i6LY 11. 1936

<3‘:

1'1-IE CHARLOT'l‘E‘I‘OWN GUARDIAN,

"FOR FARMERS’ STOCK BREEDERS. AND DENERS

I -r_

'

X . so-4

llanadian Poultry on British Market

Under the headinz "Canadian nu-keys and Chickens." the Fish rrades Gazette (London. England) ll May 9. 1986, says. with reference to the arrivs_.l of a shipment that week, Canadian turkeys are show- ing up perhaps rather late in the season. although ever ‘since the the Christmas trade there have been here and there large turkeys that could be b;ught if asked for. This week. however. a shipment has arrived which contains several 58595 of hens weighing from 6 lb. to alb. and l0l.b. There should be no difficulty in disposing of these birds as they are of a size that my shopkeeper could use. They are eminently suitable for the family trade, whereas the larger ones, which weigh from 16 lb. to la lb. :an only be used at this time of the year by hotels. or for the ship- ping trade, Canadian chickens too are more plentiful now than they were a few months ago.

why these shipments shzuld have been held up for so long is difficult to understand. There are 3 good many chickens on the mar- ket just now. but at prices that will suit the pocket of a good many tradesmen who can use a frozen :hieken. One item in favour of the Canadian chicken is the quality. nlth-ugh most of what I have seen are grade B selected. They are young and a very good colour. Here and there a box will be found not qllill.‘ up to the standard. but taking the pack as a whole they are very good. Now. with regard to the future of the Canadian chicken. :liors-, is and always will be a good

rade in this country, providing that the merchants in Canada can produce a bird that can be sold cheaper than English and at a season when tl‘\~ English chickens are scarce. or not plentiful. The general opinion is that February. March and April are the best months for cold storage birds. and there is no reason why Canadian ahiekens should not take the place rf all other imported birds.

Listing Seed For Germination

Quality of seed includes ability to grow, freedtm from the seeds of

weeds and of other cultivated plants and from chaff. dirt, and disease. Uniformity in size and

colour are also considered under quality. No matter how pure and clean seed may be. it has no value unless it is able to produce healthy ncrmal plants. This can be determined only by means of ger- mination tests, and for this purpose the seed testing laboratories of the Seed Branch, Dominion Depart- ment of Agriculture, have been es- tablished. Not only do these labor- atories furnish data for the en- forcement of the‘seeds Act but they give information to farmers and gardeners regarding the quality of the seed which they wish to grow.

To make germination tests is not always an easy matter. While the testing of really high-quality fully- matured seed does not as a rule present much difficulty, there are many exceptions to the rule. Seeds are living organisms. cinsequently the analyst is never quite sure how any particular lot will behave during a. germination test. Many seeds which show signs of life are not capable of producing plants under field conditions and are therefore considered to be w:rth- less. Clover seedlzngs often have broken seed leaves. split and water- soaked rcots and other abnormali- ties which prevcnt the plants de- veloping. Such seedlings are not in- rluded in the germination re<u“.s

How to Combat Gafli Insects

Garden plants are liable to at- tack by many kinds of destructive insects .Some of these destroy the foliage others the flowers while others bore into the stems and even into the roots. injurious in- sects may be divided roughly into two classes by the nature of their mouthpieccs. namely, (1) biting insects which bite and chew their food. such a cutwomis and other caterpillars. and leaf-eating beet- les, and (2) sucking insects which suck up their food by means of their beaks. such as aphids. the true bugs. and the scale insects

If the insect is one with biting mouthparts. a stomach poison such 35 P9-P15 green. or arsenate of lead.

sect has sucking mouthparu, such Doisons would be useless because the insect would insert its beak through the poison and reach I safe feeding place beneath. For sucking insects, therefore. contact insecticides are usually recom- mended. those commonly used be- in kerosene emulsion, whale oil soap. and preparations containing tobacco.

A kerosene (coal oil) emulsion is made as follows—Use two gallons of kerosene. one gallon of rain water. and a half pound of soap. Heat the water. out the soap into fine

stirring until all is dissolved. Then

and churn the whole

it cools thickens into a jelly-like mass. The stock solution when pro- perly made will keep for months if air is excluded when required for use. the solution diluted with nine times its mea- sure of warm water

kerosene solution is required

ture is recommended. one quart; flour.

kerosene. eight ounces:

and kerosene together. then‘ tho water and churn minutes It should be used at once.

Whale oil or fish soap is used ex-

ornamental

one pound to six gallons of water Witli regard to tobacco

per cent nicotine sulphate

and drugstores. and should

used as dire:led.

Farm is Ideal

Division . Farm. Agriculture.

Central Experiments

The farm is

by official analysis.

Delayed germination or dor- mancy occurs (i'eqiienii_v in many kinds of seed. This ‘I‘llIlS that

mods will not germinate during the period required norm . inexperi- onced persons wou consider that such seeds were d .d. However. the

analysts have found that dormant seeds are capable / "urination in

time and are the‘ ‘rod seeds. Dormancy causes I deal cl trouble in the officlr. miory. 95-

pecially in some SL‘l\.\‘3l‘.< when seed is sent, to the laboratories soon after harvmt. This is especially true of cereals harvested in wet weather. -The temporary inability of seed ti gerrnlnnie generally dis- appears if the seed is stored pro-

nerly.

Unfortunately there is nothinll in the apeparance of seed to indicate that it is going through this of dormancy. A sample of seed may be sent in to the laboratory by a

farmer szon after harvest for test. percentage germination < at that time may be low. Later an- other sample may be sent in and the results may be very much higher so that the farmer naturally thinks that there is something wrong with the methods used for making tests in the government submitting samples for testing should remem- ber that the seed analyst can re-

The

lainratories. Persons

Port on the need only as he finds it Dormancy

torso and of cereals in Alberta.

has boa-an t...“ ''''‘''‘:i

Condo-. yodlgofvoldl

mom: LINIMENT

period

in the cereals. timothy and the reeds of some other crops WI-S common during the autumn of 1935. This was partculariv true of Hm-thy harvested in eastern on-

[‘llNARD'$‘

small investment and

is always greater than the supply.

The origin of the various breeds of geese is identified with many

countries. the most importan

breeds being the 'I‘;ulouse, Embden. Wild. and the Eizypiian. The last named are kept for ornamental purposes cnlv'nre are usually found in parks and public gardens. The Toulouse gzove originated in France, and the called

African. Chinese, Canada

Embden goose. smetimes the Bremen. had ils origin in Cen

tral Europe. The African goose is a cross between the Chinese and the

Toulouse. and them are two varie

the brown. more difficult than in any othe

signs are not in i'.l‘l’\'1\1 We“ de

. K . 11::-3:: Sifl":il(1J]\lil(’i‘fe:lt3:'al§l‘(‘lo;tleX‘l1t1y‘c0l‘git: *7’ P““'W°°‘“”‘d- 5°““""m‘°‘ Wm‘

and feet. Coarse females are

in legs frequently mistaken for males. s

of a male. Females

of fine make-up may be ml5Wl9

pocially true of the the lfmhden breeds.

The most picking out breeding voice. If the birds in nucsilcll repented out of sight 0' ill" but within

which could be termed me-= ml male sex cannot be ascertained by a d1

tinct difference in voice, the hi should not be used as 11

mpkotin of me is contninrd the circu.!ar 051 Goose Rabin!!-

minian Departmerf. of Agricultu Ottawa.

is usually applicable. but if the in- ‘

shaving and add them to the water.

pour this mixture into the kerosene violently with a syringe or force pump for about five minutes. or until a thick creamy emulsion is produced This makes the stock solution which as

should be

.When only a small quantity of for immediate use. the following mix-

water. two gallons. Stir the flour add briskly for

tenslvoly for aphids and such like insects. but its unpleasant odour is objectionable to many lovers of plants. For brown or black aphids it should be used in the strength of one pound to four gallons of warm water: for green arphids or thrips. in the strength of

extracts trade preparations containing 40 are sold by most seedsmen. hardware i be

for Goose Raising

Goose raising (‘lies not receive the attenti:n of the farming com-

munity that the business warrant . .. sums A. G ‘Taylor of the PW“ 1; United States D.partment of Agri-

Domlnion Department cf the natural habitat of the goose. in fact no other surmundings can make goose raising for market a paying Proposition. The two great essen- “315 in 800545 raising are. first. free range and second an abundance cf green food. On the farm these as- sentials are always plentiful. and the raising of a flock of geese is one means by which the farmer can reap a good reward with a. very campara- tively liitlc labour. on the Christ- mas markets. the demand for geese

ties of Chinese geese. the white and Distinguishing the sex in geese is

C135,; 01 fowl. outward or visible

fined. as in liens turkeys for In “me 95'” °f "'9 Ummd example. Masculinity in geese is 53$; fifigfileuguligéha usually evidenced by stout bill, -

that masculine appearance is not always a sure guide in the selection usually present a feminine appearance. but 8 "1810

for n. female. particularly rlurins the fall or early winter. This is es- 'I‘oul:use and

satisfactory method Of geese is by the

flock hearing distance. iLs call is distinctive. The male has a voice

of I long single call. whi‘e the it‘- of a much higher HIV-' “ml usually of a doub'e echo. where ih('

breeder. in- formation as to the various breeds and thrrui-ing, management. and ihe eastern form. but

be rbtalned by reouest to the Pub- licity and !'xt~r.='«n l?rnr~'i U‘-

THEBUBK00

(Natural History note: contributed by the Jack Miner mane)

This week we write of the cuckoo. The cuclczo occurs rather rarely on P. E. I. but once in a while in the month of June or July you may hear him in the orchard. He is a bird, once you find him. which is rather difficult. you will have little trouble in observing again as he is rather tame. we quote an article by Gilbert Pearson on the yellow- biiled cuckoo. Although it is mcst likely the black-billed that you meet with on this Island.

of all the tales told of European birds, the one relating to the nest- ing-habits of the Cuckoo must re- flect the least credit on the accused. In the spring, when the nesting- time for birds arrives. it does not build a heat for itself, but quieitiy steals away and dep:sits its eggs secretly one at a time, in the nests of other birds. There the eggs are incubated and the young are rear- ed by foster parents. While the Cuckoo thus saves itself the labor of bu ding a nest. and the anxiety of ca ing for in young. it suffers from an unpleasant notoriety pos- sessed by few other birds. In this country the black Ciwbird has the same parasiiic habit.

Nest and Eggs

our Yellow-billed Cuckoo has learned the‘ art 'of nest-building lb‘-It poorly, the cradle in which the iyoung are reared being little more

than a mere platform of twigs. In-

deed. so thin and frail a structure -is it that often the eggs may be counted through the nut from be- neath. It is usually placed on the sheltered limb of a tree or among thick vines in hedge-rows growing along streams, and in orchards or groves. The eggs are nearly an inch and a quarter long. and about three-fourths as wide.

They number from two to four, and in colzr are greenish-blue. Many birds lay their eggs, one each day, with great regularity, until the full number has been reached. The Cuckoo. however, often allows a few days to pass after she begins sitting on some of the eggs before the others are deposited. Thus a young bird. an incubated egg. and a freshly laid egg are sometimes found in the same nest.

Am-:ng the branches of our fruit-

noti

trees we may sometimes see large webs which have been made by tent-caterpillars. An invading host . appears to have come and pitched its tents among the boughs on all sides. These caterpillars are des- tructive to trees. and the Cuckoos do us a great service by coming often to raid the encampment. ‘They pull the little hairy intruders ‘out of their tents by hundreds and eat them. so many are eaten by these birds that often their st:machs are found to be thickly coated with a layer of caterpillar- linirs. Cuckoos also eat grass- hoppers and various kinds of flies.

Great Utility

The Biological survey of the culture has, for many years, been 1 studying the feeding-habits of wild birds. with the object of determin- ing their relationship to mankind. Dr. F. E. L. Beal. cf this Bureau. in his paper on the relation of Cuokoos to agriculture. says:

“The insect-food of Cuckoos con- sists of beetles. grasshoppers. cicadas. bugs, ants, wasps, flies, caterpillars, and zpiders. of which grasshoppers and caterpillars con- stitute more than three-fsurths. In 129 stomachs examined. 2.711 cater- pillars were found, or an average of 21 hr each. In May and June. when tent-caterpillars are defoliating fruit-trees, these lnascts constitute half of the Cuckoo's food. one stomach was so full that the bird t had evidently devoured the whole tent-colony, as there were several hundred in the st/:mach. This diet of hairy caterpillars has a curious effect on the bird's stomach, the lining of which is often pierced by so many hairs as to be completely fur-red. the membrane itself being almost entirely concealed. It seems hardly possible to overestimate the value of the Cuckoo's work. All caterpillars are harmful. many of them are pests. and any of them are likely to become so. The com- mon tent-caterpillar formerly fed on the wild cherry. but has now , turned its attention principally to apple-trees, sometimes completely . defoliating them."

ad the soil is of sand. Large tracts

no other kinds of trees growinx 0 near. ocoupy much of the aplrsely settled land. In these pine-forests the cuckoo: are seldzm seen; and in such regions. if we wish to find them. we must search by the lakes fl

among the shade-tress -of a town. classification and Distribution

to the order is

the subfamily

is The bird occurs ‘in

:_

in \'(\‘|'_v similar; it is fo ‘-5 iii the Rocky Moutn mo Pacific Coast from

and along the strearns where other kindsoft.rsenarogrowin¢.orelae

The Yellow-biliodouokoo belongs Ooouyju. the Bub- order Oucuii. the nmiiy Ououlidae. _ Oooayuinao and the Genus Ooccyxus. Ito coiontifh name is coccyrus amotiumll Imoricgnus.

, summer throughout the eastern and central United states from Iouthlrn Gon- na; to northern rlorida and mull- iana. It passes the winter in louth "l ' America. There is L Dub-UPOOIII. tn! Caiifomia Cutkto G: 5. occident- nnsy which is I link larger than

herwin

in summer and on

British "“',l;ll"ili\ s uihward to the Mexi-

our ab

tlori of native

tions.

and it

only

In-ah

Y“ _-an platcaii.

in ICU

ASTRDNOMICAL

The plants sent in for fall roughly into three classes. In- formation is often taught the edibiiity of wild fruits; noxious weeds are greatly in evidence; and grasses come in for a share of at- tention as being one of the most important groups of plants. We are not to‘d whether there is 3 "botanic garden" of wild plants at Ottawa; but I have a catalogue. made many years ago. and now out of print. which told of many Eur- opean as well as Canadian. plants growing in the borders there. Some. in the interval since 1908. will sure- ly have died out, but just as sure- ly a number of their descendants are adding to the interest of my own garden in the year 1036i

Not long ago I told my of the "artificial hill“ in the park at Sunderland. in Durham County. The "Park-Keeper" as they called the man in charge of the muni- cipal park more had laid out a. lit- tle botanical garden in one corner of his domain. It was It series of long. narrow, paral‘el plots, divided from each other by turf walks; and filled with local plants arranged in their Natural Orders. For all it was limited to the plants of the lime- stone district, it was very useful as a. source (c "fresh material" for teachers of botany in the schools; and on the occasion of holiday vis- _ “S .4, me Pu;-k. 1 found that gm relation?" I said to an acquaint- little garden was well by the scholastic profession.

large family; are dlbvomd all or There are 760 species in North Am- erica. They are medium or small- sined beetles. often of metallic hues. wmlg some are dull brown or black. They feed sometimes

onus is known rod (ye walshiana is believed to feed on plum-louver. A pretty little blue and red beetle feeds on knoigrass. It in the Gutroidea polygoni. I name which means “pot-bellied." an apt description. Trirhabda unad- enlia is ‘stifled beetle. feedin In Aug.

ll aunusvivorzs

Dr. Richardson. of the Mount Wilson observatory. 1’3!adena, tells me that there have been maculae (sunspots) on the surface of the sun every day for about a your past. At tlnics they are been remarked in se Notes, we are close to maximum sunspot year, when (according to the astronom- ers) we may expect more rainfall in coastal districts. and a condi- tion of drought in inland regions. This seems to be exemplified in ‘ ‘ rainfall during the Dust few rnoniahs. and in the arid condition of the northvweawrn Unit- ed Stllal. Olnervers must hnve ‘ the unusual cloud evifectn such periods bring us: “Wiid-look- ing skin," as one says. And now and then we have electric gtorms and aurorac, trace- able to these disturbances of the sun. An earthquake was registered in} the Dominion Observatory on June} 30th, at 12.18 p.m., A.D.'I‘. Its epi-. centre was 4.850 miles from Ot- WWC: probably in Kamchatka. sib- eria. On my calendar I had mark- ed that the moon would be in the neighborhood (visually) of Jupiter on July lot": that is, both bodies would be exerting force from the one direction. was the earthquake a response to that strain‘! I believe it was. But no earthquake would have taken place unless a state of tension had been induced in the earth's crust by om. er factors not yet clearly known. Hence not every planetary conjunc- tion is accompanied by an earth- quake. Thig has made many per. was skeptical about ship between the two.

A GREAT HEBBARIUM

A communication from Mr. E. W. Hart. Botanist, of Ottawa, gives considerable information about the activities of the Division of Botany there. To facilitate the identifica- Canadian plants (which come in from every part of the Dominion) there have been gathered

together speclme

some

SOME INSECTS OF P. E. ISLAND

The ‘June Bugs" (bachnosierna) are very difficult to name: specimen collected was said to be L. anxia. There are nearly 100 spe- cies of June Bugs in the U.S.A., there is more than one species here. Another division of “I.ong-hom- ed wood-boring Beetles includes aaemurn moeatum, Crlncephalus ag- rostin. C. obsoletus. cauidium an- teniutuin, lcptura clnldensls. and L. niutabilb. - The "naaf Beetles" are a about 18.000 species or the world.

15 pi-obaiie that

on foliage,

llow-weed) and 0.

and Sept. .

beetles feeding on the leaves in the elder swamp: they were Hnltioa ins.“ bimarglnata. They had decreased

(mo¢eoiesof"DIrklirignoetls." the