larch 25, 1922 
440 
found it necessary to limit himself to his regular 
Customers, and if anyone on rhe outside got a chance 
to get some of hi- seed he considered himself lucky, 
Mr. Wilson lias increased his output and has built up 
a considerable trade. Jersey men are not only willing, 
Put anxious, to pay a price considerably above the 
market to get his seed, for they know what they are 
getting. For instance, Charles Ryno, a grower at 
Tenueut. told me last year that he was able to get 
a few sacks of Wilson seed and planted it alongside 
of the seed from another source in a 10-acre field. 
Me didn’t notice much difference between the two 
during the growing season, except that the "W i 1- 
sons" did not die so early. But digging time told 
the story. "I would have had 100 more barrels in 
this field." he said, "if I had used all Wilson seed.” 
His experience is typical. If New York and Maine 
growers only appreciated it. theve is a small fortune 
awaiting them if they would give more attention to 
the growing of special high-yielding strains for 
Jersey seed. 
LATE-CROF SEED. — South Jersey “late-crop- 
ptrs," the most recent departure as a source of 
seed, also are coming to the fore. In the southern 
part of the Stare, where the growing season is 
longer than iu the central counties, potatoes planted 
in mid-July and growing until killed by frost in 
October produce a seed which possesses a vigor 
lacking in the early crop. Tests of this source 
showed such superiority over the common run of 
Northern seed that a demand has sprung up. The 
State department of Agriculture instituted a system 
of certification, and in 1921 the growers of South 
Jersey late-eroppers applied for certification of 
nearly T.000 acres. They are alive to the situation, 
these South Jersey growers. They are lessening the 
acreage of their early crop, thus helping to clear 
the market for the Central Jersey crop, and making 
room for more of the late crop on their faims. 
They have organized the South Jersey Second-crop 
Seed Potato Association to promote the growing of 
their pvoduct, and to advertise it to the Central 
Jersey growers. Last Fall 350 growers united in an 
auto tour of the South Jersey potato district to see 
the growing crop. 
SULPHUR IS KNOCKING OFT SCAB.—One 
hundred and twenty-five carloads of inoculated sul¬ 
phur. or approximately 2 .omO tons, it is estimated, 
will he used on the 1922 crop of potatoes to fight 
scab. Right here is another interesting development 
in the potato game. Scab has long been one of the 
potato growers’ most dreaded enemies. It has been 
becoming more and more prevalent iu the potato¬ 
growing areas of New Jersey in recent years, espe¬ 
cially where the growers have been using lime 
liberally. Not so long ago the older growers would 
tell you that lime caused scab. Their powers of 
observation were good, but their science was bad. 
While they were combating the familiar potato hug 
above ground by poisoning with Paris green, they 
did not realize that they had another more insidious 
“bug" enemy working under ground, and causing 
the scab, and that this bug could lie “poisoned" with 
sulphur. Yet this is practically the case. It was 
the State Agricultural Experiment Station that 
finally got the number of this bug. and chased him 
to his lair. Studies by scientists in New Jersey and 
other States showed that the “hug. a fungus 
organism which caused a roughening of the tubers, 
greatly lessening their market value, loves an alka¬ 
line or "sweet’’ soil, and that it cannot live, or at 
least is not active, in an acid or “sour” soil. Hence 
the established belief that lime causes scab—the 
truth of the matter being, of course, that lime does 
rot cause scab, but if present merely creates a con¬ 
dition in the soil favorable to the development of 
the disease. 
MAKING THE SOIL SOFR.—It follows, then, 
that the application of something that would make 
the soil sour should control the scab. Sulphur is 
such a substance, and experiments on a number of 
farms about the State showed that it had this effect 
on scab, But here another “hug" comes in, this 
time a beneficial one. In early tests sometimes the 
sulphur did not seem to have any effect ou the scab, 
when in an adjoining field it might give excellent 
control. Then it was discovered that certain bac- 
toria were necessary to make the sulphur effective. 
Sulphur itself i> an inactive substance: in order to 
make the soil sour it must first he turned into an 
acid by uniting with water and the oxygen of the 
air. Certain soil bacteria cause this transformation, 
rml if they are not present in the soil, then the acid 
will not he formed, at least, not rapidly enough to 
slop the scab. So sulphur Inoculated with the “sul- 
fofying” bacteria was tried, and almost invariably 
it gave better control of the scab than the unin¬ 
oculated sulphur. The inoculated sulphur costs a 
Jht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
little more than ihe other, but the growers are glad 
t<- pay the difference. 
RESULTS FROM SULPHUR.—Dr. W. II. Martin 
of the State Experiment Station, who has been in 
charge of the sulphur experiments for several years, 
told me of his work on the problem. “According to 
our experiments," he said, “the finely-ground sul¬ 
phur flour gives the best results from a practical 
standpoint. We have found that it should lie applied 
broadcast over the field before planting and well 
mixed into tHe soil. It should not be put into the 
row with the seed or fertilizer. Also, overdoses 
should be avoided. We recommend about 500 IDs;, 
to the acre oil fields where the scab is moderately 
bad. and as much as 000 lbs. to the acre on fields 
where it is severe, but not more. Growers should 
ascertain the acidity of their soil by making suitable 
tests before determining the amount of sulphur to 
use. The farmers have taken to sulphur like ducks 
to water. The chief danger is that they will go too 
far with it. and I have to try to hold some of them 
hack. And not only is there great interest in the 
use of sulphur for scab in this State, but the news 
is spreading outside, and I am getting inquiries from 
all quarters. It is not strange that this should be 
so. since scab is a serious menace to the crop 
wherever grown. I have collected data from the 
other potato-producing States, and a conservative 
estimate would place the annual national loss from 
tills disease alone at $10,000,000.” 1 realized a little 
more fully what this discovery meant to the Jersey 
growers when I had talked to some of them. Ed¬ 
ward Probasco, whose farm is situated at Manala- 
pan. five miles southwest of Freehold, told me one 
day while lie was harvesting his 100-acre crop that 
he was going to try sulphur next season. “We have 
got to cither get rid of scab or quit growing pota¬ 
toes.” lie remarked conclusively. 
LOSS FROM SLAB-—Howard Woodward, a Ten- 
uent grower, said lie was through using lime on his 
bay crop. “I’ve been using a lot of lime in the last 
10 years,” he said, “trying to raise big hay crops. 
But I have got my soil so sweet that when the fields 
have come into potatoes the scab has become very 
had. Why. you have no idea what a loss it means! 
In one year I sold my crop from 50 acres for $1,000 
b ss than it would have brought if it had been clean. 
We figured it. all out by comparing the price of No. 
1 grade each day with what my scabby shipments 
brought. And that doesn’t cover any reduction in 
yield, either. Now I am trying to make the soil sour 
again. 1 used inoculated sulphur on all my potato 
ground this year, and it surely did belli. In some 
parts of the field where the scab was very had last 
year the potatoes are practically all marketable this 
year. In a 10-acre field that contained considerable 
scab last year we bad only about 25 barrels this 
year that were not marketable as first grade on 
account of scab.” caul k. woodward. 
Raising Hothouse Lambs 
Part III 
BUTCHERING THE LAMBS.—The age at which 
Ihe lambs should be marketed will depend upon their 
size and condition, but in general they should he 
ready for market at 10 to 12 weeks of age, and 
should weigh from 50 to 00 lbs. at this time. The 
early markets favor the lighter weight carcasses, 
while heavier lambs are in demand later in the sea¬ 
son. It is very essential in butchering the lambs 
that they he well hied out. To accomplish this, 
suspend the lamb by both bind legs to a frame or 
dressing rack with a loop of smalt rope. With a 
sharp pointed knife sever the jugular vein and the 
large artery in Ihe neck by inserting the knife at a 
point just hack of the jaw bone, running the blade 
clear through the neck, then cutting straight out. 
The suffering may be lessened by breaking the neck 
alter sticking and severing the spinal cord. As soon 
as the lamb stops’ struggling the bead may be re¬ 
moved at a point between the first and second 
\ ert ebrn*. 
DRESSING.—Clip the wool from the brisket and 
a si rip 4 in. wide upward to the tail, and also from 
the inside of the legs. With a sharp knife open up 
the lamb from Ihe tail to the brisket, taking care not 
to cut through Ihe caul fat. Slit, the skin up the 
inside of tiio legs for about 4 in. and loosen the skin 
from the muscles along the openings in the skin to 
a depth of 2 in. for ihe attachment of the caul fat. 
This should be carefully removed and placed in a 
pull of warm water. Now remove the stomachs and 
intestines and wash out the inside of the abdominal 
cavity with cold water. The lungs and liver are 
left in the carcass, except when the weather is too 
warm at the time of shipping. 
TRUSSING THE CARCASS.—The carcass may 
or may not he trussed, at the option of the shipper. 
If done, it makes a more attractive carcass. To 
truss the carcass, the backbone is broken in the 
region of the small of the back by taking hold of the 
lower portion oT the carcass with both hands, placing 
the knee against the back, and exerting a quick pres¬ 
sure with the knee, at the same time pulling with 
the hands. Trusses made for the purpose are in¬ 
serted. one end in the loosened skin in the region of 
the flank, the other end on tile opposite side as far 
up toward the brisket as is possible, the two crossing 
in the back near the place where the backbone was 
broken. The caul fat is spread over the exposed 
portions of the carcass and fastened with toothpicks 
cr wooden skewers. Remove the feet at Ihe break 
joint, wash all traces of blood from the bare skin, 
trim off any ragged or bloody wool around the neck, 
and hang in a cool place for 24 hours before ship¬ 
ping. The selling value will depend iu no small 
degree upon the neatness of the dressed carcass. 
PREPARATION FOR SHIPPING.—After the car¬ 
cass is thoroughly cooled take a piece of clean mus¬ 
lin a yard square, wrap it around the body so as to 
protect all exposed portions, and sew it fast The 
carcass may either he wrapped in burlap or placed 
in a light crate large enough to hold two or three. 
The latter method is the more satisfactory one, as 
it assures better condition on arrival at the market. 
MARKETING THE LAMBS.—To get the best 
prices prepare the lambs as shortly as possible be¬ 
fore shipment and ship by express as fast as the 
lambs become prime. Try to slaughter regularly, 
and notify your commission firm in advance of the 
number which you will ship and the probable time 
of shipment. A rather select trade may he built up 
in time by supplying first-class hotels and restau¬ 
rants direct, cutting out the five per cent commission 
of the middleman and possibly returning better 
prices than those of the open market. Whichever 
method is used to market your product, the lambs 
should bring from $8 to $12 per head at 00 days or 
under. 
THE HUMAN FACTOR.—In raising hothouse 
lambs, as in all forms of stock raising, the human 
factor will determine largely the degree of success 
attained. The man who watches his animals closely 
for signs of conditions which will retard the growth 
of the lambs or lower the vigor of the breeding 
flock, and who takes advantage of every opportunity 
to hasten growth and meet the demands of the trade, 
will he amply rewarded for his efforts. At the 
present time, when wool is selling for such a low 
figure, when the price of breeding ewes is down and 
the spread in prices between hothouse lambs and 
Spring lambs is so marked, the advantages of this 
line of meat production can easily he seen. There 
r.re tilings about the business that can only he 
learned by experience, but with strict attention to 
details of flock management and feeding success is 
practically assured. d. c. smith. 
New York. 
Setting Asparagus in Sod 
1TTING THE GROUND.—Asparagus has been 
growing in favor with truck growers, and the 
coming season will see many new beds set. One is 
often puzzled to know just how to get the roots in 
to best advantage. The popular distance here is to 
have the rows 5 ft. apart, but spacing iu the row 
varies from 15 in. to -\k ft. A nine-acre field of 
our own set last Spring was put in with roots 2 ft. 
apart, rows 5 ft. apart. The field set in asparagus 
had been a Timothy and Alfalfa sod. It was plowed 
in the Fall, disk-harrowed in early Spring and fur¬ 
rowed out for asparagus just as early as we could 
work tlie g,round. My, what a Job we had! Anyone 
who 1ms tried to furrow out deeply in an undecayed 
sod knows something of the work we had. We found 
we could do it best by marking the field, then throw¬ 
ing two furrows over top of each row. This left a 
series of backings 5 ft. apart over the entire field. 
The space between those backings was then plowed 
out. thus leaving a deep dead furrow between the 
hackings. A middle-breaker (double mold-board 
plow) was then fixed up with board extensions to 
throw the soil higher than the mold-boards would 
do it alone, and this was run down each one of 
these dead furrows. That enabled us to get the 
asparagus roots down below ordinary plow depth, 
and a good job was made of it in spite of the sod. 
A GOOD START.—The way Ihe asparagus took 
hold of that sod and grew made us feel well repaid 
for the extra efforts required to set the roots in sod. 
Io fact, growth was so good up to June 10 that we 
took a chance and planted 90-da.v corn right in the 
row of asparagus, a hill of corn following each two 
hills of asparagus. In planting this corn a new use 
