Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 5, 1908 Page: 2 of 16
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>1 /i Communi-
cations on Fdrm
Mutters will be
ir< Iconic be re.
OKLAHOMA FARMER, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1908
The burglars, who *100(1 high ic tha
pro^ssion and had been unifonnily suc-
cessful in carrying out numerous robbei-
ies in that Vicinity, were very much cha-
grined that they should be captured in
such a simple and unexpected manner.
It is needless to say that the presence
of mind and quick wit of the operator
wore properly rewarded, and anMiu-r
tribute was added to the great useful-
ness of the modern telephone.
TS
V*
Letters to The Farmer should be writ-
ten on one s.de of the paper only,and
■hould bo accompanied by the name and
address of the writer. I.etters should lie
inn do us brtof as possible. Those who
wish their letters returned when not
used should inclose postage.
HOW TO FIGHT THE BOLL WEEVIL
Dr. 3. A. Knapp, director of co-opera
tlvo demonstration farm work, has is-
sued a bulletin which cannot fail to be
of great benefit to farmers who live in
the boll weevil district. It says:
If the cotton planters in the infested
districts have followed our instructions
In preparation of the soil, In the use of
early maturing cotton, and in giving a
little more spaco than usual between the
rows, they are now ready for a success-
ful battle with the boll weevil.
Early In the* spring and all alon:,
through the spring months cotton boll
weeVils continue to come out of winter
quarters. At first they eat the tender
leaflets of the terminal buds of the young
cotton plants. After the squares begin
to form they feed upon the squares only,
but if these are not abundant they final-
ly puncture the half-grown bolls Sottio
advise tho early planteing of a few rows
of early maturing cotton, to be used as
"trap rows" and poisoning (hem when
tho over-wintered weevils first collect
upon them. This experience must de-
termine whether sufficient advantage can
be derived from it to cover the expense.
In general a good crop of cotton (an
be. made by deep plowing of the field In
tho early fall, by thorough preparation
of tho seed bed, the planting of early
maturing varieties of Mtton ind inten-
sive cultivation; and It Is the method of
greatest economy.
Cultivation should be rapid. The plow
Is too slow. A cultivator with broad
sweeps should bo used so as to work a
row on both sides and half of each mid-
dlo at ono time. If there are too many
stumps in tho field use a single culti-
vator. Hun the sweeps not over one and
one-half inches deep. When the squares
begin to form look for the weevil and
other insect enemies. The advantage of
'tore space between the rows will now
bfceome evident.
The loose, hot surface mulch is de-
structive to weevils, if they fall upon it.
Attach a bursli or a smooth pole to tho
singletrees and cultivator bandies so as
to strike the cotton It will cause some
weevils to fall to the ground, and if the
soil Is hot enough they will die. Some
try poisoning with Paris green after the
squares begin to form and claim good re-
ft I its.
The evidence of scientific tests thus
far has been against Its use and these
tests have been made with such care
that they seem to be conclusive. (See
Farmers' Bulletin No. 211, United States
Department of Agriculture.) Neverthe-
less, the final proof of all such matters
is the verdict of human experience. The
uso of petroleum and machine devices
for catching the weevils has generally
been abandoned as of little or no value.
Wo have an unstanco where a man and
threo children made three-fourths of a
bale of cotton per acre on 75 acres by
hand-picking the weevils, picking up and
burning tlie fallen squares and intensive
cultivation, when adjacent cotton field
made nothing. If the fallen squares drop
where the sun can strike them, in dry
weather the larvae are killed. The evi-
dence seems to be that it is best to pick
up the fallen squares in wet weather If
practicable, but in dry weather such a
large per cent of the larvao in the
squares will be destroyed that It hardly
pays to pick them up Continue the
cultivation late as possible.
Cotton plants on very rich land and
on river bottoms develop so much stalk
that tho branches soon Interlock across
the rows and form a shade Ideal for the
development of boll weevil larvae. Such
rvtnk growth prevents late cultivation
"When the boll weevil prevents fruiting,
the growth of tho plant is greatly In-
Creased.
In order to make cultural methods ef-
f K.tive against the boll weevil, excessive
growth of plants must be avoided. Tins
can be aided as follows:
1. The space between the rows should
not be less than 5 to G feet.
2. Use seed from prolific, early ma-
turing, upland cotton of dwarf tiabit with
ol tiie cotton plant will hold strongly for
one season. It is wise to plant new up-
land seed every year.
:i When the plants are G to 10 inches
tall and thinned to a stand, bar off on
each side to prune the roots and check
growth, and If there is considerable
moisture in the soil let it stand barred
for a few days. Occasionally a second
barring off is made 18 inches on each
side of the row when the plants are
about two feet tall. The object is to in-
duce a dwarf habit and promote early
fruiting. Sometimes a resort is had to
topping and limb pruning.
4. If dwarfing is practiced the plants
may stand 12 to 15 inchcs apart in tho
rows.
AUCTIONEERS
JOH1W D. SNYDER
A uctioneer, Winfield, Kan.
Srt>s of Oklahoma Fanner readers solicited.
Sold in seven sta'.es last year.
Fred A. Speakman
stock AUCTIONEER
Write or wire me for dates.
WELLSTON, OKLAHOMA
THE TELEPHONE, A
MODERN DETECTIVE.
An incident recently occurred in a ciiy
in central Pennsylvania, which introduces
the telephone in a new and rather un-
expected role.
It was about two o'clock in the morning
and the night operator at the telephone
exchange had just completed a connec-
tion for a party calling a physician. As
there were very few calls at this hour of
the night, it was customary for the oper-
ator to throw on the night bell switch,
and take tilings easy, even to indulging
in short naps between calls, when they
were not too frequent. Whenever a call
came in, however, the night bell would
ring uninterruptedly until the call wis
answered, so that, even though the oper-
ator was enjoying a little rest, prompt
answers were usually given in order to
stop the clattering of the bell, if for no
other reason.
Hardly had the switch been thrown, and
tiie operator comfortably fixed in an easy
chair, when "whir" the night bell was
oft and signal a12 was prominently dis-
played at one end of the switoii.boa.rd.
"I wonder what a calj from Kandail'a
Mills at this hour of the niigtit caa
mean?" was the young lady's mental ob-
servation, governed by feminine curiosity
and the natural instinct of the telephone
operator who has served the same pat-
rons for years, and knows their telephone
numbers as well as she knows their
names. "Nobody down there tonight,
must be the wind has thrown a 'ground'
or a 'cross' on the line." On a central
battery switchboard such a condition
gives the same signal at the exchange
as a call from a subscriber. "However,
we'll see if there is anybody on the oth-
er end of the line, anyhow," as she plug-
ged Into No. 202 and quietly called "Num-
ber, please." The only answer was a
slight buzzing sound and thinking it was
caused by electrical induction from elec-
tric light wires running along the same
route, she was just about to withdraw the
plug when there came a clear but faint
clink, clink, ' like the so und of a small
hammer on a pice of steel, folio-wed by
words which she could just make out,
"Hold that light a little closer, Bill."
It flashed upon the girl In a moment
that the receiver was off the hook at tiie
other end of the line, and it was equally
clear, that no one was waiting at the
telephone for her to answer. Again ,-ihe
called in a quieter voice, "Number
please." still no answer. There was now
no doubt in the young lady's mind that
something was wrong at Kandail's Mill.
The mills were located along the creek
be-low the city and several hundred yards
from the nearest residence.
Her quick wit was equal to the occasion
and she promptly ranK up the police sta-
tion and Mr. Randall's residence ex-
plaining to the police sergeant that there
was something unusual going on in thu
office at Handa-ll's Mills and confirming
it as soon as she was able to get Mr.
Randall on the wire. The latter was
considerably agitated when the situation
was explained and stated that there was
certainly no one who had any business
in the office at that hour of the night.
As lie had placed a considerable sum of
money in the safe the evening before,
it did not take him long to get into his
clothes and down to the office. He was
just in time to see two seedy looking in-
dividuals with handcuff attachments,
emerging fr0m the building, each escorted
by a policeman.
The burglars, for such they turned out
to be, ha<} effected an entrance through
a coal hole in the sidewalk, and had en-
tered the office by removing a few loose
boards in the lloor, thus carofully avoid-
ing the burglar alarms with willed, the/
knew, all the doors and windows were
provided. *
One of them had been busily engaged
in drilling a hole into the door of the
safe, when the other, in endeavoring to
assist him, had inadvertently upset the
desk telephone which stood on the desk
at their side. (>J coursc, its soon as the
receiver fell off Uie hook, the signal was
given t« central and the developments
which landed the culprits in the hands of
the law followed in rapid succession as
iust described.
THE W H ITE GRUB
A Dangerous Insect Enemy of the Fruit
Tree.
The peach borer or white grub, which
bores holes through and under the bark
of the foots of peach trees, weakens and
often kills tre«s and may bo considered
one of the greatest enemies the peach
has to contend with. This insect changes
from a worm to a fly in August or Sept-
ember. At that time the worm comes
to the surface of the ground, construct-
ing a cocoon an inch in length, which
is attached to the base of the tree or
perched on the ground, end upward. In
a few weeks it appears as a moth and
begins to deposit its small eggs on the
body of the tree near the ground. Each
body lays 300 or more eggs and dies
within two weeks. In October or Novem-
ber the eggs hatch, and the little borers,
scarcely large enough to be seen, make
their way down to the ground at tho
base of the tree. When warm weather
comes in spring they begin active work
and increase rapidly in size, working
first in the bark of the roots nearest
the base of the tree and then extend-
ing down four or six inches into tho
lower roots, eating their way as they
go. The worst work is done in May,
June and July, and these are the months
when the peach trees should have most
careful attention. Young peach treea
require more attention than older tree3.
The roots of older trees are often so
large, coarse and tough as not to be sus-
ceptible to serious injury, but the young
trees may be destroyed by one grub.
THE GREAT VALUE OF GRASS
Absolutely Essential to the Preserva-
tion of the Soil
"In 1892," said Col. W. A. Harris re-
cently in an address, "I made my'first
trip abroad that I had ever had the
opportunity to take, and in traveling
over that wonderful little island Great
Britain there was absolutely nothing
that struck me with such profound
astonishment, such g?eat admiration
for good qualities, as the intelligence
and the patriotism—put it even upon
that high ground--of the Knglish farm-
er. X have walked over lands there
that had been practically cultivated
and farmed for thousands of years,
and they were still as fertile, apparent-
ly, as they have ever been I saw
throughout England and Scotland
more grass in proportion to the area
inclose dand used as farm land, than
I have ever seen anywhere. Even
Kansas, new state as she is, doesn't
show the proportion of grass that you
see everything in English. It is
livestock that you see everywhere. You
are never out of sight of a flock of
sheep; you are never out of sight* of
cattle, and as for nuiKin.s and brttds
they have produced by their intelli-
gence, you all know it is unexampled
in the world. Mr. Ingalls uttered not
only a beautiful poetic expression but
a profound economic trutii when he
sai^d "Grass is the forgivenness of
nature." It has preserved the soil of
Great Britain more than all the best
fertilization that could be main-
tained. It is the idol of the English
farmer. In a lease for an English
farm (I understand it to be invari-
bly the case), you find a severe pen-
alty to be' paid by the tenant if he
breaks up a piece of sod land. Now
agriculture 'cannot exist unless the
soil is preserved. To that end grass is
absolutely essential, and to the farm-
er we can reverse the scriptural idea
that all flesh is as grass. What the
farmer means when he speaks of grass
is that he has something that he pro-
poses to convert into flesh. Livestock
is the only industry, like the turtle in
Hindoo mythology, that is capable of
going on indefinitely without deterior-
ation.
"I want if I can, to call your atten-
tion to the importance of putting more
and more of our land into grass, and
when I say grass I mean scientifically
and properly ^>ut in, of course. At
one time—it was a good many years
ago—I used to boast that I had sowed
annually more blue grass seed than
anybody in Kansas. I came out to
Kansas an enthusiast on blue grass,
and I have been an enthusiast ever
*since. I believe that experiments
that are being made show that this
which we recognize in this latitude
as the most valuable of all srazing
grasses can be grown clear out to the
middle of the state. When I came to
Kansas we thought it could only be
grown only in the border counties of
the state. We have got to cultivate
it carefully. Prairie grass is
Paint Test Easily Made
Service—that is, appearance and
wear—is the test of paint as it is of
clothing, but we want to know that
the paint ts of the long-wearing kind
before we use it.
Good paint can be known before-
hand as certainly as we can know
all-wool cloth, and almost as easily.
It is true that White Lead, the essen-
tial base of good paint, is very com-
monly adulterated with worthless
materials which cannot be detected
by the eye, but intense heat will
reveal them every time. How heat
| does this is explained in our free
booklet. Send lor it.
A BLOWPIPE ON REQUEST
To ?et the reqnircd drpree of heat, a blow-
pipe is needed. We will furnish one free to
[ any one unending to paint, wilh directions
for using it. Don't trust to luck, to the
acraler. to the painter, to us, or to any one
else. Write for test outfit 3^
National Lead Company
in whichever of the following
cities ia nearest you:
New York. Boston. BuWo, St. Lonis.
Cleveland tiw aiiMi, Chi< Ko. Phila-
delphia [John 1. Lewis & 11,oh. Co.);
rittaburtih INutioual Lead Jl Oil Co.]
FULL WEIGHT KEOS
The Dutch Boy Painter
on a keg guarantees not
only purity, but full
weight of White Lead.
Our packages are not
weighed with the con-
tents; each keg contains
the amount of White
Lend designated on the
outside.
nutritious grass but It is easily grazed
out. I regard as a thing that ought
to be thoroughly discussed and under-
stood all over the state, the importance
of putting land into grass and tha
production of meat of all sorts'.—
Breeders Special.
TREAT YOUR PASTURE RIGHT
(By J. J. Taylor.)
The most I want to do is to set the
farmers to thinking, to take notice of
their own pastures and that of their
neighbors. When riding through the,
country, notice the condition of pas-
tures in general. Some will be low
wet and marshy, with nothing but
coarse grass; others with part dry
land eaten so close there seems to bo
nothing left, and then there is the up-
land pasture that is covered with
weeds, so much so, that the grass will
not grow to any extent. Now how
ong would it take a man with a paif
of shears to clip enough grass for a
cow a day in some of these pastures''
Is it any wonder that cows do not give
much mUk? Th.a Js toQ o(jmmon(
right in June when there should be a
Did an t0 rClP °Ht latCr ,n the sea*°
Did any of you ever have the t-owi
get oHt some night and get in th«. ^mi-
en or where there was plenty of feed
and see what an increase there was >n
the flow of milk? Now, that is just
he condition our pastures should bo
of goodT'T' abundance
Of good feed and then you would sea
what a profit there would be in cows
W hen the pasture is not eaten closely
there is a great deal •
on the same land. Take a pasture tha
has more feed for a year or two than
the stock could eat and we can keen
more stock on that same land -,nd
have plenty of feed, than we cau 'whe^
i& eaten close every year.
T^^^t Picker,
placAe has I^ted this notice'-
docr:r;t r'°rsons ******* wood
CIO so at their own risk Tho o, ,
avellana abounds here as well ' 13
equally venomous snakes " The
avl'.ana Is the h^olnut C°ryiU:'
very
WHY IS SUGAR SWEETT
sugar did not dissolve In the mrmtt,
you could not Uste the sweet. CROVF q
TASTELESS CHILL TONrrt i« n,
as the strongest hitter tonic, but vou°do
no taste the hitter because the C J?
do ,"0t dlSS°'V0 in the mouth but
do dissolve readily in the acids o th«
stomach. Is just „B goor1 C
People (1S fnr Children. The First ."H
< riginal Tasteless Chill Tpnlc. Tha
Standard for 30 years. Price 60c.
/
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Greer, Frank H. Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 5, 1908, newspaper, August 5, 1908; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc88198/m1/2/?q=virtual+music+rare+book: accessed June 12, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.