The Question Bos. 93 



in the spring. If, however, you have very heavy land, which 

 cannot be worked earlier in the spring, it is well to plow it in the 

 fall. But if the land is gravelly, no man can afford to plow it 

 in the fall. Put on some crop to turn under in the spring, to add 

 humus. You may put a ton of the best fertilizer you can get 

 on an acre, but if the other conditions are not right you will get 

 no benefit because there will be nothing present in the soil to 

 make it available. 



Question. — What can be done to prevent fall-sown rye winter 

 killing ? 



Mr. Woodward. — If you will put five good loads of manure 

 on to an acre, after you have plowed it, and harrow it in, then 

 sow the rye, it will not winter kill. Our clover seed sown in the 

 spring always makes a good catch. I cannot remember when 

 we lost a clover crop, but the seed should be sown early. Harrow 

 the manure in to a depth of at least two inches. 



Question. — Do red kidney beans impoverish the soil? 



Mr. Smith. — I do not know that they take any more fertility 

 from the soil than do other varieties of beans. But, to get good 

 crops of beans of any variety, the land must be well fertilized. 



Question. — ■ Will it pay to subsoil clay lands? How near does 

 it come to underdraining? 



Mr. Woodward. — Underdraining would be very much the best. 

 If your ground is heavy and subsoiled only, the water will go into 

 it, and, when evaporated out, will leave the soil just as hard as be- 

 fore. The only remedy is the underdrain for such land. 



Question. — How can one pair of hands do the work of two 

 women? 



Mr. Woodward. — Get the old gentleman to help her. 



Mr. Rice. — It is a lamentable fact to-day that the farmer's 

 wife is called upon to do too much; but it seems to be unavoid- 

 able. I know of no other way, except to build tenant-houses; 

 then employ young married help; have them live in these houses 

 and board themselves. We are adopting that plan; have one or 

 two tenant-houses, but just as soon as we can spare the money 

 we are going to build more. Much work might be saved if the 

 kitchen, pantry, range and water supply were properly arranged. 

 In many farmhouses it is nothing but trot, trot, trot, for the 

 farmer's wife from morning to night. Make the kitchen con- 

 veniences better and some of the daily drudgery will be taken 

 off the shoulders of the tired, worn-out farm wife. 



Question. — Would it be practical to advise a windmill or any 



