December. 1." 1934 lflh n l1 GUARDIAN ‘FORK FARMERS, OSTOCKBREEDERS .v-rs-~rezervrs.. ~arlfi ~ w» »— . _ _ _ a HARVESIINB Stone Fruit Maturity Tests 3611111!!! the need for more‘ de- " finite information on the subject of ( Harvesting Swedes ' For. ‘Seed Roots tal Farms Note) When harvesting swede roots for A P P l E s maturity of stone fruits. a commit. tee has been formed in British ‘ .$;:!l£ll dirmm Suiruner‘ * and Harvesting presents s real b- ° n °1 "lmbe" °l' lern to the grower o; Moms}, the Dominion Fruit Branch Inspec- apples in large acreages, for in any m“ 9"!"- l-hll 9- C- llrovinolsl orchard this variety remains in mlwimfl“ of Asrlolllture. and the m“, plums condition ‘m. a’ perystaff of the Dominion Experiment- iod of about only ten days. In many ‘l sum” 5* sluflmiifllllli- It l! cases, however, says the Buperin- “med m" "W! Blolldlrd of‘ tendent of the Dominion Experl- menunmml n" milrllflly 0i’ ltoilo mental Station -at Birmmerlnnd, “u” m" be Wlillble. Blld towards] n, 0., irowers are inclined u. be l l“ "l4 ‘WW illleee of the prob- stampeded into rushing off the en- 1°!" l! being investigated, pm, m. me mop u “m, p, m.“ begins u, "lent Dlolliilz houses in Summer- ml ‘mm a “w tram Accurate land and Pentioton havcgiven ev- measurements indicate that ‘Nfcln- "Y Wwlllo sell-twee and eo-op- tpgn paples usually increase a ut ‘mum- “d thwulh 95°86 will“! 1o per cent in volume during he W” 35° quemmmfl"! 111" Ne" last two weeks,they remain on the “at m“ m Pun!" 0f milli- A8 tree. Accordingly a box or two of ° "Dues "9 "turned. “"781”! windfalls undo: a tree does not 1” “m” 41mm‘ ‘lllltll-lml W111 necessarily indicate a . duction in m" M” ‘ “"5 mm 5°“! 5611' seed production only those roots QIIZ.IIB typical of the variety which they represent should be saved. The roots should be smooth, without pronginess and have neat necks. In order that uniformity may be maintained and improved, fully matured roots should be se- lected. Where considerable quan- tities are required. smaller roots may be selected for the main crop and larger, fully matured roots for the seed plot, which should be grown at as great a distance from the main crop as is possible. This practice will be somewhat more economical than using large roots throughout and if seed for further multiplication is always taken from the seed plot, reasonable uniformity can be maintained. Where a club-root resistant var- iety is beins srown. seed roots should always be grow-n on land the yield. Records keptovfi; a ten- ffuffmmllflggfs-mharmtllte be"! I-lll-lyled st the Experimental $5110“; pressure tests, storage Moll. and chemical tests made for W881‘. acid. and other substances. In this way definite and useful in. formaftcn, particularly regarding the harvesting and Qhlpplnq n: stone fruits. is being accumulated. Stone fruits, owing to their “n. der nature and rapid growth and ‘Dinning during summer temper- atures, present a difficult market- ills problem, but experimental ship- ments have indicated that stone fruits. by careful packing an.‘ handling. may be shipped to mar- ket in fully mature condition. The border line, however, between ma- ture fruit and ripe fruit is some- times too nan-ow to allow such fruit to go through the regular channels of trade and arrive ln condition suitable for sale. year period show that . McIntosh windfalls at the Suin- merland Station has never exceed- ed 20 per cent before September 25. Furthermore, there has often been s 50 per cent increase in red colour development between Beli- tember 5 and 20. The difference in returns ‘for Fancy and C grades is sometimes 25 cents Del‘ b0!- The actual calendar date when McIntosh apples ole ready to pick varies with the season. the district. and even the individual tree. How.» ever. there is a very simple matur- jty test, to determine whether the McIntosh is ripe enoigh to harvest. Cut s. few melee. end. if ell the seeds are completely brown, the fruit may be picked with the as- surance that it will develop full quality. Zones For Fertilizers A series of fertiliser trials, cov- bring the grain prodlloins portion of Manitoba. was undertaken dur- mg m9 years 1939. 1900. and 1W1. the results of which suggest a. son- that is definitely known to be in- fasted with this disease and only roots that are absolutely free from disease selected. When pulling the roots. do not cut any of the small rootlets, but simply shake oil’ as much of the earth as is possible without undue injury to the roots or rootlets. The tops should be cut ofl about an inch to an inch and a. half from the crown. The woody part of the neck mould not be cut, as the main lshoot from this will give a much more satisfactory growth next spring than will the lateral shoots which develop when the main one is injured. Seed from the main shoots will ripen more uniformly. and plants with this type of arowth are easier to work among with hoe and cultivator and do not break as readily with the wind. Seed roots can be stored either in pits out of doors, or in a dark, well ventilated cellar free from frostu yet sufficiently cool to keep themf n, g mo", “m, the problem o! from sprouting too early in the Ilflfllle ice for the coming summer ‘pmg- will occupy the attention of many . The Storage of Ice one is injured. Seed from the main‘ Ills for follllim Mlllfimflll °f of the miners of the vlnce. eelesll "dmlmiaghlspemslly thooe more or leg“ inter- method is used on the Gaol ested u. deirylllc- When ice is road- prclries. The practice of drillinr-inhly available it would seem wise for fertilizer with the seed. which has all to provide at least a few blodss proved to be one of the ancst im-Isince the task is a simple one and portant contributions to cereal PN-‘the numerous. Almost ducticn in Western Canada. wsslsny occupiedcomcr of an out- inircduced into the West in i958 building will serve the purpose. says “Scientific Agriculture. Prior What often pussies us is just how to that, commercial fertilisers were much ice will be needed. It maybe nppllQd by the broadcast metlloil-‘of some help then to recall that In the fertiliser trials. which cov- nccordillc to estimates an eclosure cred nine agricultural district-s. ill-of ten feet square and eight feet dlvidual records were compiled mil high will hold sufficient ice to pro- three types of response were noted- vide so pounds per day for iao m to phosphate; m) to phosphetoydayr. afiel- allowingrfor a reason- with small increases in nil-FOB“. able amount of wastage. The (3) in both nitrogen and ‘pholillleto. amount of wastage, however. be- wlth a looflrtofldflwy 1°? 179M511 “monies proportionately less as the give increased yltldi- ., quantity stored is mereased. The ‘response to nitrogen doolofl-l- It is well to cover the floor of the ed from north to south. Whore" enclosure with a. few inches of pbeapbate gave response “lmllifhwgravel before scatteiiq the saw- ‘but. Potash gssre no signifies-ht N" dust, as the clay floor of the ordin- spellee in shy o! tllo PM?" "lll- ary shed is rather impervious tb Where increases were seemed from m,“ good drQml8e_ About one nitrogen alone, ammonium sulhllelfl foot of ice is usually enough to put proved lilllofioi‘ t9 Wdlllln Illtffilfl- underthesawdustimbsamethirlciess rue three types o! response oohl- will also suffice between the ice and eue with the time mfl-jor eoll wall, sis well a; to provide a bev- belts, 5nd hence the sonlhs for the ering. sinee it is the sawdust which fertilizer requirements or wheet lll " keeps the ice from melting the drier the northern prairie reslon ls ill- it is the better, and in order that dicated. namely: (s) phosphate ill it maybe-in as good a. condition the southern belt: (b) Plloflllhfitflas possible for the following year it with small amounts of nitrogen in 1s a good ppm w “now out the the northern poltlom of the llollll- surplus from time u. time during em prairies: e-lld (o) llllloom "d the summer. The ice should be cut GOVERNOR-GENERAL IRISH FREE STATE WON'T G0 T0 WEDDING. DUBLIN. Irisl- Free State. Nov.' Zl-Domal Buckley. Governor-Gen-| ernl of the Irish Free State. has, refused the King's invitation to at- tend the wedding of the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina Nov. 29. His action caused no surprise‘ here today, since Buckley Ls known| pg a, man of simple tastes and one who dislikes ceremony. It is likely the Free State will be llflbresentcd at the wedding only bi’ J» W» D111’ anty, its high commissioner in London. It is uncertain whether the de Valera Government will send a wedding present but it is lmown a quantity of expensive poplin is be- ing woven here on a rush order. from the Government and some; believe it may be sent to Princess Marina and Prince George. BOX BROOKS FRDM EASTERN CANADA TO SOUTH AFRICA SHOW A LARGE INCREASE Box shocks from Eastern Can- ada are meeting with a great re- ception in South Africa, the figures for the first six months of 1934 showing a large increase over the same period last year, according to thegndustrial Department of the ‘Canadian National Railways. The NEWS Y NOTES sraoasoou l.‘ AND GARDENERS trout Opening For Canadian Tomatoes In Britain Italian and h c ‘ to- matoes are in favour in the Unit- Tallow Now Being - Handled By Pumps If you should happen to be alongside a dock and see s. yellow- ish stream of a greasy lookihg lub- AN mmnusriorviu. s-rssm There are times when one must seek information from some foreign Wllfoo. and the proper thing to dc is ot enclose a stamp for reply. QbVlW-Bly. if your ‘correspondent “V68. w)’. in London. you cannot oholose a. Canadian stamp, except as an addition to his stamp album. I! there was an agreement between Itho nations of the Posts/l Union w gfwoflllize a certain stamp, with let "B Bil‘ 6 cents, as an international elem)». this difficulty would disap- pear. Again such a stamp could be used for sending small asnounts. ‘<36 cents or less) to foreign count- ries. At present it is difficult to send to England or the USA. l0 pur- °1154° Nlllllhlets. small goods or a sample article. With a staanp 1pm. m°1°1l811y looosnized. correspond "we Wollld increase. trade between ‘countries would be encouragod, ‘(goodness knows they need it!) and trade advertisements would obtain s world-wide value. However, there is no likelihood of such a consund. million. as long as the nations are Wfftod $11M the way to achieve PTWPP-fity is 0o build a. wall ‘that trade cannot surmount. run MAMMALIA or r. n. rsuum He now come to the small group of the Insectivora, whose numbers Jleve sharp canine teeth, not ldB-Ploddor gnauing, and three. Minted molar teeth. As their name indicates, they are consumers of insects, though in winter, and ma- 5151? at other seasons, they invade store houses and dwellings, and feed on meat, fat. flour and seeds, Our Common Shrew is distin- Kuished as sorex pemoncbua person- atus: the duplication of the specific Mme. (a matter which we have met with before) indicates that our ' shrew is the type-form. It 15 t)“ smallest of our mammals,’ being less than four inches from snout to tall-tip, and weighing flbgut 45 Brains. “The body and tail are Blender. the nose long and charm, and the rim of the ears shows a little above the dense velvety fur.” Bairl. in common with the older writers, calls this the Shrew Mole; Ht i5. however, not adopted '10‘;- p, Zlxlleoterranean lilo, as the true moles The other member of the group erature is referred to as the mole. distinctions appear, the most note. Worthy being the fact that whales have warm. red blood, not as in the" fishes, a colorless, cold furor, Five? different kinds of Cetscea have! N911 noted as visitors to our waters m- stranded on our shores. They are (l) the Rorqual o; 101mg; Whale (Balaenoptera musculus); <2) The Hump-back Whale (Meg- sptera . . . .?) a. genus with many doubtful specific names; (3) the Blaoldlsh (Globlocephalus miss)’ one of the commonest as my rec- 07116 611W; l4) the Porpoise of our coasts is evidently a Dolphin (1)91- phlnus) of unidentified species; while (B) the Beluga or white whale is Delphinapterus leucas. NATURE NOTES. NOV. 18M Last month (0st) it was noticed that the first week of the month "had a bad streak in it" as had the first Week of Aug. and Sept. The first week in Nov. kept up the tradi- tion! On the 1st there fell. H o! an inch of rain, impelled by half a total rs/infall was 2.00 inches! The moon and Mars were in conjunc- tion on the 1st; and the moon and sun (m the 6th The c005. of China. is always, “seifl for n typhoon but what is the spark which touches off the gun- powder? On the 20th Sept. earth); on the 21st there was quite an array of celestial bodies in al line, it was f-ull moon for one thing. That day a typhoon in Japan took 2,0011) lives, and injured 4,000 per-, bum. On Oct. isth the moon and’ Saturn were in conjunction; lath, typhoon causes heavy shipPlllz and property losses at Manila, Philip-l pines; moon in Perlgee Oct. 18th:) full phase 22nd. Raging typhoon in.‘ 8th Pacific on 23rd. Nov. 12th, moon in Perigee; 14th. moon in conjunction with aaturn, Nov. 15th, very destructive typhoon in the fphuippmea, with 22s dead and 2o,- .000 homeless. Luzon Island suffer- led most. | The regularity of these phenom- .en.a suggests that gravitation is {the cause. On Nov. 7th s. census of the gor- den showed the following plants lstill in bloom: Fall dandelion, Bam- yard daisy. Yarrow. Pansy. Marl- buvtercup (ranunoulus ac-rls) was M!‘ J “m! M m9 Plum stance uringout thro ha i variety and packed peeled. It would from ‘made of ‘ ‘mp ti‘: 01mg: seem there is, an opening for Can-‘ an it mum be mu,‘ Th“ u . adian canned tomatoes provided a new method 1m. hhndmm mum‘ firm Peck o! wild WWW" Willi I adopted in Australia which pro- llllillfllll mo! °l' Pllm l8 duces approximately 100,000 tons put UP. Department of the Canadian Na-I ported w u“ puts of m, wofld’ time! Rellweva- according to the Industrial Depart- ment of the Canadian National Railways. Hitherto fallow has been [handled in casks. In the new meth- od the tallow is emptied on the wharf from the casks into canvas slings and then deposited into the vessel's deep tanks where steam Traps Set:—No Catch No signs of infestation by the Japanese beetle, which has been, doles serious denim to "M. heated c0115 liquefy it. when the 1’ shrilbl, flowers, fruits, vegetables tauow h“ a“ been 1054;“ the he“ end lawns ill the Ilortllellfittm" is turned off and the tallow con- mbol. 115W 11690 f0“!!! in Cm" goals. On arrival at destination the - heat is again turned on to melt Belly in July of this year. Jep- the tallow and it is then pumped anese beetle traps. in which "wilrdl"! '4’ the mdlmmfl‘ annually, one half of which is ea- e W" out 0f the ship into containers. Placed serenoil Ind eusenol. some 10o tons were recently sent to New York in this manner. two essential oils used in perfumery, to which it has been found the beetles| are strongly attracted, were dls-. n-ibuted in the Niagara reninauidiNew Distemper Serum Toronto, Montreal. Saint John, N. 3., and Yarrnouh, N. 8., districts. ‘The traps were distributed to deter- mine whether the beetle had invad- ed Oannda, but none have been 8319. Mid 0h the 6th 811d 7th caught m any of the “Eva The Agriculture m research problem. trapping activities attracted con- elder-able tteritlon from the pubue] Many persons submitted insects: to the Entomological Branch and to Entomological Inspe -rs which‘ were thought to be the Japanese beetle, but none of the insects to be such. 'l‘he Japanese of 1916 at Philadelphia, Pa.. and since then it has multiplied and spread in the northeastern part of the United States and has been] dlfioovefed at several Points not far‘ from the International Boundaryf It is one of the most destructive of foreign insects The co-operstion and assistance of the public is ap- preciated by the Dominion Entom- ologlst and his staff. known as capillary-water, is due to the fact there is a greater attrac- tlon between the object and the water than the pull the water exerts. The smaller the particles are the more water a soil will hold. It is such water that plays a great part in the development of plant roots. The capillary system formed by the combination of tiny soil ils the Short-tailed Shrew, Blarinalgold (calendula) and nlght-scent- IJB-Pllfilofl l8 Capable of BOIIVBYlYlK ibrevicaudis, which in the older lit-Ied stock: down by the spring the‘ wafer a considerable distance. In ordinary soil the rise of water var. This is said to be the oammgrfir or 1n bloom on Nev, 33m, Th); g3 Inge. les from two to six feet. Water that~ the two, in North America, at least.;(for this northerly district) cm. has percolatcd below six" feet is no Personally I have seen three Sor. exes to one Blarina. The “short- tail" is a larger, heavier, “ma; pared with other years. ' | A young farmer residing in this vicinity. while in the neighborhood Wlth I shorter tail than the Sorex: of s. small growth of spruce on: one which I caught ant‘ measuredNov. 13th, was attracted by the had a total length of 118 milllmet-“harsh discordant" call of some res, of which 25 mm. was tail. The bird. On investigating, he saw two eyes are small, and the animal re- birds, “almost ss big as blue-jays. lies more upon its senies of smell but with black wings and tails. and hearing to procure its food. It chasing about in the thicklet andf prefers insects and meat. but like making an awful racket." ‘Ilhey had other shrews it is omnivorous. “black marks on the head." Thme 'I‘.he Hoary Bat (Nycterls cinelr- strangers would appear to be Ing- eus) is the only member of the gerhead, Shrlkes. though one hardly Chelroptera or “Wlng-handed" likes to be dogmatic about it. phosphate in the wooded belt. with the addition of Potash where re- quired on local soils only. BRITISH POUTJPBY 1h view of the mores-sins ill!"- est being taken in the British mar- ket by the Canadian market poultry producers and doili-‘TB- the following extracts from a N001" paper by Dudley Gflme. 0f Gime s. son, Smithfleld Market. iolldoll» is of timely interest. "If I am asked: ‘What weight o! chicken is required in the London. to should say plliiilli markets?’ I thickens of all weights. but tho prices of chickens under 3 pound-i will be inevitably be below the price for those over that weight." "Prior to the restrictions on im- ported poultry. large quantities of 2 1-2 pound chickens were arrivlns from the Continent in a frozen 0r chilled condition, and were ilndlnl n ready market at wholesale prices of 8d. l0 is. per pound. ‘These chic- kens were largely bought by eater- ers and also largely by iishmong- m. butchers, and provision mer- chants as a side-line, and could be be kept in refrigeration and used ls required. Further. thOY We" meaty little birds, and very closely graded for weight. Certain brands had become well-known for their quality grading. ‘They were neither sold nor ‘ ught out cf preference for foreign goods. but because any- thing similar in English goofs was not obtalnpblo, nor is it todoy-"—- 1388 and Poultry Market Review. Duominlon Department of Agricul- re. BAVID BY A "COAT TAIL" Walking .1...‘ the right of way of e railway is not the safest Pluto in blocks of uniform sire and pack- shooks come almost entirely form ed as closely as possible. The work Eastern Canada. Imports of Can- cf storing is greatly facilitated uladlan lumber products into South the boards are so arranged as to be Africa. are on the increase. A good taken down from one glde grid IVQ-‘dfifl, it l5 felt, can b0 done t0 in- put.“ "c" l“ l“ *- *"|a*.”".....".:°2:.:.: struts: “in mum:- "*'":,.=-::*"=* l‘ arms: “,..21::.:“°a.::: unob inabe. parlor-m avings 2v y “t: *".:;:;“°..';~ are ..:*::*.:..';': 23.2221: ‘e338: mgahebernaieugh. me facg little vemliaubn and Douglas iir my“ w“ em we .‘.‘3'.§‘;’f;...“"i§'°.‘3.“§f§£$‘“é&'f;‘ wults. The thickness of hay used - ' should however be double that of “"9" P" "l" °1 “11 “nm’~““1€°‘ selwdust and well packed, otherwise lured lumber unported Into he p,“ m” 1 Union of South Africa, other than ‘umbewgmaglon o’ w“ L‘ “keymhat specifically mentioned for ‘furniture making. is used in the AGRICULTUMBI‘ entres into titres-s imspgrfil rgsloi The All classes of live stock in 0nta- "um"! “m” ‘l’ 1" l‘ l“ 5 rio in 1934. according to the Junowhe largest “msumer °f ‘mpflted survey, shows decreases as oom- umber- pared with less-horses (503,700) ‘WSW’? CH1,“ To BE 1.9 per cent; cattle (2,480,500) l2 D IN Mmmnms per cent; swine (1,177,900) as per “N151”; _ oentt’; and sheep (002,800) 4.0 per cen. , According to the latest statistics. every Canadian in 1088 used l5 pounds of soap, or U pounds for each family. The total production of ‘all kinds of soap in Canada in i033 was 160.127.1334 pounds. vsuled It gramme at factory prices. There is s. heavy public demand for information from the Dominion Entomological Branch on such subjects as improved sprays for I Western cattle will again be fin- ished on New Brunswick farms this winter, according to advice received by t he Agricultural Department of the Canadian Notional Railways. Tyflos will be Hereford, Pcled- Angus and Bhorthorns, the sasne breeds handled with such sleet success in previous years. In the spring it is anticipated the cattle] will be exported to England in the event that the Canadian market does not offer better advantages. Flour years ago the wintering of western cattle on,New Brunswick household insects. moth-proofing chsngcflz-gnd - ‘ppugmzu. fanns was triedtout and each season i... a jas late as October. Yet some in- 'dividuals seem to remain in the mammals which we possess. “It has the fore-limbs modified into wings for flying." There is a great lack of inform- ation concerning our species, since it rarely appears before approach- ing night conceals it from view. It is knovm however that the young, from two to four in number, are carried about, hanging by the teats, by the mother, till they become too heavy a bimien for her aerial excur- sions. Such a number of young is unusual among the Cheiroptem, and makes one wonder why our bat is so scarce. while the others are so numerous. ‘There is also a difference of opin- ion as to their winter quarters. Some observers contend that the Hoary Bat is a late migrant, leav- fng its northern home for Mexico Northern regions all winter: one was taken in Connecticut in De- cember. Here is a chance for read- ers to add to our knowledge of a very interesting little creature, and the writer will be glad to hear of any instances of bats hybernatlng in the Province. The marine mammalia are united in the order Cetacea or whales which were described in some de- tail in this column about four years ago. (Nature notes for July 1000.) These animals resemble fishes in shape. but the young are brought forth alive (instead of be- Where do insects spend the win- ter. On the 28rd. tempted by the fine weather-it was 6O deg. in the shade-I took s. little ramble through the fields. Near the line fence I noticed a short piece of board lying (not laying!) on the ground. I picked it up. and found a regular collection of insects on the underside. There were three chrysallds of the white Cabbage Butterfly, two of them of s green- ish cast. and the lhlrd rather brownish. Next were two red "ladybird" beetles, with black bars, our commonest species. A firefly, also hibernating, was identified as Lucldots, atra, and one of those long-limbed spider-like creatures. known here as n “daddy-longlegs" or harvestman, brought up the rear, all waiting "till the green leaves come again" as the old song says. There are still a few skunks be- ing trapped here; the other mom-. ing one of our nimrods was agree- ably surprised to find a full grown mink in his trap. Now is the time to look for the fructlfying forms of the lichens, mosses and chib-mosscs: these lowly plants present rnanv problems to the inquisitive nature-student} These were the first land-plants evolved by the mind of the Crea- tor, and their function is to decay and fonn soil for the reception of higher plants. A future note will consider some curiosities of their ing hatched from eggs) and are 'suckled afterwards. Several other life history. SOIL COMPOSITION While soils vary in texture. chem- , 81MB "l0 OWN-Noll! hive llfoved ical composition, depth, origin and qulrement since it makes up 85% of and tho oettle hBVBH-lchness they are normally com-‘plant bodies, not only accounts for Water, the all important soil re- um sting and controlling clothes motile and carpet beetles. a Up to the end of October. the nut-nim- of pedigree certificates registered in 108s wth the Canadian Live stock Records and approved by tbs nonunion Minister of Alflolll- ture was 3.201 horses; 27,300 cattle 9,005 sheep; 6110 swing: 8.4!‘! foxes; hlld one ed resident of Cape North. iii-gape Breton. Nova Boo-IN‘! 5°"? 1-1" 1mm": ‘M '7 til. had a very striking lesson 0110i"- this with almost fatal results. He was calmly walking along the ti-aera Workinl ln w-ovaretlon- "lo of the canadisn National Railways three divisions of the Health of Ani- when a speeding train rosrod along mils Branch, Dominion Depart- behlnd him. Somewhat deaf he did ‘merit of srrlellltllre. I" W“? ""- llot hear the train nor the shouts of cerned in sefesilfilflilll tho "01"" Charles Oouthro. losing t t the cf live stock and the maintenance slderly track walks?‘ was no 'of forelrrn markets and mort "W" attention. Gouthro ran towards tride. new vl'°°llll1°" l! "1"" u’ him. grabbed him by the coat tails prevent the entrance of W pulled him off the track hut-from forelvm muutllee "l4 to W"- as the train whiazed . axing taln the health or the domestic boil). The former hnd s ew rises stock. The problems cf oolltrlkiol" besides a broken arm, whil~ his diseases are conztsntly stndiegnvylth ‘will Gout-bro suffered minor s view to mectnlr new con om heed fining-jg‘, ' tum 0f OODCNI. y been sold to good advantage. pro- viding a means for the profitable .1.” o; grain and feed as well as’ furnishing large quantities of man- ‘ure for fertiliser. About 10‘) were wintered last year. I COLD! posed of a mixture of distinct com- the plumpriess of cells and tissues ponents. each of which has a par- but in its capacity as a solvent it ticular influence on the life of serves as a general medium b_v plants. These components may be classified as particles of rooif, water, air, organic matter, dissolved substances. and certain organisms ahlch live in the soil such as bac- ria. which living are ’ ct- ed. The chief, and in most cases the only source of soil water is the rain. After a shower of rain various things may happen. If the soil is hard on the surface it may not The great bulk and "bsslc meter- enter at all. ‘This water which. ill of all soils is undoubtedly made drains away, known as drain-off up of particles formed from weal-l». water. is not only lost to plants bin cring of rocks. such particles varyl may even wash sway much useful in siss from those found in fine material. The water ,which does clay up to thou‘ found in coarse enter the soil may either percolste gravel. Their chemical composlqdownward between the soil particles, ticn differsss well, depending upon due to the effect ofgravity. or it the,type of rock from which they, may be held between the particles were formed. ‘rhourh the spaces . by the influence of ospillority. Nat- betwem these particles are ususlly urally if the soil particles are large filled with air or water yet where‘ the ‘warm will pass down rapidly the soil condition, for the growth of till it reaches a level where all the ordinary plants is good. some of the soil spaces are filled with standing particles eohere to form groups water, known as the water-table. called crumbs which are generally held together bv sirrface tension, the depth of which varies in differ- m‘. soils. The water remaining in or cemented by clay. the soil by the action of cziplllorlty, longer available to plan's If soil particles are very compact at the surface as, for example when soil is rolled or whore a crust is formed we find a very great capillary sys- iom connecting the upper and deeper soils. m this reason the mulching or tilling of the soil is highly recommended in order m prevent too great a waste of water by the breaking up of this capillory system at the surface. ..l1e gas oxygen which is essen- tial for the growth of ordinary plants occupies those spaces not filled with water. In most of our cultivated soils from 20% to 35% of the volume consists of air spaces. Ploughing tends greatly to increase the air content of a soil because the whole structure is then loosen- ed up and particles separated from each other. Organic matter fomied from the dead bodies of plants and manure of all kinds is 0f special importance to growing plants in many ways: It improves the physical condlticn of the soil, because on account of its large particles it lends to separate the smaller rock particles. thus providing air spaces. It absorbs water readily so that its presence in the soil will increase the soil's water holding capacity. The deoav in the organic matter liberates cer- tain materials which the plant needs such as a supply of nitrogen compounds. It provides a home and food for certain soil bacteria. some of which are practicallv lndisoen-l sable. It is evidence Uiflll that any treatment we Rive a soil in order to increase its organic matter will sooni improve the soil for the growing of plants. A chemical analysis of soil water will show that it contains a wide variety of substances for everything‘ a plant absorbs through its roots must be in solution. While the soil contains numerous chemical sub- sances only seveni; are really essen- tial as far as the plant is concern- ed, namely, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium. potassium and iron. Though the actual bulk of those materials is very small yet they are necessary for the healthy growth of plan-Ls. It is surprising the number of‘ living organisms we find in the soil. Besides certain larger ani- mals such as rodents, mice and moles there are numerous insects. worms. etc, known as microorgan- isms, without which the soil would soon become unfit to support the‘ growth of higher plants. The most important of all these microorgan- isms are bacteria which feed upon the organic matter in the soil thus acting as power agents in the pro- cess of decomposition. There are also certain bacteria living in the soil which have the power of taking the gas nitrogen out of the air and building it up into nitrates. the im- portance of which seems to be evi- dent from the fact that enormous sums of money are spent annually in procuring similar ones in the form of certain commercial fertil- fliers. It would seem that a better knowledge of soils on the part oil our agricultural population would! not only make production in ltseli| more profitable but would also mean s mduoed outlay through) the infcllirent application of rom- merclal fertillzci-r. AGRICULTURIST. Definite progress has been made at the Animal Diseases Research Institute, Health of Animals Branch, Dominion Department of connected with distemper of foxes and other fur-bearing annuals. Beginning in 1931, following the fox distemper which was prevalent in the Maritime Provinces in i030- 31, which was so severe and the re- sultant losses so heavy that the fox industry in that part of Canada was seriously threatened, an inten- sive study has been made of the viruses causing the disease. An anti-distemper serum has been de- veloped which when administered under experimental conditions af- fords an adequate protection against distemper, and in practical trials on fur farms where distemper has made its appearance, has been used with decidedly encouraging results. Under certain conditions and in limited quantity, the serum can now be furnished for more extensive trials on fur farms on the owners application. The research work in connection with distemper in fin-bearing ant-l mals was undertaken following rep» resentatlons by the Canadian Na- tional Silver Fox Breeders‘ Assoc- iation and from the proprietors of fox and mink ranches throughout Canada. It was necessary, in order to carry out the necessary research work and essential experiments. to provide special facilities at the Ani- mal Diseases Research Institute at Hull, Que. Animal houses, breeding compounds and a foundation stock of foxes, ferrets and dogs to sup- ply the needs for animal experi- mentation were required to carry n-aGE riiiicriiila llMESllllEE Its Value-Ii? Securidg G o o d Stands §rf Clover. g m die cracnomiml select: ,1! any fann k1 iiho Maritime Pr . the production of- large quantiti§ of such u red clover. it. of prkne armorpmoe. In secu ' a stand of this valuable crop ther ‘l!!! many controllable factors lay psi-it, mch c.1200“ mtkfadory resulrin are oiirta frosnitausabvstinlocalitiesw‘ mud is not easily obtalfid llndione is lobe "w and Rose Valley it is a clay lcgpi. At these lsmter two stations time Physical condition of the soil gas ti ‘y improved. 1 Rerrnrlmble increase in ylelclgd clover have been obtained fro-m goo ton of limestone. In 1934 _ fpni seven “Mons the yield of clqyar hey with “ * was 1.09 tonsyar acre and without limestone 46. igpn. In i983 from three statpnl men/rogue. Red Point and Valley the average yield with limo- stone was 2.72 tons per acre grid without llmmtono 1.67 tons. In {Q82 from nine ste-tdons to yield of_ cigar without limestone was 1.35 tons grid without limestone ‘i8 tons per zgre At Montague the unlinied' plot Yieldedi95 tons, which the limgd p101 gave 2B5 tons, as increase of 137- cent. At four stations in i931 he yield of clover witihout ibnesgna was 60 tone and with limestcn ril was 1.64 tons per acre, or in c__er words, an increase dlue to the lime- stone of 173 per cent. Needlizssw to say the quality of the clover on Elie limed areas was much superlotto that on the untreated areas. ’ the time t0 plan for the d‘. rung: miud, or for the purchase l ground limestone '1' on the research programme over s period of years. While the research studies and experiments on canine distemper conducted in England in recgnt veal"; by what is known as he no,“ ‘“ Field Dlskmper Councll were of homlgld are Q? Ug:£,{,,._.',' special interest and value i0 Dr. E a time, they are ‘pt to be 3mm“ A. Watson, and his staff of the c,‘ by m‘ yellow meal W93, , mm Pathological Division of the Domiri- breeds readily 1n these subslunfi 1°11 Demrtment ‘>7 Agrlcultum- u“ However, both the beetle nude-ltd methods advocated by that Council gum owing to the“ 51p“ m» p15- Flour and Meal Household ljgst for" the control of canine distem-lny per were not wholly applicable or effective in the prevention of dis- temper diseases among fur-bearing animals, Distemper among dogs ls more or less an annual outbreak, Among foxes and other fur-bearing animals it occurs periodically or what may be termed in cycles, which strike suddenly with par- ticularly devastating effect. More- over, the disease among fur-bear- ing animals is not readily as marli- fest as it is among dogs. The study of this disease is very important from an economic point of view as the value of fur-bearing animals on the fur farms in Canada in i932 was over $8.750,000. and the value of fur pelts sold in that year ex- ceeded $3 000000. While there still remains much work to he done in this study. cer- tain definite findings have so far been established. One is that a hvnerimmune distemper serlim is safe and can be used without fear on fur-bearing animals immediately the disease makes its appearance. The use of this product is intended not so much to cure or save the lives of animals already suffering acutely from the disease. but to Dflsslvely immunize m- increase the resistance of those in contact with the diseased animals and those which may be stage of infection. ‘and other neces- sary measures for stopping the spread of infection and reducing loss to a minimum. How effective this procedure will prove onlv ex- tensive trials will disclose, Ll the desired results are wholly attained, it will moan that the fur fanning‘ industry in Canada will be virtu. ally protected against the ravages of distemper, a disease that camp; with it a higher mortality rate than nny other, with the consequent loss to those engaged in the industry. in the incubative ' seen by the housekeeper. 111a beetle is attracted to light at night, and gains access to the hdml through windows and doors. It? is from half an inch to over fire- clghth of an inch in lengthIis almost black in color, but some specimens are of a reddish-brown sade. The eggs are small and vmito while the grub itself resembles fthe common wireworrn, being hard. ‘yr-l- lowish in color, shining, with red- dish-bmwxi transverse bands where the segments join. Another insect is the darl-z med worm which as yet is not house- hold pest in Canada, Que trv-thn efforts of the Dominion Entomolo- gical Branch. In the United sates, however. it contaminates bread. cake, flour. meal, and cereals. The simplest control of all food pests is for the house-holder, in the win- ter time, to place infested food- stuifs outside in a rot-proof fro- cevptacle. Zero will kill all pests in a night. If the iemperatubidoes not go below 20 degrees Falircnhoib it is better to leave the food out for two days. In summer when the pests are more in evidencehpluo- lng the foodstuffs in rm oven for an hour or two at a tcmpcrqturo 0f 130 b0 140 Fahrenheit ulllfkill all eggs and larvae. Aficr sifting the food is none the worse. lrnrzr: wmmzns ron Mosr’ BEAUTIFUL mrmr. r. The prize for the most bcziu-Eiful maple leaf found in Canada Ilhis Autumn went to Mrs. A.A. Adlms. .001: Bay Mills, Que. and scfiond prize to Guy H. Humrlwoy. Hampton, King's County. New Bninswick, judges being cpbomied by the Royal Canadian Acnlfllly. Over 10.000 leaves were sub ted embracing every province in an- Cansda and the judges hud agglif- ficult task when awarding pgzeu. '_____'—_h' ' m‘ The leaf which took the first m OFFER Bu?!) AT COST is described as of extranrd a_ry At this time of the year with the “Billy. shllwlllfl 5 "B" °1' b" T“ swine bmedgng seam“ apnmmhmg color such as only the Can ran when sows must be bred for spring Aummn c“ pmduce‘ The Eva o’ and early slimmer litters. s. farmer mmflm 5nd general perfect”; in 5.110.115 consider breeding on“, sows all of the leaves was extremely Hgh, of ma,“ Wm mo“ ramcfi who so rnuch so that some hunfleds have no; m“ of desirable type were selected, mounted in pfllels and who are m,’ located m d,” and will be exhibited iin traglray “you when such stock can be stations from the stzlantc o, e readily obtained may profimb, Pacific. The compe itlon was Qon- Y sored by the Canadian Pneiuezhnd k . ammo‘; “gworpogai sgxiqsiswkid "l; Canadian National Railways. 3.11s: the Live Stock Branch of the Dom- ‘f; theec, ‘f, inion Dopartment of Agriculture "nan-into" New Bfunswjgk s ha; UM" this Polio" formers may this province figures 1h the be :33!" bred WW5 0f 511M111? Wile ll list not only in last year's c test - "buti ilwisvo’ Is. v Any famier who may be in- n o T“! O I forested can get full information The i934 wheat crop of Canola is by applying to the Dominion Live estimated at 211,304,000 buliels Stock Branch. Department of consisting of 2'10"82,000 bushfl oi Agriculture. Ottaw m" lo the "tun" wheat or! '1."2'2.(i00 highcls rsnrlwentativ» of i“ "rparimeni ' " v "i".l e im- at his nearest stsokynid. .___ ate for 1933 was 2393528000 lftshels z; ‘ <‘.'___ v _._- .....-..=-_-,,..-_--_.- ..,.. . _ _