1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
117 
The moss is an excellent absorbent. There is no dust 
about it, and the horses are easily cleaned. It also 
keeps their hoofs in fine condition. So far as chemi¬ 
cal analysis shows, the moss contains but little more 
fertility than straw. It is a much better absorbent, 
however, and can be broadcasted with a shovel. Mr. 
Lozier, of the Oradell farm, is much pleased with the 
moss, but we think that the high price as compared 
with planer shavings will prevent its extensive use. 
What Price for Ashes. 
O. C. B., Niagara Falls, Ont .—What price can gardeners afford 
to pay per bushel for unleached wood ashes ? 
Ans. —We have many questions respecting the ferti¬ 
lizing values of various substances. Let us under¬ 
stand for once what such values mean. Within the 
past few years, the principle of valuing different 
samples of milk has been changed completely. Ten 
years ago, one sample of milk was considered about 
the same as another. It was true that the milk might 
be bought to make into butter, and that one quart 
would make more than another, but there was no 
simple way of ascertaining how much fat there was 
in each sample. The Babcock test provided the de¬ 
sired method, and now the price of a can of milk is 
determined by the fat that it contains. In the same 
way, a bushel of ashes is valued for the potash and 
phosphoric acid it contains. Suppose that a ton of 
ashes contain five per cent of potash and 1% per cent 
of phosphoric acid, what price shall be paid for 100 
pounds of potash and 30 pounds of phosphoric acid ? 
The price you pay for sugar or flour is determined by 
competition. If flour went up too high, you would 
buy wheat and have it ground. If sugar went to 20 
cents a pound, the consumption of glucose, maple 
sugar and honey would be greatly increased. What 
can you buy potash for in other forms ? That will 
regulate the price of the ashes. In New York, we 
can buy muriate of potash at 5? 10 per ton retail. A 
ton of muriate contains 1,000 pounds of potash—which 
means four cents a pound. If a bushel of the ashes 
weighs 40 poundp, you buy in it two pounds of pot¬ 
ash and three-fifths of a pound of phosphoric acid. 
We could buy the potash for eight cents and equally 
valuable phosphoric acid for two cents, or 10 cents 
all told. We would be willing to pay 2% cents for 
the lime in the ashes or a total of 12% cents per 
bushel. We do not know for what you can buy 
muriate, lime and bone in Canada. The price of 
these would determine the value of the ashes, but we 
would never pay over $3 50 to $9 per ton for them. 
Value of Bone Charcoal. 
S. B. S., Chepachet, R. /.—What is the value per ton of bone 
meal, which has been used in a foundry for tempering purposes, 
as a means of furnishing phosphoric acid for fertilizing pur¬ 
poses? Would not its availability as a plant food, if it has any 
value, be much hastened by grinding ? I have had it offered me 
for 25 cents per barrel. As I understand it, phosphoric acid and 
potash are not released by exposure to fire. 
Ans —Bone meal that has been used for temper¬ 
ing purposes is, probably, converted into bone char¬ 
coal, since it is heated in a sealed crucible for from 
three to ten hours at a bright red heat; sometimes 
leather or hoof meal are used in connection with the 
bone, which would naturally reduce the percentage 
of phosphoric acid. Bone charcoal, or bone black, 
contains from 30 to 32 per cent of phosphoric acid, 
and in this form is much less available than in bone 
meal. At 25 cents per barrel, however, I should re¬ 
gard it as a cheap pource of phosphoric acid, particu¬ 
larly where the object of its use is to increase fer¬ 
tility rather than to feed the immediate crop. 
E. B. YOOBHEES 
Jadoo Fiber. 
L. 0., Philadelphia, Pa. —A substance called Jadoo, which looks 
very much like peat moss, is being experimented with for pot 
plants in greenhouses. None, however, has been used here, so 
far as I know. It is quoted at $27.50 per ton, and has to be im¬ 
ported to order—a prohibitive price I should think. Do you know 
anything about this material ? 
Ans. —Jadoo fiber is a preparation of peat moss 
boiled with certain chemicals. Being exceedingly 
spongy, it will absorb into its composition anything 
with which it is desired to impregnate it. After the 
boiliDg process is completed, the fiber is fermented, 
dried, and prepared for use. It is not intended in 
any way as a manure ; it is simply a substitute for 
potting soil. The advantages urged by its introducer 
are that it is cleanly, light in weight, and contains 
every necessary constituent for plant food, in the 
most available form. It is, also, said that all classes 
of plants do equally well in it, no matter how dif¬ 
ferent their preferences may be when soil is used. 
This substance is being tested quite freely in Eng¬ 
land, but, so far, is little known in America. In 
answer to a request for his experience with Jadoo, 
Mr. Alfred Henderson, of Peter Henderson & Co., 
New York, writes as follows : 
We first heard of the Jadoo fiber about two years ago, when it 
was brought to our notice by the originator, Col. Halford Thomp¬ 
son. We gave it a careful test in our greenhouses in Jersey 
City, po ting about 100 plants of various kinds in the fiber, and 
an equal quantity of similar kinds in our ordinary, good potting 
soil, and we found that there was absolutely no difference in the 
results. We came to the conclusion at that time that, while it 
might be a good enough thing for amateurs to dabble with, it was 
practically of not much value. A similar preparation was put on 
the market 12 to 15 years ago called the Dumesnil fertilizing 
moss, for which extravagant claims were made, and our experi¬ 
ments at that time resulted in about the same thing as our ex¬ 
perience with the Jadoo fiber; that is, that while it would grow as 
good specimens of most thingo as any good, rich potting soil, yet 
it would not do any better, and as potting soil is so readily obtain¬ 
able, we considered there was nothing in it. 
That Canadian Cold Storage House. 
II. H. S., Greenfield Hill , Conn. —What was the entire cost of the 
Canadian cold room in The R. N.-Y. of October 17, 1896 ? 
Ans. —The building referred to would cost here 
about $250 all complete, built of good material and 
all work well done. It could be built much cheaper 
if built out of rough lumber. II. H. S. should submit 
the plan to some local carpenter ; he could give the 
cost of the building and all details in a short time. 
Should I give all details and prices for this locality, 
it would be of no use in Connecticut, as prices, etc., 
vary so much. w. w. hilbobn. 
Weight of a Cord of Sawdust Manure 
J. Z. L , Huntington, Ind.— B. T. W., of Rochester, Mass., in his 
article on sawdust horse manure on strawberries, says that 
about five cords to an acre are enough. I would like B. T. W. to 
tell us what it takes to constitute a cord of sawdust manure, as I 
am starting in the fruit-growing business, and have been apply¬ 
ing some of that kind of manure this fall for the first. 
Ans. —Sawdust manure, when only a sufficient 
amount of sawdust is used to absorb the urine, will 
weigh from 2% to 3% tons per cord of 128 cubic feet, 
provided it is not ‘■fire-fanged” or burned by excessive 
heating. The city stable that supplies me has hogs 
constantly on the manure pile, and they keep it so 
hard packed, that it never heats to its injury. We 
had a load weighed recently, hence I can tell pretty 
closely its weight. Last year, I thought that I would 
like a little more manure than was made at the one 
stable that supplies me, and looked for it at another, 
where I found a good deal of sawdust and very little 
manure, such as I should not want to use at any price, 
and which I should think would weigh not over 2,500 
pounds to the cord. It would be difficult to plow in 
too much good manure for strawberries, but for 
mulching, five cords to the acre are enough, and care 
should be taken to put it on evenly. At the time 
straw mulch should be removed, we take a barn 
broom and lightly brush off the thickest of the 
manure from the plants into the paths. In advocat¬ 
ing the use of sawdust, I want to urge that only a 
sufficient amount shall be used. b. t. w. 
Walnuts for Chickens. 
.). C. B., Monroe County, lnd.— Did you ever try walnuts for 
chickens ? 
Ans.—W e never did. We should think that the 
necessary cracking would cost more than the walnuts 
were worth—the game wouldn’t be worth the candle. 
Has any of our readers had any experience with 
walnuts ? 
POTATO GROWING PAY5 
when a. large crop ot smooth-skinned} solid-fleshed, 
even-sized potatoes is secured. 
Thousands of farmers annually make money on pota¬ 
toes by using Bradley’s Fertilizers exclusively, having 
found them absolutely unequaled for uniform reliability 
and crop-producing powers. It would pay you to 
profit by their experience. 
Send postal card to-day for a free copy of the 
“ A merican Farmer, and read their story. 
BRADLEY FERTILIZER CO., Boston. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
Cleveland, Ohio. 
Augusta, Ga. 
ABOUT 
FERTILIZING WELL. 
To fertilize well is not to apply large 
quantities “hap hazard” but to use the 
most economical and effective forms of 
plant food in the proper proportions.The 
weak point in most fertilizers is the small 
amount of Nitrogen they contain—and 
this little in an insoluable form. 
NITRATE OF SODA 
will furnish Nitrogen in its most 
soluable and available form and 
cheaper than from any other reliable 
source. All about how to use it in p im- 
phlet “Food for Plants”—sent free upon 
request. Address S. M. HARRIS, 
Moreton Farm, P. O., New York. 
A Natural 
Fertilizer 
for all kinds of 
Vi>M F * e ld and Carden 
Supplied in car- 
fill l) * oa< * ,ots > direct from Ca- 
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bulk, bags or barrels, un- 
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Guaranteed quality and 
weight. Write for free pam¬ 
phlet and price-list. 
F. R. LALOR, 
Dunnvllle, (Box 16) Ontario. 
Legal Successor to MUNROE, LALOR & CO. 
FERTILIZERS 
Cash buvers and dealers address for prices 
Hubbard & Co.. 7U8 Merchants’ Bank, Baltimore, Md. 
SPANGLER CORN PLANTER 
BUY 
THE 
P otash 
is a necessary and important 
ingredient of complete fer¬ 
tilizers. Crops of all kinds 
require a properly balanced 
manure. The best 
Fertilizers 
contain a high percentage 
of Potash. 
All about Potash—the results of its use by actual ex¬ 
periment on the best farms in the United States—is 
told in a little book which we publish and will gladly 
mail free to any farmer in America who will write for it. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau St., New York. 
NOTICE 
Farmers’ Clubs and Granges, wish¬ 
ing to purchase Fertilizers direct 
from one of the largest manufac¬ 
turers in the country, will please 
address FERTILIZER, care of The 
Rubai. New-Yorker. 
Canada Unleached ft CL 'WJ' CL 
Hardwood M. Z—» 
For prices address THUS. POTTS, Brantford, Ont. 
mm 
.JACHINL5 stretcher^ratchets •ETC. 
SUPERIOR MFG. CO. Martinsville. 0 . 
and Low-Down Grain and Fertilizer Drill, 
Lime Spreaders and Fertilizer Distributors. 
We make the Best on Earth. Write for prices. We will 
save you money SPANGLElt MFG CO., York, Pa. 
FARMERS 
■ou can make money by selling and using 
IIO LI)FAST Corn Binders,used on every 
shock. Pull and it’s fast. Ties itself. Costs 
less than string. Never wears out. Thous- 
andseasily sold in a town. Good profits. 
Getyour'town agency now. Outfit5c., 
stamps. TIE CO., Box 71 linjullllt, Jf.Y. 
^ rCTO ^'TT c ’'irrr<—nog 
