- 4,70 
March 29. 
Hope Farm Notes 
Cutting Up. —As we said last week, 
hereafter when plowing under a sod 
or a cover crop we shall try to use a 
Cutaway or disk harrow before plow¬ 
ing. A little thought will show the phil¬ 
osophy of this. Plow under the entire 
sod and it lies in long slices underneath 
the soil in which the crops grow. If 
you leave it as it is turned under with¬ 
out solid packing this sod does not de¬ 
cay rapidly until late in the season. In¬ 
stead of holding water it admits the air, 
and thus loses moisture, while it prevents 
the rise of moisture from below. When 
the surface of the sod is chopped up be¬ 
fore plowing we have much of the dif¬ 
ference between fine manure and big 
chunks or long cornstalks. This 
chopped-up matter packs closer, does 
not prevent the rise of moisture, and 
will decay and give up its plant food 
faster; while this chopping takes time 
and labor, I think it will pay well. I 
also think that when coarse manure is 
spread on the surface it may well be 
chopped up before plowing under. 
Liming. —We expect to put lime on 
practically all our plowed land except 
that used for potatoes and strawberries. 
As we try to use cover crops everywhere 
this liming becomes a part of the plan. 
We think annual application of smaller 
quantities of lime better for our purpose 
than larger doses every few years. This 
is largely for orchard work with crops 
grown between the rows of young trees. 
Annual applications of lime just after 
plowing under the cover crops seems to 
me our best practice. In our case the 
object is to make the cover crop give 
up its plant food rapidly. On our tough 
hills we must get a good growth early 
in the season before the drought comes. 
During the moister Fall we can usually 
get a good growth of rye, clover and 
turnips or vetch. When we plow this 
under in Spring we want it to give up 
its plant food at once, and the lime will 
force it to do so. For this reason we 
shall use slaked or burned lime. It is 
quicker in its action than ground li/ne- 
stone. That is what we want, for it 
must be short stories on our cold and 
dry hills. 1 do not tell this as general 
advice to all, but as what seems best 
suited to our needs. 
Subsoiling. —By this is meant break¬ 
ing up the subsoil or hardpan found 
under the upper soil in which plants 
feed and drink. A subsoil plow does 
not turn up a furrow—it follows the 
turning plow, working deep down like a 
mole, breaking the subsoil without turn¬ 
ing it out. There are many questions 
about the value of subsoiling this year, 
but farmers do not agree. I have let¬ 
ters here from some who say it saved 
their farms, while others claim that it 
ruined their soil. You see, there are 
some people who argue on general prin¬ 
ciples without regarding conditions at 
all. I think much of our soil might be 
helped by subsoiling, but I should hate 
to be the one to try it, because our 
ground is full of stones and boulders 
which would hold up or break any plow. 
In defense of our stony soil, we may 
claim that these underground rocks help 
keep the ground open and porous. There 
are cases, however, where subsoiling 
pays. Mr. L. P. Haight of northern 
Michigan is cultivating a large tract of 
pine barren land. This soil is very 
sandy—it looks like Florida sand! You 
would say nothing could grow on it, yet 
Mr. Haight grows rye, head high, and 
corn nearly 10 feet. I have seen peach 
trees in the Florida sand with eight to 
nine feet of growth made in one sea¬ 
son. When Mr. Haight started he 
found that his crops grew well up to 
the time of dry weather and then faded 
away. They simply burned up. On dig¬ 
ging into the soil you found a “hard- 
pan” or layer of tough clayey soil vary¬ 
ing from a few inches to two feet or 
so thick. This seemed to account for 
the trouble. The crops were trying to 
find food and drink in the thin layer 
of surface soil above this hardpan. 
There might be food enough there, but 
when the drought came no water could 
rise up through that “hardpan,” and the 
crops found themselves in a hot frying- 
pan and were dried out. Yet.there was 
a full supply of moisture beloiv that 
hardpan waiting for the chance to climb 
up to the rescue. Mr. Haight broke up 
this hardpan with a subsoil plow, and 
the crops at once improved because the 
moisture was able to rise up and give 
them a drink. I speak of this because 
we are usually taught that the lighter 
soils are not helped by subsoiling. I 
have heard men argue that such work¬ 
ing would be the worst possible thing 
for the sandy soils as it would make 
them “leach,” yet here is a case where 
the opposite effect took place. It all 
comes down to the fact that no man can 
learn fanning except from himself. 
Others may teach him agriculture, but 
he must think out farming for himself. 
Concentration.— Mr. Haight tells me 
another thing that ought to make us 
thoughtful. One fearful expense con¬ 
nected with farming on this pine barren 
land is that of clearing the stumps. Some 
of you know how firmly a pine stump 
clings to the old home. Mr. Haight 
uses a powerful traction engine to ^get 
these old veterans out. Hook on to one 
and turn the steam loose and the stump 
has got to come unless the hook or chain 
breaks. Now a back-to-the-lander came 
out from the city and bought a “farm” 
of this stump land. He paid $25 an 
acre for land which the real estate spec¬ 
ulator probably got for less than $1.25. 
This man toiled all Summer long with 
ax and grub-hoe and cleared about one 
acre of this stump land. He lived on 
funds which he had left in a bank. At 
this rate it will take him a lifetime of 
the hardest toil to clear his farm, while 
in a month the big steam engine would 
have every stump out of the ground! 
For inside the boiler of that engine lies 
the strength of 100 men ready at the 
touch of the engineer. Turn where we 
will in these days we see the futility 
of the individual trying to compete with 
his bare hands, at ordinary work, with 
concentrated power. If a man can mas¬ 
ter some one thing, and do it better than 
anyone else he is above competition for 
the time, but at such work as digging 
stumps or clearing land how can the 
human , hand hope to compete with the 
steam boiler? What then? The hope is 
in cooperation—concentration of man 
power. Instead of this one man going 
alone into these pine barrens, suppose 
25 or 50 pool their issues and go to¬ 
gether. The steam engine and the other 
sources of power would then be avail¬ 
able with credits and markets as well. 
We cannot get away from the fact that 
we have got to get together. 
Questions. —The criticism is sometimes 
made that some of our questions are 
so simple that anyone ought to know 
the answer. I pay little attention to 
such criticism, but accept all questions 
as fair and sincere. We are all wise 
in some things and like children in 
others. To be charitable let us not 
judge the childhood of others by the 
wisdom of our own experience. 
A certain man goes hunting: his dog 
chases a fox by a farmhouse. The farm¬ 
er's dog runs out and scares the hound 
so he leaves the track and goes hack 
home. The fox runs some distance farther 
and crosses a lot near some men returning 
from work. One of the men, with the help 
of their shepherd dog, kills the fox. Who 
owns the fox, the man who killed it or 
the man who owns the hound? a. s. 
Oswego Co., N. Y. 
I never killed a fox or chased one, but 
in this case, if my dog took up the 
chase after the other dog quit, and I 
killed the fox, I should claim it. Under 
the circumstances I do not see what 
rights the other man had in this par¬ 
ticular fox after his dog left the trail. 
There may be some sort of “gentleman’s 
agreement” among hunters to govern 
such cases which I do not understand, 
but I think the man who finally dkl the 
killing owns the fox. 
Last October I think T noticed in one 
of your papers an article which told of 
young men who were anxious for an oppor¬ 
tunity to put into practice some of the 
matters they had been studying about. 1 
have a farm of 87 acres. I have a boy of 
1(5 who is strong and willing, but needs 
some one to show him what to do, and 
the best way to do it. I would like a 
man, a church-going and temperate young 
man, I might say a total abstainer, as I 
am a member of church and W. C. T. U. 
I would like him to be a good example to 
the boy and man. You mentioned the fact 
that they did good, in the families where 
they went, and I would like one, who would 
be such influence for good in my fam¬ 
ily. e. l. s. 
Connecticut. 
Now I print that as a sample of what 
Is wanted in many a farm home. I 
wonder if there are many college grad¬ 
uates after such a job. Here is a form 
of missionary work without any brass 
band or flag waving. Tf any young man 
thinks he would like to combine good 
farming and good example he can try 
for the place.. Don’t all speak at once, 
gentlemen—only one man is called for. 
H. w. c. 
? XUC V/-YORKSN 
LLL 
TTT 
\ 
A 
l 
Are you a 
“K-r-i-t-Farmer ” ? 
If you are not, we will send the K-r-i-t out to your farm 
and show you why you should be a “K-r-i-t Farmer.” 
You show us what you want a motor car to do. Show us your 
roads, your hills, your mud, your sand and the cost you can 
afford for up-keep, and we’ll show you the car that can do it. 
It is the K-r-i-t. 
Four thousand farmers are driving 
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they bought K-r-i-t-s. We want you 
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them. Write us for names and ad¬ 
dresses of K-r-i-t—farmers. 
We know why they bought K-r-i-t-s. 
The three dominant reasons are— 
The K-r-i-t Motor, the K-r-i-t Trans¬ 
mission, the K-r-i-t Axle. Those are 
the Three Prime Essentials of the 
car that is Sturdy, Reliable, Durable 
and Economical. 
The K-r-i-t has the ball-bearing 
tmitpowerplant;four-cylinderwater- 
cooled motor, cylinder cast enbloc 
of the highest quality grey iron cast¬ 
ing. The K-r-i-t has the annular ball¬ 
bearing sliding-gear transmission 
with chome nickel gears. 
The K-r-i-t has axle and springs 
made of Vanadium Steel and steer¬ 
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K-r-i-t in every essential part has 
more durability, more construction 
strength, more power, mere real 
sturdiness than a car of its rating 
actually needs. But that is what 
has lifted the K-r-i-t out of the $1000 
class. That is why four thousand 
farmers are driving K-r-i-t-s. 
Write us for the name of the near¬ 
est K-r-i t dealer and he will bring 
the K-r-i-t to your farm. 
Krit Motor Car Company 
1622 East Grand Boulevard ^ Detroit, Michigan 
.Lr* 
J 
01 
IS 
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Wheiv Spraying 
FISH BRAND 
REFLEX 
SLICKER 
to keep you dry. 
ROOMY 
DURABLE 
COMFORTABLE 
Reflex Edges make it 
impossible for water to 
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$3.00 Everywhere 
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. 
h not at your dealer’s, sent pre- 
paid on receipt of p 
for illustrated folder, 
. A. J. TOWER CO. 
boston 
413 Tower Canadian Limited, Toronto 
Sond for 
Catalog of 
Valparaiso 
Indiana 
BEFORE DECIDING 
WHERE TO ATTEND SCHOOL 
Valparaiso University 
(Accredited) 
One of tlie largest Universities and Training Schools 
in the United States 
Fortieth Year opened Sept. 17, 1912 
26 Departments Excellent Egnipmentg 
105 Instructors 80 I 100 I tlie Kntire Year 
Students may enter nt any time and select their studies 
from any, or from inuuy of the following 
DEPARTMENTS: Preparatory, Teachers’, Kindergarten, 
Primary, Education, Manual Training, Scientific, Classic, 
Higher English, Civil Engineering, German, French, Span¬ 
ish, Italian, Law, Pharmacy, Medical. Dental, Elocution und 
Oratory, Music, Fine Art, Commercial, Penmanship, Phon¬ 
ography and Typewriting, Review 
The Expenses Are Made So Low 
that any one can meet them. General Tuition $1H per 
quarter of 12 weeks. Hoard and furnished room $1.70 to 
$2.75 per week. 
Spring Term will epen March 4, 1913 
r Catalog giving full particulars mailed free. Address, 
H. H. DROWN, President, orO. P. KINSEY, Vice-President. 
BEST MAPLE SYRUP EVAPORATOR 
"M'OT u single feature of our Maple Evuporator 
can be dispensed with. Simplest and most 
economical way of 
making Maple 
Syrup. Produces 
highest quality 
which brings the 
most money. Made 
in 22 sizes ror large 
and small groves. 
Write for catalog 
and state number of trees you tap. 
GRIMM MANUFACTURING CO. 
619 Champlain Ave., N. W., Cleveland, O. 
YOUR OPPORTUNITY 
is NOW * n the Province of 
SASKATCHEWAN 
Western Canada 
Do you desire to got a Free 
Homestead of 160 Acres of 
that well known Wheat Land! 
The area Is becoming more lim¬ 
ited but no less valuable. 
New Districts have recently 
been opened up for settlement, 
and Into these railroads are now 
being built. The day will soon 
come when there will be no Free Home¬ 
steading land left. 
— A Swift Current. Saskatchewan farmer 
writes:—"I came here on my homestead. 
March, 1906, with about U000 worth of 
horses and machinery, and Justt35 In cash. 
Today I have 900 acres of wheat, 300 acres 
of oats, and 60 acres of flax." Not bad for 
six years, but only an Instance of what 
. — may be done In Western Canada, in Manl- 
|T toba, Saskatchewan or Alberta. 
* Send at once for Literature, Maps. Rail¬ 
way Kates, etc., to 
J. S. CRAWFORD, 
301 E. Genesee Street, 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
r Address. Superintendent of Immigration 
Ottuwa. Out., t anado 
160 PAGE BUGGY 
Phelps pays the postage. Send a postal now. Don't buy any kind of a vohicle 
till you see Split Hickory Factory Prices and the 140styles—full and com- 
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LET PHELPS SAVE YOU $25.00 TO $40.00 
Iff not - NO SALE. 30 days Free Road Test 2 year guarantee 
Bo Bure to get tho big book—read how Split Jiiokvryo arc mads—whj l* helps makes you such 
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H. C. Phelps, Pres.. The Ohio Carriage Mfg. Co. Sta 2iQ Columbus, Ohio 
