The Commoner PJSBRUARY, 1914 27 SEEDS Reliable and Full of Ufa SPECIAL OFFER Marfala hMtlrfHfrwaitaliiaaa. A (.I.I1 In the Field of Agriculture will makujoaoarpormaaentcuttomer' AN OBJECT LESSON IN GOOD FARMING In an interesCing circular under the title of "Bread From Stones," Dr. Cyril G. Hopkins, chief of agronomy and chemistry of the University of Illinois agricultural experiment sta tion, tells the story of the reclam mation by scientific methods of a southern Illinois farm, which he pur chased at a cost of less than $20 an acre in November, 1903. It com prised 300 acres of poor gray prairie land (the commonest type of soil in about twenty counties in that part of the state) and a few acres of timber land. It was christened "Poorland Farm" by those who knew of its im poverished condition, and the name finally adopted as the farm name. In 1913 a 40-acre field of this farm produced 1,320 bushels of wheat. This particular forty acres was bought at $15 an acre. It had been agriculturally abandoned for five years prior to 1904, and was cov ered with a scant growth of red sorrel, poverty grass and weeds. During the subsequent ten years, this field has been cropped with a six-year rotation, including one year each of corn, oats (or cowpeas), and wheat, and three years of meadow and pasture with clover and timothy. A fairly good stand of volunteer clover appeared with the oats in 1911 and this was allowed to pro duce a crop of clover hay in 1912, wheat being seeded in the fall of that year for the 1913 crop. During the ten years, about four ton per acre of ground limestone and two tons per acre of fine-ground raw rock phosphate have been ap plied to thirty-seven acres of this field. Two applications have been made of each material; the phos phate was plowed down for the corn crops of 1904 and 1910, and the limestone' was applied in the fall and winter of 3 904-5 and after the ground 'was plowed for the wheat in tho fall of 1912. The 'entire 40-acre field was cov ered tv;ith one uniform application of six loads per acre of farm manure, a 50-bus'hel spreader being used for tho purpose. A six-rod strip extending entirely across the field (80 rods) received the same application of manure and thcsame rotation of crops as the re maining 37 acres, but no phosphate was applied to this strip, and no limestone was applied to it until the fall of 1912, when the regular ap plication (about 2 tons per acre) was made to one-half (3 rods) of the 6 rod strip. Only 39 acres of this field were seeded to wheat in the fall of 1912, a lane having been fenced off on one side, and the 1,320 bushels were pro duced from the 39 acres. The actual yields were as follows: One and one-half acres with farm manure alone produced 11 & bushels per acre; iVz acres with farm ma nure and one application of ground I limestone produced 15 bushels per acre; 36 acres with farm manure and two iipiJiiuuuoiiH ol gruuuu iiiucHiune and two of fine-ground phosphate produced 352 bushels per acre. Dr. Hopkins says that "Poorland Farm" is in no sense an experiment station, and neither is it a "show" farm. No high-priced or artificial commercial fertilizers are used. The farm is operated solely from the economic standpoint, and the results secured show conclusively that In telligent permanent soil improve ment on land that must or will be farmed is both the safest and most profitable investment open to the farmer and the land owner. The average annual cost for the limestone and phosphate spread on the field was $1.75 per acre, and this average annual investment resulted in the increase of 24 bushels of wheat per acde in 1913. Thus, It may be said, that the previous applications of these two natural rocks, or stones, brought about the production in 1913 of 8C4 bushels of wheat, an amount sufficient to furnish a year's supply of bread for moro than a hundred people. The Hinge-Door Silo The Silo That Gives Perfect Satisfaction - ft,f-iS1 f $? rviwfc 3wW L & ".-4a &T lr r . X !. 4. S r-. ' if im The Hinge-Door Silo keeps silage in best condition hinge doors al ways closed keeps your silo air tight, like a bottle; prevents silage from freezing in winter and dry ing out in summer. Doors open and close easier than barn doors. Can't sag, stick or freeze in. It is the best silo and is made from the best material. Write Today for Our Silo Book -Mailed Free Features Hinge-Door and Lansing Silos Also famous Silberzahn Cutter iiiU Address nearest branch, Dept. A Woods Bros. Silo & Mfg. Co. General Office: Lincoln, Nebraska Limainc Mich. Eat St. LohIk, 111. Maryvllle, Mo. Lexington, Ky. MlHHeapellN, jHIbh. BRANCHES: Atlanta, Ga. JacltMeB, MIhh. Topcka, Khb. OklakoHia' City, Okla. Denver, Colo, Spokane, Wank. WcMt llenH, WIN. Cronset, Ark. Charlotte, N C. TESTING SEED COIIX The testing of each ear that will be used for seed is not such a difficult task, and may be accomplished much more easily than imagined. This Is done by securing a box about 30 inches square and 3 or 4 inches deep, filling the box full of sand. Then drive nails or tacks 2 1-2 inches apart all. the way around the edges of the box and over these nails stretch a string back and forth so as to mark the box off in 2 1-2 inch squares. The squares are then numbered on the edge of the box. The ears of corn to be tested are then laid onthe floor, if no rack is available, numbered, and ten kernels removed from va rious parts of the ear. They are placed in the same point downward so as to be about 1-2 inch below the surface. A very good method of numbering the ears is to pin bits of paper to the butts of the ears. This can bo done very easily with ordi nary pins. The kernels from ear No. 1 are now put in square No. 1, ear wo. a in square No. 2, etc. The box of sand containing the corn is then thoroughly .saturated with water at about blood heat, covered with old sacks or carpet, and placed near the stove or open fire, where it is moist ened down dally to hasten germina tion. The temperataro should bo kept between 75 and 90 degrees If possible. -' HOW TO RAISE EARLY POTATOES Irish potatoes on the early market always bring fancy prices, anywhere from $3 to $5 per barrel. As to get ting them early, at least a few weeks earlier than the majority of growers, a Virginia farmer gives an interest ing experience in a current issue of tho Farm Life: "The first thing of importance is the proper kind of soil. It should be of a medium light, sandy nature, neither too stiff nor too light, in a fairly good state of fertilization. Land which raises good cabbago will raise good potatoes, I have found. Experience has taught mo that there is no use to expect a largo crop of potatoes from poor, unfertile soH, no matter how largo an amount of fer tilizer wo may use. An ideal placo for a patch is an old garden spot that PRIZE C0LLECTIAM "jui-M'l wWth Ifo: l,ttr, 1 ' kind, wnrtk IVr'jl Tewiatue, II the iflnwt, worth 20c: Tamlp.il 'nplendld. worth lOoi OnUn. 8 bet varlatiM.1 wonn io: w nprinr riowfriaff llalkr.1 wortno-or varlotle In alls wort H.C9. VUAKAHTKED TO PLEASE. Write today t mention thla paper. SEND 10 CENTS I to cover mhuro and packing- and rerebre inij innimi roiwruoa f .! pvttaaM, to-1 BUiunr wiwi rojr Dig instructive, IxMtHU Mfauonim hmi, ten ull about Hack J .DM" rmini jL.ua" Heeds, riant, etc H.W.BUCKBEE Ilockrord flood Karma Farm GO Kockford. ZlL ItarM riold liberal croDA under normal eon dltlons.They are teat cd for vitality and Dur- Itii kIKfA.Al..l-..l4 Z.. i i i.jr usiuiuuowiKiuiUi fur m'kZyJ nenrly 0 years wo have aup yPtWplied " worth-while " soeds. iJSg Try These Sure to become acnualnUd. Onaracfcttaaehof Giant Mixed imli. Nntit Mind RkmI T$,Vtlf Head Lttiuc andTwaniyDar IUdlOi. ' Each oolUctlon conu In a "coupon envalotia worth 'lie with fntnro ordari. A total t f 4V5Valu, 1'OSTI'AID FOR ONLY Avt EDCRDeacriptivo Catalog Ji AJmJLI ' " ! (WU III VVUI,UU ana nower seeai, duiui, piaaH(vc. run j uiMiraua. ipy zrte on r- quti. scenra your fxiay.- Currie Bros. Co. W avsi Broadway :-'fmxm?i Miiw.nb. Wie. D. W. Jenkln. Monroe. .. wrlunir about hi rmo of lloi; 1'aaturo Mlxteru. rruiTB! "When the Daature was At ita best thohoen would atar in injc Bestk taepaeturo Instead of cora- r tor corn, tub miitore proved to be Inat tho thlncr in the tout place No fanner can make a jHlitako by Bowing It. amswoLD's "Kmntiy Quick" Hog Pasture Mixture prouucci in mo not or cry tnmmtt wliea other ntuiturca nro abort mid feed la scara. Can bo olnntcd in summer for fall feedlncr. Great for slock of nil kind. Crowa ntilrlilv produces bier tonnace of flno creen fodder when it is needed most. Write today for prices also free book of Garden And Held Boeda. nWSWOLD SEED COMPANY 242 So. Wth St.p Lincoln, Nmk HAlATA SEED UJPLISXJ 1 jMl CORN HEATS TIIK WOULD Grown in llic (;reit Missouri Valley. & sample packets 10c o tpn d. Circular dcxcrlbiiiK free. L. N. CRILL SEED CO. ELK POINT SOUTH DAKOTA la the past 27 years we have eatlsfltd inousanas ui cusiumcra witn our twr naaaif the law of any togPJSXg Our new, ,915 copy. ItvllUervetobtlp Garden &y yon platwyourarden tliUyear. Book mZP "' tvjA 0,i " cpy tlte' CB it &&9 reqneat, either in EnaJUh or Geraaa. GERMAN MURSEniEG&SEED HOUSE 4'- orrniAH BLD.(CarlSoodeTetiCT)BrATaiCf . Nita. CHILDS' GIANT SUMMER COSMOS is positively the moit tuperb and beautiful ftden flower lnorr ISIooins profutely from J me to No., each plant pro ducing thomaudt of Aovretl, larger and more exquisite than Hie fall Cosmos, white, bluth, pink.r&se,- rimton.etc. Thrivea anywhere fincM'cut Cower for ates, et:. Mailed for lO v.tu. r plit., in cludtoz S othtr liadiff A m eiits frtttr trial, U.: C retro I'lnU. Urcest icd Cr.tit of all Asters. Jnnar. Orchld-tld., superb new orchid (.olors. X'rliHrnse, New Clant White. Petunia. Hriltlant Besutr. 8HevballTontto, neie(white). All thest Six le.xdins Sad Xeviltltt for ahIt JO ct., together with Nrtes on Cfiihiire, CaUlone. Flral Hints, etc. Our lit CjttljfHO of Flprcrand V. Seeds, Bulbs, Plant and rire new Vrultsrr to all to .ippljr. Ve e the 1itzrstcromln the vrorllof Cnadiolt,Onnas, Dalilias, UUs, Iris, etc., and our atocUs are I st and clteapest. , 10HN LEWIS CHILDS. Fkl Park, N. Y, J, 'I v '2X