236 
Cfce  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
'I'ur  UKLoo  all  your 
*  Crops  with  Nitrate 
of  Soda  alone,  no  matter 
what  other  fertilizers  you 
may  have  used.  100 
pounds  to  the  acre  for 
seeded,  and  200  pounds 
to  the  acre  for  cultivated 
crops  will  do  the  work. 
The  increase  will  yield 
large  profits  over  the  cost. 
When  you  write  advertisers  mention  The 
Eural  New-Yorker  and  you'll  get  a  quick 
reply  and  a  “square  deal.”  See  guarantee 
editorial  page. 
EVENTS  OF  THE  WEEK 
DOMESTIC. — Two  persons  were  killed 
sihd  two  others  badly  injured  Jan.  ”7, 
near  Allen  wood,  X.  J..  when  a  Pennsyl¬ 
vania  express  train  bound  for  Long 
Branch  crashed  into  an  automobile.  The 
force  of  the  collision  threw  the  engine 
from  the  rails  and  it  rolled  down  an  em¬ 
bankment. 
Jan.  27  the  bursting  of  n  dnm  near  San 
Diego.  Cal.,  flooded  the  Otny  Valley,  and 
caused  heavy  loss  of  life.  Shocking  con¬ 
ditions  existed  in  and  around  San  Diego, 
the  bay  being  filled  with  debris  and  dead 
animals.  The  number  of  persons  killed 
is  estimated  at.  over  GO.  Escondido  was 
flooded,  also  the  Tin  Juana  Valley. 
Jan.  .r10  it  was  reported  that  severe 
rain  and  sleet  storms  had  done  much 
damage  through  Southwestern  Missouri. 
Eastern  Kansas  and  Oklahoma  and 
Northwestern  Kansas.  In  Southern  Il¬ 
linois  an  unprecedented  rise  of  the  Mis¬ 
sissippi  and  its  tributaries  caused  heavy 
damage.  Miles  of  fanning  lands  were 
We  Save  You  $25  or  More  by 
Our  Factory-to-User  Plan 
You  can't  duplicate  thin  buggy  elsewhere  at 
the  price.  It's  proof  of  the  faith  we  have  In  our 
Elkhart  quality  when  we  offer  to  guarantee  the 
safe  arrival  of  thin  buggy  for  your  approval 
and  then  allow  you 
We  know  ItV  no  rink  for  n*,  as  our  *8  years 
experience  has  taught  ub  how  to  give  the  most 
possible  for  the  money  tn  wearing  quality, 
appearance  and  general  satisfaction.  That's  the 
reawn  why  today  wo  are  the  target  makers  of 
buggl.a  .hipping  dlreet  to  tha  farmer.  We 
make  Buggies  la  Hueh  largo  munlier*  that 
material  and  labor  cost  us  lens.  We  out  out  all 
tho  iiihlilhrmeu  and  aare  you  their  prollts. 
Write  on  post  card  for  out 
money  making  books 
cued  with  sand  bags.  The  Mississippi 
River  Jan.  HI  had  reached  a  stage  of  Ml 
feet  at  St.  Louis  and  was  still  rising. 
President  Wilson  nominated  Louis  D. 
Brandels  of  Boston.  Jan.  28  for  Associate 
Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court  to  succeed  tin'  late  Justice  Lamar 
of  Georgia.  There  is  likely  to  he  much 
opposition  to  the  appointment.  The  chief 
objection  urged  against  Mr.  Brandels  in 
the  Senate  is  his  radicalism.  Some  Sen 
a  tors  of  the  conservative  type  contend 
that  he  lias  been  too  closely  identified 
with  trust  legislation  of  a  radical  type  to 
be  qualified  to  sit  impartially  in  such  im¬ 
portant  matters  as  the  International  Har¬ 
vester  and  steel  trust  eases. 
Explosions  in  powder  houses  of  the  dn 
Pont  Company  at  Carney's  Point,  N.  .T., 
injured  six  men  Jan.  28,  and  started  a 
fire  which  destroyed  four  big  buildings 
housing  thousands  of  pounds  of  rifle  pow¬ 
der.  The  damage  is  estimated  at  $300,- 
000-  Three  of  the  six  men  who  were 
burned  are  in  a  serious  condition  and 
little  hope  is  held  out  for  them. 
WASHINGTON.— A  general  blanket 
measure  to  prohibit  misbranding  of  all 
articles  entering  interstate  commerce  not 
covered  by  the  pure  food  mid  drug  act 
and  the  insecticide  act  has  been  framed 
by  a  sub-coniniiltec  of  the  House  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Interstate  and  Foreign  Com¬ 
merce  and  soon  will  be  presented  to  the 
House  for  consideration. 
The  most  drastic  anti-fake  advertising 
lull  ever  drawn,  it  is  believed,  was  intro¬ 
duced  in  the  House  Jan.  31  by  Represen¬ 
tative  Johnson,  of  Kentucky,  chairman 
of  the  District,  of  Columbia  Committee. 
The  bill  only  applies  to  the  District,  but 
may  serve  as  an  example  for  States  and 
municipalities.  A  fine  of  $500  or  GO  days’ 
imprisonment  is  prescribed  for  persons, 
firms  or  corporations  that  cause  publicity 
to  he  given  to  any  "false,  untrue  or  mis¬ 
leading  statement,  representation  or  ad¬ 
vertisement  with  intent  to  deceive.”  The 
hill  is  so  drawn  as  to  cover  advertising 
in  all  its  forms,  whether  in  newspapers, 
handbills,  posters,  circular  letters  or  mo¬ 
tion  pictures. 
FARM  AND  GARDEN.— Charging 
the  packers  of  the  LTnited  States  with  con¬ 
trolling  practically  every  article  of  food 
members  of  the  American  Live  Stock  As¬ 
sociation  in  convention  at  El  Paso.  Tex.. 
.Tan.  27,  passed  a  resolution  asking  the 
Slate  and  the  nation  to  enact  laws  to 
break  up  the  alleged  combine,  urging  that 
the  penalties  he  imprisonment  instead  of 
fines.  Speakers  asserted  that,  the  packers 
pay  the  fines  and  continue  their  prac¬ 
tices.  whereas  they  would  fear  imprison¬ 
ment. 
The  IT.  S.  Civil  Service  Commission 
has  announced  that  it  will  hold  an  exam¬ 
ination  in  Washington,  D.  C..  on  Fell.  23, 
to  secure  eligiblos  for  the  position  of  field 
agent  in  marketing  and  organization, 
which  carries  with  it  a  salary  of  from 
$1,200  to  $1,000  per  annum,  and  on  Feb. 
20,  to  secure  eligibles  for  appointment  as 
assistant  in  home  economics  extension 
work,  at  an  annual  salary  of  from  $1,800 
to  $2,500.  Both  positions  are  under  the 
Department  of  Agriculture. 
The  remaining  members  of  the  “poultry 
trust,”  more  than  a  dozen  of  whom  were 
convicted  about,  three  years  ago,  and  sent 
to  jail,  appeared  before  Judge  Rosalsky, 
in  General  Sessions,  New  York,  Feb.  3, 
and  pleaded  guilty  to  the  charge  of  con¬ 
spiracy.  In  the  cases  of  10  men  who 
are  now  out  of  the  huamess  sentence  was 
suspended  for  one  year.  Four  defendants 
have  died  since  the  indictments  were  filed. 
A  new  insect  pest  known  as  the  fruit- 
tree  leaf-roller  is  doing  some  damage  in 
Western  New  York.  It  was  first  discov¬ 
ered  in  Genesee  Comity,  and  has  now  ap¬ 
peared  in  Monroe  County.  The  Cornell 
Experiment  Station  has  issued  a  warning 
about  this  insect.  It  is  very  difficult  t<> 
control,  as  it  hides  in  the  opening  buds 
or  in  rolled  leaves.  Miscible  oils  wh  m 
thoroughly  applied  will  take  rare  of  most 
of  the  eggs.  These  oils  should  be  applied 
in  the  Spring  always  before  the  buds 
burst,  and  a  spray  of  one  gallon  of  oil  to 
15  gallons  of  wafer  is  recommended.  A 
bulletin  on  the  subject,  has  been  issued  :it. 
Cornell. 
The  first  annual  exhibit  of  vegetables 
by  the  Detroit  Growers’  Association  was 
held  at  that  city  Jan.  22.  Addresses  were 
delivered  by  Prof.  C.  W.  Wait,  secretary 
of  extension  work  of  Michigan  Agricul¬ 
tural  College ;  i’l'of.  JJ-  D-  "  helan,  of  the 
WILLIAM  S.  MYERS,  Director 
25  Madison  Avenue.  New  Y ork 
Big  Buggy  Bargain  Book 
MalU*d  to  anyone  upon  request.  It  Illustrates 
anil  describe*  In  detail  our 
175  Styles  of  Buggies 
It  also  shows  the  high  quality  and  low  prices 
we  offer  In  our 
65  Styles  of  Harness 
T.ll.  how.  hr  .hlppln*  <1  tract  to  you,  y,  ht<  the  agent.’ 
and  dewier*'  profit,  and  are  able  to  oiak.i  you  .ucn  very 
low  prln*..  Kemcmbcr  Ita  fraa.  Better  write  u.  today. 
Elkhart  Carriage  &  Harness  Mfg.  Co. 
725  B*«rd»l»y  Av»..  ELKHART,  IND. 
LIMEandBIGGER  CROPS 
A  SOUR  soil  will  not  produce  pay¬ 
ing  crops.  Acid  soil  is  the  re¬ 
sult  of  absence  of  lime.  Supply 
the  best  lime  (Solvay  Pulverized 
Limestone)  and  you  immediately  build 
up  the  soil .  Solvay  Pulverized  Lime¬ 
stone  releases  the  high-priced  com¬ 
mercial  fertilizers  that  are  locked  up 
in  the  soil — supplies  nitrogen — and 
makes  the  land  sweet  and  productive. 
»  M^,>\SNX\N>.VS\\Nv 
lerps^ncNsss 
UP  1%  to  16  H.  P.  $29.85  up. 
Suitable  for  pumping  water,  grinding  feed, 
sawing  wood,  cutting  ensilage,  operating 
dairy,  spraying,  electric  and  threshing 
machinery,  or  any  general  A  power  re¬ 
quirement  ml 
Write  for 
free  cat¬ 
alog  and 
new  low 
prices, 
stating  t 
size  <ie-  1 
sired. 
is  the  PUREST  and  most  practical 
form  of  lime.  Itisground  almost  asfine 
as  flour — this  fineness  makes  it  immedi¬ 
ately  avail  able  to  plantlife — will  restore 
your  soil  so  it  will  produce  maximum 
crops.  W  hen  you  want  Lime  REMEMBER 
Solvay  Pulverized  Limestone 
Hisbeit  Test — Finely  Ground — Low  Prices- -Prompt  Service 
Sftml  today  for  prions  and  valuable  five  booklet  gfvlnir 
scientific  information  for  the  progressive  farmer. 
THE  SOLVAY  PROCESS  CO. 
A  BOO  MILTON  AVE.  SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 
JACOBSON 
MACHINE  MFC.  CO.  \ 
Dept,  D.  Warrea,  Fa.,  U  S.  A, 
The  lUndaid  ipring*  ©I  America  finer  1889.  M*U 
»fiF  wsgon  *  spang  *«gon.  Prevent  damsgr  to 
etc.,  on  ro«d  to  ©urirt  **v*  twl- product  brings 
cnorr — wjgoD  lists  lonpr — rrtkr  k»r  driver—  c«mr  for  boms.  — 
Made  Like  Finest  Auto  Spring*  O 
K»*de  RtL  Vtfff  ev»*‘t»oi  e*d*fu«*M»  AH  %ie*v—  jl  J| 
in  4iiv  w**f>o  up  to  5  tons  capscity.  II  oof  at  deaWr’s,  mil*  II  j 
fur  cirrvlar  showing  how  Harr*  Springs  ravt  money. 
HARVEY  SPRING  CO.,  716  17th  SL,  Rack.,  WU. 
Sides  are  heavy  Book  Board.  Imita- 
lion  Leather  Back  and  Corners. 
Cloth  Sides,  Two  Tongues  Inside, 
Inside  of  Cover  Neal  Lining  Paper, 
Stamped  in  Gold —  Rural  XEW< 
Yohkeh"— on  outside. 
JITRATE  OF  SODA - 
H  AND 
1  FERTILIZER  MATERIALS 
FOB 
HOME-MIXING  FERTILIZER 
agf  Ij^.  Write  Today  for  latest  booklet 
(BIS)  NITRATE  AGENCIES  COMPANY 
xjr  106  Pearl  Street,  New  Y#rk  City 
Will  hold  52  issues,  or  more. 
Sent  prepaid  upon  receipt  of 
price,  50c. 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
333  West  30th  St.  New  York  City 
Ask  for  catalogue  “B”  and 
state  number  of  trees  you  tap 
GRIMM’S 
Champion  Evaporator  Company 
Hudson,  Ohio 
FERTILIZERS 
THAT  FERTILIZE 
you  se^ect  a  p^ant  *oocl 
for  your  crops,  do  not  buy 
Fertilizer ,  but 
buy  FERTILIZERS  that  FERTILIZE 
Those  well-known  WILCOX  HIGH-GRADE  BRANDS 
are  really  plant  foods  made  up  of  only  the  best  obtainable 
materials  which  are  readily  assimilated  by  the  plants,  and 
S3T  make  all  of  our  brands  perfect  in  mechanical  condition. 
'J/  We  have  a  brand  for  every  requirement,  and  you  may  have  our  booklet 
•  descriptive  of  them  for  the  asking. 
THE  WILCOX  FERTILIZER  COMPANY  -  MYSTIC,  CONN. 
Sales  Office :  Plant  Building,  New  London,  Conn. 
February  12,  191G. 
same.  and  A.  M.  Brown,  of  Grand 
Rapids.  Mr,  Brown  urged  closer  co-op¬ 
eration  of  the  growers  with  the  farmers, 
and  Prof.  Whelan  spoke  on  methods  of 
conserving  anil  protecting  vegetable 
crops.  T’rof.  Wait  told  of  the  dependence 
of  Hie  growers  on  close  relationship  with 
one  another  in  promulgating  instructive 
information  for  the  benefit  of  all.  The 
members  of  the  association  held  a  round 
table  discussion. 
In  order  to  protect  the  White  pine 
forests  of  the  country  from  the  disease 
kmnvn  as  the  White  pine  blister  rust,  it  is 
proposed  to  place  a  Federal  quarantine  op 
shipments  of  five-leaved  pines  and  culti¬ 
vated  black  currants  from  several  East¬ 
ern  States.  A  public  hearing  on  this 
question  was  held  by  the  Federal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Board  at  the  Department  of  Ag¬ 
riculture.  Washington,  Feb.  4.  The 
States  which  it  is  proposed  to  quarantine 
on  this  account  are  New  Hampshire, 
Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut, 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 
Howard  W.  Selby  of  Philadelphia  has 
been  elected  president  of  the  Pennsylva¬ 
nia  Vegetable  Growers’  Association  for 
the  ensuing  year.  .T.  R.  Bechtel  of  State 
College,  is  the  newly  elected  secretary. 
An  Institute  Worker  on  Long  Island 
Part  I. 
Special  Advantages. — I  have  just 
been  spending  10  days  in  the  farm  insti¬ 
tute  work  on  Long  Island,  and  while  I 
have  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  this 
locality  in  this  way  on  several  previous 
occasions,  yet  always  the  island  appeals 
to  me  with  a  certain  charm  of  novelty. 
As  always  before  I  have  been  impressed 
with  the  special  agricultural  advantages 
as  well  as  the  somewhat  difficult  prob¬ 
lems  of  this  annex  to  New  York  State. 
The  island  possesses  all  the  pleasures  of 
exploration  for  the  farmer  who  is  fam¬ 
iliar  only  with  up-State  conditions.  To 
begin  with,  both  soil  and  climate  are 
fundamentally  different  from  l  lie  rest  of 
l lie  State.  There  is  a  range  of  low’  gla- 
cial  hills  along  the  northern  shore  which 
in  soil  character  and  in  flora  is  very 
similar  to  the  adjacent  mainland,  but 
outside  of  this  the  island,  both  in  its 
soils  and  its  botany,  is  related  to  the 
great  Atlantic  coastal  plain  which  lies 
south  of  New  York  City. 
Son,  Character. — Much  of  the  soil  is 
little  more  than  old  beach  gravels  made 
np  of  very  hard,  coarse,  insoluble  mate¬ 
rials — a  mixture  of  sand  and  quartz 
marbles.  Soils  of  this  character  are  of 
low  agricultural  value  for  two  reasons. 
For  one  thing  the  amount  of  available 
plant  Food  is  very  small  and  in  the  sec¬ 
ond  place  this  soil  is  practically  a  sieve 
so  far  as  rainfall  is  concerned.  Long 
Island  receives  a  precipitation  notably 
larger  than  most  localities  ill  the  State 
yet  (he  water  percolates  downward  so 
rapidly  and  gi  ts  beyond  the  reach  of 
plants  so  quickly  that  no  part,  of  the 
State  suffers  so  severely  from  occasional 
droughts.  Only  two  years  ago  there  was 
a  drought  so  severe'  that,  ,10-yea  r-old 
trees  were  killed  outright.  Bear  in 
mind  that  I  do  not  wish  to  generalize 
too  widely.  There  arc  Home  good  loam 
soils  along  the  Sound  and  at  each  end. 
I  recognize  that  there  is  some  wonder¬ 
fully  successful  agriculture,  but  it  is  in 
spite  of  soil  conditions  and  not  because 
of  them.  Farming  on  Long  Island  goes 
on  by  virtue  of  skill  and  adaptability 
and  purchased  plant  food. 
Climate. — So  far  ns  temperatures  are 
concerned  the  island  has  a  half-oceanic 
climate,  which  is  most  kindly,  and  on  the 
eastern  end  is  comparable  with  South 
Jersey  or  Eastern  Shore  Maryland.  The 
southeastern  shore  lias  un  average  of  200 
days  between  the  last  Spring  and  the 
first  Autumn  frost  a  period  almost 
twice  as  long  as  on  the  high  land  of  the 
Central  New  York  plateau.  It  is  hard 
to  over-emphasize  the  importance  of  this 
in  all  intensive  market  gardening  opera¬ 
tions,  because  of  the  Opportunities  it 
gives  for  double  cropping  and  also  for 
the  practice  of  .soil  im  prove  men  l  by  the 
use  of  cover  crops. 
Natural  Growth.  The  very  poorest 
lands  of  the  island  are  usually  covered 
by  a  low  growth  of  scrub-pine — the  so- 
called  pine  barrens.  There  are  some 
rather  extensive  tracts  of  this  character, 
yet.  even  here  small  clearings  and  truck 
patches  are  appearing  in  the  wilderness. 
One  of  the  most,  interesting  features  of 
the  region  is  the  Hempstead  Plains.  This 
is  an  area  of  natural  prairie  in  tho  west 
central  portion,  extending  perhaps  four 
miles  wide  and  20  miles  long,  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  all  records  and  traditions  it 
was  grass-covered  and  treeless  at  the 
coming  of  the  first  white  man.  The  most 
probable  explanation  of  this  is  that  the 
region  was  captured  by  grass  at  the  close 
of  the  glacial  epoch  and  held  by  a  sod 
so  close  that,  the  surrounding  woodland 
was  never  able  to  encroach  upon  it. 
Mpch  of  the  plain  was  held  by  tile  town 
of  Hempstead  for  generations  as  public 
commons.  Later  it.  was  sold  to  A.  T. 
Stewart  (40  years  ago  the  merchant 
prince  of  his  time)  for  $45  per  acre, 
and  it  is  still  locked  up  in  his  estate,  so 
that  much  of  it  has  never  yet  been 
plowed.  IL  is  covered  by  a  broom  sedge 
sod  which  needs  plenty  of  power  before 
the  plow  to  break  it.  the  first  time.  There 
is  a  surface  layer  of  dark  loam  that  ap¬ 
pears  good  to  the  eye  and  touch,  but  it 
it  underlaid  by  a  stratum  of  loose,  open 
gravel,  which  allows  too  much  drainage 
for  flic  best  agricultural  value. 
(Continued  on  page  23S.) 
