Farm and Garden

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 348, 8 January 1903, Page 2

Farm and Garden

'■ -^.. obiginal^i|Sss% ; \ \, n VALUABLE KBMBDT FOE CODLIN MOTH. ¥3xKHE spraying experiments here noted *>ir» w . er9 ma< - e a P° n apple trees about yffifc* eighteen years old aad from' fifteen to twenty feet high. Just previous to the trees blossoming they w*re sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. The next two sprayings in which poison was used were mads later on j the. first \ cist "after the petals' dropped and the" last just before the calyx dosed. In both experi-< meats the poisons were need with Bordeaux mixture made in,,the usual way. live trees were left untreated; all the"[ trees had been previously sprayed re*' gularly for many years, and the season when these trials were made was a severe one for testing remedies. Five trees were sprayed twice with arseniate of lead.

Three were sprayed once only. Five were sprayed with paris green, one pound to one hundred and fifty gallons of Bordeaux mixture. The windfalls of fruit were carefully collected, and botb good and' wormy fruit counted during the season The results were greatly in favour of the arseniate of lead solution, and it was noted that the value of it was not altogether in the small number of wormy fruit, but also the very small number fallen off the sprayed trees, the greatest benefit arising from the destruction of the first brood, and consequently lessening the number of frnit falling off. One spray of arseniate of lead was as effacbiv < as two of paris green. Two sprayings of the arseniate solution resulted in reducing the number of windfalls by one

half and increasing the perfect picked fruit by eighteen per cent, over those sprayed but once A benefit of over eighty per cent, over the unsprayed trees was thus secured as regards wormy fruit, and a benefit of over seven per cent, as regards windfalls. The arseniate of lead can be easily made on the farm, if desirable, at very small expense. The constituents are arseniate of soda and acetate of lead; when combined they form the arseniate of lead. Dissolve four ounces of arseniate of soda in three quarts of water and eleven ounces of-acetate of lead in another three quarts of water, and the two solutions are mixed together and may be used in the proportion of about one-quart of the arseniate of load solution to twenty-five gallons of water or Bordeaux mixture. It can be used much stronger without danger to foliage—even on peach and plum. In this respect it is superior to paris green and other arsenical poisons as it does not burn the foliage. , As a rule the formula given will do for most leaf-eating insects and the codlin moth. Where rapid work is desired the quantity can be doubled—that is, use two quarts or even more of arseniate of lead in about twenty gallons - of water, Arseniate of lead does not dry but forms a p2sty precipitate almost pure white. It remains well in suspension, and owing to its adhesive character it remains on those parts'sprayed all through the summer; itis inexpensive and efficacious,

SORGHUM FOR FORAGE. Sorghum is one of the best forage crops; the' plants produce enormous crops on almost any average soil; on rich alluvial land the sorghums yield more than maize as a forage crop. While this plant thrives comparatively well during periods of dry weather, it is correspondingly better when the weather conditions are more favorable. In seleating tho seed for forage purposes in planting three things should be considered: a kind should be chosen that produce' the greatest amount of foliage and the fez "'gest stem; also that variety containing- ae greatest per centage of sugar matures early. It is considered advisable to economise labour a 3] much as possible, therefore some people harvesting this use mowing machines and selfdumping rakes, as in harvesting the hay crop. however, of putting the sorghum into wind rows, it is bunched by means of the hcrserake; when it is bunched it is made into shocks,- which will withstand rain storms. This method is the cheapest, and if carefully followed tho fodder will remain green and bright until needed for feeding purposes. Just as the seeds show a tendency to become hard, is considered the best time tc cut sorghum, as it is then in its highest state of perfection. After it is cut it should be placed in shocks as soon as possible and allowed to remain in the windrow long enough to wilt. As soon as the shocka are thoroughly dried the fodder may be stacked. The sorghum grown from special seleoted seed for this purpose under favorable conditions will produce from five to ten tons of feed to the acre of land, and could be used to.feed stock when other feeds are Bcaree and grass is dried up, and it is profitably used to feed cattle in the ordinary way, being considered superior to many otber forage crops. The millets are classed with sorghums, and most of them are more or less excellent forage plants, aomo of them having special qualities, and some of the varieties. are very much relished by stock.

MARRIAGE - CEREMONY I N JAPAN. The marriage ceremony in Japan is rather a novel affair. When two persons agree to join in wedlock it is'.-ihe custom of the country that each one cf, the contracting parties BbiaU choose some j person as sponsor cr rather as_ guarantor, whose duty is to determine whether or not such a union is proper and will be satisfactory to all concerned. It is especially expected that the bride will be agreeable to the I parents of the groom, with whom they are generally expected to reside. There is an unwritten law in that country that the children shall be obedient to their parents and conduct their business affairs to a great extent to their satisfaction, and, if necessary, provide, for their wants in old age. No license is required to authorize the marriage, but after being pronounced man and wife by the guarantors that fact must ba made known to a iudicial tribunal, where the occurrence is recorded. Should a disagreement arise between »tho parties thereafter and a separation ba desired, they then proceed to have-a meeting with their guarantors, to whom they state their grievances. After a hearing the guarantors decide the matter and arrange the terms for the separation. Such procedure is then reported to thoeourt and is declared- final. Previous !to. such action, should one or both of the guarantors die or be unable to act, then their nearest of kin will become arbiters in their stead. Once upon'a time in a melodramatic theatrical performance the leading man took a fiery uniamed steed on the. stage, when it began kicking things to pieces. «Help, help!' cried the leading man. «Nay, nay!' answered the manager. 'The horae shows great disoernment} he is trying to elevate the stage/ In every 100 men tried : -:M*l som ® criminal offence, 13 are servants, 14 tradesmen, 6 men of fortune, the rest labouring-men.