The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1909-09-03


rlety Of cactuses which grow within
her borders. California being close
second. These vary In size from those
that are of delicate and fragile type
to those that grow eight or ten feet
high and have much the appearance Of
trees. In blossom the variation In
color, size and form is almost as great.
To prove beyond question the in
creasing prosperity of Kansas one need
only cite the fact that. while in 1901
the sunHower State grew but 34,3s4I
acres of alfalfa. this area was in
creased in 1907 TO 743.05O acres, and
for the present year the last named
figures are doubtless far outgrown,
like the small boys year before last
suit
A sketch of the history OF the alfalfa
plant appearing IN a late agricultural
paper holds that II originated south
west OF the central part OF Asia, which
Is the district generally credited with
being the location Of the garden of
Eden. II this theory can be worked
out II seems that we should have a
feeling Of gratitude for Adam for be-
ing the dissemination OF this great
legume. in spite Of the fact that we
usually credit him with being respOn-
sible for weed pests that succeeding
generations have been cursed with.
A Minnesota feeder has good word
to say for the Jerusalem artichoke. a
distant cousin Of the Wild artichoke
which has proved pest in many a
titled field. He has found that horses.
cattle, hogs. sheep and goats like the
tubers and even eat the leaves, while
some feeders use the tops ~ silage.
He suggests the artichoke as n ration
along with alfalfa or clover pasture,
the animals being finished for market
with an added ration OF ground oats
and peas, wheat or barley Farther
south corn would naturally be the tin-
ishar
Many farmer In sections where the
usual rainfall Is ample. but likely 10 be
a little short during the latter part OF
July aud August. might well learn
helpful lesson from the irrigation
farmer OF semiarid sections OF tha
west. who. shortly after flooding his
orchard or other cultivated crop. at
once proceeds by careful cultivation
and narrowing 10 make a mulch OF Cue
mellow soil on the surface and thus
retain The moisture which the soil has
been given with much pains Oh his
part. The principle holds as well
whether the moisture comes from n
ditch or fails from the clouds,
Breeders Of Guernsey cattle In tbs
state 81 Michigan are much interested
IN move which has lately been made
whereby Crosse isle. near Detroit. II
TO be turned into n Guernsey island
where no cattle viii he kept but thor.
oughbrcds OF this popular dairy breed
Last year sixteen thoroughbred cows
were imported from the island Of
Guernsey. IL the English channel. One
of the hobbies OF the men who are
interested In the enterprise Is clean
milk. and this product will be shipped
10 Detroit for local consumption. The
move IN bound 20 give the breeding OF
Guernsey cattle n boost MS well as the
general dairy interests OF the state.
In favoring narrower highway
some have argued that the salc OF this
redeemed land would aggregate $780,
600 per township on the basis OF val
uation Of sl25 per acre and could be
well used as fund for improving the
roads In the territory. This plan Is
nil right In theory. but the fact OF the
matter is that In the case OF vacation
Of part or all OF the highway the
land so vacated revertB 10 the owner
of the adjoining property, whose II
was before the road was established.
But Notwithstanding this a narrowing
OF the road a couple OF rods would in
majority OF cases be the means Of
reducing just that amount the un.
slightly weeds and grass at either side.
which often, owing 10 the way the
AVeh ~ ktAhNut ~ ~ NltAlOHt
to cut with machine.
For the past two or three years n
considerable increase in the consump.
ton OF oranges has been effected
through advertising certain weeks as
"orange" week, during which fruit OF
especial quality would be put on the
market and very reasonable prices
would prevail. Much has been done
to popularize this fine fruit through
just such well managed publicity cam.
paigns. Following along lines some
what similar. the raisln growers OF
California adopted a scheme last
spring. advertising April % extensive.
ly as ''raisin" day, the Idea being 10
cultivate a taste for and increase the
consumption of raisins as table fruit
While not all Of the thirty-flve tons OF
raislns produced in the San Joaquin
valley In 1908 were disposed of as a
result OF the campaign. a much greater
quantity was consumed than would
have been under normal conditions.
An eleven acre orchard located in the
Yakima valley, In south central Wash
ington, changed hands recently at
$4,000, the buildings on the place hav.
ing a value Of about $4,000. This
meant that the orchard proper. which
comprised about ten acres set In FIVE
year-old trees was valued at $2,700 All
acre, The setting of SO high a price
on fruit ranches Of this kind Is due to
the fact that from eight years OF age