1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
113 
Fence Post Timber in Northwest. 
S. C., Elmira, Ore.— 1. What is the most 
durable timber when placed in the earth? 
What kind do you advise me to plant for 
fence posts or railroad ties? Will you 
name six different kinds of timber trees 
desirable for durability and quickness of 
growth? I live in the Coast Range; the 
climate is mild, also plenty of moisture. 
We have a native yew which is satisfac¬ 
tory for durability in the earth, but it is 
not very abundant and is also of slow and 
scrubby growth. Our next best is the so- 
called Red cedar. Then comes our oak. 
Axs.—Of our American trees the Ma¬ 
dura or Bois d’Arc (bodark) of north¬ 
ern Texas and adjacent regions nas the 
most durable timber that I know. It is 
also called Osage orange because of the 
large yellow seed balls that grow on the 
female trees. The wood is yellowish in 
color, very hard, splits easily and fence 
posts made of it will last almost indefi¬ 
nitely. The tree is hardy enough for 
Oregon, grows quite rapidly but has the 
fault of not making tall bodies. For the 
far Northwestern States the Yellow lo¬ 
cust, Robinia pseudacacia, seems to me 
to be the best tree for production of 
post and tie timber. It grows well in 
the irrigated regions of Idaho and east¬ 
ern Oregon and Washington, but I do 
not remember having seen it in the 
western part of those States. However, I 
think it would succeed in the Coast 
Range there. I have seen v/ood borers 
trouble it greatly in some parts of the 
Central States, but they were not seen 
or heard of in the West. The trees grow 
upright and make a good trunk where 
they are planted close together. Tfie 
timber is yellowish, very hard, and will 
last for many years when set in the 
ground as posts are. The seeds require 
soaking in hot water to induce them to 
germinate. h. e. v. d. 
Renovating an Old Pasture. 
Reader, Western New York.—I have a piece 
of pasture land that was originally a nat¬ 
ural meadow when grass was cut with a 
scythe, but for the past two years it has 
been used for cattle and horse pasture, 
and it has got to the point where it does 
not produce half as much feed as I think 
it should, but what am I to do with it? 
It is not in shape to plow until it has been 
ditched, and that I cannot get to for a 
year or two. The sod is old and stiff, and 
I do not think seed of any kind would do 
much unless the ground is broken up in 
some way. Although it has been a pas¬ 
ture or meadow for over 80 years I think 
it needs fertilizer of some kind. 
From the description given I infer 
that the grass on this field has been de¬ 
stroyed by the trampling of the stock. 
Had it been mowed continuously and 
never pastured it would probably yet be 
fairly productive. As to the best treat¬ 
ment, much depends on the nature of 
the soil and the drainage. I would sug¬ 
gest that Reader plow it up in narrow 
strips, fertilize on the surface, and seed 
with a mixture of fescue, Red-top and 
Timothy. Mow, but do not pasture at 
any time, until the grass has become 
well established. Or if the field must be 
used for pasture and the sod is composed 
of unproductive grass roots and not too 
wet, I would give it a light application 
of fine unslaked lime in the Fall or early 
Winter, and follow with a liberal appli¬ 
cation of stable manure in the Spring. 
Keep the stock off until the grass has 
made a good growth, and do not pasture 
too close at any time. J. a. 
These old pastures are non-productive 
for several reasons. They are often so 
closely grazed that the roots are injured 
by the scorching sun, and the crowns 
by close feeding. There may be fertility 
enough, but the plant is too weak to get 
it. Again, the available fertility may be 
exhausted, or the larfd may need drain¬ 
ing as suggested. In this case of course 
any treatment given will be only tem¬ 
porizing and not of permanent value. 
It would seem a fairly safe thing to use 
some form of fertilizer upon this field, 
stable manure if obtainable. If not, 
make up the following formula; 1,600 
pounds dissolved rock, 200 pounds ni¬ 
trate of soda, 200 pounds muriate of pot¬ 
ash, or if these are not all at hand use 
1,500 pounds rock and 500 pounds cotton¬ 
seed meal, using from 300 to 500 pounds 
to the acre, scattered upon the surface 
with a seeding of Alsike clover, Blue 
grass, Orchard grass and Red-top, equal 
parts, harrowing in with spring-tooth or 
smoothing harrow. Sow early in the 
Spring, and keep the stock away until 
July 1. This treatment will give the 
old roots and plants a chance to assert 
themselves, and the young seeds an op¬ 
portunity to germinate and get fairly 
well established before the heated term, 
and then in the future do not graze too 
closely. Drain as soon as possible and 
perhaps this treatment with an occa¬ 
sional top-dressing may convert the field 
without plowing into a source of much 
profit. n. e. cook. 
I am not prepared to solve this prob¬ 
lem if ditching and fertilizing for any 
reason are not to be considered. Were 
the meadow mine, and too swampy to 
plow, ditching is the first thing I would 
do. I would then apply barnyard ma¬ 
nure if available, plow and plant such 
crops as would admit of thorough cul¬ 
tivation for several years. If the sod is 
anything like 80 years of age such treat¬ 
ment would, in my judgment, be neces¬ 
sary to bring about a satisfactory con¬ 
dition of the soil. My experience as a 
farmer has been limited almost entire¬ 
ly to market gardening, and I do not 
r resume to speak with authority upon 
the question you have presented. In 
regard to fertilization we use stable ma¬ 
nure entirely, no commercial fertilizer. 
What our stables do not supply is ob¬ 
tained from Harrisburg, which is with¬ 
in easy reach. joiin good. 
Pennsylvania. 
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