The Question Box. 415 



Mr. Ward. — Whatsoever a man soeth, that shall he also reap. 

 There is a standing offer of |oOO to any man who will bring a stalk 

 and root on which wheat and chess are both growing. That is an 

 old exploded notion. 



Would you advise the using of a liorse-ralie after a liarvester? 



A Farmer. — What does that mean? If there is anything to 

 rake, rake it. Ordinary rake teeth will not injure the ground or 

 the seeding. 



What would you plant on a field that has not had any manure, but has 

 been growing wheat 50 years? 



Mr. Hammond. — I would plow it, sow rye, plow it under, sow 

 another crop^ and plow that under. What is wanted is vegetable 

 mold in such a soil; then we can fertilize. 



A Farmer. — We need humus just as we need water. 



Mr. Cook. — I am glad that I have struck one place where they 

 ask for water. 



Why does sorrel grow on some lands and not on others? 



Mr. Hamilton. — Because the soil is barren^ and other plants 

 have been crowded out. Enrich and cultivate the soil, and sorrel 

 won't grow on it. Its presence simply shows the absence of other 

 plants. 



How should bees be handled? 



Mr. Faulkner. — Some men would put on gloves, and some would 

 wear a veil. The time is not long enough here to go into a full 

 description as to how to handle bees; but I will say that there are 

 thousands and thousands of tons of honey going to waste every 

 year for the want of bees to gather it. The bee not only furnishes 

 one of the best of sweets, but it fertilizes blossoms that are bar- 

 ren, thus making them fruitful. 



What will it cost to have samples of our soil analyzed? 



Mr. Dawley. — Twenty-five dollars. But when you get it done, 

 you will know no more about it than you did before. The chem- 

 ists can tell how much potash or other plant food there is in a 



