1S2 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 11, 101112 
General Farm Topics 
Planting Potatoes in Hills 
I very much prefer hills to drills for 
some very good reasons. It is much more 
economical to seed, taking but •one-third 
as much as do drills. It is very much 
easier to keep the weeds checked, or, 
rather, to kill them. I prepare the 
ground thoroughly, preferably a clover 
sod. but any other is all right if rich 
enough. I would not plant on poor soil, 
but if moderately fertile, it is good enough 
if prepared thoroughly by manure, if you 
have it; hut I have planted without ma¬ 
nure or fertilizer of any kind on sandy 
loam. 1 prefer such a soil for potatoes. 
To prepare for the crop, plow rather 
deeper than for corn : 8 in. is all right. 
Harrow, spring-tooth or disk until the 
soil is mellow, a week or two before you 
want to plant; then harrow once more 
if the soil is weedy. This will kill mil¬ 
lions of the weeds before they are up. 
To mark or score, a marker with rather 
broad teeth is best, ami if necessary to 
go deeply ouough. should be weighted 
when going across the first marks or 
rows. The best distance apart is f! ft. 
each way, for the reason the cultivator 
will do better work than if wider, and if 
narrower the potatoes will not have room 
enough to develop their best. Mark one 
way first, and then across the other way, 
so as to make a plain corner for the seed 
hills. I always drop one piece in a hill. 
I cover with a hoe not over 1 in.; less 
is as good, just enough to keep the seed 
from drying, leaving a depression. I 
“pat” the hill as I cover it to mark it 
plainly, so I can put on fertilizer over 
it where it will do most good. I prefer 
fertilizing then to any other time. 
As to size of potatoes or pieces, it 
seems to make little difference to the crop. 
I have cut to single eyes, and had as good 
results, or even I have slipped off the 
sprout four or five inches long, and 
planted the sprout and taken several 
sprouts from same “eye” with good yields 
in all cases, where the after cultivation 
was well done. 
After planting I wait until they are 
coming through, or are up an inch or 
two; then take cultivator with little 
“shovels” turned outward, and cultivate 
going the way it was last marked, and 
cover them completely. This is the se¬ 
cret of getting ahead of the weeds. After- 
cultivation is with the plain teeth both 
ways, keeping at it until the vines begin 
to fall. Then finish with shovel plow, if 
T can get one. throwing the earth right 
into the hills. No harm is done if some 
of them are covered. This last shovel- 
plowing should he both ways, leaving the 
hills peaked. No liand-hociug will be 
necessary if the work has been thorough. 
I have raised over 200 bu. an acre on 
land so weedy that my neighbor, who 
planted in drills, had to mow and cart 
off’ the woods before he could see where 
the rows of potatoes wore. Weeds on 
this field were as high as n man’s shoul¬ 
der. I did not. hoe. or have to mow 
weeds. If not possible to get a shovel 
plow, put little shovels on cultivator, and 
also the largest-sized tooth in the middle, 
and make as deep a furrow as possible, 
setting cultivator quite narrow, so as not 
to damage the little roots which quite fill 
the ground at this time. n. t. a. 
Pennsylvania. 
Moving Bees From Trees 
How can I get the bees out of a bee 
tree and transfer them to a hive? 
New Jersey. h. f. it. 
If the bees are not located very high 
in the tree, it will be necessary for you 
to put on a boo veil before chopping into 
the tree. After a few blows of the ax, 
however, the bees will quiet down. As 
soon as the tree falls they may be inclined 
to sting. To quiet them, use a little 
smoke, which can be blown on them with 
a regular bee smoker for the purpose. 
As a substitute for a bee smoker you may 
roll up a bunch of old rags, ignite one 
< nd, and after it is burning blow smoke 
across the burning end onto the bees. 
You can then chop into the side of the 
tree, and after a few blows of the ax the 
bees will be perfectly quiet. The bees 
can then be transferred into a modern 
hive that ought not cost over $4 or $5. 
You arc urged to buy a modern hive from 
any dealer. The dealer will be glad to 
give you full directions on how to trans¬ 
fer the combs and bees into a modern 
hive. E. R. ROOT. 
A Rose for Remembrance 
When we wore first married you sent 
ns a Crimson Humbler rose. It is a joy 
each Spring. There is something so 
warm and human about it when in full 
bloom that 1 have not the power to de- 
scribe the sensation I have ns I feast my 
soul on the endless number of roses. If 
I had the knack of description as the 
Hope Farm man has I would make you 
see and feel our enjoyment of the lovely 
I tain bier. \Vp placed it near our buck 
door for our constant enjoyment. When 
the shed window is open it climbs right 
in with its blooms. 
Do you not consider these roses monu¬ 
ments to your memory V Isn't it better 
than a marble slab will ho -to have your 
name and kindness written in the minds 
and hearts of the multitudes of people 
who know you? This bush may not look 
very beautiful in the picture 1 am sending 
you, here shown, but ii is very pretty. 
“Handsome is that handsome does.” you 
know. The card also shows a magnolia 
not sufficient ability to care for your son 
an application may he made to the court 
to modify the order fixing the amount, you 
are required to pay, if one has been made. 
There seems to he nothing that compels 
you to keep your property up to its pres¬ 
ent amount, and there is no reason why 
you cannot give such assistance to your 
other son as you may see tit., if it is not 
for the purpose of defrauding. n. t. 
Marriage Laws in New York 
What are the marriage laws in this 
State for people over .”() years old? Sup¬ 
posing those two persons should live in 
Otsego County for a number of years 
and should go to Albany and gel mar¬ 
ried, swearing they lived in Albany. 
Would the marriage be legal, the same 
persons procuring their license in Albany 
also? Would n man be bound to the 
woman by marriage ties or would the 
fact that they procured their license in 
one place and were, married iu a different 
place release him? m. w. ti. 
New York. 
The New York State statute provides 
that it shall be necessary for nil persons 
intending to be married to obtain a mar¬ 
riage license from the town or city clerk 
of the town or city in which the woman 
to be married resides, and to deliver 
said license to the clergyman or magis¬ 
trate before whom the marriage is to lie 
performed. If the woman or both parties 
reside outside of the State of New York 
no work done. The ditch is filled up, and 
the wafer, when there is any, goes on to 
my land. The old boss tells me that he 
had strict orders to keep the ditch clean 
at all times, and the new boss says that 
he has orders to let it alone. Some toll 
me that the State must take care of it, 
while others say it is up to the village, 
(’an you give me any information on the 
matter? w. n. r. 
New York. 
Your question is difficult to answer, for 
tin 1 reason that the Slate usually takes a 
very broad release from the land owners 
when it constructs a ditch for the pur¬ 
pose of draining a State road. This re¬ 
lease usually recites that, the owner re¬ 
leases the State from any and all dam¬ 
ages, and gives the State permission to 
enter on the premises, if it desires, for 
the purpose of opening the ditch. Prob¬ 
ably your neighbor has a copy of that 
release, and it would be well for you to 
examine this. N. t. 
Boundaries; Fraud in Sale; Revenue 
Stamps 
1. We are told that if a man puts 
marks «t the corners of a piece of land 
according to the deed, said land never 
having been surveyed, lie cannot either 
give a warranty deed nor hold his bound¬ 
aries, simply because the line has not 
been run by a surveyor. 1 have con¬ 
sulted the owners on all sides of the land, 
and said marks agree with their deeds, 
and they say that it is the proper place. 
One man said that T should put them 
where I thought they should go and it 
would be all right. T think there is no 
surveyor nearer than 45 miles. A large 
amount of the land around hero is wild 
land. 2. A sells I! a piece of land. Be¬ 
fore selling he shows R where the corners 
are, and says that the buildings are bis; 
the house and barn were on the place 
when he bought, that he built the wood¬ 
shed, and will sell for a certain price. 
A is recommended to H by a game war¬ 
den ns an honest and square man. It is 
a stranger in the place. They trade, and 
A gives B a warranty deed with the 
words in it. “To have and to hold the 
afore granted anil bargained premises 
with all the privileges and appurtenances 
thereof.” After getting settled B takes 
a 10-ft. pole and measures the lot. The 
deed calls for measurements from a cer¬ 
tain point at the farthest part of the lot 
from the buildings. When B gets the 
proper distance lie finds that the barn 
and shed are on a lot about 75 ft. to the 
boundaries shown by A before selling. 
There is only one point given in the deed 
to take measurements from. The land 
as measured includes only one of the 
throe buildings A gave It possession of 
nil three buildings. What remedy has 
B? lie asked A to buy the additional 75 
ft. and deed it to him and make good 
what he sold, and A refuses. .‘I. T am 
also told that while the register of deeds 
will not tell you if your deed should have 
revenue stamps on it. that if an inspector 
finds out that there are none on it. when 
there should he, somebody gets punished. 
Who, the man who sells the land or the 
man wlm buys it? Wlmt is the penalty 
for omitting the stamps? Who is the 
proper authority to enforce the law? 
These questions to apply to a warranty 
deed dated October 17. 1921, and for a 
purchase price of $450. p. n. 
Maine. 
1. It. makes no difference whether you 
have a surveyor or not so long as you 
and the admining owners arc satisfied. 
2. Tf at the time of the purchase of the 
lot the vendor fraudulently and falsely 
represented that the buildings were in¬ 
cluded in the transfer, owl you relied 
upon those representations, you probably 
could recover damages against him in an 
action for fraud. 
3. The Federal statute in relation to 
revenue stamps says "that whoever (A) 
makes, signs, issues or accepts or caused 
to be made, signed, issued or accepted 
any instrument, document or paper of 
any kind or description whatsoever with¬ 
out the full amount thereon being duly 
paid is guilty of a misdemeanor, anil 
upon conviction thereof shall pay a fine 
of not more than $100 for each offense.” 
N. T. 
Land Bounded by Stream 
My place, consisting of five acres, is, 
according to my deed, bounded on the 
north by the brook ns it winds and turns. 
The fence stands about five rods beyond, 
or to the north of the brook, where the 
brook originally ran. The fence has 
stood where it is now and the land be¬ 
tween fence and brook has been occupied 
b.v myself and former owners for at least 
40 years. Mv neighbor on the north is 
getting out timber, and without consulting 
me has destroyed a portion of mv fence. 
T am interested to know whether the" 
brook or the fence is the lawful line, and 
if I have a right to turn the brook back 
to its original course without my neigh¬ 
bor's consent, and also if 1 can compel 
hint to replace fence which he has de¬ 
stroyed. R. R. 
New York. 
Where the boundary line of property is 
a creek or stream of water, and the 
stream changes its course gradually and 
imperceptibly, the boundary changes with 
the line of the crock or stream. If the 
stream suddenly took a new course, the 
qase would be different. \. T. 
A Rose of Remembrance from The E, N.-Y. 
wo have transplanted from the woods, 
and a privet bush we have allowed to 
grow to the second story windows. Surely 
you will be glad to know your rose bush 
lulling card is always in evidence at our 
happy home. cora a. lupton. 
New Jersey. 
Storing Cabbage 
I saw an inquiry about storing cabbage 
in New York State. 1 live in Cayuga 
County, and the Danish cabbage is nearly 
all stored as follows: About. November 1 
ilio heads are cut out with u spade, leav¬ 
ing a few extra leaves on the head. The 
heads are pitched into a wagon with 
forks, drawn out into the meadow and 
sot. stems down, on the grass, close to¬ 
gether, and only One deep. When done, 
the cabbage is covered with a thin layer 
of straw, and it will keep well until 
March. We are taking out a carload now 
stored in this way. The stem and surplus 
leaves have to be cut off fresh. 
Cayuga Co., N. Y. furuey mintuun. 
Legal Questions 
canse him to 
maintained, 
pend entirely 
each case, as 
the discretion 
they may go to any town or city clerk and 
obtain the license. 
The legality of the marriage is not 
affected if the woman commits perjury 
when she obtains the license in a city 
or town other than the one where she re¬ 
sides. Tf this were not so there would be 
hundreds of trial marriages. The danger 
of going to the wrong town or city to ob¬ 
tain a license is apparent, when one 
realizes that in order to obtain a license 
they must swear ro their place of resi¬ 
dence. N. T. 
Rights in Property Sold for Unpaid Taxes 
' Maintenance of Insane Son 
One son made me much wealth, the 
other I educated and from over,study he 
became an inmate of a State hospital. 
He has up to. nmv cost me more than what 
bis share in my estate would be, and still 
T am given to understand that by law I 
cannot will my property away from him, 
even if so desired. If i put my property 
in the form of “either or survivor may 
draw” or into common ownership, can the 
State compel my survivor to divide or to 
continue this son’s maintenance? Is there 
any State which does not compel the 
relatives or parents of the insane to bear 
their maintenance while in State hos¬ 
pitals? J- 
New York. 
There is no reason why you cannot dis¬ 
pose nf your property by will as you sec 
fit. The statute provides that the father, 
mother, husband, wife and children of an 
insane person, if of sufficient ability, shall 
be properly cared for and 
Sufficient ability must de- 
tipon the circumstances in 
the matter rests largely in 
of the court. It cannot de¬ 
pend entirely tin the amount of the income 
a person receives or the amount of his 
property. All the circumstances will be 
taken into Consideration by the court. We 
know of no State which does not require 
that an insane person shall be cared for by 
such near relatives ns have sufficient abil¬ 
ity to do so. If at any time your prop¬ 
erty becomes depicted so that you have 
IIuw long is it necessary to bold prop¬ 
erty purchased at unpaid tax sale in Suf¬ 
folk County. N. Y.. before the property 
belongs to one and a clear title obtained? 
Also, what rights has a purchaser in the 
way of cutting wood, clearing and plant¬ 
ing, building thereon, and rights of origi¬ 
nal owner in point of claim to recover? 
New York. J. N. 
There is a special provision with refer¬ 
ence to the redemption of lands sold for 
taxes which applies to Suffolk County, 
In that county such redemption may be 
made at any time within three years after 
the last date of sale. The purchaser at 
a tax sale has no right to make any 
changes in the property which would de¬ 
preciate the value thereof before the 
period of redemption has expired. It is 
not wise to do any building before the 
period of redemption has expired, for the 
reason that the owner is liable to redeem 
minute. There is hut little 
in buying property at tax 
in rare eases, unless the pur- 
so for the additional rate of 
interest which he secured in those cases. 
There are some who are regular attend¬ 
ants at tax sales and invest a considerable 
amount of money iu that way. but they 
usually do it for the interest rather than 
for the purpose of securing the land itself. 
at the last 
satisfaction 
sale, except 
chaser does 
State Liability for Ditch 
I have a small truck or garden farm 
of five acres in an incorporated village. 
Just above m.v place there is a sluice under 
the State rmul. Nearly three years ago 
the State road men opened’a ditch from 
this sluice across I In* flats to the creek, 
a distance of about 50 rods. This ditch 
is not on mv land, but on my neighbor's, 
just over the line and parallel thereto. 
When the ditch was opened my neighbor 
and I both supposed that the State was 
under obligations to keep it open, and 
was also responsible for damages if it 
was not properly attended to. We were 
so informed by the man who had the work 
In charge. lie had it cleaned several 
times that Summer. Next Summer a new 
vvne on thi> ioli. and there has been 
