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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 24 
free from spot. In addition to thorough cultivation 
and liberal fertilizing I spray at least twice. In an¬ 
other orchard of 75 trees about the same age as above 
I fertilized liberally for the same length of time with 
stable manure and applied same proportion of potash, 
but the yield of fruit was not two-thirds as much 
as where I applied the bone. I may say that I plow 
the bone meal in, and that I used 30 40-bushel cart¬ 
loads of stable manure annually to the latter orchard. 
Fruit growing in this country will in the near future 
become a specialty, and in order to get best results 
three' things must be religiously observed, viz., thor¬ 
ough and intense cultivation, liberal fertilizing and 
thorough spraying. If these essentials are carefully 
carried out nearly all the varieties will bear every 
year, and the fruit will be of such a high character 
as will ensure a good price, or, at least, the top price 
every year. E - *• 
Nova Scotia. __ 
NEW ENGLAND FERTILIZER QUESTIONS. 
What kind of soil is best adapted to raising corn, oats, 
rye and barley, also potatoes? I know that wet or rather 
moist land is best for grass. I have two knolls that have 
quite sandy, not gravelly, soil, and they produce very 
little grass. I have an idea that they are better adapted 
to corn or oats. Am I correct? The land is quite free 
from stone, and is now in grass. What fertilizer should 
you use in connection with barnyard manure, for the 
grain, also for potatoes? I have been advised to use ni¬ 
trate of soda, muriate of potash, ground bone mixed, on 
grass land that I wish to keep in grass. Is this the best 
mixture I can apply? I have been recommended pow¬ 
dered phosphate of lime, acid phosphate, sulphate of pot¬ 
ash, dried blood and carbonate of soda. What action do 
each of these have on the grass, and which if any, is 
best to use? I have an orchard that is quite deep sandy 
soil; neither the trees nor the grass amounts to much. 
My father says that the soil is too dry for the apple 
trees. Is this correct, or do they need fertilization? What 
should you apply for both? Should you keep the orchard 
in grass or grain? The trees are from 10 to 20 years old. 
Worcester, Mass. d. a. h. 
SOIL FOR VARIOUS CROPS.—Corn usually does 
best on rather heavy soil, especially where there is 
a good deal of vegetable matter, such as we find when 
a sod either of clover or grass is plowed under. This 
is one reason why most farmers put the greater part 
of their stable manure on the corn crop. That plant 
does better with that class of manure. Oats also re¬ 
quire rich ground inclined to be moist. The oats do 
not do so well on light sandy soil, as they are heavy 
surface feeders, and require a good deal of moisture. 
Barley also requires a heavy moist soil to do its best. 
Rye is the best crop for the lighter parts of the farm, 
though in order to obtain a good yield you ought to 
have soil of fair fertility. It is true that rye on light 
sands will often give a better growth of straw and 
grain than any other similar grains will. Potatoes 
do fairly well on all kinds of soil, but the ideal soil 
for them would be what is known as clay loam. That 
means a soil easily worked, and yet with consider¬ 
able vegetable matter in it and some clay, so that it 
will hold the moisture through the season. The best 
yield of potatoes is often grown on a heavy soil, but 
the quality is poor. Excellent-quality potatoes are 
grown on light sand, but they suffer from drought and 
require heavy fertilizing. Medium soils containing a 
good deal of vegetable matter, that will hold the mois¬ 
ture and yet dry out fairly well, are best for pota¬ 
toes. The corn might do reasonably well on those 
sandy knolls D. A. H. speaks of, provided he could 
use a manure or fertilizer, but it would be a mistake 
to put the oats up there. Rye would do better in 
that locality than any other grain. One way to handle 
such soils is to sow the southern cow peas first, and 
plow the crop entirely under. That improves the soil 
greatly, and makes it fit to grow corn with fair suc¬ 
cess. 
CHEMICALS WITH MANURE—As D. A. H. doubt¬ 
less knows, there are three chief elements that should 
enter into the composition of all manures and fer¬ 
tilizers. These are nitrogen, potash and phosphoric 
acid. Stable manure contains but small quantities of 
potash and phosphoric acid, and comparatively large 
quantities of nitrogen. It is what we call a one-sided 
fertilizer, and the proper chemicals to use in connec¬ 
tion with it are those which contain potash and phos¬ 
phoric acid. The muriate of potash is the test form 
for that substance, and dissolved phosphate rock is 
the best form of phosphoric acid. We consider it a 
good plan to use at least 40 pounds of dissolved phos¬ 
phate rock and 20 pounds of muriate of potash with 
each ton of stable manure. We would not advise 
using any stable manure on potatoes, but would ad¬ 
vise the inquirer to use it all on his corn, or if he 
has too much for that, to broadcast it over his grain 
or grass in the Spring. A mixture of 400 pounds of 
nitrate of soda, 400 pounds of muriate of potash, and 
1,200 pounds of fine ground bone will make an ex¬ 
cellent fertilizer for all kinds of grass and grain. In 
the long run, we consider this about as good a home 
mixture as can be made, though it might pay better 
to buy some of the ready-mixed goods. We would 
advise D. A. H. to have nothing to do with the other 
mixture he suggests. So-called powdered phosphate 
of lime is the South Carolina or Florida rock simply 
ground into a fine powder, and is not readily available 
to the plant. If he is to use phosphoric acid we ad¬ 
vise him to use bone or dissolved rock. Sulphate of 
potash is all right, and so is dried blood, but we think 
these forms are too expensive for use on grain or 
grass. Muriate of potash will give just as good re¬ 
sults as the sulphate and costs several dollars less 
per ton. Carbonate of soda will not be of any par¬ 
ticular benefit to grain or grass. It contains no nitro¬ 
gen, and the soda is of no special importance. The 
other mixture is far better. Generally speaking, it 
does not pay to apply fertilizer to a pasture, and we 
would not advise using it except in an experimental 
way. If there is any way to work up that pasture, 
break up the present old sod so as to get new seed 
into it, then it would pay to use some fertilizer, but 
with the ordinary New England pasture, badly run 
out among the rocks,our belief is that the fertilizer 
would not pay. 
ORCHARD CARE.—The inquirer’s father is right 
in saying that apple trees cannot reach their best 
growth on dry, sandy soils. The apple is a fruit re¬ 
quiring heavier soils, or those with more or less clay. 
At the same time, such trees do require fertilizing, 
and they ought to have it, especially if any grass crop 
is grown with them. The same mixture that is used 
on the grass would be excellent for such trees in 
sandy soil, and here is a thing worth remembering. 
The scientific men tell us that old trees like these are 
actually able to make use of the undissolved phos¬ 
phate rock. Most other crops which grow from year 
to year require a form of phosphoric acid which is 
soluble in water. These big trees actually seem to 
have the ability to utilize the raw ground rock. If 
the trees are as described we would not attempt to 
grow either grass or grain in the orchard for several 
A BOYS' AGRICULTURAL FAIR. Fig. 299. 
years. One trouble evidently is that there is not mois¬ 
ture enough in that soil for both trees and grass. It 
would be better to plow the whole and keep it thor¬ 
oughly cultivated with harrow or cultivator up to 
about June 1, or say possibly the middle of the month. 
Then plant such a crop as cow peas or beans, either 
in hills or in drills, and keep up the cultivation as 
long as it is possible to get through the vines. Then 
let it go. Of course fertilizer would be used as indi¬ 
cated. After one or two years of this sort of work 
there will be a wonderful difference in the trees. In 
fact, it may be necessary to seed down again to Or¬ 
chard grass, or otherwise the trees will make too 
much wood. If seeded down to grass again, remem¬ 
ber that large quantities of fertilizers must be used 
in order to feed crops, and remember also that where 
trees are in grass, nitrate of soda is the best form of 
nitrogen to use, because it is entirely soluble, and will 
soak down into the ground where the roots of the 
trees can reach it. Other forms of nitrogen may lie 
for months on the top of the ground, feeding the grass 
roots, but not providing any nourishment for the 
trees. 
A BOYS’ AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
The Bainbridge Boys’ Agricultural Association con¬ 
sists of five high school boys. The Association was 
established five years ago by three boys, and I be¬ 
lieve, practically without capital. A little more than 
a year ago two other members were admitted upon 
payment of $1 each, after which there was a fund of 
$5 in the treasury. A very good profit was made at 
their fair last Fall, so that the boys were able to 
launch out a little more this season, they having $16 
to work with. They offered prizes for races to the 
amount of about $12, these races being for bicycle and 
others, such as a wheelbarrow race, potato race, etc., 
there being six or eight each day. I called around to 
see what the fair is like. I found that two of the vil¬ 
lagers living next to each other had loaned the use 
of their barns and yards, and a driveway leading from 
the road. Over the entrance to the driveway was an 
arch with a neat inscription announcing the fair, and 
over the entrance to each barn was an appropriate 
sign designating one as Floral Hall and the other as 
Agricultural Hall. Both rooms were tastily dec¬ 
orated. I am of the opinion that the former room 
was of more real interest to the visitors, in propor¬ 
tion to its extent, than are the floral halls of the aver¬ 
age county fair. The exhibits were grouped around 
the room and upon a pyramidal support in the cen¬ 
ter. Many of the articles are antique relics, of much 
interest. In Agricultural Hall there were about 50 
feet in length of space where were shown fruits, 
vegetables, poultry, etc. The exhibit was really a 
good one. Admission to the grounds is free, and the 
money is made by sale of ice cream, popcorn and 
other wholesome things to eat and to drink. Fig. 299 
shows the hall and as much of the stands as one view 
could well take in. I understand that the receipts this 
year were about $70, and that a very goou percentage 
of this is profit. May the Association “live long and 
prosper.” How many of these young men will go to 
the agricultural college when through high school? 
H. H. L. 
STORING CABBAGE FOR WINTER. 
Various Methods and Houses. 
For home use, plow a trench on high dry ground, 
retain all the leaves on, and set heads in a row, close 
together. Cover lightly with fine dry soil, leaving the 
stump sticking out. Usually they come out in fine 
condition in Spring or when wanted. A friend built 
a shed roof with eaves resting on the ground. It 
was battened and covered with straw, then a coat¬ 
ing of soil, which when frozen was covered with 
horse manure to prevent its thawing out. Commenc¬ 
ing at one end it was packed full of stripped heads 
which came out in the Spring with a very small loss. 
It was about 30 feet long, and had three ventilator 
tubes, which were kept open till extreme weather. It 
was not filled till cold weather Another friend dug 
a trench two feet deep and set up a line of old rail¬ 
road ties which projected three feet above the sur¬ 
face. A plank nailed on their tops served as a plate. 
Posts were put in on each side one-third of the dis¬ 
tance from tne side, and planks nailed to the tops to 
support the roof. A board roof was put on, which was 
covered first with swamp grass, then with buckwheat 
straw, and finally with strawy horse manure. It was 
50 feet long and 16-foot boards were used for the roof. 
It has plenty of venilators, and small doors in the 
roof admit of filling from the side without moving 
truck so far as when filled from end. A car track is 
laid the whole length, which extends beyond the 
building, so a wagon can be driven close to the car. 
The track is built in square sections which are laid 
on cross pieces nailed to the row of posts, and are 
left loose, so they can be taken up and the space under 
them utilized. The opening in the end over which the 
roof projects makes a storeroom for crates and a sort¬ 
ing room in wet weather. The builder admitted that 
it would not last long, not more than four or five 
years, but claimed it was cheap enough and withstood 
frost enough to pay rebuilding. 
Two things are desired, dryness and protection from 
frost. I would build a stone wall laid in mortar sev¬ 
eral feet high, but not higher than it could be banked 
with earth on outside. I would build all the rest of 
wood, for stone will gather moisture and show frost. 
Build on level or high ground, with dry foundation. 
Roof should be ceiled with airtight stuff on inside of 
rafters. After putting on weatherboards cover with 
tarred paper, and another cover of boards and bat¬ 
ten. Buildings of this kind are supposed to get along 
without artificial heat, and the roof must be well 
made. By the other method there are no rafters or 
paper and the roof is more certain to resist frost. 
Cabbage is quite apt to heat, and good ventilating 
tubes must be provided and kept open. Many are 
preventing heating by putting in racks, like the old- 
fashioned ones for milk pans. The heads are put in, 
three heads each way, or nine together on each tier. 
A foot space is left between the ranks of tiers, which 
extend from bottom to top, which makes passage¬ 
ways. C. E. CHAPMAN. 
Potatoes are a poor crop, yield light, a great many 
small ones. Shippers commenced buying at 16 cents, 
now pay 18 to 20 cents. I have none to sell at that 
price—feed to stock first. Potatoes, 16 to 20 cents; oats, 
25 cents; wheat, 70 cents; eggs, 16 cents; apples, 50 cents 
per bushel. Dairy butter, first class, 23 to 25 cents. 
Petoskey, Mich. l. g. j. 
Bees and Peaches.— I cannot positively say that bees 
do make the first puncture in peaches. I know they are 
very fond of good ripe peaches. Our sorting houses in 
this section have been thickly Infested with bees that 
sometimes almost cover a peach and devour it rapidly, 
and my belief is that they will suck or puncture a soft 
peach without the aid of a wasp or hornet. I would not 
take my oath on it, though. J. h. merriman. 
Connecticut, 
