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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



honey shuck tree. The curved pods, 

 measuring from nine to twenty inches 

 in length, when they become dry and 

 ripened twist and retwist until they 

 eventually squeeze out the seeds which 

 are thrown out for germination. The 

 lovers of its fruit, and those who study 

 the tree, now see no reason for such 

 an armor, and knowing the wounds 

 often caused from the thorns of this old, 

 old tree, those who live in the same 

 community with it are waiting with 

 much patience to the time when, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Darwin's theory, the 

 honey locust tree will discard its much 

 dreaded armor. 



THE THORNS OF THE HONEY LOCUST. 

 One-half naural size. 



protected with spines, and the same 

 species found growing on cliffs beyond 

 the reach of animals as spineless. This 

 serves as a fine illustration in the study 

 of the intelligence in plants. Disuse 

 of these organs caused the cactus to 

 lose them. And then may we not in- 

 quire if the honey locust will not one 

 day in like manner throw off its pro- 

 tection and become thornless? Is there 

 any reason today for it wearing such 

 an armor of dangerous weapons? If, 

 through disuse, a plant loses its un- 

 necessary organs, then we may well 

 forebode that in the future the honey 

 locust will strip itself of these barbar- 

 ous daggers and spears. The tree lo- 

 cust when reaching maturity now los- 

 es the thorns up to a certain height, but 

 the severity of the tree's expression 

 caused by the multitude of these fierce 

 looking weapons is horrifying, when 

 one thinks of the probable result of 

 even a frail attempt to scale or bump 

 against its body. 



For untold years the fruit of the 

 honey locust has been considered a deli- 

 cacy by many people. Natives who 

 gather the ripened pods call it the 



Growing Potatoes under Straw. 



BY MISS BESSIE L- PUTNAM, CONNEAUT 

 LAKE, PENNSYLVANIA. 



Some thirty years ago a number of 

 our best farmers tried growing potatoes 

 in straw, some following this practice 

 for a number of years. The ground was 

 prepared as usual, and the seed placed 

 on top, sometimes covered with enough 

 earth to hold it in place and then with 

 a mulch of straw ten or twelve inches 

 deep. They were never cultivated, and 

 unless bugs appeared received no care 

 until digging time. This was easily 

 accomplished by throwing the straw 

 back with a fork, revealing the pota- 

 toes practically free from dirt. If I 

 remember rightly, my father aban- 

 doned the method after two or three 

 trials, believing that though he got a 

 greater number of potatoes they were 

 smaller. This, however, seemed to be 

 a disputed question. One man recalls 

 a field in which both methods of cul- 

 ture were used on ground of the same 

 nature. The tubers grown in straw 

 proved more soggy in quality than 

 tho c e grown in the normal manner. 



Last spring an inquiry in the "Na- 

 tional Stockman and Farmer," Pitts- 

 burg, Pennsylvania, drew forth a va- 

 riety of directions and opinions. A 

 few condemned the practice ; others 

 reported having used it for years with 

 success. A Western Pennsylvania 

 man writes that after experimenting 

 for ten years, he has found this his best 



way: 



Prepare the ground as early as pos- 

 sible. Use small or medium seed and 

 plant without cutting. The cut pota- 

 to is more apt to rot. Lay them on a 



