8o 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



During one of our dry sandstorms a lightning con- 

 ductor would have its work cut out for it. Now, we 

 have no lightning conductor, popularly so called, 

 but we have excellent substitutes in the shape of 

 young, succulent trees, bristling with leafy points to 

 attract the electricity, and furnished with good, moist 

 stems to conduct it to the earth. 



If there were a forest of these trees no harm would 

 result, as each tree would probably conduct no more 

 electricity than was good for it; but, as it is on most 

 farms here at present, our tallest and best trees natur- 

 ally selected as conductors have to pass too much 

 electricity on to the earth, and many succumb. 



The best and radical cure for this electricity is to 

 put in tree wind breaks the taller the better, Carolina 

 poplar, Lombardy poplar, or cottonwood, all are serv- 

 iceable, though there are many objections to the last 

 as it becomes older. The wild cherry is destined to 

 become of great service in this respect. It has the 

 advantage of being valuable for its fine, hard wood. 



The first thing a settler should do is to plant 

 trees. Every tree helps to promote the individual 

 farmer and the valley. Trees will not only lessen the 

 wind, get rid of the sand and stop the electricity, but 

 they will put more moisture into the air, promote 

 night dews and bring more frequent rain. The land 

 will be bettered and the crops be heavier. 



Ostrich farming. Ostrich farming could no 

 doubt be made to yield profitable returns even if 

 carried on far more extensively than at present in 

 the United States. Several flourishing ostrich farms 

 are to be found m California, and it is beyond ques- 

 tion that many parts of Arizona, New Mexico and 

 southwestern Texas are well adapted to the business. 

 According to a late South African paper, some 20,000 

 ostriches are to be found on the farms in the Cape Col- 

 ony. It is alleged that each bird there nets about $40 per 

 year, which must be regarded a good profit for almost 

 any animal kept about the farm. In the Cape Colony 

 the birds are plucked about every eight months, and 

 yield nearly a pound of feathers at each plucking. 

 Artificial incubation is practiced in Africa as well as 

 in California, and it is found to be of great advantage 

 in the propagation of the bird. The ostrich is espe- 

 cially adapted to the arid region and requires but lit- 

 tle care. It is estimated that 1,200 tons of ostrich 

 feathers have been exported from Cape Colony dur- 

 ing the past thirty years, valued at $50,000,000. 



Potato Blight. The potato plant is subject to 

 the early and the late blight, which can be prevented 

 by the regular application of Bordeaux mixture. 

 Blights of all kinds flourish in warm, damp weather, 

 but for either the Bordeaux mixture is effective. To 

 prepare it mix 5 Ibs. of blue vitriol with 5 Ibs. of fresh 



lime and dissolve it in 50 gals. (1 bbl.) of water. Dis- 

 solve the blue vitriol in a clean wooden tub or a 

 brass kettle, slack the lime and dilute it to a thin white- 

 wash, then strain through a coarse sieve into the vit- 

 riol solution, mix thoroughly and dilute to 50 gals. To 

 apply, use a sprinkling can, pail and whisk broom. 

 Spray pumps are on the market, costing from $3 to 

 $50, which are especially helpful in this work. 



Red Cedars make fine windbreaks in many 

 places in the West where pines cannot be success- 

 fully raised. A windbreak of evergreen possesses 

 many evident advantages over one of deciduous trees; 

 and it is to be regretted that the small extra difficulty 

 of growing the former so often decides people in. 

 favor of the latter. 



Botanical Collectors will be interested to know 

 that the division of botany of the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture has issued in three volumes 

 a manual of the plants found in Texas. The volumes 

 are fine text books of the Southwestern flowers, and 

 everyone in that section interested in botany should 

 write to the Secretary of Agriculture for copies. 



Foreign Crops. Weather advices from Lon- 

 don are that it has been warmer and more condu- 

 cive to the growth of crops during the past few 

 weeks. This is especially pleasing to English farm- 

 ers, as up to date the season has been somewhat back- 

 ward, both barley and wheat being in need of warmth. 

 Oats are also promising. In France the continuance 

 of wet weather is a serious drawback, especially as 

 wheat is now blooming. Rust has appeared in some 

 regions and will probably do a little injury, but up to 

 date no serious damage has been noted. In Germany 

 there is some complaint of excessive rain, rye having 

 suffered materially during its blooming time. Hun- 

 gary, which has heretofore reported excellent pros- 

 pects for wheat, now claims only a medium yield. 

 The same is true of Austria. Wet weather in Italy 

 has retarded cultivation and caused an excessive 

 growth of weeds. In Spain nothing more than an av- 

 erage crop of wheat is expected; it possibly may be 

 less than an average. In Holland and Belgium crops 

 have made but little progress because of cool weather, 

 while on the other hand in Roumania conditions are 

 very favorable. In Russia excessive rainfall is caus- 

 ing serious anxiety and wheat has there advanced in 

 price because of unfavorable crop conditions. 



For the Onion Crop it will be very beneficial 

 to scatter wood ashes along the row. These are a 

 rich potash fertilizer and will tend to decrease the in- 

 sect pests. Especially is this true of the onion fly, 

 where if the ashes are moistened with kerosene and 

 placed along the row they will be doubly effective. 



