i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Business. 
BUYING AND USING FERTILIZERS. 
There are a few things about the purchase and use of 
chemical fertilizers that may be regarded as settled. The 
science of “ bag manuring ” is hardly out of the cradle 
yet, there are hundreds of things yet to be learned and 
the few positive facts will help in solving new problems. 
We know that nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid have 
a certain intrinsic value when found in fertilizers just as 
when found in flour or meat. We understand perfectly 
well that the grain we feed our horses and cattle has a 
fixed value determined by the cost of growing, grinding 
and marketing it. The food that feeds our plants in the 
same way and for like reasons has an intrinsic value. Wo 
can tell approximately, the value of the grain by handling 
and tasting it, because years of observation have un¬ 
consciously taught us differences of quality. The chemist 
can tell the value of a fertilizer because the practices of 
years have taught him exact and positive tests which are 
as sure and evident as darkness or sunlight. Every 
farmer knows that the straw and the chaff of the wheat 
plant will make a cheap ration for his cows; but that he 
would starve to death on the proceeds of a dairy fed on 
such food. Take away the chaff and most of the straw, 
add grain and good clover hay and you have a ration cost¬ 
ing more and yet yielding 50 times as much profit. 
Both rations contain nitrogen, potash and phosphoric 
acid, but the grain ration contains these elements in a 
concentrated and digestible form. In the same way a 
cheap fertilizer might be made containing these elements 
In a crude, bulky, indissolvable form, for possibly half the 
price of a standard brand which contains twice as much 
soluble plant food as the cheaper one. 
In buying a given amount of food in the cheap fer¬ 
tilizer you pay perhaps twice as much for freight, cartage, 
bagging and handling as you do in buying the better brand. 
The belief that chemical fertilizers “live but one year”— 
that they leach out of the soil in one season—has stood in 
the light of many farmers who did not dare to use fertilizer 
enough through fear that it would wash out and be 
wasted. It is true that much of the nitrogen is washed 
away often the first season, but the potash and phosphoric 
acid cannot go until the soil goes. For this reason farmers 
are coming more and more to use divided fertilizers—that 
is, to use the potash and phosphoric acid in the fall and 
the nitrogen in the spring. One of the most interesting 
and important fertilizer problems is that of treating a soil 
that is deficient in but one or two of the Important ele¬ 
ments. If a soil contains plenty of nitrogen but is starv¬ 
ing for potash it is unprofitable to feed it expensive nitro¬ 
genous fertilizers when the application of a potash salt 
will answer. How are we to know these things ? Field 
experiments, study of the bulletins from the experiment 
stations and careful observation are the best means at 
present. No farmer who uses chemical fertilizers should 
fail to secure all the fertilizer bulletins he can hear of. A 
study of the tables of analyses given in these pamphlets 
will show him what fertilizers contain most plant food, 
just as his own mouth and nose will tell him which grains 
contain most cow food, and by following up the station 
field experiments he will learn how to conduct similar 
experiments of his own. 
All About Iron Roofing 
C. A. TJ., Fails Church , Va. —On page 901 of The RURAL 
for December 27, • 1890, Edward Hicks writes concerning 
“ iron roofing.” Will he kindly give particulars as to 
where it was obtained, the pitch required, etc. I wish to 
build a barn and workshop at the seashore, where the 
high winds frequently force the snow or rain through a 
shingle roof, unless the pitch is so steep as to make It impos¬ 
sible for one not an expert to venture on the roof for re¬ 
pairs or painting. I do not want more than one foot fall 
in three, and would prefer one in four. As the nearest 
tinner is about 20 miles distant I am anxious to learn of a 
good roof other than shingles, which I can put on with 
the help of a workman. 
ANSWERED BY EDWARD HICKS. 
The iron roofing that we have used to cover several of 
our buildings, sheds, vestibules, etc., is made in Jersey 
City by the N. Y. Iron Roofing and Corrugating Company, 
They offer several varieties of iron roofing, and claim that 
the “ pressed standing seam roofing ” Is the most satis¬ 
factory. This is what we use. The roofing company sent 
us sheets cut to various lengths from 2 to 10 feet long to 
lie 24 inches wide. The sheets are painted on both sides 
and the edges are crimped in the proper shape to be laid 
upon the roof. Nails, cleats and dry paint are sent with 
the sheets, and also the necessary tools if desired. One 
should order sheets cut to the proper length, to be laid 
from the ridge to the eaves, if not over 10 feet; a roof can 
be very flat—one inch fall in two or three feet. A roof 
should be a little steeper when cross joints have to be made 
at the ends of the sheets where two or more sheets are 
joined. The nails that fasten roofing of this style to the 
building are all under the sheets except on the edges of 
the roof, consequently they will not work up and out, as 
nails are liable to do when exposed to the weather. We 
prefer the long sheets to metal shingles or corrugated iron 
roofing, because they are cheaper and more quickly put 
on. They can be laid nearly flat and are then more wea¬ 
ther-proof. To keep all metal roofs in good repair they 
must have at least one coat of paint every two years. Con¬ 
traction and expansion are nicely provided for by the 
peculiar method of fastening, which is fully explained in 
the circular issued by the manufacturers. Builders of 
grain elevators, storage and freight houses, manufactories 
and mills are using metal roofing to a large extent. If 
we farmers hope to keep abreast of the times we must be 
on the alert and make use of such materials and methods 
as our large corporations use; for they almost invariably 
select that which is the most economical and most profit¬ 
able. It is only during the past half dozen years that 
sheet iron as a roofing has made a great advance. The 
manufacturers are now able to turn out a smooth, soft, 
annealed sheet Iron, free from defects; and the sales have 
greatly increased, being five times larger than they were 
10 years ago. A great many of these iron roofs have 
been condemned and abandoned. The great difficulty 
has been that there was no device by which the sheets could 
be fastened without the nails being exposed to the ele¬ 
ments. This exposure soon caused the nails to get loose 
and the wind enlarged the nail holes in the metal, causing 
leaks and destruction of the roofing. As there are about 
40 manufacturers of iron roofing in the United States, I 
would advise an Inquiry of the dealers in sheet iron and 
iron roofing in some large city near home; then one should 
send for the circulars and select such material as will be 
most likely to answer his purpose, keeping the above facts 
in mind. 
A Windmill for Irrigation. 
C. M. B., Chadron, Neb. —I wish to know the cheapest 
way to get water on my land and a description of the ma¬ 
chinery to do it. The plot I wish to irrigate contains 10 or 
12 acres. The bank of the creek next the land is 20 feet 
high, and 20 rods back,where I want the water, there is an 
additional rise of 10 feet. On the other side of the creek 
the bank is about four feet high, but could be raised 
about six or seven feet. This bank extends back about 60 
rods, and is covered with timber and bushes. The soil is 
full of stones and has a gradual rise away from the creek. 
The creek has a fall of 30 feet to the mile with a stony bot¬ 
tom. There is a hill just above me on the creek, and here 
the bank is about 80 feet high on the side my land is on, 
with the creek close to the bank, so that it keeps caving 
in. On the other side there is a large, low flat, so it is 
impossible for me to take the water to where I want it by 
the usual means of ditching, without great expense. 
Ans.—I n this case the cheapest apparatus for raising tho 
water would be a windmill and force pump. The mill and 
pump would be best situated on the first bank. If the bank 
slopes, the pipe may be carried into the water on the slope, 
in a ditch cut 18 inches deep, or at least below any possible 
disturbance by cultivation. A pipe would then lead under- 
The Easy Buckeye Cultivator. Fig. 64. 
ground in the same way to the upper bank at the highest 
point, where a cistern should be made to contain a suffi¬ 
cient supply of water in case of need. A cistern holding 
3,500 cubic feet, which would need to be 20 feet square and 
nine feet deep would hold enough water to cover one acre one 
inch deep only,so that the reservoir would be the most costly 
part of the work. In Nebraska, however, there is almost 
always wind enough to keep a mill at work, so that the 
reservoir might probably be unnecessary. A constant 
stream flowing through a pipe inch In diameter would 
supply water enough to give one inch of water for seven 
acres of land once a week. This will afford a basis for cal¬ 
culating the size of pipe required. This, however, should 
not be less than the size mentioned. Our friend would find 
all the information he desires in a little work, “ Irrigation 
for the Farm, Orchard and Garden,” which can be pro¬ 
cured for $1.50 from the Rural Publishing Company. 
Harrows. 
A. C. T., Matawan, N. J. —1. After the mellow ground 
is plowed and becomes packed with heavy rains will the 
Clark’s Cutaway harrow mellow it up and put it in good 
order ? How will it work on inverted sod ? 2. I plow my 
sod ground early in the spring for corn about six inches 
deep. Would the Clark’s Cutaway be a good tool to prepare 
the ground for corn ? 3. Which would be the best tool 
for this purpose—the Acme, the Randall Disk or the Clark’s 
Cutaway, when a person can have only one ? 4. Will 
the Clark’s Cutaway dig up the inverted sod to any great 
extent ? 
Ans.— 1. It depends upon what crop you will plant. For 
potatoes, we should plow again in the spring. 2. Yes. 3. 
We cannot say. The Cutaway can never take the place 
of the Acme. It is a digging tool, while the Acme Is a pul¬ 
verizer or leveler. Can a spade do the work of an iron 
rake ? 4. No, not if properly weighted. 
English Manufacturers In America. 
F. W. W., Leominster, Mass. —1. How are manufac¬ 
turers to be benefited by the sale of their business to 
English syndicates ? 2. Will the employees of such 
manufacturers be employed permanently, or will cheaper 
foreign help be substituted after a time ? 3. Will the 
American people, as consumers be in any way better sup¬ 
plied or in any way benefited ? 
Ans.— We are not manufacturers and have never tried to 
sell out to such syndicates. Hence we can only venture an 
opinion. 1. Probably in the change of their plant and 
“good will” for cash, thus enabling them to retire from 
business or invest In other lines. 2. Nobody can answer 
173 
this except the manufacturers. If their headquarters are 
in England and they regard their factories here merely as 
American branches, established here to evade the tariff, 
undoubtedly they will try to secure workmen for the low¬ 
est possible money. 3. We give it up. Certainly no “foreign 
syndicate” will establish itself here for the simple purpose 
of helping the American people to cheaper goods. 
NOVELTIES AND STAPLES. 
From the Catalogues. 
The Easy Buckeye Cultivator.— At Fig. 64 is 
shown the latest device brought out by P. P. Mast & Co., 
of Springfield, O., who make the well known “Sunbeam” 
cultivators—popular wherever they are known. In this 
riding cultivator the two outside shovels are not movable 
sidewise, and the two inside shovels only are moved or 
guided by the operator. This feature reduces the labor of 
working the cultivator and enables the operator to culti¬ 
vate closer to the row and also between the hills, as the 
single shovel is easily and quickly guided in any direction 
desired. It is perfectly balanced, and the seat is arranged 
low, making it very convenient to get on and off. The 
depth of the shovels Is regulated by the same chains and 
levers that raise the beams, and by means of an extension 
or arm, at front end of beams, the outside shovels can be 
forced into hard ground by attaching the draft rod to 
lower holes in this arm. P. P. Mast & Co. make a full 
line of agricultural implements, and it will pay readers to 
examine their catalogue. 
Harmony Phillips & Kolb, Lockport, N. Y., issue a 
circular of The Niagara Spraying pump for orchards. The 
machine embraces tank,wheels, pump and hose all ready for 
orchard work. 
The circular of Geo. H. Stahl, of Quincy, Ill., is entitled 
“Improved Excelsior Incubator,” and contains full descrip¬ 
tions and illustrations of that machine. Excellent testi¬ 
monials from some of the best poultry authorities in the 
country are printed in facsimile. A good deal of valuable 
poultry matter is included and many appliances useful in 
poultry keeping are offered for sale. 
SCHLEGEL & FOTTLER, 26 SO. MARKET ST., BOSTON, 
Mass.— The annual catalogue of an old and trustworthy 
house. The catalogue announces that the experienced Mr. 
J. M. Gleason, formerly of Everett & Gleason and, more 
recently, the manager for W. W. Rawson & Co., is now 
connected with this firm. The catalogue (100 pages) is a 
plain, straightforward statement of what the firm has to 
sell in the way of plants and seeds of all kinds. 
Kraus Sulky Cultivator. —We are constantly receiv¬ 
ing letters from the owners of hill farms who wish to 
know what riding cultivator they can get that is built 
with special reference to work on hill-sides. A few weeks 
ago we spoke of the Kraus cultivator. After examining 
the construction of this machine more carefully we invite 
our readers to send to tho Akron Tool Co., Akron, O., for 
a copy of the circular describing the machine. It seems to 
us that this is the cultivator hill-side farmers want. The 
arrangement of the broken, pivoted axle seems to give the 
operator perfect control of the course of the wheels as well 
as of the shovels. As the makers say : “ You touch the 
lever, the machine does the rest!” Send for the catalogue 
and look it over. 
J. C. Vaughan, 146 and 148 West Washington Street, 
Chicago, III.—“The whole story of the Garden, Lawn 
and Farm ” is what this catalogue, not without a show of 
justice, claims to be. It is issued by a thriving, enter¬ 
prising firm, as may be judged from the fact that five new 
greenhouses have lately been added to the establishment. 
Mr. Vaughan tells us that he sold last year 30,000 plants 
of the new Polyantha rose Clothilde Soupert, a colored il¬ 
lustration of which appears on the first page. The Edgar 
Queen Strawberry is offered as larger, more productive 
and of finer quality than either Jessie or Bubach. New 
double lilacs, the Tree Lilac (of Japan), the Weeping Mul¬ 
berry, the Red-branched Hydrangea, Elmagnus longipes, 
are among the rare shrubs of merit. The list of roses, 
palms, carnations, dahlias and greenhouse plants are note¬ 
worthy. Among new tomatoes are Thorburn’s Long 
Keeper and the Stone. The Early Vaughan Potato orig¬ 
inated with E. L. Coy, which, of itself, gives assurance 
that it is worthy of introduction. 
B. A. Elliot & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.—T his is 
simply a magnificent work that we cannot praise too 
highly. “ A few flowers worthy of general culture. 
An effort to win f of hardy plants a recognition of their 
great wealth of beauty ” is the modest title of the work, 
which comprises 125 large pages (11 by 9 inches) of heavy, 
supercalendered paper, embellished with wood cuts and 
half-tones of rare excellence. Among these are scenes in 
grounds of well-known beautiful estates, like those of C. 
A. Dana, Col. J. H. Powell, Louis Lorillard, Cornelius 
Vanderbilt, etc., while artistic nooks in the wild garden 
and of favorite hardy herbaceous perennials, water lilies, 
the choicest of our trees and shrubs, are shown by engrav¬ 
ings true to nature. As a catalogue it is a masterpiece; 
as an instructive work on landscape gardening and hardy 
plants, it is not equaled 8y any work of the kind that has 
come to our notice. Here are a few of the topics considered: 
Hardy Plants of the Easiest Culture, Some Neglected 
Plants, Newport Gardens, Tropical Garden Effects, Land¬ 
scape Gardening, Success with Hardy Roses, The Iris 
Family, Decorative Possibilities of Hardy Climbers, The 
Cream of Hybrid Perpetual Roses, Hybrid Teas, Roses of 
Special Merit, Hardy Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Evergreens, 
Gladioli, A Few of the Finer Lawn Trees, Tuberous-rooted 
Begonias, Hardy Native Orchids, Hardy Native Ferns, 
Hardy Bog and Aquatic Plants, etc., etc. Those of our 
readers who are in any way interested in such subjects, 
will thank The R. N.-Y. for thus pressing upon their at¬ 
tention this creditable, charming book. 
