1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
i85 
which  would  settle  the  question  as  to  which  would 
“  take  ”  root  the  more  certainly,  but  would  select  the 
Mammoth, 
Complete  Fertilizers  May  Be  Complete  Frauds, 
J.  S.  A.,  Henderson,  Ky. — 1.  What  does  The  Rural 
mean  by  the  term  “complete  fertilizer?”  Is  it  not 
a  fact  that  a  fertilizer  that  would  be  a  complete  corn 
fertilizer,  would  not  be  a  complete  tobacco  fertilizer  ? 
Again,  2,  might  not  a  certain  brand  of  fertilizer  pro¬ 
duce  large  tobacco  crops  on  A’s  farm,  while  the  same 
fertilizer  on  a  neighbor’s  farm  would  produce  poor 
tobacco  on  account  of  the  ground  needing  potash  or 
some  other  ingredient  ? 
Ans. — 1.  Yes.  2.  Yes,  but  not  necessarily  for  the 
reason  stated.  If  our  inquirer  were  an  old  subscriber 
he  would  not  need  to  ask  these  questions.  We  have 
for  years  condemned  the  word  “  complete”  as  applied 
to  fertilizers,  as  senseless  and  misleading.  A  fertilizer 
that  is  worth  one  dollar  a  ton  may  be  “  complete.”  A 
fertilizer  worth  $80  a  ton  may  not  be.  It  simply  means 
that  a  fertilizer  has  a  certain  per  cent  of  potash,  phos¬ 
phate  and  nitrogen  or  ammonia — that  is  all.  It  may 
be  one,  five  or  ten  per  cent,  or  half  of  one  per  cent. 
The  fertilizer  is  “  complete”  and  in  many  cases  a 
“  complete  ”  fraud.  Bone  is  not  a  complete  fertilizer. 
Add  an  appreciable  quantity  of  potash  and,  behold, 
it  becomes  “complete.”  Nitrate  of  potash  (saltpeter) 
is  not  a  complete  fertilizer  though  high  in  potash  and 
nitrogen.  Add  an  infinitesmal  amount  of  phosphoric 
acid  and  it  is  “  complete.”  It  will  be  seen  that  “  com¬ 
pleteness”  in  a  fertilizer  is  a  variable  quantity.  It  is 
an  absurd  name  and  ought  to  be  condemned  by  all 
fertilizer  firms  that  desire  to  sell  their  goods  upon 
their  real  merits.  Fancy  names  ought  never  to  be 
tolerated  in  the  sale  of  fertilizers.  What  the  purchaser 
wants  to  know  is  simply  how  much  and  what  kinds  of 
plant  food  the  fertilizer  contains.  Fancy  names  are 
given  to  deceive  the  unwary  or  ignorant,  and  are  there¬ 
fore  of  themselves  something  to  be  regarded  with  sus¬ 
picion. 
Hen  Manure,  Fertilizers  for  Poor  Grass. 
J.  B.  W.,  Bloomsbury,  Pa. — 1.  What  can  be  mixed 
with  good  hen  manure  to  make  a  good  fertilizer  for 
potatoes  ?  2.  A  new  meadow  well  taken  with  grass, 
but  with  soil  so  impoverished  that  it  cannot  produce  a 
luxuriant  growth,  is  my  only  dependence  for  hay  next 
season.  IIow  can  it  be  fertilized  with  chemicals  to 
produce  a  good  crop  ?  When  should  it  be  done  ?  3. 
What  is  the  best  early  and  late  potato,  for  a  moderately 
fertile  alluvial  soil  ? 
Ans. — 1.  Hen  manure  of  fine  quality  contains  about 
1.75  per  cent  of  nitrogen;  1.75  of  phosphoric  acid  and 
0.85  per  cent  of  potash.  It  will  be  seen  then  that  though 
not  specially  rich  in  either  element,  it  is  low  in  pot¬ 
ash.  A  good  fertilizer  for  potatoes  should  contain  four 
per  cent  of  nitrogen,  10  per  cent  of  phosphoric  acid 
and  eight  per  cent  of  potash.  Our  friend  may  there¬ 
fore  add  to  his  hen  manure  equivalent  amounts  of 
nitrate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  potash  (or  muriate  which 
is  cheaper  though  less  desirable)  and  bone  superphos¬ 
phate,  or,  finally,  ground  raw  bone.  One  farmer  we 
know  mixes  400  pounds  of  sifted  hen  manure,  200 
pounds  of  dissolved  bone-black,  100  pounds  of  muriate 
of  potash  and  150  pounds  of  plaster.  Of  this  mixture 
he  uses  1,500  pounds  per  acre  which,  on  his  soil,  gives 
excellent  results.  Sow  at  the  rate  of  500  lbs.  to  the  acre 
as  soon  as  may  be  of  any  of  the  high-grade  fertilizers 
recommended  for  dressing  grass  land.  If  the  meadow 
is  level,  sow  at  once  ;  if  uneven  wait  until  the  frost  is 
out  and  the  soil  moderately  dry.  3.  We  cannot  do  it. 
Our  inquirer  must  experiment  for  himself.  It  is  im¬ 
possible  to  say  which  is  the  best  potato  (early  or  late) 
except  from  trials  made  in  the  soil  where  it  is  proposed 
to  raise  them. 
Slow  Cider  ;  A  Sleepless  Mare. 
S.  A.  H.,  Babylon,  L.  I. — 1.  I  made  seven  barrels  of 
cider  six  years  ago  and  placed  them  in  the  cellar  ;  now 
1  find  they  are  not  sour  ;  could  I  make  vinegar  of  the 
cider  at  this  late  date  ?  2.  I  have  a  mare  that  will  not 
lie  down  in  the  stable ;  she  is  bedded  at  night  and 
never  was  cast,  nor  has  she  any  bad  habits  in  the 
stable.  During  the  day  she  falls  asleep  and  partly 
falls  down.  What  is  the  matter  with  her,  and  is  there 
any  remedy. 
Ans. — 1.  If  your  cider  has  not  gone  through  the  pro¬ 
cess  of  putrefaction,  which  sometimes  happens  when 
it  is  deficient,  first,  in  sugar,  then  in  alcohol  from  the 
sugar,  and,  lastly,  in  acetic  acid  made  by  the  oxidation 
of  the  alcohol,  it  can  still  be  made  into  good  vinegar. 
To  do  this,  put  a  barrel  upon  a  platform,  so  that  the 
contents  will  run  from  it  into  another  barrel  under  it. 
Put  in  a  spigot,  attach  a  piece  of  muslin  about  a  foot 
or  so  in  length,  to  the  spigot,  and  then  start  the  cider 
in  a  minute  stream,  or  so  that  it  drops  rapidly,  running 
down  the  cloth  to  the  lower  barrel.  The  object  of 
this  is  to  expose  it  to  the  air,  thus  rapidly  oxidizing 
the  alcohol  and  coverting  it  into  acetic  acid.  If  kept 
a  little  warm — say  about  70  degrees — it  will  facilitate 
the  process.  2.  We  must  leave  this  question  to  our 
readers.  Why  not  let  her  alone  to  sleep  as  she  prefers? 
Binseed  For  Calves,  Alfalfa,  Soiling1  Cattle. 
E.  F.  P.,  Kimberton,  Pa. — 1.  Will  skimmed  milk  and 
linseed  meal  make  good  feed  for  young  calves  and  in 
what  proportion  should  they  be  fed?  2.  Will  Alfalfa 
grow  in  the  Middle  States  and  does  it  make  good  hay 
for  cows?  3.  Will  it  pay  me  to  keep  my  cows  in  the 
stable  in  summer  and  cart  and  haul  green  food  for 
them  ? 
Ans. — 1.  Yes;  but  it  is  best  to  give  the  calf  whole  milk 
for  a  week.  After  that  you  can  use  skimmed  milk  and  oil 
meal.  At  first,  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  the  meal  per 
day,  dissolved  in  hot  water  and  mixed  with  the  milk. 
Increase  the  amount  of  oil  meal  as  the  calf  grows  until 
you  give  it  a  pound  a  day,  which  should  be  a  large 
enough  ration  until  it  is  two  months  old.  2.  Yes  to 
both  queries,  but  you  had  better  try  a  small  patch  be¬ 
fore  sowing  largely.  3.  That  depends  altogether  on 
your  business,  soil  and  and  environments  generally,  of 
which  you  have  not  informed  us.  You  will  do  well  to 
procure  Stewart’s  book  “  Feeding  Animals”  price  $2. 
It  is  sent  by  mail  from  this  office.  It  treats  of  the 
soiling  question  exhaustively. 
Celery,  Onions  and  Strawberries. 
C.  W.  C.,  Nunda,  N.  Y. — 1.  T  have  four  acres  of  black 
muck  land  at  the  base  of  a  hill.  The  water  can  be 
carried  all  over  it  at  any  time  from  springs  on  the 
side  of  the  hill.  Can  it  be  used  for  celery  or  berries, 
or  both  ?  2.  Where  can  I  get  the  best  seed  and  the 
best  instructions  for  cultivating  these  crops  ?  3.  Which 
are  the  best  blackberries  for  shipping  and  profit  ?  4. 
What  are  the  best  peach  trees,  and  where  can  they  be 
got  for  an  orchard  of  200  trees  ?  5.  Can  onions  be 
profitably  raised  on  this  land,  and  what  kind  of  soil 
would  be  the  best  adapted  for  them,  and  what  sort 
would  be  the  best?  Can  the  White  Connecticut  be 
grown  here  ?  0.  Which  are  the  best  kinds  of  straw¬ 
berries  ? 
Ans. — 1.  The  muck  soil  would  be  admirably  adapted 
for  celery  or  onion  growing — not  for  berries.  2.  Seed 
can  be  had  of  the  seedsmen  whose  advertisements  will 
be  found  in  The  R.  N.-Y.  Get  the  Celery  Manual  by 
J.  C.  Vaughan  and  Bert  Eddy,  price  25  cents,  or  Celery 
Growing  by  H.  L.  Stewart,  price  $1.  They  may  be 
had  at  this  office.  3.  Snyder,  Taylor  and  Stone’s  Hardy 
are  three  good  varieties.  Consult  growers  in  your 
locality  and  get  their  experience.  4.  Write  to  any  of 
the  nurserymen  and  get  their  lists.  The  number  of 
varieties  of  peaches  is  a  large  one  and  a  selection  is 
not  so  easily  made.  We  should  plant  some  Alexander 
for  early.  Crawford’s  Early,  Crawford’s  Late,  Stump 
and  Sal  way  for  latest.  There  are  scores  of  other  sorts, 
all  good.  5.  Your  muck  land,  with  good  culture  and 
high  manuring,  ought  to  easily  grow  (500  bushels  of 
onions  per  acre.  Send  to  The  Rural  for  Onion  Rais¬ 
ing  by  Gregory,  price  30  cents,  or  How  to  Grow  Onions 
by  Burpee,  25  cents.  “Connecticut  White,”  which  you 
see  in  market  reports,  is  not  the  name  of  a  variety.  It 
simply  refers  to  white  onions  grown  in  Connecticut. 
The  varieties  most  commonly  grown  are  Red  Weath- 
ersfield,  Yellow  Danvers,  White  Globe  and  Prizetaker. 
6.  That  is  somewhat  a  question  of  soil  and  locality  ; 
better  consult  those  who  have  grown  them  in  your  sec¬ 
tion.  Cumberland  Triumph  is  a  good,  all-round  berry  ; 
Bubach  No.  5  is  very  productive ;  Haverland  is  good; 
so  is  Kirkwood,  but  there  are  hundreds  of  others, 
many  of  which  are  good.  Write  to  propagators  for 
their  lists. 
Shaving's  or  Straw  for  Bedding. 
W.  P.  R.,  Seneca,  N.  Y. — Straw  here  is  scarce.  Dry 
pine  shavings  can  be  delivered  at  $3.64  per  ton.  By 
drawing  straw  a  number  of  miles,  and  taking  a  little 
inferior  quality,  we  can  buy  it  for  about  $4  per  ton.  I 
find  that  the  same  bulk  of  shavings  weighs  a  little 
more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  straw  ;  but  they  also 
absorb  twice  as  much  liquids,  etc.  I  use  them  in  the 
stables,  box  stalls  and  covered  barnyards.  Which 
in  itself  is  the  more  valuable  ?  In  my  nursery 
business  I  am  constantly  drawing  the  constituents  of 
Wees  from  the  soil  ;  I  must  fertilize  the  ground  enough 
in  the  start  to  carry  through  a  block  of  trees  which 
last  from  three  to  five  years.  I  always  cultivate  thor¬ 
oughly,  stirring  the  ground  from  once  to  twice  per 
week  throughout  the  summer.  Would  there  be  any 
special  value  in  using  the  two  in  conjunction  ?  Muck 
of  average  value  we  can  get  to  the  barn  at  a  cost  of 
possibly  75  cents  per  ton  ;  will  it  be  to  our  advantage 
to  partially  throw  aside  shavings  and  straw,  and  use  it 
in  their  place  ?  I  must  have  manure,  and  lots  of  it 
and  it  is  a  vital  question  as  to  its  production. 
Ans. — Straw  is  more  valuable  for  manure  than  shav¬ 
ings  by  from  $2  to  $4  per  ton  ;  the  exact  difference 
cannot  be  stated.  Shavings  do  not  break  down  so 
quickly  as  does  straw,  but  I  am  informed  by  success¬ 
ful  gardeners  that  a  summer’s  'composting  prepares  the 
manure  where  shavings  have  been  used  for  bedding, 
so  that  it  is  entirely  satisfactory.  There  are  no  facts 
which  go  to  show  that  pine  shavings  injure  the  manure 
or  lock  up  for  a  time  a  portion  of  the  soluble  plant 
food  which  the  shavings  have  absorbed,  but  it  is  gener¬ 
ally  believed  that  manure  with  shavings  is  not  so  active 
as  is  manure  with  straw.  I  can  see  no  reason  for 
using  the  two  in  conjunction.  I  presume  the  shavings 
are  handier  than  the  straw  for  bedding  purposes, 
although  I  do  not  know  that  to  be  the  case  ;  certainly 
the  shavings  have  one  advantage  over  the  straw,  they 
contain  no  weed  seeds.  It  appears  to  me  that  it  would 
be  better  to  purchase  less  shavings  and  straw  and  use 
more  muck,  although  I  do  not  entirely  abandon  the 
use  of  something  that  is  cleaner  than  muck  where  it 
is  desirable  that  the  animals  be  kept  clean,  as  in 
dairying.  1  think  if  shavings  or  straw  were  spread 
thinly  over  the  muck  in  the  stalls,  the  results  would 
be  most  satisfactory.  i.  P.  ROBERTS. 
Miscellaneous. 
S.  S.  B. — Virginia. — The  ventilated  barrel  of  which 
you  inquire  is  made  by  J.  A.  Kerr,  of  Muscatine,  la. 
“  Mixing  J leans.'" — M.  YV.,  Ormo,  Wis. — Yes;  garden 
beans  will  “  mix  ”  like  corn  only  not  so  freely. 
Drilling  Hen  Manure. — J.  S.  Albany,  N.  Y. — You  can 
safely  use  on  peas  or  oats  all  the  fine  hen  manure  you 
can  run  through  your  drill.  YVe  would  use  plaster  on 
the  manure,  as  it  is  collected.  Before  using,  grind  or 
pound  the  manure  up  as  fine  as  possible,  and  sow  like 
other  fertilizers. 
Red  Spider  and  Thrips. — M.  L.  D.,  Goseton,  Neb. — 
The  insects  on  the  rose  leaves  are  red  spider  and 
thrips — old  offenders  both  under  glass  and  out-of- 
doors.  Plenty  of  moisture  will  kill  the  spider — 
tobacco  water,  or  kerosene  emulsion  will  do  the  same 
with  the  thrips. 
When  to  Graft.— E.  B.  C.,  Belding,  Mich. — If  the  trees 
(two  years  set)  are  thrifty,  there  will  be  no  better 
time  for  grafting  than  the  present  spring.  Ordinary 
cleft  grafting  is  as  good  as  any,  especially  in  small 
trees. 
Blue  Grass  For  Slock.—  L.  J.  C.,  Baldwinsville, 
N.  Y. — Blue  Grass  will  make  a  better  sod  than 
Timothy  or  Red  Top.  It  is  twice  as  nutritious 
as  Timothy,  weight  for  weight — but  it  will  not 
yield  so  much  hay  and  requires  a  longer  time  to  be¬ 
come  established.  It  is  even  more  nutritious  than 
Orchard  Grass  or  Red  Top. 
Black  Side  Oats. — C.  E.  R.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. — Peter 
Henderson  &  Go.  of  New  York,  offer  the  Black  Tar¬ 
tarian — the  best  side  oats  we  know, 
Hen  Manure  and  Potatoes. — J.  M.  P.,  Burden,  N.  Y. — 
Hen  manure  is  apt  to  cause  “  scab.”  It  ought  never  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  seed  piece  or  growing  tubers. 
If  used,  incorporate  it  thoroughly  with  the  soil.  We 
should  prefer  a  high-grade  potato  fertilizer  sown 
broadcast  or  even  in  the  drills  or  mixed  with  the  soil 
of  the  hills. 
Starved  or  Scabby? — J.  W.  J.,  Allen,  Md. — Orchards  in 
which  there  is  a  lack  of  fertility  are  sometimes  affected 
as  you  describe,  viz.,  the  fruits,  “though  grown  on 
young  and  thrifty  trees,  become  so  knotty  that  a  large 
part  of  them  are  worthless.”  Unless  you  are  sure 
yours  is  in  good  condition,  liberal  manuring  may  be 
the  remedy.  Again,  the  difficulty  may  be  scab  ;  if  it 
be  this,  spraying  with  the  copper  solutions  is  an 
efficient  remedy. 
Egg  Cases  ;  Water-proof  Paper. — W.  H.  A.,  Hartford, 
Conn. — 1.  For  card-board  egg  cases,  write  to  the  North 
Star  Egg  Case  Company  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  for  infor¬ 
mation.  2.  Prof.  Bailey’s  Horticulturist’s  Rule  Book 
gives  the  following  for  preparing  paper  to  resist  damp¬ 
ness  :  “  Dissolve  1%  pound  of  white  soap  in  one  quart 
of  water ;  in  another  quart  of  water  dissolve  l  %  ounce 
of  gum-arabic  and  5  ounces  of  glue.  Mix  the  two 
liquids,  warm  them  and  soak  the  paper  in  it  and  pass 
through  rollers  or  simply  hang  up  to  dry.” 
Grout  for  Manure  Gutter. — C.  S.  O.,  Eaton,  N.  Y. — A 
common  manure  gutter  in  the  cow  stable  would  not 
allow  you  sufficient  width  to  drive  through  in  hauling  out 
manure.  You  should  therefore  make  a  water-tight  floor. 
A  trench  behind  the  cows  wide  enough  to  drive  through 
can  be  made  of  grout,  water-tight,  and,  if  well  made, 
it  will  last  a  long  time.  We  know  one  that  has  been  in 
use  for  20  years  and  is  as  good  as  ever.  The  grouting 
should  be  firmly  settled  and  not  less  than  three  inches 
thick,  as  you  are  to  drive  over  it. 
Demand  for  Sweet  Cream  Butter. — Subscriber. — 
Whether  butter  is  to  be  made  from  sweet  cream  or 
from  cream  more  or  less  ripened,  is  purely  a  matter  of 
taste.  Probably  nine-tenths  of  those  who  eat  butter 
would  choose  butter  made  from  ripened  cream.  This 
being  the  case,  it  is  easily  seen  that  the  demand  for 
sweet  cream  butter  must  be  comparatively  small.  The 
Rural  does  not  think  the  difference  in  the  flavors  of 
the  two  kinds  is  so  wide  that  sweet  cream  butter 
would  not  be  largely  thrown  on  the  market  and  suc¬ 
cessfully  sold,  if  it  could  be  more  easily  and  cheaply 
made.  The  difference  in  flavor  would  soon  be  forgot¬ 
ten  by  the  masses  who  eat  it — only  the  experts  would 
keep  it  in  remembrance. 
