1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5i 
TI^IKS ABOUT FERTILIZERS. 
Fertilizer for an Indiana Meadow. 
What kind of a fertilizer should I use on a Tiinottiy 
meadow two years old. 'Phe ground is prairie land and 
the soil is black and about two feet deep; the bottom is 
gravel and coarse sand, the top i.s some sand but not 
much. It takes a good steel plow to scour.. 'Plie hay 
this year went about two tons per acre. o. i. g. 
Alida. Ind. 
Usually the most effective fertilizer for Spring use 
on Timothy is nitrogen. Of all forms of nitrogen, ni¬ 
trate of soda will give quickest results. From your 
description we should say that your soil is more like¬ 
ly to need potash than phosphoric acid. It does not 
pay to use one or two of these elements without the 
third unless you are sure that the soil is already rich 
enough in this element. Thousands of dollars have 
been thrown away because farmers have guessed that 
one element was not needed and therefore supplied 
only two in their fertilizer. Unless we know from 
actual experiment that the soil is already rich enough 
in this one element we always use all three. This we 
consider the safest rule. If you can buy blood and 
bone or tankage at a fair figure you can mix muriate 
of potash with it. Probably it will pay you better to 
buy a ready-mixed fertilizer. Most of the brands sold 
in the Middle West contain ample phosphoric acid, 
and some of them are high enough in nitrogen but 
low in potash. We would use at least three per cent 
of nitrogen and six of potash. 
Figuring Out a Fertilizer. 
1 am offered fertilizer chemicals at the following prices: 
Nitrate of soda at $41 per ton, muriate of potash at $40, 
14 per cent dried blood at $45, 16 per cent acid phosphate 
at $12. The fertilizer that I used for corn the past season 
analyzed 1.6 to per cent nitrogen, 914 to 11 per cent 
available phosphoric acid; two to four per cent potash. 
It was called a bone phosphate, and cost $26 per ton. 
Don’t you think I could buy the materials and make a 
higher grade for the same money? Is the phosphoric 
acid all available? J. v. b. 
Long Island. 
In order to understand what we are doing let us 
consult the figures. Pounds in one ton: 
Nitrogen. Phos. acid. Potash. 
Nitrate of soda. 
... 320 
• • • 
Muriate of potash. 
.. 
. • ♦ 
Dried blood . 
41 
'Pankage . 
... 119 
289 
Acid phosphate . 
320 
Your corn fertilizer guaranteed 32 pounds of nitro¬ 
gen, 190 of phosphoric acid and 40 pounds of potash. 
True, the fertilizer may contain more than this, but 
it is fair to figure on the lowest amount that the 
manufacturer is willing to guarantee. You may take 
the following materials if you like: 
150 pounds nitrate of soda worth. $3.07 
200 pounds blood worth . 4.50 
1,400 pounds acid phosphate worth.10.50 
200 pounds muriate of potash worth. 4.00 
Total . .$22.07 
The nitrate gives you 24 pounds of nitrogen and 
the blood 28 pounds, with a few pounds of phosphoric 
acid. The acid phosphate gives 196 pounds of avail¬ 
able phosphoric acid. The muriate gives 100 pounds 
of potash. You thus have a better analysis than the 
highest guarantee of the manufacturer. You must 
decide what the mixing, handling and bagging will 
cost you. The above prices are fair except that we 
would not buy dried blood at that figure. At aver¬ 
age prices we think tankage would give cheaper ni¬ 
trogen for corn. As a rule about two per cent of the 
phosphoric acid in acid phosj)hate is not available— 
that is not in such shape that the plants can utilize it. 
Fertilizing Value of Hen Manure. 
1 bought about 40 or 45 barrels of clear, or nearly 
so, luMi manure. What would be good to mix with it so 
it would be a good fertilizer for corn? How would plaster 
do. and would coarse sand be good to mix with it so it 
would ‘‘cut it.” or what would you think of good loam? 
How would you use the mixture as a fertilizer for corn? 
What does hen manure contain besides nitrogen? What 
is the commercial value of a barrel of hen manure? 
Manchester, N. H. o. g. k. 
Hen manure varies greatly in composition—de¬ 
pending on what the hens eat, what is used with it 
under the perches and how it is kept. On the average 
a ton will compare about as follows with other man- 
nures. Pounds in one ton: 
Nitrogen. Phos. acid. Potash. 
Hen manure . 23t4 38*4 32*4 
Barnyard manure . 10 7 12 
Some samples of well-dried hen manure will con¬ 
tain nearly twice as much nitrogen as this, but this 
is fair for an average sample. You will see that a 
mixture of 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, 300 of acid 
phosphate, and 70 of muriate of potash will give all 
the plant food that the chemist finds in a ton of hen 
manure. Yet we have never been able to make the 
chemical mixture equal the manure in crop results. 
Evidently the crop finds something that is lost to the 
chemist. It would add little of value to the manure 
to mix it with plaster, for that contains no plant food 
that the corn is likely to need. The plaster dries out 
the manure and holds the nitrogen, and thus helps 
it. Instead of adding sand why not mix chemicals 
with it and thus make a fair fertilizer? The manure 
must first be crushed or ground fine and well sifted 
so it will mix thoroughly. A Connecticut farmer 
mixed 656 pounds of hen manure, 1,049 of acid phos¬ 
phate and 295 pounds of muriate of potash. This was 
analyzed and found to contain only 0.64 per cent of 
nitrogen, 7.69 per cent of phosphoric acid and 7.71 of 
potash. There should be more nitrogen than that. 
W^e suggest 500 pounds hen manure, 200 of nitrate of 
soda, 250 muriate of potash and 1,050 acid phosphate 
as a fair fertilizer for corn. Many farmers are con¬ 
tent to drop a handful of the hen manure around each 
hill of corn. We think it will pay to mix the chemi¬ 
cals with it. 
A SHORT COURSE AT CORNELL 
On page 853 of The R. N.-Y., last volume, I was 
much interested in an article by W. T. Mann on the 
College of Agriculture at Cornell. Mr. Mann seems 
to convey the idea that the College offers only the 
four-year course in agriculture, and suggests a short¬ 
er course. This is just what is now given at Cornell. 
I entered the College of Agriculture after a two-years’ 
course in high school in what is known as the special 
or two years’ course. During that time I studied in 
general agriculture the preparation of soils, seeding, 
harvesting and marketing of the various cereals, lo¬ 
cation and construction of farm buildings, barnyard 
manures and commercial fertilizers, farm drainage, 
breeding, feeding and management of farm animals 
and farm accounts; in animal industry the breeding, 
feeding and management of dairy and beef cattle, 
milk and butter production and the breeding and care 
of poultry. In horticulture, the general care and cul¬ 
tivation of the various fruits and vegetables, pruning, 
spraying, budding and grafting, and in connection 
with these subjects practical work in the fields, barns 
and orchards. All my time was spent in acquiring 
knowledge of those subjects which bear directly on 
I* 
A BASKETFUL OF NERVES. Fifi. 24. 
practical agriculture. I could have taken a. one-ycar 
course or a Winter course of three months, but 1 
• 
found that two years were none too long to c(unpass 
the subjects. 
Since finishing this course I have been for two years 
engaged in orcharding and general farming. This 
course educates toward the farm rather than frow it, 
and teaches the farmer more intelligently and profit¬ 
ably to till the soil, to appreciate more fully nature 
around him, and so to live a happier farm life. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y. wm. e. undkroowx. 
A HUMAN ‘ FEEDING EXPERIMENT.” 
The papers report an experiment said to be now In 
progress at Washin.gton in which certain young men are 
to eat food containing ‘‘poisons.” What is a true state¬ 
ment of the case? 
Under authority of Congress as an act of last year 
the Bureau of Chemistry of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture is conducting a series of experiments to de¬ 
termine the effect of preservatives, coloring matters 
and other substances added to foods, upon the health 
of the consumer. To this end 12 young men have vol¬ 
unteered to eat at the training table for a period of 
at least six months. Six of these young men are 
under daily observation, eat weighed quantities of 
food, and live a regular life prescribed for them dur¬ 
ing the time. During what is called the fore-period 
the food which they eat contains no preservatives or 
other added substances, but is as pure and wholesome 
as can be obtained. This fore-period lasts generally 
about 10 days, and has for its object the ascertain¬ 
ment of the quantity of food necessary to keep a regu¬ 
lar bodily weight. This having been determined the 
preservative in question is added to the food for a 
period of observation of from 10 to 16 days, and the 
effect produced upon the digestive processes, assimi¬ 
lation and excretion determined. All the excreta are 
carefully collected, weighed and analyzed. All the 
food consumed is analyzed and weighed so that any 
changes produced by tlie added preservative can bn 
detected. After the period of observation the young 
men enter upon the after-period, which usually lasts 
about 10 days. During this time the same quantities 
of food are still consumed, but without any added 
substances. The object of this after-period is to 
bring the system back to normal. With these three 
periods of observation definite conclusions can be 
drawn in respect of the effect of the preservatives. At 
the end of this time, which usually is from 30 to 40 
days, the six young men go to the relaxation table, 
where they eat ordinary diet, and the six young men 
who were previously at the relaxation table take their 
places at the observation table. The same series of 
experiments is conducted with the second set, so a.s 
to check the results obtained with the first set. For 
single preservatives such as boracic acid from 60 to 80 
days will be necessary for a complete study. The ob¬ 
ject of these experiments is to get some just basis for 
a judgment in regard to the effect of these bodies on 
the health of the consumer which shall be scientific 
and of general application. These results will be of 
advantage to legislative bodies and executors of pure 
food laws, hygienists and physicians, to courts before 
which food cases are tried, and to the public at large. 
THE COST OF APPLE BARRELS. 
I would like to call attention to one feature of the 
apple trade, that is the cost of the wrapper (empty 
barrel) in comparison with the value of the contents. 
Is there any other commodity that can be thouglit of 
where the cost of the wrapper reaches anywhere near 
like proportions to the value of its contents? Such 
matters in commerce generally adjust themselves, but 
it doesn’t seem to do so in this matter. When wo 
could buy second-hand barrels for 15 to 20 cents each 
it was not so bad, but now the demand calls for new 
barrels, which are 40 cents each. In 1900 I paid 35 
cents each for second-hand barrels, and it was diffi¬ 
cult to get them at that price. Herewith I send you 
a bill of sale of eight barrels Baldwins sold last week: 
“Bight barrels apples at ?2.25, $18; freight, ?2.18; 
cartage, 80 cents; commission, $1.80; total expenses, 
$4.78, leaving $13.22. Bight barrels at 40 cents, $3.20; 
total, $10.02.” 
You will see that they brought the highest quoted 
price, and net me $10.02, for which goods sold. The 
wrappers cost me $3.20. Had I received the lowest 
quoted price of $1 per barrel they would have netted 
me $1.02 or 12% cents per barrel, the wrappers of 
$3.20 cost carrying goods of $1.02 value. s. n. h. 
Monroe, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—The two chief reasons for high prices for 
barrels are the barrel trust and the growing custom 
of selling goods in small packages. The manufacture 
of barrels is now largely monopolized so that prices 
are dictated. There are fewer second-hand barrels 
than formerly, because most goods are now sold in 
smaller packages—put up by the manufacturers and 
sold by the retailers without unpacking or handling. 
The arguments for a smaller apple package multiply 
as we think them over. 
CUT AND SHREDDED. 
VVe lift VC had a vcr.v wet and warm Fall with one ex¬ 
ception, that was a light fall of snow December 4. Just 
a few days before the Hope Farm folks had their first 
snow. Still that did not stop our strawberries from 
blooming, and on December 18 I picked 15 quarts of nice 
berries (Excelsior) which were tlie first ever shipped from 
east Texas in December. Our season usually begins 
about April 5. The sweet potato crop is a bumper though 
they are not keeping well. From one-quarter acre, set 
out in July, I have just dug 81 bushels, and did not pick 
them up very clean, as I have some Poland China aristo¬ 
crats that will harvest the remainder profitably. I have 
just sold four year-old pigs that have never been fed a 
a bushel of corn in their lives for $66; they had been pas¬ 
tured in orchard and on Bermuda pasture and fed waste 
from the place. c. f. p. 
Swan, Tex. 
SPARROWS AND FIRES.—The English sparrow is held 
responsible for burning the home of J. A. McKee, nur¬ 
seryman and fruit grower, of Kingsville, Ky. The build¬ 
ing was of wood, studded frame weather boarded. A tall 
chimney was added to the building, outside, Kentucky 
fashion. The house and chimney settled apart a little, 
and the sparrows nested between. The accumulated 
soot took fire in the chimney on the night of December 
9. A spark started a tiny blaze in the sparrows’ nest. 
The blaze drew through the downward cracks of the 
w'eatherboarding and between the studding caught In 
the accumulated cobw-ebs and wasp nesLs in the comb, 
and in half an hour willing workers wore driven from 
every room. Deductions: If you build a wooden house 
make the walls solid. If you have one already built and 
there is a chance for a spark in the sparrows’ nest, slip 
a piece of roofing metal between the nest and the boards. 
This house was provided with cistern force pump and 
ho.se to reach every room and could have burnt the floor 
out of any room and saved the house. Country homes 
burn from four causes; three of them can be avoided; 
wooden roofs, defective fines, carelessness and unavoid¬ 
able accidents. Kentucky. 
