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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1911)
EXCELLENT STUDY FOR FARM BOYS DURING WINTER MONTHS Plant Growth in Its Various Stages Described Especially for the Benefit of Our Youths Who Wish to Make It Object Lesson During Sovoro Cold Months Needful Things. for the f unit i ONES IE SNOWBALL BATTLE. TREMENDOUS LOSS WROUGHT BY PESTIFEROUS LITTLE LOUSE Many Farmers Do Not Realize That Lice Causo Much Damage to Swine Parasites Worry Animals and Prevent Feeding and In Many Cases Cause Sores Retarding Natural Growth. (By MRS. lx OIUMES.) From toll till spring Booms Hko a long tlmo to a boy, especially If ho baa a cholco lot of seodB that ho 1b anxious to put Into tho ground. But thero 1b a great deal to bo dono dur ing tho tlmo of waiting. Tho boy vho does not moan to wasto his tlmo and labor must loarn nomothlng about what his plants will need boforo ho 1b oven ready to pro paro his ground. Tho first thing needful 1b to under stand somothlng about tho mako-up of tho seed itself. As oeods arc qulto similar in general characteristics, studying one closely will glvo a fair understanding of othors. Tho common white bean Is easy to got, and to study, so wo will tako In an an oxamplo. Soak a fow beans In wntor over night Then tako ono and cut tho tough outer covering nround tho edgo with tho point of a pin. Tho halves can then bo easily spread apart, and Seeds need nlr for germination. Tho beans In both bottles were soaked 24 hours and then were put In dry bottles. Bottle A contained suffi cient air to start the few seeds. Bottle B hnd not enough. The wa ter In the tumbler C did (not contain sufficient air for gormlnatlon. tile tiny plant discovered. It lies snugly cradled in ono end of tho bean. You will boo that it tins two pnrts, n small waxon point, and a tiny, yel lowish, .'aided loaf. Tho point Is tho root, and a tender, dollcato thing it is. T)ils llttlo root must work its way down into tho ground, both to food and to bold In plaoo tho llttlo plant, if tho ground is not well prepared, if it is too hard and cloddy, tho llttlo root may beconio so broken and bruised as to hinder, or porhaps en tirely check, Its growth. The tiny loaf, too, which must push upward, needs a soli that 1b soft and loose, It It Is not to bo Injured. Plant a few seeds in a bed of wet sawdust, and you will soon see, branching out from the main root, isany little rootlcto. A llttlo later, a set of fine hairs, called root-hairs, will appear on the rootlots. It is through those that tho plant gets its nourishment from tho soli. They tako up all tho olomonts that tho plant needs, and send thorn up through llttlo veins to tho stoma and leave, as your food Ib taken through your body by tho veins, in tho Bhapo of blood, Tho plant's blood 1b called sap. Tho tiny mouths can only uso tho food in the- soil whon it is "in solution," that is to say, whon it is thoroughly dissolved. You can boo that it will need considerable moisture to do this. If the ground Is too light and looao, How the Bean Plant Gets Up. the water will all drain and dry away, nnd no matter how rich tho soil may be, the plant will dto for want of food. So an important thing to keep in mind, when preparing the seed-bod, Is that the tpp soli, to tho depth of everal inches, should be worked up lightly mid loosely enough so that Uio root can readily push through, and -Still be pressed firmly onough bo that the moisture can not all osoapo. All over tho stem and leaves are little openings, called "pores." It WIRE STRETCHER IS POWERFUL SI My wire stretcher Is made out ot an old mowing machino guard, writes Willie Ballard, rural route C, Weuton, WVa., io, an exchange, dot a pole about four and a halt or flvo feet long, fasten tho wire, which should be about two and a halt feet .long,, to the guard, and thon about two feet from the end of pole, and you bave a stretcher that ia a daudy for stretch ing barbed wire, takes a microscope of qui to high power to dotcct them. Thcso nro tho plant's lungs. Through them It gets tho air it needs to llvo on. If you cover a plant so tightly that it cannot get air, it will smother Just ob suroly as you would with a blan ket over your head. That is what will happen if you got your seeds in too deep, or if you lot tho ground get hard nbovo thorn boforo they como up, It you wish to bo euro Just how deep to plant your seeds, try this lit tlo experiment. Tako a tall glass tumbler, or a pint fruit-Jar, and All it with earth. Press down into it, next tho glass, three seeds of any kind you wish to test. Press tho first clear to tho bottom, tho second about half way to tho bot tom, nnd tho third lcavo within nn Inch of tho top. Do not put them directly ovor ono nnothor. Wrap a heavy paper around tho glass to keep out tho light, nnd keop tho earth in it moist and warm. Every day slip off tho papor, and noto how tho needs nro dolngl Which ever ono thriven tho best is tho ono you want to tnko no your guide in tho ranttor of dopth. What do you think will happen to tho ono at tho bottom? You havo noticed that thero is n groat part of tho seed that is not filled up by tho baby plant. Thlfl part is filled with food upon which tho plant lives until It gets roots long enough to feed Itsolf. Aftor tho food In tho scod Is nil tiBCd up, thoro must bo other food In tho soil ready for it to llvo on. This Is tho critical tlmo In a young plant's Ufa. If it Is Btnrvod and stunted now, it will never make up for it. Ilemombor, thon, that good seed, a woll propnrcd seed-bed, and plenty of Showing Root Hairs On a Young Plant. A, Root Hair; B, Hypocotyl, Between Seed-Leaves and Root; C,; True Leaves; D, Seed-Lcaves or Cotyledons. food in tho right shapo for tho young Ilium io uso, nro mo iirsi tilings -io look nftor, If you wish to mako n good profit on your season's work. HANDLE MANURE DIRECT IS BEST Prof. Gllmore of New York Sta tion Finds Much Loos Where Allowed to Be Exposed to Weather. On tho subjoct ot hauling munuro, ProfoBsor Qllmoro of the Now York experiment station, Bays: "Wo think, all things considered, It is bettor to haul manuro directly from tho stnblo to tho Holds than It la to pllo It up for any length ot tlmo. "It well-rotted manuro is desired for trucking purposes or for top dressing for hay landB, then it must bo Btorod, but under ordinary condi tions for this purposo leases from 25 to 4G por cont. in tho fertilizing valuo ot manuro occur, and if it la not kopt reasonably wet and stlrrod from tlmo to tlmo, oxcoBeivo fermentation re sults, to nay nothing of dry burning and leaching. Lossos amounting to 87 to D7 por cont. havo boon rocordod whon manuro has boon oxposod to weather. This loan rotors mainly to tho fer tilizing material in the manuro. It la still avallablo as humua or organlo mattor whon applied to tho soil," H'1 LEGEND OF THE MISTLETOE Bomo Claim Goddesses Kissed All Who Passed Under Plant as Sym bol of Love. (By E. n. OAILIvAUD.) According to Scandinavian mythol ogy, Loki (tho god of evil) waa tho sworn enemy of Baldur (tho god of light), and tried by every moans in his powor to kill him, but failed hecauso ho was invulnerable to everything that carno from earth air, flro, or water. Lokl, at last, concolvcd tho idea that tho mlstletoo, springing from nclthor, wduld servo his purpose, and, having an arrow raodo from that wood, ho helpod Hodl (tho blind god of dark ness), to aim it, and Baldur fell dead shot through tho heart. All tho gods and godesscs prayed for his restoration to life, and when tho prayer was granted It was do creed that tho mlstletoo should never moro havo powor to do harm unless It touched tho earth, and tho goddess of lovo was appointed to guard it. Bomo legends claim that tho god dess kissod all who passed under the plant as n token that it was no long er a weapon of death, but a symbol of lovo, whllo othors assert that sho ex acted a kiss from each as a propitia tion, or tho bough should bo allowed to work harm. Another reason for tho kissing prlvllogo conferred by tho plant Is said to bo that a lovely maldon pre ferred doath to tho kisses of an old monk who pursued her, and her pray ers for dollvoranco wero answered by transforming her into a mistletoe branch and placing her in n treo. Tho monk waited for hor return, but rather than that, sho clasped the tree and remained clinging to It, leav ing tho waiting monk to kiss whom ever ho could catch. Tho custom of "kissing boncath tho mlstlotoo" is so old that no ono Uiiowb whon or how it originated; but' when young peoplo nro found se lecting tho branches that havo tbq Mlstletoo. most borrlos on, it Is fair to supnosa that thoy know a kiss must bo given for each berry plucked, and that the ceremony Is nover comploto until ovory berry Is off tho branch. Thero was onco a common, though mlstakon belief that tho mlstlotoo grow on oak troos only, byt that was so far from truo that tho Druids, who hold tho oak as absolutely sacred bo causo thoy boilovcd It to roprosont tho Ono Supremo God. doomed the iiiiauuioo uouuiy sacrcu u lounil on ono, nnd carofully guarded It until tho Blxth day aftor tho flrBt new moon of onch year. Whon this tlmo arrived, priests robod In whlto surrounded tho treo and hold solemn ceromonles. among which was tho sacrlflco of two white bulls. Alter tho coromonlos, n priest In spotless robos asconded tho troo and. With n golden knife, cut tho iniatlo- too nnd lot It fall on to a whlto cloth hold by other prlestB. Tho brunchoa wero thon formally "blossod" and divided among the peo- pio who believed tho uprnyB given mora to havo miraculous powors, Tho common bollof In tho efficacy ui iuu yium was hucii mat it wn .1.. 1 A . . ..... callod all-hoal; but according to an old logond, a certain lover searched many uayB ror a specimen growing on nn oak troo, that ho might securo us urancnes lor tno cum of hin ha. trothod, who was Blck unto doath but when ho found It ho touchod tho sap wnuo cutting mo Dranchoa. nnd fell doad near tho troo. Indicating ttmt mo sap was a deadly poison. Tho plant thrives in America from New Jersey southward ami wntiu-,i ana thoso who know It only as n part oi unriBimns uccoratlons can hnv II. 41 I . -. .. muu muu ot how onon it overruns ircoa to mo extout ot being a mils nnco. Appropriate Locations. Tho placo tor baby carriages Whcollng, tuo piacn lor bank savings Port Deposit. ino place ror politicians Uoss-ton rno placo lor an auto conter-iMo- bllo. .mo piaco lor a inundry town Washington. Tho placo tor tho national game uaiitimoro. Tho placo tor carthquakoa Glovo- land. A placo for connolsBours ot raro old wine to avoid New-port See tho soldiers nil In tlnal Now tho battle's onl Ev ivory man will havo to test Ills mottle and his brawn. Ammunition's piled up high Which Just begins whon school Is out Anu cnu at cioso ot day. Tho Dig- Bnow Fort is nenr nt hand. And soldiers great nnd small, will strlvo to win tho victory wim uio powerful snowball. HOME-MADE MOTOR ICEBOAT One Constructed to Take Place of Reg ular Sail Iceboat and Used With Success Last Winter. This motor-driven Iceboat was con structed to tnko the placo of tho regu lar sail lcoboat, and tho ono from wHlch tho accompanying illustration was mado was used with success nil last winter. Tho boat is V foot wido nt tho widest part and ton foot long. Tho Iceboat Propelled by Engine. riinnors nro about ten Inches high, shod with steel ground concavo tho samo ub a akato runner. Tho motor Is a thrco-horsopower air-cooled on glno which was tnkon from an old motorcycle. Tho power 1b transmit ted by a belt to a spiked driving wheel, giving a reduction of about 7& to 1, says a writer in tho Popular Me chanics. Tho rear wheel of tho motor- cyclo was also tnkon and nn iron band Bhrunk on for a tiro, and steel horso shoo calks attached at four-Inch inter vals for tho spikes. Tho two pieces that support tho spiked driving wheol aro hlngod bo as to allow tho wheel to rise and fall over any bumpB on tho ico and to lot tho engino run free when desired. Tho entlro boat with Its propelling equipment weighs 120 pounds. Tho boat is operated from tho rear with ono lovor for controlling tho spark, another for tho throttlo and tho third for directing tho courso ot tho boat EDUCATIONAL TOY IS QUEER Wheel Rolls Round Ends of Magnet, but Doesn't Fall Off Amusing Play thing Patented by Ohloan. A toy that is both amusing nnd ot oducatlonal (valuo has boon patented by nn Ohio roan. A horseshoe magnet with unusually long poles has tho ends of thcso poles rounded. A single wheel, with a round stool bar running through it for an axlo, rests upon this nxlo on tho poles of tho magnet, which form nn endless track for-It Tho wheol, ot An Educational Toy. course, is made light enough that the attraction ot tho magnet keeps It from falling off, yet tho wheol can roll about easily on what la practically an end less track. To a child this toy brlcgn homo moro forcibly than any lecturo by his school teacher tho power and prlnclplo ot magnetism and ho will do light In "tooling" his friends with it Tho uninitiated will naturally expect tho wheel to roll off tho arms of tho horseshoo and will bo amazed to soo It moroly roll down tho -ends and back on tho uppor side. Served Two Purposes. "Qoorgo, my son, don't you think It is rather extravagant ot you. to eat butter with that dollclous Jam?" "No, mother; It la economical. The samo ploco of bread does tor both." Every Letter In Sentence. This sontonco contains every letter In tho alphabet: "A quick brown fox Jumps oter tn lazy dog." i A 8lmple, but Satisfactory, Hoghouse. (Dy It. O. WEATHEBSTONE.) Not long ago in looking over a bunch of hogs in western Illinois wo observed that most of tho animals wero afflicted with llttlo sores, red spots, on tho thin places in tholr skins. Theso eruptions woro particularly noticoablo bnck of tho car and on tho flanks. Tho farmor complained that his hogs wero not eating well and he could not understand what caused tho cores to break out This bunch of hogs of all ngcs.i from threo-months-old pigs to three-year-old sows, ran on a pasturo during tho day but at night slept in houses which wore used for tho winter quarters. I suggested that tho trouble might bo caused by lice, and tho farmer caught two or thrco pigs and found them almost allvo with parasites. Ho was astonished and admitted that ho had nover examined ono ot his ani mals before. Many farmers do not realizo that llco aro a sourco of tremendous loss in tho raising of hogs. Thoy worry tho anlmnls and prevent their feeding well, nnd in many cases produco sores or eruptions which naturally retard growth. It is not difficult to rid the pig of llco by dipping or spraying, but theso remedies aro of no uso unloss tho pens and sleeping quarters aro rid ot tho llco as well. Tho bost dip to uso Is socio of tho tar solutions, as thoy are harmless. Wo do not bellovo in kerosono omul slon becauso unless great caro is talc en to keop tho solution very weak tho animals will blister if allowed to run In tho hot sun aftor being sprayed. Whon a bunch of hogs is badly in fested tho animals should bo dlppod, although Bpraylng may bo used, pro vided1 tho hogs aro tied and thrown so that tho spray may cover every portion of tho body. It Is no uso to SPECIAL DEVICE FOR DEPTH SAWS Gaffe Shown in Illustration Will be Found Useful Wlion Cut tin to Any Uniform Depth. It Is frequently necessary to mako a saw cut of uniform depth, and unless a special dovlco Is provided for tho purposo tho task is an extremely diffi cult ono, enys tho Scientific American. Tho accompanying Illustration shows a small gago which may be applied to any saw and may bo adjusted thereon to prevent tho saw from cut ting deepor than desired. Two thin strips ot wood of about tho length ot Depth Gage for Saws. the saw blade aro fastened to a pair ot arms secured to a block at tho uppor end. A thumb screw below this block may bo tightened to clamp tho two strips against tho blodo of tho saw. Theso strips may be socurod nt any desired point on the blade, and thus provldo an easily adjustable depth gaugo. Horse SutceDtlble to Cold. Homes are exceedingly BUBCODtlble to cold on tho chest, und a horso will oftentimes contract pneumonia or oth er Mn If loft standing unnrotoctod. which he would escape If provided with a thick apron of carpet or oil ninth Riinnonripil from the hamea and reaching to the lowest portion of tho chost. It is a little ining ana inex pensive, but it is worth attending to. Italian Cotton Imports. Italy now imports moro than 50,- 000.000 worth of cotton each yoar. Hence tho government is carefully fostorlng all attempts to produce n native crop. spray tho upper part of a hog and lonvo tho under Bide untouched, bo causo every Ioubo will multiply and soon spread all over tho animal's body. Aftor tho hog's havo been dipped or sprayed they should bo turned Into clean lot that has nover been used for hogs nnd tho old quarters should bo abandoned, or if this is not practic able, every particle of bedding and llttor In tho yards must bo raked, swopt up and burned, nnd ovory foot of ground in tho yards and tho fences and sleeping quarters, as well, thor oughly sprayod with a strong disin fectant Koroseno emulsion, which is cheap,' can bo used in this way to advantage. Tho hogs should not bo returned to tho old quarters' for soveral weeks, and a second spraying or oven a third bo foro the hogs aro turned In Is ad visable It tho hogs aro allowed to occupy tho samo pens nnd sleoptng quarters yoar nftor year, which aro not fro quontly cleaned and sprayed as abovo suggested, llco will surely got into tho herd. As this parasito multiplies with tre mendous rapidity It only takes a short tlmo to thoroughly infest hogs so that their thrift will bo Impeded. Tho hog louse affects no other ani mal, but devotos his entiro tlmo nnd attention to tho swine. Whllo ho' Is qulto tenacious in tho efforts to llvo, still a moderate application of dips and sprays and tho burning of old bodding and whitewashing ot tho in teriors of sleoplng quarters will quick ly put htm out of business. For Mixing Concrete. For mixing concrete thero has been invented a spado with long oval holos In tho blade, through which tho finer cement will flow and glvo the surfaco a finer finish. PROTEST MADE AGAINST HUNTER No Reason Why Farmer Should be Expected io Tolerate Band ot Trespassers Every Fall. (By BESSIE L. PUTNAM.) A few years ago, whon tho pionoora along tho lino commenced to object to tho depredations of tho hunter, they woro charged by hunter nnd surround ing farmers alike as stingy and un accommodating. Dut moro nnd moro Ib thero a growing sentiment against having one's farm used as a hunting ground. ' At this season it Is very oasV to start a flro, very difficult to chock one that has onco commenced. Evon though tho majority of hunters aro careful never to toss asldo a lighted' cigar, never to strlko matches in im proper places, ono never knows when tho carolesB ono may como along and' do untold mischief, Thero is tho annoyanco to stock. Tho old saying, "Ono might as well bo killed as scared to death," is ap plicable with peculiar force. Sheep, worried by hunter and dogs, soon be como so wild that not even tho owner can approach them readily. Cattlo havo been known to stara peod whon a gun waa fired in closo' proximity. Such treatment is ruinous' to tho dairyman, to say nothing of tho frequent accidents, when a valuable animal is sacrificed, the hunter mak ing oft with his gamo and leaving tho owner of tho land that much poorer for his generosity. Finally, tho gamo Is rapidly being exterminated, and much of it la really, tho farmer's friend. Tho quail, tho clear noto of which Alls all bird lov ers with Joy, is one of tho best Inseo and' weed destroyers. A flock of quail in tho potato patch' renders tho ubo ot Paris green un necessary, and the detested cut-worm Is their favorite dessert The farmor "feeds tho world" but thoro Is no reason why ho should boi expected to tolerate a band of tres passers every fall, endangering tho. llfo ot hla possessions. In many com-1 munlties farmers aro banding togeth er against the hunting nuisance.