Oxford Democrat., 1920-05-18
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPEED THE PLow."
Biology on tho Farm.

L
There is much that is fascinating about
farm life, as we'll as q good many things
for which fascination cannot be claimed
The long winter months with drifting
snow and intense cold weather cannot be
admired, but when spring comes, and
Ilife-animal and egetable-begins to
start, then interest begina, 1t can't very
we'll help beginning. Biology is always
absorbing, and no person or class of per.
SONS has the story of life, all kinds,
thrust upon them In such profusion as
the farmer. In fact, it is q part of his
profession.
The farmer now has the University of
Maine, quite an important part of which
is devoted to him, and an experiment
station wholly devoted to his use, where
learned men, men of leisure, study all of
the different problems, not only OF farm
life, but all life. They study and observe
all Of the different phenomena, can tell
one all OF the catastrophes which can
happen to plant or animal, all the
tragedies which can take place and all
of the comedies.
A horny-handed, hard-headed farmer
may think it foolish for men who claim
to be scientists to spend time In hunting
ont the love story Of an apple tree, but
that is what they have been doing, and
they have written several long stories
about 1t, which, If they had not been so
prosaic In style might have been as inter
estipg as Scott or Dickens, or, to bring
the matter nearer home, Holman Day.
The good Lord evidently likes to see
something going on, so he created life,
male and female. If the sex question
had been left out we would have had q
quieter and more prosaic world; but the
scientists down to Orono would not have
bad so much to do or say, and what they
did do and say would not have been go
interesting. The good Lord never was
cruel enough to create the female of any
species without at least two per cent
alcohol in her. The good Lord never
was cruel enough to create the female of
any species who could not intoxicate
some one or something.
As already written, life on farm be-
comes apparent early In the spring, when
the first black crow sails through the
blue sky. In his long black ministerial
garb, he looks something like saint In
March, but later in the season when
green things begin to grow, he pulls
corn like the devil. But bird is a bird
in early spring, and one welcomes the
first consumptive robins, even though
one knows they will eat bis small fruit
later on. One even enjoys being awak-
ened In the early morning by the males
call to his mate-"Lizl Lizl Lizp'-it
resembles human domesticity 30 much.
Even the earth worms have their in
teresting life. Like suckers, one is born
every minute, also two to catch him.
1t Is not only fishermen who live to keep
down the population of worms, but
there are others. The mole is no mean
exterminator of earth worms. It is said
he will eat the third of q pint of them
for breakfast and If he csn't get as many
more for supper will die; so you will see
he has to be pretty busy. One can
easily trace his activities about the lawn
or garden by the little furrow of earth
be throws up above the surface. With
his pointed nose and strong hand.like
forefeet he burrows into the earth and
throws the dirt behind him. Like
Cesar in ancient Gaul, be burns bis
bridges behind him, or gets rid OF them
somehow, that is, he fills up bis path
behind him, so he must always push
ahead, and woe to any worm that gets
in his path. He has been known to dig
q path beneath the surface two hundred
and fifty feet long in single night.
He is somewhat of fighter too, esps.
cially when he is thinking of getting
married. His eyes are small and be
can't see much, but, nevertheless, he is
particular as to who Is going to be
Mrs. Mole. There Is probably "just as
good fish In the sea as ever was caught
out" but he don't believe it any more
than his human prototype.
There are other forms of life besides
these mentioned, but these are the par.
ticular kinds in early spring and perhaps
they will suffice. When the good old
summer time comes and each succeeding
day brings new and larger kind of bug
with longer bill than any which has
preceded it, then, perhaps, there will be
something more to write; but what pre-.
cedes simply shows what an interesting
field of biology is open to the farmer
with the advent of spring.
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