i6o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 9 
for 1893, contains on pages 174-178, inclusive, the aver¬ 
age percentages of digestible matter and fertilizer 
constituents contained in the feeds used upon the 
farm. From these tables, you should be able to make 
such calculations for yourself. Nova Scotia land 
plaster contains no direct fertilizing constituents; 
its value when applied upon the soil is due to its in¬ 
direct effect in setting free potash compounds. It is 
useful, however, as an absorbent in the stable, though 
it would be impossible to fix a value for it in that re¬ 
spect. I would suggest that, instead of using plaster, 
you use “ acid phosphate” or “kainit,” both of which 
have considerable absorbing or fixing properties for 
ammonia ; probably one pound per day per cow, of 
either of these products would absorb all of the am¬ 
monia that would be likely to be set free. These 
materials are worth what they cost for the fertilizing 
materials contained in them, the absorbing power 
being obtained without any money consideration. Of 
course, where materials containing fertilizer con¬ 
stituents are used as absorbents, their full value is 
derived only when so managed as to prevent any loss 
of these constituents by leaching. 
[PROF.] E. B. VOORHEES. 
Knots on a Mountain Ash. 
J. F., Grand Rapids, Mich. —A Mountain ash tree about 15 or 20 
years old, did not do well last year. The leaves turned yellow and 
dropped. I notice black knots on the limbs in several places, 
abont the size of a goose egg. Are those the same as the plum 
knot? Is it contagious to plum trees that are nearby? Is there 
any remedy to save the tree ? 
Ans. —J. F. sent one of these knotty swellings, and 
they are of a similar nature to the large gnarly swell¬ 
ings frequently seen on forest trees, especially oak. 
They are not the black knots of plum and cherry 
trees, and their nature and origin are probably un¬ 
known. As the swellings are apparently not of a fun¬ 
goid nature, plum trees near by will doubtless remain 
free from attack. The only remedy that can be sug¬ 
gested is to prune the knots out and burn them. 
m. v. s. 
Can Bones Be Crushed at Home ? 
R. iS'. 3., Flushing, 0 .—Can we not purchase our phosphoric 
acid in the form of bone, by manufacturing our own bone meal, 
and having the necessary machinery for grinding? I am satis¬ 
fied that I could have several tons of bones gathered up during a 
season, in my own vicinity. A thrashing-machine engine could 
be used for power. Would the grinding machinery be too expen¬ 
sive for the average farmer or fruit grower to purchase, providing 
he had, say, 10 or 12 tons to grind, annually? By purchasing 
muriate of potash, and using stable manure liberally, for nitrogen, 
could he not make his own fertilizer, at a much cheaper rate than 
is usually paid for it ? 
Ans. —Grinding bones to a proper fineness, is one of 
the hardest parts of fertilizer making. The large 
manufacturers first steam the bones, then smash them 
with a trip hammer, and thus prepare them for the 
mill. You will find it necessary to have some device 
for crushing the bones into small pieces before they 
will enter any medium sized mill. You must have 
something to do on a large scale, the work done 
by mortar and pestle. With ordinary tools, you can 
only expect to tui-n out a coarse product, but it will 
probably pay you to mix the crushed bone and muriate 
with the manure some months before applying it. 
This would soften the coarse bone somewhat. Where 
the bone costs but little, steps are taken to soften it 
after crushing, this plan may prove satisfactory- 
otherwise, we do not think that you will find it prof¬ 
itable. 
Crimson Clover for Spring Sowing. 
T. M. S., Dover, N. If .—I have one acre of light loam soil, on 
which I put nine barrels of hen manure, and sowed to Hungarian 
grass seed June 14. August 15 I cut three tons. What do you 
think of sowing Crimson clover on that acre in the spring, for a 
hay crop ? 
Ans. —We doubt whether Crimson clover will prove 
satisfactory as a spring-sown crop. Its most econom¬ 
ical use is when sown in some other crop in late sum¬ 
mer so as to grow while the land would otherwise be 
vacant. We think a crop of oats cut and cured before 
the heads fairly form, would give more hay. 
Growing Crimson Clover Seed at the South. 
S. II. J., Mound, La.—A. large amount of Crimson clover has 
been sowed all over the country. This, no doubt, will prove a 
great advantage to both land and farmer, and the good that will be 
done we will owe largely to The R. N.-Y. A great many readers 
of The R. N.:Y. will wish to know how to save the seed of Crimson 
clover, and I would advise you to answer the following questions 
in The R. N.-Y. at an early date, as this plant matures very early 
in the Far South : 1. Is there any cheap way by which a farmer 
can save two or three bushels for his own use ? If so, give the 
pi’ocess. 2. How much would it cost to get the necessary machinery 
for saving the seed on a large scale ? I am testing this clover in 
every way in the Mississippi Valley, and will know by April 
whether it is a success. 
Ans. —These questions were referred to Mr. E. G. 
Packard, a grower of this seed. “ How would you 
save this small amount of seed, Mr. Packard ? ” 
‘•Cut the clover as soon as the seed is fully ripe. 
Gather into small cocks. As soon as perfectly dry, 
haul to the barn floor, and beat or tramp off the seed 
in the haulm. Shake out and separate the straw. 
Then sow the seed in the chaff by hand. The seeds 
cannot be separated from the haulm except by a ma¬ 
chine made expressly for the purpose.” 
“ At what stage of its growth do you cut for seed ?” 
“ Just as soon as fully ripe, or when the larger part 
of the seeds are hard.” 
“ What machine do you use for cutting on a large 
scale ?” 
“ A self-rake reaper. I formerly cut with a mower 
and raked up at once with a horse rake. So much 
driving over and stirring, knocks most of the seed off, 
so there is little left to hull. The self-rake reaper 
avoids all this.” 
“ IIow do you hull it ? ” 
“ With an ordinary clover huller such as is used for 
Red clover ; but it must be adjusted differently, and 
have riddles and sieves adapted to the size of the 
Crimson clover seed.” 
‘ ‘ Does the huller clean it ready for market ? ” 
“ No, it has to be recleaned with improved seed¬ 
cleaning machinery.” 
“ Are there any troublesome weeds that ripen with 
the clover, whose seeds cannot be separated from it 
by machines ? ” 
“ Yes, the narrow-leaved plantain and turnip seed 
are so near the size and weight of the clover seeds, 
that they cannot all be blown out or sifted out by any 
machine I have seen. Many fields are entirely free 
from these weeds, while in others they are very 
troublesome. Sheep sorrel is also prevalent, but may 
be readily sifted out with proper sieves.” 
“ Wlxat machinery is needed ? ” 
“For saving the seed on a large scale, a large 
clover huller of the best make, a good 10 or 12-horse¬ 
power engine and boiler, and an improved recleaner. 
Total cost, $1,800 to $2,000. The cost of the clover 
huller alone, of best make, is $470.” 
“ How much seed is usually harvested from an 
acre ? ” 
“ That depends largely on the weather, and the 
skill of the grower in harvesting it. The usual crop 
is four to five bushels per acre. Seven bushels is a 
large crop. I have heat’d of 10 bushels being grown, 
but that is exceptional. 1 have never got that much 
myself.” 
“ We have heard that the growingof the seed is very 
profitable. Is such the case ? ” 
“Not at present prices, when the grower has to 
take $3 per bushel, or less, for his crop at wholesale. 
It costs about $1 per bushel to harvest, hull and re. 
clean the seed for market. A crop of seven bushels 
per acre at $3 per bushel, is $21. After deducting $7 
for expense, we have left only $14 for the seed from 
an acre.” 
“ Wherein lies the chief value of Crimson clover to 
the general farmer ? ” 
“ That depends upon his special needs, but, gener¬ 
ally speaking, I would say, as a soil improver. The 
fact that it occupies the ground during the winter sea¬ 
son when otherwise idle, and matures its crop early 
enough to plant summer crops after it, makes it the 
most desirable of all the leguminous plants for this 
purpose.” 
Knife to Cure the Quince Blight. 
P. 8., Luzerne County, Pa .—I have two dozen fine quince trees— 
or bushes, as most people term them. Mine are grown in tree 
form, and have borne three crops. Last summer nearly one-half 
of the tops of all of them blighted, not only the twigs, but whole 
limbs in some instances. I went over them before the fruit 
ripened, and cut out every twig and limb that showed blight, but 
that did not stop it. Will there be any chance of saving the trees? 
Last spring, I sowed salt quite plentifully among them, also 
Canada hard-wood ashes. They are surrounded on three sides by 
very large apple trees, some being 35 to 40 feet high. 
Ans. —I would say that the only chance to save the 
trees is to keep cutting, even if you take the tops all 
off ; yes, and the trunks too, for new tops will shoot 
out and if the roots are healthy will make an astonish¬ 
ing growth and in two or three years you will hardly 
know that the trees have been cut. If you are obliged 
to cut clear to the ground, many shoots will spring 
up, and you can select the best one for a new top and 
keep down all the others. Ashes, even used in a large 
quantity, sowed among them, not piled around the 
trees, ought not to do any harm, but I don’t know 
about the salt. I have killed young trees by a liberal 
application of salt worked into the ground around 
them ; still it does not seem that it could hurt trees 
old enough to have borne three crops. To repeat, I 
would keep cutting and spray with Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture. e. c. G. 
Humus for a Future Potato Crop. 
P. II. J., Pontiac, Mich. —1. I have six acres of light, sandy land, 
badly run, that grew only 40 or 50 bushels of potatoes last season. 
I would like to fit it to raise 100 bushels or more in 1896. I think 
Crimson clover will be a success here if the season be not too dry, 
if sown in July. What crop can I grow early this spring, to plow 
in in July, and then sow Crimson clover to be plowed in the spring 
of 1896 and planted to potatoes ? What about cow peas ? Buck¬ 
wheat is better than nothing, but is there not something better? 
2. Can most kinds of garden seeds, such as carrot, onion, beet, 
parsnip, etc., be cleaned by the latest improved fanning mills ? 
Ans. —1. A crop of oats plowed in before heading, 
would be the surest way of securing an early crop of 
vegetable matter. Peas would be better, as they would 
add more or less nitrogen. The Canada field pea will 
probably do better with you than cow peas. Crimson 
clover ought to make a good growth in a favorable 
season. 2. Who can tell us about the fanning mill ? 
Something About Gooseberries. 
W. M., Ontario County, N. Y .—1. Can the English gooseberry be 
successfully grown in western New York ? 2. Is there a demand 
for them at remunerative prices, sufficient to warrant growing in 
large quantities? If so, where? 3. At what stage of maturity 
should they be marketed ? 4. What is the best variety to plant 
—soil, good corn land, with good protection from west and north 
winds ? 
Ans. — 1 . Yes, if properly cared for. That is, the bushes 
must be kept growing vigorously, and judiciously 
pruned, and they must be sprayed with the Bordeaux 
Mixture to prevent mildew. We would not take the 
risk of planting the foreign kinds indiscriminately. 2 . 
Yes. At prices usually prevailing, they should prove 
profitable. 3. Just before full ripeness. 4. From our 
present experience, we would select Columbus, Tri¬ 
umph and Red Jacket. 
White Snow Birds. 
A . R.. Ohio. —Can The R. N.-Y. inform me as to the large, white 
snowbird that we see occasionally in Ohio, near Cleveland ? They 
generally precede a heavy fall of snow or very cold weather, and 
fly in quite large flocks, are white or nearly so. I would like to 
know the name and where they come from. 
Ans. —The “ white snowbird” mentioned by A. R., 
is the snowflake, known to students of birds as Plect- 
rophenax nivalis (Linn.) It is also known as the snow 
bunting, and the white snowbird, the last to dis¬ 
tinguish it from the slate-colored junco, Junco 
hyemalis (Linn.), known in many localities as the 
black snowbird. The snowflake spends the summer 
in the arctic regions where it builds its nest of grass 
and moss, upon the ground. In the winter, it ranges 
southward irregularly in flocks into the United States, 
rarely reaching the Ohio River. It has sometimes 
been reported as tolerably abundant about Cleveland, 
O. In 1850 the late Dr. Kirtland said it remained in 
that vicinity so late in the spring that it assumed its 
summer plumage. At that season, the bird appears 
much whiter than it does in the winter when we or¬ 
dinarily see it. The late Dr. Wheaton noted that he 
had seen these birds but three times in his life in the 
vicinity of Columbus, 0. On one or two occasions, 
they have been reported from the neighborhood of 
Cincinnati. They were very common about Indian¬ 
apolis, Ind., in January, 1879. In this county (Frank¬ 
lin) they have been seen twice. In the northern part 
of Indiana, they are more frequently found. In the 
States . north of the latitude of Cleveland, they are 
more frequently seen and better known. Their beauti¬ 
ful forms add greatly to the winter landscape. Those 
who have known them as one of the characteristic 
sights of a northern winter, in another climate, will 
miss the notable appearance of the “ warm-blooded 
snowflake.” A. w. butler. 
Brookville, Ind. 
How to Stretch Poultry Netting. 
II. G. 8., Portland, Mich .—How can I put up wire poultry netting 
in a neat, workmanlike manner ? I wish to inclose a half acre 
with netting six feet wide. How can it be stretched evenly with¬ 
out breaking the wire ? 
Ans. —In putting up wire poultry netting, there 
should be a board at the bottom. I usually board up 
two feet high, then use four-foot netting. Set the posts 
eight feet apart, using short posts, two feet above the 
ground to height of the boards. Then nail light strips 
about lj^x 2 inches to these posts to which to fasten 
the wire, as it makes it look neater than when the 
posts are full length, unless one has small straight 
locust posts, which are difficult to get here. With the 
strips nailed on, when a post rots off, all that is neces¬ 
sary is to cut loose from the boards and strip to which 
the wire is fastened, set in a new post, nail on the 
strip and boards, and it is all right. After getting 
the posts set, and the strips on the proper height, 
unroll the wire flat on the ground along the posts. 
Then carefully raise it to position on the posts at one 
end and staple the top selvage tight, exactly the 
height of the wire above the bottom board, go the 
full length of the roll stapling the top selvage, and let 
the bottom hang. Have one man to draw it up tight, 
while another staples it; draw it just tight enough so 
that it doesn't sag between posts. After the top is 
stapled, draw the bottom down in place, and staple, 
being careful not to draw the wire down any wider than 
it was made—that is, six-foot netting should be ex¬ 
actly six feet from top to bottom, other widths the same 
way. If the wire is properly woven, it w r ill come up 
straight and even if put up as above, and not have 
that unsightly warp which some fences have. j. e. s. 
Shearing Ewes : Action of Plaster. 
S. C. H., Rix's Mills, 0 .—1. Does Mr. Clark Allis, page 68, shear 
his ewes that raise his hothouse lambs, in the fall or early winter? 
2. What effect does land plaster have on manure in a sheep shed, 
when scattered on it ? Does it pay ? I have been using it, and 
some say that it liberates the ammonia and causes a loss of fer¬ 
tility. If that is true, I don’t wish to use it. 
Ans. — 1 . Mr. Allis reports as follows : “ I shear the 
ewes as soon as winter sets in for good. Last season, 
the ewes without lambs were turned on the rye pleas¬ 
ant days until the middle of December.” 2 . Plaster is 
sulphate of lime, that is, lime in a chemical combina- 
