210 
JOUnSAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Marcl>  5,  1903. 
Iiitclies  lii.s  team  of  Iior.ses  to  the  mower  (a  machine  like  tlie 
Kn2:lisli  make)  and  drive.s  to  that  part  of  the  country  where  the 
hay  i.s  found.  Once  there  he  gets  to  cutting  it  down,  when  he  is 
followed  ill  two  or  three  hours  by  his  hired  man  and  a  single 
liorse  under  the  hay  rake.  The  hay  now  is  sufficiently  made  and 
is  fit  to  be  raked  up  owing  to  the  warm  .sunbeams  and  the  cooling 
zephyrs  which  continually  blow  over  these  western  plains.  Once 
the  hay  is  raked  up,  the  horse  is  unhitched  and  tied  bj^  the  halter 
shank  to  a  wheel  of  the  hay  rake,  and  is  then  left  to  take  care  of 
itself,  while  the  man  gathers  the  win’rows  into  small  cocks. 
Thus  the  work  continues  until  a  sufficient  quantity  of  hay  is 
put  into  the.se  cocks,  when  the  waggon  box  i.s  taken  off  its  wheels, 
and  what  is  known  as  a  “  basket  rack  ”  takes  its  place.  This 
contrivance  requires  no  loader,  so  the  farmer  and  man  pitch  the 
hay  off  the  ground  togetlier,  to  the  amount  of  30  to  35cwf.,  ivhich 
is  then  drawn  to  a  convenient,  place  and  stacked.  The  hay 
remains  there  until  the  cold  winter  months,  when  the  farmer  has 
more  time  to  .spare  to  give  to  its  removal,  as  he  finds  the  need  of 
it  for  his  domestic  animals. 
The  seeders,  harrows,  and  landrollers  are  half  as  large  again  as 
the  British  make.  It  usually  takes  four  men  to.  drive  and 
manage  eight  horses  in  England  when  two  men  without  any 
bother  whatever  can  drive  them  with  care  in  America.  Summer 
fallowing  is  a  branch  of  scientific  agriculture.  It  destroys  weeds 
and  manures  the  ground,  which  has  been  rather  exhausted  from 
constant  cropping  one  year  following  the  other.  Soane  farmers 
have  not  less  than  120  acres  to  fallow ;  so  that  they  have  to  “  get 
a  move  on  or  get  left  behind,”  as  the  saying  is.  It  is  not  pleasant 
to  get  behind  in  work,  as  “  back-setting  ”  must  be  done,  while 
the  Wheat,  already  shot  out,  will  be  ready  for  the  self-binder  in 
the  next  month.  So  .soon  as  the  weeds  are  fully  grown,  and 
wliile  they  are  young  and  tender,  they  are  ploughed  down  with 
the  sulky  plough,  which  has  a  seat,  and  upon  rvliich  a  man  rides. 
This  plough  is  drawn  with  three  horses,  and  clears  a  furrow  of 
Ibin.  notwithstanding  the  ground  is  in  stubble.  The  weeds  very 
thickly  gi’owing  and  over  4ft  high  are  completely  hidden  by  a 
logging  chain,  of  which  one  end  is  tied  to'  the  whipple  trees  and 
the  other  to  the  beam  o/ the  plough.  These  weeds  shortly  decay 
and  rot  in  the  upturned  clay,  and  in  the  following  harvest 
produce  a  wonderful  crop  of  Wheat,  equal  to  a  heavy  dressing  of 
the  riche.st  farmyard  maniu'e. 
The  farm  outhouses  in  Manitoba  are  irsually  built  of  sods  or 
lumber,  though  a  few  of  the  older  settlers  have  replaced  these 
sort  of  buildings  with  good  substantial  .stone  houses.  The  grana¬ 
ries  are  made  chiefly  from  logs,  and  are  very  good,  cheap  and  long 
lasting.  To  a  new  settler  or  any  economical  laersoii,  the  sod 
stable  is  a  boon,  being  100  per  cent,  cheaper  than  any  other  build¬ 
ing,  and  by  far  warmer  in  the  winter.  The  dwelling  houses  in 
the  different  towns  are  built  of  either  stone  or  lumber’,  well 
plastered  and  ceiled  inside,  and  having  double  windows,  wliich 
are  vei’y  essential  to  keep  out  the  cold  in  winter.  Some  few  years 
ago  a  large  number  of  Menonites  came  and  .settled  in  Manitoba, 
having  been  driven  from  Russia.  These  settlers  nearly  all  live 
in  log  houses,  in  villages,  while  their  farms  are  irerhaps  several 
miles  away.  They  accumulate  money  quickly. 
In  midsummer  additional  pa.sture  fences  are  put  up  and  old 
ones  repaired.  Fences  are  cheap,  being  made  of  barb  wire  and 
timber  posts,  while  at  the  same  time  they  are  .sub.stautial. 
It  takes  only  a  few  days  for  a  farmer  and  his 
hired  man  to  enclose  a  large  pa.sture  of  200yds  each 
way.  The  posts  having  been  split  from  logs,  with  iron 
wedges,  and  sharpened,  are  loaded  upon  the  waggon.  The 
farmer  and  his  man  both  go  together.  One  of  them  starts  a 
hole  in  the  ground  with  an  iron  bar,  and  inserts  therein  a  stake, 
wliile  the  other  stands  upon  the  waggon  and  supplies  the  mallet. 
These  po.sts,  put  up  5  or  Gyds  apart,  quickly  run  over  space,  and 
along  with  three  strands  of  wire  fastened  with  .staples,,  make  a 
capital  enclo.sure,  which  neither  horses  nor  cattle  manage  to  go 
through.  As  before  mentioned,  it  is  not  costlj’.  Not  calcu¬ 
lating  the  few  days  putting  a  fence  of  this  description  up,  the 
price  is  less  than  30  cents  (Is.  3d.)  per  5|yd.s.  Some  farmers  do 
it  lunch  less,  as  they  use  two  wires  only,  instead  of  three  ;  but  two 
wires  are  not  capable  of  keeping  in  stock  vhen  the  summer 
advances  and  the  grass  gets  scarce,  especially  the  cow  kind,  Avhich 
liai-e  thick  liard  hides. 
Except  as  Amgetables  for  domestic  use  there  are  A'ery  feiv  roots 
grown  in  Manitoba.  The  co.st  of  labour  being  so  high  root  crops 
ncA’cr  reward  the  grower.  You  might  travel  all  C-anada  and 
vould  not  see  such  large  fields  of  green  crops  as  in  Great  Britain 
or  Ireland.  Maize  is  the  substitute  for  Turnips  and  Mangolds. 
It  is  far  cheaper  raised,  and  of  more  value  to  the  We, stern  farmer 
than  either  Mangolds  or  Turnips.  The  stalks  are  given  to  the 
grazing  .stock,  and  the  cob  to  the  SAvine.  The  I’nited  States 
Indian-corn  is  better  soAving  than  the  ordinary  Canadian  Maize 
(thougli  it  is  difficult  to  ripen  or  bring  it  to  maturity)  as  it  con¬ 
tains  such  a  tremendous  quantity  of  sugar,  Avhich  dairy  cows 
are  so  fond  of.  Experience  has  proved  to  these  farmers  that 
Maize  stalks  is  their  finest  food  for  cattle,  and  so  they  groAv  it 
yearly  for  no  other  purpose,  and  it  reAA’ards  them  enormously. 
Potatoes  are  more  extensively  soAvn  than  either  Turnii).s  or 
any  green  crop.  They  are,  more  easily  raised,  being  planted 
Avithout  any  manure,  and  are  often  not  put  in  the  ground  until 
after  June  10,  Avhen  eA’en  the  seeds  produce  splendid  tubers  after- 
Avards.  Where  Irish  farmers  la.y  doAvn  one  cutting,  the  Cana¬ 
dians  put  three,  and  even  four.  Their  reason,  it  seems,  for  plant¬ 
ing  them  after  this  manner  is  that  the  sun’s  rays  being  so  Avarm 
and  the  Avind  .so  strong,  the  one  single  stalk  Avould  not  be  able  t^ 
endure  the  heat  and  drought  over  ground,  but  AA  Ould  Avither  a\A'ay 
and  die. — (Reprinted  from  “  The  Western  World.”) 
A  Springtail  (Pondura,  species). 
The  Thysanura,  Avhich  constitute  the  little  order  of  the 
Springtails,  are  thought  in  some  things  to  approach  the  crabs, 
in  ethers  to  resemble  the  lace-AA'inged  flies.  The  family  Collem- 
bola  includes  species  that  are  abundant  during  most  seasons 
about  hotbeds  and  Avithin  frames,  the  AAannth  of  Avhich  appears 
to  be  agreeable  to  their  senses.  Also  in  the  open  borders,  though 
seldom  noticed  there,  these 
tiny  creatures  frequent  suc¬ 
culent  plants,  more  parti¬ 
cularly  Avhen  they  are  in 
an  unhealthy  condition.  The 
presence  of  certain  fungi 
has  an  attraction  for  them, 
and  decayed  roots  or  pro¬ 
strate  branches  of  trees 
Avhich  have  become  damp 
occasionally  turn  out  to  be 
the  abiding  place  of  myriads 
of  Springtails,  Avhich  have  had  given  them  in  some  localities  the 
appellation  of  “ground  fleas’  from  their  jumiaing  propen.sities ; 
but  they  haA’e  rather  the  aspect  of  a  mite  than  a  flea,  the  antenneo 
being  generally  conspicuous,  the  legs  short,  the  body  elongated 
or  globular,  and  a  springing  apparatus  is  situated  at  the  tail. 
Herein  they  differ  from  fleas  and  A’arious  species  that  leap  by 
means  of  the  hind  legs.  This  apparatus  is  closed  up  when  out 
of  u.se.  Possibly  the  poAver  of  leaping  i.s  adA’antageous  to  them 
should  they  have  to  migrate  suddenly  in  pur.suit  of  food,  but 
ordinarily  they  lie  quiet,  keeping  more  or  less  hidden  under  some 
substance  frequented  by  them,  or  in  sheltered  nooks.  The  appli¬ 
cation  of  salt,  even  in  Aveak  solution,  soon  kills  them. 
A  Sphingtail.  Olagnijied.) 
TRADE  NOTES. 
Wai’fc’o  Plant  Catalogue. 
T’he  ueAvly  is.sued  catalogue  of  Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware  (1902),  Ltd., 
Avill  be  found  useful  and  interesting  as  a  little  reference  Avork 
and  guide  to  those  Avho  love  and  cultivate  the  hardy,  plants  of 
the  rockery,  the  bog  garden,  the  “  herbaceous  border,”  and  the 
outdoor  garden  as  a  Avhole.  It  i.s  freely  illustrated  Avith  cuts  of 
the  best  (and  perhaps  least  knoAvn)  perennials,  liaAung,  too,  a  fair 
amount  of  cultural  data  included  in  its  pages. 
Shanks’  Lawn  Mowers. 
We  have  received  from  Messrs.  Alexander  Shanks  and  Son, 
Limited,  their  little  catalogue  of  laAvn  moAvers  and  I’ollers.  This 
is  illustrated  Avitl*  the  tjqres  of  machines  manufactured  and  sold 
by  the  firm  at  Dens  Iron  Works,  Arbroath.  The  different  patents 
and  patterns  are  briefly  explained,  and  prices  for  all  sizes  of 
moAvers  are  quoted.  At  this  season  of  the  year,  just  Avhen  laAvn 
moAvers  and  rollers  are  again  to  be  considered  for  the  coming 
season’s  Avork,  the  little  catalogue  deserves  considtation. 
W,  Cooper  s  Illustrated  Catalogue. 
As  a  trade  catalogue  in  Messrs.  W.  Cooper’s  (Ltd.)  line  of 
business,  Ave  believe  this  to  be  the  most  complete  that  is  pub¬ 
lished.  Three  things  strike  one  Avhen  first  it  is  handled;  one  is, 
its  substantiality  (it  is  bound  like  a  good  novel);  secondly,  the 
quality  of  the  paper;  and  thirdl3q  the  good  printing  and  care 
that  has  been  taken  to  make  it  attractive,  even  if  it  is  but  a 
catalogue.  The  sti’ong  crimson  boards  Avith  gold  and  black 
lettering  betoken  at  once  that  tlie  firm  Avhose  name  is  printed,  is 
one  of  standing,  and  haA’e  a  position  to  maintain.  Within  these 
boards  the  catalogue  is  divided  into  ten  sections,  Avhich  Ave  take 
as  folloAvs  :  (1)  Plant  .structures  of  all  sorts;  (2)  poi’table  Avooden 
buildings,  pavilions,  studios,  boxes,  huts,  shelters,  &o. ;  (3)  in¬ 
cubators,  poultry  house.s,  runs,  Ac. ;  (4)  designs  in  rustic  Avork  of 
all  descriptions;  (5)  iron  buildings;  (6)  dog  kennels;  (7)  heating 
apparatus,  boilers,  pipes,  Ac.  ;  (8)  horticultural  timber;  (9)  horti¬ 
cultural  manures,  insecticides,  A’C.  ;  and  lastl.v  (10)  Irorticultural 
sundries  and  requisites.  We  need  not  specialise  on  anj’  of  these ; 
the  sections  conve.v  an  idea  of  the  Avide  scope  of  the  firm’s  busi¬ 
ness.  and  Ave  most  heartilj’  commend,  as  a  reference  Avork  for  the 
gardener  or  estate  agent  to  have  by  him,  this  illu,strated  catalogue 
of  Mes?rs.  W.  Cooper,  Ltd.,  Old  Kent  Road,  London. 
