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THE FLESHEBTON ADVANCE. FARMING In this department each week will be given general Information to farmers and stockmen. No attempt will be made to criticize the work already being done by Canadian farmers; but an effort will be made to present to the farnners of the country summarized Information contained in government reports, and the actual experiences of men and women who have achieved success in farming by following modern methods. Farmers who have found new "'wrinkles" or have made a success in any special line of agriculture are Invited to send short letters to this paper giving their experiences, or criticizing any of the information contained in these columns. Vegetable Growing ONIONS. The onion ranks high in commercial importance among the vegetables grown in Ontario. Next to the potato it is the most common vegetable in the home. It is an important crop for market gardeners near our large cities, and large areas are set aside annually for this crop. Market prices vary from year to year, but average prices af- ford excellent returns for the produc- tion of this crop, and, in apite of the fact that Ontario annually produces many thousands of bushels, the imports are very heavy. For this reason an increased production in this crop is warranted, and also because the onion is a staple crop enjoyed in practically all households, because it can easily be kept over the winter montha when properly grown and cured. Sou. The onion is easily adapted to many soils and a soil which is not originally conducive to the growth of a satisfac- tory crop, can readily be made produc- tive by the application of quantities of manure. Sandy and sandy loam soils are excellent for this crop, and black mucks properly handled are probably the most favorable soils for onion grow- ing in Ontario. The largest areas of onions in Ontario are grown on re- claimed muck soils. It is advisable in all cases to secure a soil rich in vege- table matter, fairly level, well drained and as free as possible from stones. A soil of this nature will produce onions possessing large bulbs of excellent qual- ity, provided careful cultural methods are followed. Manuilug and Fertilizing. Land to produce good eropa of onions should be manured Leavily, excepting in the case of black mucks. It is a good practice to apply well-rotted ma- nure, but this cannot always be se- cured handily. In any case a sand or sandy loam soil should receive annual applications of from 35 to 50 tons of manure per acre. Manure should be applied in the fall anu plowed in. Disk- ing the soil in the spring will be all that is uecessary if this is followed. Black muck soils can be handled sat- isfactorily with the aid of commercial fertilizers. Many growers in this prov- ince depend only on large quantities of barnyard manure, while others who cannot secure a ready supply use as much as possible with commercial fer- tilizers. Large (juautities of potash when obtainable give excellent results on muck land with this crop. In some cases onions are grown on the same soils many years in succes- sion. Where this is practised, liming the soil once in three years is advisable. From 1,000 pounds to a ton of lime should be applied to the acre, either in spring or fall, as convenient. This corrects acidity and improves the gen- eral condition of the soil, resulting in better yields. This applies particularly to muck soils. Planting. By far the greatest number of onions in Ontario are grown from seed plant- ed in the field. This seed should be of unquestionable quality ami germinating value. Seed should be planted in rows 12 to 15 inches apart. Sufficient seed should be used to produce eight to ten plants in 12 inches. Extensive growers use from four and a half to six pounds per acre, depending on quality of seed aud soil. Seed should be covered by one-quarter inch of soil in fairly heavy soils, aud by half-inch in light soils. It is imperative that the seed drill be accurately set to sow the seed as directed. Cultivation. If onions are properly drilled in, thinning is unnecessary. Weeds should be kept down by constant cultivation by means of a wheel hoe, which also stira up the soil between the rows. Hand weeding will be uecessary at least once a season, or ofteuer, if the onion land is very weedy. This is an expensive operation necessary in growing onions, aud the freer the soil is from weeds the cheaper the cost of production. It is advisable to commence cultivation as soon as the crop can be seen, aud some growers cultivate between the rows even before the seedlings show. Harvesting. Maturity of the crop is indicated by .a drying and falling over of the tops. The roots of the ouious die off at the aame time as the tops, and the onion should be pulled when the roots arc almost entirely dead. If left in the soil after this period the onion sends out fresh roots aud als* starts fresh growth of the stem inside the bulb, which causes considerable loss during storage. Onions are usually pulled by hand and four rows laid in oi^eu win- drow usually butt to butt. They should be allowed to dry for three or four days in this position, when the sun and wind will almo.tt completely dry up the tops. After this is accomplished it is advisable to take the onions in slat boxes to a shed to allow curing to take place. Topping can commence at once and this should be done by cutting off the top one inch from the bulb, using a sharp knife or :i regular onion topping machine which will han- dle many bushels per day. The lat- ter machine is recommended where any large acreage of onions is grown. The onions should then be placed in open slat boxes or on shelves in a building which allows free access of air on all sides. BXarketltig. Onions grown in Ontario are market- ed from Vancouver to Halifax. They are shipped in bags weighing 75 pounds aad holding one bushel and a half. Large quantities are handled on local markets. Grading is necessary lo oom- mand the top market price. Only by careful topping, careful grading and careful shipping will any onion grower build up a business for himself which will net him satisfactory returns. Too often low prices for onions prevail, not because of over-production, as it is called, but owing to immense quan- tities of onions of inferior quality aua grading being literally dumped on the market. Storing. Onions should not be stored for win- ter keeping in bags or in bulk. They should not be stored with other vege- tables, because they tend to taint the flavor of other vegetables and moisture conditions canuot be controlled as well. They should be kept on shelves with slat bottoms or in open slat boxes, so that there will be plenty of space for air circulation. If placed on shelves the layers should not be more than ten to twelve inches thick. The cellar of the heme can be used satisfactorily, if it is kept cool. In the home they can easi- ly be kept in 11-quart baskets suspend ed from the ceiling of the cellar. When the crop is large they should be stored in cool, dry, well ventilated buildings, and the temperature should remain as close to freezing as possible, freezing and tliawiug will cause the onion to rot. Cost of Production. L'u fortunately very few extensive onion growers have any idea of the cost of producing d crop of onions. However, one grower in the Leaming- ton district produces a tirst-class crox) at less than $tiO per acre, while for oth- ers the crop averages about $100 per acre. Much depends on the manage- ment of the crop and the machinery aud buildings used in harvesting and storing the crop. New Onion Culture. The new onion culture is becoming popular with many market gardeners. The seed is sown in the hotbed or greenhouse any time up to March 1st. Strong, vigorous, healthy plants must he started early in the season. The seed is sown in flats in rows two and ii half inches apart in tine soil. Plants must receive careful attention to pre- M ut ilain|iiiif; oft'. Tops may bo clipped off with shears when five inches high. This trimming will induce stocky growth. This should be practised every week, keeping the tops at a height of three and a half to four inches. M.iny growers plant seed direct m the hotbed aud transplant from there. Tlie same general directions are followed in til is case. When danger of severe spring frosts is over, these oniou.s, which should be tliree-sixtccutli inches in diameter, are trunsplauted into the field eight inches a[)art and eighteen iucln's to three feet between the rows â€" the latter when an- other crop is grown between the rows. With careful handling large bulbs will be harvested, many weighing one ami (jui'-half pounds, two pounds and over. Onion Sets. Onion set growing is also an impor taut brunch of onion business in On- tario. One section (Ueusall) sows over 70 acres and produces immense quanti- ties of onion sets for distribution to all p)arts of Canada. To produce onion sets the seed should lie aowu as early in spring as possible, ill rows three to four inches wide, teu inches being allowed between the rows. i'"rom SO to 100 pounds of seed is used per acre. Sets arc harvested in early fall and dried in small heaps in the field and then cured in large storage houses, on trays which permit ample circulation of air. Five tons is the average yield per acre. Green Onions. Green onions for bunching purposes are also an important crop. These are secured from onions grown from seed sown six to eight weeks before freez iiiK up in the fall or about -Vugust 1st. These winter over and in spring a rapid growth produces green onions. Many are grown from small onions planted in warm soil as soon as land is in fit condition to work in the sjiring. Many thousands of bunches of green onions are sold annually on our markets and the deniniid is gradually increas- ing. White perennial onions are also grown for bundling purposes. These are planted from the middle of August to 1st of September, in rows 15 inches apart. Onions should be set two inches apart in the row. These produce good green onions the following spring. Shallots are handled in the same way, but are not in favor with vegetable growers because the tops are too small and are very easily broken. , Smothering the Weeds Nil plant can survi\ , any great length of time without air, and it gets air through the leaves flich are formed above ground. If the ground is kept ab- solutely black for one year, quack grass and most other weeds will be entirely killed â€" there is no question about this, (juack laud that was fall plowed should have work started on it before the grass gets a start. If the sod is heavy a sharp disc must be used â€" pre- ferably of the tandem type so that the land is kept level. The quack grass or spriug-tootli cultivators are more ef- fective than the disc if the land is uot too soddy, as the roots are brought to the surface. The roots may then be Hiked and burned if they interfere with working and land. If the laud was not fall plowed and the sod is heavy, beginning in the spring would require a great deal of e.xtra work in tearing up the sod. It would be ucarly as effective to leave it until the quack heads out, then mow and burn, plow shallow, disc and work the land thoroughly until it freezes up; and continue this the spring following until the quack is all liead, or sow a smother crop. The sow thistle spreads both from the roots aud seeds, and is the one that is causing so much trouble in the older settled districts. It is deep rooted with large vigorous riiuuiug rootstock, from which new (dants start. Tlie stem is from 1 to 5 feet high, hollow, with few leaves, ami branches at the top. The whole plant is tilled with a bitter milky juice. The leaves are from ti to 12 inches loug, pointed and deeply cut. The flow;cr3 are bright yellow, about 1^:; inches across. They are usually seen in the I'lirly morning, and appear about i or 5 inches above tlie surrounding grain, aud are frequently mistaken for sunflow- ers. After the sun begins to shine they partly close up, and are not so notice- able. The seed is .ibout one-eighth inch long, dark brown in color, and contains a number of ridges running leugth- wi.se. In the early stages of growth the jiercnuial sow thistle is often mistaken for blue lettuce, dandelion and chick- weed, as well as tlie annual sow lliistle. The sow thistle and other noxious weeds will not be eradicated until the fanners of the infested districts are educated to the importance of getting rid of them, aud realize that the only way to do so is by concerted action. Ir does very little good for one man to clean up his farm, if neighbors allow sow thistle to go to seed. In districts which are already badly infested, complete L'ra<lication wouia be alinosl impossible, beeatise the expense would bo so great tliat farmers would not l)c able to stand it. In such arena the weeds must not bo allowcil to go to seed aud spread further. In this way they can be held in check and gradu- ally cleaned out. To do this, methods of cultivation and rotation of crops must be adopted which will enable the farmers to kill out many of the weeds and lessen the injury done by those which are left. Land which is badly infested may be pastured with cattle or other stock to good advantage, and some returns se- cured from the weeds, while other aroa.s arc being cultivated and cleaned up. To prevent the spreading by seed, it will be uecessary to keep the woods out down so they do not go to sec<l. This will mean also that in sowing the farm seeds, great care must be taken that they do not contain seeds of the sow thistle, or any other noxious weeds. The killing of the roots of the sow thistle may be accomplished in several ways. One method frequently tried is to sow some other crop that will crowd out the sow thistle. Bromc grass is capable of doing this under certain con- ditions and also alfalfa and swoot clover may be used with success in some localities. However, in most cases the sow thistle will doubtless crowd out the crops that are sown with them. The Quiet Observer A Mean Skunk Some pretty mean things are being done by the people who prefer being mean to being honest. One of the meanest lately was the action of a UiUii who took the trouble to dress in uniform and ride down on a bioyole to where a young lady stood on the corner of a street, where she had been selling tags. It was near the close of the day and lie told her he had been sent from headquarters to collect the box and supply her with another, which lie gave her. L'nsusiiectiugly, she hauded over her box of collections, and this skunk went oft' with them. They were intended for the cripples of the war, and this able-bodied man stole them. While our civilization and our ('hristondom produces men of this stamp we have nothing to boast of over some of the countries we affect to despise. .V >Some Good Licks Sir Honry Drayton's budget has been somewhat changeable in its terms, but it gets there just the same. As re- marked before, its object is to raise money, and that is the standard by which it must finally be judged. Those who contribute can point with pride next year to the noble sum which they liave assisted in accuninlnting, and no iloiibt all loyal citizens will find a tierce pleasure in purchasing the most luxurious articles with a radiant con- sciousuoss of their virtue in adding to the inland revcnuo. There is an artis- tic side to it also, for it has been de- eided that the taxes are to be regis- tered by stamps. .\o doubt they will be the most gorgeous stamps ever de- signed, so that tlioso wIki lick fhoiii will enjoy artistic sonsations such as they have never had an opportunity to (111 before. There will bo a tlirill about licking a ten dollar stamp which should be well worth the money. 30ia> FOB $6,300. Increasing Value of Jersey Cow as a Food Producer. The increasing value of the Jersey cow as a food producer was demonstrat- ed last week at an auction sale of .)er- aeys at Hood Farm, Lowell, Mass., when Sophie's Elberta was knocked ofT at .1it),300, the highest price for any Jer- a(?y at public sale in this country this year. .\nother eow, Sophie's Florence, four years old, went for $3,000. .', '>ull only one year old went for $1,600 and another of the same age $l,.'5O0. There were 71 animals sold for a total of nearly $34,000, an average of $755. Many of the Jerseys went to Texas, some to Oregon, and others to different parts of the country. THE USE OF CANNED MILK. In using recipes th.at call for fresh milk, canned milk may be substituted, but it should be diluted with equal parts of •water, which will make it the consistency of the fresh milk. If cream is called for in the recipe it should be used without diluting. It takes the place of fresh milk for all table use and may be substituted for cream in coffee, on cereals, fruits and desserts. "You're under arrest," eipclaimed the officer, as he stopped the automo- bile. "What for?" inquired Mr. Chug- ^'ostod but not actually made ol bri- bery or attempts to bribe members of the Legislature. The offer of cash down for Legislative favors has be- come rather a dangerous business since H. K. Gamey showed how bribers could be double-crossed. The methods of political fine-workers are more diplo- matic than of old, and it is by en- c|iiirios like that conducted by Justices Hiddell and Latehford, rather than elsewhere, that most of our political corruption can be located. It is well- known that corporations will descend to conduct that individuals would uot dare to acknowledge, and that officials of corporations ^ill perform acts for their employers they would never dream of doing for themselves. The lack of conscience in a corporation is a curious psychological fact, and has to do apparently with the psychology of mobs in which the moral sense is always lower than the average moral sense of the whole. This means that public opinion still stands badly in need of cultivation aud education. We do not teach public opinion in the home or the school, aud consequently canuot expect to find it in public life, riio soiiso of joint or cuuiuuinity own- ership is rarely instilled in oiiildreii and iudividualism run wild crystallizes in the corporation and too frequently forms a social organism which preys oil the society of wliieli it forms a part. THE CARE AND FEEDING OF CHILDREN By ELINOR MURRAY Registered According to Copyright Act. WHY BABIES CEY. It is a good thing to know the dif • ' ferent cries of babies so as to judge what may be the trouble. There is the fretful cry of the baby who is not happy. He is hot or cold or hungry or uncomfortable. There is the ery of anger and disappointment when things do not please his majesty. There is the cry of pain, an unceasing, loud cry which does not 3'ield readily to comforting. There is the hoarse cry of the baby who has cried long and loud. There is the low, moaning cry of the sick baby. There is the cry of habit, which ceases when the baby is taken up, as he is expecting to be. If he is put down the noise starts again louder than ever. This is the time when he comes up against discipline, and if allowed to have his cry out, will learn that to fight is useless. Be care- ful to find out if your baby has any reason for his cry before you leave him to havH it out with himself. If you .â- ire sure it is the beginning of the "habit" cry â€" be very firm, even if it is harder on you tlmn on baby â€" ^let him learn his first big lesson and you have started him on the road of obedience to discipline. But, I repeat, never let him cry for a length of time without knowing why he is crying. Sometimes the cry of hunger is hard to distin- guish from the cry of indigestion. Hun- ger will make the baby fretful just before a feeding is due; while a baby suffering from indigestion or insuf- ficient nourishment will cry soon after a meal and may keep it up until the next meal time. Some babies cry because the daily routine does not suit them. Their mothers forget that as a baby grows older he sleeps less and exercises more, and they neglect to change the day's plan to suit the age of the baby. Older children of nervous, irritablf" dispositions will cry a great deal un- less managed with tact and care. Their trouble is usually due to some error in diet; and if this be corrected they should lose their disagreeable frettip' habit. .Vow lieclan The Big Cities Y'orU lias boon oxpcctiug to be 1 the biggest city ill the world, but turned out to have made a much loss increase in the last ten years than was anticipnted. It would seem that Loudon still retains hor metropolitan distinction, though estimates of the .New Vork metropolitan area have boon made that are siiiqiosod to be greater. In areas of dense population nothing can beat Lancnsliiro, with Alaiiehostor, Liverpool and other groat eominorcial centres crowded into an area which is more densely p(qnilated oven than Lou- don. London areas give a population of over 1U,OIMJ,0(I(I, while Lanonshire will ruu to 12,00U,OUO or more in a sim- ilar area. New York will not rival this tor some time, and it is just pos- sible that the era of dense population is passing. .Sanitation and e(inv(!nii>uoo, rapid transit and high cost of living will tend tu scatter pcipiilatiou over wider areas. Uldroit shows the most phenomenal increase of any of the I'nitcd States cities and now ranks tiiiirtli witli nearly a million popula- tion. The motor car industry iippoars til bo largely responsible for this growth. gS^ngs. â- UVha> ven't made up my mind yet. I'll jiSi^t look over your lights, an' your licefWtfi an' yMir number, an' so forth I kndy ^ can ge'; you for some- thln'." A Political Sculduggery rresidoiit Wilson is described as in excellent health again and he has cer- tainly lost nothing of his courage. Ills deliauec of the Kepublican party aud his determination to make the League <d' Nations an issue in the presidential election will give the .Vmericaii people ail opportunity to show how far their |)rofessioiis of regard for liberty, jus- tice aud self-determination for the smaller nations will carry them. It would, of course, bo absurd to expect tliat a presidential election could be carried altogether on a foreign issue when the politics o" the United .States are so essentially and intensely domes- tic, but there is a profound principle involved in the League of Nations, and since the participation of the United .'â- 'tates in the war, and the recognition of certain responsibilities such as are represented by Cuba and the Uhilip- piiies, the great bulk of the American people have a consciousness of tlie.se fibligations external to the limits of the western continent. President 'Wil- son's language is sufficiently unaca- demic to attract the popular ear. "This thing," he said, "lies too deep to per- mit of any political sculduggery, any attempt to sidestep â€" to evade moral and hiiniunitarian responsibilities â€" much too solemn to treat so lightly or ignore. ' ' _ ,^ Sam Gompers' Rebuff Sam (jouipera had a decided rebuff in the Labor convontion at Montreal on the issue of public ownership of tna United States railways. Vet Mr. Gom- pers had a good deal of reason on his side. He sees that without a cultivated public iipiiiioii public ownership may degenerate into a kind of public para- sitism, and the most striking part of his protest was based evidently on a doubt of tlie moral strength of his leliinv-workers. Ho warned them that Iiublic ownership of the railways wouhl place 2,00U UOII nion under government ctiiitrol as civil servants. It they were tniinod to serve the pouple as faithfully as they are coinpellod through foar to servo the corporations, Mr. Gompers would not need to be anxious. The difficulty of crouting chocks and guar- antees is very groat when a body uf men are subject to no authority" but their own, and this is what has so fre- quently proved fatal to public owner- ship schemes. The sumo body of men who voted so outhusiastically for pub- lic ownership of the railways are re- sponsible for the strike at "the Chip- pewa canal, which threatens to over- throw the most successful attempt at public ownership yet achieved. The Industrial Banner doclares that in this ease the Ilydni-lilootric Commission is att.-icking the eight-hour day. The evi- ilonco is th;it iiudor the oighthour day, with two hours ovortimo paid at time and a half, the inon did less work than formerly under a ton-hour day. Thes" are the things that Sam Gompers fears, and that led him to ojipose public own ersliip of the railways. Public Opinion Needed There does not appear to be much basis to the ch.irges hinted at or sug- Temperamental Ireland Sir Haniar Groonwood wont to Ire- land with a policy of conciliation and as soon as this was known the .ViniM-i- can and Gcriiian agents wlui arc using .Sinn Fein as a cloak immediately be- gan a campaign of ferocity which rivals anything done by the Turks or the Hoshi-Bazoiiks. The object was to destroy Sir Iliunar's policy. He came over with an olive branch, but tlio government brought over bayonets and bullets ;it the same time, and the pol- icy of conciliation was discounted. It is diflficult to understand how suscep- tible the Irish people are to the in- fluoiioo of agitators .-ind conspirators unless familiar with the country. Catch-words that mean nothing at all to outsiders send Irishmen, north anil south, into white-hot fury, and in this inflamed state nothing can be done. Nor does the Irish frenzy ever seem to exhaust itself. If it is liot on political matters it will be on religious grounds tliat the fury rages, and when this is lacking personal grievances supply ma- terial for transports of wrath. In the comparatively ipiiet times of 'Mi years ago under the. shadow of the Koek of I'ashel, a visitor saw one of the fam- ily rows going an in which an ancient heldame came out on the street, tore her hair, gnashed her teeth, cursed everybody in sight and called down with tierce imprecations plague, pesti- lence and all evil fortune on her rela- tives and neighbors. Sir Hamar Green- woo(i is helpless in presence of such a temper. The History of a Name PAT.TVTRR. â- Variations â€" None. Racial Origin â€" Medieval English. Sourceâ€" Descriptive. Palmer is a very appropriate family namo for a crusader. Its origin is traced straight back with little varia tion or change to the days when the spirit of fighting religion swept over all Europe and crusade after crusade was launched at the Turks with the object of winning back the Holy Land. One very old English document, dat- ing from Norman- French days, gives a list of names, among which is on-j Harvey le Palmer. Another meutiono a Geoffrey lo Palmere, while an old document of Parliament speaks of John le Paumer, Harvey the Palmer, Geoffrey the Palnior and John the Palmer. A palmer, of course, was one who carried a palm leaf. It wasn't con- sidered a silly tiling to do in those days, any more than it is considered silly today for the soldier to wear hia campaign stripes or other insignia de- noting service in the army or navy, or momberahij) in a society or lodge. The palmer was one who had made a pil- grimage to the Holy Laud, either as a warrior fighting the Turk or simply as a traveler actuated by religions fer- vor. The descriptive appellation of palmer quite naturally developed into a fainilv name on a very large scale. In the first place, there were many pilgrims. In the second place, fhe man who had made fhe pilgrimage was likely to be considered the most important member Geoffrey the Palmer and John the of his family for several generations before and after, and was therefore the most likoly individual in his family to perpetuate his name to the extent of its being permanently accepted in the course of years as the family name. An Indian one hundred and thirty years of age has just been converted to Christianity. Probably he figured it was about time to stop sowing his wild oats. Some men found guilty of robberv confessed the other day that they did it in order to start business. They had better have kept to tho usual proce- dure and started business first. Visitor â€" I am collecting for tho poet's hospital. Will yon contribute? Editor â€" With pleasure. Call to-night with the ambulance and I'll have a poet ready. Prof.â€" What happened to Babvlonf Freshâ€" It fell. Prof.â€" What happened to Tyre? Fresh â€" It was punctured. Lady (who has given a beggar a shilling) â€" Don't imagine I believe in you. I only give you this because I like giving. Beggar â€" Well, make it 'arf a crown, lidy, and thoroughly enjoy yourself. "See the dancing snowllakes. " "Practising for the snowball, I sup- pose." "Do handsome husbands payt" asks a Sunday paper. Tho usual ex- perience is that, whether handsome or not, they pay just the same. "Got a hacking cought and a head- ache? Well, I've a little wood you conhl hack, and it might cure your headache. ' ' "Much obliged, mum; but my '-ad- ache ain't of the splittin' variety."