930 
She  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
is  worth  trying.  We  should  fence  off  a  small  part 
of  the  pasture  and  put  in  the  roots  here  and  there. 
You  can  drive  a  spade  into  the  ground,  put  in  the 
root  so  it  will  be  covered  up  to  the  crown,  stamp  the 
soil  down  hard  and  leave  it.  While  this  variety 
grows  with  us  on  soil  quite  red  with  sorrel,  we 
would  advise  scattering  a  handful  of  lime  or  wood 
ashes  around  the  plant  when  put  in  the  ground. 
While  of  course  such  planting  will  not  be  equal  to 
that  in  soil  thoroughly  fitted,  our  experience  is  that 
the  plants  live  and  make  a  fair  growth  of  good 
fodder. 
This  would  be  good  work  for  a  smart  boy.  He 
could  buy  a  small  quantity  of  seed  and  drill  it  in 
the  garden.  Then  when  the  seedlings  were  large 
enough  he  could  transplant  them  in  the  pasture. 
This  is  only  suggestion  and  not  definite  advice. 
We  do  not  feel  like  advising  busy  farmers  to  use 
the  roots  for  starting  mowing  fields.  There  is  too 
much  hand  work  about  it,  though  on  some  soils  it 
would  be  a  surer  way  of  getting  a  good  start.  In 
many  Alfalfa  fields  there  are  bare  places — some  of 
them  as  large  as  a  house.  These  cannot  well  be 
reseeded  without  plowing  up  the  entire  field.  If 
left  alone  grass  and  weeds  creep  in.  We  think  these 
bare  places  could  be  well  filled  in  by  transplanting 
roots.  Such  plants  would  come  on  and  fill  in  the 
bare  spots.  The  most  important  use  for  this  trans¬ 
planting  will,  we  think,  be  working  this  Semipala- 
tinsk  into  old  pasture  as  we  have  suggested.  As 
stated  it  may  seem  like  small  business  to  most  prac¬ 
tical  farmers,  but  we  believe  there  are  boys  on  many 
a  dairy  farm  who  will  yet  demonstrate  the  value 
of  the  plan. 
How  Can  We  Increase  Income? 
N  view  of  the  steady  increase  in  cost  of  living, 
one  hears  at  every  turn  of  the  road  the  question 
which  stands  at  the  head  of  this  article.  It  is  a 
pertinent  question  to  ask,  but  unfortunately  the  ask- 
er  waits  for  some  one  to  answer  it  for  him,  instead 
of  going  after  it  himself.  Now  brother  farmers, 
there’s  one  thing  we  must  settle  down  to,  and  that 
is  that  no  one  else  can  do  our  thinking  for  us.  The 
assumption  of  desire  to  do  this,  on  the  part  of  offi¬ 
cials,  or  commissions,  inevitably  will,  if  accepted, 
work  the  ruin  of  the  individual.  It  is  high  time 
for  men  to  stand  erect  and  fight  their  own  battles. 
Cost  of  living  must  increase,  because  we  want  and 
will  have  more  of  the  comforts  of  life. 
Increase  of  operations  do  not  necessarily  add  to 
net  income.  The  first  thing  for  every  grower  to  do 
is  to  minimize  waste.  No  man  can  imagine  the 
saving  here  possible.  As  an  illustration  I  have  for 
years  been  trying  to  improve  Suit  seed  corn,  and 
have  found  it  not.  difficult  to  grow  100  bushels,  or 
more,  of  shelled  corn  per  acre.  (No  seed  for  sale, 
so  there’s  no  nigger  in  this  woodpile.)  At  the  same 
time  certain  facts  have  startled  me  and  with  these 
every  grower  lias  to  do.  In  planting  rows  three 
feet  apart,  four  kernels  every  30  inches,  practically 
18,000  kernels  are  used,  but  I  have  yet  to  find  an 
acre  carrying  14,000  good  stalks.  Here  at  the  start 
we  meet  a  loss  of  25  per  cent,  in  seed,  which  germ¬ 
inated  OS  or  00  in  the  test  box.  it  makes  a  mighty 
sight  of  difference  whether  you  are  dealing  with 
a  trial  plot  or  a  field.  More  than  this,  fully  25  per 
cent,  of  the  stalks,  which  do  come,  will  be  barren. 
This  leaves  us  1,050  bearing  stalks.  Allowing  each 
of  these  to  carry  a  full  ear,  to  yield  eight  ounces  of 
shelled  corn,  we  shall  have  a  total  yield  of  05  bush¬ 
els  per  acre.  All  this  time  the  average  yield  is  be¬ 
low  40  bushels  per  acre.  Think  then  what  must  be 
the  loss  in  seed  and  barren  stalks. 
The  problem  from  tin's  viewpoint  is  not  increase 
of  acreage  but  of  seed  vitality.  It  is  something  for 
the  individual  grower  to  solve  for  himself.  Mow? 
Not  by  stalk  or  hill  selection  in  the  field,  neces¬ 
sary  as  that  is,  but  by  the  growing  of  seed  where 
every  barren  stalk  can  either  be  removed  or  de- 
tasseled  before  the  pollen  is  ripe.  It  is  the  fertiliz¬ 
ing  of  the  strong  stalks  by  pollen  from  the  weak 
which  reduces  vitality  and  kills  reproductive  power 
in  the  field.  To  break  out  all  barren  stalks,  or  de- 
tassel  every  one  on  an  acre,  is  quite  a  proposition, 
yet  this  is  absolutely  necessary  if  improvement  of 
seed  is  imped  for,  and  the  supply  is  to  be  taken 
from  the  best  stalks  in  the  field.  No  crop  is  so 
susceptible  to  environment  as  corn,  and  no  man 
should  rely  on  a  seed  house  for  his  supply,  it  costs 
too  much,  it  injects  an  element  of  chance,  and  it 
makes  the  man  a  leaner  where  he  should  stand 
alone.  On  any  farm  adapted  to  corn  growing  any 
man  who  wills  can  grow  better  seed,  with  higher 
reproductive  power,  than  he  can  buy.  Here’s  a 
chance  to  save  and  at  the  same  time  do  something 
which  will  tell  for  all  time  for  the  good  of  the  man 
and  the  farm.  Crow  n  few  hundred  lulls,  for  seed, 
by  itself,  and  far  enough  away  from  the  field  to  pro¬ 
tect  from  field  pollen.  Here  it  is  a  simple  matter 
to  remove  all  barren  stalks  and  break  out  all  suck¬ 
ers,  thus  insuring  the  fertilizing  of  every  ear  by  the 
pollen  from  one  equally  as  vigorous  and  productive. 
By  this  simple  method  any  man  can  materially  add 
to  the  crop  producing  power  of  his  seed,  and  con¬ 
sequently  the  profit  of  his  crop,  without,  increas¬ 
ing  expense.  It  costs  no  more  to  care  for  half  an 
acre  yielding  50  bushels  shelled  corn  than  one  re¬ 
turning  only  30.  Allowing  for  proper  overhead 
charges,  $2  a  day  for  a  man  and  $1  for  a  horse, 
pay  for  the  manure,  fertilizer  and  seed,  I  cannot 
grow  an  acre  for  less  than  $50;  $15  to  $18  must  be 
credited  for  stover,  leaving  $32  to  $35  to  be  paid 
for  by  the  corn.  Beyond  comes  the  profit  for  which 
every  man  should  be  seeking  diligently,  and  with¬ 
out  which  there  can  be  no  success  in  life. 
Maine.  dr.  a.  m.  twitcheix. 
Manurial  Value  of  Cover  Crops 
What  is  the  manurial  value  (plant  food,  value  as 
humus,  etc.)  of  an  acre  of  average  Crimson  clover 
plowed  under  while  in  full  bloom?  How  much  of  this 
value  is  '•net”?  In  other  words,  how  much  of  it  is  in 
added  fertility  to  the  land,  and  how  much  of  it  is 
taken  from  the  soil?  a,  l.  b. 
Aduirville,  Ky. 
HE  Delaware  Experiment  Station  has  worked 
out  manurial  values  for  several  crops  used  for 
green  manuring.  While  of  course  Such  crops  will 
\ary  in  size  and  quality  according  to  the  soil  and 
season,  the  following  figures  are  fair  for  comparison. 
With  a  moist  season,  on  good  soil  and  with  a  long 
growth,  the  crop  for  turning  under  would  be  larger. 
On  poorer  soil,  while  the  crop  would  be  smaller, 
there  would  most  likely  he  a  larger  gain  of  nitrogen 
from  the  air,  since  on  rich  land  such  crops  make  use 
of  the  soil  nitrogen  first.  This  table  shows  what  the 
Delaware  experts  found  in  an  acre  of  soil  when  fair 
crops  were  put  under: 
POUNDS  IX  OXE  ACRE. 
Crimson  Clover — 
Nitrogen 
Phos.  Acid 
Potash 
Tops  . 
128.2 
50.2 
84 
Roots  . 
(5.2 
2 
4.2 
Total  . 
134.4 
61.2 
88.2 
Cow-horn  Turnip — 
Tops  . 
64.4 
14.3 
80.3 
Roots  . 
44.7 
11.6 
62.4 
Total  . 
100.1 
25.0 
142.7 
Rye — Tops  only  . .  . . 
22.S 
12.4 
42.4 
Rape — 
Tops  . 
116.2 
41.8 
148.2 
Roots  . . 
13.2 
5.1 
13.1 
Total  . 
120.4 
46.0 
161.3 
Red  Clover — 
Tops  . 
60.8 
18.0 
46.5 
Roots  . 
33.2 
10.1 
0.0 
Total  . 
103 
20 
56.4 
These  figures  are 
considered 
fair,  and 
show  the 
plant  food  carried  by  an  acre  of  each  crop.  Of 
course  the  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  are  not  added 
to  the  soil.  These  elements  were  taken  by  the  crop 
when  making  its  growth,  and  when  plowed  under 
are  returned  in  a  different  form.  As  for  the  nitro¬ 
gen  part  of  it.  it  is  taken  from  the  soil  the  same  as 
the  potash  and  phosphoric  acid,  while  the  balance 
comes  from  the  air  through  the  bacteria  which  work 
on  the  roots.  No  one  can  tell  exactly  what  propor¬ 
tion  of  this  nitrogen  is  gained  in  this  way.  It  would 
depend  on  many  different  conditions,  but  probably 
40  per  cent,  would  be  a  fair  estimate. 
You  notice  that  the  Crimson  clover  contains  more 
nitrogen  than  the  Red  clover.  Remember  too  that 
the  Crimson  makes  this  valuable  crop  from  August 
to  May,  or  between  two  standard  farm  crops,  like 
corn  and  potatoes  or  corn  once  more.  The  Red 
clover  must  grow  one  year  or  more  to  produce  an 
equal  amount  of  plant  food,  Notice  too  how  rich 
rape  and  turnips  are  in  potash.  This  family  of 
plants  seems  to  have  a  special  ability  for  taking 
potash  from  the  soil.  That  is  why  we  advise  a 
pound  or  a  little  more  of  turnip  seed  to  the  acre 
when  seeding  clover  and  rye  for  a  cover  crop. 
Blowing  Hay  in  Place  of  Baling 
EVERY  year  brings  new  methods  of  doing  work 
in  a  new  way,  so  as  to  save  band  work  and 
useless  labor.  Not  long  since  we  described  a  new 
method  for  filling  the  silo.  Under  this  plan  the 
cutter  is  mounted  on  a  wagon,  which  runs  along¬ 
side  of  tlie  growing  corn.  The  stalks  are  cut  by 
machinery  or  hand,  and  fed  right  into  this  porta¬ 
ble  cutter.  The  chopped  corn  is  dropped  or  blown 
into  a  wagon  box  which  runs  alongside.  As  soon 
as  this  wagon  is  filled,  it  is  carried  to  the  barn  and 
dumped  into  a  large  bin,  from  which  all  the  pieces 
are  sucked  and  blown  into  the  silo  by  engine  pow¬ 
er.  This  method  saves  handling  the  whole  stalks  at 
least  twice,  and  when  properly  organized  works  rap¬ 
idly.  Then  last  year  we  told  of  a  scheme  for  un¬ 
loading  eider  apples  out  of  cars.  The  cars  are  halt¬ 
ed  at  the  end  of  a  long  concrete  gutter  or  tank.  The 
door  is  opened  and  a  strong  stream  of  water  is 
driven  through  a  hose  into  the  car.  This  washes 
July  1,  1916. 
the  apples  out  of  the  car  into  the  gutter,  and  the 
water  carries  them  along  until  they  come  to  a  grat¬ 
ing.  The  water  drips  down  through  the  grating, 
while  the  cleaned  apples  roll  on  down  into  the  mill. 
This  saves  a  vast  amount  of  band  work,  and  deliv¬ 
ers  the  crop  clean  and  bright . 
Now  we  learn  of  another  plan  for  saving  work  in 
handling  hay,  which  is  described  as  follows  in  the 
"News  Notes”  of  the  Colorado  Agricultural  College. 
Some  years  ago  we  bad  an  account  of  a  process  of 
grinding  hay  into  a  meal,  and  selling  it  in  bags. 
At  the  time  this  was  made  public  there  was  a  flood 
of  ridicule  from  people  who  had  never  heard  of 
such  a  scheme  before,  but  since  that  time  all  who 
handle  feed  know  of  the  vast  amount  of  Alfalfa 
the  world  is  moving  on. 
“When  bay  is  shipped  in  Colorado  it  is  usually 
baled  and  then  loaded  on  the  car.  This  scheme, 
however,  appears  to  he  too  slow  for  some  of  the 
bay  producers  on  the  Umatilla  project  of  the  Re¬ 
clamation  Service.  These  bay  shippers  have  de¬ 
vised  a  scheme  for  chopping  the  hay  by  machinery 
at  the  stack,  loading  it  into  big  box  wagons  which 
hold  about  two  tons  or  upward.  These  wagons  de¬ 
liver  this  chopped  bay  at  the  railroad  station.  A 
gasoline  engine  and  an  ordinary  blower  is  now 
used  to  blow  the  hay  from  the  wagon  into  the  car. 
The  blower  sucks  the  chopped  bay  out  of  the  wagon 
and  blows  it.  violently  into  the  railroad  cars  for 
transportation.  By  this  means  it  is  said  a  some¬ 
what  larger  carload  of  bay  can  be  secured  than  with 
the  ordinary  baled  bay,  and  the  consignee  uses  a 
blower  instead  of  trucks  to  extract  the  hay  from  the 
car  and  shoots  it  into  bis  warehouse  or  into  his 
stockyard  bin.  Handling  bay  in  this  way  subjects 
it  to  less  waste  than  by  the  ordinary  method  and  is 
said  to  be  less  expensive  than  baling  the  same. 
Apparently  the  idea  is  worthy  of  adoption  in  other 
parts  of  the  country.” 
Humogen,  or  “  Bacterized  Peat” 
ONE  of  our  Western  readers  finds  fault  because 
we  do  not  have  much  to  say  about  "humogen” 
— a  form  of  peat  or  muck  which  is  being  exploited 
in  England.  This  man  says  that,  the  humogen  is 
going  to  revolutionize  all  plans  for  fertilizing  the 
land,  and  that  we  are  back  numbers  and  not  up  to 
date  because  we  do  not  endorse  it.  and  help  push 
it  along.  Of  course  anyone  can  give  an  opinion 
about  such  things  and  put  another  in  a  back-num¬ 
ber  class,  but  whether  he  will  stay  there  or  not  is 
another  matter.  This  humogen  is  another  name  for 
“bacterized  peat.” 
Prof.  Bottomley  of  England  claims  that  this  ma¬ 
terial  has  great  superiority  over  many  other  forms 
of  fertilizer.  The  theory  is  that  peat  or  muck  as  it 
comes  from  the  ground  contains  considerable  quan¬ 
tities  of  nitrogen.  This  nitrogen,  however,  is  not 
in  an  available  form,  being  sour  and  inert.  This  is 
no  theory,  because  we  all  know  that  we  can  make 
a  valuable  compost  out  of  muck.  It  is  hauled  out 
of  the  swamp  on  to  a  dry  well-drained  place,  and 
mixed  with  stable  manure  and  lime.  When  thus 
mixed  a  fermentation  starts  up  which  breaks  down 
the  peat,  and  makes  considerable  of  the  nitrogen 
which  it  contains  available.  This  is  an  old  story 
to  many  good  farmers,  and  we  have  told  it  over 
and  over  again.  The  lime  sweetens  the  muck  and 
helps  start  a  ferment,  and  the  manure  mixed 
through  the  pile  introduces  bacteria  which  work 
through  the  muck  and  help  carry  on  the  chain,  so 
that  this  discovery  of  Prof.  Bottomley  appears  to  he 
based  on  the  same  old  principle  which  our  farmers 
have  known  for  many  years.  In  preparing  humogen 
however,  the  plan  seems  to  be  to  sterilize  the  muck 
by  mixing  lime  with  it,  and  heating  to  a  high  tem¬ 
perature.  This  destroys  the  bacteria  or  germs 
which  it  naturally  contains.  Then  specially  pre¬ 
pared  germs  are  to  be  added.  They  work  in  the 
sterilized  muck  or  black  soil,  and  produce  the 
changes  which  make  nitrogen  available. 
In  theory,  therefore,  the  principle  is  much  the 
same  as  that  of  using  a  “starter”  in  butter-making. 
In  that  case  the  cream  is  heated  to  destroy  the 
germs.  Then  the  starter  is  added  to  put  a  new  set 
of  useful  germs  at  work  in  the  Cream.  The  “starter” 
is  a  small  sample  from  the  last  churning,  skim-milk 
in  which  the  germs  have  been  started,  or  the  germs 
themselves  cultivated  in  a  laboratory  and  sent  out 
like  yeast  for  bread-making. 
Thus  we  sec  what  this  “humogen”  is  supposed  to 
be.  The  theory  is  good,  but  thus  far  the  practice 
has  not  been  made  perfect.  In  England  the  humo- 
gcu  sells  at  about  $50  per  ton,  which  we  think  is 
too  much  for  it.  Samples  do  not  seem  to  lie  of  uni¬ 
form  quality.  It  is  well  enough  to  try  all  these 
new  tilings  in  a  conservative  way,  but  as  for  “boom¬ 
ing”  new  discoveries  before  they  are  fully  tested — 
you  must  get  someone  else  to  do  that. 
