VOL. LXIV
INDIANAPOLIS, NOVEMBER 20, 1909.
NO. 46
DRY FARMING.
In a bulletin issued by the Dry Farming Congress, Denver, Col., a few valuable suggestions on the cultivation of
soil to retain moisture are given by
Samuel Neel of Seguin, Texas. He
says: The subject of dry farming appeals to a large number of farmers in
the southwest section of Texas. But,
though it appeals to many, few apparently know how to take hold of the
problem. My success has been
achieved principally in growing truck
crops.
The great principal underlying this
mode of farming is how to get moisture to our growing crops when rain
is deficient. Where you have a retentive subsoil the problem is more easily
solved. A clay subsoil is the sheet
anchor of dry farming.    ,
When this subsoil has absorbed moisture it retains it until liberated by frequent tillage. The reason, therefore, of
my success is that I have the subsoil
necessary to retain moisture and have
applied the necessary means of bringing to the growing crops the moisture
required to their full development. It
is my practice to keep the soil continually stirred, thus keeping it mellow
and friable. This method of cultivation
is known as the dust mulch or blanket
system. This enables capillary attraction to do its work.
Last season we were deficient twelve
inches of rain; again this season we
are, at present, behind that. Still, by
my method of frequent cultivation, I
have now growing and nearly matured,
Irish potatoes, peas, tomatoes, radishes
and about 5,000 cabbage plants, making good growth, some of which will be
fit for market In six weeks, although
our rainfall during the last three or
four months has been less than three
inches.
In my truck patch all land uncropped, when possible, I keep plowed on
the surface. Land allowed to get hard
•n the surface'Will soon dry out and
deteriorate. I Soil, to retain its vitality,
requires air as well as water .therefore
if you cannot get the one give the
other. It is the same by irrigation or
by excess of rain; after the land becomes saturated it needs constant cultivation to give vitality. Plant life is
much life humane life, requiring the
elements most necessary to produce
growth, and unless we aid the soil to
give it elements conducive to growth
we get sickly plants and poor returns.
Some may say that It is fertilizing
that gives the growth. Yes, under
proper conditions only, and unless you
make these conditions available all
your fertilizers will be of no benefit. I
am aware that many farmers have an
Wea that when the season is dry, soil
should not be disturbed or it will dry
•ut.
This ls true with regard to deep plowing but it is Just the opposite with shallow cultivation. By constant cultivation of soil, cropped or uncropped, a
falling rain will penetrate readily and
Prevent washing of the soil to a great
cttent. This method of mulching by
constant cultivation is, I believe, also
°h the principle of the Campbell asystem
of dry farming, and ls just as applicable to corn as to truck growing.
The fact is Indisputabfe that it is on'y quite recently that we have discover-
*d the value of the semi-arid lands. To
develop these we need education to en
able our farmers to culitvate these
lands under improved methods. As to
tools to be used for securing a dust
mulch, these should be of five-tooth
one-horse expansion cultivator as also
the one-horse expansion harrow of fifteen teeth. Sweeps and shovel plows
will not answer as well. Shallow cultivation is needed, and in dry weather
never expose or turn over new soil,
but let the dirt or soil fall back with
little exposure. Allow no weeds or
grass to interfere with your growing, as
they will rob the moisture from your
plants.
is easily transmitted from one colony
to another, either by the bee-keeper
himself in handling a diseased colony
first and then a clean colony, or by
robbing, or by placing, in a clean hive,
infested frames, comb, or honey. The
importance of this fact can not be emphasized too prominently to the beekeeper and should be carefully borne in
mind  when  handling  bees.
The Minnesota Experiment Station
has found that treatment for American
Foul Brood is best done when honey ls
abundant, and in the evening. Remove diseased comb,    and shake    the
BEE  DISEASE   ON   THE   INCREASE.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In the bee country, especially the
Western States, American Foul Brood
(Bacillus larvae) is increasing to an
alarming extent and is undoubtedly the
bee-keeper's worst enemy. This is in
part because it is so little understood
by the majority of bee-keepers who ao
not realize how insidious a disease carried by spores or "germs" may be, and
how easily it spreads from hive to
hive.
The bee keeper will observe the first
symptoms of the disease in the capped
combs, the caps being more or less
sunken with occasional perforations.
The affected larvae within are at first
light brown, and later, when decay has
progressed, become very dark brown.
'Ihis decayed matter in the cells has a
disagreeable odor, like old glue, and is
of ropy consistency. A toothpick or
match stuck into this mass and then
slowly drawn out takes with it some of
this rotten matter, which stretches out
for two inches or more. This latter
feature is not a characteristic of European Foul Brood, and it is furthermore claimed that American Foul
Brood, from which bee-keepers wish to
defend themselves, rarely attacks queen
or drone larvae, while the European
variety will infest both.
Observations made at the Government and state experiment stations
show that this disease is caused by a
"germ" just as typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, tuberculosis, etc., is each
caused by its relative germ and that it
bees into their own hive, having first
placed in the hive clean frames with
foundation starters. Let them build
comb for four days. On the evening
of the fourth day take out the combs
which have been started, and which
may be partly filled with diseased
honey, shake the bees on to new
frames with foundation starters, destroying the comb and honey which
thoy first made before other bees have
access to it. This, the officials of the
station state, should effect a cure. One's
hands should be thoroly washed, and
the tools used in this work carefully
cleaned with boiling water or alcohol to
prevent contaminating another colony.
The hives should also be disinfected
previous to inserting the second set of
frames with starters, p referably by
placing straw in same and burning,
slightly charring the interior. The
alighting board and entrance should be
disinfected in the same way. All infected honey and comb should be destroyed by burning, at night, to prevent
robbing and consequent spread of disease.
If a bee-keeper bears in mind the infectious character of this disease, precautions to be observed in handling diseased colonies will naturally suggest
themselves to him. He should also
bear in mind that where a colony is
dwindling from the effect of Foul
Brood, it should be carefully guarded
against being robbed, since robbing
may be the most prolific cause of
spreading the disease.
W.ishington, D. C. G. E. M.
LETTER TO  CENSJLS  SUPERVISORS
In pursuance of President Taft's determination to prevent political activity on the part of Census supervisors
and enumerators during their term of
service, as emphatically outlined by
him in a letter to Secretary Nagel of
the Department of Commerce and
Labor, Census Director Durand has sent
a letter to all the supervisors appointed
up to the present time. It first received the approval of Secretary Nagel,
who forwarded it to President Taft,
and he has advised the Secretary and
the Director that it is entirely satisfactory to him.
The letter states that the President
has approved the addressee's appointment as supervisor of census in his district, subject to certain conditions to
which it will be necessary for him to
conform.
"I call your attention," writes the
Director, "to the inclosed copy of an
order of the President with regard to
political activity of supervisors. This
order will be strictly enforced. It prohibits a man from holding office or
membership in any political committee
during the term of his office as supervisor, or taking any active part in politics, by public addresses solicitation c"
votes, or otherwise. In view of this
letter you are requested to inform me
immediately whether you hold any office or membership in any political
committee and if so, just what position
you hold, and whether you are willing
to resign such position and refrain
from political activity during your term
of office as supervisor, etc..'
THE OATS YIELD.
When the oats yield falls down to 30
and 40 bushels per acre on good land
it is tjme to consider what kind of seed
we are using. There are two or three
varieties of oats that have been brought
to this country, the Swede oats being
one that has yielded about double that
of our common seed. The department
of agriculture ls looking into this question of better oats for seed, and a variety grown in China is to be considered
in this connection.
At Naperville, Illinois, some extensive
experiments have been made in growing seed oats of a kind that yields 80
bushels and more per acre, on fairly
good corn land. Missouri is also growing a quality of oats that yields as well
as this, or better.
THE AtTTO ABROAD.
Rditora Indiana Farmer-
Great Britain is after the "auto." She
is weary of their destroying her public
roads. A bill is now before Parliament calling for the construction of
separate roads for their use, and in no
wise to be near or have connection with
wagon roads. All speed limits to be
withdrawn on such roads. Now let
our "solons" get to work on like lines.
Put an excise or stamp tax on every
auto made, to build such roads, and
license each one to keep their roads in
repair. Make it an auto road, at the
expense of those that use them and
give the farmer his road untrammeled
by the nuisance. Remove the speed
limit on such roads.
Such a step would insure safety to
the common people and save the lives
of many innocent women and children.
If this cannot be done limit their speed
| by severe plenalties in all accidents or
deaths. Reader.