1231 
Green  Manuring  and  War  Prices 
Economy  in  Soil  Improvement 
TIIE  European  war  cxerlod  considerable  influ¬ 
ence  on  the  prices  of  all  fertilizing  materials, 
and  it  would  be  interesting  to  develop  the  relation 
of  those  prices  to  the  fertility  problem  of  the  farm, 
and  particularly  in  their  relation  to  green  manuring. 
Wiili  potash  selling  at  $5  to  $0  a  unit,  from  .$400  to 
.$500  a  ton,  with  acid  phosphate  selling  as  high  as 
SIT  to  ,$1S  a  ton.  and  with  nitrate  of  soda  soiling  ns 
high  as  $80  a  ton.  I  lie  farmer  is  really  at  a  loss  wliat 
to  do.  Our  scientists  have  been  advising  ns  to  use 
green  manuring,  as  they  claim  that  the  roots  of 
plants,  particularly  of  clovers,  vetches  and  other 
leguminous  crops,  in  addition  to  bringing  large 
quantities  of  nitrogen  to  the  soil  from  the  air,  will 
also  bring  a  lot  of  potash  from  the  subsoil  to  the 
soil.  While  the  advice  is  excellent,  we  are  told  at 
the  same  time  that  we  cannot  afford  to  pay  high 
prices  for  seed  of  Crimson  clover  or  other  crops 
used  for  green  manuring.  Wo  can  all  remember  the 
time,  when  Crimson  clover  was  sold  for  five  cents 
a  pound  or  even  a  little  less,  or  about  $6  a  bushel. 
The  price  of  Crimson  clover  now  is  12  to  11  cents 
a  pound.  Winter  or  Hairy  vetch,  which  sold  at 
times  as  cheap  as  nine  or  10  cents  a  pound,  is. at  the 
present  lime  sold  at  17  to  IS  cents  a  pound.  Both 
of  the  above  plants  have  been  highly  recommended 
as  green  manuring  crops,  hut  we  have  been  told  that 
at  those  prices  they  are  too  expensive  to  he  used  for 
green  manuring. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  prices  of  all  fertiliz¬ 
ing  materials  arc  so  much  higher,  and  also  that  it  is 
absolutely  impossible  to  get  enough  potash,  should 
not  the  arithmetical  calculation  as  to  the  price  to 
he  paid  for  seeds  for  green  manuring  he  somewhat 
altered?  How  much  really  can  the  farmer  afford 
lo  pay  for  vetch.  Crimson  clover  or  other  similar 
seeds  from  the  standpoint  of  soil  improvement? 
I>r.  Jacob  (7.  Tdptnnn,  the  well- 
known  authority  on  soil  chemistry  and 
bacteriology,  in  the  many  experiments 
conducted  by  him  in  New  Brunswick, 
and  Vineland.  New  Jersey,  found  on 
plots  of  oats,  and  on  plots  with  Crim¬ 
son  clover  and  vetch  which  were  taken 
up  early  in  April  and  thoroughly  an¬ 
alyzed.  that  the  figures  in  round  num¬ 
bers  were  as  follows:  Oats  contained 
15  pounds  of  nitrogen  to  the  acre. 
Crimson  clover  and  vetch  about  100 
pounds  to  the  acre.  This  means  that 
vetch  or  Crimson  clover  added  about 
85  pounds  of  nitrogen  to  the  acre  more 
than  llie  oats,  and  it  is  hut  natural  to 
conclude  that  most,  of  the  <85  pounds  of 
nitrogen  came  from  the  air.  Dr.  Tap- 
man  informs  ns  that  from  the  results 
of  their  own  and  Delaware  Experi¬ 
ment  Station  experiments,  as  high  as 
150  to  200  pounds  of  nitrogen  per  acre 
lias  been  found  in  the  crop  of  Crimson  clover  and  vetch. 
If  we  should  have  to  add  the  nitrogen  at  present 
prices  of  nitrate  of  soda,  these  85  pounds  of  nitro¬ 
gen  would  he  worth  about  $20.  Thirty  pounds  of 
vetch  at  IS  cents  is  equivalent  to  ,$5.40.  Twenty-five 
pounds  of  Crimson  clover,  at  14  cents  a  pound,  is 
equivalent  to  $.‘>.50.  There  seems  to  he  sufficient  mar¬ 
gin,  therefore,  to  permit  the  use  of  vetch  and  Crimson 
clover  for  green  manuring  even  at  such  high  prices. 
You  must  remember  also  that  no  money  valuation 
is  placed  on  the  potash  which  H  brought  out  from 
1  Ho  subsoil.  Also,  the  humus  and  the  other  physi¬ 
cal  improvements  made  in  the  texture  of  the  soil 
and  subsoil,  as  well  as  the  favorable  bacteriological 
effects  which  may  take  place  in  the  soil. 
Another  very  important  factor  in  using  green  ma¬ 
nuring  crops  which  is  frequently  lost  sight  of  is 
that  the  largest  proportion  of  the  nitrogen  is  left 
15he  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
in  stubble  and  roots.  The  Delaware  Experiment 
Station  claims  that  35  to  40%  of  the  total  amount 
Combination  Crop  of  Wheat  and  Hairy  Vetch.  Fig.  505 
of  nitrogen  is  left  to  the  soil  in  stubble  and  roots, 
so  that  a  fanner  can  sow  his  vetch  or  Crimson  clo¬ 
ver  either  alone  or  in  company  with  small  grain 
crops,  harvest  crop  for  soiling,  or  for  grain,  and  still 
increase  the  fertility  of  his  soil  most  economically. 
j.  w.  rivers. 
Root  and  Vegetable  Cellars 
ON  page  1127  is  ;i  description  of  a  root  cellar  two 
or  more  feet  in  the  ground,  with  the  earth 
sides  held  in  place  by  old  hoards  and  a  pitch  roof 
north.  Therefore  il  was  necessary  to  add  an  inter¬ 
ior  partition  and  door.  This  partition  was  built  a 
foot  from  the  outside  wall,  and  covered  with  tar 
1  taper.  An  oblong  opening  cut  in  the  door  and  pro¬ 
tected  with  wire  netting  assisted  the  ventilation  on 
mini  days  when  the  outside  door  could  he  left  open. 
Inside  the  cellar  the  space  at  the  left  was  divided 
into  five  sections,  allowing  for  five  bins  about 
feet  square.  The  bottom  of  the  bins  was  raised 
about  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  floor.  Four  feet 
above  was  a  long  shelf,  which  proved  an  admirable 
place,  for  preserves.  A  long  running  hoard  in  front 
of  the  bins  made  the  shelf  easily  accessible.  At  the 
right  of  the  door  were  three  similar  bins,  leaving  an 
open  space  of  7VL*  feet  behind  the  door  for  boxes  or 
barrels  or  other  articles.  We  found  it  very  conven¬ 
ient  one  Spring  for  our  incubator.  The  bins  on  the 
right  side  could  he  left  out  if  desired  and  the  whole 
space  given  lo  barrels. 
At  the  left  of  the  root-cellar  and  adjoining  it.  is  a 
small  smoke-house  where  our  hams  and  bacon  are 
cured.  In  front  is  a  driveway  level  with  the  floor 
of  the  cellar,  making  it  easy  of  access.  A  building 
like  this  is  rat-proof  as  well  as  frost-proof  and  gives 
more  satisfaction  in  the  end  than  one  which  is  loose¬ 
ly  put  together.  The  entire  expense  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  $250,  hut  that  included  the  cost 
of  labor  for  blasting  and  excavating  the  hill.  I  have 
not  the  exact  figures,  as  it  is  now  several  years  since 
ours  was  built,  and  T  do  not  recall  alt  the  details  in 
the  cost  of  construction.  was.  w.  w.  nritmiTT. 
Connecticut. 
Slone  and  Cemeni  Root  Cellar.  Fig.  504 
A  Portable  Concrete  Mixer  on  a  New  York  Farm.  Fig.  506 
covering  of  old  rough  lumber.  Of  course  this  might 
• 
he  made  frost-proof,  hut  it  certainly  conhl  not  be 
rat-proof.  To  keep  out  those  unwelcome  intruders 
a  cellar  constructed  of  concrete  is  more  satisfactory, 
though  the  initial  cost  may  he  greater.  Perhaps  the 
following  description  of  our  little  root  cellar  may 
interest,  and  he  of  benefit  to  some  of  your  readers. 
We  have  few  level  spots  on  the  farm,  and  therefore 
had  to  select  a  site  from  the  side  of  a  hill.  The 
hill  was  mostly  of  solid  rock,  with  a  covering  of 
soil  varying  in  depth  from  one  to  several  feet.  The 
rock  had  to  be  blasted  out  for  50  feel  or  more  di¬ 
rectly  into  the  hill,  so  that  the  hack  of  the  cellar 
just  reached  the  level  of  the  surface  above.  Then 
the  walls  were  built  of  masonry  12  inches  Ihick 
and  six  feet  high,  using  the  rocks  and  stones  which 
were  taken  from  the  excavation.  From  front  to 
hack  the  inside  measurement  of  the  cellar  was  25 
feet,  and  the  width  12  feet.  At  first  the  floor  was 
the  natural  earth,  hut  we  found  that  the  rats  bored 
underneath  the  walls  and  through  the  soil,  so  the 
following  year  we  put  in  a  concrete  floor.  The 
roof  was  made  of  inch  planking  covered  with  tar 
paper,  and  over  that  one  foot  of  earth,  hut  it  leaked 
and  did  not  keep  out  the  cold.  The  next  year  we 
cleared  off  the  dirt  and  made  a  box  of  the  roof  as 
you  will  see  in  the  illustration,  Fig.  507.  It  was 
really  a  double  roof  filled  with  sawdust  a  foot  deep. 
The  sawdust  was  covered  with  hoards,  over  which 
we  put  a  prepared  footing.  The  roof  slanted  three 
feet,  giving  a  height  of  nine  feet  in  the  middle  of 
the  cellar.  Ventilation  was  provided  for  hv  in¬ 
serting  two  four-inch  tiles  in  the  roof,  inside  of 
which  were  placed  three-inch  tin  leaders  extending 
down  the  cellar  walls  to  within  a  foot  of  the  floor. 
Over  the  top  of  the  tiles  were  tin  parasols  to  keep 
out  rain  and  dirt.  The  front  of  the  cellar  faced  the 
A  Portable  Concrete  Mixer 
THE  picture  at  Fig.  506  shows  a  portable  con¬ 
crete  mixer  being  used  on  a  farm  in  Wayne 
County.  New  York.  This  combination  of*  mixer 
and  gasoline  engine  well  boxed  in  is  finding  its  way 
to  many  of  the  larger  farms.  A  good  many  farmers 
have  come  to  the  use  of  cement  more  and  more  in 
construction  of  farm  buildings  and  ap¬ 
paratus  ami  some  remarkable  things 
are  made  through  these  portable  out¬ 
fits.  In  some  cases  the  outfit  will  he 
rented  and  driven  from  farm  to  farm 
s<>  that  with  a  small  cost  for  fuel  it 
does  the  work  of  a  number  of  men. 
It  is  light  enough  to  he  readily  hauled 
along  the  country  roads.  This  ma¬ 
chine  not  only  mixes  tho  sand  and  ce¬ 
ment  and  stone,  hut  has  a  pump  at¬ 
tached  which  supplies  water  just  ex¬ 
actly  as  it  is  needed  for  the  mixing. 
We  can  imagine  the  work  done  by  this 
machine  in  a  day’s  time  as*  compared 
with  the  old  process  of  spreading  and 
mixing  the  ingredients  by  hand.  This 
plan  of  sending  a  machine  of  this  sort 
through  the  neighborhood  for  rental  is 
gaining  ground  rapidly  in  many  farm 
localities.  In  England  this  system  has 
come  into  use  of  late,  as  the  war  has 
taken  many  farm  laborers  away,  so  that  t lie  smaller 
farmers  are  now  disposed  to  trade  their  hand  labor 
to  tho  larger  fanners,  who  in  turn  give  them  the 
benefit  of  this  portable  machinery. 
Expensive  Breakfast  Foods 
NOT  long  ago  we  lmd  breakfast  at  a  farmhouse 
hack  some  miles  in  the  country.  We  were  of¬ 
fered  a  choice  of  six  different  kinds  of  “breakfast 
foods.”  Entire  wheat  boiled  soft  and  served  with 
cream  and  sugar  would  have  been  better  than  any 
of  the  half  dozen,  and  much  cheaper.  The  South 
Dakota  Experiment.  Station  has  analyzed  26  differ¬ 
ent  breakfast  foods  and  finds  that  they  cost  all  the 
way  from  seven  to  44  cents  a  pound.  One  sample 
of  “puffed”  grain  cost  46  cents  a  pound,  while  the 
same  grain  boiled  soft  would  have  been  more  nu¬ 
tritious  and  cost  about  two  cents.  When  we  come 
Root  Cellar  with  Smoke-house  at  Left.  Fig.  507 
