RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
with  a  small  spike-tool Fi  burrow  to  loosen  1 1 II J [ IM j  1 t 
the  surface  for  the  reception  of  the  seed, 
which  should  be  immediately  sown  iu  the  i  \ 
freshly  stirred  soil,  using  at  least  four  ^ 
bushels  of  best  lawn  grass  seed  to  the 
acre.  Hake  the  seed  into  the  soil  lightly  W&W/ 
with  a  wooden  rake,  and  roll  with  the 
hand  roller.  The  first  cutting  should  he  -~=* 
made  when  the  grass  reaches  a  height  .•  «f  [O  . 
about  four  inches,  setting  the  machine  so  'Jj 
it  will  cut  about  one  inch  above  ground.  |?\v  * 
Cut  regularly  thereafter  as  it  may  i*<  quire  J  ^ 
to  be  done.  The  approximate  cost  will  be 
about  as  follows:  Plowing,  .$3.50;  ma-  y  I  y  $ 
mire.  $20;  harrowing,  raking  and  rolling,  /' # ;/ 
$0 ;  four  bushels  grass  seed  at  $6  per  \\\\\\W^SS^S^i 
bushel,  $24;  sowing,  raking  and  rolling,  j 
$5;  making  a  total  of  $58.50.  K.  Ill  r— 
RURALISMS 
Use  ior  Tobacco  Stems  and  Clam  Shells 
2.  I  am  able  to  obtain  tobacco  stems 
from  several  cigar  factories.  Could 
these  stems  be  turned  into  a  preparation 
to  drive  away  bugs,  etc.,  from  plants,  and 
sold?  2.  What  could  clam  shells  he  used 
for?  If  they  could  be  sold,  what  pro¬ 
cess  is  necessary  to  turn  them  into  suit¬ 
able  form?  C.  E.  B. 
1.  It  is  possible  to  make  a  tobacco 
liquid  out  of  these  stems,  which  would 
have  some  value  as  an  insecticide.  You 
can  learn  just  bow  to  do  this  by  sending 
to  the  Virginia  Experiment  Station  at 
Blacksburg  Post  Office,  and  ask  for  a 
copy  of  their  bulletin  on  the  subject.  It 
would  be  fit  for  homo  use,  but  it  is  not 
likely  that  you  could  put  in  on  the  mar¬ 
ket.  to  advantage,  as  it  would  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  make  a  uniform  product,  and  this 
could  not  be  guaranteed  without  special 
tests  aud  analysis.  There  is  little  chance 
that  you  could  develop  a  business  in  this 
line. 
2.  The  clamshells  contain  lime,  which 
would  be  about  the  only  element  of  value 
in  them.  They  can  be  crushed  or  ground, 
and  could  then  be  sold  as  shell  lime,  as 
is  done  already  with  oyster  shells  on  the 
Southern  coast.  You  will  need  a  stamp¬ 
er  and  bone  mill  to  crush  the  clamshells 
properly,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  you 
could  compete  with  ground  limestone,  ex¬ 
cept  in  the  most  limited  way.  There  are 
a  good  many  of  these  waste  products 
which  contain  plant  food,  and  may  be 
bought  reasonably  in  small  lots.  They 
•ire  good  for  home  use,  but  it  is  not  likely 
that  it  would  pay  to  try  to  develop  a 
trade  in  them,  because  if  they  could  be 
bought  iu  sufficient  quantities  to  make 
their  sale  profitable,  the  fertiliser  manu¬ 
facturers  or  the  insecticide  dealers  would 
quickly  find  and  utilize  them. 
Claims  Don’t  Cut  Whiskers 
Here’s  the  razor  which  takes  the  guesswork 
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Just  think  how  you  have  longed  and  hoped  for  a 
better  shave  than  you  are  now  getting.  You,  too, 
can  enjoy  the  clean,  comfortable  shave  that  over  a 
million  men  now  have  with 
Shave  with  it — strop  it — shave  with  it  again  and  again,  then 
if  in  3  days  or  30  days  you’re  not  perfectly  satisfied,  write 
us.  We  will  make  good  with  another  razor  or  your  money 
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DEALER’S  NOTE  —  We  have  an  interesting  proposition  Ifor 
you.  Write  to  us. 
GENEVA  CUTLERY  COMPANY 
101  Gates  Avenue,  Geneva,  N.  Y. 
Chipmunks  and  Birds 
I  should  like  to  know  if  chipmunks 
are  guilty,  as  red  squirrels  certainly  are, 
of  eating  birds’  eggs  and  young  birds. 
Some  of  the  farmers  hereabouts  are.  pos¬ 
itive  as  to  chipmunks  killing  small  chicks. 
Have  you  any  information  as  to  that? 
Hudson,.  N.  Y.  w.  c.  p. 
Our  reports  indicate  that  chipmunks 
as  well  as  squirrels  are  guilty  of  robbing 
the  nests  of  birds.  We  have  no  record 
to.  show  that  they  have  killed  young 
chicks,  although  we  know  that  that  charge 
has  been  made  against,  them.  We  would 
like  to  have  reports  from  farmers  on  this 
point  and  also  would  like  to  know  why 
chipmunks  should  ever  he  “protected," 
Squash  Bug 
Can  you  tell  me  of  a  remedy  or  meth¬ 
od  of  exterminating  the  gray  beetle  or 
bug  which  infests  squash  and  melon  vines 
by  the  thousand,  destroying  them? 
Brookfield,  Conn.  H.  E.  R, 
The  offensive  smelling  squash  bug  is 
a  sucking  insect  and  therefore  cannot  be 
brought  under  control  by  poisoning  like 
chewing  insects.  There  seems  to  be  not 
much  hope  of  bringing  them  under  con¬ 
trol  after  they  become  very  numerous, 
par! Ynlarly  iu  field  culture  where  there 
are  large  numbers  of  vines  infested.  The 
eggs  are  deposited  in  small  clusters  on 
the  underside  of  the  leaves,  and  are 
easily  seen.  In  a  small  garden  where 
only  a  few  hills  are  grown,  the  bags  and 
eggs  may  be  easily  hand-picked  and  be 
thus  kept  under  control.  It  is  reported 
that  raw  bone  meal  has  beeu  used  suc¬ 
cessfully  iu  repelling  them.  This  bone 
meal  is  dusted  on  the  vines  by  hand  or 
by  flu1  use  .if  a  dry  powder  gun.  If 
this  is  not  a  false  report,  this  remedy 
would  serve  a  twofold  purpose,  that  of 
driving  the  bugs  ;nvay  and  fertilizing 
the  plants.  K. 
11  j.  0**/1o»*  Write  your  name  and  address  on  the  coupon 
liOW  tO  UlUcf  below,  send  it  to  us  with  tae  price  you  pre¬ 
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ever  hoped  for.  ^ 
If  your  beard  is  not  unusually  wiry  or  h  nvy.  order 
the  $2.00  ''Genco."  If  wiry,  and  yoi  skin  tender, 
you  better  send  S3.00  ior  the  heavier.extra 
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must  make  good  or  Cutlery 
we  will.  ^ 101  Gate*  ft 
Please  send  me . "Genco"  Razor 
I  enclose, 
Name, 
Town 
I  bought  my  last  razor  from. 
Insects  in  Beans  and  Grain 
At  this  time  we  get  dozens  of  questions 
about  handling  henns  so  as  to  destroy  the 
weevil.  This  insect  proves  very  injur¬ 
ious.  but  is  easy  to  destroy.  The  beans 
should  ho  put  into  a  barrel  or  box  which 
can  be  made  airtight.  But  a  deep  dish 
on  top  of  the  beans  inside  the  barrel, 
and  pour  into  this  dish  a  quantity  of 
bisulphide  of  carbon.  When  exposed  to 
the  air  this  liquid  forms  a  gas  which  is 
heavier  than  air,  and  which  will  work- 
down  into  the  barrel  all  through  the  beans. 
This  gas  is  poisonous,  and  the  death  of 
all  breathing  things,  and  working  down 
through  the  ben  ns  in  this  way  it  will  kill 
the  weevils.  Care  must  be  taken  to  cover 
the  box  or  barrel  with  a  blanket  or  other 
cover  which  will  exclude  the  air.  The 
fumes  arising  from  the  bisulphide  will 
explode  or  take  fire  if  a  flame  is  brought 
too  close  to  them.  Consequently  care 
should  be  taken  to  keep  a  lantern  or  a 
candle  or  matches  away  from  these  fumes. 
Care  should  also  be  taken  not  to  brim  the 
these  fumes,  as  they  might  prove  as  dead¬ 
ly  to  humans  as  they  are  to  the  bean 
weevil. 
Blast  Holes  for  Trees; 
Get  Sturdier  Roots 
u  Both  apple  and  peach  trees  planted  in  blasted  holes 
developed  deeper  and  stronger  root  systems  than 
those  in  spade-dug  holes,”  the  New  Jersey  Expen 
ment  Station  found.  uSoil  around  spade- dug  trees 
was  hard;  around  blasted  trees  it  was  loose  for 
yards.”  Plant  your  fruit  trees  in  holes  made  with 
Atlas  Farm  Fowde 
Remaking  an  Old  Lawn 
Will  you  tell  me  what,  process  an  old 
lawn  should  g"  through  in  making  a  new 
one  after  plowing  up  the  old  one  and  how 
much  would  it  cost  approximately  to  have 
an  .acre  of  old  lawn  so  treated? 
Woodhill,  Ba.  A.  G.  p. 
Blow  it  this  Fall,  breaking  up  the  soil 
as  deeply  as  possible,  aud  allow  it  to  re¬ 
main  in  the  furrow  over  Winter.  If  the 
soil  is  sour  it  should  have  at  least  three- 
fourths  of  a  ton  of  lime  or  a  ton  of  hard¬ 
wood  ashes  applied  to  it-  as  a  top-dressing 
soon  after  plowing.  The  following  Spring 
apply  a  heavy  coat  of  old  thoroughly 
rotted  Stable  manure,  and  mix  it  with  the 
surface  soil  with  a  disk  or  spading  har¬ 
row.  which  should  he  run  over  it  three 
or  four  times  in  different  directions  to 
pulverize  t lie  soil  thoroughly,  then  level  it 
with  a  smoothing  harrow,  after  which  it 
should  be  gone  over  with  the  steel  rake, 
and  further  pulverized  and  leveled,  re¬ 
moving  all  bumps  by  raking  the  soil  into 
the  low  places.  After  the  pulverizing  and 
leveling  has  been  accomplished,  roll  it 
with  a  heavy  hand  roller,  and  if  any  de¬ 
pressions  are  made  by  the  roller,  rake 
soil  into  them  and  roll  again,  and  let  the 
second  rolling  be  done  at  right  angles  to 
the  first,  again  raking  soil  into  any  low 
spots  revealed  by  the  rolling  The  seed 
bed  should  now  be  gone  ovci  very  lightly 
punch  a  hole,  charge  it,  The  Safest  Explosive  replaces 
a  fuse  and  the  work  is  expensive  labor  in  many 
/  You  can  do  your  own  kinds  of  farm  work.  It  is 
ing  easily  and  quickly  most  economical  for  blasting 
Atlas  Farm  Powder —  stumps,  digging  ditches, 
:  especially  for  agricultu-  shattering  boulders,  etc.  By 
se.  It  is  sold  by  dealers  blastingthe  subsoil  with  Atlas 
you.  you  can  get  bigger  crops. 
Mail  Coupon  Now  for  Free  Book 
Our  illustrated  book,  "  Better  Farming,”  shows  how  to  save 
money  and  increase  the  productiveness  of  your  farm  bv  usin£ 
Atlas  Farm  Powder.  Sen1’  tree  on  ♦’ccjucst — mail  the  couoon  now. 
Protecting  Trees  Against  Mice 
In  the  heavy  snows  of  last  Winter  we 
suffered  considerable  loss  from  field  mice 
girdling  young  fruit  trees,  shrubs  and 
roses.  Ban  you  suggest  any  other  protec¬ 
tion  than  the  application  repeated  once 
or  twice,  of  whitewash  and  Baris  green, 
Hudson,  N.  Y.  *  av.  c.  r. 
The  best  wash  avc  know  of  is  a  thick 
solution  of  lime  and  sulphur  with  a  small 
quantity  of  Paris  green  or  arsenate  of 
lead  mixed  in  with  it.  This  paiuted  on 
the  base  of  the  trees  would  keep  many 
kinds  of  vermin  away,  but  avo  have  nev¬ 
er  found  any  application  of  this  sort  a 
full  protection.  The  mice  work  in  un¬ 
der  the  snow,  or  under  a  mulch  around 
the  trees.  They  very  rarely  cross  open 
ground  to  reach  the  trunk.  Frequently  a 
high  mound  of  coal  ashes  piled  around 
the  tree  iu  Hie  Fall  will  give  protection, 
except  in  case  of  deep  and  drifting  snow. 
The  safest  way  is  to  put  on  a  mechanical 
protector.  Most  of  the  fruit  growers  Avho 
practice  this  use  wire  netting  or  gauze. 
A  narrow  strip  is  cut  about  18  inches  or 
two  leet  wide  .and  w rapped  around  the 
tree.  It  is  pushed  down  into  the  ground 
far  enough  to  make  it  firm,  and  fastened 
on  with  string  or  wire. 
t  planted  in  blasted 
i£ht,  in  spade-dug 
ATLAS  POWDER  CO., 
Wilmington,  Del.l 
Send  me  your  7-f-pagc  book  “Better 
Farming."  I  am  interested  in  the  use 
o(  explosives  for  the  purpose  before 
which  I  mark  X.  RN'15 
Slump  Blasting 
Boulder  Blasting 
Subsoil  Biasline 
Tree  Planting 
Ditch  Digging 
Quarrying-Mining 
Name 
