8i8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
December 7 
CURING A SOUR SOIL 
SOME FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS. 
P\RT IV. 
We have not space here to give all 
the details of the interestingexperiments 
of the Rhode Island Station. Those who 
desire to follow the subject further, 
should write to the Station (Kingston, 
It. I.) and get the full reports for study. 
The point to remember is that some 
upland soils are too sour to grow clover, 
and that a heavy dressing of air slaked 
lime harrowed into the soil after plowing, 
will correct this sourness and enable 
clover—if properly fed—to start and 
grow. We saw the proof of this at the 
station in a thick, heavy field of clover 
on soil where, before liming, a “ clover 
catch ” could not be obtained. Our ad¬ 
vice to any farmer living in a section 
where clover “ dies out ” without any 
apparent cause, is to test the soil with 
the blue litmus paper. If it turn red, 
try lime before you give clover up. 
We have spent some time writing 
about the action of lime on clover, be¬ 
cause that plant is one of the corner¬ 
stones of agriculture. With Red clover 
or cow peas for the farmer, and Crimson 
clover for the market gardener or fruit 
grower, a man who understands his 
trade can cut his fertilizer bill in two. 
We are convinced that lime is the mag¬ 
net to “ bring clover in ” on many soils, 
and it is singular that so many of our 
scientific men have so long overlooked 
this simple explanation of why so many 
of the uplands of New England are 
sterile. 
A further study of this lime question 
shows that it affects different crops in 
different ways. In order to test this 
matter, the Rhode Island Station people 
selected for their tests a sterile piece of 
land—which was uniformly poor. In 
long rows across it, tliej’ planted 60 differ¬ 
ent sorts of plants—melons, grain, pota¬ 
toes, vegetables, grasses—from peanuts 
to pumpkins. These rows were divided 
into four parts. Half was fertilized with 
a mixture, to the acre, of 600 pounds of 
dissolved boneblack. 180 pounds of muri¬ 
ate of potash, and 360 pounds of sulphate 
of ammonia. The other half received 
this mixture : 600 pounds of dissolved 
boneblack, 180 pounds of muriate of pot¬ 
ash, and 465 pounds of nitrate of soda. 
Then on half of the row fertilized with 
nitrate of soda, lime at the rate of 1 % 
ton to the acre was harrowed in, and the 
same amount was used on half the space 
where the sulphate of ammonia was 
used. Here, then, were two valuable 
experiments. Sixty different crops were 
tested as to the effect of lime in promot¬ 
ing their growth, and. also, as to the 
difference between nitrogen supplied by 
two different forms. 
To one standing at the end of the 
rows and looking along them, a singular 
sight was presented. With most of the 
crops the lime line was distinctly marked. 
Where no lime was used, most of the 
plants were weak and spindling, if not 
entirely killed out. In a few of them 
there was no perceptible difference, 
while one or two seemed to be slightly 
injured by the use of lime. For example, 
corn gave a somewhat better yield with¬ 
out lime. Undoubtedly this crop is better 
suited to growth in a sour soil, or in 
freshly plowed sod, than others. This 
shows how closely good practice follows 
science, for skillful farmers all know that 
corn is the best crop for a sod. Pumpkins 
seemed to be injured by lime in these 
tests, but most other crops were more or 
less benefited. The most striking bene¬ 
fits were found in such plants as lettuce 
and spinach. Such plants,when small.are 
very easily killed by the injurious actions 
in an acid soil. In many of the unlimed 
spaces, these plants never grew large 
enough to develop a system of roots. 
Another interesting thing shown in 
this experiment was the difference in 
the growth of the small grains—wheat, 
oats, barley and rye. We are often told 
that these small grains have much the 
same feeding habits — in fact, the 
standard “grain fertilizers” are much 
the same for all grain crops. It is easy 
to see, by looking at these rows of grow¬ 
ing crops, that the condition of the soil 
affects them differently. For example, 
barley was a failure without lime, while 
rye did well without it. Wheat and oats 
were somewhat helped by it—the wheat 
more than the oats. Again, muskmelons 
failed entirely when the sour soil was 
not sweetened by lime, while water¬ 
melons did just as well on the sour soil 
as in the part that was limed. Thus it 
appears that plants have different habits 
of feeding and growth, and that the con¬ 
dition of the soil, aside from any question 
of plant food, ought to be considered. 
Another interesting thing is the effect 
of lime on sorrel. In these experiments, 
sorrel was undoubtedly injured by the 
lime, but not entirely destroyed. Some 
writers state that lime will surely kill 
sorrel, while others state that they have 
seen it growing directly in old mortar 
Beds. Prof. Wheeler’s opinion, from 
these experiments, is that lime rids soil 
of sorrel by putting it in condition to 
grow clover and other plants which 
crowd the sorrel out. 
The effect of lime on potatoes is con¬ 
siderably complicated by the fact that it 
not only affects the growth of the tuber, 
but the development of the fungus that 
causes scab. We shall talk about that 
next week. 
Live Stock Matters. 
FORKFULS OF FACTS. 
Pigs’ Feet. —The Swine Breeder's 
Journal says: 
A review of tbe condition of the hogs, shown at 
our fairs the past year, would lead one to the 
conclusion, that the majority of breeders are 
neglecting those very important organs, the hogs’ 
feet. There has been improvement in the bone; 
it is becoming more uniform, finer, harder and 
stronger. The extremely large, coarse, spongy 
bones are not so common on our show hogs, nor 
can we notice any increase in the very fine bones. 
The type is more on the medium order, and as to 
size, is nearly such as is desired. That this bone 
is stronger, is very apparent from the great im¬ 
provement in the legs. Whereas a few years 
past it was a hard matter to find many hogs with 
four straight legs, it is now entirely the reverse; 
straight legs predominate in our show hogs. This 
very desirable improvement has not yet reached 
the feet. Bad feet are a common fault in all our 
hogs. 
One great point in favor of tbe hog is 
that he walks off to market with the 
crop. He walks about and turns the 
corn and clover into pork, and then 
“ hoofs it” to the slaughterhouse. The 
foot is a verj’ necessary part of his suc¬ 
cess, and breeders should look to this 
point in selecting breeding stock. 
Crab Apples and Heifers. —The heifer 
of which I wrote as mysteriously ailing 
—page 738—for several days gave very 
little milk. I was very much troubled 
about her, never having before known 
of a fresh cow so nearly drying up so 
suddenly ; but in a little while she came 
back to her milk all right, and has done 
well ever since. In the meantime, I 
discovered what lam sure caused the 
trouble ; it was nothing more or less 
than an overdose of wild crab apples 
eaten at one time. A few days before 
she was ailing, we were in the woods 
and thoughtlessly shook the tree, leav¬ 
ing, it may be, a peck or more of the 
apples on the ground. I have no doubt 
that this cow was the first one there and 
ate them all, for she was always the 
most greedily fond of apples of any cow 
we had. Even when a yearling last year, 
with two other cows and her twin mate 
in the pasture with her, there were two 
apple trees in one corner to which she 
would make many trips alone daily and 
pick up all the apples that fell; so nearly, 
indeed, did she succeed in getting them 
all, that the others paid very little atten¬ 
tion to the trees. These wild crab apple 
trees in the woods have always been 
highly prized on account of their great 
beauty when in bloom, but have never 
been known to bear so many apples as 
they did this year. They were sour 
enough to make a cow stiff-legged sure, 
and it is a wonder that they did not lock 
her jaws so that she could not eat them. 
Bellville, O. w. G. n. 
Liming a Cat. —As we are discussing 
lime in Primer Science this week, pos¬ 
sibly the following story from the San 
Francisco Examiner may be of interest: 
There is in the Citv Receiving Hospital, a cat 
with a litter of small kittens. The family occupy 
a corner at the lower end of the padded-cell cor¬ 
ridor, where the infantile felines led an un¬ 
eventful life until yesterday afternoon. For 
weeks the mother listened to the frenzied wail of 
the mentally insolvent, but her intellect remained 
unimpaired. Owing to the breaking of a drain 
pipe at the lower end of the corridor, the floor 
was liberally sprinkled with chloride of lime. 
One of the kittens, while playing about after the 
manner of its kind, rolled into the disinfectant 
and got its coat filled with lime. “ After cuflinar 
the ears of her offspring,” said Dr. Berry, “the 
mother undertook to make the toilet of tbe little 
one, but acquired a taste in her mouth that came 
near causing nervous prostration. Tears of sur¬ 
prise and regret stood in the eyes of the wretched 
parent as she gazed suspiciously at the kitten. 
Once I thought she was going to faint, but she is 
not that kind of a cat. Instead of making a fuss, 
the mother nosed the patient until she found a 
spot free from lime. Then she took the kitten in 
her teeth, carried it along the corridor to the 
hospital proper, and laid it on the operating 
table with its feet in the air. Without doubt that 
old cat had confidence in the police surgeons, and 
knew what we are there for. She sat on the 
leather pillow, looking first at the kitten and then 
at the instrument case, until I broke down and 
gave the kitten a bath in the sink. During the 
operation, the mother purred in a satisfied sort 
of way, and when I had finished, she took her 
baby by the nape of the neck, gave it a couple of 
shakes, aid trotted back to her home in the cor¬ 
ridor.” 
(Continued on next page.) 
In writiug to advertisers, please always mention 
The Ritual New-Yokker. 
If you have FIVE or more 
Cows a Cream Separator will 
save its cost each year of 
use. Beware of imitating and 
infringing machines. 
Send for new 1895 Catalogue. 
The De Laval Separator Co. 
Branch Offices: General Offices: 
ELGIN. ILL. 74 C0RTLANDT ST., NEW YORK. 
Shoe- and 
harness-leather wear long, do not crack, 
with Vacuum Leather Oil. Get a can 
at a harness- or shoe-store, 25 c a half- 
pint to $ 1.25 a gallon ; book “How to 
Take Care of Leather,’’ and swob, botii 
free; use enough to find out; if you 
don’t like it, take the can back and g> c 
the whole of your money. 
Sold only in cans, to make sure of fair dealing 
everywhere—handy cans. Best oil for fan.: ma¬ 
chinery also. If you can’t find it, write to 
VACUUM OIL COMPANY, Rochester, I 1 .Y 
BEFORE 
BUYING 
ANEW 
HARNESS 
Send 2-centstamp forSO-page Illus¬ 
trated Catalogue of Custom Hand¬ 
made Oak Leather Harness, sold 
direct to consumers at wholesale 
prices. Why not buy from first 
hands and save the middleman’s 
profit. You can buy by mail as 
well as though here in person. 
Making to order a specialty. 
KIM* * CO., No. lOChnrrh St., Owrgo, N.Y 
HORSE BLANKETS 
ARE THE STRONGEST. 
Awarded highest prize al World** Fair* 
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All shapes, sizes and qualities. 
The Best 5 A is the 
5/A BAKER BLANKET. 
Many Have Worn 16 Years.) 
Thousands of testimonials. | 
Sold by all dealers. 
Write us for 5/A Book. 
WM. AYRES & SONS, Philadelphia.’^ 
IXL TANK HEATER 
For Warming Water in Stock 
WILL SAVE DOUBLE ITS 
COST IN ONE 
It is made of the best 
cast in one piece. 
Iron to rust, no solder to melt 
and cause leak. It is perma¬ 
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to kindle fire, burns fine or 
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wood or most any kindoffuel. 
A Hinnll boy cau easily 
operate it. Also 
IXL Feed Grinders, 
Stalk Cutters and 
Send for Free Catalogue. 
U. S. WIND ENGINE &. PUMP CO., 
113 Water St., BATAVIA, ILL. 
PURTNTON’S 
AGRICULTURAL BOILER 
Stands at the head of all articles for 
Cooking Feed and Heating Water for 
Stock, and is also the cheapest. 
15,000 Sold. Cooks, Boils, Steams 
anything. Write for prices. 
J. K. PUUINTON & CO.. 
Des Moines, Iowa. 
BEST 
COOKER 
made. Write forfull 
information. 
MITCHELL 
MACHINE CO., 
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COOK Your FEED and SAVE 
Half the Cost—with the 
PROFIT FARM BOILER 
With Dumping Caldron. Emp¬ 
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Farmers 5 Boilers 
TANK HEATERS, 
AND 
Galvanized Steel Tanks, 
Send for particulars. 
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Middlebury, Ind. 
FEED FOR STOCK. 
We have 300 tons of Wheat Screenings, the best of 
feed for Sheep, or, when ground, good for hogs or 
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It IT CD CD C SEND FOR 
IV Ei C> XT Ei IV O Sample copy o t 
CLEANINCS IN BEE CULTURE. 
A Handsomely Illustrated DCC CIIPPI ICC 
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Pain often con¬ 
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its Misery in 
RHEUMATISM 
Use 
at 
once 
ST. JACOBS OIL 
If you -want to feel It con¬ 
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a cure. 
Horses, Cattle, Sheep and Swine. 
Geo. W. Curtis, M. S. A. Origin, History, 
Improvement, Description, Characteristics, 
Merits, Objections, Adaptability South, etc. 
of each of the Different Breeds, with Hints on 
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page cuts. Cloth, $2. 
THE iRURAL NEW-YORKER New York. 
