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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1915)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. TO RESTORE DEPLETED ORCHARD SOILS A MI Capital Is Threatened With a Deluge of "Nuts" WASHINGTON. Tlicro Is clangor of nn Invasion of tho national capital by "nuts" would-bo InvontorB who havo imposslblo schemes for getting rich and famouH. Secretary Daniels' naval advisory board, composed of real folcntists and Inventors, promises tc REVOLVING LADDER IS HANDY 0 CAPITAL IS tyrri peluce l"j tbo causo of tho Invasion. Wash Wgton patent nttornoyB admit It Is civ rroly posslblo that the city will be cvorrun with "nuts" with nllcEcd won rtrful Invontlons to offer tho board. A mnn who Invents something that turns out well Is a senilis; to follow who dreams and Invents the things that never get by Is a "nut. That's tho difference. That tho naval advisory board will nnr.nuntnr both snocles wllllo It Keeks Inventions which might aid tho United States In tlmo of warfaro Is regarded as certain. Tho prospects are, however, that tho visionaries, tho "nuts," will outnumber by far the genulno inventors who come here for fame, money or tho consciousness of rendering a public service Joseph A. Stolnmetz, president of tho Pennsylvania Aero club, first voiced apprehension that tho naval board would encourago tho pilgrimage to Washington of men with hopeless schemes. J, if. Hrlckenstoln of this city, president of tho Patent Law association, says Mr. Stolnmetz js right about It and Washington probably will bo overrun with Impractical ones who30 discoveries and Inventions will not stand Bcrutlny. "Many men with Impractical Bchomcs corao to Washington na It Is," said Mr. Hrlckenstoln. "Every patent attorney encounters well-meaning but mis guided fellows who bollovo they havo solved somu problem llko perpetual motion. Probably CO per cent of tho supposed inventions brought to patent attorneys hero are cither Impractical, or tho patent would bo comparatively worthless If granted. Thoso men aro discouraged by reputablo attorneys from wasting their tlmo and money." Drug Store Glide Is the Latest in Washington THE drugstore glldo Is here! During these torrid evenings, with tho Fah renheit thermometers vying with Bethlehem stocks In the battle for as cendancy, tho popularization of tho modem dances goes upward and onward with tho speed of a Tcutonlcndvauco In tho paBtorn theater of war. With tho time of tho ovonlng ball nnd tho dansant, cither past or fu turo, voung Washington has adopted tho Boi'a-fountaln cotillion, which Is nothing moro or less than a danco In tho emporiums dovotcd to tho dispo sition of confectioneries and sweet beverages, Mount Pleasant and Columbia Ilelghti led off, but other sections lmvo been enveloped in tho fad and now practically every residential section has ono of these retreats where youthful couples may danco whllo awaiting tho preparation of their porspira-tion-prc duclmr prescription. It has oven travoled downtown. All of theso places havo either highly pollshod wooden or tile floors, which mako oxccllont Eliding surfaces. Tho music comes from a vlctrola or, If adjoining a cafo or a hotel or oxcluslvo apartment houso, tho music Is fur nished by tho regular orchestra. Tho formula Is simply to order tho drink and, whllo tho dispenser Is drawing, shaking or shovollng, according to what tho order might bo, tho couple glides off in a two-step, hesitation, fox trot or some othor gyration. Tho drink served, ono-half Is drunk, and then comos an Informal intermis sion. During this hiatus another danco Is engaged and when tho glass is drained a parting whirl Is enjoyed. Tho girl politely declines n Bocond drink. But aftor a short walk tho couplo olther returns to tho original placo or Books out somo similar estab llshmont whero tho samo courtesies aro understood and oxtonded. Somo particularly shy nnd demure maidens wore rather loath to accept tho Invitations of tho managomont offered through signs which simply read "Dancing." But now It has become rather conventional and there Is Uttlo hesitancy In Joining tho othors on tho lloora. Fruit Picked Without Damaging It or the Trees Which Bore It Applica ble to All Orchards. The scientific picking of fruit re quires that the operation should be performed without damaging tho tree, which often occurs when ladders of tho ordinary design are thrust Into the branches. Tho revolving ladder sup port shown in the accompanying cut hns boon invented and patented by a Callfcrnia orange grower. Whllo the Idea is applicable to all orchards It Is particularly suited for tho orange grove, whero the crop is not gathered at ono tlmo ns is other fruits, but Is collected at a number of successive pickings. A peculiar characteristic of tho orange treo Is that It frequently has on Its branches fruit In many dif ferent stages of development, all tho way from the bud to the ripe fruit. Permanent Ladder for Fruit Trees'. Tho oranges aro picked at different times, tho occasion being Influenced by tho convenience of the grower and tho condition of tho market. There would bo, therefore, moro iucentlve to the owner to orect permanent supports of this character among tho orango tree3 than In an apple orchard, for Instance whore tho entire crop Is removed at ono operation. Then, too, the orango trees are moro fragile than other trees, nnd tho grower must necessarily exercise more care. The apparatus consists of a shaft with one end burled in the ground near the treo trunk and extending upright through the tree. The top Is llttod with an arm horizon tal with means for securing the top end of the ladder thereto., This device may be swung all around the treo so that every part may bo reached and tho fruit picked without disturbing a leaf. RED RASPBERRY SPUR BLIGHT President Belongs to the Cane-Carrying Brigade ALTHOUGH President Wilson does not call his fondness for walking sticks a fad, n hobby, or ovon u habit, tho fact remains that ho has a largo and hnndeoniQ collection, In which ho takes a lively lntorost and constant pleas ure. Whonover ho walks ho selects a plain, stout stick from among the number and carries It after tho man nor of mon who punctunto their stops as thoy tramp; but Inasmuch as the president's chief exorclso Is golfing, and ho always drives to and from tho links, ho cannot bo Identified as ono who "wears" a stick from choice or habit. Ilo does not even carry ono of his ebony sticks to church, but takes tho greater ploasuro In what his col Juetlon of canca moans tho variety, Intrinsic value and moro Intimate association. Joseph P. Tumulty, sccrotary to tho president, Is never soen without his neat blackthorn, any moro than Franklin Lano, secretary of tho interior, can bo found upon tho street without Ills malacca. Tho secretary of state doubtless has walking sticks, but no ono rcmetu bors Booing him "wear" ono on any occasion whatovor. Both tho asslHtnnt secretary of stato. Mr. Osborne and tho third as i.!stant secretary of state, Mr. Phillips, havo Bticks, but not "the habit," whllo tho socond assistant soerotnry. Mr. Adeo, is ldontlllcd with no othor con- comltant than his blcyclo, with which ho has toured tho hlghwav-B and by ways of Europe every summer for many years, until tho war mado It lm possible, Tho secretary of tho treasury wears a slim, snakewood stick, a gift from Disease Recognized by Irregular Brown Splotches on New Canes It Can Be Controlled. (I3y Vi ALTER O. SACKKIVL, Colorado Kxporimcnt otntion.) Red raspberry spur blight makes Its appearance about tho middle af July and can bo recognized by tho Irregular brown splotches on tho new canes. Tho fungus which Is responslblo fur the discoloration Invades tho tissue surrounding tho buds from which the fruit spurs arise and either destroys them outright or preVerts their fur ther growth and development. The dlseaso can bo controlled satisfactor ily by spraying tho young canes with bordeaux mixture when thoy aro six to eight Inches high and ovory two weeks thereafter until the picking sea son. The old ennes should bo re moved bb soon as tho crop has been gathered, and a llnal application of the spray material should bo given at that tlmo. For this work wo recommend an ndheslvo bordeaux mixture having a formula ,-2-50 and containing two pounds pf resin fish oil soap to each BO gallons. BEES IN THE FRUIT ORCHARD Buzzing Little Honey Gatherers Are True Partners of Orchardist Results of Work Plain. II. W. Colllnwood of the Rural New Yorker. Bays: "We can easily for ono of his sons at Christmas, and It Is not unusual to meet Secretary McAdoo Klvo tho beo his short working day? on tno Btroet with Comptroller of tho Currency Williams, both of them wnen wo consider uto good no noes swinging tholr sticks as vigorously as thoy walk only with a difference. thorfc Is no question about tho debt Secretary McAdoo Holds his exactly at tho top. In tho hollow of his rrult growers owo mm rcopie tan; hand, and brings It down to tho pavomont. tapping each stop; Mr. Williams nbout tho wind and othor Insects in takes nls Buck halt way between tho crook and tho ond und swlnes it hori- fertilizing our flowers, nut l am conn zoutally, dent that any man who will roall lake "ho tlmo and pains to Investigate for himself will sen that tho boo W nearly tho whole story. 1 havo seen the certain results of his good wori OIW R. M'LEAN Imp bought tho front steps of tho United States capltol, ln n lB,lll0r' orchard. Thoso ber-a if wli cn aro uoinn rfjiuoveu to uutuo way ror now ones nf piniiitn it u m,. uum: l,lu jum. wn. derstood that tho historic steps on which presidents havo been Inaugurated for a century past una wuieii lmvo TO MAKE SMOOTH ROAD BEDS Put Soil on In Layers, Not in Piles Best Tool for Road Improve ment Is Splltlog Drag. Tho making of u smooth roadbed requfrcs that when the soil Is put on, it bo laid In layert. and not In piles, When dumped ln pllcr some places will be moro packed than others and thero will likely bo a differonco In the density, while If laid on in layers this will be avoided. Each layer should be harrowed, or better yet, disked and packed before tho next ono is laid Jown. ln tills way a good roadbed Is bc cured from tho first, whllo If tho soli Is Just dumped on tho road to be leveled and packed by tho traffic over the road a good roadbed will never bw secured. Tho best tool for keeping the road well crowned and tho surface smooth Is the splltlog drag. This tool should bo used soon after a. rain. The boU Is then looso nnd easily moved. The drag moves but Bmall amounts of soil and smears it on the roadbed in thin layers, which is just what is wanted. It cuts off any projections and fills my low places. It Wide tires build up roads and save horso labor, according to tho depart ment of agricultural engineering at the University of Nebraska. They havo the samo effect upon a country road as a roller on a plowed field. On tho other hand, tho narrow tire cuts up a road like a disk. It has been found by actual test in this department that tho wide-tired wagon pulls easier in nearly all cases than the narrow-tired wagon. In deep mud on a country road tho wide-tired wagon pulls G.2 per cent easier. On a country road with a thin sur face of mud or deep dust, however, tho narrow tires pull 4.9 per cent eas ier. In a corn field tho wide tires pull 30.5 per cent easier, in a dry alfalfa field 17.7 per cent easier, and on a dry country road 10.2 per cent easier. John R. McLean Buys Front Steps of the Capitol beon tho sito of gatherings of notablo iinracter In tho history of tho coun try will bocomo part of a sunkon gar Jen for Mr. McLcan'n country eBtato. Tho old stops aro bolng romovod by Arthur Cowslll of this city, who will rcpluco them with granite. Tho Btops to bo removed aru 115 In num ber, each 1G Inches wide and t!0 feet long, with soveral landings and plat forms, Ab a part of tho cost of tho work tho contractor figured on tho historical value of tho old stops and advertised thorn for sale as such. Upon tho old stop3 President Lincoln mado a famous Inaugural speech; Presidents Gnrtlold and McKInloy, who wore shot by assassins, took tho oath of ofllco there. Groat demonstrations, such as tho rocent Buffrago and tern peranco crusades, havo culminated on tho oast steps, and the finish of "Gen eral" Coxey's army occurred thero. Although millions of foot lmvo passed up and down their historic surfaces, tho contractor atates that for mttoria! purpores tVey uro good for a coutury moro, hs though thoy had climbed nu th Irecs by tho million niul pulled a them The appearance of those trees after a fow years of beo keeping wouia havo convinced any fnlr-iulnd cd r.mn thnt our Uttlo buzzing frlendh arc true partners of tho fruit grow ers." The Orchard Location. Tho north side of a hill Is the host location for- an orchard, bocause changus in tonvporaturo are not i, great ua olsowhero. On south slopes tho buds start too early in the spring cold nir descends in hollows and closed valloys und Is likely to kill th young buda. An orchard near a ml; or largo pond Is not likely to ho In Jured by frosts, becauso tho wntoi tends to make the temperatures more oven. SUPERIORITY OF WIDE TIRES Has Been Found by Actual Test That Broad-Tired Wagon Pulls 6.2 Per Cent Easier. BETTER ROADS rN MISSOURI mm Peach Trees Systematically Headed Back, Developing Strong Stocky Limbs Must Be Propped Up, However, When Loaded With Fruit Uly C. I. LEWIS. Horticulturist, Oregon nxperlment Station.) The best way to restore depleted or chard soils and put them in tho best condition to nourish old trees Is by sowing them to cover crops. Although young orchards flourish best under clean cultivation, this Is becauso tho plant food in the soils is made avail able more rapidly. Thus it is seen that cultivation, while It hastens the growth of young trees in now soils, burns out the humus and nitrogen content, making tho soils poor In plant food and lumpy In texture. As tho age of tho orchard increases tho trees show lack of nourishment by the sizo and quality of their fruit, and it is witli difficulty that average crops of fully matured fruit can be grown. It Is at this stage of the orchard's prog ress that cover crops aro needed to give new life to the soil. By cover crops we mean crops which nro sown in the summer or fall and allowed to grow during tho winter to bo plowed under in the spring. They aro designed to overcome the defects caused by tillage. The cover crops will add organic matter which, in decay ing, forms the humus and nitrogen. They Improve the physical condition of the soil and restore it to its formei state of tilth, heat and moisture. In growing cover crops It is impor tant that they be planted not later than tho last week ln August or tho first week In September. It Is equally Important that tho seed bo drilled in, as it comes up moro uniformly than when broadcasted. It is surprising to Bee how well tho seed germinates when drilled in, even though tho ground is very dry. Thero aro threo classes of cover crops, those which furnish nitrogen, those which work up soil material into plant foods, and those which furnish fiber and organic matter. Of the first class vetches and clover aro most fre quently used as cover crops. Mus tard, rape and cowhorn turnips are types of the second class, while oats, rye. etc., aro quite commonly used to put fiber into tho soils. It is a mistake to postpone tho sow ing of cover crops until tno fruit has been gathered. Any ordinary method of harvesting the fruit will not seri ously damage tho cover crop, though some care is necessary. I XII IIMffUMi Movement Has Passed Boom Stage and Become Fixed Policy Good Advertisement for State. When the public rond3 bureau ot tho department of agriculture mado Its study of roads covering a period which ended in 1913, Missouri did not figure among the leading states clthor ln its mlleago of Improved roads oi in progress made in road building, whllo some of tho southern states with smaller resources ln a financial way showed striking evidences of progress, says Farm Progress. Thoy had been building cheap.roads of such materials as wore immediately at hand, and that is what Missouri is doing today .with such energy and en thusiasm that tho next Biirvey of the road situation Is sure to tell a differ ent story. This will bo a good thing for stato prldo nnd as a atato adver tisement, but vastly moro significant Is the direct benefit derivablo from roads that can bo traversed at all sea sons with full loads. Every good road that Is built today and tomorrow and every road that Is improved will go to mako Missouri a better stato ln 8 CONVENIENT DEVICE FOR RINGING HOGS Good Roads Day In Missouri, which tho peoplo may llvo their nor mal social life, a better Gtate for tho school child, a better state in which to spend a working life and llvo out a contented old ngc. Tho good rends movement In Missouri bas passed tho boom stage nnd becomo a settled pol icy, finding its strongest renson for being in the silent argument of good roada already built, its goal Is a stato ln which every market shall bo nc cessiblo to tho farmer's wagon tho year around and a public sentiment In favor of good roads so strong that no other condition will bo tolerated. A Good Roads Advocate. "Aren't you ln favor of good roads?" "Of course I am," answered tho toll gato keeper. "Rut this road of yours is miserable." "Maybe. But I'm In favor of good roads. If tho road hadn't been pretty good this far you mightn't have got here to pay your toll." Road Drag an Aid. Tho great farm builders uro llvo stock, alfalfa and silage, aldod by tho manurn spreader and thn road drag. Ringing Trap for Swine. A ringing trap for hogs Is a convenience which a group of farmers may construct and uso ln common. Tho frame is of two-inch by four-inch pieces, 1. D.. lapped and bolted at corners as shown. When the lover C Is pulled forward it partially closes tho opening Ht, and firmly holds tho hog with head through tho opening. By having holes' in the upper piece C tho lever can bo held in placo with a splko nail. SMALL FRUITS IN GROWING ORCHARD Soil Should Be Rich in Nitrogen and Mineral Elements Har vesting Is Hard Task. Small fruits aro an ideal Intercrop for tho growing orchnrd and are very prolltablo as well. Soil requirements are similar to that of apple trees, and with tho constant cultivation which is nec essary for success no extra work of this kind need bo dono in tho or chard. Tho minimum Instauco of in tercrop from tho young trees is four foot. Tho soil should bo rich in nitrogen and the mineral olonn ntB, and should contnin plenty of humus. Tho humus In tho soil Is ono of tho greatest aids in maintaining n'bumlanco ot moist ure. Stable manure, with tho addi tion of a small amount of somo phos phate fortillzor, Is tho host. It should bo applied at tho rato of r,000 to 10,000 pounds per acre. With tho ex ception of a pure sandy or heavy clay soil, small fruits will thrlvo on any soil, Harvesting tho small-fruit crops is usually a difficult proposition. In sec tions whero thero Is plenty of cheap labor, especially foreign women, this problem is minimized. An acre of strawberries will bring 3,000 quarts if taken caro of, nnd con siderably higher yields havo beon known. Because of suscoptibllity to frosts, strawberries aro not a sure crop in somo localities, but if well mulched In tho fall, us thoy always should be, tho blossoms can bo held back ns much as threo weeks. Use pedigreed plants. A littlo observation will show that thero is a great deal of difference in tho bearing qualities of individual plnnts. and this ap parently plays a largo part in deter mining tho bearing qualities of straw berry plants. Economical Food Producer. Tho dairy cow Is an economical pro ducer of human food. No other ani mal can produce tho same quantity of digestiblo food as economically as can tho cow. v Two Kinds of Hogs. The brood sow and tho fat hog re quire different kinds of feed, Tho man who trios to keep both ln the samo lot will not have the best success.
