1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
21 
as the Snyder, Taylor’s Prolific, Western Triumph 
and Agawam. 2. All kinds of blackberries may be 
propagated by cuttings of nearly mature wood. We 
should select medium-sized branches in the fall—one- 
eye cuttings will answer, cutting half an inch or so 
above and below the eye. These cuttings should be 
planted in pots or boxes, and covered with half an 
inch of soil. The boxes should be placed in a tem¬ 
perature of about 80 degrees F. 3. By the roots or 
tips. 4. We would not advise it. Kainit contains sul¬ 
phate of magnesia, which is a cathartic and might in¬ 
jure the hogs. In this case, we would use plaster. 
How and When to Mulch Strawberries. 
C. V. G., Westboro, Mass .—1. Will some of the readers of the R. 
N.-Y. state their experience and methods in mulching strawber¬ 
ries—the time to mulch, how deep, etc. ? 2. I have an acre set to 
strawberries last spring, and have given them a thick mulch of 
leaves and marsh hay. Quite a number who have seen me at 
work have cautioned me not to put on too much, because it would 
rot the plants. Is there any danger of tills if the covering be re¬ 
moved before growth begins next spring ? 3. Is it possible to re¬ 
tard the time of ripening by keeping the mulch on late in the 
spring ? If so, how late could it safely be kept on ? 
Ans.— 1. We shall be glad to have our readers reply 
as requested. 2. Too thick a mulch would cause the 
leaves to rot. The way The R. N.-Y. prefers, is to 
mulch heavily between the rows and lightly over the 
plants, and this not until the ground is well frozen. 
The mulch over the plants is raked on top of the 
mulch between the rows as soon in the spring as 
growth begins. 3. Yes. How long it should be kept 
on would depend upon the rainfall and warmth of 
the season. If the season were early, and there were 
much rain, a heavy mulch would certainly cause the 
crowns to rot. 
Potatoes , Peaches and “ Moons.” 
\V. E. E., Helena, Ark.—l. I wish to plant about one-lialf acre 
of potatoes. Which of the following wouldyou advise me to plant: 
Carman No. 1, R. N.-Y. No. 2, or Carman No. 3? Where can I 
obtain seed ? 2. I also wish to plant one-lialf dozen each of peach, 
pear, and plum trees; which variety would you advise for best 
results ? 3. Has the old theory of a bright or dark “ moon ” any¬ 
thing to do with the planting of vegetables ? I have heard many 
discussions on the subject, but would like your idea. 
Ans.— 1. If we preferred an early intermediate 
potato, we would choose the No. 1 ; if we preferred a 
late intermediate, we would choose the No. 2 ; if a 
late variety, the No. 3. All leading seedsmen sell these 
varieties. 2. VVe should choose the Elberta peach, 
the Sheldon pear, and the Burbank plum. 3. None 
in the least. 
Compost of Muck and Cotton Seed. 
.7. 1J. It., Tyler, Texas .—In sweetening marsh muck with un¬ 
leached wood ashes to be used as plant food in the spring, should 
it be sheltered, or allowed to take the winter rains ? Would it not 
be profitable to mix raw cotton seed with it? If so, what pro¬ 
portion ? 
Ans. —We would prefer to have some shelter over 
the muck, if possible. It is not desirable to have the 
pile become too dry, but heavy, drenching rains 
should be guarded against, if possible. The raw cot¬ 
ton seed will make a good addition to the compost. 
Our plan would be to put first a layer of muck, then 
about one-tenth as much wood ashes, and then a layer 
of about one-fourth as much cotton seed as of muck. 
Build the pile up in layers, let it stand and ferment 
and, if possible, shovel over and mix well before 
spring. 
The Use of Plaster in Stables. 
A. II., Flushing, O .—I have been watching, with interest, what 
The R. N.-Y. has had to say about the use of land plaster. Does 
its price allow it to be a practical thing to be used by farmers, in 
general ? What is its price ? Would it be advisable to scatter it 
over cement floors (well bedded), frequented by stock, and in the 
trenches behind the cattle btalls ? 
Ans. —It is certainly advisable to use plaster freely 
in stables where moist manure is found, and in the 
trenches back of stock. The chief value of the plaster 
lies in the fact that it fixes or retains the ammonia as 
has been already explained. This change or “ fixing” 
can go on only when the manure is wet. The am¬ 
monia is most likely to escape from urine, hence 
plaster is very useful wherever liquid manures abound. 
The price in New York at present is about $5 per ton. 
Dissolved Rock or Ground Bone. 
J. A., Springfield, 7 J a.— Does phosphoric acid from rock give as 
good results as that from bone ? Is the acid from rock as lasting 
as that from animal bone ? In other words, which is the better 
for the land ? 
Ans. —We answered this question pretty thoroughly 
last year under Primer Science, and shall, probably, 
take it up again. Generally speaking, and for most 
plants, we prefer fine ground bone to any other form 
of phosphoric acid. The bone is a porous, organic 
substance, and in time, all its phosphoric acid will be 
utilized by the plant. When a ground phosphate 
rock is “cut” or dissolved by acid, the phosphoric acid 
becomes soluble, and is then just as valuable as any 
other soluble phosphoric acid, whether it be produced 
by dissolving bones or bone black. That is not, how¬ 
ever, a fair comparison, since it is not in the soluble 
form that the phosphoric acid is used by the plant. 
This soluble phosphoric acid must first “ revert” or 
assume a form in which it will no longer dissolve in 
water before the plant will utilize it. The chances 
are that this reverted phosphate will not be as avail¬ 
able as the bone. The chief value of a soluble phos¬ 
phate is that, by being dissolved in water, it can be 
more evenly distributed through the soil. You might 
mix with a pailful of bran, a pint of fine, dry salt; 
that would be like mixing fine bone with the soil. 
Take another pailful of bran, dissolve a pint of salt 
in water and let it soak all through the bran. When 
it dried, the salt would be more thoroughly mixed 
than in the other case, and this would represent 
what happens when a superphosphate or soluble 
phosphate is used and the water soaks it all through 
the soil. The advantages in favor of the dissolved 
rock are that the phosphoric acid is somewhat cheaper, 
and that it is more perfectly distributed through the 
soil. The disadvantages are that, after it reverts in 
the soil, some of it goes into insoluble compounds ; 
that, as a rule, superphosphates are more likely to 
become sticky and lumpy, while their continued and 
heavy use might, on some soils, give a tendency to 
sourness or too much acid. 
What to Use With Muck. 
T. C., Sotners, 77. Y.—I was greatly interested In an article on 
muck, published in The R. N.-Y. of November 7. I have a tine 
peat bed, and last year I made a compost with the stable manure 
from 15 cattle and had about 200 loads (Kemp spreader), which I 
used this fall on my newly seeded piece, and top-dressed my 
meadows. I wish to compost a larger quantity this winter, but 
have not sufficient manure. What will take its place that would 
yield the best returns, and at the same time be economical? I 
have had S. C. phosphate rock highly recommended. 
Ans. —The value of manure in a compost of muck 
is that it starts a fermentation or heat which spreads 
all through the heap and “cooks” the raw plant food 
in the muck. As an illustration, you might say that 
the manure is the kindling which starts the fire in 
the coal under a boiler. Any organic substance like 
blood, tankage, meat, cotton-seed meal or offal will 
serve the purpose of the manure. Oftentimes in rot¬ 
ting cow manure, it is necessary to mix horse manure 
with it, because this is warmer and drier and more 
easily heated. We would make up the compost heap 
as described in former issues of The R. N.-Y., and use 
either 'dried blood or cotton-seed meal between the 
layers of muck. Dissolved phosphate rock will help 
the compost, and you can safely use it. 
What to Do With Offal. 
E. C. B., Mecklenburg, 77. Y. —What is a simple method of utiliz¬ 
ing the offal from hothouse lambs as a fertilizer or for poultry ? 
Ans. —The simplest and easiest way to dispose of 
the offal will be to mix it with the manure as it is 
made. If you have the muck for a compost heap, 
you can profitably mix the offal with it to start and 
maintain fermentation. For small quantities of 
offal, it will hardly pay to steam, dry and grind it 
into tankage. It is not the best of food for poultry. 
We would prefer to feed it to hogs. If you have a 
cellar or covered barnyard, you can throw the offal 
on the manure and let the hogs take care of it for you. 
Sulphur for Potato Scab. 
J. M. B., Cory , lad— The R. N.-Y. recently gave an account of 
using flowers of sulphur in planting potatoes, which prevented 
scab and rot. How much sulphur would be inquired in planting 
an acre ? How should it be applied, and what should it cost ? 
Ans. —We used the powdered sulphur at the rate 
of 400 pounds per acre, dusted or scattered along the 
trench or furrow. Dr. Halsted, of the New Jersey 
Station, says that it may be put into the hopper of 
the potato planter and mixed with the seed or 
broadcasted like fertilizer. The wholesale cost of 
sulphur is about $3 per 100 pounds, or two cents per 
pound by the barrel of about 400 pounds. 
Plans for a Georgia Barn. 
W. P., Colmnbus, Ga. —I am in need of plans for a stable. I 
wish it to contain a carriage room large enough for six vehicles, 
stalls for six horses and box stalls 8x10 feet each. I also wish 10 
stalls for milch cows arranged so that they may be milked in the 
stalls. I wish some plan for saving the urine. I also wish a 
room large enough to hold about 500 bushels of corn in the shuck, 
also a room in which to store feed, peas, cotton seed, oats, etc.; 
this room would have to be about 15x20 feet or larger. The build¬ 
ing must contain a roomy loft in which to store hay and fodder. 
Ans. —The best thing you can do is to visit the 
Georgia Experiment Station at Experiment, near 
Griffin, and look over the barn. This contains all the 
conveniences you will need, and a few hours spent in 
examining it will do you far more good than any 
printed suggestion. Director R. J. Redding sends us 
the following facts about Southern barns : 
In the South, it is quite as important to have the 
quarters for horses and cattle cool and well-ventilated 
in summer, as it is in the north to have the quarters 
warm and comfortable in the winter. I prefer the 
stables entirely above ground. I would build a 
rectangular structure, say, 40 feet wide, and long 
enough to afford the room required by the number 
of animals to be housed. Have a door in the middle 
of each end, nine feet wide, connected throughout 
the length of the building by a hallway 10 to 12 feet 
wide. Stalls should be on one side for horses, not 
less than six feet wide, and on the other for cows, 
not less than four feet wide, with partitions not more 
than four feet long. A gutter in the rear of the 
animals is made of two-inch plank, one foot wide and 
five inches deep, with a grade leading to a suitable 
outlet, whence the liquid matter may be pumped or 
dipped up and poured over the solid manures in a 
large heap or bin, outside the building. In the rear 
of the rows of stalls is an alleyway four or five feet 
wide. The animals all face inward, and are fed from 
the central hallway. The height of the first story is 
10 feet, second story the same, and an attic above. 
Cut a large, square light-shaft in the center of the 
hallway through both floors and the roof above. Put 
stairways in convenient places as desired. 
Make carriage houses as an annex on one or the 
other of the sides. VVe have carriage houses for six 
vehicles on one side and a silo and corn bin on 
the other. The arrangement of the rooms and bins 
on the second floor should be according to the fancy 
or ideas of the owner. The main doors, front and 
rear, should be closed in winter and stormy weather, 
with double battened door shutters ; but there should 
be extra latticed doors to be used alone in warm 
weather. Windows should be plentiful, and should 
have fly screens to keep out flies in summer. The 
doors in the middle of the two ends should be kept 
closed as a rule, and other doors of smaller size cut in 
convenient places, so as to afford entrance and exit 
into the rear alleyways. By all means, take proper 
precautions against flies—the bane of most stables. 
I would also advise the use of suitable appliances— 
hay forks, slings, etc.—for unloading and storing hay 
and other fodder. The best covering for the stable 
floor is concrete, the cheapest (and very good), is 
well rammed clay and gravel. The main hallway 
may well be of 1%-inch plank flooring. The place 
for the wagon scales, of course, is under the hay 
shaft, in the center of the main hallway. The second 
floor should be double, the upper boards dressed and 
matched to keep all dust from coming through. 
How to Build an Icehouse. 
F. F. II., Shabbond, Mich. —I wish to build an icehouse to hold 
about 1,000 cubic feet of ice. How should it be built, and how 
must the sawdust be used ? Two 'or three of my neighbors 
packed ice last winter, but before July, it was all melted away. 
Their plan was a common board shanty, with a foot of sawdust 
on the bottom and the ice packed as closely as possible, with 18 
inches of sawdust around the sides and three feet on top. 
Ans. —Certain conditions must be secured to pre¬ 
serve ice, and it matters little what kind of a build¬ 
ing is used, so long as it gives these conditions. Good 
drainage must be secured at the bottom, without per¬ 
mitting the air to come into contact with the ice. A 
good circulation of the air must be secured over the 
top, between the ice and the roof, and the sides of 
the house should be as tight as possible. It is better 
to have the house shaded from the direct rays of the 
sun. The method of packing you mention would 
seem to be all right, except that one-half that depth 
of sawdust on top is sufficient. The ice should be 
packed as closely together as possible. Another im¬ 
portant thing is the quality of the ice. It should be 
clear and solid to keep well ; snow ice is not good for 
long keeping. If the ice mentioned were packed on 
the ground, without a floor, that was, probably, the 
trouble. The heat arising from the earth would melt 
the ice. In any case, it would be better to open the 
house and let it get as cold as possible before putting 
in the ice. 
Oil Meal or Vegetables for Hens. 
II. U., McKean, Pa.—Is it advisable to buy oil meal for hens 
when one has plenty of grain ? Last winter, I chopped up beets 
and turnips for my hens; this winter, I am feeding them apples 
and cabbage, throwing in a quantity at a time, so that they have 
some by them all the time. Last winter, my routine was ground 
feed mixed up warm in the morning, chopped vegetables at noon, 
whole grain at night ; this winter, ground feed in the morning, 
whole grain at noon and night, and vegetables by them at all 
times. Would it be any better to boil the vegetables and mix a 
little ground feed through them ? 
Ans. —Under these circumstances, we certainly 
would not buy oil meal for the hens. The vegetables 
will keep the hens in good condition, and the grain 
that you have is, doubtless, cheaper than the oil meal. 
Your ration seems about right. We would always 
cook potatoes, but cabbage, apples and beets are 
better fed raw. 
The “Catarrh Cure ” Improved. 
W. B. S., Albany, Ore. —I have tried your cure for catarrh, and 
it is good; but I can suggest an improvement. Instead of vase¬ 
line alone, use equal parts of sassafras bark and yellow puccoon; 
make a tea of them, strain, put the vaseline and tea together, and 
evaporate all the water. You then have an article almost or 
quite as good as “ cream balm.” For me, it is much better than 
the pure vaseline. 
Ans. —The oil of sassafras is frequently used in 
treating diseases of the nose and throat. The “ yel¬ 
low puccoon ” or golden seal also has valuable medici¬ 
nal properties. We do not see how very much of 
these properties are made useful in the form of a tea. 
The pure vaseline has given us good results. It would, 
probably, surprise us to know how many so-called 
“ catarrh cures” contain bicarbonate of soda. 
