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arm (rop Queries >.r.Mt!.^AL2i\k'<!iii;'f.^!('y'ihj^iu VS^^ ?^^^ tSi;^l?^j;i&«^^^ Conducted by Professor Henry G. Bell. The object of thle department I* to place at the •ervice of our farm readers the advice of an acknowl- edged authority on all subject* ptetainirg to soils and crops. Address all questions to Professor Henry G. Bell, In care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, To- ronto, and answers will appear In this column In the order in which they are received. As apace is limited It Is advisable wnere Immediate reply ts necessary that a stamped and addressed envelope be enclosed with the question, when the answer will be mailsd direct. Henry Question-H. Câ€" Would it be pro- fitable to put a piece of land into spring wheat this spring, and would it be alright to use artificial fertilizer If no manure is used? What are the best varieties of seed? The soil is gravelly loam? Answer. â€" If the price of wheat re- mains anything near what it is at pres- ent, spring wheat should be a very pro- fitable crop in 1917. Prof. Zavitz of Oijtario Agricultural College advises using from I'w bushels of seed per acre- He recomnjcnds the Marquis wheat wluch has don© best of its type in tests throughout the various parts of the province- Another good spring wheat is Wild Goose, which prodtices an exceedingly hard kernel but one not of very high quality. Early Java spring wheat is anotiier variety which is also suceesifully grown. I believe it would be advisable to ap- ply at least 250 Ihs. of fertilizer per acre in order to in.nu-e a good vigor- ous .«ta;-t of this r-uney-crop. For a gi-avelly loam, I v.ou'.d apply a fertili- zer carrying frcm 2 to 3'i ammonia, at least 8:'c phosphoric acid and 1 tc 2'T- potarh. This can be broadcasted with a lime .spreader, but is better ap- plied through the fertilizer dropping attachment of the grnin drill. â- W\ H. H.â€" The Maplesâ€" I have 500 acres pasture land and TOO acres meadow. Am carrying a little over 100 head of beef cattle, 100 hogs and 35 fchcep at present. Am anxious to make my land carry more. What can you suggest? Answer â€" If water stands on your meadows or pastures late in spring, obviously liniinage is necessary. See that surface drains are kept open, and add tile drains as you are able until all the land drains freely. Valuable pasture and meadow glasses and clov- ers will not thrive in water-logged soil. If clover is scarce in the sod and sheep sorrel grows freely, it is likely your meadow or pasture land is sour. ' Apply two to four tons of finely ground limestcne per acre, or its eriuivalent of burnt time or marl. This can be spread on the land as soon as it is dry enough to drive over it in spring. A broadcast limesower is best to use in spreading the lime. It may be the plantfood of your grass land is getting scarce or inac- tive. If so, spread from 5 to 10 loads of manure on your meadow ne.xt spring Just as grass growth is starting. i Finally, the kinds of grasses grow- : ing in your meadow may be naturally low yieldcrs. If so, let your next ' seeding be of high-grade seed of good varieties. Prof. Zavitz of Ontario Agricultural College, after 10 years' tests, recommends the following mix- ture. GrassfS. Lbs. per .\. Orchard 4 Meadow Fescue 4 , Tall oats ."? Timothy 2 Meadow Foxtail 2 The average 10-yr. yield was 5.09 tons per acre. Legumes. Lbs. per .\. ^ Alfalfa 5 I Alsike Clover 2 \ White Clover 1 Yellow Trefoil \ ' Total 24 lbs. 1m V _our y^fonlem J Condtuled 6y /Itm) /tela n JJuur Mothers and daugliters of all ages are cordially Invited to wr'to to thl» department. Initials only will be pubMshed with each question and lt» answer as a means of identification tut full name and aad'ess must b« given (n each lette.- Write on one side of paper only. Answo: s will b» mailed diiect if stamped and addressed envelcps is enclosed. Address all correspondence for this department to Mrs. Helen Law, 75 Castie Frank Read, Toronto. Business Girl: â€" 1. It is impossible PIGS IN CLOVER. Tiiree r^r! pupU.s who are l^arrilUK f-irmiiig un.J-r ih« au.si.lees of the >'ottins:h.".rn Kducatien Commiuea with suni.3 Uttli' pig.- whieh \xse an'.oinf thi: ar..MalM uncer their ch.-irg-e. POTATOES FOR ONTARIO The Third of a Series of Five Special Articles by Prof. Henry G. liell. If farmers were determined to raise as much of their feed as pos.-^ible, per- haps dairying would not look so down in the mouth. "Animal licnt" is a term loosely used, but it means somsthi!i< when it comes to maintaining stock m m.idwin- ter. It will never do to let the fire go down, however hard it may be upon the feed bin. The best way to bring cream to the right temperature for chutning in coid weather is to put the pail in a tub of very warm watei-. Stir the cream constantly .so it will get warm evenly. If it is overheat- ed the butter will be greasy and cheesy . If cream is held too long it will be- come biitcr and hard to churn. No herd of cows can do well unless the supply of water is abundant and clean. If the herd can be watered in the stable, and help themselves, so much the be^^er . Certain breeds of sheep are dis- tinctly more fertile than others. Not a bit of tho droppings of a flock should be wasted, and a flock winter- ed in roomy quarters under cover will give an increased profit. The litter will absorb all the liquids, and the flock will keep the mass pack- ed down so it will not heat. Sprinkle land-plaster over the pen frequently to keep down tuiy odors. Keep the pen.-; well Uttered with clean brigh* straw, and keep them per- fectly level. Keep the ewes very thrifty by watchful, careful feeding. Be sure that your ewes do not crowd though narrow doors. Crowding or jamming may kill an u!\born lamb, and possibly the ewe. This is the time of the year that colds are most prevalent. Keep the front of the house open, but sec that there are no openings in the back or side Walls to cause draughts. Everybody too busy to give the hens a fre-^h drink, yet there is no other lit- tle chore about the farm mor,- import- ant than watering the chickens. Fix up a sheltered corner for the early broody. A newspaper in the bottom of the nest helps to keep the egg>t warm. -A dry atmosphere is a pretty good insurance against canker and roup. Shun low. damp, foggy places for the poultry business. Growing birds need mineral matter in their feed a good deal more than do those that have gained their full growth. Old birds are not making bone and muscle as much as they did once. But it stunts chicks and young hens to get short of grit and shells . The hen never lays an egg until all the ingredients necessary for the complete development of a chick are present. Since the egg contains pro- tein as well as carbohydrate?, any amount of carbohydrates fed in the form of grain will not offset the ne- cessity of protein. Milk given to the birds, either as a drink or in the form of wet mash, will double egg yields. Commercial meat scrap is of equal value, and may be substituted when milk cannot be obtained . Many losses in pig breeding can be avoided by proper care of the sow during the gestation period. If a pig has a cough give it some oil-meal in its feed. OU-meal is Wxative and it will often help a slight iold. Wheat middlings made in a thick ilop is one of the best foods for grow- ing pigs. Never feed meal dry to pigs; make a thick slop always. Don't forget to give the pigs lots of bright clover hay or alfalfa. They will eat it and it is the best thing in the world for them in connection with other feed. Watch the bowels and if constipated give some succulence; roots are good In such eases. Don't ocrfeed the brood sows and get them too fat. A fat sow never has a good Utter of pigs. Keep the brood sov.s active. j If a horse shows measiness, paws a little, looks around to the flank, has an 'irregular appetite, with evacuation of small quantities of dry fseees, or little or no motion of the bowels, he is suf- â-  ferinR from constipation. Administer a moderate purgative as 7 drams aloes and 2 drams ginger, Feed on bran only until bowels act I freely. (iive 2 drams nu.\ vomica 3 times daily, and give rectal injections of warm, soapy water every 3 or 6 hours . The principal object in grooming a horse should be to stimulate the sur- face of the body by friction. If you have a fall colt, get it to eat- ing ground oats in a little manger by il.self as soon as possible. Keep the colts well bedded and clean. .A manure-laden colt is a re- buke to its owner. Never close the stable at night un- til the mud and ice are all cleaned oflf the horses' legs . I am wintering a mare and a three- year-old colt on the stubs left from the sheep and a small grain ration at noon . .\ set of ehaimi for use in an unex- pected icy time or to get a smooth- shod horse to the shop, is a good In- vestment. The idle work horses should not be fed so much grftln as when at work, but they should have a small ration. If Ontario proi'.j.-ed in 1'.)1T 300 bus. per acre of potatoes on thj acreage devoted to potatoes la:U year, she could provide one pound of potatoes a Jay for a whole year for a population of 8,250,000 peeple. Can she do it? I believe she can. Such an accom- plishment is but the result of applying niethoils which have "proven out" no further removed from Ontario than Aroost'^ck Co., Maine. The yield per ajcic obtained in this county has fre- ([uently exceeded 300 bus. for areas not of 5 or 10 acres but on whole farms of 75 to 150 acres. Ontario for the most part has a good potato soil. The range ui' tem- perature and rainfall during the grov*,'- ing season is usually sach as favors good yields of potatoes. Labor is very scarce, and potatoes probably require more labor than most farm crops. Xe"-erthcless, if Ontario farmers v;ould individually or co-operatively equip themselves with modem potato machinery, a jrieat deal of hand labor could be avoided, and large areas handled with little more labor than it now takes to work the common 3 to 5 a. potato patches. There are at least five great essentials in growing this crop, each of which must be care- fully observed if big yields or first quality are to be harvested: j 1 1st â€" Potato soil must be fa:rly open, friable, and must be well drain- ed. Potatoes will not thrive in water- • logged soil. See that the open drains are clear and the tile drains are doing , thoir wcrk. Plant your crop on sod land that was deeply plowed. The tu- \ bers swell rapidly in July. They must not be constricted by heavy, closely packed soil. Disk and harrow the seedbed till it is mellow. ! 2nd â€" Potatoes must have an abund- ' ance of moisture, especially when the tubers are filling. 1 ".A.h, yes I" you say. "that is just where we cannot control conditions." Are you sure you cannot control the \ moisture supply, at least to a con- , ' siderable extent? I I Is your soil deeply fall plowed, so that it can catch and retain the great amount of water that falls upon it in the shape of snow and rain during winter and early spring ? ; Is your soil well stocked with de- caying plant material â€" stubble, second crop clover, strawy manure â€" humus ? 1 It acts like a sponge, catching and j holding the moisture til! it i.^ needed. 1 3rdâ€" Suitable well-bred varieties al- â-  ways outyield mongrel stock. Seed stock, whether early or late, should bo pure, otherwise there will be un- equal ripening, and frequently a vari- ation in size and quality which great- j ly discounts the product when it is i ready for market. •tth â€" Potatoes require an abundance , of well-balanced plant food. Remem- ' bcr, potatoes have to be fed ju.st like ' , yoT hogs, or calves, or poultry, if you ' ' are to get largest yields of best qual- | , '*â- >'• I Manure Is the great farm plant food supply. It will supply much ne- ! cessary food to potatoes as well as to ' other farm crops. However, in many ; j of the large potato growing sections, i the growers prefer to put the manure | 1 on land set apart for other crops such i as wheat or meadow, and to give the potatoes their additional food in the form of fertilizers. Stock manure. es:;eciai!y if fre.~h, forms a srlencid lodging place for the spores or tiny seeds ol the potato scab diseases. -A. good fertilizer for potatoes should carry fr^m 2 to 4 per cent, of am- monia. It is the nitrogen which form.4 ^•2 per cent, of the ammonia, wh:ch greatly aids the rapid and sturdy growth of the potato vir.e. The potato fortiliier should also supply fi^m 8 to 10 per cent, of available phosphoric acid. It is the phos. aci.l which causes the plant to ripen and form its tubers. Before the war potato growers were using from 3 to 10 per cent, of potash in their potato plant food. It is this important fyod which aids the starch to form and fill out the tuber. Under present conditions potato fertilizers had best carry 1 to 3 per cent, of potash. If you have a quantity of wood ashes you will do exceedingly well to scatter it on your potato seeiibed and to work it into the soil. Well-stored wood ashes carries from 2 to 3 per cent, potash. How miich .-^hall you use? Prof. Zavitz at the recent conven- tioiX of the Ontario Experimental UnioiV reported that as a result of 95 tests of potato fertilizers throughout the pro\ ince during the last 5 years, the experimenters obtained an aver- age yield of 122.4 bus. per acre with- out fertilizers, and 141.3 bus. per acre where 320 lbs. ^>i fertilizer was applied, and lill.'J bus. per acre where 9''0 lbs. of fertilizer was added, nir. Woods of Maine Exp. Sta. be- gan a special fertilizer experiment in \ii\'- testing low potato fertilizers for Maine potatoes. On one te•s^ where potatoes foUowed sod he applied 1500 lbs. of fertilizer to the acre, and har- vested the following: "* v.. '1.1 r>-r .\ Plot Treiitn'.iMt I'.usii, inf .A. I.'.'l" U<s lertiliziT slUM'l^i'iB lillri)- tzyn .'iri.l avidhiblt- v*h"-'^l'horlo .1' IJ, lull no pol;ish :'<6 1."."" lli.>i, iVrilliz.'r Klml.^ sinK 5''"; .Vni;iioniu S'l Awili.ibli- I'h.s, \ â-  ,1 »<. rola-<h 4J I In applying ftrti'.izers, as a rule not more than I'JO lbs. sh'^uld be sown in the potato drill or furrow, .\mounts in excess of this should be sown broadcast over the potato seedbed and carefully harrowed or disked into the soil before the potato drills are "struck" or the crop is planted. Of Course the potato planter, with fertil- izer dropping attachment deposits the fertiliser in the row, to best advant- age. Proper potato fertilization is un- doubtedly the secret of big yields. It is the measure that British agricul- turists are .'o strongly advocating' at this moment. .\s long as they were able to obtain availa'cle phosphoric acid, potato fertilization was what made it possible for Britain's enemy to proiluce such quantities of potato food for man and beast. - 5th â€" Control potato disease. This is the great perquisite that to- gether with the foregoing means lar- gest yields and best quality potatoes. This paper is already long, hence we shall delay discussion of this large subject for a subsequent article. Remember that well drained land, plentifully supplied with humus, en- riched with suitable available fertil- izer produces largest crops of best quality potatoes, if good seed is plant- ed and care is taken to control dis- ease and insect pests. to mix business with pleasure suc- ^ cesbfully. AH .lay in ?n office a.-'d ; ail evening at the social game burns I the candle at both ends, and spells disaster. An occasional dissipation is stimulating to all of us. and the teni- ' poiary loss of sleep it entails can be made up; it is the canstanf drain that tells. 2. If a girl who is entertaining another girl at her home receives an invitation to a party. ;he may with perfect propriety ask the hostess for permission to bring her guest. \'iol'4: â€" 1. k ^up of hot wat<^r or eccua taken 'oefure retiring will sooth the nerv'.'s, and induce sleep. 2. For ', a sallow skin, eliminate sweets, pas- tries, rich gravies, fried foods, fat I moats, and use fruiis and green vege- 1 tables aa much as pos:''ble. Drink two giaises of water (hot* on rising, j two more abov.t 11 uclock, two in the ; early evening and tw-', befci-e retiring. Mrs. L. H.: â€" 1. Probably lack of flavor in the meat is due to the manner of co( '.;;ng. Havi> the oven verj' hot :U tirst, then the meat will be sea'-ed '^r the outside, and this will 'seep the juices in. After twenty minutes the temperature of the oven can be con- siderably lowered. Steaks and chops should be put into ve/y hot pans, and ta. ncd (juickiy, then temperature low- ered. Meat should be seasoned just before it has finished cooking. 2. Scrambled Cj^gs iteeome watery when th^y are allowed to cook t'^o long. Teacher:â€" The "Teutonic ' territory oc-.ipied by the Allies is ai-oat 748,- S'ii square mile;-, including captured eo:vnies. The '.â- MUed" tenitory oc. cu::..d by the Ctntral Powers i;, alniut 12.^,000 square miles. Mrs. B. K.:â€" An emery wb. e! on a se.'.-ing machine is most u.cful for i-h.-r-ening kni"es a.id load pencils. Get a roll of h.ilf-ineh adb?-;ive tape from the drug store, cut otf a strip ja: t long enough to reach around the sm.'.'.l wheel of the machine .i:'.<i press it fr.-mly to the metal. N'e-"', cut a itrip of fij'.e emery cicth tho same len^fth ai-.d width and glue U' 'he tape, then v.-ind tlie wheel all avoi.'i.i "vith a strip 1.1 tape or muslin to hold in pla.e until the glue is di-y, wh.ch will la';ie a duv or so, when it may bo r'j.Ti vrd. When worn out another st:-;p of emery cluth can b.. glued o-.:r th..' fir-t. When using the -mery wh"€! adjust as for filling a -obbin. Miss G. L. B. :â€" The colors fot snrirg are pretty, navy blue, and all .shui^s of grey, a new g-''en called -pruce green, lii.d Copenliairvn blue. Wool and silk -mbri.ide.'V 'n bright lints of goiii yelio'.v. L-h.m'^e blue, Pcisian pink, and ja^ie green a-e iised on hats and dresses. P-.vi.as are largo and appear in pair.-, otn- :'.t eith- er side of the skirl or ccat^ Pleata and tu'-ks are in favor. S'-;:."^? no '.cn^rer tiare but take an mi". :ird curva a-' i.ii.: "he ankles . .\ Counter .Move. .\ popular trooper in an .\ustvalian ' cavalry contingent owned a large tract I f land on which his present colonel had worked for £3 a week be- fore the war. Thet rooper went be- fore his CO. for a small offence, and , the penalty was fixed at a severe re- \ primand «r\d two days' pay stoppe*!. "I'm sorry," the colonel told his late employer in a friendly way afterwards. ' "But war is wbj\ you know, and I can- not overlook things." "AH right," â-  said the trooper. "I don't think I; deserved it, so 1 have cabled to my foreman to stop the money out of your i pay." STRAW \S FODDER. In effect, a recent bulletin of the United States Department of Agri- culture asks why the American farm- er cannot put straw to the same use as it is put by the European farmer. In Europe the farmer knows as well as the .'Vmerican farmer that straw is not liked by stock, but instead of burning it, or otherwise wasting it, the European farmer chops it up, mixes it with beets, mangels, silage, or other feeds, and makes it so palat- able that it can be fed to good advant- age. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL LES.-^oN FEKRLAia 25. Lesson Mil. Jesus .Vt Ihe Pool Of Bethesda â€" John 5. 1-15. (ioldeii Text â€" John .). 15 Verse !. .\ feast â€" Some gooil auth- orities have the feast: that is, fai-er- nacies. ciearly, in any case, the Evangelist sees no sigr.iiicance in the particular feast, which belongs ro ine old order (heme of the Jew-^i. It gave Jesus an o|-.portunity of m-eting great crowds in the leniper of >vi.-. -I.ip. 2. By the sheep pool, the Ipool] which â€" So read, witnoui altering the pronunciation of the Oeek text. Hei)rewâ€" That n-. .\ramM!C. as often. Bethesdu â€" There is considerable vaiiu- tion among the auth'>rities. Porches â€" Covered shelters to keep the uu;; -^ff. 3. The interesting glo^s at the en i of this verse scom.i to have arisen early and in Palestine. It is drawn from local folklore, and its omission by the oldest cctnes rids us of a great, difficulty: the Evangelist no longer guarantees an absolutely nonnicral I miracle! "Each man for himself" was the motto of the crowd, a.id the best legs can ieil ciT the prize. No doubt there were geniune mind cures Caere as at other holy wells: superstition as well as faith can influence the body â€" witness "Christian" "Science" to- day! 5. Symbolic interpreters make much of the thirty-ei;?ht: like the Israelites of o!,!. he had lived thirty-eight years in the desert before he came into his promisetl land! Unless we are out for di.Tcrediting the narrative, it is better to recognize a little touch of detail such as as an eye-witness loves. |5. The Lord's question seems strangely superfluous! But he asked Baitimafus one much like it. By such simi'Ie que.istions he drew out the man's state of mind: the very expression of the need was a prei)aration for meet ing it. 7. Troubled â€" The Evangelist does not stop to explain the allusion, which does not concern him. It may have been an intermittent spring; or pos- sibly (as Dr. Dendel Harris suggests) the world-wide notion of getting "the luck of the water" on New Year's Day. (See Expositor. December, 1000.1 8. Compare Mark 2. 11. The pallet (margin ) might have been a mere mat, but '.he word itself (.one from the vul- gar tongue) rather suggest? a light frame, such as we see in India . 10. People who could solemnly dis- . cuss whether a man with a wooiien leg might carry that burden on the Sab- bath â€" such was the national lack of humor! â€" fastened on this breach of their law. Jesus could have told the man to fetch his property next day! But he regularly set himself to dis- credit a law which made the Sabbath a weariness instead of a delight. 11. One vvho could do such a deed must have Crod's authority to regulate the Sabbath . It is tho same atti- tude as that of the blind man in John I 9. S3. 14. In the temple --"Returning to give glory to God." This is a key to i verse 15, where the man thinks he , silences objectors by mentioning the ; name of him who had mediated God's ' gift. Sin no more â€" Not that sin had ': directly caused his trouble (John 9. I 3). But sin would bring, here and 1 hereafter, a worse thing than even all years of helplessness. Fibre From a Flower. Fibre useful In te.vtiles and cord- age has been extracted from the wa- ter hyacinth of Indo-China by a Frenchman . THE HAPPY CHICK. Biim. blim, blini! Uh. Mother, detirl I lua- -â-  me on4 kri.v \irg outside the cci;). I must run )i.r and see who it is." iharlie I'b.i-'x -tarted from -mder h .- mother's wi: .; .'. r.h a ru.-h. â- â- '.V.i.t. wait! Take it cajm'y. Let mc : oi'k out and se^- who it is. You n' 1 • not be too hasty. e-re--sal'y when yii'i :ire young," .-Juid Mr-. Plymouth R :'•. ';. .• : idling I'hariie uti'i'T her wing ;'j he peekeii out of the conn. "\bl I told you so. U ;> Rover, the i ig dog. grawing at a 'k ue back -:' ur home. Voii mti-t li^are of b".--" a"d cnt,^." Mrs. FIyn;e.!-.h Rjck ^e-;'.i.i herself once more a: \ t'harlie .•lo.-ei his eyes for a na''. â- '.Vh,_.n he wuio -:p he stretched hi- v ^- r o\ er i'.ij I:: tic leir and yawned. Then he as'KC'l: â- â€¢.M ther. ivhy -iocs a .: 'g bav«j horns "." "Horrts? Horns ' I â- ,:id rot know that a dog had horns â€" do you mean ear^?" a.sked Charlie's m"ih.-'r. laugh- ing. "Yes: that mast be it. Hnt why haven't I horns or ear'i that stick out? " "You do not need them, try d'ar. Moiher Nature does not want is to be burdened with thin-rs wh'ch are of no use to us. .\ dog needs his cars to hear with. Tluy are placed where they will catch all the soimis that come to him. He must hear the rustle of the gra.<s which tells ir.ni that a rabbit is near." Mrs. Plymonth Kock looked lovin^rlv at her son and cuddled him once more under her wing. .All was quic! '"or a time and then Charlie Chick pokeil his head out from under hi- mother's wing and said, "How may we know our enemies, mother, deai'.'" "My child, you ask a lot of ques- tions for a tiny chick; still, you will never learn if you do not a-k. Be- ware of things which have ;"our legs. Beware of birds that fly in the air. lest you ch.ince to fall into the claws of a liawk. Keep your ears open, even if they ao not --tick out like a dog's, lor the shrill cry of the hav. k will warn yni when y^iu are in danger." "Th.-uik you." replied ('harlie Chick, as he sauntered forth into the lot . By and by he saw something mov- ing toward hitn. Kemembering what his mother had said, he looived :\nd sew that the object had two legs. Sure enough! It was Buddie from the big house comiiiK to feed the chickens. Such a scampering in thehenyurd! Charlie was soon surrounded by a lot of other chickens, all bent ^.nx having their share of corn. When he and his mother had eaten their fill, they both went bark to the coop and Charlie said: "I saw Buddie coming and I knew that ho was a friend because he had two legs; Init. mother, dear, he did not have ears like Rov«r." "No," said Mrs. Plymouth Rock, softlj-, "but we must not try to tell our friends by their ears or eyes, but by the kindness which Lhey show to- ward u.*." .Vfter saying this Charlie's mother peeked under her wing and fc>und that he was fast asheep. â-  How happy is chiJvhc>odI" she said to herself. "That Is tile way it should be."