1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
161 
soil, for most farm crops, we would want a fertilizer 
containing, at least, three per cent of nitrogen, seven 
of phosphoric acid and six of potash. For potatoes, 
we would want a little more nitrogen, and eight per 
cent of potash, while for fruit, we would feel justified 
in using 10 per cent of potash and less nitrogen. Cer¬ 
tain experiments have shown that potatoes grown 
with muriate or kainit contain less starch than those 
grown with sulphate of potash. The salt in the 
muriate is thought to make the difference. The sul¬ 
phate contains practically as much potash as the 
muriate. 
Experiments with Potatoes and Fertilizers. 
C. /’. ()., Lyman. .V. //. Last year, 1 carried out the following 
experiments with potatoes: The first was a trial of different 
chemicals. The soil was a light yellow loam, and had been in 
pasture for the last 50 years or more. The ground was divided 
Into 12 plots, 10 feet square, separated hy a walk three feet wide. 
Plot No. 1 received no fertilizer; No. 2, potash; No. 3, phos¬ 
phoric acid; No. I, nitrogen; No. 5, nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid; No. <i, potash and phosphoric acid; No. 7, potash and nitro¬ 
gen; No. 8, potash, nitrogen and phosphoric acid; No. 0, no fer¬ 
tilizer; No. 10, lime; No. II received chemicals mixed In the 
proportion of dissolved bone black, 300 pounds; muriate of 
potash, 150 pounds; sulphate of ammonia, 50 pounds; No. 12 
received Cumberland potato phosphate. The potatoes were 
planted May 2(1, four rows on each plot, hills 15 inches apart, 
making 32 hills on each plot. Each plot received four quarts of 
fertilizer as indicated above, well mixed with the soil. Theeheml- 
cals were in the form of dissolved bone black, muriate of potash, 
and sulphate of ammonia. The yield was at the rate per acre 
as follows: No. I, 45bushels; No. 2,84 bushels; No. 3, 178 bushels; 
No. 4, 20 bushels; No. 5,92 bushels; No. II, 185 bushels; No. 7, 45 
bushels; No. 8, 210 bushels; No. 9, 41 bushels; No. 10,38 bushels; 
No. 11, 123 bushels; No. 12, 196 bushels. I wish to set this 
land to strawberry plants In the Spring; it is sown to rye 
now. What do the above experiments indicate to you as the best 
chemical mixture to use ? What is the best formula for potatoes V 
I received the following potatoes from the New Hampshire Ex¬ 
periment Station; below I give the yield per ounce planted: 
American Wonder, 1 ounce; Carman No. 8, 53-7 ounces; Quick 
Crop, 8W ounces; Sir William, 12 ounces; Cow Horn, 11J4 ounces. 
Carman No. 1 must be a No. I potato for certain. Last Spring, I 
received a few seed eyes, which were planted June 3, without 
manure of any kind. One eye yielded live potatoes; one potato 
weighed 6>4 ounces. With such vigorous growth as tills from 
nothing, almost, this variety ought to be something worth while, 
when It has a fair chance. 
Anh. —We should say that this soil needs, most of 
all, phosphoric acid, and next, nitrogen. No particu¬ 
lar need of potash is shown by these results. A good 
dressing of line ground bone, with a small quantity 
of nitrate of soda, ought to give you good results. If 
you want to use the dissolved hone black, we would 
suggest three parts of bone black, two of cotton-seed 
meal, and one part of nitrate of soda. 
How Much Corn Fertilizer on Sod? 
A'. //., Ludlow , Vt. I have always been Interested In Chemicals 
and Clover, but have never been in a position to try it until now. 
In Tub R. N.-Y. of September 11, Mr. Lewis says that he hauled 
eight loads of manure per acre before breaking up for corn. I 
have a chance at an abandoned farm, on which there is not even 
one load of manure. I wish to break up a few acres of sod for 
corn in the Spring. It is a light, early loam. 1 shall have to use 
acorn fertilizer, or compound one from chemicals. Ilow much 
should I use to get fair results, and how should it be applied 't I 
intend to plant potatoes next year on the same piece. 
Anh. —Probably 500 pounds per acre of a high-grade 
corn fertilizer used on such sod will give you a fair 
crop. Of course, you might use as high as 1,300 pounds 
per acre, as farmers sometimes do, but for a beginner 
on an “abandoned farm”, we would not advise such a 
heavy application. Mr. Lewis does not buy any stable 
manure. He puts all that is made on the farm on the 
sod for corn, because he believes that is the best crop 
and place for it. 
The R. N.-Y.'s Potato Test. 
,V. W. 0., HI. Paul, Minn. In Tine R. N.-Y. of January 29, you pro¬ 
pose a trial for testing the value or different kinds of potatoes. I 
would lie glad to undertake such a test, as I am interested In 
learning what are the best varieties, and especially what are. the 
best early varieties. Will you tell us the best way to obtain the 
samples for testing V 
Anil —When The R. N.-Y. catalogue special is re¬ 
ceived, note all of the kinds of potatoes that may in¬ 
terest our inquirer, write to the linns offering, for two 
tubers of medium size of each kind desired, stating for 
what purpose they are desired. State further that it 
is intended to publish the result, and that the firms 
who send the tubers will be duly credited with having 
done so. 
Raising Water with Wind Power. 
8. 8., lituevale, Ont, I wish to get a water supply for my baru 
as per the plan In Mg. 76. Is the plan feasible? The well, W, 
will be about 100 feet or, perhaps, a little more from the pump, P, 
and will lie about 35 to 40 feet deep. 1 am depending on the water 
not going lower than 25 feet from the surface of the ground, as a 
similar well not faraway stands about that height in a dry time. 
The pump, P, will be operated by a power windmill on tin* barn, 
and will be in the basement, and I wisli to force the water up the 
pipe, U P, into the tank about nine feet above la the barn. The 
pipe from the pump to the well, marked II P, will be put down 
2 1 /.. or three feet in the ground, In order to be below frost, and will 
tie lq inch in diameter. Can this plan be practically worked out? 
What should lie the size of the cylinder at I', and what should be 
tiie stroke of the sucker rod, S R? Will it be necessary to put a 
check valve at V to prevent the water running back ? Will any 
special preparation of the pipe be needed, and would It be well 
to put concrete around It from the pump to the well ? 
Anh. There arc some alterations in this plan that 
would be desirable. First, as to the check valve ; the 
best place for this is ut the bottom of the pipe in the 
well, for if placed at the top of the pipe, as shown, 
the level of the water will scarcely be preserved, on 
account of the indirect action which is depending on 
the strict preservation of a perfect vacuum in the 
pipe, and this is almost impossible to secure; while 
the position of the valve at the bottom is direct, and 
depending only on the perfect tightness of the lit of 
it on the leather collar, which should be used for the 
valve to rest on. It would be well, too, to sink the 
pump a few feet deeper in a dry well, and to inclose the 
connection of it with the up-ilow in a tight wooden 
box, packed with sawdust as a preventive against frost. 
To make this fully operative, a small hole with a pet 
cock screwed in it should be placed in the up-draft 
pipe at such a position in the dry well as will always 
keep the water level well below any possible risk of 
freezing. I used the same kind of arrangement on 
my farm in New Jersey several years ago to draw 
water from a spring about the. same level below the 
barn, and it worked perfectly. To avoid freezing in 
the tank, this should be safely inclosed in a casing 
with a few inches of air space or dry sawdust packing 
as a preventive against frost. If the pipe be carried 
down a few feet in this dry well, and the level of the 
ditch in which the draw-pipe is placed he lowered, it 
will secure so much more head for the pump to work 
on, that is to say, so much less height to raise the 
water from the well. I suggest this as an important 
provision in case the level of the water in the well 
should be lowered in a dry time. For, as a weak link 
lessens the whole strength of a chain, this weak spot 
in the device may destroy the whole value of the ap¬ 
paratus in dry weather and low water in the well, 35 
feet being about the extreme practical distance water 
can be raised by an ordinary pump, allowing for fric- 
-V».T>V 
-frflj 
UP 
ArtvsA - - 
4 
l . - MX— . - 
A PUMPING PROBLEM. Mo. 76. 
tion in the pipe and possible air leaks in the connec¬ 
tions. These should ho put together with red lead 
cement, and carefully screwed tight. ii. s. 
Rye as Dairy Food. 
A/. W. II., Branford, Conn. I have Home rye; Is It of any value 
to feed inllcli cows, and what nhould I feed with It ? I have Home 
mangels, and am feeding second-crop clover hay. 
Anh.—R ye is of considerable value for feeding pur¬ 
poses. The following table shows the comparative 
analysis of rye, corn and oats : 
l'KIl CENT or IIIOKHTIBI.B MATTBIt. 
Carb. Nutritive 
Protein. and fat. Ratio. 
Rye. 6.4 70.3 1:11.0 
Corn. 6.8 74.0 1:11.9 
Oats. 7.0 78.4 1:11.2 
So far as the analysis goes, rye is all right, hut it is 
not relished by cows ; they will eat it in small quan¬ 
tities, if it is ground with other feeds. Hogs seem to 
lie the only farm animals that take kindly to rye. In 
case rye were to ho fed to cows, I would recommend 
that it he mixed as follows: One part rye (ground), 
two parts corn meal, two parts gluten feed, two parts 
oats. 1 f you have other grains produced at home, it 
may not be necessary for you to purchase any extra. 
Write what grain you have, and what coarse fodder 
you have, and 1 will try to fix up a ration for you. 
L. A. c. 
Curing and Smoking Meat at Home. 
./. (I. A'., Jlucknern, Ky. I think farmers ought to kill more hogs 
on the farm, and Bell the meat, and I believe that many would do 
so if they knew how. I have before me a number of recipes used 
by packers; some use snlaoda, borax and other substances. I 
like to make a good sugar-cured meat, but do not like to use any¬ 
thing Injurious to health. What docs saltpeter do? Does it keep 
the meat or does it merely give It a good color ? Is Hulsoda or 
borax injurious? I see tiie latter Ih used quite extensively by 
packers, alHO by creameries, even farmers here use it when ship¬ 
ping milk or cream. Is it not a poison, especially to Infants 
using the milk ? Iain told that, In combination with grease or 
fat, It is not injurious. Is extract of smoke as good as the old 
way of smoking, and what do packers use to keep out skippers ? 
Anh. —Saltpeter in used in meat curing because it 
has antiseptic properties, and gives a bright red color 
to the meat. It does not appear to be harmful to con¬ 
sumers in the quantities which arc used for this pur¬ 
pose, Common salt preserves meat by withdrawing 
water from its libers, and by reason-of Its autiaeptio 
properties. Sugar, also, helps to displace water, and 
its taste often adds to the agreeable flavor of the 
meat. The disadvantage of using salt is that it with¬ 
draws from the meat some of the best and most essen¬ 
tial portions of the juices. Various suggestions have 
been made to overcome this, in a measure. The one 
made by Liebig was that dry rubbing with salt should 
be discontinued, but that the fresh meat should, in¬ 
stead, be placed in a strong brine made up of common 
salt, Chili saltpeter, potassium chloride, and meat ex¬ 
tract. The salt used should be previously purified by 
an application of sodium phosphate, whereby the 
calcium and magnesium possibly present as impurities 
will be thrown down as a precipitate; when these 
have settled to the bottom, the clear liquor may be 
drawn off and the other ingredients added. 
Smoking meat is a modified tanning process. The 
heat of the fire dries it somewhat, the creosote of the 
smoke coagulates the albuminous substances at the 
surface of the meat, and at the same time, disinfects 
it, for a little carbolic acid is present in the smoke. 
Whether smoke extract will do the same work, 1 can¬ 
not say ; the fire would he lacking at any rate. [Some 
of our readers report good results from its use. Edh.J 
The use of borax or Rreservaline, or any other sub¬ 
stance in milk or cream to keep it is reprehensible 
The milk and cream can be kept perfectly by proper 
precautions. These have been worked out by in¬ 
vestigators and are, 1, take every precaution to pre¬ 
vent the access of germs to the milk ; 3, cool the milk 
immediately to a temperature of 40 degrees F. Prof. 
Wing says, “ The fewer germs the milk contains to 
begin with, the more effective will low temperature 
be as a means of preservation. With care in both 
these respects, milk or cream may be kept in a fresh 
and merchantable condition for a week or ten days.” 
I believe that those farmers who are near manufact¬ 
uring towns, or mining and lumbering districts can 
afford to market their own pork products. Where 
they are remote from the consumer, they would better 
grow good lean-meat hogs. Anyhow, either grow for 
the consumer or the packer. Packing is a business 
by itself. n. b. o. 
Here are some American methods of meat curing 
mentioned in Long’s “ Rook of the Pig:” 
1. The parts for curing, after being neatly eut, are thoroughly 
covereil with molasses, that from Porto Rleo being preferred. 
The entire surface of the bacon Is then sprinkled with salt and 
saltpeter, In the proportion of nine pounds of the former to four 
ounces of the latter, this being first mixed and heated to a high 
temperature. When cool, the salt mixture Ih rubbed into the 
bacon, great care being taken that no part, especially about the 
Joints, shall be left unsalted. When the hams are very large, a 
small opening Is made, extending to the bone at the Joints, and 
this Ih tilled with hot salt. [Before general treatment.] The ba¬ 
con Is now placed in a suitable apartment, three or four pieces 
deep, and allowed to remain for three days, after which the salt¬ 
ing process Ih repeated, and each piece laid in a cool, dry place, 
where It remains for, at least, ten weekn, when, If desirable, It. 
may be smoked. 
2. For 1(X) pounds of pork, take four ounces of saltpeter, three 
pints of common molasses or two pounds of brown sugar, and 
seven pounds of clean salt. When the whole Ih thoroughly dis¬ 
solved, the brine Is poured over the meat, which it will cover if 
it is properly packed. 
3. For curing without brine, for 150 pounds of meat, mix 12 
pounds of fine salt, two quarts of molasses, and half a pound of 
powdered saltpeter. This mixture should be thoroughly rubbed 
Into the Joints, and tiie operation repeated at the end of tiie first 
and second weeks, when the meat may be smoked. 
How to Build a Water Cistern. 
II. W., Patapuco, Aid. I have a small house, 18x17 feet, with a 
wing 12 x 14 feet. Would that be roof enough to supply a family 
of six persons with water, If I make a cistern ? How large should 
the cistern be? It Is supposed that a well would have to be over 
100 feet deep, and It would cost too much, as it Is all rock. 
Anh. —The roof of the house mentioned is large 
enough, if a eistern be constructed large enough to 
store up the water which falls upon the roof during 
the rainy seasons. It is a difficult matter to tell just 
how large a cistern will be needed to supply six per¬ 
sons. Can you not make an estimate of the amount 
of water used by the family, say during one week, and 
from this estimate, form an idea of the capacity re¬ 
quired of the cistern ? The cistern should be large 
enough to supply you with water for four months 
when filled, without any additional rainfall. If the 
eistern water is to be used for drinking and cooking 
purposes, a wall made of common porous brick should 
be built across the cistern, cutting off a small portion 
of one end. The water will slowly filter through this 
brick wall, and be kept much purer. The wall should 
be built with a slight curve, convex side toward the 
main part of the cistern, or the weight of the water 
on that side when the cistern is suddenly filled may 
cause the wall to collapse. A good plan to keep leaves 
and impurities on the roof from filling up the cave 
troughs and conductors, is to place a piece of wire 
gauzo on the edge of the roof and have it wide enough 
so that it will hang over the trough. When the leaves 
wash down the roof, the wire gauze will act much the 
same way as the snow sheds in the West act in pro¬ 
tecting the railroads from the snow slides. All rub¬ 
bish will be carried over and to the ground, then the 
water will run through the screen into the trough, and 
the conductors aud cistern will be kept free. L. A. o. 
