618 
Ore  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
I 
Phosphates :  Their  Origin  and  Use 
IX. 
I  have  road  with  interest  your  articles 
on  phosphates  as  a  hind  fertilizer*  Com¬ 
mercial  fertilizers  are  not  used  here,  and 
I  wish  to  know  something  as  to  how  host 
to  apply  it.  When,  and  in  what  propor¬ 
tion  V  I  have  a  field  of  Blue  grass  that 
has  been  in  pasture  for  several  years. 
Last  year  there  was  rather  a  scant 
growth  of  grass.  I  attributed  it  partly  to 
the  severe  drought  of  year  previous.  I  do 
not  want  to  plow  it  up.  ('an  I  by  sow¬ 
ing  Alsike  clover  or  other  grass  seeds,  or 
by  applying  fertilizers,  get  again  a  larger 
yield  of  grass?  The  land  is  black  soil  un¬ 
derlaid  by  yellow  clay  ;  beneath  is  lime¬ 
stone.  Xour  by  is  n  button  factory,  mak¬ 
ing  buttons  from  river  clamshells.  There 
is  a  vast  quantity  of  powdered  shell  that, 
can  ho  obtained.  Would  that  contain 
lime  such  as  land  needs?  byron  davis. 
Iowa. 
We  answer  this  question  from  knowl¬ 
edge  of  farm  conditions  on  soil  located  on 
the  Atlantic  slope.  We  are  not  so  famil¬ 
iar  with  Western  soil,  but  here  we  should 
ask  first  what  is  the  element  of  plant  food 
most  lacking  in  the  soil.  To  learn  this 
we  ask  what  crops  have  been  removed 
from  it  during  the  past:  half  century  and 
what  does  analysis  show  of  this  general 
type  of  soil.  In  (lie  case  mentioned  we 
shall  probably  find  that  live  stock  and 
grain  have  been  fed  and  taken  away. 
This  means  that  the  chief  loss  is  phos¬ 
phorus.  In  the  articles  on  phosphates  we 
saw  how  the  small  quantities  of  phos¬ 
phorus  in  the  soil  are  collected  by  plants, 
and  when  these  plants  are  eaten  by  ani¬ 
mals  the  phosphorus  concentrates  into 
the  bones.  So  it  was  iu  this  soil.  Analy¬ 
sis  would  probably  show  that  this  soil 
was  not  very  rich  in  phosphorus  to  begin 
with  and  each  1,000  pounds  of  live  stock 
Carries  oil'  about  20  pounds  of  nitrogen, 
10  of  phosphoric  acid  and  two  of  potash. 
This  means  small  loss  of  potash  and  some 
of  the  nitrogen  is  made  up  in  the  supplies 
drawn  out  of  the  soil  by  clover.  The 
phosphorus,  however,  is  lost  to  the  soil 
and  year  after  year  as  this  goes  on  the 
loss  becomes  serious.  If  the  crops  were 
potatoes  or  cabbage  or  fruit  we  might 
draw  a  different  conclusion,  but  when 
the  chief  export  from  a  farm  or  a  section 
has  been  live  stock  and  wheat  we  may 
feel  sure  that  phosphorus  is  lacking. 
So  if  we  had  that  field  on  our  own 
farm  with  its  history  known  we  should 
conclude  that  available  or  soluble  phos¬ 
phorus  was  needed.  Our  plan  would  be 
to  use  about  300  pounds  of  acid  phos¬ 
phate  or  superphosphate  per  acre — evenly 
Spread  over  the  field.  As  for  the  crushed 
clamshells  they  contain  lime.  If  they  are 
crushed  fine  they  will  he  about  as  effec¬ 
tive  as  ground  limestone  and  they  will 
probably  help  that  soil  if  scattered  on  at 
the  rate  of  two  tons  per  acre.  It  is  never 
the  most  effective  way  to  use  lime — this 
scattering  it  on  top  of  a  soil,  for  the  lime 
ought  to  be  worked  down  into  the  soil. 
In  such  a  case,  however,  we  should  try  it 
in  this  way  if  it  is  not  desirable  to  plow 
the  soil.  The  phosphate  and  also  the  lime 
can  lie  broadcast  by  hand  or  put  on  with 
a  drill. 
But  why  acid  phosphate  or  superphos¬ 
phate  ?  Why  not  the  phosphate  rock  or 
bone? 
That  question  puts  us  right  at  the 
heart  of  all  this  phosphate  discussion.  A 
finely  ground  hone  would  he  suitable  if  it 
could  be  obtained,  hut  probably  the  acid 
phosphate  would  he  most  effective  in  such 
a  case  as  this  pasture. 
There  are  two  great  facts  about  phos¬ 
phorus.  One  is  that  it  is  concentrated  by 
plants  and  then  by  animals.  II s  tendency 
always  is  to  lock  itself  up  with  lime  or 
other  minerals  as  securely  as  possible.  Only 
when  it  is  made  available  or  soluble  can  it 
feed  either  animals  or  plants.  It  cannot 
become  available  until  it  is  made  exceed¬ 
ingly  fine  either  by  the  most  powerful 
grinding  or  by  the  use  of  acids.  A  very 
finely  ground  hone  is  to  a  large  extent 
available,  as  we  know  plants  will  respond 
to  an  application  of  hone  dust.  Also 
when  cattle  gnaw  wood  or  old  bones  as 
evidence  that  they  need  phosphates-  we 
are  advised  to  put  a  handful  of  bone  dust 
in  their  grain. 
If  fine  bone  will  feed  plants,  why  not 
use  finely  ground  phosphate  rock.  Why 
go  to  the  expense  of  using  acid  on  it? 
There  we  swing  into  the  greatest  pres¬ 
ent  question  regarding  the  use  of  phos¬ 
phates.  We  must  Understand  that  prac¬ 
tically  all  our  phosphate  deposits  were 
formed  from  bone.  Then  we  must  under¬ 
stand  the  difference  between  the  hone  and 
the  rock.  We  can  easily  understand  that 
a  bone  is  an  organic  substance  built  up  by 
nature  through  organized  growth.  (Jrind 
a  bone  ever  so  fine  and  examine  the  dust 
through  a  strong  iniscroscnpe  and  you 
will  find  it  porous  and  unlike  dust  of  sand 
or  rock.  Drop  a  handful  of  hone  dust  in 
the  soil  near  a  tree  and  you  will  soon  find 
the  root  hairs  working  into  and  all 
through  it.  The  so-called  phosphate  rock 
is  different,  for  it  may  be  called  fossilized 
or  petrified  bone.  Most  people  have  seen 
what  are  called  fossils  and  will  realize 
wliat  this  means.  Pieces  of  petrified  wood 
are  often  found  iu  swamps  or  low  places. 
The  shape  and  appearance  of  the  wood 
remain  much  the  same,  hut  the  organic 
character  has  disappeared  and,  in  its 
place,  we  have  a  stone.  Through  long 
ages  of  time  Nature  has  slowly  changed 
the  organic  particles  in  the  "wood  and  sub¬ 
stituted  mineral  atoms  in  thejr  place. 
Thus  while  we  have  much  the  same  shape 
and  size  we  no  longer  have  a  chunk  of 
fuel,  porous  and  light,  capable  of  burning 
— but  instead  a  piece  of  stone  with  no 
pores  and  incapable  of  burning  or  serving 
as  fuel.  This  is  not  true,  of  course,  in 
the  case  of  coal,  where  the  fuel  value  in 
wood  of  peat  is  concentrated,  but  it  is 
true  of  the  fossil.  When  the  organic  hone 
is  changed  to  rock  we  still  have  the  lime 
and  the  phosphorus,  but  in  a  different  con¬ 
dition.  While  the  lime  is  porous  the 
phosphate  rock  is  not,  for  the  changing 
to  the  rock  form  undoubtedly  makes  it 
less  soluble  or  available,  no  matter  how 
fine  you  may  grind  it.  In  order  to  make 
it  quickly  available  the  phosphate  rock  is 
mixed  with  sulphuric  acid.  We  will  take 
that  up  next. 
April  15,  1916. 
half  and  half,  depending  on  the  season, 
and  also  upon  how  thick  you  put  in  the 
pea  crop.  In  a  dry  season  the  oats  and 
peas  usually  make  such  a  rank  growth 
that  they  smother  the  clover  out.  We 
would  prefer  on  general  principles  to  sow 
the  peas  deep  about  four  or  five  days  bo- 
i'ore  sowing  oats,  and  put  the  latter  in 
shallow,  so  that  the  two  crops  will  come 
up  close  together. 
Clover,  Oats  and  Peas 
What  is  the  best  clover  for  plowiug 
under,  all  things* Considered?  What  are 
the  chances  of  getting  a  fair  stand  of 
clover  to  plow  under,  if  sown  with  oats 
and  field  peas?  Should  peas  he  sown  lie- 
l'ore  the  oats  and  left  a  week  ul‘  so,  or  can 
they  he  sown  at  same  time?  J.  c.  i\ 
Windham  Co.,  Conn. 
For  your  locality  we  would  suggest  a 
mixture  about  half  and  half  of  Alsike  ami 
Red  clover.  It  may  be  that  Sweet  clover 
will  prove  superior,  hut  the  Alsike  and  the 
Red  are  sure.  Crimson  clover  is  a  Fall- 
sown  crop,  hut  too  tender  for  your  sec¬ 
tion.  The  chances  of  getting  a  fair  stand 
of  clover  with  oats  and  peas  are  about 
Does  Salt  Release  Potash  ? 
Has  salt  any  effect  in  releasing  pot¬ 
ash  on  heavy  soils?  If  so,  in  wliat  quan¬ 
tities  should  it  he  applied  for  a  small 
vegetable  garden?  Are  any  particular 
plants  benefited  or  injured  by  it?  When 
is  the  best  time  to  apply  it?  w.  b. 
Xorthport,  X.  Y. 
While  the  action  of  salt  is  not  fully 
imderstood  it.  is  believed  to  have  some 
act i, on  in  setting  free  potash  Compounds 
in  the  soil.  This  is  a  chemical  action  in 
which  the  potash  is  changed  from  an  in¬ 
soluble  1 1 1  a  soluble  form.  Salt  also  acts 
on  root  crops  in  some  way  to  encourage 
potash.  Asparagus  is  helped  by  salt 
though  we  have  thought  its  greatest  use 
was  in  destroying  weeds.  Formerly  salt 
was  used  to  stiffen  the  straw  of  grain, 
and  it  was  thought  this  was  done  by  hold¬ 
ing  hack  a  rank  heavy  growth  when  too 
much  soluble  nitrogen  was  present. 
Wkete? 
Any  good  anti-friction  bearing  will  give  satisfactory 
service  at  some  places  in  a  motor  car — such  as  the  clutch, 
the  stem  gear  of  the  transmission,  the  fan  shaft  of  the 
motor  or  the  steering  gear. 
'  Thequcstionof  real  importance  to  car  owners  is,  “What 
bearings  give'  the  best  service  at  the  places  where  bearings 
get  the  heaviest  loads  and  the  severest  jolts?" 
In  the  wheel  hubs — front  and  rear 
— there  is  always  terrific  pressure  on 
the  bearings,  most  of  the  time  from 
tv/o  directions  at  once. 
The  whole  weight  of  the  car  presses 
steadily  dpwn  from  above. 
And,  in  addition,  it  presses  sidewise 
when  you  round  a  corner  or  when 
the  wheels  fall  into  ruts  or  skid  on  a 
slippery  pavement.  , 
In  the  rear  axle  the  power  of  the 
engine  is  delivered  to  the  wheels  by 
means  of  a  pinion  which  meshes  with 
the  big  bevel  driving  gear.  Because 
tire  teeth  of  the  pinion  and  driving 
gear  operate  at  right  angles,  the  pin¬ 
ion  is  constantly  trying  to  climb  on 
the  teeth  of ‘the  driving  gear  and  this 
gear  in  turn  has  a  tendency  to  bark 
away  from  the  pinion.  Unless  the 
bearin’  s  on  the  pinion  shaft  are  able 
to  hold  these  gears  in  accurate  mesh 
and  resist  the  destructive  forces  of 
load  and  end -thrust,  they  wear  out 
and  go  to  pieces.  . 
In  the  transmission  and  at  the 
differential  the  bearings  must  also 
resist  the  destructive  forces  of  radial 
load  and  end-thrust.  While  the  stresses 
and  ehock3  encountered  at  these  points  are  not 
ns  severe  as  those  tlmL  must  be  met  on  (lit*  axle 
Spin  tiles  and  pinion  shaft,  it  in  equally  essential 
— fully  as  important— to  have  Timken  Hearings 
at  these  points.  Don't  forget  that  wear  conies 
in  time  to  all  bearings  and  unless  its  effects  can 
be  eliminated,  transmission  gears  and  axle 
L hafts  will  diop  out  of  true  alignment. 
These  hard  jobs  are  the  very  ones  for  which 
Timken  Bearings  are  designed  and  built. 
Their  conical  form  nod  top*  red  rollers  enable 
them  to  resist,  to  the  uttermost,  tile  destruc¬ 
tive  forces  that  cause  wear,  and  when  wear 
romes  its  effect  can  be  instantly  corrected  by  a 
simple  adjustment. 
It  is  not  simply  that  Timken  Bearings  are 
used  by  so  many  well-known  car  builders  that 
i-  important,  but  that  l/iey  ore  used  at  the  points 
of  hard  service. 
Send  for  booklet  F-24,“The  Companies  Tim- 
k  'it  keeps,”  and  learn  not  only  WHO  uses 
Timken  Hearings  but  WHERE  they  are  used. 
THE  TIMKEN  ROLLER  BEARING  COMPANY 
Canton,  Ohio 
THE  TIMKEN- DETROIT  AXLE  COMPANY 
Detroit,  Michigan 
There  arc  many  sizes  of 
Timken  Bearings,  but 
