1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
689 
Spraying with Crude Petroleum. 
L. M., Malvern, Ark .—Will crude oil sprayed 
on peach and other trees during the Win¬ 
ter, have any bad effect on the trees? I 
tried Dendrolene, and don't want to be 
placed In the same fix again. 
Ans. —Prof. J. B. Smith, of New Jer¬ 
sey, advises the use of crude petroleum 
on trees affected with the San Jos6 
scale. This seems to be a safe applica¬ 
tion for Winter. It should not be ap¬ 
plied while the trees are growing. The 
petroleum chokes or clogs up the pores 
of the growing leaf, and injures it. Used 
in the Winter, there is no danger. 
Preserving Timber with Lime. 
TV. D., Cincinnati, O.—In The R. N.-Y. for 
September 2, Henry Stewart describes a 
method of treating fence posts with lime 
to insure their preservation. His article 
is of special interest to me, as I am about 
to set some posts in my fruit garden for 
young grape vines. How long should the 
posts remain in the lime water? 
Ans. —In slaking, the hot lime dries 
the air out of the pores of the timber. 
As it cools, the vacant spaces are filled 
by absorption of the cooled lime water. 
When the slaked lime is cool, the job is 
done. 
Fall Plowing, Muriate or Sulphate. 
J. M. It., Cornwall, N. Y .—In using sulphate 
or muriate of potash, is it best to Fall plow 
land and harrow in the fertilizer, or to use 
in Spring just before sowing seed? How 
soon does the potash become available as 
plant food? Is there any danger to seed 
or plant from contact with either of these 
forms of potash, or must they be mixed 
witli plaster or other material to avoid 
burning? 
Ans. —About the only land that we 
would Fall plow in this latiture is a 
tough, hard sod on fairly level ground. 
Such a sod should be left with t.he fur¬ 
rows standing up straight. The freezing 
and thawing of Winter will break up the 
soil, and destroy the roots of grass and 
weeds, and kill a good many insects. On 
steep or rolling land, this would, prob¬ 
ably, cause too much washing. Many 
farmers are now applying muriate of 
potash in the Fall on level ground. It 
is thought that, in this way, the salt is 
washed out of the muriate so that the 
bad effect on the quality of a crop like 
potatoes is overcome. We usually apply 
both muriate and sulphate in the Spring. 
When broadcasted, there 'is no danger of 
burning the seeds. The potash salts are 
i mmediately available. 
Curing Pea-Vine (Cow Pea) Hay. 
TV. J. Jr., Buncombe Co., N. C. —1. What 
time of (lay should cow peas be cut for 
hay? 2. How well cured? Will the vines 
injure? 3. What sort of a barn is best? 
How deep may it bo filled with safety? 
How can I tell when all danger is past, 
how the hay is doing and whether safe 
from overhent or not? 
Ans. —1. Cut pea vines any time of 
day after heavy dew is off. The leaves 
being broad, when wilting, the tendency 
is to retain external moisture; hence the 
early morning dew goes off faster before 
the vines are down, and drying is has¬ 
tened by cutting after the dew is gone. 
2. This depends on how stored, and 
whether you disturb them in the mow. 
When cut and well wilted, you could go 
over with a tedder, if you wish, but 
need not disturb until well along; the 
vines should be raked before brittleness 
ensues. The tedder hastens the work, 
and helps control it. The vines should 
lose nearly all the sap, but should not 
be dried enough so the leaves will break 
off much in handling. If this happens at 
midday, delay hauling until three or 
four o’clock, when you find the leaves 
toughening from change in dryness of 
the air, then haul in the morning, until 
the leaves begin to break. 3. Mow 
away in a tight barn any size and depth 
of mow (a large mow is best) and do not 
disturb, even though some steam rises 
and the top is wet. The deeper the mow 
the better. Close the ban, and keep it 
closed during curing. If the vines seem 
much moist when going into the mow, a 
little salt sprinkled over the layers of 
vines will aid the curing, and add to the 
palatability of the hay. Put a foot of 
old straw, if you have It, over the hay, 
to absorb the moisture, and save what 
hay might be spoiled by that moisture 
at the top. Rot some straw instead of 
hay. Do not become over-anxious, and 
disturb the hay; that will surely injure 
yourself and hay, too. Be sure to give 
it time enough, then look for good hay. 
North Carolina. frank e. emery. 
How Much Bordeaux Mixture per Acre ? 
I). C. S., Jasper, N. Y .—How much copper 
sulphate does It take to spray one acre of 
potatoes, with the best spray pump and 
nozzle? With tho tools I have it cost mo 
50 cents per acre for copper at S*4 cents 
per pound. Should the vines be thorough¬ 
ly wet with the solution, or only the tops 
of the loaves? 
Ans. —In the spraying of potatoes it 
requires from one to three barrels of 
Bordeaux Mixture per acre, according to 
the growth of vines. After spraying 
potatoes for years 1 have found that at 
the first spraying one barrel will easily 
go over an acre. At the last spraying, 
which is usually in August, from 2% to 
three barrels are required per acre. 
Thus the amount of copper sulphate will 
vary from six pounds in the early sea¬ 
son to 12 or 18 pounds at the last spray¬ 
ing. The copper sulphate should be 
purchased for less than 8*4 cents per 
pound. If purchased by the 100 pounds 
it can be obtained for from six to seven 
cents per pound. The vines should be 
thoroughly wet with the mixture, if it is 
expected to prevent attacks of the 
blight. By being thoroughly wot, is 
meruit that every part of the foliage 
should receive some of the spray. 
L. A. C. 
Water from a Spring. 
C. C. G., Arkwriyht, N. Y .—I have a spring 
450 feet distant, which I wish to bring to 
my house. The fall is four feet, and the 
spring now furnishes 15 barrels per day. 
For 150 feet from tho spring tho fall is six 
feet, and from thence to tho house is a 
gradual ascent. Can I use a Vi-inch or 
a %-lnch pipe of either lead or iron suc¬ 
cessfully? Would lead be Injurious to the 
water, for drinking and for cooking pur¬ 
poses? 
Ans. —In conveying water from the 
spring to the house it will first be neces¬ 
sary to dig a trench which shall be be¬ 
low the frost line. The water in the 
spring should be collected in a large 
tank or barrel, and from this tank or 
barrel conveyed to the house. The fall 
is entirely sufficient to cause the water 
to flow if the pipe which is used is of 
sufficient size. The sizes mentioned 
above, one-half or ilve-eighths-inch, 
would not be sufficient. The friction of 
the water against the side of the pipe 
would be so great that but little, if any, 
water would flow through. The pipe 
should be at least one inch in diameter, 
and the galvanized iron should be used 
in preference to lead pipe. The lead is 
much more expensive, and there is dan¬ 
ger that the water may act upon the 
load to corrode it, and thus the water 
become contaminated. We have seen 
water conducted from springs somewhat 
similar to tins one above described, 
where sewer pipe was used for the con¬ 
ductor. The joints were laid in cement, 
and the pipes were perfectly satisfac¬ 
tory in every way. l. a. c. 
What Causes Potato Scab ? 
J. TV. TV., Prestun City, Conn .—In regard 
to the scab disease oil potatoes, I believe 
it to be caused entirely by wireworms. 
Corrosive sublimate used as a remedy may 
poison those that feed on tho potatoes 
planted, while sulphur may, by its smell, 
drive them away. Of course, this is mere¬ 
ly an opinion, and if it can be proved to 
be erroneous by one who knows, I shall be 
quite willing to change it. 
Ans.—A dozen years ago almost every 
potato grower had his own pot theory 
regarding Potato scab. No ono knew 
just what caused it, any more than ear¬ 
lier doctors knew what caused consump¬ 
tion. Dr. Thaxter, of the Connecticut 
Experiment Station, and Prof. Bolley, of 
the North Dakota Station, proved con¬ 
clusively that the scab is a skin disease 
produced or spread by a germ. It has 
been produced in soil where no insect 
life was permitted to remain, and there 
can be no doubt whatever about the 
facts. Very interesting bulletins on this tilizer in the amounts suggested may bo 
subject have been issued by the Connec- applied in the drill. 
ticut Experiment Station (New Haven), New Jersey Exp. Station. 
and North Dakota Experiment Station 
(Fargo). Just as in the case of con¬ 
sumption, a discovery of the real cause 
of this disease is leading to effective 
remedies for combating it. Potato seed 
soaked in a solution of corrosive subli¬ 
mate or formalin will produce tubers 
mostly free from scab. In soil where the 
scab germs are already found, sulphur 
has proved very useful in preventing 
disease, showing one reason why lime 
will often increase the yield of potatoes, 
but almost always increases the amount 
of scab. This is because tho lime gives 
the condition in the soil favorable to the 
growth of these scab germs. All these 
things are very interesting when studied 
in the station bulletins. 
Straw, Lime and Fertilizers. 
C. Q. G., Mcndham, N. J.—I have an abund¬ 
ant crop of wheat straw, a great deal more 
than I can use to absorb tho liquid manure 
in my barnyard. I expect to put corn on 
a field—one-half is very low and wet, most¬ 
ly clay, the other is high and dry. Would 
I not got tho full benefit of this straw if 1 
draw it fresh from tho thrasher, and spread 
on tho lowest part of tho field as thick as 
it can be plowed under In the Spring, or 
would It lose from exposure, and how 
much? Shall I lime this part of the field 
before spreading the straw and manure, or 
wait until Spring after plowing, for the 
benefit of corn and soil In general? Is 
there any part of commercial fertilizer 
that has the same sweetening and loosen¬ 
ing effect on low land as lime? If so, what 
is it? Will the money expended on lime at 
10 cents per bushel, and 25 bushels to tho 
acre, on this corn ground, be as good an In¬ 
vestment in tho long run for crops and 
grass as it would in fertilizer, such as 
"Bowker’s Fresh Ground Bone,” at $27 per 
ton? I have a plot of land that was a 
heavy Red-top sod, and well manured for 
corn the Spring of ISOS; last Spring part of 
it was planted to potatoes, and had 800 
pounds of Armour’s “Bone Meal, Mildly 
Acidulated,” and 200 pounds of muriate of 
potash per acre—the rest was plowed some 
time ago, and Is nearly ready for wheat. 
Would you put 400 pounds of Bowker’s 
“Fresh Ground Bone” per acre where there 
were no potatoes, and 200 pounds where 
there were, or would you put half the 
amount of fertilizer and 25 bushels of lime 
per acre, and how would you apply? The 
soil is low and damp, and has not been 
limed for several years. 
ANSWERED BY PROF. E. R. VOORTIEES. 
The best thing to do with the low land 
is to plow it this Fall, allow it to remain 
without harrowing, and then lime it at 
the rate of 20 to 25 bushels per acre. 
The wheat straw applied this Fall will 
not lose a great deal during the Winter, 
and if you can spread it in such quanti¬ 
ties as to enable you to work it in in the 
Spring, it may also be applied either 
after or before the land is limed. Then 
early in the Spring, go over with a Cut¬ 
away, or other good harrow, thoroughly 
cutting the soil, and working into it the 
lime and straw. If you can as well as 
not, it would be better for you to have 
the straw cut up and used as bedding 
this Winter, and applied early in the 
Spring, and worked into the soil, though 
the other method may be used if more 
convenient. 
In reference to the question as to 
whether commercial fertilizer has the 
same sweetening and loosening effect as 
lime, I have to say that it has not. Lime 
exerts a peculiar function of its own, 
and for low, heavy land that has not 
been recently limed, I would recommend 
that it be used, though 'it cannot alto¬ 
gether take the place of applied fer¬ 
tilizer, inasmuch as its action is to set 
free the insoluble ingredients in tho soil, 
and it may not be possible to set free a 
sufficient amount to make a good crop, 
whereas the direct addition of fertilizer 
would furnish this amount. Where land 
is limed, the amount of fertilizer may be 
somewhat reduced, and I would recom¬ 
mend, in the case of tho heavy Red-top 
sod, as described, that lime be used, and 
that one-half of the fertilizer be applied 
at that time, and then the remainder of 
the fertilizer later. Tho lime, of course, 
is to be broadcasted, whereas tho fer- 
Partial Luxations of Patella in a Colt. 
I have a colt, three years old, whose right 
hind log slips out of joint when he walks, 
and then comes Into place with a jerk 
somewhat resembling springhalt; When 1 
ho trots, it does not show any lameness, 
only in walking, it slips out this way, and 
ho can't bring it front for a second or two, 
when it comes up with a snap. What can 
1 do for It? H. p. b. 
Pennsylvania. 
Ans. —The partial displacements of the 
patella are due to a relaxed or flabby 
condition of the structures of the joint. 
Apply an active blister over the whole 
front of the stifle joint. A convenient 
blister can be made of equal parts of 
strong aqua ammonia and sweet oil well 
shaken together. This will strengthen 
and give tone to the parts so as to pre¬ 
vent the displacement. A second or 
even a third blistering may be necessary 
in some cases. During treatment, ex¬ 
ercise in a large box-stall or small yard 
is very desirable. If the general condi¬ 
tion of the colt is rather flabby, as is 
usually the case in troubles of this kind, 
he should be well fed and given special 
care to improve his condition. 
F. L. K. 
Peru claims to be the birthplace of the 
potato, also the country where quinine was 
first used. The Indians used tho bark for 
medicinal purposes long before tho Span¬ 
iards came to America, it is said that tho 
first doso of quinine taken to Europe was 
swallowed by the Pope, and it cured his 
malaria. Peru also claims to be tho birth¬ 
place of tho tomato and cotton, but Egypt 
puts in a prior claim in favor of the latter. 
The Eucalyptus tree is thought to pos¬ 
sess the power to rid a secllon of malaria. 
It is believed that its roots have power to 
absorb poisonous matters In the soil. Tho 
tree is used medicinally, and its wood is 
valuable. In southern California, It Is 
thought to have some influence in Inducing 
rainfall. It is now said that this Govern¬ 
ment will plant the Eucalyptus tree quite 
extensively in Cuba, in the hope that It will 
rid that country of malaria, it is said to 
have worked wonders in this respect along 
the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. 
ARTIFICIAL 
Legs and Arms 
FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES. 
A. A. M AUKS, 
701 Broadway, 
New York. 
D IC A K 8 1 It I 
received the pair 
of urtltlotat logs 
you in a d o for 
me In due time; 
they titled per¬ 
fectly, and I 
have worn them 
constantly from 
tho start. 1 work 
in the store 
from six o'clock 
in the morning 
u n 111 ten at 
night. The limbs 
* are lighter limn 
I expected, and appear to be very strong. 
E. It. SCULL. 
A. A. MARKS, 
7U1 Broadway, 
New York. 
DKAliSiR My 
r I g h t. leg was 
amputated four 
inches above 
the knee, in 
iH'.lii, I purchased 
an artificial leg 
of you. 1 am 
compelled to 
say after ten 
years of con¬ 
stant use 1 am 
convinced that 
1 made no mis¬ 
take In taking 
your patent. | My occupation is farming; I often saw 
wooil nil day; I have 
picked one hundred 
pounds of cotton In 
a day, and that was 
about as much as I 
was aide to pick be¬ 
fore t lost my leg. 
J, 1). CLUCK. 
A. A. Marks, 
7U1 Broadway, 
New York. 
DBAR Sir I sell 
morning papers on 
the railroad trains, 
frequently got on 
and otf a train when 
in motion. Very few of my friends know that I lost 
one of my feet. JNO. SCHAREF. 
Mr. ELKY, of Windham 
County, Conn., tcstltles 
that lie has no dltlleulty 
in working with other 
laborers and earning la¬ 
borer’s wages, although 
lie wears an artificial arm; 
lie uses tlie pickax the 
suuiu as others do with 
their natural arms. 
S e ii <1 for 1>I a r k s’ 
Treatise on Artificial 
Limbs. ABO pages anil 
800 illustrations. A 
complete work on t lie 
restoration of t b e 
maimed. 
A. A. MARKS , 
701 Broadway, NEW YORK, N.Y. 
