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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1913)
K .. THE NORTH PLATTE SEMLWEEKLV TRIBUNE. ft J M&l DEFEATED DROUTH OF PAST SUMMER AVERAGE GOOD CORN FARMER PLOWS HIS CORN AT LEAST THREE TIMES. STORY OF NEBRASKA FARMER Story of Nebraskan Whose Crop Will Yield Fifty Bushels to Aero In Spite of Drouth. Near Central City, Neb., Is a field of corn that will yield fifty bushels to the aero this year, In spite of the drouth. Adjoining It, with only a barbed wire fence between, is another field of corn that will not yield enough to pay for cutting. Tho corn of ono Hold Is green and Us ears arc full. Tho cornstalks In tho other are seared and yellow and tho winds rustle them in their dry ness. -H And yet each field has exactly tho name soil, tho samo level of surface, tho same dralnago, the samo degree of moisture, and tho samo quantity of rain fell upon each. Thero arc three reasons why ono Held is yielding a largo crop of corn this yenr while tho other Is yielding only a few bushels: First Careful selection of, the seed planted. ' Second Peep plowing of tho soil. Third Cultivation of the soil flvo times after the corn has come up. The field of corn that is yielding fifty bushels to tho acre is owned by the T. B. Hord Grain company. Thi3 company has 1,250 acres in corn this year in different fields near Central City, and all of It is in good condi tion. Very little of It will yield fifty bushels to tho acreand very little of It will yield fewer than twenty-ilvo bushels, which Is a good crop this dry year. Tho Hord company's fields of corn are always better than other fields in tho same neighborhood where the same methods of seed selection and cultivation aro not practiced. The Secret. A representative of the Kansas City Star went to Central City to get from Hcber Hord and his farm manager, William Miller, the secret of fruitful corn growing, and here it is: First, and tho utmost importance, Is the selection of the seed. The man who selects all of tho seed planted on tho Hord farms gave this account of how it is done: "Select tho ears for seed In your own fields and as 'early In the fall as possible. Begin going through the field early looking for ears ripo enough to pick and select those that ripen first becauso the seed of ears that ripen early this year, If planted, will mature early next year, thus avoiding possibility of damage by early frost, and making sure of an early develop ment and avoidance of damage by late drouth. "Pick ears for seed just before they are ripo enough to shell, but when tho kernels are hard and dented good. Pick tho largest and best shaped, best developed ears, going over all the field for them, picking ono hero and ono there, and so on. "It is very important that this corn be so thoroughly dried before frost comes that thoro is absolutely no moisture In it. And tho best way to do this Is to lay it out in tho sun. If there is any moisturo in tho grain when frost comes it will freeze, and freezing kills tho germ of lifo. Many farmers, every year, plant corn that has been frozen and then wonder why only a part of It comes up. "After tho corn Is thoroughly dry so leot the best ears, with straight rows, deep grains and well filled out over both ends. "Rcmembor always that you can never tell by tho looks of corn whether it will germinate or not Tho only way to find that out is to test each ear, and tests all parts of tho ear, for wo have found that often tho grain from one-half tho length of the ear will grow when planted and tho other half will not. And often tho grain from ono side of an ear will grow and from tho other side it will not. "From each ear take six grains, ono from about two Indies from ono end, tho next from farthor along and from two or threo rows away, and so on ARGENTINE BEEF IN DEMAND. Consignment of a Hundred Tons Is Quickly Disposed Of. New York. Tho consignment of 100 tons of Argentlno beef which arrived has been disposed of. Part of It was Bold to dealers in this city and found its way into retail trade. When sold as Argentlno beef th'o consumer got tho benefit of a 4-cent reduction on tho pound. The meat sold so well that butchers aro beginning to inquire for it, but they will have to wait for tho next cargo Horo are Borne of tho down tho ear, turning tho ear in your hand as you pick out tho grains, no that the six grains are from all parts of tho ear oxcept tho two ends. Grading the Seed Corn. "Then that car Is numbered and laid on n rack and tho six grains aro put In a similarly numbered compartment In a tray, and tho six grains from car No. t aro put in-compartment No. 2, and so on, until you havo tho trays of your corn tester filled. "Then you pour water 70 degrnea warm over tho gran, shut the tester, light tho lamp which keeps tho tem perature of tho seed never un'dor 70 nor over 90 degrees. In twenty-four hours tho corn will bo swolled up. Then draw off tho water, shut tho tester, with tho 'samo temperaturo for twenty-four hours more, keeping tho seed damp by sprinkling, and at tho end of tho third twenty-four hours tho corn will havo sprouts from one to threo inches long, and roots of corre sponding length. "If all six of tho grains havo sprout ed you grade that car 100 per cent and so on. If it grades under 85 per cont throw tho car away, it 1b unlit to plant. "After you havo tested each ear and saved all that grades about 90 per cent or over, you shell tho ears, throwing away tho corn from tho length of about two Inches at each end. The corn left you run through n grader so tho grain saved for seed will bo uniform In size, and will drop with uniformity from the planter. "Having taken this much caro in se lecting your seed you will bo sure that each grain planted will come up, and that It will make a strong and lusty stalk, that will maturo early and have tho most drouth resisting qualities, and will produce tho biggest and best ears." Cultivation. .Mr. Miller gives tho following 'method of cultivation used: Never plant corn after corn. Al ways rotate the crops, following wheat with "corn. Every farm ought to havo u silo. Then the corn can bo cut ono year when thero Is plenty of ju.ico in tho stalks and before tho kernels have be gun to dry up, and put In tho silo, leaving tho ground ready to plow and sow to wheat. After tho wheat Is har vested the next July is time to begin plowing again for tho next crop of corn. Plow nine Inches deep for corn and never less than eight inches deep. This is very important and thoro aro good reason" for it. The deep plow ing throws to the surface a llttlo new soil and, as corn roots never go deeper thnn tho earth has been stirred, deep plowing gives tho corn roots more room to go down for moisturo in a dry season and tho deep plowing makes n deeper seedbed and holds more moisture than shallow plowing. Keep on Plowlnq. Wo never plant corn before May 10, no matter what tho season. Tho risk of a cold spell is over then and the ground is warm. Wo havo discovered that when the soil Is warm the corn comes up quicker and Is stronger. A lot of vitality goes out of seed that lies in the cold earth eight or ten days. Wo begin to prepare tho soil for planting as soon as It is fit to be worked. First we disc it one or more times and harrow it with a 4-horso, 3-section, lC-foot harrow. As soon as we havo planted tho corn wo harrow it with the samo harrow 1 have described, to kill any llttlo fine weeds that have como up. When the corn is up ono to threo Inches we bar. row It again. When It Is four Inches high we go through it with a plow, using a common 2-horso riding G shovel cultivator. Tho object of all our plowing is to leavo tho ground level and rldgo It as little as possible, because ridges give a chance for tho moisturo in tho soil to evaporate out tho sides of tho ridges, whilo If tho field Is left level there Is less surface space for mois turo to get away through. This Is very important. Cheating the Drouth. When you havo cultivated the field once, turn right around and cultivate it again. Plow it as many times as you can. Thero is no time to bo Idle. The average good corn farmer plows his corn threo times. That Is not onough. We plow nvcry field of our corn flvo times. Tho fourth and fifth plowing o field of corn will add ten bushels m acre to tho yield. Mr. Miller spoko of tho field of corn that Is yielding fifty bushols to tho aero whilo an adjoining ploco Nwlll yield practically nothing. "That field was plowed nine Inches deep," ho said, "Tho best selected seed was planted and It was cultivat ed flvo times and after that I went through it with a 5-tooth drill culti vator when the corn was up so high you couldn't see tho mules' backs. I did that because I saw tho drouth coming. Tho frequent cultivation con served tho moisture." prices at which tho meat was sold: Porterhouse and sirloin steaks, 18 cents a pound; prlmo rib roasts, 16 cents; round of beef, 18 cents; chuck roast, 12 cents, and soup meat, 10 cents a pound. Crowd Feasts on Molons. Webster City, la. It is estimated that 10,000 men, women and children from tho surrounding country and near-by towns Thursday attended Webster City's annual colobrntlon of watermelon day. Ten thousand mel ons were served frco to visitors. Fbrfmf HULL STRANGE RECOVERY OF BOY Letter of Sympathy From Walter Johnson, Noted Pitcher, Works Miracle With Washington Lad. Warren A. Sloe, thirteen years old, lay sick for weeks, and, according to a Washington dispatch, physlclauB said they did not think ho would re cover. Then tho lad went Into delir ium and talked of Walter JohnBon, tho "speed king" among tho pitchers Oi tho American loaguo. Ho had boon tho boy's Idol, tho man of mon boforo whom this lad had stood secretly In awe, and when tho mind was frco tho Idol of his worship spoko to him. When tho tenm came back to Wash ington from Its wostcrn trip, a mem ber of tho boy's family had intuitivo sense enough to seok out tho pitcher and tell him what tho doctors said. Naturally Mr. Johnson wanted to go to the boy's bedsldo, but tho physi cians said no, that tho excitement would bo fatal. So ho wroto this letter, and It was read to tho boy In an Interval of de lirium: "My Dear Warren I tako pleasuro in sending you horowlth ono of tho baseballs used on our western trip, and hope that you will soon havo tho opportunity of using it with your friends." Pills, powders and surgery hnd failed, but an Idol worked another miracle. As If touched by tho gods of old, thero was an Immediate change for tho better, and within a remark ably short space of time tho boy loft tho hospital and was able to uso tho baseball. Tho primitive mind had boen allowed to work. Mnny noted writers havo tried in vain to descrlbo tho psychology of miracles such as theBe, remarks the Now York Sun. Kipling and his "Brushwood Boy." Kenneth Grnhamo and his "Golden Age," havo essayed to explain tho mind of boy, but it can not bo done. All that we know Is, as Thackeray says, that overy boy at a stage In his llfo has somo idol. Of course, the Idols change, eventually becoming femlnino. Yet If our learn ed upllftoro would seok to learn tho namo or nature of each boy's Idol, and work through It, Instruction in moral hygiene and eugenics would be come obsolete. Thnt way progress HeB. If an idol can Bavo a llfo it can do other things, lor It ropresonts tho boy's ambition at Its best and most Impressionable period. And what matter tho form tho Idol takes? (It may be, as i,t often Is, a locomotive engineer, a druhi major, n baseball pitcher; through tho horo worship of these exalted beings tho boy's salvation lies. Toxt books on biology were never intonded for tho primitive mind. BALLOON-SUPPORTED SWING Ingenious Device, Patented In Eng land and Germany, Has Car Sus pended From Huge Bags. This Ingenious swing, recently pat ented in England and Germany, has a car suspended from two balloons, which aro held captive by ropes fas- Balloon-Supported Swing. tened to anchors. Tho Bwlnglng mo tlon Is produced by propellers fitted to tho car, and tho car can movo in curveB within tho samo spaco inclosed by tho anchor ropes. To permit pas sengers to enter tho car, tho balloons aro pulled down by means of tho cen tral cable, which Is wound up on a drum. Smallest Inhabited Island. Tho English Island on which tho Eddystono llghthouso stands is tho smallest inhabited Island in tho world. At low water It Is thirty foot in diam eter; at high water tho lighthouse whoso diamotor at tho base Is 2G feot, complotoly covers It. It Is in habited by throo persons. It lies nine miles off tho Cornish coast and four teen miles southwest of Plymouth breakwater. Flatholmo. an island In tho BrlBtol channel, is only a inilo and a half In circumference, but, con sisting mostly of rich pasturo land, supports a farmhouso, besides tho llghthouso, with a revolving light 15C feet abovo tho sea. His Manifold Aspect. Small Boy Mummy, 1b It really truo that tho dovil has horns und u club foot? The Mother Ah, my dear, some times tho dovll appears in the sliapo of u very handsome and charming young man. Small Boy (pityingly) Oh, mummy! you're thinking of Cupid. London Punch. 1 m..l k J MACAW IS LOVER OF MUSIC On Hearing Gramophone Beautiful Bird Gives Convulsive Start and Then Beglno Cake Walk. Most of tho birds In tho aviary at the Now York zoo took no interest in tho gramophone, but thore was a big macaw, a beautiful crenturo, dressed in bluo, who wont crazy with tho first note. An soon as It sounded tho ma caw gavo a convulslvo start, and then began to dnnco nbout his cngo. This expression of his emotions wbr too limited, nnd ho flow to tho bar that stretches across his cago and began a cako wnlk. Thoro wbb no mlstako about It It was a cako walk. Tho music lont Itself to that form of dance, nnd tho macaw lifted his feet Macaw Trying to Sing. and paraded around tho bar In exact measures that havo been mado famll-i lar by countless strutting Afro-Amer-leans. Then, tiring of this, tho ma caw turned to fnco tho music nnd bo gnn boating hit) wings In tlmo to the music. Tho macaw bont himself al most douhlo across his rod or bar and distonded his body In rhythmic mo tions to tho danco music that was bo ing played. Then ho tried his skill at singing. Ho listened attentively, with his head bent on ono sldo, until ho dis covered thnt tho simplo tuno that was being played was in regular moasures, and then ho undertook to express liia musical appreciation by butting In, with a chorus at tho end of ench lino. NOT EASY OF PRONUNCIATION Fomlgner Meets With Many Difficul ties In Efforts to Understand Pe culiarities of Words. It Is hard for tho person to whom English is his native tonguo to reallzo what a struggle tho foreigner hns to understand somo of tho peculiarities' of our spelling and pronunciation. Ono foroigner gives tho following de scription of his first lesson in an Eng lish class: Wo havo been given a book to learn the letters. I arrlvo at tho class, having learned them perfoctly. Soon, In tho course of tho lesson, wo havo tho word 1-o-w. "I,ove," I pronounco It, thinking tho w has tho sound of v "No; It Is pronounced 'lo,'" says tho teacher. "Then why Is tho w thoro?" I In quire, mystified. "It Is thore becauso that Is tho way tho word is spoiled," responds tho teacher; "but It is silent. Never mind why; It Is sufTicitfnt to know that It is thero." Before long wo como to n-o-w. "Pronounco it,"snys tho tenchor. "No," I reply. "Why will you not7" she asks me. It is somo tlmo beforo she under stands that I am trying to pronounco tho word when I say "No." Then alio declares that although 1-o-w Is lo, n-o-w Is now. "If you want to mako it no," she explains, kindly, "you put k boforo it." You may boilovo I am bowildored. However, I memorize that n-o-w Is now. Tho noxt word is s-n-o-w. I pronounco It like now with an h bo foro It. Tho teacher laughs. Tho w is again become eilent, apparently for no reason, and tho word Is called sno. But that is not all. Later I find that if you drop tho n from snow you enn pronounco It iwhichovor way you like! Youth's Companion. DEVICE HELPS IN SWIMMING Paddle Attachment for Hands Aldo" Swimmer In Getting Over Water Blade Is Slightly Curved. A paddle attachment for tho hands, designed as an aid for swimmors, Is shown In tho illustration. Tho blade or pr.ddlo Is attached to the wrist by a flexible strap and to tho third and 1itIH 111 II it 11 I Swimming Device. fourth Angers by means of flaps. Tho blado Is slightly curved longitudinally In order to conform with tho outllno of tho palm. Tommy's Impending Promotion. "Well, Tommy," said tho father of a six-year-old youngster, "how are you gttlng ulong at school?" "Bully!" rejoined Tommy. "Ouess tho teacher !b going to promoto mo." "What makes you think so?" "Sho said today that If I kept on at tho rato I was going I'd soon bo iu tho criminal class," explained Tommy. (T or-u lL PEGPt BRIGADIER GENERAL ALBERT L MILLS MPT, ""pw"KPa Tho medal of honor voted him by congress was won on July 1 nt San Juan, whero ho encouraged "those near him by his braVery and coolness, aftor being shot through tho bond and entirely without sight." As a mnttor of fact, tho surgeons plncod him on a cot undor a tree and prophesied his death within n short whilo. Ho heard what they said. Being n bravo man, ho struggled all tho hnrdor for his llfo. W0 "HOOKING Observations mado during a summer session of congress scorn to acquaint ono with tho truo Inwardness of things much moro vividly thnn thoso mudo during tho winter sosslonB. Swel tering In IiIb hotol ono torrid evening, a promi nent leader was bomonnlng his lot. Only a fow miles dlstnnt a delightful summor homo await ed his coming, but alas ho was detained horo to look after tho caucus. Yet -John Kern, sen ator from Indiana, had no intontion of "hooking Jack" from duty. It was a humid ovenlng and tho perspiration stood in bends on his broad brow, and ho could a human senator bo ex pected to forgot tlio homo of his heart, nmld tho Virginia mountains? Horo his father was born, nnd in emigrating to tho west, tho older Kern dreamed of tho timo when ho might re turn and own tho land which so greatly and wonderfully figured in tho pictures of boyhood. His wishes woro moro thnn fulfilled, for ho spent many happy days at tho old homo during tho sunset of llfo. Sonator Kern Is known ns a truo Hooslor. Liko many Indiannns his forofnthors camo from Virginia to Kentucky and thonco to Ohio. With his old homo town of Kokomo aro associated stirring memories of youth. Tho noted Jockey, Tod Sloan, was bofrlended by tho senator In early days and did not forget him In tho hoydny of famo, for ho never missed an opportu nity of cniilng to sco his friend Korn. In his own inlmltnblo way tho Benator recalled tho early days of Indiana"; whilo his mind was set upon holding tho Democratic caucus in lino nnd watching ovory movo to sccuro tho passago of tho tariff bill. Ho Is ono of the fow sonntors who wonrs a board, which ho strokes meditatively with a patriarchal air, but his twinkling and snap ping dark eyes bolio tho somblance of ago. National Magazine. ' COURTESY OF Garrott, with tho most gracious manner possible, announced thnt a wedding look precedence ovor a lobby hearing, and all wont us happy as a marrlago bell Tho committee adjourned In tlmo to lot young Ackorman try on hla silk gloves, and no ono suffered for n lock of nows. i r NEW MAYOR OF Adolph Kline, who has bocomo mayor of Now York, was tho Republican alderman from tho Fifty-first district in Brooklyn, Is flfty-flvo years old and a natlvo of Sussex county, Now Jcrsoy. Ho Is tho son of Margaret and Anthony Busby Kline. Ho is of Scotch-Irish strain on his mother's sldo, while his father was Gorman. Colonol Kline became president of tho board of aldormon July 7. 1913, automatically succeed ing John Purroy Mltchol, former head of that body, who bocamo collector of tho port by appointment of President Wilson to Buoceed William Loeb. Mr. Kline was vice-chairman of tho aldor mnnlc board from Jnnuary 1, 1912, until tho dnto of his succession to tho presidency of tho bonrd. As a member of the nldormanlc board ho has aorvod on many Important committees. Mr. Kllno attended prlvnto nnd public schools at Andovor and Nowton, N. J. In 1877 ho entered tho omploy of W. C. Peot & Co., New York city, whero ho continued until 188G. Colonol Kllno was nominated In 1902 for sheriff of Kings county on tho Republican tick et. Though defeated, ho ran nbout 5,000 votes ahead of tho head of tho ticket. In tho following year lio was olectod to represent tho Fifty-first diBtrict In tho board of aldermon for tho term of 1901-5. Ho was returned for tho neriod of 190G-7. On Janunry 1, 1908, ho was appointed assistant appraiser of merchandise' for tho port of Now York by President Roosevelt, an office which ho hold' jntil his resignation, July 1, 1911. In November, 1911, iio was again elected! to represent tho Fifty-first hldermanic district for tho term of 1912-3. He was elected vice-chairman by tho fusion mombora. " ' HMARY jJ Brigadier General Albort U Mills, one of tho bravest and most accomplished officers in tho regular army, has bean detailed to glvo his timo and talents to tho organized militia of tho nation tho second lino of defense. In tho evont of a long war no man would be of moro Importance Ho would bring tho raw rccruitn Into nctlon. Tho undisciplined hosts would bo trained and nrmod under his direction. Indcod, ho Ib now doing everything that is possible against tho day of peril to tho country. Tho personal exporlonces of Gonornl Mills mako ono of tho most thrilling chapters In tho history of tho war with Spain. Yoara ago ho fought Indians on tho plains and in tho moun tains of tho west. At Fort Leavenworth, where ho was on duty nt tho cavalry andinfnntry school, ho wroto a book on tho Virginia cam paigns of 18C2. Ho was a captain when tho Maine went down in tho harbor of Havana. In Cuba, quoting tho lnngungo of lila commandor. General Young, "ho participated with dlstln gutshed gallantry and conspicuous ability in, nil tho engagements preceding tho final sur render of Santiago." JACK" FOR KERN FINIS J. GARRETT Three chooro for Itoproscntatlvo Finis J. Garrott of Tonnessoo, tho chnlrman of the spe cial committee of tho house which Is Investigat ing tho long-drawn-out charges by Colonel Mul hnll that a choico collodion of grafters could mnko congress eat out of their hands at any hour of tho day and night. On n recent nftornoon, when young Mr. Mc Michael was tolling how ho used to work with McDermott on various schemes in which tho two of thorn woro interested, it suddenly dawn ed upon several nowspnpor mon present that if tho commlttoo kopt on with its hoariugs much longor that day and If they held a night session thoro would bo consternation In cortnln quartorB owing to tho fact that handsomo young Mr. Sartwoll of tho Associated Press was to bo raarrlod that ovonlng, and many of tho news paper mon presont woro to bo ushors, guests and general background for tho affair. So Bob Dougnn, E. F. Ackormnn nnd Joo Annin, as a committee, told Roprcsontatlvo1 Garrott that eltlior tho wedding would bo allmly attended or tho world would go without Hin nnun nt tlm lnhhv InvnnHfrfiHn.. A...1 YORK CITY ry