174 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



soutimeut of lifc^ sniTound IIk'sc homes. . As we but pass tliem, we are thrilled witlv 

 the cozy contentment they express. 



In advanced years the wife's thought turns back to the early home; to her strong" 

 young husband as he planted tlie orchard, the cliildren playing among the growing 

 trees, the maidens that under the blossoms dreamed of yet other homes; the sons 

 that came to her to tell of some hercidean feat performed. * 



Has the Avife not earned this liomc by the pure love she has surrounded it with, 

 like a halo from childhood to ageV And what the shock that too often comes and' 

 when she is least able to bear it; when she is told that the home is not actuallj^ 

 hers, the real ownership in vested in another. She has a sort of life intei'est in it 

 that will furnish her Avith bread; "the wife's dower interest of a third" they call it- 

 May be she will have to live with .lohn and his wife, whether she can or not, tO' 

 receive the bread not exactly manna from heaven. 



Why are not our homes held by joint ownership of hiisband and wife? T. F... 

 Terry has written and said much on this subject. Why do husbands not listen and' 

 ])lace the property so the wife need not fear being left without a home? When the 

 husband is sick is not the time they wish to speak to him of business settlements. 

 We are told that the laws of Michigan favor the wife who is a property holder more 

 than the husband. While that is true there are so few women that are holders of 

 lirojii'rty that the law ap])lies to the few. not the majority. Nor would the real wife- 

 wish the provisions of the law as it now stands carried out. They may ])e appli- 

 calile to some Wduian in rhila(U'lphia, ))Ut not to our Michigan wives. 



A man lately published the fact (and signed his name) that both he and his wife 

 worked out the first two winters after their marriage to secure the money for the- 

 payments on their home. He states in five years he held the deed. He did not 

 refer to her then, she may have been a back number. Another husband finding he 

 must leave wife and child worried over the slender provision he could make for 

 theni until his mind became unseilled and he was h'gally incapai-itated for making 

 any provision. 



POTATO (;K0WI.\(; IX CE.XTKAL MICHIGAN. 



C. F. KIEFER, Borland, ut MECOSTA COl'NTY Institute. Remus. 



The best soil for potatoes is a black sandy loam, with a .good subsoil, low enough 

 to be always moist, but not wet. Plow the ground in the fall or as early in spring- 

 as possible to a .good depth, about (J or 7 inches. If sod is plowed in the spring by 

 all means follow the plow with the roller and immediately after Avith the harrow. 

 to prevent OA'aporation of moistm-e. Dra.g the .ground over every Aveek until you are 

 ready to really fit it for the crop, about the second AVeek in June. Now put on your 

 cutaway or a good stiff spring tooth harrow and pulverize and smooth the ground 

 until it res(unbles an onion bed. The past season I marked out the ground deep 

 Avith a common shovel-plow, droijjted I lie seed and covered Avith a five tooth culti- 

 vator Avith Avings. Within a fcAv days after planting use your smoothing harrow 

 and crop the old marks, thereby filling them u]) more, and Avhen the plants are 

 breaking the .ground repeat this operation. All weeds Avhich .germinated up to thii* 

 time liaA'e now been destroyed. 



The cultivation after this is Avith a five-tooth cultivator with wing attachment.. 

 throAving the dirt over into the roAvs amongst the plants, paying no attention if 

 some of the vines are covered up. Keep up this c-ultiA'ation until the vines are so' 

 large that you can no lon.ger get through them, remembering to let each succeed- 

 ing cultivation be shallower than the preceding one. If there should be any stray 

 Aveeds left in tlie hills, go through and pull tliem out or cut them off Avith a shariv 

 corncutter. 



The secret of success in potato (-ulture is jn'i-sistcnt and thorough cultivation: 

 cultivate at least once every Avcek and be sure to do it after every shower. Never 

 let the ground crust oA-er or bake. 



As soon as danger of freezin.g is past in sprin.g I spread my seed potatoes on the 

 floor of an ohl house Avhere they are exposed to the light, and shovel tuem over 

 occasionally to prevent them from sending out long sprouts. I use undersized 

 potatoes, tiiose thjjt are a little too small for market; cut them in three or four 

 pieces. If large potatoes are used cut them to about two or three eyes to the 

 piece and plant one in a hill. If the soil is sandy and liot a better stand may be 



