848 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 22 
Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure atten¬ 
tion. Before asking a question, please see 
whether it Is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one time. 
Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Chemicals for an Orchard. 
W. T. C., Turner Center, Me .—In what form 
and when is it best to apply muriate of 
potash and phosphoric acid to an orchard 
of apple trees eight years old, orchard to 
be seeded to clover in the Spring and 
plowed under? Trees have been neglected, 
badly eaten by borers and have grown but 
little for two years. What amount of each 
fertilizer per tree? 
Ans. —The fruit and vine mixtures 
made by the fertilizer manufacturers 
will answer. Two home mixtures can 
be safely recommended. Three parts of 
fine ground bone and one of muriate of 
potash will give good results. For such 
an orchard as you mention a mixture of 
400 pounds bone, 400 of muriate, 400 of 
nitrate of soda, and 800 of dissolved 
phosphate rock will answer. This will 
cost more and will take more time to 
mix and apply, but it will help neg¬ 
lected trees. We would use 12 to 15 
pounds to each tree. 
Corn Smut and Cattle. 
C. V. D., TecumseJi, Neb .—In the November 
24 issue of The R. N.-Y. I notice the question 
is asked whether Corn smut is injurious to 
cattle. I wish to say that it is decidedly 
so, as farmers in this locality lose numbers 
of cattle every Winter by the “cornstalk 
disease.” 
Ans. —Our statement was based on 
the results of several experiments in 
which Corn smut was fed to cattle. In 
order to settle the matter clear, smut 
mixed with bran was fed to cows. In 
one case 11 pounds of the smut—or over 
half a bushel—were fed daily to a cow. 
As a result of this and other experi¬ 
ments it was concluded that there is 
little or no danger from Corn smut 
when cattle roam through the stalk 
fields, except when a cow for some rea¬ 
son craves the smut and eats large 
quantities of it. The veterinarians say 
that the “cornstalk disease” is due to 
“some poisonous principle in the dried 
stalk or leaves.” 
What Chemicals With Stable Manure ? 
F. M. D., Cincinnatiis, N. Y .—With all ma¬ 
nure drawn fresh from the stable and 
spread on the plowed land, don’t you think 
my most needed elements in the line of 
commercial fertilizers would be phosphoric 
acid and potash? If so, in what form 
would you buy it; how would you apply it, 
and how much in quantity? Would you 
call the following fertilizer a good one to 
use with manure handled as stated, on 
what I call fairly good land, and how much 
ought it to cost me per ton? Guaranteed 
analysis; ammonia, 3 to 4 per cent; total 
phosphoric acid, 10 to 12 per cent; insoluble, 
1 to 2 per cent; available, 9 to 11 per cent; 
potash, 4 to 6 per cent; equivalent to sul¬ 
phate of potash, 7.40 to 9.25 per cent. I 
use my horse manure in cow stable gutters, 
and feed grain the year round to cows. 
Ans. —Average stable manure con¬ 
tains in one ton 10 pounds of nitrogen, 
five of phosphoric acid and 13 of potash. 
As the result of many experiments it 
appears safe to conclude that on the 
average soil there should be used at least 
twice as much potash and nearly three 
times as much phosphoric acid as of 
nitrogen. That is not true of all soils. 
Heavy clays need phosphoric acid far 
more than they do potash. Rich black 
soils containing plenty of humus us¬ 
ually need far more potash than nitro¬ 
gen. On all soils where stable manure 
gives good results we feel sure that it 
will pay to use potash and phosphoric 
acid also. Muriate of potash and dis¬ 
solved phosphate rock are the cheap¬ 
est forms in which to buy the min¬ 
erals. You can safely use 25 pounds of 
muriate and 40 pounds or more of the 
dissolved rock with each ton of manure. 
The method of applying the fertilizer 
would depend somewhat on the crop. 
Generally we would prefer to plow under 
the manure and broadcast the fertilizer 
after plowing and harrow it in. By 
using the fertilizer the stable manure 
can be made to go farther. In one ton 
of the fertilizer mentioned the makers 
guarantee 60 pounds of ammonia, 180 
pounds of available phosphoric acid and 
80 pounds of potash. The “valuation” 
is figured as follows; 
60 pounds ammonia@13. 7.80 
180 pounds phosphoric acid@4. 7.20 
80 pounds potash@4%. 3.60 
Total ...518.60 
You must remember just what that 
means. It represents the cost of ma¬ 
terials in New York, when bought in 
large lots. The agent cannot afford to 
sell it for that money, for the cost of 
mixing, bagging, hauling, freight and 
profits must be added. A baker might 
buy flour at two cents a pound and bake 
a pound loaf which contained only 12 
ounces of flour. You would not expect 
to buy the loaf for 1 1-2 cent, which 
would be the exact cost of the flour. 
Why not? Because the baker should 
be paid for his time, material and skill 
In like manner fertilizer “valuations” 
do not show what the mixed and bagged 
goods ought to be sold for, nor do they 
indicate the agricultural or crop-produc¬ 
ing value of the fertilizer. We would 
not buy that fertilizer to use with ma¬ 
nure. With plenty of good manure you 
do not need to buy organic nitrogen, 
dissolved phosphate rock and nitrate of 
soda. Use the potash and the rock with 
the manure. If the crop shows by its 
color and growth that it needs nitrogen, 
use small quantities of nitrate. 
Charcoal Burning as a Business. 
We have heard much of charcoal lately. 
Where is it burned, and does it pay? 
Ans. —Nearly all the charcoal that is 
manufactured in this country is manu¬ 
factured in Vermont, New Hampshire 
and New York State. The burning of 
charcoal in Vermont and New Hamp¬ 
shire is carried on by lumbermen. It 
is burned in brick kilns that hold about 
50 cords each. In New York State it 
is a by-product from acid factories, 
where they manufacture wood alcohol 
and acetate of lime. It being with 
these manufacturers a by-product, the 
business of burning charcoal in Ver¬ 
mont and New Hampshire is ruined, as 
there is more profit in making the al¬ 
cohol and acetate of lime than manu¬ 
facturers can make in Vermont and 
New Hampshire in burning the coal. 
But little charcoal is now manufactured 
in Vermont and New Hampshire. 
Beech, birch and maple make the best 
charcoal; second-growth wood makes 
better than old growth. A cord of wood 
makes 50 bushels of charcoal. It is 
shipped in cars that are made expressly 
for that purpose. It is sold by the 
bushel, calling a bushel 2,680 cubic 
inches. Charcoal made from green wood 
is heavier and better than that made 
from dry wood. From green wood it 
will weigh 22 pounds to the bushel, 
from dry wood 20 pounds. In the cities 
it is used for kindling fires, but much 
the larger proportion is used by the fur¬ 
nace men for melting ores. Acid fac¬ 
tories make their charcoal in what they 
call retorts. They are made of steel 
and hold about one cord each. A re¬ 
tort is filled, burned and emptied every 
day. A cord of wood is supposed to 
yield 10 gallons of alcohol, 50 bushels 
of charcoal, 200 pounds of acetate of 
lime. s. l. Griffith. 
Vermont. 
The Volga Poplar. 
IF. R. Wickcliffe, O.—ls the Volga poplar as 
valuable as some Western nurserymen 
claim, and wherein is it superior to our 
native poplars? 
Ans. —The Volga poplar is simply a 
generic name. It would apply to any of 
the following: Populus Simonii, P. 
Bereolensis, P. Certinensis, or any of the 
other Populus from that section. None 
of them is superior to the form of cot¬ 
tonwood called Carolina poplar. P. Sim¬ 
onii is a faster grower in the nursery than 
the Carolina poplar, but I do not think 
it is as long-lived a tree or attains the 
same dimensions when fully grown. 
Prof. Craig, of Cornell; Prof. Erwin, 
of Iowa State College, and Prof. Green, 
of University of Minnesota, have each 
given a great deal of attention to the for¬ 
eign poplars and other trees and shrubs 
from the Volga region. None of them is 
certain which is meant by W. R. as 
Volga poplar. I would not advise giv¬ 
ing any of them a preference over the 
native cottonwood and so-called Caro¬ 
lina poplar. THOS. H. DOUGLAS. 
Waukeg an, Ill. _ 
A Maine farmer reports this freak: It 
is a potato of this year’s growth which 
formed and grew within an old one until 
obliged to burst out through the side of 
the parent bulb, forming a perfect potato, 
yet remaining partly within the old one. 
For the land's sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth —Adv 
P& B 
RUBEROID 
ROOFING 
FOR 
POULTRY 
HOUSES 
P <fc B Ruberoid Roofing and Siding 
is unequaled. Cover the sides and 
roofs of the houses with it, and your 
poultry is kept free from draughts, 
cold and dampness. Ruberoid is 
airtight. Easily applied. Only a 
hammer needed. We furnish the 
nails. It is a roofing that will last. 
Made of a special grade of strong 
felt, containing no tar or paper, 
and proof against weather, water, 
heat, cold, acids, alkalies, vermin, 
etc. I Vc can prove Its superiority. 
THE STANDARD PAINT COMPANY 
83-85 John Street, New York. 
Buy a Good 
Spray 
Pump 
—d o n ’ t experiment— 
costs money. We have done 
the experimenting—used the 
common spray pumps in our 
own orchards, noted their 
defects — then invented the 
ECLIPSE. You get the bene¬ 
fit of our experience free. 
Send at once for catalogue. 
MORRILL & MORLEY, Benton Harbor, Mich. 
Cider Machinery.—Send for catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press Co.. 118 West Water St., Syracuse,NY. 
Two hundred bushels of po¬ 
tatoes remove eighty pounds 
of “actual’’ Potash from the 
soil. Unless this quantity 
is returned to the soil, 
the following crop will 
materially decrease. 
We have books telling about 
composition, use and value of 
fertilizers for various crops. 
They are sent free. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau St., 
New York. 
Our Winter Work B «£ 
make some cash and get your own Trees and Plants 
free. Write to-day for particulars and terms. Alsoask 
for our new descriptive Catalogue for 1801. It's free. 
The Geo. A.Sweet Nursery Co.,Box 1605,l)ansvllle N.Y 
with the first 100 circulars. Bovce, Cobbler. 
Fortune, and others. Oats and B. P. Bocks. 
Smith's Potato Farms, Box B, Manchester. N. Y. 
For Sale 
$5 per bu 
—1.000 bu. Clover Seed @ *6 to 87 per 
bu.; 500 bu. Crimson Clover Seed & 
2.000 bu. Cow Peas @ 81.2b to $1.75 per bu. 
J. E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
4 OH 1 ratalftfiiiD °f Trees and Plants free. 
1 ;ui LdldlUgllC T . c. KKVITT, Athenia. N.J 
and Plants at Wholesale Prices. Cat.free 
| HILCm Reliance Nubskby, B. 10, Geneva,N.Y 
Y ork imperial, peach, 
KIEFFER. You get what you order. 
WOODVIEW NUBSERIKS, B. .00, Uriah. Pa 
§TAP 
IT TREES succeed where 
‘ Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Book Free. Result of 76 years' experience. 
STARK BROS., Louisiana, Mo.; Dansville, N.Y. 
Why Is It ? 
Such a large number of our leading 
Fruit Growers write as follows : 
Jackson Center, O., April 23. 1900. 
S. W. Call, Perry, O. 
Dear Sir —The Bill of Fruit Trees re¬ 
ceived from you on the 20th were all in 
first-class condition, and all who had 
ordered with us, and all others who saw 
the trees, pronounce them as fine a lot of 
trees as ever came to this county. They 
all look so healthy, and such fine roots, 
and taking Quality and Price into con¬ 
sideration, you can count on nearly all 
of the orders from this part of the coun¬ 
try in the future There were 30 of us 
that clubbed together, and sent our 
orders to you, and each one wishes to 
express his thanks to you. 
Very respectfully, 
John Duckwobtu. 
Hundreds of others write similar let¬ 
ters. Call’s Price-List is Free to all. 
FOR RELIABLE FERTILIZERS Tuscarora 
Fertilizer Co., Bossfarm, Juniata County, Pa. 
“Wood treated with Creosote is not subject to dry- 
rot or other decay.’ - —Century Dictionary. 
Cabot’s Creosote Shingle Stains 
are 50 per cent cheaper than paint, and 100 per cent 
better for all rough woodwork. Made in all colors, 
and durability guaranteed. Samples on wood and 
illustrated catalogue sent on request. 
SAMUEL CABOT, 81 Kilby St., Boston, Mass. 
GOOD FRUIT. 
Among my specialties (which no grower should 
miss) are : Three kinds of Raspberry, two each of 
Blackberry, Currant and Grape, and one each 
of Strawberry and Gooseberry. Better fruits for 
money-making were never known; guaranteed healthy, 
.strong-rooted, fresh-dug. My 1901 Catalogue (sent 
free) is the most valuable one issued. 
ALLEN L. WOOD, Wholesale Grower, Rochester, N. Y. 
OIR GREAT GUARANTEE OFFER. 
“Dietz’ Driving Lamp 
It will not blow nor jar out, and throws 
a brilliant light 200 feet. 
Burns kerosene (coal oil). 
PRICE, with holder, $3.75, delivered. 
“Dietz“No. 3 Street Lamp 
More light than a gas street lamp. 
Wind and storm make it burn brighter. 
Easy to take care of. Economical in 
use of oil. Burns kerosene (coal oil). 
PRICE $6.00, delivered. 
CAN BUY ONE OF THESE LAMPS FROM US AND TRY IT. If you will 
i any time within one month (charges prepaid) and say that you are not 
satisfied with it, we will refund your money. This offer only applies when bought direct 
you 
1 return it to us 
from us and after cutting out and sending to us this advertisement. 
R. E. DIETZ COMPANY, 
87 Laight Street, 
Established 1840 . 
New York City. 
W 
W 
W 
\l/ 
1 
4s 
(Its 
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th 
3 
TUB STORKS & HARRISON CO., PAINESVIL.I.E, OHIO. 
Leading American Nurserymen, offer one of the Host Complete Assortments of 
FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHRURS, ROSES, RULES, ETC 
4T Years. 44 Greenhouses. 1000 Acres. Correspondence Solicited. Catalog Free. 
