1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
521 
As to the quantity needed for each stump, that is a 
matter for experiment. On different soils, trees of the 
same kind make a different root growth, and the ex¬ 
plosive shows greatly different effectiveness on dis¬ 
similar soils, so that it is better for A. F. A. to do a 
little experimenting for himself. I have blown out a 
white oak stump on a clayey gravel soil, over one foot 
in diameter, with a single stick, one-third pound, and 
thrown fragments 10 or more rods away. It is not 
best to use more than enough to throw the stump clear 
of the ground. The sticks may be cut into pieces, or 
more than one may be used for a single blast. No mat¬ 
ter how much may be needed, only one fuse and ex¬ 
ploder will be required. Place the sticks or pieces 
close together, and when one goes, all will go, and so 
near together that no one can distinguish the report. 
It would facilitate the work to have a 13^-inch auger 
with a long stem to bore into the tap root where one 
is found running straight down into the ground and 
with very few side roots. But, when it can be done, I 
much prefer to place the charge under the stump and 
outside of any timber ; it is much less liable to split 
and shatter the stump without throwing it out. 
As to the expense, suppose it requires one-half pound, 
a stick and a half, to throw out a stump one foot in 
diameter; that would cost six ceqts, the exploder a 
cent, the fuse, two feet, 1}^ cent, time of placing 
charge, one cent, making 93>^ cents for the entire cost. 
Who would or could dig a stump out for any such 
money ? j. s. woodwabd. 
The Trade Value of a Fertilizer. 
D. B., Johnstown, N. Y. —Having to supplement barn¬ 
yard manure with commercial fertilizers for the last 
two seasons, I would like to know what the market 
value, per ton, of the two following fertilizers should 
be as per analyses given below. Is it better because 
the odor is very rank and offensive ? 
mo. 1 ANALYSIS 
Per cent. 
Ammonia . SH to 
PotaBh K 2-0.7)^ to 
Ayallabie phosphoric acid. 6 to 8 
NO. 2 ANALYSIS. 
Per cent. 
Ammonia. l^to2 
Potash K 2-0.3 to 4 
Ayallabie phosphoric acid. to8 
Is hen manure good for an apple orchard ? If so, 
would it amount to anything if it is put around trees 
once a week in the winter, on top of the snow ? 
Ans.—A ccording to these analyses, the two ferti¬ 
lizers contain the following valuable ingredients: 
No. 1. 
Pounds. 
.... 70 
NO. 2. 
Pounds. 
.... sn 
Potash... 
Potash.. 
- 60 
Ayallabie phosphoric acid 120 Ayallabie phosphoric acid 130 
We take the lowest per cent in each case, for that is 
all the manufacturer guarantees. You may figure am¬ 
monia at 15 cents a pound, potash at 4>^, and avail¬ 
able phosphoric acid at six. This would give No. 
1 a valuation of $22.45, and No. 2, $15. Bear in 
mind that the valuation represents what these 
amounts of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash would 
cost if bought by themselves at the average prices. 
The smell of a fertilizer is no indication of its value 
unless you can detect the characteristic smell of am¬ 
monia. That smell simply shows that this valuable 
substance is escaping, and is not a good indication. 
The worst smells come from substances that have 
little fertilizing value. You would much better use 
potash and bone on the orchard and save the hen ma¬ 
nure to be used as described by Mr. Johnson on page 
438. You would get little value from it used as you 
suggest. 
A Hard Dairy Problem in Liouisiana. 
S. B. B>, New Orleans, La .—Is good, sound wheat 
suitable for mixing with city mules’ feed ? If so, in 
what proportion ? Would it pay to feed wheat cost¬ 
ing three-fourths cent per pound to hogs ? I want to 
buy 10-pound pigs and keep them till they weigh 100 
pounds. Are brewers’ grains a suitable hog feed ? 
Which is the best breed for quick fattening ? Can I 
make a reasonable profit from a dairy selling 40 gal¬ 
lons of milk daily, with feed costing: Timothy hay, 
$16 to $18 per ton, corn meal $22 to $24, bran $16 to 
$17, cotton-seed meal $21.50, cracked corn $22 ? Num¬ 
ber of cows, 18 Jerseys, with a manager at $40, and 
two assistants at $25 each. Milk sells at 40 cents per 
gallon to families, and 30 cents to dealers. 
Ans. —Yes, if you can get it cheap enough you could 
safely feed one-third wheat. Without knowing the 
prices for grain with you, we cannot tell whether 
wheat at the price named would be cheaper than corn 
for fattening hogs. You will see from the articles on 
page 431 that many Western farmers are feeding 
wheat, and at 45 cents a bushel you should fatten 
your hogs cheaply. We would not feed brewers’ 
grains to hogs in large quantities. We would recom¬ 
mend the Essex or Poland-Chiua breeds for southern 
Louisiana. We cannot give you satisfactory figures 
as to the dairy business. From the bare statement 
of probable income and cost, we could figure a fair 
profit, but this might all disappear when we came to 
know more of the local conditions. We would like to 
have some of our Southern dairymen give their 
opinions. 
More Facts About Crimson Clover. 
J. C., Salisbury, Md .—What is the best time, or con¬ 
dition, of Crimson clover to cut for hay ? Can it be 
cured as well and easily as Medium clover ? Is it as 
good for horses or other stock as Medium clover when 
cured for hay ? What is the relative value between a 
crop turned under for manuring when in full bloom, 
and the sod turned under after the clover is taken 
off for hay or seed ? 
Ans. —Most of these questions and many more like 
them are fully answered in Bulletin 100 of the New 
Jersey Experiment Station (New Brunswick). You 
should, by all means, secure that bulletin. The Crim¬ 
son differs but little from the Medium clover as to 
cutting and curing. It will make the best hay just 
before the blossoms are fully formed. It will cure as 
well as any clover, but you must remember that it 
matures very early in the season when there is not 
always the best of haying weather. As compared 
with Medium clover hay, it shows a better analysis. 
Mr. E. G. Packard says that he feeds Crimson clover 
hay to his horses with excellent results. Prof. Voor- 
hees figures that the entire crop on an acre—turned 
under May 31—contained 212 pounds nitrogen, 60 of 
phosphoric acid and 186)^ of potash. The roots and 
stubble alone—after cutting the ,hay—contained 33 
pounds of nitrogen, 9)^ of phosphoric acid and 26 of 
potash. In spite of this difference, it must be remem¬ 
bered that the feeding value of the hay or green clover 
is considerable, and where that can be utilized, it will 
pay better to cut or feed off the clover and use ma¬ 
nure or chemicals with the sod. 
Strawberries for the Farmer. 
H. T. M., The Ridge, Ont. —Can I prepare a suitable 
spot in the fall, put in 100 or 200 strawberry plants so 
as to require no more care the next season except to 
gather enough for family use, and some to give away? 
We are too busy to attend to strawberries all the sea¬ 
son, and don’t want to be charged with idleness 
either. Is one sort better than another for this pur¬ 
pose ? 
Ans. —Fall-set plants would not yield many berries 
the next season. Unless the soil is unusually free of 
weed seeds, the bed would become pretty foul by the 
time the berries ripened. We can not approve of the 
plan at all. One would better buy his berries. 
Hosts ; Wheelbarrow Qrass Seeders. 
H. O. L., Brighton, Can. —1. Is there a paper pub¬ 
lished on swine ? If so, where can I obtain a copy ? 
2. Why don’t some of The R. N.-Y. readers, who keep 
Poland-China swine for sale, advertise in The Rubal? 
3. Have any of The R. N.-Y. readers ever used a 
wheelbarrow grass seeder ? If so, would they state 
what they think of it, and what make it is ? 
Ans. — 1. The Swine Breeders’ Journal is published at 
Indianapolis, Ind. 2. We shall be very much pleased to 
have our Poland-China friends come forward with the 
desired information. This is one of the great mys¬ 
teries of the age. 3. We want a symposium on grass 
seeders that will show the merits and defects of the 
broadcasters and wheelbarrows. 
Ct-round Bone for Wheat. 
A. T. T., Franklin Park, N. J .—I expect to seed to 
Timothy, about 23 acres of oat stubble this fall. Soil, 
clay loam. I shall sow pure ground bone, say, 500 
pounds per acre. Is it advisable to put with the bone, 
nitrate of soda or fine ground blood for the ammonia 
it contains? I fancy that the soil contains potash 
enough. 
Anb.—N o, we think that dressing of ground bone 
will furnish enough nitrogen for the crop. If we were 
to add nitrate or blood, we would rather add it in the 
spring. 
Spent Tan Bark Ashes. 
S. A. T., Boston .—What is the fertilizing value of 
ashes from spent tan that has been burned under 
boilers as compared with hardwood ashes ? I can buy 
them for $2 per cord, while hardwood ashes cost $12 
per ton. 
Ans.—A n average specimen of spent tan bark ashes 
should contain 36 pounds of potash and 25 pounds of 
phosphoric acid to the ton. They are well worth $2 
a cord ; in fact, that is a first-rate bargain. 
Ligrht or Heavy “ Clabber.” 
Subscriber. —Why does the clabber from some cow’s 
milk rise to the top, while in that from others it falls 
to the bottom ? 
Ans. —I suppose the correspondent means by clabber 
the coagulated casein of sour milk. Under ordinary 
conditions, coagulated casein is heavier than water, 
and sinks to the bottom. That is what ordinarily 
takes place in cheese-making, and where milk sours 
in pans. Very frequently, at the time coagulation 
takes place, there are other fermentations going on 
which cause gases of one kind or another, and these 
gases being in the coagulated casein, cause it to be¬ 
come lighter than water and to fioat. This is the only 
explanation I can give as to why ” clabber rises to the 
top of some cows’ milk, and falls to the bottom of 
others.” h. h. winh. 
List of Fears and Raspberries. 
A. F. A., Claremont, Va .—1. What six kinds of pear 
trees—early, medium and late—are the freest from 
blight, kinds that will succeed as dwarfs for home 
use ? 2. Is there a red raspberry that will succeed at 
the South, that is earlier than Cuthbert, and which is 
a good market berry that will stand shipping ? 
Ans,—1. Clapp’s Favorite, Bartlett and Brandywine 
for summer. AngoulSme, Howell and Louise Bonne 
for autumn. Anjou, Lawrence and Josephine de 
Malines for winter. These are for dwarfs (quince 
stock), it must be borne in mind. 2. Thompson’s 
Early Prolific, Hansell and Rancocas will come the 
nearest to it. 
List of Fruits for Connecticut. 
X. Y. Z., Harwinton, Conn. —1. What is the best 
variety of mulberry for northern Connecticut ? 2. I 
have two Abundance plums, I would like to get three 
or four more. What varieties would be best ? When 
should they be set ? 3. What are the best varieties of 
vines for ordinary culture, either ornamental or com¬ 
bining both beauty and utility ? 
Ans. —1. New American; but be sure you get it. 
Downing is sometimes sent out for it, which is not so 
hardy. 2. We would choose from the following; Vic¬ 
toria, Washington, Bavay’s Green Gage, Pond’s Seed¬ 
ling, McLaughlin, Imperial Gage, Coe’s Golden Drop. 
We prefer early spring for your climate. 3. Much 
depends upon where the vines are to grow. For 
covering either stone or wood structures, nothing is 
so pretty as the so-called Boston ivy—Ampelopsis 
Veitchii. If a rampageous vine is desired which will 
grow to the tops of 30-foot trees in a single season and 
in the shade at that, try Actinidia arguta. This bears 
a pretty white flower and edible fruit. The Climbing 
Hydrangea is a fine plant for dense shade and dry soil. 
For the rest, we may mention Hall’s honeysuckle, 
Chinese wistaria, Dutchman’s Pipe, Akebia quinata 
and clematis in assortment. 
Hale’s FertilizingT ; Bone and Potash. 
A. W., Dundee, N. Y .—Hbw does J. H. Hale of Con¬ 
necticut, apply his bone flour and muriate of potash ? 
Does he sow them broadcast by hand, or does he use a 
drill or a machine to broadcast them ? Where can we 
buy the bone and the potash and get what we pay for ? 
It takes a good many bushels of grain, at present 
prices, to pay for a ton of fertilizer, but we can hardly 
afford to do without it. 
Ans. —Mr. Hale broadcasts all the fertilizers by 
hand. The work is not done at one time, but when¬ 
ever occasion offers, a ton or so will be thrown on. 
Among the peach trees, a machine will not always put 
the fertilizer just where it is wanted. Mr. Hale does 
not buy the mixed goods, but gets the separate ingred¬ 
ients in large enough quantities to obtain wholesale 
rates. Many of the Connecticut farmers who practice 
home mixing, buy of L. Sanderson, New Haven. 
There is no use trying to buy bone or potash at low 
prices unless one can agree to take a large quantity. 
Several farmers may well combine and buy together. 
Tool for Cuttini? Strawberry Runners. 
T. W. S., East Evesburgh, Ft.—Is there any tool made 
and for sale that will cut strawberry runners success¬ 
fully on a loose soil full of stones, and which can be 
worked at a moderate walk ? 
Ans. —There is a tool working on the principle of a 
sharp-edged rolling disc or cutter, which does good 
work. It is supplied by the Ames Plow Co., of Boston. 
Most large growers use a sharp, small plow for this 
purpose. 
Chemicals for Strawberries. 
J. M. J., Qeary, la .—I have one acre of old strawber¬ 
ries, and two acres of old raspberries, from which I 
wish to take one more crop. I wish to use fine ground 
bone and muriate of potash. 1. Are those the best 
fertilizers I can use ? 2. How should they be applied, 
and when ? Is the best time this fall or next spring ? 
3. What proportions of fine ground bone and muriate 
of potash should be used to give the best results ? 
Ans. —1. We do not think you could make a better 
or more profitable selection for such old beds. A 
little nitrate of soda and superphosphate would in¬ 
duce a more vigorous first growth. 2. We would 
prefer early spring before any growth is made. Broad¬ 
cast all over between the rows and work in with a 
cultivator or hoe. 3. Three parts of ground bone to 
one of muriate is a good mixture. 
Seedling: Chrysanthemums. 
E. W. B., Long Plain, Mass .—I have 42 seedling 
chrysanthemums. How should I grow them ? 
Ans. —The same as any other herbaceous plants. 
They do not need special treatment. If it is desired 
that they should bloom before frost, they should be 
carefully potted and removed to a suitable place 
where they may receive sun and water, safe from 
frost. If large, fine flowers be desired, leave but one 
bud to a stem. 
