34 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



dulge in periods of rest for an hour or 

 two at a time. Certain species of fly are 

 known not to sleep, and all the animalculse 

 belong to the list of those which sleep not, 

 says the Scientific American. 



Every man who plants trees should 

 remember that in the present day and age 

 nothing but the best fruits and vegetables 

 pay to grow and ship ; and when that is 

 taken into account, the advantage of irri- 

 gation, which will insure a crop every year 

 and multiply the productiveness of the land 

 from two-to fivefold, becomes the more 

 apparent. 



The average production of peas in the 

 Province of Ontario is about 14,000,000 

 bushels from an average area of 700,000 

 acres. Much of this product finds mar- 

 ket in the United States. Much of the 

 land in northern Minnesota, and probably 

 in other parts of the northwest, is equally 

 as well adapted to the growing of peas. 



Egyptian planters are rapidly increas- 

 ing the acreage of cotton planting in the 

 valley of the Nile, and are improving their 

 irrigation facilities for its culture. Irriga- 

 tion in the southern and southwestern 

 States would greatly increase the produc- 

 tion and improve the quality of the crop in 

 this country. 



The orchard wagon with low wheels and 

 broad tires, that will turn round within its 

 own length, which will carry a load over 

 soft ground without cutting in, fitted with 

 springs to save jar, wear and horse flesh, 

 has become a necessity where it has be- 

 come known, and it comes to stay. 



General Morin, of France, says that the 

 deterioration of common roads except that 

 which is caused by the weather, is two- 

 thirds due to the wear of the horses' feet 

 and one-third to the wheels of vehicles. 

 Motocycles and rubber tires would there- 

 fore minimize the expense of road repairs. 



A red clay road well graded up and 

 packed when dry, with good provision for 

 drainage, can be made one of the best of 

 roads by a coating of gravel, which be- 

 comes thoroughly imbedded in and ce- 

 mented by the clay. It is one of the 

 worst in its raw state. 



There is a growing demand for family 

 cows. Whoever produces them and com- 

 plies with the requirements can get extra 

 compensation for his labor and investment. 



Capt. J. P. Casey, of Las Cruces, New 

 Mexico, killed six Berkshire pigs last 

 winter that dressed together 1,100 pounds. 

 They were fed only alfalfa except 65 cents 

 worth of shorts each to finish them off, 

 and the meat was of superior quality. 



The spray pump is found to be as useful 

 in the garden as in the orchard, and is 

 even being used to good advantage for 

 preventing and destroying vermin on stock. 

 Weak kerosene emulsion can be so applied 

 as to meet every portion of the body. 



Every farmer should raise some pump- 

 kins in the cornfield. It is only necessary 

 to plant the seed when the crop is ' ' laid 

 by," and they will do the rest. They fill 

 a place in the domestic economy, both in 

 the house and in the stockyard. 



Dr. A. T. Peters, of the Nebraska State 

 University farm, reports uniform success 

 with the new method of dealing with hog 

 cholera. A bulletin is to be put out, bear- 

 ing on the subject, which will be extremely 

 interesting to hog men. 



Five hundred dollars from a half acre 

 of blackberries, is given as the last year's 

 crop of Mr. H. Blanchard, a New York 

 grower. He thinks it requires the proper 

 combination of man, soil and season, how- 

 ever, to produce such results. 



Orange growers in the early belts of 

 California might profit by budding some 

 of the earliest good varieties, such as the 

 Parson Brown, Early Oblong and Non- 

 pareil, which ripen in Florida early in 

 November. 



It is said that not a quarter of the usual 

 number of mares were bred this season. 

 Such a policy will not have to be kept up 

 long before there will be a scarcity of 

 horses to meet even the present limited 

 demand. 



Fruit that is worm-eaten or disfigured 

 by insects will not command either a fair 

 price or ready sale. It is important to 

 spray your trees and protect the fruit. It 

 does not cost but a trifle of the amount 

 saved. 



It is only the excess of what a cow eats 

 above what is required for its maintenance 

 that yields a profit to the owner and feeder. 

 The more they can eat and properly assimi- 

 late the greater the margin of profit. 



