by boiling all
its food. A halt-bushel of corn boiled
will go as far again and fatten better than
as much corn fed dry. If the table re.
fuse can be added to the kettle it will be |
still better.
The potato scab disease, says the In |
diana Farmer, has been pretty thoroughly
studied by potato specialists. This we'll
known malady is the result of fungus
infestation which also causes scab on
beets. Its germs occur in great numbers |
on scabby smooth tubsrs. Much of the |
loes from scab is directly due to the use
of infected seed. When the fungus is not
present in the soil a clean crop is assured |
if clean seed is used. It is cheaper to
abandon potato growing upon badly in
fected soil for time than otherwise to
combat the pest. Chemical disinfection
of soil is not effective enough to warrant
the cost. Seed potatoes can be effectively
disinfected either by soaking one and 9
half hours in solution made by dissolv.
ing one ounce of corrosive sublimats in
two gallons of water; or by soaking two
hours in solution made by dilutiBg one.
half pint Of formslin with fifteen gallons
ofswater. s
The Colorado Experiment Station, IN
bulletin recently issued, gave some facts
about "Arsenical Poisoning of Fruit
Trees' that has caused orchardists to do
some thinking. AIlanthorities, however,
do not sgrse with the stations verdict,
1t seems that the chemist of the station,
Professor W. B. Headden, was called
upon to explain the cause of disease in
dying trees, and, after most careful in.
Eestigation OF many different cases, with
analysis of the soil and wood tissues of
the dead trees, he decided that arsenic
had been taken into the circulation,
through the roots, in quantities sufficient
to cause the trouble,
He knew that arsenic, il soluble, and
absorbed abundantly, was fatal to plant
life, but supposed that our orchard trees
we're protected by the insolubility of the
arsenic in the spraying preparations used.
With the evidence that trees were dead,
and many others suffering from the ar
senic, it became evident that same chemi-
cal action iu the soil had rendered che
poison soluble
Incidentally, the question was raised as
to the extent of danger in the use of ar
senic. Do all our soils contain acids, or
some orber chemicals, which will render
the arsenic soluble7 Again, how long
may we continue to apply arsenic before
We reach the danger line?
This opinion of Professor Heaiaen il
very apt to do great harm.
IN contradiction, Professor Ball, ento-
mologist Of the Utah Experimental Sta
tion, who is considered one Of the best
authorities in the oOantFy on the subject
ofspraying, says that this sickness of the
trees, WHICH the Colorado Station bulletin
attributes to poisoning from arsenic, is an
alkali proposition pure and simple. He
states that there are many instances where
identical orchard conditions prevail with
regard to the trees being sick where the
owners had never dreamed OF or seen 9
spray pump.
Three hundred billion bees made
enough honey last year TO fill train of
cars long enough to reach from New York
to Buffalo. At the low wholesale rate Of
ten cents pound, it was worth $25, ,0OO,-
600
The Louisiana Experiment Station has
been studying blind staggers in horses. its
cause and cure. But nothing defiuite
could be found. Itis their opinion that
the cause of tie disease is in some way
associated with the conditions Of the feed.
ing materials, such as grass, Or cured pro-
ducts Of corn, brought about By the
attacks Of mold Or fungus,
Saving one GensEaticn of Boys
Il should not be forgotten that the one
great object, the goal, Of Temperance ae.
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