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EN comny , "NS, ,, £i THE RUSSELL LEADER a RETROSPECT AND FORWARD VISION AMONG THE NORTHHERN INSTITUTES The Twin Cities Womerr's Institute Convention BY GIBSON SCOTT _. ov «We debouch upon a newer mightier | promised active co-operation, also by world; varied world, Fresh and strong the world we seize; | world of labor and the march, Pioneers! O Pioneers!" How many Ontarians realize the magnitude of Ontario? Something of ute met the needs of the country bet- | cement floor: One-ineh boards are laid on the} its immensity dawned on the mind of all those who attended the Second Annual Convention of the Woren's Institutes of the north-western ares at the Twin Cities on Oct. 6th and 7th. Here foregathered the grand pions eer home-makers from two hundred and eighty-five miles west of Fort Willig and Port Arthur, and three hundred miles east, And this is only | the first of the fivevgreat conventions that will be held in Ontario autumn to meet the expanding needs of the rural Women's Institutes. Practical, courageous, enthusidstie, these delegates in concise clear-cut reports made a survey of the achieve- ments of -the past year in homey school, community and district de= velopment. In admirably brief, witty, and pointed speeches and discussion; they threshed out the needs of the North and the available resources which could be placed at the serviee of the home-maker through the ma- chinery of the Branch Institute which works so directly and effectively with the Government through the Insti- tutes Branch of the Department of Agriculture. 15 "We have the resources up here, if we just have enough people of the right sort to know whaf;to do with Hon. Maién of the Demiimion Cabinet = © e. Honiie and School Clubs Weve neard from but it was decided that a Heme and School. -Committee in the Insti 'ter then & separate organization. "The efficient Institute" came in for a good deal of attention; as this wae felt t6 be the most effective bit of organization at the service of he home-maker and should be studied earefully with a view fo making it greater a¢ to membership, number of branches in thé north, program plan- ning, éomimunity service; ahd knowl- edge of how the country is governed this | with the help fortheoming from the various departments of state to the people in the homes of rural Ontario. Miss Emily Guest of the Department of Agriculture was present at all the sessions for advice and conference, speaking on the origin, vision, an achievements of the Women's Insti- tutes of Ontario. in the twenty-five years since the first one was fornied at Steney Creek, the present needs, the possibilities of development, and the vision of the future. There are new over 900 branches with soifié 29,0060 members. Mrs. B. O. Allen of Fort William, beloved and efficient secretary of the north, gave & valuable demonstration of how to perform the work of Branch Secretary. One of the girls, Miss Annie Mec- Lennan, spoke on the Canadian Girls them," was stated, so their first ob- in Training and their idea of four-fold | jective is®better homes and better people. Censequently health, eduea- tion, and recréation were very live topics at this convention. The reperis showed that much was being done for the schools by the Branch Institute. Hornepayne had a woman menibér as school trustee, and as it was impos- sible to secure buildings enough to cope with the rapidly growing child population, they had interviewed the ailway officials and secured a pas- senger coach which théy had equipped as an extra room for the pupils. Stratton had gained a Consolidated School. The general opinion eéxpress- _ed was that the Consolidated School avas the best solution of the northern educational problem." Practically every Branch had done something to bring the home into closer and more helpful co-operfition with the school, providing hot lunches, play equipment, giving an anndal educational social evening whereby teachers, trustees, and citizens - might meet, get ac quainted; and find a commen sympae- thetic viewpoint for the ensuing year. The "Travelling College" -or Short Courses put op by the Institutes Branch of the Department of Agricul- ture came in for decided approval, the only complaint 'being Bhat there were not enough of thei ie Sewing, Home nursing, Domestic. Selénce, and Mil- linery. 'nl "We are the most economically run department on the continent," was one statement made. : "Teo economical--there was just what it costs to build three miles of provineial highways!' or even less, spent on all the Women's Institutes of Ontario last year. We should think we might have as much as six miles spent on us this year without being unduly reckless in our demands," was the conclusion of thé delegates. "We do not want fewer' good roads but more good homes gad healthy, well educated home-makefs;" for" after all, it is the home-makers who are &oing the really great work of ngtioh- building." -¥ Health was another moot subject. | valid § development, mental, physical, spif- itual and social. This aim met with the approval of the Convention and co-operation was favored by the Branches. Twe banquets, one at Fort William and the other at Port Arthur, were tendered the delegates by the Wo- men's Institutes of these two cities. These, with the community singing, lent a happy social touch to the pro- ceedings and cemented the warm bond of union between town and country, which is so marked a characteristic of the north. ' The men, too, are 'vigorously behind and with the Institutes. As did the | women of a quarter of a century ago, women of to-day believe in the co- 'operation of men and women for bet- ter homes, better people, a better community, better and happier social life, and a better and more scientifie agriculture. > This the country women carry to a Togieal ¢onclusion in all they do, home, school, Farmers' Clubs and Institutes, conventions, Government departments. A resolution was passed expressing deep appreciation from the wothen of the north of the services being render- ed to the rural home-makers by the Ontario Department of Agriculture through the Institutes Branch, coupl- ed with the wish that this service might be still further extended. A special vote of thanks was given to the Superintendent, Mr. G. A. Putnam, to whose wise guidance in the past so much of present day success was due. "These women are statesmen--do- ing nation-building of the highest order," commented an observant man. "YT used to think the millenium would come through the work of the church. Now I begin to think it is coming through the women." "This work is like the St. Lawrence ~River system," said the President, Mrs. Todd, in her address, "every lit- tle stream, every little drop, contri- butes its part to making the magnifi- cent whole. Every girl, every woman There is no hospital between -Foré| JNO loves the home and its human Th William and Winnipeg, a distancé of 450 miles. One woman reported being 45 miles from the nearest doctor. Another had been in her district for 14 years and this year for the first time had a road to come out on. The feelings of the mother of small chil- dren who realized that she or they might any day fall seriously ill under such conditions were vividly pictured and the need of community nurses was strongly emphasized. It was hoped the Department of Public Health could find a way to co-operate with the Institutes "to bring about some practical and efficient solution "of this problem. A resolution of thanks was sent to Dr. Helen Mac- Murchy, Chief of the Division of Child Welfare of the Federal Depart- ment of Health for. the direct help- fulness of her department to the pioneer mothers. "The available help from the Cntaric Department of Health was also discussed and a re- quest was to be sent to the Minister of Labor to extend® and strengthen the rural services. - Able addresses were given by the Medical Health Officers of the Twin Cities, Drs. Oliver and 'Laurie, who contents is a part of this Women's Institutes' work with its great dreams and practical realizations." The first of the five, this Convention sends down a breeze of inspiration as exhilarating as its own bracing air. "We are going back to raise money this year to send not only the dele- gates but all members possible as well to next year's convention," said the women as with locked hands they sang "Auld Lang Syne' before part- ing. The other Conventions of 1921 are: North" Bay, Oct. 18-19; Ottawa, Oct. 25-26-27; London, Nov. 1-2-3; Toronto, Nov. 15-16-17. rr rin Don't mine your fields, farm them. "Diversified farming ic the highest type of agriculture. The thing of greatest importance on the farm is the folks who live there. Rotation is the greatest enemy to insect and fungus pests. -» After all, the best and biggest mar- ket is the home market. Cement floors for poultry houses | are very satisfactory, and when prop- | erly made are dey and easily cleaned. | On one of the poultry farms visited | by the writer the foundation for éach | laying house was made of concrete, six inches wide, set in a bed of gravel. It was deep enough to be below the frost-line and high enough to prevent | surface water from entering the | house. The floor was coneréte, two and a half inches deep, laid over twe- | ply tar roofing paver smd gravel, Here is a good method of laying a stringers and woven wire netting laid over the boards, and a layer of ce- ment, three-fourths of an inch thick, is covered over the surface. In order to have a perfectly solid foundation, the stingers are elose together. If not rigid, bridge work is used between the stringers. After being laid, the floor is pre- tected for several days from direct sunlight and hot winds. For this reason, the roof is put on the house before the floor is laid, but the siding is not put on the building until the floor has set, as there must be light d| and air for the cement to dry. Large floors are divided into see- tions, to provide for expansion and contraction and to prevent the form- ing of eracks upon the surfacé of the cement. The sections are uniform in size, 6x6 feet being considered about right. Each section is finished in one continuous operation. In making forms to provide for this division into sections, strips of wood that are free from warp and strong enough so as not to spring out of shape when the cement is placed against then, are nailed to the board floor, and the nails ave left partly projecting so they may be easily withdrawn. Alternate sections are filled and finished first When these are suffi- clently hardened so that the strips may be removed without danger to the cement, fthe cross strips are re- moved and the other sections are filled and finished. This makes a distinct division between sections and pro- vides for expansion and contraction. A floor 'ofthis thickness is laid in one coat," A rather rich mixture is used--one part of cement to three of sand. The sand used is clean and sharp. Also, the strips used as forms are clean. . The consistency of; the cement is such' that it will show moisture on the surface with but little pressure. A wooden float is used to bring it to a "uniform thickness and smoothness, It is aigoed plan to cover either cement or board floors with several inches of sand, and litter on top of this." This makes a soffer floor for the fowls to alight upon. = Seed Grain Distribution. The annual free distribution of samples of seed grain' will be con- ducted as usual at the Central Experi- mental Farm, Ottawa, by the Domin- jon Cerealist. The following kinds of seed grain will be sent gut this season: Spring wheat (in = about 5-lb. samples); white oats (about 4-lb); barley (about 5-1b.); fleld peas (about 5-1b.); field heans, (about 2-1b.); flax (about 2-1b.)! = Only one sample can be sent to each applicant. Applications must be on. printed forms which may be obtained by writ- ing to the Dominion Cerealist, Experi- mental Farm, Ottawa. As the stock of seed is limited, farmers are advised to apply early to avoid disappointment. Those who applied too late last season are par- ticularly requested to send in their names at once -so that application forms may be forwarded to them. No application forms will be furnished after Feb. 1st; 1922. C. E. Saunders, Dominion Cerealist. : ------ Gps On Housing the Boars. When talking with a successful hog breeder a few days ago he remarked that he always shied at purchasing breeding animals from a breeder who was not particular about keeping his boars securely penned away from his sows. In one instance he stated that a breeder had five or six young boars running in a field with a number of sows, all of breeding age. "How is that breeder to know the breeding of the pigs coming from these sows. On the other hand, when a man has his boars housed in secure pens then I know he is careful and I assume that if he is careful in one thing he is pretty sure to be particular about other matters, so if I find an animal in his herd which suits mie'T am sure to buy if the price is right. Of the careless man I would not buy breeding stock under any consideration." En a In planning rotations build around the legume. "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks and look well to thy herds."--Prov. 27: 23. CONDUCTED BY PROF. HEN in which they are received. tion this paper. As space ls limited it dressed envelop the answer wif be mailed direct. J. C.: I have a piece of sandy ground that is planted to eorn. I wish té sew alfalfa on this ground next summer. Would it be right te sow tye this fall and plow under in the spring as eover crop for the ground | this winter? : Answer: It would be good practice to sow rye on your sandy ground this fall. The rye will give a covering to the ground end prevent considerable | leaching of plantfood during the rains 'and snows of winter. In the spring the rye should be plowed fairly early, so that the soil will pack and the rye plants will rot and form valuable humus for your seil. M. P.: Are my potatoes infected with the dry rot? The potato has a small rotten spot and black streaks through the flesh. Some of them are hollow, but none are secabby. What treatment will prevent this? Will they be good for Seed? They are the Irish Cobblers and I have raised these for five years without changing seed. Will potatoes run out? Answer: It is difficult to diagnose the trouble with your potatoes from the deseription that you submit. It is my opinion that the trouble is late blight, which causes a rotting of the tubers such as you have described. The only treatment to prevent this blight is to spray carefully during the growing season, starting as soon as the potato plants are b or 6 inches high and spraying once every week or ten days after until the plants have made their full growth. The spray to use is known as Bordeaux, which is r.ade up of 5 Ibs. of quick lime, 5 lbs. of copper sulphate and 40 gallons of water. Dissolve the copver sulphate and the lime separately and pour them together into 40 gals. of water just before you are going to use the ma: terial. Do not sallow the mixture to copper sulphate and lime have been mingled. ra Nothing can be done to prevent the disease in the seed which you have in storage. I would certainly advise you to get some disease-free potatoes and do not use your own seed or you will run the chance of spreading the dis- ease. . Relative to potatoes running out: 1 The object of this department Is to place at the ser. vice of cur farm readers the advice of an acknowledged authority en all subjects pertaining to soils and crops. Address alf questions to Professor Henry G. Bell, in care of The Wilson Publishing Company, Limited, Toron= to, and answers will appear in this column In the order When writing Kindly Immediate reply Is necessary that a stamped angsade' f be enclosed with the questiony witen stand for any length of time ufter fr RY CG. BELL men- is advisable wher§ ~ 2 X25 i Fo Copyright vy Wilson P wblishiia 5H Limited ole would" say that if you practite' con- tinuafly picking out small whole po- tatoes for seed you will very shortly chanige of seed, if it involves the bringing in of good quality materjal, Is 'highly to be desired. . R. K.: When a sandy garden plot 'has been well manured in the fall, is commercial fertilizer needed at the guarter of an acre, and is planted with berry and currant bushes, strawberry plants, and fruit trees. . ; Answer: The manuting of your garden plot in the fzll will have the advantage that the manure will -be well rotted for next summer's €rops. It will also prevent washing-6at of considerable plantfood, although you will lose some of the plantfoed in the manure by this very means. Mén who run large areas of bush' fruits find it highly profitable to put én manure as you have done in the fall and to give the patch a good application of fertilizer fairly High "in nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid just at the acre of a fertilizer carrying 4 ta. 5 per cent. anfpionia and 10 to 12 per cent. phosphdric acid has been found to be highly profitable. "Whe apply- ing it® &round fruit trees "scatter tree to the extent that the branch cultivation. vs YE Mrs. S.: I would like some informa: weeks "old. around the bill and eyes, andimas I never saw anything like it befdre, I would like to know if it is catching, bas I don't want them all to get it, if it should be or if it is somé disorder rom feeding,®as I underdtand- they mixed grain. ing + Answer: It is difficulf lor me to diagnose the diseasé that is affecting your chickens. I wuld advise you to forward your ingiiry fo Professor W. R, Graham, Poiltry Dept, 0. A. C., Guelph, wihio is an international auth- ority on® potltry, and will give your question early attention. 'have been fed on 'cracked corn and Fie Sri ew = Sap ---- -- A Dangerous Menace to the : Corn Crop. % The European Corn Borer, discover- ed in Canada for the first time in 1920, is spreading with great rapidity. Prompt measures are necessary: for its checking and control, and every corn grower should learn how to iden- tify it. According to a leaflet just issued by the Entomological Branth of the Dominion Department of Agri- culture, this pest, although previously was discovered in Canadd only- last year, its haunt then being trevealed in five townships of Welland and Haldi- mand counties and twenty-nine town- and Oxford, all in Ontario, a total of 3,770 square miles being infested. This year it has been identified in twenty-two additional townships, Norfolk, Brant, Lincoln and Welling: ton being added to the counties pre- viously mentioned. Tablé sweet corn and Flint are the varieties riost af- fected. The first sign of infestation appears when the corn is from two to three feet high, small rounded areas about the size of a pin's head being visible as having been eaten out of the surface of the upper leaves. Just now it 4s interesting to know that the winter is passed by the pest as dirty- white, brown-headed caterpillar, one inch or so long, in burrows in.¢orn stalks, corn refuse, unburied Stubble and in some of the stouter weeds. As control and preventative measures the Dominion Entomologst recom- mends cutting the corn as scon as ready and as close to the ground as possible; never pasture off corn or stalks after husking with cattle or hogs; ensile the entire corn crop wherever possible; where no silo is used, shred or cut fodder corn be- fore feeding; collect in heaps all parts of the plant not eaten and burn; see that the heaps are not trampled on by the stock; do not use the stalks for bedding and throw them into the manure; plow and roll all corn land as soon as possible after harvest and identified in the New England states, |. ships in Elgin, Kent Middlesex, Huron, ; ay - oe et . JRE TA "tnd destroy kitchen giddy sweet corn stalks as sodn as dry; pléw down "thble sweet corn' fields androll im- mediately the ¢rop hag been harvested. As precautions for next yea¥, collect all uneaten and refuse €orn stalks be- fore the first of June and 'destroy; burn weeds and grass along fences adjacent to the corn figlds before cul- tivation,. and delay fe 'planting of corn in infested or near infested dis- tricts as long as it is safe to do so. When to Plant Potatoes. Some intéresting and valuable tests are being" conducted by the Horticul- tural division of the Dominion Ex- perimental Farms ds to phé best time to sow potatoes. These tests or ex- periments, up to last year, have been going on for twenty-two years and are still in progress. According to the Report of the Dominion Horticultur- ist, it has been ¥otnd that the best. time for sowing, "ut least in Eastern Ontarié, i$ between May 10 and 17, "especially for the Irish Cobbler var- jety." Farmers, as a rule, the annual féport states, sow too lat for the largest yield. In 'every®icase for the last four years potatdes planted in Mdi yielded the best.<-Of course the séasons varied in 'yield; but in every instance May has proved to be the best month for beth Irish Cobbler and Green Mountain. Sixty-six sets of each variety were planted on each of the dates - giver "in the report with the result that the best-yields of Irish Cobbler were from potatoes planted in 1915 on May 15, in 1918 on May 14, in 1919--on May -81;2n-3920. en May 17. Of Green Mountain the best re- sults were obtained from plantings in 1915 on May 12, in 1918 on May 14, in 1919 on May 81, in 1920 on May 3, although in the latter year sowing on May 17 and 31 proved almost equally prolific. FREER RALLY Bad roads keep folks apart as ef- fectively as bad temper. Protect next year's garden «rops by carefully cleaning up and burning this don't harrow until the spring; pull up season's garden refuse, A uerios deteriorate the strength of the stock until' it will return inferio¥ yields. AC spring plowing? The plot is about a time that work begins in the spring. .: An application of about 400 Ibs. per about 10 to 12 lbs. per tree around the reach and work it into the soil by? 3 tion about some little chicks three They have a grofthd 2 "i i | sere i +