The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1119 
spray, and have come to the conclusion that the 
hand duster is here to say and that, as a gardener, 
I do not care to he caught without one. 
HOME MlXINti.—Starting with potatoes, we 
mixed our own dusting mixture, using 1 lh. arsenate 
ot lead and S lbs. of hydrated lime. I believe an 
acre of potatoes can he dusted just as cheaply and 
as efficiently with this mixture as the same area 
could be sprayed with a high-power rig. Fig. 485 
shows a hand duster being operated on a garden 
patch of potatoes. One can readily see from the 
picture that all parts are covered. We took partieu- 
lDisting Potatoes with Arsenate of Lead. Fig. J85 
deaux solution. The dust cost us nearly $3 an acre, 
while we generally figure about HO cents for the 
Bordeaux solution, as we make it ourselves. Of 
lar pains to dust when the dew was <>n. and the 
material stuck very well, both sides of the leaves 
being covered. After two dustings with our lead- 
lime mixture we added one of the commercial 
brands <>f powdered Bordeaux. This was to control 
blight, and it worked very effectively, lmt there was a 
great increase here in the cost over the ordinary Bor- 
course there is a difference in application in favor 
of the dust in that you do not use two horses and an 
expensive rig. 
GARDEN CHOPS.—In the garden we covered cab¬ 
bage, cauliflower, tomatoes and all the vine crops, 
including cucumber, melons and squash, and we 
never had so few insect troubles. The first applica¬ 
tion was made with the lead-lime mixture used on 
the potatoes, and when we ran out of hydrated lime, 
sulphur was substituted, with no bad results. Then 
we tried a mixture of sulphur and arsenate of lead 
on the young fruit trees (up to eight years of age) 
and as yet have not found a wormy apple. Of course 
as the trees become larger we would not try to use a 
hand duster, but for this season we have tried it in 
the places we thought it would he practical, espe¬ 
cially for a home gardener. The Bordeaux dust 
was also used on the raspberries, to control the au- 
thracnose, and in this we were successful. I could 
not keep the scab off the Melntpsh apples with the 
home-mixed sulphur, but we have had tin exceed¬ 
ingly rainy season, so that can he excused. Fig. 4*0 
shows two of the dusters used in our work. They 
were both operated by hand cranks, and are held in 
position in front of the operator by means of a strap 
over the shoulder. Type A has the gears on the 
outside and has a straight nozzle. Type R has the 
gears enclosed and what is called a flexible nozzle, 
which allows turning of the tube in various direc¬ 
tions. There may be a slight advantage in this, but 
it is not worth the number of dollars difference in 
price which it costs over other types. Either ma¬ 
chine holds about S lbs, of material. We could dust 
an acre in about half an hour, but one wouldn't care 
to keep it up for 10 hours steady grinding. The 
directions from the insecticide houses read to dust 
while the dew is on, and this certainly pays, for the 
dust sticks well on both sides of the foliage at this 
time. We did not have as good results when plants 
were dusted at midday, especially with such plants 
as cabbage, cauliflower and green peas, all of which 
have smooth leaves and almost require moisture to 
make the dust stick. 
CO NT RO LI. 1NG PEA AIHIIS. The experiments 
in dusting green peas to control the lice or aphis 
were very satisfactory as far as control is con¬ 
cerned. Even though all the lice were not killed, the 
numbers were reduced to a minimum and marketable 
peas were secured. In these experiments nicotine 
sulphate dust was used, and there were just two ob¬ 
jections. The dust is very objectionable to the op¬ 
erator, and it is expensive. However, with green 
peas selling at $4 a bushel (today's price) a grower 
can well afford to use the mixture. Fig. 1 st shows 
the operator dusting green peas, going over the 
plants the first time when they were about a foot 
high. We found it essential to start dusting when 
the aphis first appeared, for later the leaves become 
curled and it is almost impossible to hit file pest. 
Two late applications were given, and a very good 
product harvested. Nearby fields were almost totally 
destroyed by the aphis, so we consider it practical 
to dust, provided the market is high and there is a 
little left for the grower after paying for the insecti¬ 
cide. We used from In to 30 lbs. per acre at a cost 
of 17 cents a pound, or at a cost of from $2 to $5 
an acre. 
A USEFUL IMPEEM1ENT.—Some of the dusters 
used operate much easier than others, and I should 
recommend one of this type rather than one which 
works hard. You will notice the difference after an 
hour or two. The price seems to he anywhere from 
$10 to $25. I think two types can be purchased 
around the lower figure at present, so they are well 
within the reach of the average gardener. Prices 
will probably he lower another season, as there is 
keen competition among the various insecticide com¬ 
panies and each wishes to get his machine into the 
hands of the grower, for each is an advertisement to 
the surrounding farmers. From our experience we 
believe the hand duster will control the insect and 
plant diseases ordinarily controlled by spraying at 
much less labor cost and in most cases with but little 
more cost for insecticides and fungicides. The ex¬ 
ception is in the case of the prepared materials, such 
as Bordeaux dust and nicotine sulphate dust. 
T. H. TOWNSEND. 
The Barber Thinks of Hens 
B ROTHERS Cosgrove's and Massey's recent let¬ 
ters are of especial interest to the many urban 
readers of The It. N.-Y. who are patrons of my bar¬ 
ber shop. We are all in the poultry business on the 
side, some working in the steel mills here, while 
others, like myself, are in some business of their 
'Finns of Dusters. Fig. }<8t> 
own. We are all constant readers, and, with few 
exceptions, all suffer from the same disease—“back 
to the farm." But the great question with us is. 
does poultry pay as a major business, or better as a 
side line? The side-line idea prevails here, for none 
of us sell our products to the general market. We 
obtain 5 to 40 cents a dozen for eggs above extra 
quotations. 
We would like to hear from some reader, a “hack- 
to-the-lander” preferably, one who .started without 
capital, so to speak, and made a living out. of poul¬ 
try exclusively while building up his plant. Or one 
who used poultry as a side line with trucking, fruit 
or general farming, and made a go of it without first 
buying his entire equipment. We all use Edmonds’ 
Poultry Account Book, and many of ns are trying 
to work out a "cost sheet" as a supplement. A 
"cost supplement sheet" is very much in demand 
here. Even among local poultry farmers I’ve met 
here, not one can give you his cost of rearing and 
production. I would personally like to hear from a 
barber who went back to farming, who wasn't raised 
on a farm: or a barber poultryman who either 
majors at poultry or at harboring. e. p. 
Gary, lnd. 
R. N.-Y.—Wo would all like to hear from some 
barber who gave up hair-cutting and shaving for 
the chicken business. Among our readers there arc 
many like this man who want to know a few solid 
facts before they take a chance on giving up their 
job. Mr. Cosgrove has told us something about it. 
and there must be many others who can do the same. 
We do not want big stories, but medium-sized truths. 
Wants To Buy Direct From Farmers 
Two items iu your issue for August 19 and au experi¬ 
ence of Ibis Summer lead me to ask your advice. 
Answering an •advertisement in the New York Times, 1 
have been buying cantaloupes this Summer from a 
dealer in Maryland which are picked when approxi¬ 
mately ripe and shipped by parcels post. They have 
been no cheaper than those sold in the local market, 
but the average of edible melons has been very much 
higher. In one of your editorials you say, with truth, 
as I know, that while farmers this year have had almost 
to give away apples arid potatoes, consumers “are still 
being held up in the retail trade." One of your corre¬ 
spondent- also asks about the possibility of a direct to 
consumer market for canned vegetables. 
If I could get delivered to me in New Rochelle for 
less than I pay to the local grocer 10 barrels of potatoes 
and three barrels of Winter apples of good quality I 
would give an order for them to a responsible farmer 
at once for delivery any time after October 1. The 
difficulty is the chronic market difficulty of bringing the 
producer and the consumer together. p. u. l. 
'"TMIIS theory has been advanced many times, and 
A it is apparently sound as a rock. Yet somehow, 
this plan of direct dealing has never been developed 
fully. We followed this plan on our own farm for 
some years. The chief objections we found were the 
annoyance of Sunday trade and the senseless com¬ 
plaining of a very small proportion of the customers. 
There are usually a few of such people who never 
can be satisfied, Apparently they do not want to 
admit that they are well treated. It seems to be 
part of their plan always to find fault. They take 
all the joy out of the business, though most of our 
customers were very satisfactory. We believe that 
any farmer who lives near a town of reasonable size 
can develop a sale for all lie can raise by advertising 
in the local papers. In seasons like this one, when 
the wholesale trade is a mere slaughter, this direct 
retail trade will prove the salvation of many a 
farmer and gardener. Such a trade ought to give 
the consumer a good bargain, and enable the farmer 
to get more than the wholesale price. 
The Jerusalem Artichoke Once More 
1 he enclosed editorial clipping from the New York 
Herald , August.1. interested me. and no doubt many of 
your readers will treat it in the same manner, if pub¬ 
lished by you. j. d. m. 
New York. 
T HIS refers to an experiment said to have been 
made by former Congressman ,T. C. Sibley of 
Pennsylvania at feeding Jerusalem artichokes to 
live stock. Mr. Sibley is very enthusiastic over 
artichoke culture, as many others have been (for a 
time) before him. He claims a yield of 4.000 bushels 
to the acre, and gives the following comparative 
analysis : 
Protein . 
Fat. 
< 'arbohydrates 
< ‘ellulose 
Minerals 
Water . 
Potato 
Articliol 
2 2 
5.31 
0.4 
.48 
18.4 
1S.65 
1.32 
1.0 
1.7G 
78.3 
72.48 
All of this is true enough, and in former years 
hundreds of people have waxed eloquent over the 
great value of Jerusalem artichokes. At oue time 
certain of the yellow seedsmen took up the crop and 
boomed it in the regulation style. Yet today it is 
very difficult to,find any farmer who has grown it 
over five years. The trouble is that the artichoke is 
s i good and so thrifty that it claims possession of 
the farm. It spreads under ground from wandering 
tubers, and if given a chance will spread so as to 
become almost as great a pest as quack grass. We 
know of one case where a farmer tried it for hog 
pasture, ills plan being to start it growing and let 
the bogs dig up the tubers. They did that, and gave 
Dusting with Nicotine Sulphate. Fig. r f S7 
ir such fine cultivation that it captured the farm 
and worked into all crops so as to become a nui¬ 
sance. It will be likely to do that wherever planted. 
We have seen several of these “boom" crops come 
and go. Some years ago we went to see a man who 
was feeding a herd of cows on prickly comfrey. It 
made a tremendous growth, and the cows did eat 
it—after a fashion. Others tried it. with complete 
failure, and no one thinks of feeding it now. Yet in 
theory, if we consider its yield and analysis, comfrey 
should make a wonderful feed. It will uot work up 
to its reputation. 
