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Show FARM AM) UAIIDM. MATTBIIS OP INTEHB8T TO AcnicuLTitmtmt. '' I'lflO-ltsle HIMt Abml CSd. Iltallm f id, mhi smI llrft llirrnrr UnrllmtliMe. WWenlliira SMtl lorltttHMr 'II tllrr ai- ror-k To make on ton of dry matter 'n our grain crops, the na of from MM to KM tons of water la nectasary la Wisconsin. King found that a two ton crop of oat hay required over one ihousaod tons of water per acre, equal to about nine Inches of rainfall "he average rale for flild crops at large la given by European observers at US time tbe weight ot dry matter produced, pro-duced, being at the rate of about three Inches of rainfall actually evaporated through tb plant. To etapnrate this water It Is necessary neces-sary thai the ground containing the roots ahould not be too full of water One would suppose that with water flooding the root of the plants the latter lat-ter would be able In take both food and water with added ease but such Is not the case, except with aquatic and semi-aquatic p'anta With most plants the action of the tools stop nt tho point where they reach "Hood' water Thus If at the depth ot eighteen Inches "flood' water be struck, the roots below tho eighteen Inches will cease to operate, and If the water condition con-dition continue they will rot off A bulletin of tho California experiment station says on this point "Till I amply apparent In eoino of tho Irrigated Irrigat-ed orange groves ot southern California, Califor-nia, where the flnu roots of tho trees fill tho surface soil as do the roots ot malto In a cornfield uf tho Mississippi (tales; so that tbe plow can hardly be run without turning them up and under In these sumo orchards II will be observed, In digging down, that it n depth of n few feet the soil la too water-soaked to permit of tho proper rxerclso of the root functions, and that the roots mining Ihern ore cither Inactive In-active or diseased That In such case abundant Irrigation and abundant fertilization fer-tilization nlone ran maintain an orchard or-chard In bearing condition, Is a matter mat-ter of course, nnd there can bo no question ques-tion that a great deal nf the conalnnt cry for the fertlllxatlon ot orchards In the Irrigated urtlnn Is due quite a much to Iho shallowness ot rooting Induced by oter-lrrlgatlou, as to nny really necessary exhaustion nf the land When the roots are Induced lo como to nnd rimaln nt lb surface, within a surface nyer of eighteen to twenty Inches It naturally becomes necessary to feed these roots abundantly, abundant-ly, both with moisture and with plant food This ha as naturnlly led to an orcr-cstlmato of the requirements of the tree In both resprrt Had deep .rooting been encouraged at first. Instead In-stead of over-stimulating the growth by surfaot- fertilisation nnd frequent Irrigation, Ir-rigation, some delay In bearing would have been amply compensated for by leas of current outlay for fertllliefa, and less liability to Injury from frequently fre-quently unavoidable delay, or from Inadequacy, In-adequacy, of Irrigation " Tbe ubove Is an Illustration of tho necessity of having laud well drained It also shows why wcll-dralncd land will stand drouth better than un-drained un-drained lund On tho lutter kind ot land tbe roots of plants remain near tho surface, and when drouth comes they easily dry up. On well drained land the roots strike deep and wheu drouth comes they are protected by several ftet uf earth lu which Is a fair supply of capillary wator. rrtiulng Ornamental Hhrutit. Bbrubs muy be pruned at any ca-son ca-son wen the object Is only the removal re-moval of deud wood and other unsightly unsight-ly parts When Ihlng parts are to be removed, however, the summer Is preferable, pref-erable, slnco wounds heal moro readily read-ily during tbe growing season. When the aim of pruning la the production of flowers, greater care and Judgment are necessary. Shrub that bloom In the early months of tho year demand different dif-ferent treatment from those that blossom blos-som In tho lato summer nnd early fall months Tho former develop their flower buds during tho season previous to flowering nnd protect them by means of hud scales, wax, down and other devices during tbe winter. It may bo seen, therefore, that If these plants be pruned during tho autumn, winter or early spring, the crop of llowera may bo materially lessened It tho late flowering species be pruned during the summer tho samo result may fallow Hence tho rule, prune otter ot-ter the blossoms fall Many of the subject die back In the branch that produce the flower head, leaving an unsightly, withering or dead part Other specie seem slow to overcomn tho effort made In flower production In any event Iho pruning done after flowering will havo tho effect ot producing pro-ducing moro thrifty growth and an Increased, development of flower buda l.llar, Japan quince, flowering currant and other early bloomer should b pruned In early June, hydrangea, burning bush, etc , lato In the.autumn, or at latest beforo growth starts In Iho spring In fact In the case of all late flowering shrubs, particularly If not perfectly hardy the pruning may bo postponed until tho buda flrat begin be-gin to awell In the spring in thla way tho ahrub need be attended to only on-ly onte and nt n time when thero will bo no danger of cutting out flowering wood, na might often bo the oasa If tho pruning were dono beforo cold weather sets In Non-flowering shrub may be handled hand-led In the same way as flowering, with the exception that evergreens must not be pruned late In the year or In the winter alnee the wounds made dry out bsdly nnd are slow to heal over The best month In which to pruno them Is April beiause they recover most atehtr attar traalaant In that month The amount ot wood to cut ant at a time must be decided by the operator It will depend largely upon the specimen, speci-men, the vsrtoty and It behavior In the) locality These matters will soon B be learned by tbe observing operator who will qui. kly learn how to hsndle M bis specimens as well as s professions! Jg sod probably a good Jest better than B most of the men that pose as expe- B rlenced pruners and tiavel from place I to place hacking things to piece 1 Aside from the rules given all he need H remember I to keep the specimen D within natural bound and not to trim I hi sabjert io one form, but allow D them each to follow tbe (antral line B of their natural growth, In which they p will always be beautiful M. 0 It., In (mA Farmers' Hevlew Wr full Mntnlnri- nn I xll stirring. The Kansas Experiment Station Is studying the effect ot various mode . of soil treatment upon soil moisture That the well-known effect ot a mutch ran Is approached by proper tillage of soil Is a ft t not as widely acted upon a good fatniltiu, dictate One of the station fields which contained In round tiumlter 18 ier rent of water In the ,'; first fool ot soil on Jul) T. ISaS, had one portion plowed another disk-harrowed and a portion left untreated The ineulng dry weather In tho course of four week notwithstanding several llht rains, reduced the moisture ot tho ' untreated part to IS per cent and that of tho disked laud to 18 per cent, th plowed ground retaining 21 per cent. ' The last two woro In excellent condition condi-tion tor seeding, while the first would . plow up lumpy ami unsatisfactory. Tho weight of nn acre of tho dry soil to tb" depth ot one foot may he taken as 1 COO tons ISach per cent of water In soil to that depth represents about sixteen tons of water per nrre, or one-seventh one-seventh of an Inch The water apparently appar-ently lost liy the untreated soil was I'd tons per ncrc equivalent to over one and one-half Inches ot rnln This Is about one half what the soil would hold after a soaking rain The real loss was much moro than this, since a water eocainnl from the upper foot, other would be drawn up from below by capillary attraction The figures given arc minimum quantities, therefore there-fore Stubble ground should unquestionably unquestion-ably be plowet while the moisture Is still In the soil ICxperlinents of tho station show that simple plowing Is quite ns cITcctlve for mulsturo conservation con-servation as any tillage yet tested. If tlmo doe not penult plowing, tho speedy work of the disk harrow compares com-pares favorably lu elflrlrmy In either cum If lain follows sufficient to start tho weeds, kill them with a barrow, Thla will nt tho samo time break up any cruet nnd prescrvo the soil mulch. Till treatment not only Insure u perfect per-fect seed-brd for wheat In respect to moisture, but tho soil has time to set-tin set-tin to tho firm condition so advantageous advan-tageous to wheat, and the bareness, warmth and moisture are most favorable favor-able to tho formation of nitrates from organic matter Nltrutrs uro highly Important for siiccesiful wheat production pro-duction liunnillniit nt lliirllcullurlits. Tho convention season I at hand, and a few woitla on thn aubject will not le out of place. To thoso that attend tho manner uf conducting such conventions Is of prima Importance. Wheu people go n long distance to attend at-tend such assemblies they usually do It for tho purpose ot learning now things nnd better method. This fact should bo constantly In lbs minds of the officers. It too often occurs that a very large part of tho time la taken up wllh routine work and In discussions that are not Instructive We have seen some unimportant amendment to the constitution tonsuma tbe entire Ilm of a sesaton, wo have seon a "fight" over officer take up another session; wo havo seen the vludlcatloa of somo officer bicomo tbe principal topic In another srsslon. W hsvo attended at-tended conventions that were very j profllablo by reason ot good papers I and good discussions on horticultural subjects, We lime attended other conventions con-ventions that appeared more ot a farce than anything else From suck conventions we have gone away painfully pain-fully Impressed with the Idea that the pcoplo that hail been to the expens of tomlng from a distance would probably prob-ably not do so again, Tho presiding officer hold the situation largely In bis bands If ho be Inert tho work ot the ronvtntlon will lag, and foreign topic will tut allowed to consuinv tbe precious hours If ho bo energetic and understand his business, tbe speakers and thoso engaged In tho discussions will be held to the topics beforo tho convention, und tniuli will bo sccoiu-pHshed. sccoiu-pHshed. livery presiding officer would do well to study up on parliamentary law H Michigan Apple Crop, i: 0 Held, fl secretary ot tho Michigan State llortl- 1 cultural Society, says. Although the H crop ot Michigan winter apples Is not m tn bo a largo one. nor In best ot rondl- 91 tlon, It will bo In excess ot that ot H any state east uf the ltocky mountains, H and Is already In exceedingly brisk do- I round In the market Kverythlng of tbe apple kind In Michigan this year will command a good price Iluyer aro already In the field for elder apples and drying stock, many evaporators huvlng been erected within the state by men who havo ben engaged lu that Industry elsewhere. The early fall fruit Is selling at what would be very high prices In ordinary years, commanding com-manding thirty lo fifty cents per bushel The earlier the hens abed their old costs the sooner they will begin to maks a w Inter egg record Don't bet on what you feel In your bone unless it s rheumatism Q |