1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
io7 
WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY NI¬ 
TRATE OF SODA. 
Sir J. B. Lawes, in a letter to Mr. Joseph 
Harris, gives advice upon this highly im¬ 
portant subject, somewhat at variance 
with the advice which The R. N.-Y. 
has given its readers from time to time. 
The letter is as follows : “ I do not approve 
of partial (or “ fractional ”) applications of 
nitrates, as they tend to keep the roots of 
plants close to the surface of the soil. 
Where the food is, there are the roots. In 
our barley experiments, the whole of the 
nitrate is sown the first week in March, be¬ 
fore the seed is sown. In your country I 
should be disposed to sow nitrate very early 
in the spring. At equal prices for nitrogen 
I certainly prefer nitrogen to salts of 
ammonia. The superiority on pasture 
grasses is most decided, and in dry seasons 
when the grass upon the ammonia plots is 
quite burned up, there is always plenty of 
grass where the nitrate is used. We had a 
great drought in 1870, and we had no grass 
anywhere except upon the nitrate plots. 
We found roots four feet deep from the sur¬ 
face, evidently following the nitrate, and, 
of course, getting water from the subsoil. 
I think it is tolerably clear that all our 
agricultural crops, except the legumin- 
osae, take their nitrogen out of the soil in 
the form of nitric acid. So much is lib¬ 
erated by nitrification of the organic mat¬ 
ter of the soil; of this the crop takes what 
it can ; the weeds take another portion, and 
the rain washes away a third portion. If 
our soils do not liberate as much nitric 
acid as we want, we purchase so much 
more. Of what we purchase not more than 
ono-half, or perhaps less, is taken up in 
the crop. You may consider that a crop 
of wheat, as we carry It into our stack, 
contains one per cent of nitrogen. One 
hundred pounds of nitrate of soda contain 
l(i pounds of nitrogen. It ought therefore 
to increase our wheat by 16 bushels and 
1,600 pounds of straw ; but if we get an in¬ 
crease of eight bushels we may consider 
ourselves fortunate. The weeds take up a 
great deal of our nitrogen ; it is not lost, 
but to turn nitric acid into organic nitro¬ 
gen, which some day will again become ni¬ 
tric acid, is not a profitable process. 
POINTERS. 
Dr. Eliot of Harvard declares that a 
family must live in the country a good 
share of the year if the vigor of its stock is 
to be maintained. 
A late bulletin from the Purdue Uni¬ 
versity Experiment Station (Lafayette, 
Ind.), recommends Brandywine as one of 
the best red raspberries for early, Cuthbert 
for late. Tyler is placed at the head of the 
blackcaps. Hilborn comes next in the 
order of ripening, and Nemaha is counted 
the best late. 
OF blackberries the Indiana Station rec¬ 
ommends, in the order named, Lucretia, 
Snyder, Erie and Minuewaski. As the Sta¬ 
tion grows older it will, we fancy, drop the 
Lucretia from its list. 
The five most productive strawberries 
for the station region are Bubach, Enhance, 
Hampden, Jessie and Park Beauty. The 
objection to the Hampden in most places is 
that it is not a large yielder. The bulletin 
credits the Enhance with good quality and 
size. It is very sour and, though large, is 
more irregular in shape than any other 
strawberry tried at the Rural Grounds. 
Bulletin 67 from the South Haven Sub- 
Station of the Michigan Experiment Sta¬ 
tion is a report of small fruits by T. T. 
Lyon. The bulletin should be examined 
for reports of straw berries, as many 
varieties are under trial and no general 
summary is given. Bubach, Burt, Louise, 
Manchester, Mrs. Cleveland, Parker Earle, 
Pearl are the most promising of the newer 
kinds. Mr. Lyon pronounces Tyler, Sou- 
hegan and Doolittle (blackcaps) practically 
the same. He commends either, to be fol¬ 
lowed by Hilborn, Nemaha and Shaffer for 
canning. 
Lucretia, Early Harvest, Kittatinny, 
Snyder and Taylor are mentioned among 
blackberries as the best for succession. 
Pres. Lyon mentions that Kittatinny needs 
protection. It is with us much hardier 
than the Early Harvest. 
White Dutch, although slightly deficient 
in vigor, is, he says (and truly), the mildest 
and richest flavored; and, at the same time, 
the most beautiful of currants. It is abund¬ 
antly productive. Red Dutch, although 
slightly smaller in berry than Cherry, Ver- 
saillaise or Fay, is longer than these in 
bunch, at least equally productive, while it 
is decidedly superior in flavor. It is gener¬ 
ally recognized as the best of red currants. 
For market, Cherry, Versaillaise or Fay 
will, either of them, yield good returns of 
large-sized attractive-looking fruit, with 
possibly slight, undetermined difference of 
yield. 
Houghton, Smith and Downing are the 
best gooseberries. Industry is condemned. 
Mr. Lyon says that Teas Weeping Mul¬ 
berry grafted at standard height upon a 
hardy stock, makes a beautiful lawn tree.. 
To those who prize quality in grapes, even 
with the penalty of somewhat diminished 
returns, and are willing to devote the need¬ 
ful care and labor the following may be ex¬ 
pected to yield satisfactory results, ac¬ 
cording to Pres. Lyon: Jessica, Lady, Early 
Victox - , Delawai’e, Brighton and Empire 
State, and on suitable soils, and when the 
seasonjwill suffice to mature them, Iona and 
Excelsior. For planters who require varie¬ 
ties which will mainly “ take care of them¬ 
selves” and still yield at least some re¬ 
turns, even though of lower quality: Lady, 
Moore’s Early, Worden, Hayes, Niagara, 
when the season will suffice to ripen it. 
For the market grower who wishes to work 
for customers who value quality, and are 
able and willing to pay for it : Early Vic¬ 
tor, Delaware, Brighton, Ulster. For 
gi’owers for average city or village custom¬ 
ers who genei’ally “buy by the eye:” 
Moore’s, Worden, Concord, Niagara. 
Planters desiring a succession of pears 
of high quality, and willing to secure 
it by means of intelligent and careful treat¬ 
ment, will find, according to the Michigan 
report, the following list of varieties 
adapted to such purpose. The varieties are 
named, as nearly as practicable, in the 
order of their ripening: Summer Doyenne, 
Giffard, Bloodgood, Tyson, Rostiezer, 
Clapp’s Favorite, Howell, Bose, Anjou, 
Winter Nells, Dana’s Hovey; and Pound if 
a variety is desired, especially for culinary 
uses. For the average of small planters, 
the following will afford a partial succes¬ 
sion of vigorous and productive varieties of 
fair quality : Summer Doyenne, Clapp’s 
Favorite, Bartlett, Sheldon, Howell, Onon¬ 
daga, Anjoxx, Lawrence. Market list, af¬ 
fording a succession : Summer Doyenne, 
Tyson, Sterling,Clapp’s Favorite, Bartlett, 
Howell, Onondaga, Bose, Anjou, Lawrence. 
A VERY light covering of long or short 
manure—fresh or old—on the wheat will 
prevent the heaving of the land that breaks 
the roots and kills the plants. 
Dr. Hoskins says that if Paris-green 
were soluble in water it would kill the 
leaves upon which it is sprinkled. It is, 
however, soluble in the bodies of insects. 
London-purple is slightly soluble in water 
and is hence always more or less harmful 
to foliage. 
Prof. Storer considers fish scrap one 
of our lowest-priced fertilizers, both the 
nitrogen and phosphoric acid costing less 
than they can be bought for in other forms. 
Farmers should buy this cheap material 
directly from the fishermen and use it as 
such, i. e., under its own name, instead of 
paying a comparatively high price for it, as 
is now often done, after it has been mixed 
with superphosphates. As fish scrap is 
low in potash, wood ashes or other potassic 
fertilizers should be added. 
It should always be considered, however, 
that the nitrogen of fish scraps is much 
slower in its action than that of nitrate of 
soda, as time must be allowed for fermen¬ 
tation. The addition of a small proportion 
of nitrate of soda to the fish and potash 
would give an immediate effect to crops. 
The Dakota Red Potato has taken many 
prizes for heavy yields; but Its bad shape 
will prevent it from ever becoming popular 
for the market. 
James Wood, President of the N. Y.. 
Agricultural Society, says in the American 
Agriculturist, that there are two classes of 
agricultural fairs in this country: one of 
these is devoted to the exposition of the 
best live stock and the agricultural prod¬ 
ucts of the region it represents, and is a 
most valuable educational institution; the 
other gets together just enough agricul¬ 
tural specimens to enable it to be called a 
“fair,” and, for the rest, is a low-grade 
circus, made up of horse trotting, gamb¬ 
ling devices, side shows of fat women and 
skeleton men, and anything and every¬ 
thing that may assist in drawing a crowd, 
and then prove efficacious in getting away 
their money. The former is one of our most 
useful institutions, while the latter has 
become a byword and a reproach, furnish¬ 
ing subjects for comedies upon the stage, 
and should be suppressed for the public 
good. 
Strong asparagus roots or sets may be 
lifted at any time and placed in hot-beds 
and will give cuttings in about three weeks. 
Roots so forced a re of little value for fur¬ 
ther use. 
Mr. Milton P. Pierce, of Columbus, 
O., says that the carp is the peer of any 
fish, except the salmon family, as a table 
fish. The Ox-ange Counfcy Farmer replies 
that perhaps in parts of the West where 
good fish do not abound the carp may 
pass muster-, but here in the East where 
good fish abound, it takes a vei-y low rank. 
We do not believe that they could be sold 
in our markets at all—certainly not the 
second time to the same person. They are 
very poor fish in every sense of the word. 
Isn’t Mr. Pierce interested in the sale of 
carp ?. 
Vick’s Perfection Is a new intermediate 
potato, resembling in shape and color the 
Early Rose. In quality it Is little short of 
“perfection,” as our report, soon to appear, 
will show. 
The Red Apple Tomato (Ferry) seems au 
excellent variety in every way. 
The McCollum Hybrid (Vick) is a smooth, 
handsome tomato, but rather late, accord¬ 
ing to our trial in 1889. 
John Lewis Childs pleasantly alluded 
to in last week’s issue of The Rural, says 
in The American Florist, that he spent last 
spring for advertising nearly $15,000. He 
uses the papers known as “ cooperatives ” 
to a considerable extent. He says: 
“We have never been able to get satis 
factory xvsults from the so called agricul¬ 
tural papers. There are, of course, excep¬ 
tions, but as a class we have not been 
pleased with them. This seems strange, as 
one would naturally suppose them to be 
excellent, circulating as they do among the 
class of people the seedsman desires to 
reach. We can account for it only that 
these papers, as a rule, have very small cir¬ 
culations and charge the advertiser exceed¬ 
ingly high rates.” 
It is well known that the pat rons of “ co¬ 
operative” papers are among the most il¬ 
literate and gullible of the reading popula¬ 
tion. We should suppose that Mr. Childs 
would naturally fraternize with birds of 
that feather. 
It is not at all strange that leather should 
decompose so slowly in the soil as to be 
practically worthless as a manure, for it is 
a product that has been specially and pur 
posely prepared to resist decay. 
Col. Curtis says that the electric rail¬ 
ways are doing away with the demand for 
common hordes. In Albany where it took 
four good hox-ces to haul a car up a steep 
hill, an electric car now goes a grtat deal 
faster and takes a larger load. 
WORD FOR WORD. 
-Henry Stewart: “The cow Erotis- 
sima, owned by Mr. Appleton, of Mas¬ 
sachusetts, which made a product of 945% 
pounds of marketable butter in 365 con 
secutlve days between two calves, is un¬ 
doubtedly a phenomenal cow. Few such 
cows can be procured or made. They are 
like comets- erratic, appear unexpectedly 
and disappear, and are subject to no pre 
cisely-known laws. But while an ordinary 
dairyman cannot expect such animals to 
appear in his herd, yet there is a useful 
lesson conveyed by their existence. This 
shows that cultivation, good breeding, and 
skillful feeding operate to the improve¬ 
ment of all our domestic animals.” 
-Rociieboucauld : “ We should often 
be ashamed of our very best actions if the 
world only saw the motives which caused 
them.” 
-N. Y. Herald: “It is no crime to be 
poor, but In the eyes of many people it is 
rank felony to be rich/’ 
“ A deathbed repentance is like paying 
a debt after you’re sued ; it’s only, a few 
removes from moral dishonesty.” 
“Philosophy has used the candle of 
speculation instead of the sun of Truth for 
so many yea ra th at its eyesight is practically 
ruined.” 
-N. Y. Times: “While agriculture is 
ostensibly protected by an illusory tariff on 
farm products, which are not imported, or 
only to a very small extent, it is exhausted 
by a ruinous competition arising from the 
vast immigration of farmers who crowd 
hither to take the valuable lands that be¬ 
long to our own posterity, but which are 
squandered with a most profuse genei-osity 
upon foreigners.” 
£Ui0ceUatt*0U$i 
Always name The R. N.-Y. in writing to 
advertisers. 
Insects on Fruit Trees. 
These pests are rapidly multiplying and every 
year their ravages Inerease; they destroy the apples, 
plums,cherries and peacheR. Yet they can be exter¬ 
minated by Judiciously spraying the trees. The Field 
Force Pump Company, of Loekport, N. Y., have Just 
published a very Instructive treatise on this subject, 
which they will send free on application. 
It is the only Disc Harrow that does not 
require weighting. 
It is the only one with Double Levers. 
It Is the only one with Ball-Bearing 
Hangers. 
This Ball Bearing Hanger is the only one 
made that does not wear out, give lots of 
trouble and make heavy draft. 
It is the lightest draft Disc Harrow made. 
Send for Catalogue. 
KEYSTONE M’F’G GO., STERLING, ILL. 
Branch Houses conveniently located. 
(Mention this paper.) 
Self Cuidiiig. Uses a wheel landsido. Two horses 
instead of three. A ten year old boy instead of a plow¬ 
man. No pole (except among stumps). No side draft. 
No neck weight. No lifting at corners. Easier driving, 
Mtruighter I IftHTFR DRAFT THAN any 
furrows, and UuniCll UnAr I pj.oyV on or 
oil wheels. Will plow any ground a mower can cut 
over. No equal in hard, stony ground, or on hillsides. 
Our book, “EIIN ON Til 10 FARM,” sent Free 
to all who mention this paper. 
ECONOMIST PLOW CO. "SOSA'S* 
fWSpooiiil prieoH n ml time for trial given 
in first orders from points where we have 
> no agents. 
EMPIRE 
AGRICULTURAL 
WORKS. 
LATEST IMPROVED MACHINES 
In the market. 
It pays 
to get our Illustrated 
Catalogue and price# before purchasing 
any of the following implement*: Tread and Sweej 
Threshers, Separators, Cannon Corn Shelters with Cleaner ana 
Bagger, Hand Shelters, different sizes and styles, feed Cutters 
with and without Crusher, Feed Mills, Steel Land Rollers, Key* 
atone Chilled Plows,Empire light-draft Mowers,Cross-cut Wood 
Bawa, Vertical Boilers with Engine complete, either on boat 
plate or on four-wheel iron truck, from 3 to 15 horse power. 
Kji.MEM8LN»KUltSON Tata raj, Northampton 
Free. 
THOMAS PEPPLER, Hightstown, N. J. 
Most Funect 
BROWER 
on 
yiDTII or 
Hof 
H 
x-nce, complete, 
tvSIl. 
Also the Riggs’ Im¬ 
proved Com Plow, 
Harrows. Cultivators, 
Com Shellers, Bag 
Trucks. Wagon Jacks, 
Hxteusion Ladders, 
Ac. Ac. 
“OSGOOD” 
7 C. 8. Standard 
SCALES 
, 31 ™ $ 35 . 
OSGOOD & THOMPSON, Binghamton, N.Y. 
8ent on trial. Freight paid. 
Other sizes proportionately 
low. Fully Warranted 
