1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7i 
Hope Farm Notes 
There is no better time in the year for 
studying the fertilizer problem—in parts of 
the country where something besides ma¬ 
nure must be used. This year there is a 
great demand for Information about wood 
ashes. I have never known the time when 
so many questions about these ashes were 
sent in. I will try to answer some of them.. 
We do not buy ashes, as I think we can 
obtain lime, potash and phosphoric acid 
cheaper in other forms. Still. I know that 
a good ash is pretty well mixed—what there 
is left of it after burning. We must re¬ 
member that all the nitrogen was driven 
off when the wood was burned, and that 
there is not enough phosphoric acid to 
produce full crops. To make a complete 
fertilizer both nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid should be added to the ashes. 
So you think you can make a bolter mix¬ 
ture than Nature can, do you? Nature 
gives us in ashes what there was in the 
wood—what more lio you want? 
1 want the nitrogen which Nature sent 
off with the smoke when the wood was 
burned, and I also want to produce some¬ 
thing beside icood. To produce fruit we 
must have something beside the tree or 
bush. Besides, Nature would be ashamed 
of some of the so-called “wood ashes” 
which are sold. They are co.al ashes mixed 
with iron slag, stone lime and potash. 1 
can make as good a mixture at Hope Farm. 
When to Use.—H ere is a man who wants 
to know trhen to use ashes: 
“When is the best time to put unleached 
hard-wood ashes around trees? I have a 
chance to get all I want for live cents a 
bushel.” G- K- 
Muskegon, Mich. 
We would apply the ashes in the Spring 
as soon as the snow has melted. From 
then until September Is the best time to 
put them on the soil. We would not put 
them on the snow, as they are likely to 
be washed away when the snow melts. At 
live cents a bushel you will buy for $2.50 
v/hat many fruit grow'ers will gladly buy 
at $10—provided the ashes have not been 
leached. I don't know whether your trees 
are in sod or not. The best way to put 
ashes into the soil is to broadcast after 
plowing and harrow in. That is true of 
all line fertilizers. 
Potash for Meadows.-I want help in 
answering this question: 
“Has anyone had experience in top-dress¬ 
ing an old meadow with muriate of pot¬ 
ash? The ground is medium moist with 
hardpan subsoil and has been in grass a 
good many years. How much would be a 
fair dressing per acre? Is there other fer¬ 
tilizer more suitable, wood ashes, for in¬ 
stance? T- s. 
Waterbury, Conn. 
I have used muriate alone on a meadow 
and could see no particular increase in the 
crop. From my experience 1 should say 
that this soil needs nitrogen more than 
anything else. 1 think nitrate of soda— 
say 250 pounds per acre—would increase 
the weight of grass, but if used alone, I 
think the hay would be rank and not of 
best quality. By using 150 pounds of mu¬ 
riate of potash with the nitrate you will 
have a larger yield of far better quality. 
The ashes will probably give better results 
tli:xu the muriate alone, as they will supply 
lime and a little phosphoric acid in addi¬ 
tion to the potash, but they are not likely 
to satisfy you if used alone. We would 
tise the nitrate of soda with the ashes. 
We must remember that all old meadows 
are greatly in need of nitrogen. If a man 
does not hnoic that one elements alone is 
needed on his soil he should be sure to 
use a fertilizer containing all three. 
AsjtES AND Bone.—H ere is another ash 
man who wants his question sifted: 
“How would wood ashes do for a top¬ 
dressing to help a hay crop, and what 
• piantity per acre? How would wood ashes 
and ground dry bone do to mix to put in 
fei-tilizer attachment to coiai planter for 
a crop of corn, ancl in what proportions 
and fpiantity la-r acre? ' F. i’. n. 
I’enns.s Ivania. 
'I'he same answer must be given here. 
'I'he ashes do not contain nitrogen, and 
tl.is is needed on most meadows. Suixpose 
a man came and .said: “My horse is not 
doing well this Winter—shall I give him 
more oats?” 1 should want to know more 
about the horse before 1 answered. Sup¬ 
pose r fotind that the horse Is kept in some 
hot, stilling stable where he can get no 
fi’fsh air, or sui)pose he is not watered 
properly! It would do no good to stuff him 
with oats until his needs for fresh air and 
water wore provided for. Now it may be 
said that nitrogen, potash and phosphoric 
acid are as necessary to a croi) as food, 
air and water are to the horse. If any one 
is lacking you cannot supply the need by 
furnishing more of the others. T'he ashes 
provide potash and phosphoric acid and 
also useful lime, but unless you know that 
the soil is rich in nitrogen you may be 
operating like the man who doubles the 
feed of oats while the horse is suffering 
from thirst. You may use 1,500 pounds of 
ashes and 250 pounds of nitrate of soda per 
acre, and expect to get a good crop of hay. 
Unless the land is moist and sour you 
ought to get just as good results from 
150 pounds muriate of potash. 250 pounds of 
nitrate of soda and 250 pounds of acid phos¬ 
phate. As for trying to mix ashes and 
ground bone I merely say don’t try it. 
They will not mix properly—the ashes 
are too line and powdery. Far better 
broadcast the ashes and harrow them in, 
and drill the ground bone by itself. A 
safe proportion is two parts by weight of 
the ashes to one part of ground bone. You 
can safely use 800 pounds of ashes and -W 
of bone per acre. I am told that this it 
far more than most farmers use. Very 
likely, but a big corn crop demands heavy 
feeding. When you remember that Ifx: 
pounds of ashes contain only five pounds 
of potash and le.ss than two of phosphoric 
acid you will see that big doses are re¬ 
quired to feed plants. I think ashes and 
bone will prove an expensive food for coiu; 
unless, like our Michigan friend, you can 
buy them at a very low rate. 
Human Ash.— I don’t like to leave this 
ash question without referring to the way 
some people undertake to feed character. 
They say that we should let the child fol¬ 
low its natural Instinct or inclination and 
gently guide it—not repress it. That is like 
giving the ash elements alone, and my 
observation is that it results In a lot of 
“smart,” offensive children who discredit 
their parents and themselves. I well 
remember a period of my own life when I 
was taught to think myself very "smart.” 
I say now in all sincerity that I wish 1 
could have had in tho.se days some big 
and strong friend to come at me with boot 
and buggy whip every time this “smart¬ 
ness” broke out. 1 presume I should have 
given him the best fight I could put up, 
but he would have saved me many an 
hour of humiliation. Such bad habits are 
not to be absorbed away! They are like 
the bunch on Dan’s shoulder. We put 
iodine and other ointments on it, but still 
the poor fellow flinched until one quick 
lance opened it! Spraying the wound with 
peroxide of hydrogen was like the stick 
on the “smart” habit, but it cured! From 
my experience 1 should say that leaving 
this smartness to cure itself Is worse than 
expecting a meadow to keep on yielding 
good crops with ashes alone. 1 would add 
nitrogen if 1 had to do it with a shingle. 
H. w. c. 
FRUIT NOTES. 
Odd Appde Wanted.— My father was 
born in western New York. On one of the 
places where he lived when a boy there 
was a tree of curiously-shaped apples. 
They were ridged from stem to blossom 
end. In the Fall the sinks between the 
ridges would be yellow and sweet; the 
ridges were green. I have wondered 
whether any of the readers of The R. N.- 
Y. know of the apple. If 1 had a dozen 
scions of it perhaps we could persuade it 
to grow in northwest Iowa; it would be 
largely a matter of curiosity, for 1 sup¬ 
pose the apple would be worthless from a 
commercial standpoint, but I would gladly 
pay postage on scions. e. a. t. 
Fagle Grove, Iowa. 
Salt for Peach Trees.— In The R. N.-Y. 
of December 27, J. L. H. asks for a remedy 
for his peach trees, complaining of the 
gum that has exuded from the trees at the 
ground. We have had much the same con¬ 
dition to contend with, and our suspicions 
were that the borers caused the gum to 
exude and the small worms found a con¬ 
genial home in it. In my examinations of 
the gum two or three borers were gener¬ 
ally found as well as the small worms. In 
getting rid of them we use common salt, 
a handful sprinkled around the root of the 
tree and especially on the gum. In our 
experience it has been etYective in ridding 
the trees of the small worms as well as the 
borers. It will cost but little to try it. 
Ohio. J. D. GEYER, M. D. 
SEEDING 
TIME. 
Our new book will In¬ 
terest iiiid prolU you. 
\V hut, how niiifh uiul 
« hen to HOW— u com¬ 
plete 
SEED SOWER’S 
MANUAL. 
IcrldeDUllj i t describe* the (’a- 
boon Hrtmticaat Soeilcr ahown 
here. The bvok U free. Write 
for Uto-daj. 
GOODELL CO., 
14 Main St., Antrim, N.H. 
g’"" ■ — M———i—^ 
I'OPULAU GOODS—POPULAR PRICES. 
£*« New Universal 
HAND SEEDERS AND CULTIVATORS. 
All styles. Only combination 1 andS wheeicultivator 
and drill made. Every way adjustable. Allourtools 
have touKb oak bent handles and are made of best 
fumterUl throughout. 190.1 catalogue now ready ; free. 
Ames Plow Co., 54 Market St.,Boston. 
THE WEAR 
OF RUBBER BOOTS AND 
SHOES DEPENDS UPON 
THE RUBBER IN THEM. 
There is absolutely no wear in any of the other ingre¬ 
dients of which they are composed. Every time the 
quality of Rubber Boots and Shoes is reduced 10 per cent., 
the durability is reduced over 20 per cent, because there is 
only one way to cheapen them, and that is to leave out 
Rubber and put in its place other things that have no 
wearing quality whatever. This cheapening process has 
been steadily going on for the past 40 years. 
BUCKSKIN BRAND 
OF KUKBFR BOO'rN AND SIIOE.S 
are made of real rubber—anil one pair of them 
will outwear two pairsof tlie i«f audarcl first {;ra<le.s 
now on tlie market. Try a pair and be convinced. 
Made in Duck Boots^ Duck rolled ed^e Overs for Socks, 
and Felt Boots and in Arctics and light rubber shoes. 
Insist on gottliig the HUUKSKI.N ItUAM). A'oiie gen¬ 
uine without the word liUUKSKlN on the top front of 
the legs of the hoots and the hottoins of the shoes. 
If your dealer does not keep them write us and we will 
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profusely illustrated, which describes the mak¬ 
ing of Rubber Boots and Shoes from tlie gath¬ 
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MONARCH RUBBER CO., 
80 Bridge Street, LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. 
FACTORY, ST. LOUIS, MO. 
NOT MADE BY A TRUST, 
A n actual test of a 2-Inch 
strip cut from the sole of 
the lluckskln Boot. Note 
the elasticity and strength 
Only the best Rublier 
will S'and a test like this. 
Weight of boy and swing 
no lbs. 
FOR 
1903 
HUBBARD’S 
FERTILIZERS 
FOR 
1903 
Our new T’amplilet i.s ready for distribution. Sent Free to any 
address. It will interest you. SEE WHAT THE HUBBARD 
FERTtUZERS ARE before placing' your orders. Apply to 
Local Agents or direct to the Makers. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD 
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
CO. 
J " 
THE GREAT STRENGTH 
of the fence here shown appears by its construction. 
With extra heavy wires at top and bottom, and with 
continuous, strong horizontal and truss wires woven 
into a compact mat, it turns chickens and small pigs, 
and is proof against all kinds of stock. The 
HARTMAN 
\ Stockade Woven Wire Fence 
is made any height, 24 to 00 inches, of best galvanized 
steel wire. Meshing, 3 inches and 6 inches, has no 
loose ends to unwind, cannot slip or slide, but must 
retain original position. It adjusts Itself in heat luul cold, 
and always remains on© of the handsomest and inostdurahio 
farm fences made. An attractive feature is the specially low 
i price at which it is sold. Do not fail to write for our cataloyr 
* CUYAHOGA WIRE & FENCE CO., 
Department M, Cnyahoga Falla, Ohio, 
ELECTRIC 
FOR STRENGTH 
You are through with 
wagon worry forever when 
you buy one of our 
.HANDY WACONS. 
"They carry 4000 lbs. and do 
It easily, and don’t cost a 
rtnne either. Write for the treecatalogue. Ittollsall 
)out this wagon and the famous Electric Wheels. 
LECTRIC WHEEL CO., BOX 88, QUINCY, ILLINOIS. 
Safe Selling 
and 
Safe Buying 
are not possible unless 
you own your own scales 
and Avioto they are accurate and will remuin 
so. O.StJOOD Scales are IJ. S. staiiil- 
arcl. Kstahlished 1805. Don’t buy “doubt¬ 
ful,” ‘‘bargain” or ‘‘2nd-band” scales but get 
an Osgood catalogue from your dealer or of 
us with ourspecial price. 
Insist on an Dssoud. 
OSGOOU SCALE t'O., ... 
KlUCentrul Street, 
BinshttuitoUf N* Y«c^ 
LAMBERT 
Gas or Gasoline 
Is the reliable engine. 
No long shut-down for 
repairs. Simple, econo- 
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^spe^. Strong guarantee. 
Agent* wanted. Write for catalog. I 
AMBEBTQASAqASOUNKEWOIKSCQ., Andereon.Ind.^ 
'kANSAS fITY 5T.LOUIS 
GRIND IT ALL 
to a smooth.soft meal, as near like tootli 
ground grain as can I'Cinade. The cattle 
like It better tlmn any tiling else and 
grow fat and sleek by eating it, because 
it is ground, not cut and to rn to pieces. • 
Good Food I 
Makes 
Fine Cattle I 
Tb« uoet anti b«Bt I 
grinding It doD« onl; [ 
on tbt 
Scientific Mills 
AU itylM from small swoop to | 
1 onro power mills. Ask for BIO 
FREE CATALOGUE XO. B. 
THE FOOS MFG. CO., Springfield, O. 
MINNEAPOLIS mC^(?0ND HARRISBURG 
