34o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 6 
Short Stories. 
Pitching a Tank —Referring’ to the 
inquiry of J. M H., page 158,1 would sug¬ 
gest to him that he can attain the object 
he desires by giving his tank a coating in¬ 
side of hot pitch. As it is highly inflam¬ 
mable, I would build a fire outdoors 
away from the buildings, suspending a 
kettle containing the pitch over the 
fire, and when the pitch is at the boil¬ 
ing point, or near it, ladle it into a pail, 
and apply with a brush. It forms a 
tasteless and waterproof coating. One 
good coat should be sufficient, 88 if too 
thick, it will be likely to crackle. If he 
has a leaky pail, he can experiment with 
that. I cannot say just how many 
pounds of pitch would be required to 
cover his tank, but it is very inexpen¬ 
sive, and a few pounds more or less in 
purchasing would be of little conse¬ 
quence. F C. CURTIS 
Maine. 
Monkkvs and Cotton —A long article 
has been going the rounds of the papers, 
giving the details about a great experi¬ 
ment in Mississippi with monkeys. It 
gave the name and address of the man 
who is said to have imported 200 mon¬ 
keys from Africa. These monkeys were 
of a peculiar breed, and one of Bamum’s 
old animal trainers was secured to teach 
them to pick cotton. The article goes 
on to state how successful this experi¬ 
ment was, and how breeding and selling 
monkeys promised to become one of the 
great features of southern agriculture. 
The monkeys cost only a few cents a 
year for feed, and would pick more than 
the average negro. Some of the papers 
even had pictures of the monkeys at 
work in the field. Prof. Welborn, of the 
Mississippi Agricultural College, tells us 
that there is not a word of truth in the 
whole story. It is simply a yarn made 
out of whole cloth ; in other words, a lie. 
It is strange how the papers will publish 
and make much of a yarn of this kind, 
yet refuse to print a line about simple 
truths that would make the world better. 
Whrn to Sow Sehd. —Our idea of gov¬ 
erning the starting of seeds in hotbeds 
is taken largely from Nature, which al¬ 
ways affords us sure indications of the 
approach of Spring weather. That is, 
for tomatoes and other plants which can¬ 
not be set out until the weather is quite 
warm, we sow the seeds about the time 
the maple trees are starting to swell 
tbeir buds, or commencing to come out 
into leaf, it taking about four weeks 
from sowing the seed to produce a fine 
stocky plant suitable for planting out. 
For planting the other early or hardier 
plants, such as cabbage, cauliflower, etc , 
where only a limited supply of glass is 
at hand, we advise sowing the seed about 
the time the Silver maples are showing 
the red blossom buds. Of course, where 
these plants can be transplanted and 
given sufficient room to develop in cold 
frames or moderate hotbeds, much larger 
and more advanced plants may be had 
for setting in the open ground when the 
weather is suitable, e b dablington. 
Metal-Eating Insect. —Some of our 
readers have noticed a paragraph that 
has been floating about through the agri¬ 
cultural papers, with regard to a beetle 
that would cut metal. On referring this 
matter to Prof. Slingerland, we are in¬ 
formed that, in 1888, a specimen of a 
strange insect was brought to New York 
from Mexico, and later, others have 
been seen. This beetle is called Zopherus 
Americanus. It is about 1 % inch long, 
and somewhat mottled. The beetles can 
cut their way out of wooden or pewter 
receptacles if there be an exposed edge. 
They do not bore. In one reported case, 
the beetle, by means of its mandibles, 
cut away the pewter between two holes, 
and thus managed to escape. The bits 
of metal were not swallowed, but were 
dropped in the jar. The beetle’s mandi¬ 
bles must be harder than the metal in 
order to cut it. It is said that a closely- 
related beetle is used by the Mexicans 
for ornament. Prof. Slingerland says 
instances are recorded where small 
beetles have really bored their way 
through the lining of lead water pipes, 
but there is no instance to indicate that 
these tough-jawed insects really eat the 
particles of metal which they gnaw off. 
A Small California Farm. —Here are 
what were sold and produced on 42 acres 
here during the year ending December 
1, 1898: 
Amount received for eggs and chickens ... $83 30 
Amount received for cattle and hogs. 790.45 
Amount received for butter. 286 30 
Amount received for hay. 781.60 
Pasturing horses. 27.35 
Amount from nine colonies of bees. 88.10 
Total.*2,057 10 
The owner is going to increase his bees 
up to, possibly, 200 stands, and then his 
receipts will be much better. He sold 
cattle for from $30 to $60 per head, and 
hay at $8 per ton. ne cut about 200 tons 
last year. He keeps his cattle in a large 
oak grove, cuts Alfalfa and feeds them 
there until about October 1; then he 
turns out on the Alfalfa. The farmers 
on Alfalfa lands commence cutting hay 
about the 15th of this month, and then 
they will not get through until about 
the first of October, depending somewhat 
on the weather. We do not irrigate in 
this section. « t. j. 
Nicolaus, Cal. 
The Wheat Situation. —Mr. F. D. 
Coburn, Secretary of Agriculture for 
Kansas, sends a report of the condition 
of Winter wheat for his State. He says 
that he has waited until a few days of 
settled weather, to bring out the wheat, 
so as to determine how much of it has 
really been killed. He says he does not 
believe in estimating the probable out¬ 
come of the crop, “when pick and spade 
in frozen earth, are necessary to do it.” 
In brief, his estimate is that 26 per cent 
of the acreage will be plowed under this 
Spring for other crops. Of the remainder, 
the condition is about 68 per cent. This 
would make, on the whole, less than 
half the average crop at the most liberal 
estimate. A reader in Allen County, Ind., 
says that farmers there are worse off 
than Kansas farmers, so far as wheat is 
concerned. That country will have to 
buy nearly all its seed wheat next Fall, 
to say nothing of flour. 180 acres were 
sown to wheat, and there will not be 
one-quarter of an acre on the whole 180, 
if it all be gathered together. Four- 
fifths of the clover is, also, killed, and 
no one but a western farmer can realize 
what a misfortune that is. 
Wool Waste as Fertilizer. —On page 
281, C C. S. inquires about using wool 
waste as fertilizer. In the answer gi ven, 
the writer says, “Probably, the best 
way to utilize it is to mix it with the 
manure, and let it rot in an ordinary 
compost.” Several years ago I used con¬ 
siderable wool waste as fertilizer during 
a period of several years. I tried com¬ 
posting, and found it very unsatisfac¬ 
tory. It seemed as though the greater 
part of the fertilizing properties was 
lost. I imagined it escaped as free nitro¬ 
gen, and not as ammonia, as I kept the 
pile well covered with loam. I never 
noticed any smell of ammonia from the 
pile. I, probably, used more than 50 
tons in three or four years, and had the 
best- success with plowing it directly 
into the ground on light land. On very 
moist land, it should not be buried deep¬ 
ly. Two of my neighbors used large 
quantities of wool waste, and their ex¬ 
perience was the same as mine. I found 
it a powerful nitrogenous fertilizer when 
applied directly to the land. I can’t 
give any scientific explanation of the 
facts, but such facts were found in ex¬ 
perience. M MORSE 
Massachusetts. 
Oats and Peas. —Hoard’s Dairyman 
gives the following directions for grow¬ 
ing oats and peas : “ Select a high, dry 
piece of ground, one that can be worked 
the earliest possible in the Spring. It 
should, also, be of good fertility, and 
stubble of last year’s corn ground is pre¬ 
ferred to sod. As soon as practicable, 
either plow or disk it thoroughly ; har¬ 
row once, and sow two bushels of small 
Canada field peas. Then plow them under 
not less than four inches deep. Harrow 
once, and let lie for about a week ; then 
sow 1% bushel of White Schoenen oatp, or 
some other stiff-strawed variety, and 
harrow in well. By sowing early, we 
get ahead of the hot, dry weather in 
July, and the peas fruit more abund¬ 
antly. If they are wanted for hay, cut 
just as the peas have passed well out of 
the boiling stage. Cure in the coek 
with hay caps. If the grain is wanted, 
be sure to cut rather green, before the 
pods will open and shell. It is better 
to cut too early than too late. Thrash 
in the loose straw, and grind the oats 
and peas together. This constitutes a 
rather heavy feed, and each farmer 
should experiment on his cows to know 
just how much each individual can 
take safely, and respond to the pail.” It 
is high time to get this crop started, as 
the clover crop has been killed out in 
many places, and some form of nitrogen¬ 
ous fodder must be used as a substitute. 
Handling a Boiler.—A writer in The 
Farm Student gives this advice: “Neither 
turn on the feed water, start or stop the 
engine, or lift the safety valve, until the 
fire is out and the boiler cooled down 
After the boiler has cooled sufficiently, 
it should be examined to see if the tubes 
and sheets are injured, before firing up 
again. 
As loDg as there is water over the 
tubes or crown sheet, it is safe to put in 
more water, but it is never safe to put 
in water after it gets below them. Never 
put cold water into a hot boiler. Cold 
water striking any hot part will contract 
it and cause a serious strain on the tubes 
and seams. Neither should a cold boiler 
be filled with very hot water, as the hot 
water will expand the parts it comes in 
contact with, and will also cause a strain 
on the tubes and sheets. 
Be sure that all openings for admis¬ 
sion of air to the boiler or flues, except 
through the furnace, are carefully 
stopped. This is frequently the cause of 
serious loss in fuel. If cold air enters 
at any other place, it not only destroys 
the draught but cools the furnace and 
the boiler. A new boiler, set in new 
brickwork, should be fired up very 
slowly in order to let the brickwork dry 
out without cracking. It will be well 
to start a fire but not to raise any steam 
pressure for two or three days. Any 
boiler should be fired up slowly when 
cold. 
Best Seeds 
that Grow! 
Thousands of Dollars 
B 
in CASH PRIZES for 1899 
and many other New Features, 
of particular interest, presented in 
URPEE’S 
Farm Annual 
Leading American Seed Catalogue 
Mailed FREE to all. 
A handsome new book of 176 pages, —tells 
the plain truth about Seeds, including rare 
Novelties which cannot be had elsewhere. 
Beautiful colored plates and hundreds of illus¬ 
trations from nature. Gives practical informa¬ 
tion of real value to all who would raise the 
choicest Vegetables and most beautiful Flowers. 
Write a postal card TO-DAY 1 
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Philadelphia 
A IS THE BEST FORAGE PLANT. 
I H B JP BH It fiiriilsliessueculcnt food from 
/■■ WT ■ May to December. Nocqualfor 
BCj I mUi summer and autumn 81IEKP 
■ FOOD. Equally (food for cattle, calves and 
pigs. Beats eloverand alfalfa by scientific test. 
Grows 20 to 40 Tons Green Feed to Acre 
—no green food approaches it for fattening. Salzer’s 
Dwarf Essex, best. 100 lbs. $7.00; 101bs. tl; 15 to 09 lbs. 
8 cents per lb.; for less than 100 lbs. add 25cts. cartage if 
sent by freight. Send 5 cents for pamphlet on Rape 
Seed Dep. Amcr'n Sheep Breeder, 124 Michigan St. Chicago. 
Thirty-Eight Tons 
EXCELLENT QUALITY OF ENSILAGE per 
acre, actual weight. Cost of seed only *1. Booh 
telling all about it mailed free. ROSS BROTHERS, 
No. 162 Front Street, Worcester. Mass. 
P^u O ^ 1^—Japanese Barnyard Millet 
r vl O Cl 11/ Seed. Address 
Pkof. Wm. P. Brooks, Mass. Agr.Col., Amherst, Mass 
Offered— Soy Beans, acclimated seed. 
ANSON IIINKLEY, Du Bois, Ill. 
Q —Choice Seed Potatoes, true 
vl I Ocll v to name. Uncle Sam and 
Carman No. 3, 75 cents per bushel. Carman No. 3, 
second size, 60 cents per bushel. 
L. W. MeBLWAIN, Wilawana, Pa. 
^ P ET POTATOES. Choice clean White 
E, b \J Oats, 107 bushels per acre, 75c ba.: 
sample. 5c. postage. Good White Banner at 1 5c. bu. 
Bed Kidney, choice seed. 600 bushels Choice Seed 
Potatoes. Sir Walter Raleigh. $3; Carman No. 3, 
$2.80; Rural New-Yorker No. 2. $2.70; Enormous, $3. 
Good Seconds, from $1.25 to $1 80 In sacks 165 pounds. 
Circular 35 kinds. We grow them. 
S. J. SMITH, Rural, Manchester, N. Y. 
Vegetable Plants. 
Make m >ney by raising early vegetables. Our 
plants are guaranteed to be of good size, and to be 
grown from extra selected seeds. The largest estab¬ 
lishment in the United States devoted exclusively 
to the raising of vegetable plants. The prices quoted 
below are for transplanted, well-hardened plants. 
Per 100. Per M 
Cabbage plants ready March 15. $0.40 $3.00 
Tomato plants ready May 1. 40 3.00 
Celery plants ready March 15.40 3 00 
Pepper plants ready May 1.40 3.00 
Kgg plant plants ready May 1 .50 4.00 
The Apple Consumers’ League is a good thing 
I join. I am always on the lookout for good ap 
pies An uncooked ripe apple is more whole- 
We raise all of the leading varieties. Stamp for 
catalogue. Cash must accompanv all orders. 
J. E. HUTTON, Conynglmm, Pa. 
some than a cooked one, and Is the best of all 
fruits, native or imported, the most beautiful to 
look at, too. MARY WAGER FISHER. 
««««««««««««««««««««««««« 
Make Money 
on your cabbages, onions and early 
beets. How? Force tlieir growth 
with applications of 
Nitrate of Soda , 
the quickest of all fertilizers. Es¬ 
pecially adapted to early vegeta¬ 
bles. Produces size and quality at 
the same time. Book, “Food for 
Plants,” tells how and why. Free 
by addressing John A. Myers, 
12—0 John St., New York. 
Nitrate for sale by 
BALFOUR, WILLIAMSON & CO., 
27 William St., New York. 
FRUIT PACKAGES ^ 1 
Also lleekeepers’ Supplies. 
Order now before the busy sea¬ 
son catches you. Catalogue and 
price-list free. Address 
BERLIN FRUIT BOX CO. 
Berlin Heights,Box B,ErieCo.,0. 
RPflftY We are offering a wire-stapled 
DLmlii DnOlvLlkJ perry basket cheaper than 
ever before. These are stronger and more durable 
tban a hand-made basket. Write for our catalogue 
and price-list. WEBSTER BASKET CO., Webster, 
Lock Box 43, Monroe County, N. Y 
Good Fruit 
always finds a ready market, but to bring top 
prices it must be put up in neat, attractive 
and substantial packages. We have every¬ 
thing in the basket line. All sizes of 
Baskets, 
Peach and Grape Crates* 
Buy direct from the manufacturers and 
save money. Write to-day for catalogue and 
new price list Special price in carload lots. 
A. H. MONTAGUE & SON, 
120 Warren Street, New York City. 
Dreer’s Garden Calendar.Si 
An up-to-date Catalogue of the best new and rare, aa well M 
the cream of the standard varieties of 
Seeds, Plants, Bulbs, Etc. 
A handsome book of 168 pages, profusely illustrated, mailed FREE t» 
those who state where they saw this advertisement. 
HENRY A. DREER, 714 Chestnut St., Phlla., P«.) 
