Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-12

w uGIllS QdyilEHt. buL lie VIII
have upward OF fifty small wireless sta
tons and countless ship stations CO.
operating with these high-power WIRE
less plants, and the former will relay
emergency messages to the nearest group
of giant towers.
These differences in range for night
and day are due to the fact that the
sunlight greatly absorbs the wireless
electric waves. The government experts
regard the natural conditions surround
ing the Titanic as especially favorable to
sank. not only because it was dark. but
because it was cold weather. Winter. as
well as darkness. increases the reach OF
these tickle dots and dashes.
As old Mother Earth puts on more and
more of her spring attire the reach or
wireless messages shortens. In their
laboratory, at Washington. tho navys
curately measure this effect Of increas-
ing foliage and vegetation. While the
summer is coming on they are receiving
test messages sent at regular Intervals
from Philadelphia. Annapolis and Nor
folk and with delicate instruments are
noting the gradual weakening of the
electric current Thus, you might say.
they are hearing the grass grow and the
May blossoms burst from their buds.
And all of this work has q direct bear
ing upon the saving Of life at sea- Be-
cause of the ever-present foliage on the
surrounding land, ships In the tropics
cannot send their distress signals over
more than half the range which vessels
in the temperate zones can cover.
X
The great chain of high-power stations
mill he pn1Ar
direction Of Rear Admiral Hutch I. Cone.
u. S. N. The entire series. when com,
pleted, will have cost q million dollars
and each group Of towers as well as the
fifty-odd small stations cooperating with
the series will be equipped with special
distress receivers kept as eternally alive
as were the temple fires of the Vestal
virgins.
As suggested above all of the enlight-
ened nations of the world are next month
to meet in parliament which will give
wireless business a universal overhauling
and require commercial companies to toe
a mark that is narrow and straight. This
body will be known as the International
Radio-Telegraphic Convention, and Il will
sit in London. President Taft will send
delegates who know every wireless prob
lem from to z. They will cooperate
with representatives of other nations in
framing regulations which will require
every ship Of every flag to adopt tho
standard distress signal, distress wave
and distress receiver of 100-mile range.
and will require universal use OF what
are known as pure and sharp" waves.
The Titanic tragedy will suggest to this
parliament many reforms whose need
would not have otherwise presented them
selves.
Copyright, 1912, by John Elfreth wstkins.)
nured the previous year is most satisfac-
tory. Peas should be planted in the bot
tom of a furrow six inches in depth and
the seeds covered with not more than two
of three inches of soil
After the plants attain a height OF
four or five inches the soil should be
worked in around them until the trench
is filled. The rows for peas should bs
three feet apart for the dwarf sorts and
four feet apart for the tall kinds. In or
der to maintain a continuous supply OF
fresh peas paintings should be made
every ten days or two weeks during thu
spring months, beginning as soon as the
ground can be worked.
Asparagus Is crop that can be grown
on almost any well drained soil and 10
should have its place in the home garden.
ing the early spring in the rows where
the plants are to remain and the seed
lings thinned to stand fourteen inches
apart in the row at the end OF the first
season. is usually more Satisfactory
to purchase two-year-old roots from
some scotsman or dealer, and one to two
hundred of these plants are sufficient to
supply the ordinary family.
THE roots should be transplanted dur
ing the autumn or early spring In the
necessarily limited garden space of a
back yard the plants should be set about
one foot apart each way. In setting the
asparagus the crowns should be covered
10 a depth of four or FIVE inches. In the
autumn or at some time during the year
the bed should receive a dressing of ma
nure.
1T would be impossible to make an ac-
curate estimate of the value OF crops
grown In the kitchen gardens OF the
United States" continued Mr. Beattie.
but from a careful observation the state
ment can safely be made that q well kept
garden will yield a return ten to 0fteen
times greater than would the same area
and location if devoted to general farm
crops. A half acre devoted to the vari-
Gus kinds of garden crops will easily sup
ply family with 500 worth of vegeta-
man last year obtained from his bach
yard crops valued at nearly the one hum
dred mark.
Perhaps the chief advantage in the
home garden is the fact that the vsgcta-
bles are not subjected to exposure IN the
markets or in transportation and are not
Liable to become infected in any way.
Many vegetables lose their characteristics
flavor when not used within a few hours
after gathering. By means of the home
garden the production of the vegetable
supply for the family is directly under
control, and in many cases is the only
way whereby clean, fresh produce may be
secured. The home vegetable garden is