1468 
RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
with  the  fintire  rye  crop  plowed  under. 
If  the  rye  is  cut  aud  taken  oft'  you  should 
have  one-third  of  the  value  of  this  rye 
hay  added  to  your  share  of  the  potato.  It 
is  quite  a  common  belief  among  some 
farmers  that  rye  has  little  or  no  value 
as  a  plant  food  when  plowed  under  for 
greeu  manure.  The  figures  here  given, 
however,  show  how  much  plant  food  is 
taken  away  when  the  rye  is  cut.  and  the 
effect  of  this  rye  when  properly  plowed 
into  the  soil  would  he  greater  than  the 
aetuul  quantity  of  plant  food  which  it 
holds.  We  must  remember  that  rye  does 
not,  like  clover.  Alfalfa,  or  beans  add  any¬ 
thing  to  the  soil  by  taking  nitrogen  out  of 
the  air.  It  simply  takes  plant  food  out 
of  the  soil,  and  if  the  crop  is  taken  away 
the  plant  food  which  it  contains  is  lost 
to  the  soil. 
Celery  Goes  to  Seed 
My  celery  lias-gone  to  seed  the  last  two 
years.  Could  you  tell  me  why?  I  planted 
seed  March  18  iu  fiat  in  greenhouse, 
where  I  grow  melons,  cucumbers,  toma¬ 
toes  and  peppers,  temperature  15.1  degrees 
nights.  When  plants  are  large  enough  to 
handle  1  put.  out  in  Hals  1  *4  inches  each 
way.  and  keep  in  house  lil)  1  can  get  it 
out  in  frame,  pinching  taproot  at  first 
handling.  When  the  soil  is  ready  in  gar¬ 
den  I  plant  celery:  put  out  1.000  plants, 
and  could  not.  get  six  plants  at  this  time 
of  writing,  that  have  not  thrown  up  a 
seed  stalk.  It  was  not  so  had  last  year 
under  same  conditions.  Plants  ate  largo 
and  stocks  arc  pithy.  I)o  yon  think  it  is 
the  third  handling  I  give  it  or  can  it  be 
the  temperature  it  is  grown  in  till  it  goes 
to  the  frame?  Plants  are  quite  stocky 
and  six  inches  tall  when  put  in  the  field. 
Bath,  Mo,  J.  s.  m. 
When  celery  plants  are  started  extra 
early  in  the  Spring  and  are  transplanted 
twice  they  are  very  apt  to  go  to  seed,  es¬ 
pecially  if  they  have  to  grow  during  hot 
dry  weather,  and  be  ready  for  market,  in 
late  Summer.  Your  plants  must  have 
had  ideal  growing  conditions  early  in  life, 
so  that  they  developed  very  rapidly,  and 
possibly  grew  too  large  before  they  wore 
set  in  the  field.  A  serious  check  in  the 
growth  of  any  crop  has  a  tendency  to 
throw  it  to  seed.  Beet  plants  are  fre¬ 
quently  grown  in  late  Winter  to  he  set 
outdoors  in  early  Spring.  If  they  are 
too  old  or  have  been  exposed  to  sudden 
ihanges  of  temperature  during  growth 
they  are  apt  to  develop  seed  stalks  when 
set  out.  An  injured  fruit  tree  will  hear 
an  overload  of  buds.  Florists  force  their 
geraniums  to  develop  blooms  at  just  the 
right  time  in  the  Spring  by  giviug  them 
a  severe  check  in  their  growth  by  with¬ 
holding  water  at  just  the  right  length  of 
time  1  eforc  the  blooms  are  wanted. 
In  just  this  way  a  long-drawn-out 
growth  of  the  celery  with  the  two  trans¬ 
planting.1?  and  then  being  set  in  the  field 
is  very  apt  to  fo  ce  seed  stalks.  Do  not 
misunderstand  me.  transplanting  is  all 
right,  hut  the  essential  point  is  to  have  a 
quick,  sturdy  uninterrupted  growth  of  the 
plant.!  at  all  times.  Probably  you  would 
better  plant  later  another  year,  and  rush 
the  plants  along  so  that  they  will  he 
younger  when  set  in  the  field.  Early  cel¬ 
ery  almost  always  will  develop  a  small 
percentage  of  seed  stalks  when  it  is  mar¬ 
keted  in  August  or  September.  However, 
(hot  which  is  ready  to  market  late  in  the 
Fall  should  not  contain  a  plant  with  u 
seed  stalk.  It.  w.  PEB.vnN. 
Harvest  and  Hunter’s  Moon 
I  have  always  understood  that  the  Oc¬ 
tober  moon  was  the  “harvest  moon”  and 
the  November  moon  was  the  “hunter’s 
moon,”  hut  tw<>  Boston  papers  have  just 
quoted  that  the  September  moon  was  the 
“harvest  moon"  aud  the  October  moon 
was  the  “hunter's  moon.”  Are  the  pa¬ 
pers  right?  M.  J. 
Waltham.  Mass. 
Your  information  from  Boston  is  cor¬ 
rect.  The  full  moon  nearest  the  Au¬ 
tumnal  equinox  (Sept.  22)  is  known  as 
the  harvest  moon.  Owing  to  the  occur¬ 
rence  of  minimum  retardation  in  the 
time  of  rising-  at  that  period,  this  moon 
.  ises  at  nearly  the  same  time  on  several 
successive  nights.  It  rises  early,  ctl'ulges 
exquisitely  aud  gives  those  husbandmen 
who  have  been  engaged  in  playing  golf 
all  day  an  opportunity  to  gather  their 
crops;  hence  its  name.  The  hunter’s 
moon  is  the  moon  following  the  harvest 
moon.  The  occasion  for  its  name  is  ob¬ 
vious.  It  occurs  at  the  season  of  the 
year  when  so  many  who  should  he  hunt¬ 
ing  jobs  are  wandering  over  the  back 
pasture  and  through  the  swamp  trying  to 
lind  something  less  valuable  than  a  cow 
November  25.  1910, 
UC  I  IPUTBEATS  ELECTRIC 
1L  Liun  I  OR  GASOLINE 
10  Days  FREE— Send  No  Money 
TWICCTH  CvLl.GHT 
1  . i'-y 
V-LL'imiiiiiiiiitiuici.  1 
to  shoot  at.  There 
moons,  when  you  stop 
a ] i] teals  to  (he  poetiea 
ture 
DID  YOU  RAISE  300  BUSHELS  OF 
POTATOES  PER  ACRE  THIS  YEAR? 
Clarifying  Beeswax 
1  low  may  common  yellow  beeswax  be 
clarified  to  produce  the  “white  wax”  of 
commerce.  E.  II.  H. 
Beeswax  is  purified  by  melting  it  in  hot 
water  slightly  acidulated  with  sulphuric 
acid,  using  one  part  of  the  acid  to  50  to 
200  parts  of  wafer,  according  to  the 
amount  of  dirt  in  the  wax.  This  may  be 
done  nu  a  small  scale  by  heating  the 
acidulated  water  in  an  iron  or  earthen¬ 
ware  kettle  over  the  kitchen  stove;  the 
wax  is  I  him  put  into  the  water  and  after 
it  has  melted  and  Hie  dirt  has  settled  to 
the  bottom  of  the  kettle,  the  molten  wax 
is  carefully  dipped  off  from  the  top.  A 
pint  of  strong  vinegar  to  the  quart  of 
water  may  he  used  instead  of  sulphuric 
acid  and  water,  though  not  quite  as  good. 
To  bleach  the  refined  wax  it  should  he  ex¬ 
posed  in  thin  sheets  or  small  particles  to 
the  sun  for  the  needed  length  of  time. 
M.  B.  D. 
If  vou  dud  not  you  are  losing  part  ot  vour  promts. 
Potatoes  at  almost  $2.00  per  bushel  are  the  most 
profitable  crop  on  the  farm.  Our  book. 
“Potatoes ;  A  Money  Crop” 
will  insure  youi  full  profits.  W  nte  to-day  tor 
vour  copy 
Address  Crop  Book  Department 
THE  COE-MORT1MER  COMPANY,  51  Chambers  St.,  New  York  City 
Subsidiary  of  the  American  Agricultural  Chemical  Co 
Manufacturers  of 
E.  FRANK  COE  FERTILIZERS 
1857  The  Uugincu  Farmers*  Standard  for  Sixty  Years  1917 
We  donrt  ask  you  to  pay  us  a  cent  until  you  have 
used  this  wonderful  modem  white  light  in  your  own  hometen  day9, 
then  you  may  return  it  at  our  expense  if  not  perfectly  satisfied. 
You  mn’t  fxuoib:/  k>«o  a  cent.  Wo  want  to  prove  to  you  that  It  makes 
an  ordinary  oil  latup  look  like  8  caralle:  boats  electric,  gnflollno  or  acety¬ 
lene.  Lights  and  la  put  out  like  old  ©II  lamp.  Teats  by  U.  8.  Govern- 
On  page  1277  Mrs.  S.  .T..  of  Montana, 
asks:  “Docs  frost  do  most  damage  to 
growing  crops  in  the  light  or  dark  of  the 
moon"?  M.  B.  D.  very  correctly  answers 
that  frosts  of  equal  severity  do  no  move 
harm  at  one  time  than  at  another.  It 
seems  to  me  that  Mrs.  S.  -I.  wished  to 
know  whether  the  light  or  dark  of  the 
moon  was  more  or  likely  to  bring  killing 
frost .  Aside  from  any  exact  scientific 
data,  we  have  found  from  experience  that 
if  wo  escape  a  frost  on  the  September 
full  moon  we  need  not  fear  frost  again 
until  *the  same  stage  of  the  October  moon. 
This  lias  been  the  case  this  year;  tile 
first  hard  frost  occurring  the  night  of 
Oct.  10,  and  the  moon  being  full  at  1.01 
A.  M.,  Oct.  11.  A  very  interesting  and 
instructive  bulletin  entitled,  “Notes  on 
Frost,”  may  be  obtained  from  the  Super¬ 
visor  of  Public  Documents.  Washington, 
D,  C.,  for  five  cents.  Moonlight  is  known 
to  affect  the  amount  of  heat  in  green¬ 
house  fumigation,  as  the  Massachusetts 
Agricultural  College  found  by  a  series  of 
experiments  that  the  same  amount  of 
fumigation  seriously  burned  the  foliage  of 
plants  on  moonlight  nights,  that  did  no 
apparent  harm  on  a  dark  night. 
Massachusetts.  frank  j.  mcgregob. 
COUNTRYSIDE  BOOKS  £&& 
COO  selected  banks  l.aving  to  do  v  >th  y  our  well  being 
1b the  cul.ntj'y  ur ftu  -u rug.  Every  rnbject  covered, 
including  the  limiw,  the  garden,  tin  no’ in,  lane  scare 
irurd.  nl  g,  growing  jilunls  under  gln*s  mill  in  llio 
ojien,  scdls.  inse.  t  di>.  nso»,  (burs,  e.-.i-  burses,  bees, 
birds,  poultry,  !! ' h,  indoor  ruin  outdoor  jrituies  and 
sports,  bools,  motors,  camping,  and  other  onido  r 
l©  ml  s,  etc.  Two  specials  •.  A'uiltcur’r  (Ini-den  Guide 
for  1917  (new),  Jioe;  MiludyY  House  Hunt.-  die-  i,  fine. 
A.  T  DE  LA  MARE  CO..  4.18  W.  i?th  St..  New  York 
No  Friend  of  a  Snake 
Almost  every  season  we  find  in  the  ag¬ 
ricultural  press  that  some  one  takes  up 
the  defense  of  the  so-called  harmless 
snakes.  Why  anyone  at  all  familiar 
with  the  habits  of  these  reptiles  defends 
them  is  a  mystery  l  have  never  been 
able  to  comprehend.  I  have  seen  too 
many  family  tragedies  among  my  bird 
friends  to  have  any  sympathy  for  the 
thievish  black  snake  when  he  is  promptly 
executed  when  found  despoiling  the  nest 
of  an  insect iferous  bird  of  its  young.  Ilow 
the  snake  locates  a  robin,  catbird  or  blue 
bird’s  nest  at  a  considerable  elevation  in 
orchard  or  forest  is  more  than  I  kuow. 
hut.  I  do  know  that  it  is  done  successfully. 
I  have  had  frequent  proof.  An  instance 
occurred  only  a  few  weeks  since.  My  at¬ 
tention  was  attracted  to  an  old  apple 
(roe.  where  I  kiunv  a  pair  of  bluebirds  lire! 
reared  a  family  successfully  in  tl  e 
Spring,  by  notes  of  distress  as  I  entered 
the  orchard.  A  cautious  approach  re¬ 
vealed  the  tail  of  a  blacksnakc  10  or  12 
feet  up  the  tree,  while  his  head  was  in¬ 
serted  in  a  hole  made  by  a  woodpecker 
originally,  hut  now  appropriated  by  the 
bluebirds  for  their  home.  They  were 
making  a  valiant  fight  to  drive  the  in¬ 
truder  from  their  Lome  and  save  their 
babies,  but  the  snake  paid  but  little  atten¬ 
tion  to  their  fierce  attacks,  and  the  de¬ 
struction  was  steadily  going  on.  A  con¬ 
venient  club  furnished  me  with  theweanou 
I  needed  and  a  blow  Spoiled  that  snake’s 
appetite  for  young  bluebirds  forever.  The 
destruction  of  the  useful  toad  by  the 
swallowing  alive  process  by  the  so-called 
harmless  snakes,  to  the.  farmers’  loss,  is 
no  unusual  sight  oil  our  farms.  As  be¬ 
tween  the  toad  and  bluebird  and  snakes  I 
vote  to  destroy  the  snakq,  and  save  the 
toad  and  bird.  .T.  ANDREW  UASTERUNE. 
Morris  Co.,  N.  .T. 
FERTILIZERS 
fj  VV  E  ET  Builds  Worn  Out  Soil.  Has 
W  W  "  Lifter  protein  commit  than  alfalfa. 
Is  I  \/  ET  D  *t,r  T»r“v*  *t"l  Information. 
ULUVUX  E.  Burton.  Box  29.  Falmouth.  Kr. 
LARGE  RHUBARB  and  ASPARAGUS  ROOTS 
For  forcing  iu  tin)  rcllnrtlnringxvbiter.  These  vege¬ 
tables  are  easily  grown  ami  may  he  Imil  f.psh  all 
winter.  Dio-cunns  for  grmvingand  price-  sent  free. 
Haxky  L.  squires,  Good  Ground,  N  Y. 
Hasten  Maturity 
Improve  Quality 
Send  for  Crop  Photograph  Book  G 
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SUBSIDIARY  Or  THE  AMERICAN  AGRI.  CHEM.  CO. 
LATEST  MARKET  METHODS  Sffff® 
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practical,  handsome  illustrated  monthly.  Trial 
subscription  3  months  for  10  cts.  Address 
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authorities  are  for  sale  by  The  Rural  New- 
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Engine  only 
This  saw  oulfir  complete  just  as  shown  in  the  f  mm  /%.  j 
(ik luit  r-.dy  lo  Woik,  will  30-inch  saw,  trlt,  I  U  M  *%  1 1  !  /V'c  - 
and  wheels  for  the  rrnuikihly  low  price  of  “■  w  I  ■  w 
Y-ii  cun  i ret  t  I©  hunky,  rek.hl©,  durable  llcnx |.|>iHl 
•'I'kI"*'  «•#  i.i*  iviiiftikulily  lo  .  j,  ic©  ot  8l#7.oO  If  ,  oti  act 
rjuickly.  The  regular  pi-ti’.-  of  this  imuciuo  U  SSoi.OO.  To 
one  man.  amt  oik*  must  only,  In  melt  |.  polity  wo  will  ©oil  ILXj 
©n©  engine  ami  one  engine  only  m  jm.  :,n,  Alter  the  II rat  en*  X  /i r 
glnegot-*  lu  l ho  price  lliertuittor  will  l>e  $97;i.O(l,  Ymiiaunot  Xr 
appreciate  the  wondorfnl  bargain  »c  h.o  ©(Tering  ,  < n  y„r, 
BP.- lh.-  ftnriM.  watch  it  do  work.  Oor„|.aro  it  witli  any  murine  in  y„m-  'lovnlOy  V 
and  you  will  wn*  wlt-h  early  tuOii  wlio  over  hoiiKlit  one  that  they  urr  th,-  iw.it  V 
simple  ana  the  moat  durable  and  the  mo-.i  mini  lo  engine  il.ey  ,-vvi  saw  or  tna  d.  ' 
Send  for  our  ra  to-dav.  U-ui  n  how  and  wl>*  we  make  you  this  remsi  n  do 
fence.  .Vie  bow  lb,  In  built.  Judge  lor  yourself  it  (a  all  wu  nay.  Do  ni 
Our  price  for  En- 
|:ne  only  lets  than 
$16  per  horse 
power 
R.  CONSOLIDATED  GAS  &  GASOLINE  ENGINE  CO.,  202  Fulton  a..  New  Vo*  city 
Spray 
jetables  with  an  Eclipse  Spray  Pump 
THE  FIRST  SUCCESSFUL  SPRAY  PUMP 
MANUFACTURED 
Want  to  Know 
How  small  potatoes  may  be  saf 
for  seed?  With  potatoes  at  tlieir 
high  figure  we  want  to  use  as  f 
charitable  tubers  for  seed  as  poss 
New  York. 
MORRILL  &  MORLEY  MFG.  CO. 
BENTON  HARBOR.  MICH. 
First  in  the  Field  with  a  Successful  Spray  Pump 
“For  the  Land’s  Sake,  use  Bowker's 
Fertilizers;  they  enrich  the  earth  and 
those  who  till  it.” — Adv. 
iyZ?oes  the  Woi'/c 
Cleans  up  t/ie  Ti'ees 
Don’t  put  off  the  dormant  spray  until  the  spring  rush.  The  weather 
may  be  bad  or  the  ground  too  soft.  Spray  this  fall  and  make  sure  of 
controlling  peach  leaf  curl,  San  Jose  scale,  pear  psylla,  apple  canker, 
collar  rot,  etc.  You  can  save  trees  now  that  would  die  before  spring. 
Use  'Scalecide.”  Better  and  cheaper  than,  lime  sulphur — cuts  the  labor 
cost.  Never  injures  trees,  hands,  face  or  pump.  Cost  of  spray  mate- 
rials  will  advance  before  spring.  Order  now  and  save  money.  Write 
today  for  free  booklet,  “The  Whys  and  Wherefores  of  Fall  Spraying.” 
B.  G.  PRATT  CO.,  Manufacturing  Chemists.  Department  N- 
50  Church  Street,  New  York  City 
