Winter Months on the farm
How to
Improve
Them
Selecting and Testing Seeds
How to Chooie the Berf Crura
Winter Job That Remit in Bigger Yields
By'PROF. R. A. MOORE
WUcomin Collect of Jjgriculiun
Bsf
Cttrnlu. iujo. by Wtru Newspaper Union
The death knell of scrub stock,
whether animals or plants. Is sounding
far and wide. Where formerly scrubby
parent stock was once commonly used,
they are gradually but surely declining
In popularity. The farmer is awaken
ing to the value of good blood. In the
live stock Industry breeders have edu
cated the general farmer to an appreci
ation of the benefits and greater prof
Its possible through careful selection
and mating of pure-bred foundation
Btock. State legislation has aided in
the eradication of scrub and grade
stallions. Pubilc sentiment has cheap
ened the erstwhile popularity of scrub
and grade bulls, boars and rams, but
only recently has the farmer's atten
tion been directed to the careful selec
tion and testing of all his seed grains
r1 th u of onlv pure-bred strains
of grains in his crop rotation.
By Increasing the production of corn
In the United States one bushel per
acre an annual Increase of 115,000,000
bushels would result. To augment the
oat and barley yields one bushel per
acre would mean annual Increases or
84,000,000 and 7,000,000 bushels respec
tively. When one considers that the
use of carefully selected seed will not
only Increase production one busbel
per acre but will easily render possible
the enormous importance of universal
knowledge concerning the value of
pure grain seed Is evident.
Importance of Proper Curing,
When taken irom the stak, corn
usually contains from 20 to 30 per cent
of moisture, which, unless reduced to
10 or 12 per cent, Is likely to injure
the quality of the seed. In the north
ern state, where the seasons are short,
we find the most convenient way of
ridding the corn of this excessive
moisture is by the use of artificial
heat.
Corn should never be placed against
the south side of a building, where
there Is likely to be strong sunlight,
as the rays of the sun will Injure the
vitality cf the seed or the side of the
ear turned toward the sun. If corn Is
cured by hanging under a porch or un
der the roof of the corn crib, it should
tions of tens to correspond with th
sections In the seed tester, which arc
usually In tens. A nail should be driven
btiwttn each section and the various
secuonn. as well nn each Individual
ear of each section, numbered. At leai
lour kemeis (gouici.iu.co ix) are taken
sin; trom different parts of each ear
und placed directly in front of the ear
l.oto which taken, until kernels have
been removed trom all ears.
ine preferable device lor testing If
a box 20x40 Inches square and usually
six Inches In depth. Sawdust is an ex
cellent material to use as a germina
tion bed, but it should first be boiled In
water In order to kill bacteria or
moids. The sawdust should be placed
in the box about three inches deep and
should be moist but not soggy.
A piece ot good muslin upon which
i m ........
with an indelible pencil and numbered
to correspond with the sections and In
dividual ears to be tested, Is pulled
tightly over the sawdust and tacked se
curely to the sides of the boi. The
kernels of corn taken from ear No. 1
are put Into square No. 1 and from ear
No. 2 In square No. 2, until all are
used. A plain moistened cloth Is placed
, over the kernels and a muslin sack
i made lor the purp jse and partlauy
filled with sawdust about two lncho6
thick is placed on top of the cloth and
pressed down firmly over the corn.
The tester should then be placed
where It will be held at ordinary room
temperature or a lKUe warmer. During
the day the sawdust reaches a temper
ature which it holds during the night
even though the outside temperature
drops several degrees the germlnatlo
bed will be fairly constant
After five or seven days have elapsed
the sawdust pack" should be removed
t'.nd the cloth rolled back upon the
corn, being careful not to disturb the
kernels underneath. The kernels
should be Inspected to note If any have
absolutely failed, If each kernel has
put forth both root and growing point,
and the vigor or vitality shown in the
germination. All seed which does not
germinate should be rejected.
The Good Seed, on the Right, Will Reproduce Itself, While Those of Bad
1 Form, on the Left, Will Tend to Continue Their Freakish Characters.
GOOD TOAST RARELY FOUND i k UV ncnurn DD IMP IDI DC
IN PRUNING FRUIT TREES
Patience In Making It la Necessary
and It Should Be Neither Soggy
Nor Too Crisp.
be stored away In some dry room
where It will not absorb moisture from
the outside atmosphere before hard
freezing weather begins.
Where kitchen or furnace room can
be used for curing corn small hanging
devices may be used for the holding of
the corn. A simple and practical
method Is to use cord, tying the ears
bo they are a safe distance apart for
drying. Another device is to use dou
ble cord, placing ears between them so
they can be held securely and hung on
a nail or hook by a loop.
Ac attic which can be ventilated
and has a chimney passing through It,
or Is directly over a heated room, so
that It can be kept at a fairly uniform
temperature through the winter, is an
exceedingly good place to cure corn.
Testing Seed Corn.
Each ear ot corn should be tested
before planting and all ears rejected
that do not germinate and show lack
of vigor or vitality. Fifteen average
ears of corn will plant one acre, using
four kernels to the hill, placing the
co-n three and one-half feet apart be
tween the rows.
The most perfect seed ears having
kernels of a uniform width should be
used tor seed. These should be se
lected from the store room and laid
out on the floor or on tables to be
convenient for making the test Care
should be taken to place the ears In a
building where they will not be dis
turbed during the period of the test
otherwise, if disarranged before com
parison can be made, the result will
he for naught
The ears should be arranged in sec-
Before shelling the seed, remove the
butts and tips, as these grains are of
different shape and will neither plant
uniformly nor give a uniform germina
tion. If the butt and tip kernels are
planted at all they should not be used
with the middle kernels, but should be
planted by themselves.
The prospective seed buyer should
first send to the seed dealer for a sam
ple of small seeds, such as alfalfa,
clover, etc., upon which he can make
a germination test. A simple seed
test can readily be arranged. Take
two tin plates, one a little larger than
the other, cut a piece of cotton flannel
to fit In the larger plate, soak the flan
nel In water, then squeeze out the sur
plus water, and put the flannel in the
larger of these plates. Then place 100
or more seeds in this plate, cover the
seeds with a similar pad, well moist
ened with water, and then coVer with
the smaller tin to retain the moisture.
The tester should then be placed in
some convenient place where the tem
perature ranges from 70 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit
The teeter should be examined every
24 hours to see that the pads do not
: become too dry. It Is advisable to
loosen up the lower pad occasionally
to let In oxygen, which will aid in the
germination of the seed. In about three
days the seed will begin to germinate
and at the end of five days they should
all be germinated.
Qood seed should give a germinating
test of at least SO to 96 per cent, bet
ter still, If It reaches 100. No clover
seed should be sown that does not test
at least 80 per cent
There Is nothing so rarely found as
toast that is well made. Few cooks
are successful with It, yet it is not
difficult to get right.
The chief reason of many failures
Is lack of patience. It is so much
easier to cut thick, uneven slices, no:
remove the crusts and do several
platefuls at a time that that is the
usual method.
Appetizing toast should bo cut thin
without crusts, cooked over a clear
bed of coals until a delicate brown on
both sides, then buttered and sprink
led lightly with salt and put back In
the oven for a minute for the butter
to soak in.
Never let tonst stand. Far better
wait for It than have too much cooked
at once. If the family is late in com
ing to the table do not start to toast
until they are eating their cereal.
The beet toast is made over open
coals, but it can be nicely toasted in
the gas oven If closely watched.
Appetizing toast Is neither soggy
nor so crisp that It tastes like dried
chips. The best Is made from a close
grained bread a day old.
Do not serve In great chunks; toast
must look well, besides being properly
cooked, to be appetizing.
Toast that has gTown cold can be
served by putting it on an oiu initio,
covering it with cream, butter and
salt and allowing it to soak into the
bread in a hot oven.
Where one prefers to butter toast
at a table It must be served hot In
a folded napkin and just a few slices
at a time.
In making milk toast use a little
thickening in the milk, otherwise your
toast will be soggy and thin.
Should be Adapted to Different Varieties In Forming Top
of Tree Several Distinct Systems Are
Practiced.
(By R. W. FISHER.)
It is known that heavy pruning of
the tops of fruit trees In winter or
during the dormant period has a tend
ency to produce wood growth, or
cause the trees to grow larger. This
Is due to the fact that when pruning
is done when the tree Is dormant the
plant food which is taken up by the
roots early In the spring is concen
trated into a smaller portion of the
top and results In the very rapid
growth of the parts left. Weak trees
are often forced Into vigorous growth
by heavy top pruning which Is done
in the winter or early spring.
When vigorous plants are given a
heavy winter pruning water sprouts
open enough so that the sunlight can
get Into the center of the tree, thus
adding much to the color of the fruit.
By cutting each season's growth back
to within a few buds of the last sea
son's growth the tree is made to grow
much stockier than it otherwise
would.
The pruning after the third year
is very similar to that given in the
third year. Three or four twigs are
selected on each growth, the others
cut out, and the remaining twigs cut
back. All cross limbs or limbs that
are too close together, or that rub
together should be cut out
DOUBLE FRYING PAN IS NEW
Device of an Iowa Man That Save'
Fuel, tabor and Space on
the Stove.
Economy of fuel and space is en
abled by the double frying pan de
signed by an Iowa man. This Is not
to mention the saving of time and
labor. The new fry pan Is made in
two parts which are hinged at the
inner sides and can be folded over ti
take up the space of one section whet
hung upon the wall. Divided into twe
sections, as It is, two things can fa
cooked In it at one time. While men
is being fried in one side, canned cor
or tomatoes can be htated in th
other, or If there is no meat to b
fried, two kinds of vegetables may b
cooked in it. The advantage of i
utensil of this kind is manifest. In
the first place. It saves fuel because
two things can be cooked over one
lid of the stove. In the second place.
It gives the .cook fewer pans and pots
to watch and leaves her freer to at
tend to the manifold duties of prepar
ing dinner. It also takes up less
space on the stove than two single
pans.
Caramel.
Many women who do not venture to
prepare caramel at home because of
the danger of burning instead of
browning the sugar do not know that
the druggist has I'. at Its best. De
licious custard is made with maple
sugar for sweetening and caramel for
coloring and the two flavors blend
excellently. The caramel is useful for
coloring sauces as well as for flavor
ing custards and creams.
Oyster Omelet.
Parboil a dozen oysters in their own
liquor; skim them out and let cool,
add them to the beaten eggs either
whole or minced. Cook the same as
plain omelet. Thicken the liquid with
the butter rolled In flour. Season
with salt, cayenne pepper, and a tea
spoon of chopped parBley. Chop up
the oysters and add to the sauce. Pu
a few spoonfuls in the center of the
omelet before folding. When it is
dished pour the remainder of the sauce
around It.
To Remove a Spot.
An excellent way to remove a spot
from a dark woolen skirt Is to rub it
hard with a piece of soft old linen.
In nine cases out of ten the spot will
be absorbed by the linen without any
cleaning fluid being applied.
Old Oilcloth.
A good way to use up worn oilcloth
is to cut it into squares and use it for
table pads to put under hot dishes. If
the color or the pattern Is not orna
mental, use the oilcloth for the under
side and cover with kid or raffia.
i I
MAKES HANDY
FIRE ESCAPE
Stout Knotted Rope Makes Excell
ent Substitute for Ladder
Any Cool-Headed Person
Can Use It.
Pruning First Year at Planting.
Second Year Growth.
are often produced, because there Is
more plant food sent up from the
roots than the top area can use. re
sulting in the growth of dormant la
teral buds.
Heavy pruning of the top In the
summer or when the tree Is In an
active state of growth has a tendency
to check the wood growth, causes fruit
buds to form and sometimes results
in the growth of water sprouts. The
wood growth is checked because when
pruning is done when the leaves are
performing their function of assimi
lating plant food a large portion of
the area which is making plant food
Is removed and the supply of pre
pared plant food Is checked, thus
causing a decrease of growth over the
whole tree.
Heavy root pruning checks the
growth of wood by cutting off the
supply of moisture and crude plant
food. This results in an increasing
number of fruit buds. In sections of
the country where fruit trees have a
tendency to start bearing very young
and to produce large crops of fruit,
it Is often necessary to do such prun
ing that will cause wood growth rath
er than the production of fruit buds.
In forming the top of the tree sev
eral distinct systems are practiced.
The shape, however, should be largely
determined by the natural character
istics of the tree. Low-headed trees
produce the best results In many lo
calities. They are able to stand heavy
winds without injury, the fruit is near
er the ground and makes harvesting
a crop and all orchard work much
easier, and the trunks are not so like
ly to be injured by sun-scald.
If one-year-old trees are set out, the
pruning the first year will consist in
cutting the top back to within eight
een or twenty-four inches of the
ground. The cut should be made just
above a strong bud. During the first
season three or four branches should
be permitted to grow; the others
rubbed off soon after the buds ex
pand. In the spring of the second year, If
more than three pr four branches
Tew during the first summer, they
Pruning the Third Year.
Old Tree Trunk Properly Branched.
should be cut out, .making the cut
near the main stem and parallel to
It. The remaining branches should be
cut back to within three or four buds
of the main stem, making the cut just
above a strong bud.
In the spring of the third year all
but three or four branches are cut
out, Including the terminal branch,
and the others are cut back to within
three or four buds o fthe stem from
which they grow, the idea being to
produce three or four well developed
and well situated twigs on each
branch each year, and having the.
branches so placed that the tree will
grow into a symmetrical form and be
It is not feasible to have a ladder a.
every window, and In case of fire peo
ple In the second story are often In
danger of their lives. For safety, tie
large knots In a strong rope, coll it
neatly on the floor or some place
where It can be found Immediately in
the dark. Make a loop at one end so
it may be looped around a bed post
or a stout hook placed in the window
frame. In case of fire throw out the
loose end of the rope and scramble
out. Any cool-heuded person can
wriggle down a rope of this kind, al-
,
life
PlftU)
tr-
!
1"
I
I
I -V .
i - c
I MM I
A Handy Fire Escape.
though they may blister their bands
or get a slight fall in doing so, but
even so, it It Is better than being
roasted.
GROWING HERBS
IS ESSENTIAL
Nothing Can Quite Take Their
Place in Household-Seeds of
Annual Sort Should be
Sown Early.
(By R. O. WEATHERSTONE.)
No garden can be considered com
plete that does not Include a goodly
variety of herbs, for nothing can quite
fill their place In the household.
The seeds of annual sorts should be
sown early, but of the perennial var
ieties (and many of the best are that)
the seeds sown In mid-summer will
produce strong plants that may be
freely cut from the following year.
Make the soil rich, mellow andrflne
before sowing the seed. When the
seedling plants are large enough they
may be transplanted to the border
beds, or the fence-row where they can
grow undisturbed year after year.
When the roots become large they
may be divided and new plants start
ed If more are wanted, though two or
three plants of one variety will fur
nish all a good-sized family will need,
as the leaves should be cut several
times during the season.
The leaves should be cut when ful
ly grown and before the plant blooms,
choosing a clear, dry day for the work.
Spread In a cool, shady room to dry,
as drying In the sun or by the Are
spoils both color and flavor.
When thoroughly dry powder the
leaves by rubbing between the hands
and store away in tight eans or boxes.
i