102 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 16 
works at. better advantage on account of being able 
to stand at any angle from cutter. It takes a little 
more power. J. h. b. 
Easthampton, Mass. 
Good Work With Gasoline Engine. 
There are several gasoline engines around here 
ranging in size from four to 20 horse-power, but the 
one which seems to give the best satisfaction for gen¬ 
eral farm purposes is a five horse-power, built mostly 
of angle steel, and weighing 1,300 pounds. There is 
power enough to cut. from 30 to 60 tons of silage a 
day, according to the dryness of corn, length of cut 
and length of elevator. Last Fall I cut in three days 
what was estimated 150 tons, cut one-half inch, and 
28-foot elevator (chain). I hardly think there is power 
enough properly to run a blower, as those in use here 
use a 10 or 12 horse-power, and then get through but 
little more than I do. My cutter is a 16-inch. These 
engines will run a thrasher to the tune of a bushel a 
minute and saw all the wood that can be got to the 
saw. I advise intending buyers to get one with an 
electric igniter, so as to have no matches around the 
barns. Those that use a battery are in many respects 
the best, especially in starting, but the running cost 
of a battery is more than that of a dynamo, o. m. h. 
Charlotte, Vt. 
CAROLINE ENGINE POWER.—On page 35, under 
the head of “The Engine on the Farm,” a subscriber 
wishes to know whether a five horse-power gasoline 
engine will do his work. I was situated about as he 
is, and two years ago I bought a 2*4 horse-power gaso¬ 
line engine, and it gives excellent satisfaction. It 
will run my 12-inch cutter and 16-foot carver to per¬ 
fection, and I have power to spare. I never weighed 
a load of corn, but should think we can cut 1V 2 to two 
tons an hour. I also do my thrashing, and we can 
thrash from 75 to 100 bushels of wheat in 10 hours. It 
costs about 30 cents a day to run it, with gasoline at 
11 cents a gallon. I also saw wood and shred dry 
fodder with the engine. My engine cost $135 in New 
York, and $150 delivered here and set up. I have 
mine on a solid foundation in a little house. This 
style is only made for tube ignition; for use on a 
wagon electric ignition 1 think would he better, as 
the wind will blow out the light. a. b. f. 
Ambler, Pa. 
A gasoline engine rated at five horse-power actual 
will do more work than the ordinary five horse-power 
steam engine. A farmer of Vineland, N. J., cuts dry 
corn fodder and elevate® it into the barn with a Ross 
cutter and 2y 2 horse-power gasoline engine fast 
enough to make three men work hard to feed and 
clear away. Some of the cornstalks are as large as a 
man’s wrist. g. a. m. 
Vineland, N. J. 
I have a six horse-power portable gasoline engine. 
It is used to run a 16-inch Ohio self-feed silage cut¬ 
ter, with 44 feet of carrier. The engine with this cut¬ 
ter will cut into one-half inch lengths and deliver in 
silo one ton of silage corn in six minutes. Besides 
being used to run silage cutter it runs a No. 10 and 11 
Quaker City grinding mill. The engine with mill will 
grind in good shape 20 bushels of mixed grain in one 
hour. G. H. T. 
McLean, N. Y. 
I see that R. N.-Y. readers are interested in gaso¬ 
line engines for farm use. Two years ago I was in 
the same frame of mind, and invested $400 in a six 
horse-power portable gasoline engine. The same ma¬ 
chine can be bought now for $350, ano if I were in the 
same shape that I was two years ago I should do the 
same as I did then. It is the most complete machine 
that I have ever run. I use mine for filling silos, 
sawing wood, grinding feed; anything that needs 
power to drive. I do not lack for power. a. s. 
Otsego Co., N. Y. 
CHEAP SOIL FERTILITY—HOW OBTAINED? 
Part I. 
Abstract, of a paper read before the Pennsylvania Hor¬ 
ticultural Society by M. Garrahan: 
Most persons would define a fertile soil as one cap¬ 
able of producing crops that will sell for more than 
the cost of production, but how long can this process 
be maintained and the soil continue fertile? There 
will come a time, sooner or later, when the elements 
of fertility available to crops will be so nearly ex¬ 
hausted that the crops will no longer be remunera¬ 
tive. What will be done with that piece of ground 
.then? It makes no difference whether it be garden, 
farm, or orchard, the principle remains the same. 
What would be the result, if a merchant continued to 
sell his goods, and neglecting to restock, finds sooner 
or later hiB shelves practically denuded of everything 
salable? Two courses remain open for him to pursue; 
he can easily quit business at this juncture if there is 
no trouble with creditors, or he can go into the open 
market and reBtock. This latter course implies that 
he knows what his trade calls for, and also that he 
possesses the financial ability to purchase it. If he 
possess sufficient capital to buy for cash the discount 
is sometimes quite a gain, and in car lots there is a 
better freight rate; taken together these sometimes 
make the difference between profit and loss. The same 
conditions are open to the man who does business in 
a garden, orchard, or farm. If his soil has become 
unproductive, by reason of its lost fertility, he must 
learn what to buy, as well as how to buy. 
For several years the writer has worked a small 
truck patch of 20 acres in connection with his other 
business. When taken in hand this land was so poor 
that the former tenant was actually starved out. 
Since I have controlled it it has produced crops that 
are admitted to be very much superior to the average, 
a little driver and his TEAM. Fig. 43. 
and on which nothing but chemicals have been used. 
As I write the formula used last year for cabbage and 
celery is before me, from which most excellent results 
were obtained and which I quote: 
For celery: 
1,000 lbs. add phosphate. 
1,000 lbs. tankage. 
500 lbs. murialc of potash. 
600 lbs. nitrate of soda. 
Approximate analysis of mixture five per rent, nitrogen, 
eight per cent phosphoric acid, eight per cent potash. 
For cabbage, one acre: 
1,000 lbs. acid phosphate. 
500 lbs. muriate of potash. 
500 lbs. nitrate of soda. 
500 lbs. tankage. 
Approximate analysis five per cent nitrogen, 7% per 
cent phosphoric acid, 10 per cent potash. 
This costs anywhere from $20 to $40. depending 
largely how and from whom it was bought. It may be 
asked, at this point, why ignore stable manure so com¬ 
pletely, not even referring to it here? I am not ig¬ 
noring it. I am simply buying my goods in what is 
to me the cheapest market. To produce the same re- 
THE GTRL CAN HANDLE THEoHTEKRS. Fig. 44. 
suits would have cost me at least $50 per acre, with 
manure and labor at the price we have to pay; be¬ 
sides my ground borders the river, and for this rea¬ 
son, owing to the danger of overflow, it would be un¬ 
safe to apply manure during the Winter. In the 
Summer we are too busy. A neighbor occupying 
ground somewhat higher, a stone’s throw away, pre¬ 
fers stable manure. He has no use for fertilizers. 
This same man called my attention recently to a piece 
of ground, on which he applied a half ton per acre, 
to onions and early cabbage, paying at the rate of $40 
per ton for it. “No man living,” he said, "could see 
any difference,” and he was right. But. he could not 
be persuaded into the belief that fertilizers were of 
any earthly use. Calling his attention to our ground 
just across the road, I reminded him of the fact, with 
which he was quite familiar, regarding our treatment 
of it and the results. TTe admitted his inability to 
understand the matter on any other supposition than 
that he had been beaten out of $80 for two tons of 
worthless fertilizer. 
One reason why I prefer to mix my own formula 
is this: I can get the proportions more to my liking 
than the manufacturers usually do. If I want more 
potash or nitrogen I put it in. Besides, I can mix it 
quite cheaply, having to keep about so much help 
over Winter, anyway. They can mix the fertilizer 
before the busy season comes on. Using as we do 
several carloads every season, I find it cheaper to 
buy standard goods, like acid phosphate, muriate of 
potash, nitrate of soda, at jobber's prices in car lots 
for spot cash. There may be some who feel like ask¬ 
ing for more extended information, regarding the 
articles that enter into a properly mixed fertilizer. 
Of the many different elements that a chemical an¬ 
alysis reveals in vegetation, only three are really es¬ 
sential, or rather, necessary. The soil usually con¬ 
tains an ample supply of the other elements, unless 
in some cases, lime may be needed. The essential ele¬ 
ments then, absolutely necessary to maintaining soil 
fertility, are nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 
In former times the only supply for potash was in 
wood ashes, but. in 1862, the mine at Stassfurt, Ger¬ 
many, that had been discovered in 1859, began the 
preparation and shipment of high-grade potash salts. 
The supply is said to be inexhaustible, and no fear 
need be entertained for the lack of potash. The prin¬ 
ciple forms in which it is found in our markets are 
known as muriate and sulphate. The former is by 
far the cheaper, and for most crops answers as well 
as the higher-priced sulphate. The principal differ¬ 
ence consists in the fact that the muriate contains 50 
per cent common salt. The high-grade sulphate has 
been chemically treated, to neutralize the excess of 
chloride of sodium, common salt, consequently it 
stands in high favor with many who are large grow¬ 
ers of tobacco, potatoes and fruits for quality. 
The next most important element, in plant life is 
phosphorus. Phosphate of lime is a very large con¬ 
stituent of the bones of all animals, and for a long 
time animal bone was the only source of supply. But 
nature came to the rescue at an opportune moment, 
and revealed vast quantities of phosphoric rock along 
the coasts of the Carolinas, as well as along the rivers. 
Florida also has developed immense quantities as have 
portions of the State of Tennessee, and more recently 
the valley of the Juniata in Pennsylvania. 
WELL-TRAINED DEVON STEERS. 
A friend in Massachusetts who has noticed the illus¬ 
trations of ponies and other pets in Tiif. R. N.-Y., 
sends the pictures reproduced at Figs. 43 and 44. 
His children find these Devon steers desirable as well 
as useful pets, and the cattle themselves are evident¬ 
ly quite well satisfied with their condition. Many 
cattle have more intelligence than they are usually 
credited with, and if properly handled when young 
may he taught a surprising number of things outside 
the haw and gee routine. One farmer had a pair so 
well broken that, he could drive them from the top 
of a load of hay without any flourish of the whip. 
merfi ]y by word of command, even holding back the 
load when going down hill. This was perhaps trust¬ 
ing them to a dangerous degree, yet. he never taxed 
them beyond their strength, and they seemed t,o 
think that they could do anything that he asked of 
them. The writer remembers a boy in his native 
town who had a pair of twin steers which were the 
wonder of all the neighborhood. They could be driven 
on either side, would walk side by side without being 
yoked or hitched together in any way, kneel or lie 
down at command, and go through numerous other 
•performances. Perhaps they had more natural intelli¬ 
gence than most cattle, but it is more likely that the 
result was due to the interest the boy had taken 
in them, and the patient work he had done at odd 
times in training them. 
THE "SEEDLESS WATERMELON " LIE. 
There is a tale going .the rounds of the papers about 
a certain man at Rocky Ford, Gob, who has for years 
been thinking and experimenting with the view of 
originating a seedless watermelon, and .that he has 
accomplished it. He is said to be an cx-State Senator, 
and if I may judge of him by one of the swaggering 
members of the Senate whom I saw at Denver laist 
Winter, drinking and bragging about bow he would 
vote against every bill that, any other political party 
would offer for passage, I have little wonder that such 
a newspaper lie should be set adrift, with the said ex- 
Senator himself as author. The whole thing is so 
self-contradictory and utterly absurd that no thought¬ 
ful person ought to be deceived by the tale. How¬ 
ever, it may be that some shark will be offering to 
sell “seeds” of this or some other supposed “seedless” 
watermelon. In .the name of reason, how, let me ask, 
could a really seedless melon be propagated? Could 
a farmer take up vines and keep them in the house all 
Winter, to be planted the next Spring? Perhaps the 
plan witf be. to salt down or dry a few leaves to be 
used instead of seeds. Maybe the shadow of this 
“seedless” melon may be preserved in some mysterious 
way so that it will sprout the next year; or, that it 
would serve for all the years to come, would be a 
still more brilliant flight of the imagination, and 
one equally as practical. This story does seem too 
ridiculous for any sensible editor of even a political 
paper to publish, yet I have seen it in several rural 
papers, with the evident intent of impressing It as 
the statement of a fact for the readers to believe. 
II. E. VAN I)EMAN. 
