Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, May 16, 1912, Image 3

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    SUMMER TILLED CROPS
-Dry Farming Had Serious Back
set in Past Two Years.
IFair Crop Could Have Been Raised
Had Campbell System of Tilling
and Storing of Rainfall Been
Put Into Practice.
In the last two of three years dry
farming has had the wo > st backset in
many seasons or perhaps since the se
ries of unusually dry years in the early
" nineties. However we have had but
few if any years in which a fair crop
could not have been grown by the
Campbell system of summer tilling
one half of the land every year and
storing the rainfall , thereby utilizing
the moisture of two years to produce
one crop , writes V. H. Hamilton in the
Denver Field and Farm. Ending with
1907 we had a series of years of more
than normal rainfall and in some dry
districts the fall wheat averaged about
twenty bushels the acre and this by
very poor methods of farming. Then
In 1908 spring rains were light and
crops generally were a failure , so that
the farmers did not harvest them , but
plowed the land during the early summer -
. mer for the next year's crop.
With a good supply of moisture that
fall and the next spring a boomer
1909 averaging
crop was harvested in
twenty-five to thirty bushels and In
some fields up to nearly fifty bushels
the acre. Then in 1910 wheat aver-
.aged about ten bushels ar acre with
many total failures. One field of 130
acres on Gunbarrel Hill in Boulder
county that was summer tilled in 1909
averaged 30 % bushels the acre , while
an adjoining field was a total failure.
Another field across the corner was
mowed for hay , while still another ad
joining field made nineteen bushels
and another ten bushels. Then a field
of abouL 200 acres two miles from the
first field was summer tilled in 1909
and made an average of twenty-six
.bushels . , while the average of the
whole district was only about ten bush-
'els. This goes to show that the short
crops of 1910 were not so much the
! fault of the climate as to the slack
! n ethods of farming.
Now that we have had a liberal
amount of snow this winter and spring ,
: the dry farmer should get busy and
( double disk all land not already in
crops , just as soon as the ground is
dry enough to work. Disking will put
the surface in condition so that the
rains will be more readily absorbed ,
and in case the weather should be dry
und windy it will prevent evaporation.
Last spring I disked part of a field in
.March , then early in May we listed the
field in corn. The part that was disked
was in fine condition with moisture
fourteen inches deep , while the part
not disked was so dry and hard we
could hardly list it at all. The disked
part made good growth with a small
ear on nearly every stalk , while that
not disked never got more than a foot
iigh the season long. Every one farm
ing on the semi-arid plains where the
average precipitation is less than
eighteen inches should carefully sum
mer till a part of their land every year ,
"because ordinary methods or the way
they farm back east will fail about
one year in two.
What is meant by summer tilling is
to disk after the binder or at least re
move the grain as soon as possible ,
then double disk which should be done
-again in the spring as soon as the
frost is out of the ground and it s dry
venough to work , but do not disk too
\
deep , not more than three Inches.
Then plow during June or early July
not less than six inches nor more than
sight , using the packer every half day
after the plow and the harrow every
-night. The subsurface packer should
be used while the soil is moist , or it
will not pack the under part of the fur
row slice sufficiently to make good con
nection with the subsoil. The reason
for not plowing unirrigated lands deep
er than eight inches is that in order
to obtain good results the plowed part
must have good connection with the
subsoil , for no packer yet devised will
firm the under part sufficiently. The
air spaces in the plowed soil will break
the capillary attraction from below ,
so that no matter how much moisture
is stored it will be of no use to the
growing crop unless there should come
a soaking rain that would settle all
the plowed part , exclude the surplus
air and restore connection with the
subsoil. We must do with the sub
surface packer what nature often falls
to do in the arid region. In summer
tilling do not plow too early as it
would then be more difficult to keep
the weeds down.
Caution on Pasturing Alfalfa.
Alfalfa should be pastured with
very great caution. In fact , the farm
er who holds this matchless crop in
proper regard will pasture something
else and just use the alfalfa for hay.
But if the alfalfa is to be pastured
about half enough stock should be
kept on it to keep the growth down.
By this method two or three cuttings
-of hay will be obtained in addition to
the pasturage.
Another caution to throw out Is that
It should be allowed to make a good
start in the spring before the stock
are turned on , and should be allowed
to go in the winter with a good cover
Under no conditions should it be pas
tured in cold weather.
Good Points of Horse.
The neck and shoulders of a horse
are points that must not be over
looked when buying. A weak neck
and a narrow brea do not go with
| be most desirable horse.
STOP ESCAPE OF MOISTURE
Farmer In Semi-Arid Regions Should
Use Every Endeavor to Prevent
Evaporation of Water.
The escape of moisture , not the
lack of it , is what has done the so-
called dry west the greater harm.
Today we passed a spot where two
men were digging a cellar. It Is in a
very dry country where all crops must
be irrigated , and the subsoil , after go
ing down a foot or two. is almost as
hard as rock and has to be loosened
by a sharp picker by dynamite.
Across this cellar soil an oil road had
been made which formed a perfectly
impervious crust two or three inches
deep. Through this oil crust no mois
ture could by any possibility go to
the soil beneath It , and on the other
hand not a particle of moisture could
escape from the soil under it into the
air above. As the men slowly dug in
to the flinty dry subsoil , just beside
this hard water-proof surface they re
marked that when they got under the
road where no rain moisture could by
any possibility come they feared it
would be like rock. Curious to see if
just the opposite might not prove to
be the case , the writer with a sharp
pick succeeded in baring a good strip
of the soil under the oil road. To the
surprise of the diggers , both soil and
subsoil under this air-tight covering
was so moist that it could be spaded
readily with but very little use of the
pick.
pick.We
We cannot cover our farms with an
air-tight protector , but In every way
In our power we should shut off evap
oration. The high winds , the dry air
and the hot sun all combine to take
the moisture from our soil just when
we need it most.
That is one great reason why the
forest condition brought about by the
cool shady protection of the corn field ,
leaves our corn land with so much
more moisture in It than open road
ways or grain fields.
The cultivation , too , tends to take
the place of the oiled roadway. For
this reason , too , our grains should be
put in early and as soon as possible be
made to shade and protect the surface
soil.
soil.The
The same principle is involved when
on some soils some seasons the grain
does so much better for being lightly
harrowed when two inches or so high.
It is why lightly disked or sharply har
rowed stubble land grows better corner
or grain if thus treated the moment
the snow is off. Anything and every
thing that will tend to prevent the es
cape of subsoil moisture will tend just
as strongly to give us a good crop and
a certain one. Evaporation should be
headed off in every way in our power.
It is like letting our money run .to
waste to let our soil moisture get away
from us.
FARM VALUES MAKE SHOWING
Aggregate Values of Land in Arid and
Semi-Arid Regions Have Made
Remarkable Advance.
The arid and semi-arid regions'
make a remarkable showing in farm
values , according to the United States
census. A bulletin isued by the cen
sus bureau shows that the aggregate
value of farm land in the sections
named is $10,488,000,000. This enor
mous value is all the more remarkable
because of the contrast with the
$3,249,000,000 indicated by the census
of 1900. The value of farm land in
the arid and semi-arid regions in 1910
was nearly half that of all farm land
in the United States ten years before
that year. Whether values of this
kind in other parts of the country in
creased in the same proportion or not ,
it is evident that they made a big ad
vance , and from it all one may form
an idea of the vast growth in the
country's wealth from this source.
Continued care In handling the
dairy products is the price of success.
A dairy cow should be allowed to
rest from six to eight weeks before
freshening.
Where dairying is not practiced the
calf will have also to pay for keeping
the cow a year.
The mangel is excellent for stock-
feed , being greatly relished by milk
cows in winter.
The best market for skim milk on
the farm is afforded by good dairy
calves and quick growing pigs.
Sweet corn is one of the very best
crops to grow to feed as a soiling
crop to the dairy cows in summer.
Just after the cow has freshened
she should have the same feeds she
has been given previous to calving.
It should be remembered that the
milk cannot be increased in solids
and In fat by the feeding of rich food.
To feed cows profitably without
some home-grown sort of protein ,
such as the leguminous hays. Is diffi
cult.
It is best to reduce the milk pro
ducing food , so that a mature cow will
dry and rest for a month to six weeks
before calving.
Successtul dairying is largely a mat
ter of securing cheap feed , as well as
good cows. The silo is one method or
economizing on feed.
Be good to the cows. These most
useiul animals are a safe Investment
They do not go off Into a fence cor
ner and die of cholera.
ALL OVER NEBRASKA.
Flag to Sunday School.
' Douglas Count } ' . To stimulate in
terest and increase the attendance at
the annual meeting of the Nebrska
Sunday School association , which
will be held in Omaha on June 18 , 19
and 20 , the officers of the associa
tion and the committee in charge
have decided to give a beautiful silk
flag as a prize to the district asso
ciation sending the largest delega
tion.
tion.The
The flag will be awarded on the
mileage basis , the total mileage count
ing number of delegates and miles
traveled to determine the winner. A
similar prize was given last year at
Grand Island and was won by the
Omaha delegation , with the Custer
county delegation , hailing from Minden -
den as a close second. The Custer
County association has set its hearten
on winning this year and will make
the other county organizations go the
limit. Plans for the convention are
well under way. The program is
being arranged and will be announc
ed by the Publicity bureau in a short
time.
Corporations Paying Up.
Lancaster County. The corpora
tion tax , payable to the state , is not
due until July 1 , and the secretary of
state has not yet sent out notices to
corporations of the amount to be
paid. Yet in spite of this seven dif
ferent corporations have remitted
the tax , and one thing that is notice
able is that practically all of those
which have been so prompt to pay up
are corporations which last year were
delinquent and for that reason had
thF.r charters declared forfeited. Evi
dently tliey do not care to take any
chances on that score this year.
Looks Good for Fruit Crop.
Pawnee County. Although a week
or two later than usual , the recent
rains and the warm sun have brought
into blossom the fruit trees , which
resemble flower gardens. Even the
peach trees , which were "killed" by
the long , hard , cold winter , are a
veritable wealth of bloom , promising
an abundant yield of fruit in Pawnee
county.
Young Woman Loses Life.
Hall County. Miss Claussen , the
young woman who had just entered
service in the home of former Lieu
tenant Governor and Mrs. O. A. Ab
bott , and who was found unconscious
in her room in the morning following
her first night at the home , the re
sult , apparently , of having blown out
the gas , is dead. She was a member of
a well known family in the county.
Guilty of Arson Charges.
Harm Shank was found guilty of
Arson by the jury in district court in
Osceola. Shank was charged with
setting fire to a livery barn there in
October. The structure which was
valued at $3,000 , and contained sever
al horses , was damaged to the ex
tent of about $1,000. Motion for a
new trial is pending.
Killed by Defective Current.
Pawnee County. Word has reached
Table Rock of the recent death at his
home in Oklahoma , of Fred Messin-
ger , jr. , who lived several years on a
farm some four miles west of Table
Rock. He was at work at an ice
plant , and was killed by a defective
current.
Despondent Man Kills Self.
Cedar County. L. Stringfellow ,
commonly known as "Doc , " hung
himself at Coleridge. He came from
Laurel , where he ran a pool hall , but
was closed out. He attempted un
successfully to open one at Coleridge
and despondency over his bad for
tune , was probably the cause of his
committing suicide
Injured by Explosion.
Yvrhile serving drinks from his soda
fountain , Fred Kitzerow of Stanton ,
was severely injured when the foun
tain exploded and blew everything to
pieces. Large pieces of the fountain
struck Mr. Kitzerow in such manner
that his right arm was torn to shreds
and his entire body is badly bruised'
and scratched. His condition is criti
cal.
Car Thieves Are Taken.
Gage County. Sheriff Schief ran
to cover a gang of corn thieves who
have been robbing cars of shelled
corn in transit. Ninety bushels of
grain were taken in a few days. Dea
con Burroughs , James Haney and
Ralph Eichorn are under arrest
charged with the thefts.
Farmer Suicides.
Franklin County. Carl F. Jansen ,
a farmer who lived alone in a sod
house , two and a half miles west of
Hildreth , committed suicide , shooting
himself with a shot gun. He had of
late apparently been mentally unbal
anced.
Postal Bank Deposits.
Douglas County. Reports made by
the Postal Savings bank of Omaha
show that at the end of the first half
year there are 1,264 depositors and
$30,093 in deposits , showing an in
crease of forty-eight new accounts
and $9,657.00 in deposits. Postal sav
ing bank stamps to the value of
$190.50 have been sold. On July 1
$500 will be converted into govern
ment bonds , at request of depositors.
Applications for the transfer of mon
eys into bonds must be made by
June 1.
NATION SAVED BY A SPIDER
Scotland Profited by the Lesson the
Insect Taught to Its
Monarch.
Scotland has many legends that the
sheepherders and highland peasants
never get tired repeating. A long time
ago King Bruce ruled over Scotland
before that country became a part of
England , and he learned a lesson from
a spider that enabled him to succeed
when otherwise he .would have failed.
King Bruce had lost many battles.
He was discouraged. He had made
his final effort against his enemies
and failed to vanquish them. Deep in
despair he went to a lonely room in
his castle. Redlining on the couch
and thinking , he happened to notice
a spider drop from the ceiling on a
single silken cord. He watched the
spider fastinatedly. It now began its
ascent. It slipped. Time and time
again It tried to mount , but each , time
It failed. The king watched intently ,
forgetful of all else. An hour passed.
Finally the spider succeeded. It was
an inspiration for King Bruce. Why
should he get discouraged , having
tried only a few times and failed ? He
made one last grand rally against his
enemies and routed them , and from
this incident came the old saying , "If
at first you don't succeed try again. "
Something Just as Good.
Barber Getting pretty thin on top ,
sir. Ever use our Miracle Hairgrow-
ine ?
The Chair Oh , no ! It wasn't that
that did it. Judge.
Wanted to Know.
He My father weighed only four
pounds at his birth.
She Good Gracious ! Did he live ?
ALL FREE.
Mrs. New-Wed How much did you
pay the minister when we were mar
ried ?
New-Wed Nothing.
Mrs. New-Wed How was that ?
New-Wed He didn't dare to take
my money for fear that It was taint
ed.
Her Little Ring.
Mary had a little ring ; 'twas given
by her beau ; and everywhere that
Mary went that ring was sure to go.
She took the ring with her one day ,
when she went out to tea , where she
might display it to the girls , who num
bered twenty-three.
And when the girls all saw that
ring , they made a great ado , exclaim
ing , with one voice : "Has It at last
got around to you ? "
Innuendo.
"What's Cholly so angry about ? "
"Oh , some rude girl asked him if he
was a suffragette. "
The dyspeptic should choose care
fully what he chews carefully.
They Saved his Life.
Does it pay to stop your motor car
after an accident and go back to see
what has happened ? Two y6ung mo
torists on the south side believe It
does.
does.With
With a green chauffeur these two
boys V.CTG trying out a new model
touring car. They were sitting in the
back seat when the greenhorn at the
steering wheel gave it a twist and
came within an ace of hitting an old ,
man at a crossing. The victim was
so shocked that he fell to the pave
ment , and a crowd gathered In an In
stant.
Looking back , the motorists decided
that things looked bad , but that th y
had better go back and see whether
the old party was killed. Finding him
all right , but winded , they took him
for a nice ride around the parks.So
pleasant did they make it for him that
when they tok him home to his wife
he introduced them as "The two young
men who saved my life. "
They are now thinking of applying
for Carnegie medals.
i ime.
"How long have you been a widow ,
Mrs. Weed ? "
"It will be a year the 4th of next
month. "
"Dear me ! Is It as long as thatT
How time flies ! "
"Oh , do you think so ? Well , If you
ever have to wait a year to look pleas
ant when men offer you attentions
you'll give up the Idea that time Is
much of a flyer. "
We Can and We Do.
"It has been demonstrated that we
can have plays without words. "
"Yes. Also that we can have playa
without actors. "
Fun
Ask some pompous person if Grape-Nuts Food helps
build the brain.
Chances are you get a withering sneer and a hiss
of denunciation.
Then sweetly play with the learned toad.
Ask him to tell you the analysis of brain material and
the analysis of Grape-Nuts.
"Don't know ? Why , I supposed you based your opinions
on exact knowledge instead of pushing out a conclusion like you
would a sneeze. "
"Well , now your tire is punctured , let's sit down
like good friends and repair it. "
The bulky materials of brain are water and albumin ,
but these things cannot blend without a little worker known
as Phosphate of Potash , defined as a "mineral salt. "
One authority , Geohegan , shows in his analysis of brain ,
5.33 per cent total of mineral salts , over one-half being Phosphoric
Acid and Potash combined , ( Phosphate of Potash ) 2.91 per cent.
Beaunis , another authority , shows Phosphoric Acid and
Potash ( Phosphate of Potash ) more than one-half the total
mineral salts , being 73.44 per cent in a total of 101.07.
Analysis of Grape-Nuts shows Potassium and Phos
phorus ( which join and make Phosphate of Potash ) is
considerable more than one-half of all the mineral
salts in the food.
Dr. Geo.W. Carey , an authority on the constituent elements
of the body , says : "The gray matter of the brain is controlled
entirely by the inorganic cell-salt , Potassium Phosphate ( Phosphate
of Potash ) . This salt unites with albumin and by the addition of
oxygen creates nerve fluid or the gray matter of the brain. Of
course , there is a trace of other salts and other organic matter in
nerve fluid , but Potassium Phosphate is the chief factor , and has
the power within itself to attract , by its own law of affinity ,
all things needed to manufacture the elixir of life. ' *
w
Further on he says : "The beginning and end of the
matter is to supply the lacking principle , and in molecular
form exactly as nature furnishes it in vegetables , fruits and
grain. To supply deficiencies this is the only law of cure. "
Brain is made of Phosphate of Potash as the
principal Mineral Salt , added to albumin and water.
Grape-Nuts contains that element as more than
one-half of all its mineral salts.
FROM THE EDITOR.
He Forgot That He Had a.Stomach
Talking of food , there Is probably
no professional man subjected to a
greater , more wearing mental strain ,
than the responsible editor of a
modern newspaper.
To keep his mental faculties con
stantly In good working order , the
editor must keep his physical powers
up to the highest rate of efflclency.
Nothing will so quickly upset the
whole system as badly selected food
and a disordered stomach. It there
fore follows that he should have
right food , which can be readily as
similated , and which furnishes true
brain nourishment. * " "
"My personal experience In tne use
of Grape-Nuts and Postum , " writes
a Philadelphia editor , "so exactly
agrees with your advertised claim as
to their merits that any further ex
position in that direction would seem
to be superfluous. They have bene
fited me so much , however , during
the five years that I have used them
that I do not feel justified in with
holding my testimony.
"General 'high living , ' with all
that the expression Implies as to a
generous table , brought about Indi
gestion , in my case , with restless
ness at night and lassitude in the
morning , accompanied by various
pains and distressing sensations
during working hours.
"The doctor diagnosed the condi
tion as 'catarrh of the stomach , " and
prescribed various medicines , which
did me no good. I finally 'threw
physics to the dogs , ' gave up tea
and coffee and heavy meat dishes ,
and adopted Grape-Nuts and Postum
as the chief articles of my diet.
"I can conscientiously say , and I
wish to say it with all the emphasis .
possible to the English language ,
that they have benefited mo as med
icines never did , and more than any
other food that ever came on my
table.
"ily experience is that the Grape-
Nuts food has steadied and strength
ened both brain and nerves to a most
positive degree. How it does it I
cannot say , but I know that after
breakfasting on Grape-Nuts food one
actually forgets he has a stomach ,
let alone 'stomach trouble. ' It is , in
my opinion , the most beneficial as
well as the most economical food on
the market , and has absolutely no
rival. " Name given by Postum Co. ,
Battle Creek , llich.
Every day's use of brain wears away a little.
Suppose your kind of food does not contain Phosphate of Potash.
How are you going to rebuild today the worn-out parts of yesterday ?
And if you don't , why shouldn't nervous prostration and brain-fag result ?
Remember , Mind does not work well on a brain that is even partly broken down
from lack of nourishment.
It is true that other food besides Grape-Nuts contains varying quantities of Brain food.
Plain wheat and barley do. But in Grape-Nuts there is a certainty.
And if the elements demanded by Nature , are eaten , the life forces have
the needed material to build from.
A healthy brain is important , if one would "do things" in this world.
A man who sneers at "Mind" sneers at the best and least understood part of himself.
That part which some folks believe links us to the Infinite.
Mind asks for a healthy brain upon which to act , and Nature has defined a way to make
a healthy brain and renew it day by day as it is used up from work of the previous day ,
Nature's way to rebuild is by the use of food which supplies the things required.
"There's a Reason" for
Grape-Nuts ?
POSTUM CEREAL COMPANY , LIMITED. BATTLE CREEK. MICHIGAN. US. . A.