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Show 1 , ...yarr FAEM AND GAIID.nT MATTUflB OP INTHREBT TO AQniCULTUniOTS. Aunts Dp-to-Dnfa Hint About Cut-tlTnllnii Cut-tlTnllnii ot tha Poll and Tletda Tlicrcof nortlrnttnr, Vlllcultnr and Slorlcnltnr. Solnulo Bitlta In, Alkali Roll. The electrical method ot snlt determination deter-mination In soils has been UBCd In the exploration and Investigation ot tho nlkalt soils ot tho Yellowstone Valley mndo by the department ot agriculture. agricul-ture. An examination was first mndo of ho general conditions In tho valley nnd then n very mlnuto study of a section sec-tion ot land which wns Just being ruined by tho rlso of alknll. This examination ex-amination amounted to an underground under-ground turvoy of tho Hold, and maps have been mado showing tho distribution distribu-tion ot alkali at dlftcront depths. A great number of borings wero mado to u depth of 10 or IB feet, and salt determinations de-terminations wero mado In ovory 0 Inches or each foot In depth. Accurate maps havo been mado showing tho amount and distribution of the alknll at several of thoso depths. It wns found that In the original prnlrlo soil abavo the ditch there Is not oufllclont nlkalt to bo Injurious to vegetntton. Tho nmount ot nlkall was greater In tho lower depths of tho subsoil. As a rulo, water Is used In excess on all of theso lands under Irrigation, and to such nil extent that 11 accumulates In tho subsoil. When tlio depth to standing water Is not moro than 2 toot from tho surface, alfalfa turns yellow nnd dies out. In all cases tha first Injury wns from tho accumulation of water from excessive applications through Irrigation. Whcro this wator remains for somo tlmo In tho subsoil tho alknll leaches down through seep-ago seep-ago from hlghor mnds, and Is brought up from tho subsoil nnd accumulates at tho surfaco In quantities sufficient to provent tho growth of cultivated plnnts. This underground survoy of tbo alknll lands has given tho most Important Information In regard to amount and distribution ot tho solublo salts and tho way In' which they accumulate ac-cumulate In certain localities through ovcrlrrlgatlon. Nlrawlnrrjr CultUxtlon, Fow growers of berries aro nware of tho Importanco of using only solect plnnts to obtain tho best results in raising a flno quality nnd largo quantity quan-tity of flno fruit, writes II. Qugal In Colmnn's Itural World. I think thero nro fow growers of berries but whnt will admit that the best markets nfo easily glutted with Interior fruit; v.'hllo thoro never yet was a mnrket over-supplied over-supplied with cholco fruit. Iu order to avoid overstocking or glutting the markets, during tho berry season, wo must conflno ourselves to smaller aero-age, aero-age, and n better qunllty of fruit, espo-clnlly espo-clnlly when It can bo done at a very littlo extra cout. Ono aero woll prepared nnd well planted with seloct plants, and woll cultivated during tho growing season, will produce as much fruit and ot finer quality, as four or flvo acres In tbo old way " ot full-matted rows and alley plants. Then, whon It comes to picking, pick-ing, they can bo found without using spectnclos every berry will bo a berry, ber-ry, 'nnd no mako bellovos. In order to grow flno bcirles, a liberal application applica-tion ot fertilizer Is necessary to pro-duco pro-duco tho best results, as fertilizer especially es-pecially barn-yard manure Improves both quality nnd qunntlty. In order to grow flno berries It is necessary to begin be-gin tho preparation ot the soil the year bofore. I plow under n good clover sod, upon which hns beon broadcasted barnyard manure at tho rnto of at least twenty-flvo loads to tho noro. I'ulvor-Ize I'ulvor-Ize woll nnd plant to potatoes, cultivate culti-vate thoroughly, and allow no weeds to ripen seed. Then, when tho potatoes pota-toes nro dry, sow to rye, It possi&io. During the wlntor glvo another application ap-plication ot manuro, nnd about March 15th turn ryo under and manure Follow Fol-low turn plow with subsoller wherovor posslblo or necessary; then roll land, followed by a good harrow, and If necessary ne-cessary roll and harrow a secoud time. Tho land should then bo In a flno condition to recolvo plants, but under no circumstances should the ground bo workod while wot or sticky. As to varieties, va-rieties, tho finest that has been grown successfully In your vicinity, should be solocted. For hill system set plants fifteen Inches In row, nnd from twenty-four twenty-four to thirty Inches bctwoeu rows, for halt-matted rows, plant eighteen lnchos In row, and thlrty-slx to forty Inches between rows. Cockl. Uorowlth wo Illustrate cockle, ono of our most troublosomo woods. This IS an nnnual and vory smooth throughout. It brnnches freely and grows to the height ot one to two feet. Tho oppostto leaves grow together to-gether at the baso, varying In form from oblong In tho lower to ovato In tho upper. Tho flowers aro pink and nro arrnnged In open cymes; that Is, ono In each fork ou tho branches. Tho way to got rid ot tho pest, after It has put In an appearance, Is to cultivate thoroughly. If tho land be devoted to hoed crops this will bo easy, us the cocklo ennnot stand cultivation Whon wheat or othor grain 1b sown cave should bo taken that It contains no , -cklo seed, Tho cockle becomes a , Hoawanaavjupgj v great pest eoly on land whero tt Is neglected. Car of nM In Wlntar, Ilecs shoSld remain undisturbed throughout the entire winter, except that we maylln safety open tho hives and examlnfjithem during a warm day whon tho bees are out on the wins flying, but even on such occasions the weather must of necessity be very warm and fine, writes A. II. Dutt In Journal of Agriculture. Bees are very easily injured by being aroused In any way during cold weather, and on this account theyshould bo provided with good protection so as to excludo stock of any klndjfrom wandering near the hives. For this reason, hives should not bo set ,up on high benches, nor placed against fences or trees. Tho proper plnco"" to locato hives of bees tho hives having boards Is directly on tho ground, and each sitting on Its own bottom and not in any way connected con-nected with any other hlvo. Snow about the beo hives Is a good protection to tho bees In very cold weather, and tho moro snow the bettor It Is, but many pcoplo make a gravo mistake by removing the snow, thinking think-ing tho bees will suffocate for air. They thus do the bees an almost lrrep-arablo lrrep-arablo Injury; not only depriving them ot good protection, but disturbing disturb-ing them and arousing them to activity activ-ity at a tlmo they should bo the most qulot. Ilee hives may be totally covered cov-ered with deep snow drifts without doing do-ing tho least Injury to tho bees, but on tho contrary tt affords them the best of protection during the most severe se-vere weather. Persons who aro not well Informed In beo culture frequently mako a mis-tako mis-tako by moving bees during tho wlntar from one locality to anothor. They may perhnps purchase boos of their neighbor during tho summer and defer moving them until winter. Tho proper prop-er tlmo to movo or ship bees Is at any time during tho year except In winter, for tho cause given above Tho question ques-tion may bo nsked, why thus disturbing disturb-ing bees during winter Is Injurious to them. It Is so from tho fact that whon bees aro aroused to activity In cold weather they will partake of food heavily on nccount of It, and If the wenthcr Is such ns to keep them confined con-fined any length thorenfter, they will becomo affected with dysentery from confinement In this condition, nnd only n timely flight will rollovo them. Ilecs mny thus be mado to consume moro uian doublo tho amount of stores thoy would otherwise do with propor treatment In this respect. Hmn Nhrrp IJIpl. Tho Colorado Experiment Station publishes the following formula for the making of sheep dips: Australian Dip Sulphur, 160 pounds; lime, 100 pounds, to 100 gallons gal-lons of water. The lime and sulphur wero mixed with a small amount ot water first and hcatod until all became a bright red liquid and then dllutod to 100 gallons. Copperas Dip Copporas, thirty pounds; water, 100 gallons. Flour of Sulphur Tho dry powder used pure. Flour of Sulphur In Water Used In thp proportion of ten pounds of sulphur sul-phur to 100 gallons of wntor. Curtlco Dip Tobacco leaves, fifty pounds; sulphur, ten pounds, to 100 gallons ot water. The tobacco was first thoroughly steeped, after which tho leaves were removed and the sulphur sul-phur put In the decoction and boiled for n half hour. Milk of Lime Lump lime, 150 pounds; water, 100 gallons. Llmo slaked slak-ed In tho water nnd used at onco. Tobacco Dococflon Tobacco dust, 200 pounds; wator, 100 gallons. The tobacco wnB steeped In the water and then tbo leaves squeezed and the stroni decoction used In full nnd ono-half, ono-half, one-fourth and ono-olghth full strength. Arsonlto of Soda Dip Whlto arsonlo, ono ounce; carbonate of soda, ono ounce; wator, ono gallon. Tho arsenic and carbonato of soda were first put In a small amount of wator together, and boiled until tho arsenic became entirely entire-ly dissolved, nnd then the remainder of the water was added. Also used in weaker solutions. Carbolic Acid and Corroslvo SublimateCarbolic Subli-mateCarbolic acid, eight parts; corroslvo cor-roslvo sublimate, ono part; water, 1,000 parts. (Suggested and prepared by Dr. Ilailden.) Carbolic Acid Puro carbollo acid In wator In proportions varying from ono part In 100 to ono part In 2,000. Kerosene Emulsion Soap, one pound; wator, ono gallon; kerosene, two gallons. After making the emulsion emul-sion In these proportions In the usual manner tho wholo was diluted to sixteen six-teen gallons. Also used In ono-halt this strength. I'uro Kerosene Used without dilution. dilu-tion. Alcohol I'sed 95 per cont pure. Whnlo-Oll Soap Used In tho proportion propor-tion ot ono pound to two gallons ot wator. Soil Aeration. Ily this term w mean the entrnuco of air Into tho soil, and Its consequent effect. This Is closo-ly closo-ly connected with tho benefits accruing accru-ing from an Increase ot depth. In many ot our subsoils thero Is a quantity quan-tity ot Inert plant food which Is of no uso unless It has been decomposed by the action of tho air. When tho air Is admitted to the soil gradually from the surfaco nnd also from the drains direct, the oxygen of tho air, In connection con-nection with molsturo and beat, cause a chemical change to take placo In all vcgetablo matter not woll decomposed and fitted for plant food, and rendors tho soil richer as well as deep. O. O. Elliott, Drainage Engineer. Wlntor Orown Plo riant. drowlng plo plant In winter has passed the experimental ex-perimental stage and becomo n profitable profit-able Industry. Thousands of dollars nro paid tho gardeners each winter for tho product, which Is bought at high prices, both for liune consumption and for shipment. Any cellar or outbuilding outbuild-ing which can bo mado nbsolutely frost proof and light proof will answer tho purpose. Thoro Is no objection to tho houso cellar, as no manure and very lUtlo water are roqulrod, so no odor or dampness will arise. Tho labor ot growing Is so little and the profits so largo that the most greody ought to be satisfied with the results. Ex. Two or three-year-old turkoys are bettor for breeding stock than young birds. It Is n mistake to sell off '! tho old stock every tall. |