276 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 24 
the young plant appears above ground. These facts 
would lead us to suppose that, if young onions were 
started in soil free from smut, and then transplanted 
to smutty soil, they would escape the disease, because 
the period of infection has passed. And such is said 
to be the case with transplanted seedlings. Con¬ 
sequently, in the practice of transplanting onions— 
which is now highly recommended by leading horti¬ 
culturists for other reasons—there is a simple and 
efficient remedy. Experiments made at the Ohio 
Experiment Station indicate that, by starting onions 
in forcing houses or hotbeds, the yield may be nearly 
doubled, without involving any more labor. Experi¬ 
ments by Dr. Thaxter indicate that, possibly, flowers 
of sulphur and air-slaked lime mixed in equal parts, 
and sowed with the seed, may have a preventive 
effect. He says: “At the second and subsequent 
hand weedings, all onions which show smut in the 
second or third leaf should be pulled, collected in a 
basket, and burned at once. This practice involves 
but very little trouble, and the folly of leaving the 
larger smutted onions to discharge crop after crop of 
spores upon the ground, as the leaves successively 
mature, is apparent; especially when the enormous 
number of spores thus formed is considered. It is 
hardly an over-estimate to say that a single large 
onion may mature, during a season, something like a 
cubic inch of smut, which means between one and 
two thousand millions of spores, each capable of pro¬ 
ducing a smutty onion the following season.” 
It is not clear from W. B.’s brief description, 
whether his onions died from smut or from some 
mildew or bacterial disease. The above description 
of onion smut (taken largely from Weed’s Fungi and 
Fungicides) will enable him to tell whether that was 
the nature of his onion disease. If the description 
does not fit his disease, we shall be very glad to have 
our fungologist look in to the trouble further, if 
W. B. will send us specimens when the disease again 
appears. 
How to Test Acid Soils. 
W. II. McN., Stuart , Fla. —What is the eorrect way to use blue 
litmus paper to ascertain whether acid is present in the soil ? 
Ans. —It is understood that “litmus paper” is a 
substance like ordinary blotting paper, which has 
been colored by litmus dye. This dye is originally 
blue in color, and is obtained from certain lichens or 
moss. Now, when this blue paper comes in contact 
with acid of a certain strength, it changes to red. 
When you put this red into an alkali—the opposite of 
an acid—it changes back to blue. It is just as sensi¬ 
tive as the tongue touching alternately vinegar and 
sugar, one indicating the change by taste and the 
other by color. When a soil changes the litmus 
paper from blue to red, we have fair evidence that 
there is too much acid present to grow good crops. 
Then we know that lime is needed to “ sweeten” the 
land. The usual way of testing is to take say, five 
tablespoonfuls of soil in a cup or glass and add 
enough water to make a stiff paste. After the soil 
has stood 15 minutes, push a piece of litmus paper 
2 to 2% inches long down into the soil, and let it stay 
there three minutes with the soil pressed up around 
it. Keep the fingers away from the end of the litmus 
paper which goes into the soil. Use a spoon or knife 
blade for cleaning off the soil. Rinse off the paper 
and dry it. If, after drying, the red color show, you 
have fair evidence that your soil needs lime. We 
would not make the test after a rain storm. Take 
the soil in its ordinary condition and moisten it with 
pure water. 
Coal Ashes as an Absorbent. 
6. S .. Summit Station, JV. Y.— What is the chemical action of 
coal ashes in connection with ammonia in manures and urine? 
Will the tendency be to release or hold the nitrogen ? Somehow, I 
have formed the idea that coal ashes will absorb and hold the 
ammonia. If this is correct, it opens up great possibilities for 
the much-despised coal ashes. 
Ans. —You need have little fear that coal ashes 
will act as wood ashes do to set ammonia free. The 
coal ashes contain only small quantities of lime and 
potash, and have little value as a fertilizer. When 
sifted and dried, the coal ashes will make a good ab¬ 
sorbent. In some instances, potash is bought in the 
form of lye and dissolved in water, which is sprinkled 
over fine coal ashes. The ashes hold the potash and, 
when broadcasted, give a very even distribution of it. 
A solution of nitrate of soda might be used in the 
same way. 
Where Lime Benefits Soil. 
A. M., Massachusetts.—We have found by spreading wood ashes 
on the ground the year before we plant beets, that we have a 
much better crop. Grass, clover and peach trees do better on 
our land if they have plenty of wood ashes. 
Ans —We should consider that a pretty sure indica¬ 
tion that your soil needs lime. All through New 
England, there are wide areas where it seems impos¬ 
sible to secure a “catch” of clover. It has been 
observed that stable manure and wood ashes usually 
give better results on these soils than superphosphates 
or even complete fertilizers. Most of such farms are 
on uplands, and it was not supposed that the soil 
could be sour because it was thought that sour soils 
are always wet and undrained. Investigation has 
shown that these dry upland farms are often so full 
of acid that the characteristic bacteria of clover can¬ 
not develop in them. Both wood ashes and stable 
manure are alkaline, and they will, to a certain ex¬ 
tent, neutralize the acid and “ sweeten” the soil so 
that clover, beets and other plants will grow and 
thrive. This explains why many good farmers say 
that there is something about ashes and manure that 
cannot be duplicated by equal amounts of plant food 
in other forms. A thorough liming would “sweeten” 
such soils and put them into a much better condition 
for tillage. 
Some Failures With Incubators. 
B. M., Connecticut .—I am using an incubater this season for the 
first time. In my first hatch a month ago, I got a two-thirds 
hatch, which I called good for a novice A few days past, used 
under the saroe conditions, I got only 30 chicks out of 100 fertile 
eggs The incubator was run under the following conditions: 
In a dry cellar with earth bottom, the temperature of which 
varied from 43 to 50 degrees. Tne incubator was situated near a 
window for light, egg drawer kept at a temperature of from 100 
to 103 degrees, falling once during the first few days to 98 degrees, 
remaining there for a day. The eggs contained chickens nearly 
developed—I should judge, within three or four days. A neighbor 
had the same trouble. Three or four days before the chickens 
were due, we had a thunder storm, and some think thatcau?ed 
the trouble. Do thunder storms kill chicks in that way? When 
the chicks came from the shells, they seemed to have trouble in 
freeing themselves of the inner lining membrane. Why? I used 
no moisture until the fourteenth day, and but very little then until 
the eighteenth. I ventilated according to directions which came 
with the machine. 
Ans. —The fact that, under the same conditions, 
you got a better hatch at one time than at another, 
indicates that the fault may be in the eggs. If the in¬ 
cubator is near a window, you will be liable to have 
the temperature in the incubator lower near the win¬ 
dow. Thunder does not injure the hatch, which has 
been demonstrated by experiment. If the ventila¬ 
tion is plentiful, it is possible that more moisture 
would have been beneficial, though the method used 
was correct under some circumstances. The failure 
to break the shells may be caused by eggs being from 
fat hens (producing weak chicks), and also from fre- 
BAND FOR CATCHING CANKERWORMS. Fig. 120. 
See Page 275. 
quently opening the egg drawer during the time the 
chicks are hatching. Frequently the thermometers 
are incorrect, as they sometimes vary with use. There 
was too much variation in the temperature. 
P. H. JACOBS. 
Nitrogen ; Bones and Meat for Poultry. 
F. W. A., Crystal Springs , Wash.— 1. Which is the cheaper source 
of nitrogen, dried blood at $1 per 100 pounds, or nitrate of soda at 
$3 ? 2. With granulated bone at $1 per 100 pounds, and good wheat 
at $1.40 pe: 100 pounds, what proportion of the bone can I profit¬ 
ably substitute for wheat as food for laying hens and growing 
chicks? 3. About what value, compared with wheat, have scraps 
from the butcher shop—bone and meat—as food for poultry, 
young and old. the meat and bone to be ground in a green-bone 
mill? 
Ans. —1. A fair sample of dried blood ought to con¬ 
tain, at least, 10 per cent of nitrogen. This would 
represent a cost of 10 cents a pound. Nitrate of soda 
contains about 16 per cent of nitrogen. At $3, this 
means 18% cents a pound, which is too much. The 
dried blood is the better bargain at the prices named ; 
yet, you must remember that these two su bstances rep¬ 
resent different forms of nitrogen. In the nitrate, it 
is already available. All that is required is water to 
dissolve it and carry it to the plant. In dried blood, the 
nitrogen is in an organic form. This must be changed 
or broken up before the plant can use it. Not only 
moisture, but heat as well are required to do this. 
Fertilizers for early crops at the North, usually 
contain both forms. The soil is cold, and the nitro¬ 
gen in the nitrate is at once available, while the 
organic form does not become active until warmer 
weather. In the climate of Washington, the dried 
blood will, probably, prove satisfactory. For New 
England, we would advise a mixture of one part 
nitrate and three parts blood. 2. We do not consider 
it fair to compare ground bone directly with wheat. 
We do not consider the bone a substitute for grain. 
It will provide materials for the shells and for the 
bones of the hen’s body, but we do not consider it a 
direct egg food. Our plan would be to keep the bone 
constantly before the hens and let them help them¬ 
selves. 3. By analysis, such scraps and bone are 
about one-fourth more valuable than wheat. You can 
hardly compare them, however, as, while you might 
safely feed them nothing but wheat, you would soon 
ruin them on an exclusive meat-and-bone diet. Our 
plan would be to keep small quantities of the cut 
meat constantly before them and let them eat what 
they cared to, with just enough of the grain to keep 
them scratching for more. 
Cut Bone for Hogs ; Scraps for Fertilizer. 
F. L. C., Elmhurst, Pa .—1. Is green cut bone, such as is used 
for chickens, a safe food for hogs; or would it be better fed green 
or boiled and the fat partially taken out and then feed the re¬ 
mainder ? Would it be advisable to put into the soup some kind 
of ground feed? If so, what kind ? 2. How can I treat tallow 
scraps that have been cut up the same way as cut bone, and 
make them available as a fertilizer ? There is some bone among 
the scraps, but they are mostly composed of gristle and meat 
fiber from which the tallow has been rendered, and then put in a 
press and most of the fat pressed out. 
Ans. —1. We have had reports from persons who 
have fed the cut bone to hogs just as it came from the 
machine, but we think the plan of cooking it much 
better. We would mix either corn meal or wheat 
middlings with this soup. 2. We would much prefer 
to feed these scraps to poultry or hogs rather than to 
use them as a fertilizer. If we had any great quan¬ 
tity, we would use them in making a compost of muck, 
sods, trash, or rich earth. Make the compost heap in 
the usual way, putting the scraps in layers as you 
build it up. We doubt if you can mix the coarse 
scraps with chemicals in a satisfactory way. 
Muriate and Sulphate of Potash. 
A. E. II.. Simsbury , Conn .—I notice in Brevities, on page 246, the 
advice t r J use ground bone and muriate of potash for small fruits. 
What is the matter with sulphate of potash ? I have raised more 
or less small fruits, especially strawberries, in the last few years, 
for home use, selling the surplus when we had any. From my 
experience, I have decided that a fertilizer in which potash is sup¬ 
plied from sulphate makes the strawberries of better quality and 
much firmer than when muriate was used. 
Ans. —There is nothing the matter with sulphate of 
potash, except that it costs more than the muriate. 
There is no doubt about the improved quality from 
using the sulphate. Where you have a market that 
appreciates quality, and will pay an extra price for it, 
use the sulphate by all means. It is now claimed 
that, if the muriate be applied in the fall and left all 
winter exposed to the “ weather,” it will produce as 
high quality as the sulphate. This, however, has not 
yet been fully proved by experiment. 
" A Tree Swindle ” in New York State. 
M. C. B., Waterport, iV. Y .—Can you tell me anything about a 
model peach orchard by an Ohio nurseryman ? The agent said that 
they would never have yellows. We bought 250 for $45. Circum¬ 
stances have changed with us, so that it is hard work to get the 
money to pay the bill. He also said that, if taken care of as they 
advise in their book of instructions, they would bear for 20 years. 
The cold of winter here is 20 degrees below zero. I think that 
we can sell them to parties that are making peach raising a 
business. Or, will it pay to borrow the money for three or four 
years ? 
Ans. —M. C. B. is the victim of misplaced confidence. 
In the first place, the price is fully twice too high, as 
any one who knows the retail price of peach trees at 
the present time can testify. No kind of peach tree 
is exempt from yellows. Neither will any peach tree 
“ bear for 20 years ” where the cold reaches 20 degrees 
below zero very often, or even on rare occasions. My 
advice is, to get out of the scrape in any honorable 
way possible. If any peach grower is willing to take 
the 250 trees for §45, and plant them and expect 
them to do as any ordinary peach trees may do, let 
them go. h. e. v. D. 
Winter Apples for Michigan. 
E. IV. C., Isabella County , Mich .—What varieties of winter apples 
would be best to graft on Ben Davis ? The soil is a sandy gravel, 
trees thrifty, but the quality is very poor here and not satisfac¬ 
tory for market. 
Ans.—I would advise E. W. C. to try York Imperial. 
It is far better than Ben Davis in quality, especially 
as the latter grows in the climate of Michigan. 
Jonathan is still better in quality, and fully as hand¬ 
some as Ben Davis, but it does not keep so late. 
Esopus Spitzenberg is a very choice apple, and with 
the aid of spraying, pays very well. H. e. v. d. 
Fruit Trees Near a Pond. 
W. II. P., Mound, 111 .—I have a circular pond, which fills from 
the barn, the dam of which is about four feet above the natural 
level of the ground. The dam is well settled and set with clover 
and Timothy, on which I purpose to set a row of pear, plum, 
peach and cherry trees, alternating. What varieties should I use 
for central Illinois ? How should they be set, and will they be 
likely to succeed ? The water will likely stand within three or 
four feet of the top of the dam. What distance apart should they 
be in the row ? 
Ans.—T he plan of W. H. P. seems to me more of a 
matter of mere fancy than a practical method of fruit 
growing. By extra care, he may succeed in growing 
good fruit, but I would rather plant the embankment 
with some kinds of forest trees, such as the elm, 
maple, weeping birch and, perhaps, a few willows. 
These would be permanent for generations, and be 
