6o6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 3 
CLOVER, COW PEAS AND CHEMICALS. 
A NEW MEMBER OF THE FIRM. 
A Study of Delaware Farming. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
01(1 and New Farming, —The farm contains 130 
acres. The soil is naturally light and sandy. About 
a quarter of a century ago, it supported four persons 
—the family of a renter who was to pay $30 a year. 
To-day the same farm feeds and supports 29 persons, 
and pays a profit for its owner. Strange to say, the 
selling value of the farm is now just about what it 
was 25 years ago ! 
I am aware that this statement upsets many of our 
familiar notions about farming. We are fond of say¬ 
ing that the golden days of agriculture in America 
were just after the war, when values were scaled high 
and money was plenty. Yet here is a farm support¬ 
ing seven times as many persons as were found on it 
in the old days. 
Where is this farm ? 
What has produced the change ? 
The farm is at Felton, Delaware, which, as you will 
see by the map, is just below Dover. In the old time, 
the renter tried to grow wheat and corn. The soil 
was too light for good grain, and the renter thought 
stable manure was the needed source of fertility. He 
failed. Mr. J. W. Killen, the present owner, has 
studied out the crops best adapted to this light soil, 
and he has learned how to fertilize cheaply 
with potash, dissolved rock, cow peas and 
Crimson clover. 
The Labor Problem. — I said that the 
farm supports 29 persons. That represents Mr. 
Killen’s family and the families of the work¬ 
men on the farm. The labor problem is well 
solved on these Delaware farms. The work¬ 
men live with their own families in tenant 
houses—with a garden and pig of their own. 
A colored woman comes to the farmhouse 
in the morning, does the work during the 
day, and goes back at night. The hired men 
are not taken into the farmer’s house, as is the 
case on many northern farms, neither does the 
farmer’s wife spend time in cooking, washing, 
and waiting on the workmen. That is one 
great advantage possessed by the Delaware 
farmer—cheap and reliable labor. 
Delaware is a State with only one large 
city. The towns are small and most of them 
are growing smaller. They are usually in¬ 
habited by retired farmers. Agriculture is 
recognized as the leading industry of the State. 
There is a definite class of skilled farm labor¬ 
ers. Most of them expect to remain farm 
laborers—that is their trade. In the northern 
States, the farm hand may be a car-driver, a 
clerk or a teamster next month. The Dela¬ 
ware farm hand can get little to do besides 
farm labor. He is. therefore, steadier and 
surer help. 
Cheap Nitrogen. — Another advantage 
possessed by the Delaware farmer is the 
cheap fertility. This problem of enriching the 
soil at the least possible cost has been about 
solved on Mr. Killen’s farm. All the cleared land 
is under cultivation, j'et no stock is kept save w r ork 
horses, and hogs enough to supply the family with 
pork. Delaware is the country of cheap nitrogen. 
Crimson clover and cow peas grow to perfection. 
They make a double use of dissolved rock and 
potash. The best Delaware farmers understand the 
principle of using the potash and phosphoric acid 
on the clover and cow peas, and thus saving them, 
with interest, for the money crops that are to follow. 
If a northern farmer could only go to Delaware and 
see for himself how cow peas and clover and chemi¬ 
cals bring the crops out of this thin soil, he would 
surely go back and take hold of some of the poor 
pastures that now do little more than grind down the 
teeth of the cattle. Many of these old pastures, if 
put in cow peas next year with $5 worth of potash 
and rock per acre, would produce $40 worth of corn 
and fodder the following year. By growing alternate 
crops of corn and cow peas on these back pastures, 
with Crimson clover seeded in the corn, there would 
be not only a steady profit, but a steady gain in the 
producing power of the soil. This plan S6ems the 
most reasonable thing in the world to one who can 
see on these Delaware farms the wnnderful effect of 
well-fed cow peas and clover. The Delaware farmer 
has another advantage over us in the fact that he can 
buy dried fish at a low figure. This gives him more 
nitrogen at a low price, so that he needs but little 
nitrate of soda—only enough for forcing crops like 
asparagus, celery or fruit. Our northern readers will 
want to know how these crops are grown, and I will 
try to describe some of Mr. Killen’s methods : 
Asparagus is a popular crop in Delaware, and one 
year with another, it pays. Mr. Killen uses fertilizer 
only for feeding the asparagus. His plan is to apply 
the muriate of potash and dissolved rock in December 
right among the tall growth. Early in February, 
with the roller they crush this tall growth down and 
burn the beds over. This leaves the field clean and 
smooth. The nitrate of soda is divided into three ap¬ 
plications ; one about April 10, another on April 30, 
and the last about June 20. Of course the asparagus 
has all been cut before this last application. 
“ Why do you make this late application after the 
crop has been cut ? ” I asked Mr. Killen. 
“ My object is to stimulate a good growth for next 
year. I observe that, where we have the most vigor¬ 
ous growth of bush after cutting, we usually have the 
best “ grass ” the following Spring. I think, too, the 
most vigorous,healthy stalks are least liable to disease.” 
Asparagus is about the only crop on the farm that 
cannot be fed with clover or cow peas. Nitrate of 
soda is used in place of dried fish for this crop, be¬ 
cause the nitrate is more available in Spring. Organic 
forms of nitrogen, like fish or vegetable matter, must 
be broken up or changed before it will become avail¬ 
able. This requires moisture and heat. It explains 
w'hy cow manure, blood, fish or tankage will not force 
crops in a cold, late Spring. When warm weather 
comes, these organic manures will make crops jump ; 
but for crops like asparagus, which make their growth 
before the ground is fully warmed through, nitrate 
of soda is best because it is at once available for crops. 
THE MATHEW’S BEAUTY PEACH. 
See Ruralisms, Page 610. 
Fig. 281. 
To illustrate how quickly the nitrate of soda will 
operate, Mr. Killen says that he has used the nitrate 
on strawberries after blooming, and received good re¬ 
sults from it. 
White Potatoes. —The early crop of white or Irish 
potatoes is not usually heavy. The drought usually 
comes at a critical time for them. As a rule, the 
sweet potato crop pays much better. A crop of white 
potatoes planted in July will usually make a good 
crop before frost. Mr. Killen uses seed of the first 
crop to plant the second. For example, Early Rose 
potatoes are dug when ripe (early in July) left a few 
days in the cellar, cut up and planted in the usual 
manner. This year, such seed was planted between 
the rows of strawberries on July 21. These will pro¬ 
duce a fair crop when the vines are killed down by 
frost, and these tubers make the finest of seed for 
Spring planting. Mr. Killen says that he has quite 
often palled plants of white potatoes when they were 
too thick in the hills, and transplanted these slips— 
securing a fair yield in this way. 
Next week I shall try to tell how sweet potatoes, 
fruit, celery, etc., are grown, and how the Crimson 
clover is nourished on this Delaware farm. H. w. c. 
Selling Farm Produce. —I find Tiie R. N.-Y. the 
cheapest and most reliable place to apply for informa¬ 
tion, as we get facts from experienced men instead of 
theories. I am only a one-horse farmer, and never 
lived on a farm till I was past 60. I can’t raise crops 
at as low cost as some of the large concerns, but I 
think, perhaps, my former experience as salesman en¬ 
ables me to get better prices than some of your writ¬ 
ers. I have sold 35 bushels of potatoes from one- 
eighth acre this year, at an average of a little more 
than $1 a bushel, which gives me some profit. 
Hanover, Mass. J. k. t. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Use of Corn Binders. —I am interested in the dis¬ 
cussion on corn binders. I have used one for three 
years, and am well pleased with it. With our bundle 
carrier, we can cut and put up six to seven acres per 
day. and two men can set it up better than by the old 
way. When corn stands up well, and is not too 
tall, it can be handled much nicer, cheaper and easier 
than bj 7 hand, and very few ears are knocked off. In 
our part of the State, corn grows very tall, and we 
have found that the greatest trouble is that the 
binder could not be adjusted to suit all kinds, as the 
grain binder can ; but this trouble has been overcome 
now, so I understand, by simply raising and lowering 
the platform which holds the corn while the binder 
ties it. Before, if the corn was tall, the tie was so 
low down that the corn would lop in the middle, as it 
had no support. J. l. van doren. 
Ohio. 
Potatoes With Corn Planter. — I plant potatoes 
with a corn planter. I run the planter about five 
inches deep. I put a stove pipe between each box and 
wheel, get two boys, 12 or 13 years old, and place 
a tub of potatoes between the two boxes. I have the 
boys drop the potatoes into the pipes. The boys must 
be of as equal weight as possible. When they drop 
with one hand the other hand must be filling. Before 
the potatoes come up, I throw more earth on them 
with a cultivator. I plow my potato ground 
in the Spring. When the potatoes are about 
three inches high, I give them a thorough 
harrowing, then I give them a level cultiva¬ 
tion to keep weeds out. I don’t hill up. 
South Dakota. .ioiin conwav. 
Spontaneous Combustion. —Last week, we 
gave an account of the case of spontaneous 
combustion in a stack of hay which was 
reported by Mr. John A. Nicodemas, of Vir¬ 
ginia. Mr. N. now states that he has been 
able to settle with the insurance company 
at the rate of $5 per ton for the hay. He al¬ 
lowed $1 per ton for probable damage, which 
the insurance company claims resulted from 
spoiling before the combustion broke out. 
The R. N.-Y. secured for Mr. Nicodemas a 
copy of the bulletin issued by the Pennsyl¬ 
vania Experiment Station, the facts of which 
were given last week. Mr. N. says that this 
case was nearly the same as his, and if he 
could have received the bulletin before set¬ 
tling with the company, he would, no doubt, 
have recovered an extra dollar per ton for 
the hay. This is only a small instance of the 
value of our experiment station bulletins to 
those who will make careful use of them. 
These bulletins usually contain facts which 
almost any intelligent farmer can use with 
profit. 
Work of a Potato Plow. —Our experience 
with a potato plow has been that the 
ground should be perfectly clean and in 
good condition for w'orking; then we will 
, probably, 85 to 90 per cent of the potatoes. 
!# Our ground, as a usual thing at digging time, is 
very foul w’ith Fall grass, Fox-tail and w 7 eeds, and 
the digger gives a good deal of trouble by choking. 
We can regulate this to some extent by removing two 
of the middle flat iron strips extending from the rear 
of the digger; this lets the grass pass off more read¬ 
ily, but W'ill not entirely prevent choking. When the 
grass is a little damp, it is almost impossible to use 
the digger. I follow the digger with a single shovel, 
going twice to each row, plowing in the side of the 
furrow made by the digger, then harrow the ground 
with a common A harrow. If w r e follow potatoes 
with wheat, I can get enough potatoes to pay well for 
following the drill, and even then more or less pota¬ 
toes are left in the ground. a. c. 
Raccoon Island, Ohio. 
Working the Robbins Potato Planter. —After 
four years’ experience with this planter on a rather 
large acreage, I believe that I have found the best 
way of using it in my soil. I have not liked the 
ridge made by the covering disks, or their way of 
gathering the dry surface of the ground and dumping 
it upon the seed. When potatoes are planted as deep 
as they should be, there is too much exclusion of the 
air and light, and too much soil to be passed through 
by the sprout. You know the value of budding pota¬ 
toes in the light. I have liked TnE R. N.-Y.’s plan of 
having potatoes in a sort of trench, and here the 
planter was at fault. Last Spring, I got the planter 
to do the work to my notion. After cutting the ground 
very deep as usual with a 20-inch disk harrow, double¬ 
cutting twice over the ground, I set the opening 
shovel of the planter to run so deep that two or three 
inches of loose soil would fall back into the bottom of 
the furrow. The shoe of the dropping tube was set 
to run nearly as deep as the shovel run. The cover- 
