" large number of ‘WE .. ‘ w‘ l‘ “I l’ m t z l“ ‘f’ s- AUGUST 10, 1940 ,_ TIMELY sores on TOPICS Mum, EARMHES CONNECTED WITH Silver Fox Farming John l)- J. Forbes. who has been Fur Trade Adviser to the Canad- inn Department of Agriculture since 19118. has resigned his position. He is now in London after having [PHIL the past year in Canada. Mr. Forbes has no definite plans for the future. Prior to accepting the Can- adigm position he was Managing Director of the London Fur Sales. Ltd. London. and prior to that Manager of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany warehouse. London. He is well known here and general regret voiced that he has given up his position. Omar Brager-Larsen. who repre- pettts the. Norwegian fur farmers in the United states. is authority for the statement that there are still 250,000 foxes in Norway. That fig- ure includes the new arrivals this season. The production of blue o. s is tistiniatcd at about 15.000. Mr. Larsen sa_\‘s that the noisc of gitnflrc and aeroplanes was very destructive to breeder foxes as well as voting pups. but no reliable esti- mate can be given of the mortality figures. The America National Fox Brrctirrs A iaflon smut $5.100 fgotn tin-it" Ps. rre fund to secure the y)il\‘$‘lllf‘ of the quota restrictions on the tniptirt of silver foxes into the l"illi"fl Stat-n. Prim‘ t0 this riiiflllltlii the duiv was 35 per cent with no restrictions on the nitni- bot- o’ pelts that. cottld he shipped pt, Now there is a definite quota for Cllllllilfl fiil..'l00--and for other powrtirlPS such as Norway, Sweden. ct al. 1'1.» {altoo letter for registra- tion lll the Canadian National Sil- vet‘ tot iirrcdors’ Association is U Foxes are rt-qttircd to be tattooed prior to September 15th. Quite a ranches in this Province are still members of the Canadian National. A meeting of Directors was held yesterday and Tltttrszlav Among those attending M5 A st. Doyle. 1.11.13 of Winni- peg. a former Islander who has made good in fox farming and law in ivinnipcg. Arthur has gone in verv rotisidcrably for producing Ivlillt‘ fires and has some 250 pups of that species this year. Antr-rlran manufacturers are plac- ing on the nuirkot a freezer-cooler for fttt" fitrms sold for $295. It has capacity of 30 ciiblc feet with tem- p"l‘flilll‘f‘ controls ranging from 45 ricvrcrs above to l5 degree below 1"l‘tl. It is sclf-coiitzilnctl ready to plllq in and use. no installation cost for f‘lllli‘l‘ gas oi" electric models. The Hill Packing Company of Totirka. Kansas. operate a tre- ntetuitttis tiltint for killing horses tt-ttl the preservation and packing of the iticat. 'I‘licy have agencies in 32 f‘lll1‘5 in the United States vrliert- their products can be hoirzht. writ as rluink mcat, ground meat. grottnd meat and bone, livers and hearts ptit up in 25 and 5ft pound C-flllfflflfls We wonder how many tltottstititis of horses they must put through thrir plant in the run 0f l year, possibly 100.000. Word comes from Maine that Oscar W, Look. who had reached the ripe age of 77. died recently 0i cercbrallicmorrhngc. Mr. Look was a man of considerable pro- nunetice in the community of Joncsport, whore he was in busi- ness for many years and as a side- line bred silver foxes. For several years lie sent his agent: to Prince Erlivtirti Island purchasing good strains for the ranch and he took l deep interest in fur farming up to the last. The American government has left. the fur farmers alone in fram- ing its new defense tax bill. It docs not include furs. Sometime ago a T911011 W55 91'9" valcnt that. the Norwegians might tell platina sliver foxes to some selected breeders in the United States and Canada. Now we learn from a New York source that the overnmcnt of Norway tvlll n07- "l" ow the exportation of live animals from that country. We had an interesting conversa- tion with Arthur Doyle of Winni- pcg regarding the price of fox food. Art said that it is practically im- possible to get cold storage foods in Winnipeg. that the various ranciics buy their meats direct from the abattoirs and in ordcr to keep them they must. secure cold stor- Bite space or have refrigeration on their ranches." Some. of the larger ranchers like Kllntberg have cool- liltl plants that cost upwards of 810.000. In Mr. Doyle's ranch which contains 1.000 mink females as well as a large number of silver fox pelts the amount of meat consum- ed daily is half a ton or more at this season of the year and his cold Slllmilc bill is consequently VQTY hit-lb. At present he is considering the installation oi a cooling system at the ranch. Mr. Doyle has been l/efv successful with his mink breeding. realizing u to $40 it auction in Montreal 1%. mink pelts this scnson. We asked him about the price of cereals in the West and he said ill?"- hrices were no lower than on Prince Edward Island, although one would imagine with wheat being climber there. or wheat products. \\'01lld mean a reduction in price. We take it from our conversation with Mr. Doyle that there is very little difference between the cost “l Pwdiwlno a pelt in Winnipeg than la Charlottetown. that where it is done on a large scale. >- c: NFarther west where 0111c Mc- lfllils located and in centres where are plentiful at low prices. m“; is much cheaper and ranchers nndecwv "dmflltvlc. Edmonton m," 3.4")’ should be among the M t- cst adapted to the success- prosecutlon of fox farming. A m" YBHIB H80 a reat many wreoséianlopiarrrherriiiniwitclledflio the ~ ; now ey are “WWW interested in developing white face or so-called platinum foxes. As we take it there are very few platinums either mink or 10x and the name is therefore a mlsmlmer. but the breeding or the Iwhlto face foxes with good "Ive" is liable to produce a latinum no" and there with many in between foxes of beauty and desirability 1n ?§l‘.°§mw3i.‘l.i'a§f‘““’ one We see nothin to b; “m”. hensive about the pelt situation for 1940 and these are our reasons. Fliifthlvorweglan and Bwediph pep, w ave very little entree if any into United States markets and not likely into south American mar- kets. That leaves North and South American fox markets to be sup- Dlled with Canadian and Ameri. S111 belts. Now the production of anadian pelts will not be mgye than one-half as great as last sea- son and there is at least one-third of a cut- down in the United Stat. es. The amount of money circulat- ing in Canada and the United Stat. es next season will be the greatest since 1920 due to gigantic expendi- tllrcs for the production of war material and allied industries eat- eriug to war such as clothing, boots and shoes and various food stuffs. While a great deal of this will be taken up in taxes and possibly higher cost of living yet there will be quite a number of people who will have a surplus that they will Spend We should have some of 1t directed our way by advertisements in daily papers throughout Canada featuring the desirability and beauty of silver fox for our fem- inine friends, Platinum foxes are being follow- ed hy platinum mink and we note where B. Wollman a. Brother, New York furrier, has just completed a coat made up of 39 matched plat- inum mink skins which he is ask- ing 839.000 for. I-Ie said that he would take a re-order for ten years delivery. in other words he claims that he won't be able to duplicate the coat inside of ten years. The Department of Agriculture through its fox Fieldmen W. Fred Burke, has been busy examining foxes for parasites in various ranches. some ranches have been found pretty free from the trouble while others show the presence of ascarids, hookworn and earmites. Honorable Mr. Dennisand the De- partment of Agriculture are to be very greatly commended for carry- lng on this highly important work and every rancher who suspects the presence of parasites should get in touch with the Department and endeavor to secure a survey which will give positive information as to whether or not the ranch is har- boring parasites. A survey made in over 300 ranches in King's and Queen's counties with a few in Prince, shows a fox pup population of a- bout 6.000. exc uslve of Raoul Rey- inond‘s ranch, McLure 8.: Mac- Kiiinon Silver Fox Farms Ltd. Well McNeill‘s and a few other ranches that. have from 150 to 1,- 000 pups. The same 300 ranches two years ago averaged over 50 pups. If what is true of the 300 ranches is also true of the remain- ing ranches in Prince Edward Is- land the fox pup population this fall will not likely go over the 20,- 000 mark. It is regrettable this decline in n. once highly profitable and fascin- ating field of endeavor. but it was necessary. Each and everyone who cut down his ranch contributed to the welfare of all. I-Iad the fox farmers of the Dominion of can- ada carried on the same number of foxes they had two years ago there would have been a tre- mendous surplus of’ furs to mar- ket, but they looked the facts in the face and loyally co-operated and to our way of thinking they will have saved the situation and can look forward confidently to re- ceiving at least the cost of produc- ing their pelts. ‘The representatives of a fox bis- cuit firm who has the entree to a great number of ranches says he likes the appearance of tho pups this year better than for many years. For one thing they are larger and size means better prices for pelts. We asked him how he ac- counted for this and he said the fox business has cut down to herd- pan and the people that are in it now are not likely to-bo shaken out of it. In other words it has been "cu1led " Ranchers know they cannot feed a poor diet. and get results, so there is increment fed this year. perhaps because the price is low and all around better feed is given the foxes. “In my travels," said he, "1 have found no indication of disease. Nothln of the midlest sort of an epidemc hat-we. ‘Prue. there were some losses in ranches but they were usually not any more than could be expected normally. A few of the places did not seem to take very good precautions, such as cleanliness and care of feed but most. ranchers are taking a genuine interest in their charges and a great many or them read your notes and follow out. the directions regarding cleaning watering foxes and other good tips which appear from time to time.” BREED HEALTHY CHICKS It is impossible to maintain a healthy poultry flock unless one starts with disease free chicks. and maintains this desirable condition, states the Agzieultural Supplies Board in its special pamphlet of the war-time Droduction eerie!“ entitled "Grow Healthy Chicks. Consequently. it is important to give special consideratfcn to each season's chicks. Whmifl’ they l" produced at home from the exist- ing flock or are purchased from outside. There are relatively few diseases which day-old crlcks may carry directly from the incubator; consequently. chicks of this age are highly preferable for stocking sobsx" HOPE! control: Qcrmlfu coolly, cheaply and of- Iectlvely. Our upplloutlnn ll ulunlly mif- flclent. BOPEX hue lo equal for grooming the cont of III)‘ fur boning uulmgl. Many fox breeder: dip the tulle In u HOPEX lolutinu to prevent choir- ed flpe. BOPEX in u Cooper Product — Blltllh Iladn and fully guarnu- teed. Order from your Drug, Hardware, Iced Ind Seed Store. or write CANADIAN CO-OPIBATIVE WOOL BROWEBS LIMITED Quebec and Maritime Branch. Imnnnxvlllo, Que. Gare of Barn- Yard Manure (Ilbipellmeuw Farms News) As manure is co valuable for maintaining crop production and an losses in its plant food can take place so readily, its care and pre- servation cannot beemphaslzed too strongly. A number of important points might be suggested which will lead to considerable saving of the valuable fertilizing nutrients in manure. First of all, says J. Mooney. Field husbandry Division, Experimental Farms Service, Dominion Depart- merit of Agriculture, precautions should be taken to see that the liq- uid portion is not lost. In the stable, this includes providing plen- ty of bedding material to absorb the liquid. Straw is probably the most satisfactory material and is available on most livestock farms. If sufficient straw is not available, sawdust, fine shavings, peat moss or dried peat. may be used. Super- phosphate scattered thinly on the fioors lessens the odours of the stable, absorbs some liquid and im- proves the balance of plant food of the manure. All cracks or breaks in the gutters should be repaired to avoid seepage through the floors. Hauling manure directly frcm the stable to the field and spreading it daily is a good practice. If man- ure spread on the field is subje rad to warn-i dry winds, considerable loss of nutrients may occur. It is recommended. therefore. that the manure be ploughed into the soil as soon as possible after spreading. It is sometimes desirable to store manure to kill weed seeds or to lace it. in a pile to prevent wasli- ng on sloping land or to meet some contingency. When stored in this way. leaching by rain may re- move large amounts of the souble matter from the manure. Much of this loss can be avoided by build- ing a well compacted high heap on a relatively small base. The manure at the top will be leached but this will serve as a seal to prevent access of air to the lower layers. Keeping the pile compact and exc1ud‘ng air encourages fer- mentation and retains fertility elc- ments. A good method is to pile the manure on a concrete founda- tion with walls high enough to ro- tain the liquid portion. Re-distri- buting the drained liquid over the pile helps to keep the manure moist and aids the fermentation process. Driving the team and wag- on over the pile or allowing ani- ma's to trample over it helps to keep it compact. It is not always lble to follow the ideal method ut it is well to keep in mind the principles involv- ed and as far as possible make an effort to avoid losses of fertility elements. STANDARD FOR. DRUGS OALOUTTA-(OP) - After long delav the Indian Drugs Bill has re-- ceived the allbfoval 0i’ the Central Legislature. The hill among other things prohibits the sale of drugs and medicines of unsatisfactory quality. or restocking purposes. Certain diseases, however. are transmitted by chicks of even this tender age and it is to the poultrymants ad- vantage to know what. they are and how they may be avoided. These diseases are dealt with in the pamphlet. It may be obtained ftee from the Publicity and Exten- sion Division. Dominion Depart- ment of Agriculture, Ottawa. Ule Millard’: for sprints. IIIIIIIIIIIIIKI£JJIA A Naturalists Calendar 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NATURAL RESOURCES I CONSERVATION I A WEEKLY COLUMN OI‘ PRACTICAL OPINIONS OI‘ ‘I'll! VITAL ISSUES AFFIGPING TIIE U858 AND ABUSIU OF BY II. LUDIDW JENKINS IIARSIIFIELD. BlItl-s As‘ A FA "OR IN climate, Iums and other diseases. UOZWIROLL NG INSECT artificial control (Poisons), must be DEPREDATION S By Clarence Cottam Ind Francis M. Uhler, Biologists, Section of Food I-Iablts, Division of Wild- life Research. That North American birds are regarded as a priceless national heritage ls shown by the fact that all but e. relatively few species (or groups) are protected by Federal law, by international treaty with Canada (Great Britain) and Mex- ico. or by the laws of the States or the Canadian Provinces. Birds are useful as protectors of crops and forests through their feeding on destructive bisects. as part of Nature's great balancing mechanism, as scavengers. as game, food, or articles of commerce. or merely as objects of beauty and interest. To a people of sentiment, wildlife or other objects of nature need not be associated with the dollar sign in order to receive pro- tection and encouragement. We agree with Emerson that "if eyes acre tirade for seeing. then Beauty is its owii excuse for being." 'I'he esthctic and recreational values of birds, though largely intaugibie, are just as rcal as bank accounts or interest. on stocks and bonds. Like a masterpiece of art or an orchcslral Sjrllllllmlj’, they uplift the soul and give meaning and Dlifllofe to life. Man is rejuven- ated both in spirit and in bcdy by a day afield. enjoying the chat-m and beauty of the songs of birds, studying the grace and rhythm of their movements. and partaking of their contagious ioyciisncss. E. I-I. l-"nrbttsti has well said that "the beauty of birds. the music of their song, the weird wildness of their call. the majesty of their soaring Light, and the mystery of their migration. always have been sub- jects of absorbing interest to poets, artists and lovers of nature." Cer- taiuly much of the appeal. beauty, and charm of literature, art, and music would be lost if shorn of their allusions to birds. Although their esthetic and re- creational worth constitutes, per- haps, their urctifcst value to man- kind. birds have a'so tremendous er ncrnic tiotentlallties to which consideration must be given. Prob- ably more than half the food of the 1.400 species and varieties of North American birds consists of insects. That the aggregate num- ber of insects constgmcti is enor- mous no one can question. Yet the significance and effectiveness of such feeding as a factor in in- sect control are matters far more difficult to appraise. Ordinarily, climate. disease, and parasites are equally cr .. ‘bly more imporlant as itatiiral checks Oil most pest species of inscc bttt eiitomoiogisfs and Ollllillftfla. that the S inscctivorotis bi ds. through their feeding habits.-_.t"eiirlci' lncalcul- able aid to ag" ilturc, horticul- titre. and fores \'. Tho greatest value of birds in the role of insect. destroyers lies in the co-orditiaiion of their feeding activities with all other natural factors of the etivlronnient 1n pre- venting the dcvcloycnent to pague proportions of (lest t-uctive insect crupliotts. 131"’ aid in maintain- ing an cqtiihbrittni in the biotic complex. 'I‘heii" repressive influence is constantly cxcrtcci. and their great mobility and propensity to wander causes thcm to concentrate at the scene of any local outbreak. Frequently. they not only control a pest. but almost effect its local extirpation. Thus they level off the waves of insect abundance and teiid to maintain uniformity in numbers. W. L. McAtee has given many examples of the effectiveness of birds in the control or suppres- sicn of insect outbreaks and has pointed oiit that. realizing this. e'n- toniologists had mticli to do with the establishment of econcmic ornitholonv in this country and have constantly maintained their interest ln it. Although birds often texcrt Ml it portant. degree of control on in- sects. over an extensive area. jt is usuaIly only in very limited sec- tions that t-hey actually suppress them. In widespread invasions, for example, the grasshopper plagues of recent _vert.rs in the Cemt-ral and Western Slates. birds and other predatory‘ agents are not stifflci- ently numerous to exert any notice- able control. Under these condi- Prince Edward Island A carefully prepared series of notes of Meteorological and Botanical observations made in the period 1910-1937; and includ- ing a short list of common insects. By BLYTI-IE I-IURST (“Agricola”) Brackley Beach On Sale at THE SCHOOL SUPPLY CARTER AND C0. MARITIME STATIONERS WOOLWORTHS TRAVEL BUREAU GUARDIAN PUB. CO. Price 10 cents per copy tlons other factors, as unfavorable FOR vIZFIlIIlllIIllI/III) relied upon. As a control agency, birds, of they do not kill all the pests, but the same is true of every other con- control measure, biological or arti- ficial. It has been stated that be- cause of the great fecundity of in- sects in comparison with that. of birds. the work of the latter- can- not be very effective. Excursions into the realm of mathematics to demonstrate the ineetimable num- ber of progeny that may be pro- duced from a single pair of insects profit little, as a continued un- checked increase never occurs. ‘Pi-ion resorting to mathematical arguments fail to recognize the im- portance of the various insect pre- dators, including conjunction wit all other natural and environmental factors ivhen insects are present in normal num- bers. Birds have a high rate of metabolism, which gives them I. most impressive consuming capac- ity. A bhd may destroy more in- sects at a single feeding than in- dividual parasites destroy in a lifetime. Furthermore. birds con- tinue to feed dtiring seasons when unfavorable temperatures reitder insect parasites of little or no value as control agents. The sea. gun-cricket episode in Salt Lake Valley in 1848, which saved the lives of the early Mor- mon pioneers. is perhaps one of the best-known instances of effec- tive control by birds of a serious ct pest. In 1856 a. similar but. less serious and less conscpicuous in- cident occurred in the same valley when another cricket plague de- veloped, which was again suppress- ed by the California gull early enough in the summer to permit a second planting and a fairly suc- cessful harvest. The beautiful Sea Gull Monument on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, erected at a cost of more than $40,000 in grateful remembrance of the ser- vices of these birds in delivering the early Utah pioneers from a cricket. plague, is indeed a fitting tribute to the California gull. In order to capitalize on the control ability of birds. many farm- ers in the West. drive chickens and, more commonly, turkeys into their infested fields. Undoubtedly. most of the success- ful stacks upon developing insect. hordes go unnoticed because birds and other insect rpredators wage unceasing warfare to obtain sus- tenance, not. for the purpose of assisting man. They often feed indiscriminately upon both valuable and harmful insects, but many species show definite preferences for certain destructive insects, as indicated by the yellow-billed cuc- koo's extensive feeding on tent caterpillars and the palm warb- ler's common avoidance of the valuable ladyblrd beetles while feeding on destructive lepidopter- ous larvae. To show that control is a continuous process some re- cent examples may be cited. Concerning the suppressive ac- tion of woodpeckers against Eagle- mann spruce beetles on the Koo- tenal National Forest, Idaho, Ton E. Terrel. of the Bureau of En- tomology and Plant Quarantine, United States Department of Agriculture, in a recent memoran- dum, made the following state- ment, which has been confirmed by subsequent investigation: "In 1937 a severe infestation of the Englemann spruce beetle was reported to be depleting stands of spruce in the Plnkham Creek drain- age on the Kootenal National IForest During the time of the second examination in June 1938. rather large groups of infested spruce were found with over- wintering brood. Woodpecker ac- tivity, however, had destroyed the brood to such an extent that the source o.‘ potential reinfesfation was reduced to protected brood below the snow line and it was predicted that very little rein- festation would occur." Commenting on this same m- festation, James C. Evenden, also of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. in a letter dat- ed January 24. 1940, says: "In June 1938 it was estimated that there were from 1.200 to 1.500 infested trees in this area. At the time of Mr. Terrors examination, there was from four to six feet of snow within the area. Woodpeck- ers had removed a large percent- age of the bark from all trees above the snow line and it ls be- lieved that perhaps '15 to 80 per cent or even more of the broods above snow line had been destroy- ed. We have observed that. wood- peckers concentrate upon the most heavily infested trees. which al- low the greatest returns for their labor. so on trees where all the bark is not removed. we usually find that there is a very poor brood and sometimes none at all." In the summer of 1935 insects were attacking crops of benne (a good wildlife food) in the Thomas- vllle. 0a., area. and Herbert L. Stoddard asked the Biological Sur- very for information on the control of pests. Before desired informa- tion was obtained, Mr. Stoddard wrote that the pests had largely disappeared, seemingly as a result cf the great concentration of birds in the infested area. (To be continued) FARM MANURES In all branches of farmlns whether stock raising. dalrying. grain growing, mixed farming, or- charding, or market gardening. the degree of success attained will de- pend primarily on the crop yields obtained. While seasonal conditions. such as rainfall and temperature, have a strong influence on yields. correct methods of soil manage- ment and the presence of sufficient available plant food in the soil are essential to profitable production. Full information on farm manures, Jheinnature, care. and application; green manurel, their value and course, are not wholly effective. eel birds. working int l‘: B! .....snl.s‘.if i "Did you not hear it? No, ‘twas but the wind," says Byron in his “Chllde Harold." The idea behind that was, that the \\‘ind is unim- portant and nothing to ivorry tabout. Both these statements are wrong at times as a. little consid- eration will show. The first and greatest function of wind that I can think of, is to stir and inter- mingle the gases that make up.or find their tray into, the atmos- phere. Tiy to "imagine what the air of even a small city would be like, if there were no currents of wind to can-y away the "corrupt vapors," as the ancients called them. Our well-being, perhaps even our very existence, depends in this respect upon the work of the wind. There are many other labors for the good of mankind. And there are some ways it does face heat of the body, for instance. Cold docs not matter" so lllllftl it there is no wind. but cold and wind, or even rain and wind, soon af- fect those ivlio are exposed to‘ these conditions. It is the same. with vegetation, and we may re-I mark that trees growing ivhcre the wind gets a clean sweep at them, are ciwarfcd. and lr cunt‘ iii shape. Again, the drought of our summer tit/cs much less harm to giowin things. if it ls no’. inten- sified gy the wind drying out the soil. Besides this, much damage and breakage are done by violent winds. Having reviewcd--rather sketch- ily—the good and evil itiflucnce of these air-currents, let us tum to the measurement of them. A gentle breeze travels about 5 miles per hour. If it doubles that rate it is a "brisk itviiitl." with a pressure of half a pound to the square foot. A “high wind“ approaches 35 miles per hour, and exerts a pressure of six unds to the square foot. A "storm" should run between 50 and 60 miles while a "hurricane" runs at 80 miles and upwards. At 100 miles an hour. wind presses on every square foot. to the extent of 49.2 lbs. Few objects can siaiicl against that. Winds, in Britain, have a well- defined daily variation. 'I'hero is a. well-marked maximum at l0 a.m. and a gieat niitiicnum at 4 a.m. Increased gustincss by day. coin- pared ivith night, is a (iisiinczion of British winds. Here, we have a minimum just before stinrise, and another at sunset, We say "the wind will go down with the sun." But, to my knowledge, this aspect of our daily wetitlici‘ has not yet been fully investigated. Very Ancient Britons evidence, that the north of Eng- laiid, and all Scotland, were once completely: covered iviili ire. The southern portion of England tlfolll what is now Dcrbyshtict was still cold enough, ihottgh the glaciers had, melted; and we kiiotv, from their remains. that the grvai. hairy Mammoth, and the RPlllflQPY. ind reached if, and rntitnetl over its tunclras. The men oi the old stone age had followed, for '.\'t‘.€l‘0 these animals were. the hitnz-si" was iilivays sure o1 a nical; aittl he has left rough uCrlpfill-S of flln: and sandstone as his memorials. lvieanuthiie. far to the south.‘ mankind was vvolizug auoiliri" stage lll Cl\‘lll7..\llO11§ which termed by historians the ncoithic period. Man still used stone wcap- - ons and tools, but he gave a polish and a finish that tlivtiys excites admiration. He had loam- cd to make simple pottery. too. as l well as textiles: and he had at} least domesticated one \\'ll(l ani- mal, the dog. He. however, had no knowledge of metals. We do not know how long it it took to free northern England of its ice-cap; tirobabbv the timct must be counted in C(‘l‘.lLii‘l€'S. But! when incn at last so‘. loo". in Northtimberltinrl. they were Neoli- thic men. The old tialcolitliictncn -t.hey of the rough stone iveapons -had been "llquirlalcrl" by the su- perior" race andhotraces of thctn have been found in the ll<'\\' ter-~ riiory‘. Tlic new st ‘rs Wfllllfl at first be summer" vi.. s. tot" the winters would often .i.low the lcc- cap to extend southward actim; but at length small settlements appeared on our ticrtiicast coast. where abundance of fish (‘Ollld be obtained. In ilPOOf of thi. their most characteristic itml \\ harpoon, made of stagis horn. trhcti t that. was available. or of frond.‘ studded with tiigniy’ t/ncth of flint. Both of these implczuctits have been found on our coast. anti as far north as the River Dre in Scot- land. As time went on tnttxiagalu, we can set no ilinitt s-ntlr-tuenls were made inland aiid new inter- eats came into being. The art of the hunter required different tools‘ from that cf the fisherman. it have handled a fine SUPCILIIPII of» an ‘axe. inane fnun sandstone. and weighing f<(‘\'\'ll ibsl It ivas nearly egg-shaped. ivifhi no cut-ting edge, tnllshcd till it was as smooth as glass. then drill- ed and countersunk for a handle. This was so obviously a weapon that we named it. a battle-axe. It was found by a laborer. digging for sand. a fcw miles west of New- castle. Arrowheads of flint-like stone beautifully shaped and finished. were often turned tip by the plough in a small arca. close by the side of Deriveut. not far from tihere I lived: and this gave support to thel hypothesis that a settlement» of ncollthic men had existed there (Such a settlement is tnciitioned by the early geographer Ptolemy. and he calls it Eplaruin. From the few human remains‘ that have been found. this race lsl to have been “long-heir function: commercial fcrtllirers. their plant ford content and cron- oniic use; and the use of soil a- mendments such as lime, muck, and other suhstatircs. ls giv- en in the revlscti farmers‘ bulletin ed free fro mthc Publicity and Ex- ment of Agriculture, Ottawa. not; as in the drawing off the sur- ‘ way: in which this invisible power ' from Norhtumberland, fragments have been found only at two lplaces, Berwick. and Ford. There its plenty of good clay suitable for ;did not know this, or lacked the tkiiowledge how to use it. tlon of round-headed invaders. twlto probably came across the tNort-h Sea. The invasion was not. to ; that. ts tile tcligiu o. tile skull to its width, was as four in w three. Such n. proportion has a profound effect on character, and we still use the term "long-heavi- ed" to describe a man who reflects well before he undertakes any en- terprise. Perhaps neolithic man hau some idea. of a future stat/r. for he was particular in building a suitable habitation for the dead. It was in the form of a chamber. made of flat stones, and above this was piled, with much labor, along low mound of earth. This was a "long barrow" or tumulus. Ii is singular that in the south of Eng- land the neoliths simply inhumed their dead while in the north they cremated them before interment. Neolithic folk in the south also left an exit for the spirit of the bar- row! occupant. It is singular, too, that Neolithic pottery is almost entirely absent ntaking rough pottery, but they Towards the end of the neo- lithic period. there was an irruo- as far as can be ascertained. e. very formidable one. ‘This is sup- I imsed to have taken plaoe about. 1800 B.C.. the date when the use ’ of bronze became known to South- ern Britain NOTES ON ISLAND PLANTS The Umbellifernc This family of plants is so called because the flowers are disposed in flat-topped clusters called umbels, like those of the carrot, parsnip, or caraway. It is a family most diverse in qualities, some members being economically important and wholesome, vrhile others are Jory poisonous to stock, as the Cow- baiie. and others equally so to man, as the Hemlock. It was the lat- ter which was used in the poison- ing of the Athenian philosopher, Socrates. (Our Hemlock. an ever- green tree, has no relationship to the Hemlock of Europe, and is an- other instance of our inveterate propensity to give plants the wrong popular name!) This group of plants seems, in general, rather fastidious ‘in its requirements; it prefers a rich soil, of the black type, but not too acid. Most of the species. too. like a. moist situation, but with certain exceptions, they will not. grow in anything resem- bling stagnant ivater. For these reasons the Umbelliferae are more at. home in Britain than they are Itseems certain, from geological; .5lll)-$pl‘Cl(‘5l over there, while only i tc-n species ai"e listed for the lslanzi. -.Besides the umbels noticed above, ‘the group (vrith a few exceptionst I cierstand |itiing a caraway. or a parsley leaf. b. cutiy a relation of our plant, which Ihas arotnaiic leaves. and stimulat- -iiig qualities; I 3P illLlll lst. i S0 t or M usquaslt -latat . bane l cxtrtcnely t land embraces hualntcd with the appearance ,thc plants and lake . ineasitres to eradicate them. yis a capital .Canada." a work tniblishcxi in 1900. land I believe, distributed one copy lIslaiid. Possibly most of the copies ‘have "fallen by the way" llll\‘-'ll'fllll(‘d ‘(Tm 1a walnut, i.s said to be sufficient {plant is called cicutoxlii. and recid- : » coat 11""- lstrenms and "Manure. Fertilizers. and Soil lA-Hmcttnateiy mctizlmctits“ which may be obinzn- mm |nn;.p@ti¢,;@ti; here; and in proof of this I have found sixty-three distinct species (with a considerable number of is distinguished by leaves which are "decomposed." a botanical teim that means the divisions are again divided; the student will un- thLs better after exam- The first on our Island list. l: the Woolly Siveet-cicely (Osmorrhiza Claywiili. This is an inhabitatnt of the woodlands and. ranges sou'h- ward to North Carolina. There is a Svvcct-ciccly in Britain. appar- (Cicely ls a feminine pellation, derived apparently from Ceclia). ’I‘he American Water-pennywort rI-Iytlrocotyle Americana) was found here three 01‘ four years ago by Dr. W. L. Holman. of Toronto Univer- siiy. Its leaves are nearly orbi- cular, atid as they are not, divided they give rise to the popular name "Peiiny”-wort. Wort simply means plant. No economic nor medical use has been found for the plant far. We have two species of Couvbane, Root tCicuta inacu- and the Bulb-bearing Cow- tCicuta bulbifcra.) Bane is from an Anglo-Saxon word mean- ing (lcadly- poison. and this plant is poisonous to cattle. and l Ylaflfififififil - NEWSY NOTES - t AGIZICOI-A g FOR SALE At Alexandra Choice piece of land contain- nlg 23 acres, suitable for market gardening. Com- modity dwelling house with all modern conveniences. Large barn nearly itew and outbuildings. Ideal summer home for business man. For particulars write JAMES H. JCDSON, Alexandra, it. R. 5o. 1._ rzwnrzmorarsviyiv; Siurdevant. in " Plants", remarks that. stems and lcuxcs oi tutu». clcs of Slum are vziieu ‘ parts of the ' sisaritnu Llllll. is ti gardens. i'l‘t;e r~n.. family will be cit-st". other article). Wine From Lime-tree? I hast/en to $011.‘; ‘t from Georgetown u “Dear Sir.--W1.i y t: ‘t. know if the t~t.t.~'-.-t' Liiiic or lhtiucii on fol" making '.\i.:<~‘? the berry or ()'.\L'l' t And, please, how 1s the "A friend of mine ". ‘ ellcd extensively." lil France, once told there wine \\ .1.» lime, but she ilidut i- know the bees gt" ‘. good from the blossoms. “In your ‘Newsy X0105.‘ of a recent issue I noticed you me tlon Scot- tish Broom. and tho". you ind not seen it before for many _ .1 I may mention lat I hav- and seen it. clllCf‘ my ea hood, many, many years family doctor, Kaye ilong s tiered into rest) was a naiive of Scotland, and no cioubt brought the broom seed with htm- 1'. grow in abundance on his l My mother, also a nativr- o. S otiattcl. was delighted vt"i‘h it, 1L brought. back her youili as she remember- ed it when a little girl in S ozland, I was glad tosee you hadit. “Thanking you 1n a rant-e for the infoirnation about cenely‘ yours. Mary L. F In answer to this e I may say that I can . . ference to wine made from .y part of the lime for linden freer. That. however. does no‘. pr ' ain't lug one way or the oihe v of many British " confined to partic‘. even particular l ill the latter case tvottli. n to find its way into book. Then flit-re is 1- Sibllill‘; lhene is a s; which is com it» "lime-fruit" (C: in the B. W. bottled and exporter. t “Montserrat Lane Ju sweetened, is a graze drink. ls my corrcspoi sure that. there is n. this poiiit? However, assum‘ * was actually mad tree ta species of tlon is, what part juice of the birch, o 3'01‘ the . I very the rhubarb. the dandelion and Lite ct nunicrabic iritl s. li- coiiimaiirleererl 1o turke- wines. On examining ‘die tree, it will be iOUIlfl iha‘. flowers are honeyed and 1i g: but the bracts and fruit tringeni. Ii ‘we nrt- iu WlllC, ll lllllhf l)‘ liftlll . In making the w the formula tor t. Four quarts of tho . info a vcsscl, and a up...‘ viously-boilcd bu‘. (Until uatct in. Covcr \\'1i.ll a lllJlil-Cf" ‘ flies, e'.c.. out anti ’ ~: tnrcc days. s Strain off iht an hour, to kt‘. or moulds. present and latcr on. Perhaps l-ll their ouit n.t other animals. too. For this rea- son. farmers. especially those whose SWRIIIPY PEISIUYUS. should make themselves well r 0 proper There together ot the | of the description. with a large colorcfl plate. Cowbaue, in “Farm Weeds to each school district on the slnoe than. but. it may still be consulted at the Public Library, Charlotte- town. The roots of the Cowbane "look like small parsnlps. and, like them, have a strong aromatic odor. which s to make them attractive to stock. A piece of the root. of the Oregon Cowbaite. about the size of to kill a cow in about 1.‘: minutes." The poisonous principle of the ii_v mixes with water, so that plants should be pulled from the marshy places whcre they grow and burnt: never thrown back into the water where stock may trample them. However, during my sojourn here I have never to the best of my re- c0llcction,.heard of cattle being poisoned by this plant. The Caraway (Carum Car-vii is rather exceptional in that it adapts lscif quite readily to the drier sandy soils on the northern areas of the Island. The seeds have an aromatic stimulating quality. aiicl in the Old Country. at least. are greatly tiscd in confectionery". A common way of tislng them is to sweet. biscuits with sugar icing. stiriiikird itrith caravvaysecd-s. One of our ccmmotiest umbelli- fers is the Water parsnip tSuim clrtitacfolitinii. This is found aionfl in swamps. and is ldcittifled by the variable form of its leaves. The lowest are tccimb-ltkci dissected the uppermost readily F ac-l- i sugar to mo!‘ practice, I believe, straining. nearly sex-lie. linear or lanceolate. tension Division, Dominion Depart- and ‘ml-ply ‘Qfffltfi, to add l lf'l'lll(‘lllélill ll . After tuo o" fortitcittat tot liquid Silt‘ - cask, and lll.()‘.\l‘ll to it haps for souimhtnu t months. win-n i: :.~ l makers onilt the llll cask. and bottl» siz. .. Native wines of fill;- are ioiv in alcohol. sugar-content: l.t<"\ no effect on t‘ u-ttr tend to upset the pose thc blossctti the limos bciort ‘it; my C0f‘l'i‘.<‘,)fiililtlll out this recipe tars she nuiy tcl‘. us hi" The l'."f'lllltl\i'f‘llfl‘.- .1 tish broom-pl lust are inov thing which '41‘ ilcrs in the committed 1o ". .. print, if possible English Ii y Front Mi»: Wheatlcy Riter. leaf of a piaii" * side. ivlntt-t‘ and sit" . prrt > Jtttri ll. t t readers wotrd what lll'(ll('t‘ll0ll plant to Mtahie it 'I).\1i fer oillsidc. I hail- domi Sillrsivrlis c’ ter them in lite cellars. TRAIN RHHYS ['1' BULAWAYO.-— (‘Pi Wlirii l train carrying expit~s'i\"t i‘ "" up 158 miles south of this l\.l<‘ll‘.s‘lilll city four persons were killed and three seriously injured.