33 



close the outside furrows. Among tops and large plants I like 

 sweeps — the narrow \'-shaped, sharp-pointed sort. If the plants 

 are finally left slightly ridged, so much the better. Where there 

 is questionable drainage a big ridge is fine. It might pay to al- 

 ways ridge high, despite the added cost of cultivation. 



The custom of having the horse led in horse hoeing is not en- 

 tirely to be condemned. It is much quicker, there is less dam- 

 age, and it makes for a better job generally. A pine root cut 

 never grows again, so care is worth while. Most of the labor is 

 so unskilled that one man to a horse hoe is impossible, anyway. 

 When it comes to horse hoeing among large plants, the single- 

 tree should be raised up under the horse's tail, using a backhand 

 over the rump to keep it high, and a belly band to hold the traces 

 low at the collar. With short traces this works w^ell ; and the 

 animal gets used to the sing'letree touching his hams when the 

 pull is slack. The singletree must be well above the hock or the 

 horse will bang himself. It is surprising how long cultivation 

 can be continued with this arrangement, and with the horse hoe 

 equipped with large sweeps, say 1 fifteen-inch and 2 twelve-inch 

 Planet Jr. improved sweeps. When the ground is too hard, a 

 half bag of dirt on the horse-hoe helps hold it to the work. 



So far as I know at present, an old field can be best renovated 

 bv chopping up the old plants with a heavy hoe not too much 

 angled, followed with a weighted disc harrow to hurry the rotting. 

 The harrow will need pressure boards, otherwise the stools will 

 bunch up in front. A pressure board on a disc harrow is a good 

 idea most any time. 



This renovating work is best done in the winter season, as 

 rot is most active then. I would have the stools all well rotted 

 before plowing the land, even if the job is a long slow one. You 

 kill the plants, save their fertility and humus, and do not sour 

 your soil. Unrotted stools grow, if plowed under. In the near 

 future there will be tools to do this work easily and cheaply. 

 Killing the stools with poison sprays also has possibilities. I have 

 just planted an old field where the plants were surface rotted, 

 the soil dynamited, and fallowed for six months. This soil 

 plowed finally as freely as new ground would have plowed. 



Wilt seems to be a matter of heat and indigestion. It attacks 

 the thriftiest looking plants, mainly in the lower altitudes. 



Rot is on the increase and may prove a bad enemy. I have 

 indicated the way to fight it in new fields. 



The way to get rid of mice is to poison them. Take one-half 

 cup flour, moisten with cold water, stir in one and one-half pints 

 boiling water in which has been dissolved one teaspoonful of 

 saccharine and one ounce powdered strychnine. Pour this over 

 one-half bushel of wheat, stir very thoroughly, and spread to dry. 

 Later stir in a cupful of melted tallow to waterproof it somewhat. 

 This is a good keeping concoction that will poison twenty acres 

 or so. a light scattering being all that is needed. It is best to re- 



