The Question Box. 115 



Question. — Is there any law that can be enforced to destroy 

 the caterpillars that infest the trees along the road side? 



Prof. Lowe. — I do not know of any such law, and yet there 

 may be. 



Mr. Fenner. — I think we have a law on our statute-books that 

 includes the tent caterpillars on trees along the road sides. All 

 that is necessary is to enforce it. 



Question. — Does it pay to hold Farmers' Institutes where peo- 

 ple practice only old methods? 



Mr. Van Alstyne. — I think that the best place to hold them. 

 They need more light there. There are some people who expect 

 too much. Then there are those who reject everything, while 

 another class jump at every new thing that comes along. 



Question. — About how long will it take to make a Babcock 

 test correctly? 



Mr. Grander. — It requires about 10 minutes to make a test, 

 and some skill to do it; but it may be easily acquired. 



Question. — What effect has lime on soil, and how shall we 

 know when it is needed? How should it be applied? 



Mr. Smith. — Lime has the power of liberating plant food ; it 

 also corrects any acidity in the soil. If you are suspicious that 

 the land is sour, test it with blue litmus paper. Prof. Wheeler 

 of Rhode Island, says he applies a ton to a ton and a half of lime to 

 an acre once in four years. 



Question. — What variety of pea is best to sow for an early 

 market crop? 



Mr. Smith. — " Knotts Excelsior " is the variety mostly grown 

 in some of the pea and bean-growing towns in Jefferson county, 

 this State. 



Question. — Which is the best for corn and potatoes, the weeder 

 or harrow? 



Mr. Pice. — A little of both. The weeder is not heavy enough 

 for hard, heavy ground. It is a good thing to use to stop weed 

 seeds from germinating and for covering clover seed. We also 

 use it on our potato ground, even after the potatoes are up. We 

 also use it on our strawberries, but they must be used early. For 

 heavy work to break the crust and prevent the moisture from 

 getting away, we use the harrow. 



Question. — Would you advise using a weeder on new seeding 

 that had been top-dressed during the winter, the object being to 

 scatter the lumps that had been frozen? Which is the best one? 



Mr. Dawley. — I should want to see the field before I gave an 



