1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
299 
toes are high and scarce, hut a good way to use up 
seed when they are so plentiful as they were in the 
Spring of 1897. 
3. Freedom from scab. I have never seen any scab 
on potatoes grown from seed that had been exposed to 
the sun ; the action of the sunlight seems to kill the 
germs of the disease. There is little doubt that, by 
the use of corrosive sublimate, we can keep our pota¬ 
toes free from the scab, providing there are no germs 
in the soil from previously grown crops, or from 
manure containing something to carry them. But 
corrosive sublimate is a poison, dangerous to use, and 
expensive, while sunlight is free and not in the least 
dangerous. My experience on this point last year was 
this : I purchased five bushels of New Queen potatoes 
for planting, of small size, that were very badly 
scabbed. Four bushels I planted early, and one saved 
and planted late and exposed to the sunlight. My 
first crop was badly injured by the scab, while the 
late crop was as smooth and free from scab as any 
potatoes I ever raised. This has been my experience be¬ 
fore, as has been the case with others. I think there 
can be little doubt that, in some way or somehow, the 
action of the sunlight kills the germs of the potato 
scab, if its action is continued long enough on the 
tuber to turn it to a dark green color. I hope, if there 
are others who have experience on this line, that they 
will report. K. c. green. 
Ohio. 
ASHES AND SALT ON POTATOES. 
“ We would never use ashes or salt on potatoes. There is no 
sense in using this mixture.”—R. N.-Y,, page 241. 
Here They Give Good Results. 
New land, recently burned over, will usually give a 
full crop of potatoes of excellent quality, although 
the ground is well covered with ashes. Sometimes 
where log heaps have been burned and the ashes not 
well spread, the growth of tops will be large, with 
very small tubers. In 1880, I raised from 300 to 400 
bushels of potatoes to the acre on land of medium fer¬ 
tility. It was, probably, the best crop in town that 
year. .lust as the plants appeared above ground, a 
small handful of ashes and bone was applied around 
each hill. The mixture of three bushels of ashes to one 
of broken bones had been made several months pre¬ 
viously. The bones had softened so that they were 
easily incorporated with the ashes. The potatoes 
were sold at 40 cents per bushel. In 1881, a mixture 
of ashes and bone together with one barrel of salt to 
the acre was applied to several acres of potatoes. The 
season proved very dry, and potatoes were generally 
a failure. Most of the tops in this vicinity were dead 
in August. For some reason, mine continued green 
until killed by frost in October. I had a full crop of 
as handsome potatoes as I ever saw. They were mostly 
sold for the New York market at 90 cents per bushel. 
Sense or no sense, I always thought that ashes and 
salt had something to do with this very profitable crop. 
Lewis County, N. Y. c. s. rick. 
Wood Ashes Satisfactory in Michigan. 
I noticed your advice never to use wood ashes on 
potatoes, because they are likely to cause scab. I 
have recently seen the same opinion expressed else¬ 
where. AVe are considerably interested in the use of 
wood ashes, and our plans for the coming season in¬ 
volve quite a large application of them on potato 
ground. Our own limited observation and personal 
experience do not tend to support your views, and our 
interest in the matter leads us to ask more light. A 
neighbor who raises large crops of uniformly fine, 
clean potatoes, makes heavy applications of ashes 
after planting. Last year, we used ashes on potatoes 
both broadcast and in the hill, and had no scabby 
tubers, and the finest and cleanest were from a corner 
where, under misapprehension of instructions, one 
load of 50 bushels was applied to 10 square rods, or at 
the rate of 800 bushels to the acre. There would, 
therefore, seem to be a doubt as to the general appli¬ 
cation of your theory, and we would like very much 
to know under what conditions ashes may be bene¬ 
ficially used for potatoes. Our soil is a limestone- 
gravel loam, without clay subsoil, except here and 
there a patch of a few square rods. AVe have never 
tested the soil for acidity, because it did not appear to 
be necessary. AVe have used all the ashes at our com¬ 
mand from the beginning of our farm experience, and 
thus far, with uniformly good results, on both or¬ 
chards and fields. It will be helpful to us, and doubt¬ 
less, to many others, to know why wood ashes are 
believed to induce scab on potatoes. g. k. n. 
Traverse City, Mich. 
R. N.-Y.—At the Rhode Island Experiment Station, 
very elaborate experiments have been conducted to 
determine the effect of lime on the growth of various 
farm crops. It has been proved beyond dispute that, 
in these experiments, the growth of the Potato-scab 
fungus was favored by the application of lime. AVood 
ashes contain 30 per cent or more of lime, and wherever 
they were used on potatoes, the scab was increased. 
The same results were obtained at other stations 
where scabby seed was planted, or where the 
ground had produced scabby tubers. There is 
no question that the lime in wood ashes will pro¬ 
mote the growth of the scab fungus if it exists on the 
seed or in the ground. On our own soil, we would 
not use wood ashes on potatoes. If used at all, they 
would be applied to the clover or the corn. On land 
entirely free from the scab germs, and where the seed 
is soaked in corrosive sublimate before planting, it 
might be safe to use wood ashes, but we would not 
use them on potatoes under any other circumstances. 
As to salt, numberless experiments have shown that 
DRAG FOR DRAWING; PULLEY FOR LIFTING. Fio. 135. 
this hinders the formation of starch, and injures the 
quality of potatoes, sugar beets or similar crops. We 
shall be glad to have farmers give their experience 
with wood ashes and salt on potatoes. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Spraying Conveniences. —No doubt, not a few fruit 
growers have found, when they came to overhaul then- 
spraying apparatus this Spring, that the heads of the 
barrels to which the pumps were attached, were loose 
or much warped out of shape. Such was our experi¬ 
ence, but our man-of-all-work has found a way to 
overcome this source of annoyance. As Fig. 136 shows, 
he has made a removable head to which the pump is 
permanently attached. The head is secured by three 
bolts that are fastened to the inside of the barrel. 
This arrangement also has great advantages when it 
MOVABLE HEAD FOR SPRAYING BARREL. Fig. 136. 
becomes necessary to repair the pump. AVith the old 
way, the pump can be got at only through the small 
hole in the top of the barrel, and every one knows how 
disagreeable that is ; or else the pump must be taken 
from the barrel at the expense of much time and 
patience in removing numerous rusty screws and 
bolts. With the removable head, it is but a minute’s 
work to remove the pump, and it is as easily replaced 
when the repairs have been made. w. p. 
Geneva, N. Y. 
Labor Savers. —Three or four years ago, I sent to 
The R. N.-Y. a description of my method of treating 
potatoes to corrosive sublimate solution. I now send 
a photograph, Fig. 135, which describes it better than 
I could. I would, however, add that, after the bag of 
soaked potatoes is drawn from the barrel by means of 
the rope, I insert a stick across the top of the barrel 
and lower the bag until it rests on the stick, thus al¬ 
lowing the water to drain back into the barrel. The 
drag upon which the barrel rests, is made from the 
axle and wheels of an old mowing machine, and for 
stones, fertilizer, stumps or anything with much 
weight, is the handiest thing on the farm. It can be 
loaded so that the draught of the horses pulling it 
will cause the front part to just clear the ground, 
making all the weight to fall on the wheels, thereby 
enabling a much heavier load to be drawn than could 
be upon an ordinary sled drag. p. b. crosby. 
Maryland. 
How the Strawberry Eats. —It is known by most 
farmers that the roots of some plants work for many 
feet through the soil. Of course, this matter of root 
growth has much to do with any system of watering 
or fertilizing crops. Prof. E. S. Goff, of AVisconsin, 
has been studying the root habits of some of our well- 
known fruits. In the 14th report of the AVisconsin 
Station, he gave the picture shown at Fig. 134. This 
is taken from a photograph of a section of a matted 
row of AVarfield strawberries. The row had already 
borne two crops of fruit. Most gardeners have an 
idea that the roots of the strawberry work through a 
large area of soil—meeting across the rows. The 
photograph shows that these roots are found in quite 
a small compass. The deepest roots ran down a little 
less than two feet, while horizontal^, the roots hardly 
passed beyond the space covered by the leaves. The 
great bulk of the roots were found in the first foot of 
soil. Now it is easy to see that this limited root 
growth will affect the eating and drinking capacity of 
the plant. The roots of corn or potatoes may run all 
over the field, and bring moisture and food from four 
or five feet away. The strawberry cannot do this. It 
must have its food and drink close by—within a foot 
of the plant. The strawberry must mature its fruit 
in a comparatively few days. AVe see from this why 
the strawberry plant is so susceptible to drought, and 
responds so quickly to soluble fertilizers. AVhile for 
corn and potatoes, it may be wise to broadcast a good 
share of the fertilizer, it is evident that the strawberry 
needs -its food close to it. Many growers apply the 
fertilizer in a narrow strip where the plants are to be 
set out, and this seems a wise practice in view of the 
root growth. AVe see, too, why irrigation in a dry 
season gives such remarkable results with strawber¬ 
ries. Prof. Goff says that this study of strawberry 
roots suggests the importance of so cultivating that 
the matted rows will be a little lower than the 
spaces between the rows. For most crops, the tend¬ 
ency is to ridge up the rows more or less, but with 
strawberries, the reverse should be done, especially 
where irrigation is practiced. 
Barbed-Wire Fence. —All my internal and external 
fences are of barbed wire, barbs 2% and 3 inches apart 
preferred. I have not had an accident for 10 years, 
since beginning the use of these severer forms. All 
my posts are driven. First, a hole is made with a crow¬ 
bar to one end of which is welded a steel cone 10 
inches long. A strong man can drive this 18 inches 
deep with very few blows, when the ground is sat¬ 
urated. A sled bearing tools, etc., follows from 
which, with a heavy stone hammer, the post is driven. 
Two men can put up 100 rods a day of three-strand 
fence, as strong and durable as any dug-hole post 
fence. My observation during the war taught me that 
a horse cannot be forced against a bayonet, and since, 
that he will not hurt himself with the severe kind of 
barbed wire, if taught where and what it is. One les¬ 
son sufficed to teach a blooded mare, and she roams 
at large in houseyard and field. r. s. l. 
Fruits on the Hills. —Mr. Charles Barnum, of Sul¬ 
livan County, N. Y., finds it difficult to raise peaches 
in that country of cold Winters and early and late 
frosts. His efforts thus far have been practically un¬ 
successful, but his resources have not yet been ex¬ 
hausted. He has in mind now a plan to thatch the 
trees with bog hay. This, he expects, will keep back 
the buds in the first place, and later protect them from 
the late frosts. Even if successful, this may not be 
practical for commercial purposes, but it will be an 
interesting experiment, and we hope to record Mr. 
Barnum’s success later on. Mr. Barnum says that he 
has quite surprised himself in the growing of straw¬ 
berries. He estimates that his yield has been as much 
as 300 bushels to the acre. There ought to be a sug¬ 
gestion in this to the farmers of his section, who 
make milk in strawberry time at \M cent a quart de¬ 
livered at the creamery, while the berries to feed the 
Summer boarders are brought in by the railroads from 
New York City. Mr. Barnum amuses himself by 
growing large berries under glass. He selects a 
thrifty stem and covers it with a glass jar just when 
the berry is beginning to form. Left in this way un¬ 
til ripe, the berries assume almost incredible size. 
The plan of thatching the peach trees is much like 
that advocated by Prof. Stinson, of the Missouri Ex. 
periment Station, and printed in The R, N.-Y. n. 
