1898 
369 
fHE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
this college has, for over a year, produced an attested 
preparation of this material, and furnished it, at the 
cost of packing and shipping, to the State Board of 
Health, and to approved inspectors for use in the State 
of New York. We are aware, however, that in 
irresponsible hands, the agent may be made a means 
of injury to given stockowners and localities, and 
we, therefore, endeavor, as far as possible, to see that 
it is put to legitimate uses only. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
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see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
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piece of paper.] 
THE RUSKIN CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION. 
SOME LEADING QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. 
I would like to know more about that association with a cave 
kitchen, which has great attractions for the lady of my house¬ 
hold. I want to knowhow the people of Ruskin, Tenn., govern 
themselves, and as they have no preacher, do they leave God out 
of all their plans? If a family that joins them, become dis¬ 
satisfied, can they get back the money paid in, and go away? 
Do they print a paper ? w. s. 
Monroe County, N. Y. 
ANSWERED BY DR. W. VAN FLEET. 
The Ruskin Cooperative Association is a corporation 
chartered under the laws of Tennessee, with all the 
privileges and restrictions granted to corporations by 
the State. Its affairs are conducted by a board of 13 
directors, elected annually by the stockholders, of 
whom three, the president, first and second vice-presi¬ 
dents, form an executive board for management of 
the detail affairs of the association. This board ap¬ 
points foremen over the following departments, which 
are being successfully carried on : Printing and Pub¬ 
lishing, Distribution (store, etc.); Cereal Coffee, Build¬ 
ing, Poultry, Tin Shop, Tool Room, Planing Mill, 
Grist Mill, Shingle Mill, Saw Mill, Stage Line, Knit¬ 
ting, Sewing, Agriculture, Stock and Butchering, 
Horticulture, Bakery, Suspender Shop, Blacksmith 
and Wagon Shop, Chewing Gum Factory, Steam 
Laundry, Sanitation, Kindergarten, Primary School, 
Grammar School, Music and Art School. In case a 
foreman reports any infraction of the very simple and 
reasonable rules adopted by the colony, the offender 
can be dealt with by the executive board by fines, or 
in graver cases, by the directors or stockholders in 
mass meeting—suspension and expulsion being the 
extreme penalties. 
No professional preacher is at present a member of 
the Ruskin Colony, and it is doubtful whether one 
would be admitted unless he were capable of some 
other useful vocation and were willing to make him¬ 
self generally useful, as do the three physicians now 
members of the association. A section of the by-laws 
expressly states that “ the association shall in no way 
interfere with the free exercise of individual tastes, 
desires and preferences in all private, religious and 
domestic affairs.” There is, of course, a great diversity 
of religious views, nearly all modern sects being rep¬ 
resented, and the colony finds it entirely impractical to 
furnish religious privileges for some, without injustice 
to others. A Sunday school has been for some time 
carried on in the homes of various members, and all 
have the opportunity to attend neighboring churches 
outside of the association grounds. 
There is but one plan of admission : An election by 
a vote of three-fourths or more of the stockholders, on 
a written application, and the payment of $500 cash 
for a share of stock, within one week after locating in 
the colony. Only minors are entitled to the associa¬ 
tion privileges by reason of the parents owning a 
share of stock. Those over 21 years of age are ex¬ 
pected to take out a share of stock in their own names, 
and very liberal provision has been made that minors 
may acquire a share soon after arriving at maturity. 
Should a member withdraw, he can not take out any 
of the increase of values which may have accrued to 
the association before or during his membership and, 
under the by-laws, no withdrawing member can force 
the association to purchase his share of stock. The 
association has always, however, paid withdrawing 
members the amount paid in by them, in the turn in 
which they have filed their applications for with¬ 
drawal, as soon as, in the opinion of the directors, it 
could be done without injury to the association. 
The association owns all land and means of produc¬ 
tion and distribution, and owns and erects all build¬ 
ings, but each member owns his own household furni¬ 
ture and clothing. Each member is furnished a separ¬ 
ate home, but a public kitchen and dining-hall are 
maintained, where members and their families take 
their meals, thus reducing labor and expense to the 
minimum. School privileges, medicines and medical 
attendance, fuel and laundry work are furnished free 
by the association. The association does not pay 
wages at present, but it pays an equal maintenance 
fee to all members and the individual members of their 
families. The amount is fixed by the directors, sub¬ 
ject to revision by the stockholders. Men and women 
receive the same amount. The wife of a stockholder 
has all the privileges of the association, whether she 
hold a share or not, except that she cannot vote unless 
she has become a stockholder. Many of the houses 
occupied by members are temporary buildings brought 
down from the former location. All houses now 
erected by the association are permanent, and a mem¬ 
ber, immediately upon taking possession of his home, 
begins to beautify it, knowing that there is no danger 
of the landlord or mortgage holder absorbing the 
fruits of his labor. 
I hope it has been made clear that The Ruskin Co¬ 
operative Association is a law-abiding organization, 
maintained for the purpose of securing to the laborer 
in any of its departments, the full value of his efforts, 
and not meddling with personal matters, except so far 
as they affect the economic basis. The sacredness of 
the home is maintained, and no conduct among its 
members is tolerated, except such as is in accord with 
the laws of the commonwealth in which the colony is 
situated. 
Lime Used with Superphosphate. 
Several Subscribers .—Is it safe to use lime or wood ashes when 
superphosphates or soluble phosphoric acid is to be applied ? 
Chemistry teaches that, when water-soluble phosphoric acid 
comes in contact with lime, it reverts or forms an insoluble form. 
This being the case, should not the application of lime be made 
with a crop that does not receive a fertilizer containing soluble 
phosphoric acid ? This question often comes up now that we 
are hearing so much about using lime to sweeten or neutralize 
the soil. 
ANSWERED BY l'ROF. H. J. WHEELER. 
Laboratory experiments had shown that, where 
phosphate of lime was associated with carbonate of 
lime, the carbonate was almost wholly dissolved by 
carbonated water before the phosphate was acted upon 
at all. Reasoning from this, it was claimed that lime 
should not be applied to soils where superphosphates 
were to be used. 
On the other hand, it should be stated that not all 
of the food which enters plants is taken up by virtue 
of its having been first dissolved by carbonated water, 
since plant roots are themselves acid at their extremi¬ 
ties, and dissolve considerable quantities of phosphate, 
even from highly calcareous soil. It is stated by good 
authorities that basic slag and precipitated phosphate 
of lime sometimes give better results on highly cal¬ 
careous soil than superphosphates. This, however, is 
not always the case, and it has been found to be par¬ 
ticularly true if the slag and precipitated phosphate are 
not most thoroughly mixed with the soil. When super¬ 
phosphate is applied to a calcareous soil, the first rain 
that comes causes it to be very thoroughly distributed, 
which is considered by many leading authorities to 
be a very important feature. Some of the most reliable 
writers and investigators oppose the use of superphos¬ 
phates upon light sandy and muck soils, unless they 
have first been limed, since the phosphoric acid tends 
to increase the acidity and is liable to be largely 
wasted if the previous application of lime is omitted. 
I think it may be safely stated that such quantities 
of lime as are usually applied to soils already giving 
an acid reaction, would never prove injurious upon 
the ground of rendering the superphosphates less avail¬ 
able to plants than it would otherwise be. There is 
much in the line of experimental data to justify this 
conclusion. If the soil contains large quantities of 
iron and aluminium oxides, as is the case with many 
soils deficient in lime, it seems very probable that the 
liming will render the superphosphates more, rather 
than less, effective. If lime is absent, it would be ex¬ 
pected that the phosphoric acid of the superphosphates 
would, in a few days, enter largely in combination 
with iron and aluminium oxides, in which form plants 
usually obtain it with difficulty. When it enters into 
this combination, it is also practically insoluble in 
carbonated water. 
Where a soil has been limed in the customary way, 
it is to be presumed that some of the phosphoric acid 
will revert in combination with lime, instead of all 
going to the iron and aluminium oxides at once. This 
which reverts with the lime is, of course, gradually 
rendered soluble by carbonated water within the soil, 
and eventually finds its way into the combination 
with iron and aluminium as above indicated ; yet in 
the meantime, plants would reasonably be expected 
to obtain a considerable portion of it. This conclusion 
seems to be fully justified by some very interesting 
experiments conducted by Gerlacli. Prof. Deh'erain, 
one of the leading French authorities, states that, if 
lime is applied to a soil containing considerable quan¬ 
tities of phosphoric acid already united with iron in 
certain combinations, it is rendered soluble so that 
the plants can use it. 
In a soil test conducted at this station for a number 
of years, crops grown upon the plot which received 
nitrogen and potash only, were almost a failure. We 
have since limed these plots, and last season, due 
either to the liming or to the unusual amount of moist¬ 
ure, or possibly to both conditions, the plants on this 
plot seemed to obtain nearly all the phosphoric acid 
which they needed. In fact, chemical examinations 
of the soil have shown that there was considerable 
phosphoric acid present, though it seemed not to be in 
forms which plants could utilize. This seems to prom¬ 
ise to open some very interesting work in connection 
with liming experiments. 
Irrigation by Windmill Power. 
A. B., Kirkwood, Ga. —I am no expert, but J. S. Woodward’s 
advice to J. H. L., page 305, does not look to be practical. It 
would seem to me that it would require a miniature cyclone to 
operate an eight-inch cylinder with an eight-foot Aermotor, even 
if the puli is only 8!4 feet. I am a believer in Aermotors; I have 
an eight-foot mill on a 40-foot tower, and a three-inch cylinder in 
a 28-foot well; but it requires a stiff breeze to operate it with a four- 
inch stroke, and I am thinking of jmtting in a smaller cylinder. 
A 2*4-horse-power gasoline engine and a good pump will cost 
little or no more than a windmill and reservoir, can be run at a 
cost of 1 or 1*4 cent per hour, and 20 minutes’time per day will 
pump just when wanted, whether there is any wind or not. Prof. 
King, of the Wisconsin Experiment Station, has used one, is using 
one now in his irrigation experiments, and speaks very highly of it. 
Ans.—I have three Aermotors, and one, an eight- 
foot, on a 40-foot tower, runs a three-inch cylinder 
pump on a six-inch stroke in a well 72 feet deep, rais¬ 
ing the water into a tank 14 feet above the surface, 
and does it in only a very moderate wind. If A. B.’s 
outfit, as described, requires such a “ stiff breeze” to 
run it, he may depend upon it that something is 
wrong with mill or pump, and he would better have 
it looked after. An eight-foot Aermotor on a 40-foot 
steel tower with an eight-inch irrigating pump can be 
purchased anywhere in the East, for not to exceed 
$80, set up. I have had one running eight or nine 
years, and it has not cost a cent for repairs, and no 
one has to look after it, except to oil it occasionally. 
I have never yet seen a gas or gasoline engine that 
did not occasionally require overhauling, and when it 
does, it costs a good deal more than to oil a windmill. 
It would take a pretty large and expensive pump to 
force 28,000 gallons of water on to a peach orchard in 
20 minutes. I have no quarrel with him who prefers to 
use a steam or gasoline engine instead of a windmill; 
but, I think at the same time that the Good Lord 
made the wind to blow for some purpose beyond blow¬ 
ing off our hats, and he who knows no more than to 
buy any other power and furnish the force to run it 
while the wind is wasting ten times as much energy 
right over his head, is not wise. j. s. woodward. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Maturing Potatoes.— A. D. F., Indianola, la.—Iu comparing 
varieties of potatoes, our test for the ripeness of the tuber is the 
maturity and death of the vine. When a healthy vine dies and 
falls to the ground, it is evident that the tuber is perfectly ripe. 
This, however, may not be a full test, for marketable qualities iu 
the potato. For example, the R. N.-Y. No. 2 is a late variety, yet 
it will form large tubers while the viues are still green and vigor¬ 
ous, and these half-ripe tubers are often sold as early potatoes. 
Killing Daisies and Wild Carrot.—W. M. E., Norwalk, Conn.— 
There is no way of exterminating the common daisy except by 
plowing or destroying the individual plants. Probably plowing 
iu the Spring, and constaut and frequent cultivating with some 
tool like the Cutaway or disk harrow during the Summer, would 
destroy most of them. The wild carrot is a biennial. If prevented 
from seeding, it would be exterminated after the second year, 
except that the seeds in the soil may germiuate year after year 
for many years. By constantly mowing them down before they 
come into seed, you may, therefore, in time be able to exterminate 
them. 
Testing a Soli.— E. P., Ohio.—The best fertilizing materials for 
testing soils are nitrate of soda, acid phosphate and muriate of 
potash. The nitrate supplies nitrogen alone, the acid rock, noth¬ 
ing but phosphoric acid, and the muriate of potash only potash. 
The problem of testing a soil is to ask it whether it needs one, 
two or three of these elements. A simple way is to take one or 
more rows through the Held, and apply at the rate of 250 pounds of 
nitrate of soda alone; use on others at the rate of 600 pounds of acid 
rock, and on others 250 pounds of muriate of potash. On other 
rows, combine two of these elements, and finally all three to¬ 
gether. Leave a small portion of the field without any fertilizer, 
as a check. The results will show whether the soil requires 
nitrate, potash, or phosphoric acid, or a combination of two or 
three. 
“Sludge’’Acid in Phosphates.—B. C. M., Rochester, N. Y.— 
Sludge acid, so-called, is sulphuric acid that has been used in 
purifying petroleum. It contains certain impurities removed in 
this purification. The sludge acid is usually weaker than the 
ordinary acid, and smells strongly of the petroleum impurities. It 
is .a waste substance, quite cheap, and used by some manufac¬ 
turers in dissolving phosphate rock. Of course, the manufac¬ 
turers arc obliged to use more of the sludge acid to dissolve a 
given weight of rock than they would of the standard acid. The 
sludge acid carries with it a peculiar and offensive odor, but this 
does not carry any fertilizing value, and so far as we know, there 
are no injurious effects upon the soil when used in ordinary 
quantities. 
Steel Filings for Fruit.—C. A., Stamford, Conn.—Steel and iron 
filings will be likely to show good results on fruit when applied 
to land deficient in iron. The result will appear chiefly iu the im¬ 
provement iu color and texture of the fruit, and peaches and red 
apples will be most likely to show this improvement. The famous 
red apples of the Southwest are largely grown in soil rich in iron 
ores. We would apply the tilings like any fertilizer, and culti¬ 
vate them into the soil at once. 
