1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
335 
KILLING WEEDS WITH CHEMICALS. 
The principle of attempting to kill weeds by spray¬ 
ing them with chemicals is a new one in this country. 
Various commercial “weed killers’’ have been put on 
the market, and in a general way we have been told 
that salt and bluestone, or sulphate of copper, can be 
used for this purpose. Prof. L. R. Jones, of the Ver¬ 
mont Experiment Station, has spent some time in 
testing some of these herbicides, as they are called. 
A brief statement of his results will interest many 
readers. Common salt was applied dry in amounts 
varying from four to 20 pounds per square rod, but 
it is so slow in its action that Prof. Jones will not 
recommend it for weed killing. Superintendents of 
public parks have used salt successfully in walks and 
roadways where weeds are troublesome. The value of 
salt as a weed killer depends upon the fact that it 
draws water out of the plant tissues. It is, therefore, 
more effective when applied dry on a hot, sunshiny 
day. Sulphate of copper has been recommended, but 
did not give satisfactory results. Plants apparently 
killed by it came to life later, and were as trouble¬ 
some as ever. In Europe, weak solutions of sulphate 
of copper are used to destroy the weeds in grain. In 
North Dakota, also, such experiments have been made, 
but Prof. Jones does not recommend it. Kerosene 
was applied in the proportion of one part kerosene to 
three parts water, but eight gallons of this mixture to 
the square rod failed to kill tbe weeds. Crude car¬ 
bolic acid destroyeu the weeds where one gill or more 
of the acid was used with a gallon of water at the 
rate of eight gallons per square rod. In 12 nours af¬ 
ter this was applied, all the parts of the weeds above 
ground were brown and dead. These plants included 
plantain, dandelion, chicory, ragweed and grasses 
The dandelion roots were not entirely killed, and 
some new shoots appeared two months later. Quack 
grass and Kentucky Blue grass also threw up some 
new shoots, but the other plants were mostly 
killed. The trouble with carbolic acid is that 
it does not penetrate deeply enough into the 
soil to kill the underground parts of certain 
weeds. Its odor is against it. This i's strong 
and very disagreeable; another objection is 
that the acid does not dissolve well in water. 
The mixture must be constantly stirred' in 
order to keep it uniform. 
White arsenic was used in combination 
with washing soda, one pound arsenic to two 
pounds of soda, and from three to nine gal¬ 
lons of water. This weaker mixture killed 
practically every weed. The perennial 
grasses were the only plants that survived, 
and most of them were killed. It did not kill 
so quickly as the carbolic acid, but its injury 
was permanent. Two objections to the use 
of arsenic are the trouble of preparing it, 
and its dangerous character. Arsenate of 
soda is a form of arsenic readily soluble in 
water. This was used at the rate of one 
pound to four gallons or eight gallons of water. The 
latter strength destroyed all weed!s, and its action was 
a little quicker than the other mixture of arsenic 
Two commercial weed killers were used at the rate of 
eight gallons to the square rod. They destroyed the 
weeds quickly and effectively, and were on the whole 
better than the carbolic acid, though no better than 
the arsenic solution. Chemical analysis showed that 
these commercial herbicides contained arsenic not un¬ 
like the home mixtures here named. Prof. Jones 
concludes that such places as gravel walks, drives and 
tennis courts can be kept free from weeds by the use 
of the arsenic solution. One or, at most, two applica¬ 
tions each season will keep down the weeds. Salt in 
the dry form can be used for this purpose, but is not 
so sure nor so prompt as the arsenic solution. 
A CHEAP AND HANDY SHED. 
We feel more and more every year the need of 
handy little sheds or buildings about the farm for 
storing tools, sheltering fodder, and providing places 
for stock. These cheap shelters at the sides of barns 
are very useful. Fig. 103 shows such a shed, which 
may well serve as a model. This is built directly 
against the back cu the barn, 15 feet wide and 20 feet 
across. It is roofed with ruberoid roofing, and the 
sides covered with the same material. The ruberoid 
is fastened on the sides with l l A inch half-round 
moldings placed 18 inches apart. After putting on 
the roof, the whole: thing was painted red, the color 
of the stable, and the moldings decorated so as to 
match the trimmings on the other buildings. This 
was done five years ago, and the shed is now in just 
as good condition as the day it was built. The- shed 
is nine feet in height against the stable and six feet at 
the outer side. In ithe middle there is a partition. 
The house has a glass sash on the east and south, 
each four feet wide. The floor of the house is of 
cement, and from 30 to 50 chickens are kept in it. 
The other end of the building shown open in the pic¬ 
ture was intended for a tool house and wagon shed. 
In Summer it is used for that purpose, but in Win¬ 
ter a large glass frame fits into the opening, so as to 
give a scratching shed for the chickens. Sand is put 
on the floor and the door opened entering into the 
house, so that the hens may scratch and play at will. 
In the Spring, when the hens can run outdoors, they 
are shut out from this room, so that it can be used for 
hatching or breeding. The ruberoid roofing is a per¬ 
fect covering for the shed, keeping it warm and dry. 
Such sheds placed at the sides or back of the farm 
building often give just the shelter needed for sheep, 
poultry, pigs or calves, and are much cheaper than a 
special building erected for the purpose. 
WHOLESALE WAR ON INSECTS. 
An Immense Charge of Poison. 
On page 82, Prof. W. G. Johnson told us of a mill in 
Canada which was overrun with the Mediterranean flour 
moth. The miller expected at that time to try the hydro¬ 
cyanic acid gas treatment. We are now able to print 
the following account of this fumigation which turned 
out to be a great success. This was without doubt the 
largest charge of cyanide ever used at one time. 
“The cubic contents of our two buildings are 290,472 
cubic feet, for which we used 152 pounds cyanide of 
potassium, 226 pounds sulphuric acid, and 338 pounds 
water. We distributed 152 crocks throughout the 
buildings, putting about an equal number on each 
floor, and into each crock we put IV 2 pound sulphuric 
acid and 214 pounds water. We then weighed out 152 
pounds of cyanide and put this up in manila bags of 
one pound each; each bag was tied with a string, upon 
which was left a loop. We placed screw hooks into 
different parts of the wood-work, spouts, elevator 
legs, etc.., passing through die hooks stout twine, and 
arranged so that this twine should come directly over 
the center of each crock. Just where the string passed 
over the crock we tied an “S” hook, and on these 
hooks hung the bags of potassium. The stairways 
leading from the basement to the top of our mill go 
up at the side, and nearly at the end of the building, 
one stair directly above another. At the sides and 
ends of the mill farthest from the stairway, we started 
six different lines of string, tying one end of each 
line to the opposite wall, and leading each string to 
the stairway by a different route over the floor, and 
tying each string tightly to the stairway rail, so that 
at the proper moment all the strings on the floor 
could be cut at the same time and all the little bags 
of cyanide would fall immediately into the solution; 
as a matter of fact, every bag fell directly into the 
solution without a miss. 
“Each opening at the stairs had been provided with 
a tight door. The man who cut the strings started at 
the top floor and worked downwards, cutting the 
strings on each floor as he passed through, and clos¬ 
ing the doors behind him as quickly as the strings 
were cut, so that it was impossible for even a whiff 
of the gas to reach him. We cut these strings at 
eight o’clock Saturday night, and placed a man on 
guard all night. The odor of the gas was quite no¬ 
ticeable 12 feet away from the mill, although every 
precaution had been taken to close all the cracks, by 
pasting strips of paper around the window sash and 
door frames, and otherwise making the mill as tight 
as possible. We opened the building at nine o’clock 
Monday morning, and could not detect more than the 
faintest odor of the gas. A careful examination 
showed the floor sprinkled with moths, flies, spiders 
and occasionally a mouse or two. We examined care¬ 
fully for the grubs, and found plenty of them dead, 
and but two or three alive in a mass of flour, but 
these were not by any means lively. We have 
watched carefully ever since—over two months—and 
have not seen but a very occasional moth since, and 
to-day, we believe, it is impossible to find a moth in 
our two buildings. 
“We are delighted with the result of using this 
gas; in our case it has certainly been a decided suc¬ 
cess. We would say to anyone intending to use this 
gas, that they should take every precaution to have 
the manila bags of good quality, because the cyanide 
of potassium liquidizes, after being placed in the bags, 
and is likely to drop into the solution by the bag be¬ 
coming wet and tearing out the bottom before the 
strings are ready to be cut.” 
BUSINESS AT THE SUBURBAN NURSERY. 
“This idea of fumigating nursery stock to destroy 
the San Jos6 scale always seemed reasonable enough 
to me until the other day.” The speaker was a man 
who has followed this fight against the scale closely. 
“Why have you changed your mind? Don’t you 
think that the gas will kill the scale?” 
“There is no reasonable doubt of it. No doubt it is 
the best safeguard we have, but I never realized until 
lately what a nuisance it would be to a certain class 
of nurserymen to fumigate every small order. I re¬ 
cently passed a few days at a nursery near a large 
town, where there are many fine residences. The 
people are interested in fruit and ornamental trees. 
They do not order by mail, but wait until the day the 
trees are to be set out, and drive right to the nur¬ 
sery. In many cases the trees are dug while they 
wait, and they take them home in their carriages. 
They usually wait until the eleventh hour. Their 
orders are small, and they expect to be served about 
as quickly as they would have a prescription put up 
at the drug store. Now Low can a nurseryman 
fumigate these little orders? The trees might per¬ 
haps be dipped in a solution of whale oil soap, but 
that would make them smell so that no one would 
come the second time. I can see how large 
orders or small ones sent by freight or ex¬ 
press can be easily lumped together and 
fumigated, and I realize that it is wise for a 
buyer to demand fumigated trees. How can 
these small delivered orders be fumigated? 
I wish some nurseryman with a trade of 
this sort would tell us how he manages. 
Many of such customers never heard of the 
scale, and you would scare them half to 
death by telling them about it. Another 
thing worth considering is the great detail 
in the work of a nurseryman who supplies 
this suburban trade. He must be quick¬ 
witted, and ready at a moment’s notice to 
tell people what varieties they need and 
how to take care of the trees. A person or¬ 
dering by mail may write a 10-page letter 
about a single tree, but you can read it at 
your leisure if at all. A talkative buyer with 
no value to his time, who meets you face to 
face, cannot be dodged. People drive in 
without any warning, and want a small order filled 
at once. You may be right in the midst of a job 
that requires the most careful selection and sorting 
You must stop or send a man to a dozen different 
parts of the nursery after this variety or that of ap¬ 
ple, pear, plum, peach, asparagus or shrubs. The 
wonder is that a man Keeps his head at all under 
such circumstances, for there are hundreds of chances 
to mix up varieties.. Surely it requires men with 
patience and grown-up wits to handle the nursery 
trade.” 
Sulphur and Scab.—I have used 100 pounds to the acre 
on potatoes mixed with an equal weight of good tine 
N. S. plaster, with the result of my potatoes being 
entirely free from the scab. 
I shall sow Essex rape in my oats to feed off after 
oats are cut; shall also sow some for hen pasture in 
Pall. I am going to start an Alfalfa patch; too much 
cost for grass seed, mostly lost by drought and heaving. 
c. e. c. 
We are fighting canker worms. From 40 to 50 men with 
shovels, poles and brushes, and a truck with barrels of 
coal tar and molasses and sacks of flour and sulphur and 
cans of printers’ ink have been in evidence in the or¬ 
chard for two weeks past. h. q. k. 
California. 
An exchange says that a college president, when asked 
by a young man whether he could not take a shorter 
course, replied: "Oh, yes, it depends upon what you 
wish to make of yourself. When the Lord wishes to 
make an oak, he takes a hundred years, but to make a 
squash he takes only six months.” 
Crude Oil and Harness.—I notice the question as to 
oiling harness. I take crude oil, set it afire, and let it 
burn till reduced about one-half, then let cool and oil 
the harness with it, and am never bothered with rats 
chewing it. My harness is always soft, and does well if 
oiled Spring and Fall, or twice a year. It may not be 
the best oil to use, but it is cheap and better than no 
oil at all. I see so much harness without oil of any 
kind. J- G - K - 
Baldwin, Pa. 
