1894 
299 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Farmers' Club Discussion. 
{Continued.) 
Treating an Aspara^ns Bed. 
Feed Grundy, Illinois — Oq page 250, 
W. M. P. tells how he manages his as¬ 
paragus bed, and his plan is a good one, 
as I know from experience. I formerly 
had quite a large bed of asparagus, and 
every spring it would become fairly 
matted with weeds and grass. When 
the cutting season ended—about the time 
strawberries began to ripen—I took a 
sharp plow and skimmed the entire 
surface, about one inch deep, and then 
harrowed with a light, fine-toothed har¬ 
row. This was done in the morning of a 
hot day, and not a weed or spire of grass 
was left to tell the tale. In a few days 
the shoots came up, and before anything 
else could get fairly started they shaded 
the ground so that nothing else could 
grow. 
Mixing: Wood Ashes and Bone. 
G. S. P., Winslow Me.—The R. N.-Y. 
asks for a reason why bone and ashes 
can safely or profitably be sown together. 
One good reason for mixing is that one 
sowing only is necessary, and in the ab¬ 
sence of a broadcaster this is a great 
saving of labor. If various powerful 
ingredients are mixed by the fertilizer 
men, without loss, I see no reason for 
much, if any, loss when bone and ashes 
are mixed but a short time before sowing. 
Indeed, it seems to me that the union 
must be of advantage in starting the de¬ 
composition of the bone. If plaster be 
used with them, how can any appreciable 
loss occur ? 
R. N.-Y.—The fertilizer men never 
mix lime, such as is found in wood ashes, 
with other goods. It is a very different 
thing to use plaster. Another objection 
is that the ashes are so dry and fine that 
it is almost impossible to mix them 
thoroughly with the coarser bone. 
“ Forcing’’ A Good Thing. 
B. B., Farmingdale, III.—It always 
makes me “tired,” to say the least, to hear 
such ideas advanced as that “ laws should 
be made compellina people to attend 
farmers institutes,” '^compelling them to 
vote,” etc., etc. Why not force a big 
baked potato into everybody’s mouth, 
bicause the baked potato is a good thing? 
I believe in offering people all sorts of 
good things—forcing is another affair. 
On account of their superficial plausibil- 
iiy I believe such doctrines more danger¬ 
ous than those of the anarchist. They 
must end only in a popular tyranny, 
worse than any one man despotism—cer¬ 
tainly followed by a reaction such as no 
man will wish to see. 
ably be greater than ever before, and 
the price probably lower than it has 
been for the past two years. We would 
advise our friends to plant a smaller area 
rather than increase it, and to fit the 
land better, to select seed and to plant 
more carefully, and to use fertilizers 
more liberally. The years of experi¬ 
mentation which our older readers know 
we have given to the question, “ How 
much fertilizer may be profitably used?” 
have answered it in no doubtful way. 
The crop profitably increased as the 
fertilizer increased up to 2,000 pounds to 
the acre. 
This was the decided answer which 
our poor soil always gave to the ques¬ 
tions asked of it. We would by no means 
advise our friends to use that amount 
prior to making experiments similar to 
those of The R. N -Y. But each farmer 
may easily, and with little extra cost, 
make the same trials for himself. Divide 
an acre into four equal parts. On the 
first quarter sow 500 pounds, which 
would be at the rate of 2 000 pounds to 
the acre; on the second 400 pounds, 
which would be at the rate of 1,600 
pounds to the acre on the third 200 
pounds, or 800 pounds to the acre, and 
on the last 100 pounds, or 400 pounds to 
the acre. 
Before these notes are read by our 
friends, most of their potatoes will have 
been planted. But the experiment may 
still be made. Sow the fertilizers broad¬ 
cast after the tops have appeared, it may 
be, and then cultivate. Choose a per¬ 
fectly quiet day. If the fertilizer (high- 
grade potato) be perfectly dry, as it 
ought to be, spread it in a sheltered 
place, and with a sprinkling-pot and a 
rake and shovel the mass may readily 
be uniformly dampened, so that it may 
be evenly spread, while no portion will 
blow away. 
We are glad to see that the Massa¬ 
chusetts Station calls attention to the 
great difference in money value that may 
exist in a given fertilizer containing 
more or less moisture. We can not afford 
to pay for water in a fertilizer, though 
many farmers do pay for it without a 
question, or without knowing that they 
do. Prof. Goessman mentions that two 
samples of fish fertilizers, although 
equally pure may easily differ 50 or even 
100 per cent in commercial value, on ac¬ 
count of mere difference in moisture. 
Again, all else equal, our friends should 
choose the finest pulverized fertilizer, 
because this controls “almost without 
exception the rate of solubility, and the 
more or less rapid diffusion of the dif¬ 
ferent articles of plant-food throughout 
the soil.” 
—there is so much* of it to do that “ must 
be done at once.” At this writing for in¬ 
stance (April 20) we have 72 different 
sorts of potatoes to plant, every one of 
which must be labeled, entered in the 
record book and planted with the utmost 
care so as to insure, in so far as may be, 
the same conditions for all. This work 
in past years has generally been per¬ 
formed by or before April 10. All other 
work is similarly behindhand. 
As the plum, pear and apple-' trees 
bloom it would be an interesting study 
to examine the flowers with the view 
of ascertaining whether they are perfect 
or not; whether the anthers burst and 
shed their pollen when, before, simul¬ 
taneously, or after the stigmas are recep¬ 
tive. Such an investigation would, in 
{Continued on page 306 ) 
In wTltlnK to advertisers, please always mention 
TH* BURAI, NKW-YOBKBK. 
Rural Grounds Items.— April 25.— 
Abundance plum is again a mass of blos¬ 
soms. Readers will remember how 
heavily it bore last year. The blossoms 
appear just as the leaves break. 
The Rocky Mountain Dwarf cherry 
(we have it from three sources) is 
wreathed with fruit buds. Bear in mind 
the plants were set not until March of 
last year. Thus the claim of early 
fruiting is supported. 
The Variegated Prickly comfrey has 
passed the winter in safety and is now 
three inches high. 
Not a bud of the new Loudon red rasp¬ 
berry has been injured by the past win¬ 
ter. 
It would seem that the new Colum¬ 
bian White asparagus is earlier than 
most other strains. The shoots with us 
are not white, but of a very light pea- 
green color. 
The Siberian almond received from 
Prof. J. L, Budd in April of 1890, is now 
in bud and bloom. The buds are crim¬ 
son, the flowers pink and about three- 
fourths of an inch in diameter. The 
leaves are serrate, lanceolate. 
We have never known so much inter¬ 
est taken in potato culture as is shown 
this year, 'the area planted will prob- 
FENCING 
NEWPORT NURSERY CO., 
NEWPORT, R. I. 
Trees, Shrubs, Roses, 
Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas, French Cannas* 
A full line of BverKreens—Native and Imported. 
Apples, Pears, Quinces. Currants, Peaches, Plums. 
Cherries and small Bruits. 
Plants for the seaside grown In seaside exposures. 
POULTRY AND rMiT NETTING 
Railroad, Farm, Ctardeii, Cemetery, Lawn 
Fencing. Prices down. Frei^tpaid. Catal’g.free. 
McMullen Woven Wire Fence Co., Chicago. 
CABLED FIELD AND HOG FENCING 
z 
Also steel Web Picket Fence and Steel Wire 
Fence Board. Write for circulars. 
DeKALB FENCE CO.. 11, Hiah St.. DeKalb. 111. 
New Angle Steel Post 
Plain Wire Fence. 
will not burn, blow or rot down, and the price has 
been put down from iSl to 06 cents per rod, 
complete with wire stay. Our tightener will tighten 
your old wire fences. Call on your dealer or order 
direct Write for circulars. Agents wanted. 
HOMER STEEL FENCE CO., Homer, Mich. 
We do not believe that any farmer- 
that is, any one who tills the land 
whether it be an acre or hundreds of 
acres—can afford to use nitrogen in the 
form of nitrate of soda in one application. 
This one application is usually applied 
just before the seed is sown in early 
spring. Then follow the usual frequent 
spring rains. Owing to its solubility— 
it is as soluble as sugar—who knows just 
how much of this costly nitrate is washed 
through the soil before the roots of 
the germinating seeds can use it? Our 
theory is that farmers would better sow 
their nitrogen at different periods, the 
smallest amount before the seeds are 
sown, a larger amount after the seeds 
have germinated, and the largest amount 
not until the plants are making a strong, 
vigorous growth. It follows that nitro¬ 
gen should be applied—if all at once be¬ 
fore sowing—in different forms ; those 
that are most, less and least soluble as, 
for example, nitrate of soda, sulphate of 
ammonia, dried blood, tankage, fish 
scrap, cotton-seed meal and ground raw 
bone. 
This is one of those very late seasons 
at the Rural Grounds that fills us with 
apprehension that, with our limited force 
of assistants, we cannot possibly do satis¬ 
factorily all the important work laid out 
7 ^ / \ 7 
\ / > / y / V-/ y 
_ <yy'r)'-r^ 
What a wonderful thing Is ii live Hee«l, sJ 
i Immature, old or (lead It may too/c the same. ^ 
How to know ? Old gardeners say that ^ 
^urfoeei 
4eed6£rm 
This Is the proof of life. When grown we give 
our word you will be satisfied—your siicceM 
Is ours. BUIM’KK’W FA 11111 ANNUAL 
for 1894, 172 pages, tells all about the Best 
Seeds that Grow. The newspapers call It the 
Leading American Seed CatalogtiA. Yours 
I free tor the asking If you plant seeds. 
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Philadelphia. 
A LARGE VARIETY OF 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
Write for Catalogues and Circulars. 
“Finest Corn in America”!! 
“FAKMKKS’ I’KIOE.” 
WORLD’S FAIR PREMIUMS. 
Also pronounced by Agricultural Department and 
thousands o' leading taimers' fairs, etc., to be far 
beyond any other, both In yield and quality; gaaran- 
teed to make one-quarter mure on same land than 
any corn ever grown. We have highly Improved It 15 
years; sheus over one pound of corn to ear ; pure 
wnlte kernels, nearly one Inch long: very Hlotv 
wloe and plump. Matures in 100 days ; so It can be 
planted North and West as well aa South. Half 
pound package. 25 cents ; tnree pounds, $1 by mall 
postpaid, or it you have time send for descriptive 
circulars. i#lOO in cash will be paid by us ton 
sample of better corn Address 
J. L. ANDERS, Seedsman, Ivanhoe, N. 6. 
Fine Freemans, $4.75 per Bbl. 
The finest potato grown for table use. Early Rose 
and Reeves’ Rose at $3 for fine stock; Rural New- 
Yorker No. 2 Choice, 13. Banner Oats, Yellow Flint 
Corn, White Flint Corn, and Japan Buckwheat. 
Send for Catalogue to C. R. WHITE, or 
O. H. WHITE & SON, Miller Corners, N. Y 
CRIMSON CLOVER SEED. 
PURE JERSEY RED PIGS. 
Send for Catalogue. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Mooiestown, N. J. 
WAH1E0-ENERGETIC MEN for N ursery 
Stock. Expenses advanced to men who can leave 
home, or commission to local agents. 
K. G. CHASff & CO., Philadelphia, Pa. 
BERRY CRATES 
AND 
GRAPE BASKETS. 
Wrtte for Price List. Address 
COLKY-HINCKLKY CO., Benton Harbor, Mich. 
IMPROVED 
BILLINGS 
I'ERFECT WORK, 
whether stony, 
sward or mellow land 
The mesh, around the panel offence 
shews how the fence it meude. 
Coming Fence 
IsSTRONO, durable, harmless and CHEAP. We want 
a live farmer in every county to take the agency. 
Send for illustrated catalogue and prices. Address 
KEYSTONE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., 
No. 49 Locust Street, TREMONT, Tazewell Co., Ill. 
LOKD KROS., 
Agents for New York, 
Mendon Center, N. Y. 
E. H. SMITH, 
Agent for New Jersey, 
Salem, N. J. 
Corn Planter and Fertilizer. 
ALSO KOIl 
Beans, Peas 
and 
Beet Seed. 
Made only hy 
Ames Plow Co. 
BOSTON AND 
NEW yOHK. 
Send for Circulars and Catalogue. 
WOVEN WIRE 
FENCE 
2 No. 9 and 11 No. 14 wires 
60 in. high. Makolty<)ur 
self for 16c per Rod 
jllorse high, bull strong, 
Iplg tight. Make It yourself 
Jfor 23 Cents Per Rod. 
Catalogue free. Address 
KITSELMAM BROS. 
idgeville, Indiana. 
HIGH CLASS SEE 
Our Ninety-Third Annual Catalogue is now reaay, and will be 
mailed FREE on application. It contains the 
largest collection in the world of 
VEGETABLE, FLOWER and FARM SEEDS, 
including every standard variety and every novelty of 
established merit. 
Beautifully Illustrated with Hundreds of Guts. 
tsr We Mall It FREP.-jM 
J.M.THORBURN & Co. IS JOHN ST.NewYork 
