200 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
MARCH 29 
Cwmjtul )txt. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Delaware. 
Dover, Kent County, March 14. — The 
winter just passed, has been the warmest 
on record. Snow covered the ground only 
two or three times and no ice formed on 
running water. January and February 
were well calculated to forward vegetation 
to such an extent that the cold weather on 
March 5th and 6th did much damage, es¬ 
pecially to the peach crop. Peach trees 
were in blossom by February 25th and on 
March 6 the thermometer ranged from eight 
degrees to 10 degrees above and few buds 
were left unhurt and a peach crop for this 
year is out of the question. Farmers as a 
rule are in no condition to stand the loss, as 
the past two seasons of poor crops and 
prices have left them in stringent circum¬ 
stances. Never have I known times so dull 
or money so scarce and the present outlook 
is enough to discourage the most sanguine. 
A great part of last year’s wheat is still on 
the growers’ hands; about 62 cents are all 
that can be obtained for it and there is no 
demand at that. There is a strong local de¬ 
mand for corn at 35 to 40 cents and for hay at 
$12 to $15. Stock is low; public sales have 
been numerous. Spring work is going on ; 
grass seed is about all sown. Oats are 
never sown very extensively; some are 
being sown now. Wheat looks fine ; grass 
is growing and fields begin to look quite 
green. A general feeling among farmers 
that expenses must be curtailed is cutting 
short the purchase of fertilizers, and limit¬ 
ing the numbt r of hired help. Fresh fish 
are now on the market and in a few weeks 
the supply will far exceed the demand. 
A. G. S. 
Nebraska. 
Sweetwater, Buffalo County. — The 
country is flooded with advertisements 
written in glowing words, by railroad com¬ 
panies and land speculators, lauding vari¬ 
ous sections in the West where they have 
land for sale. On reading them one would 
think that all he had to do was to “go 
West,” build a sod-house, fold his hands 
and grow rich; while the truth is that it 
requires as much grit, patience and energy 
to make a home in Kansas or Nebraska as 
elsewhere. To the owner of an 80-acre 
farm, the offer of a half section of land for 
$30, looks very tempting. The discomforts 
of a sod-house, aud the disadvantages of a 
great distance from markets, and dearth of 
church, school and society privileges, are 
kept in the background. There is no 
doubt that Nebraska will one day be a very 
wealthy State. She has all the resources 
that a naturally flue soil and climate could 
give any section. On the other hand, it 
will require pluck, patient toil, and a capa¬ 
bility for waiting on the part of her settlers 
before this weal will be realized. There 
is no more government land to be had in 
this vicinity. We have two railroads, the 
U. P. and the B. & M. The farmers have 
turned their attention heretofore to grain¬ 
raising and stock-feeding. The low prices 
of graiu and stock have caused many of 
them to try flax and other commodities. I 
think a little more thought, and a larger 
degree of intelligence brought to bear on 
the subject, and utilized in the profession, 
would go a long ways toward lifting farm¬ 
ers out of their troubles. The past win¬ 
ter has been a very fine one. With the 
exception of a few snow storms, we have 
had dry, warm weather. March has come 
in like a lion, we hope it will verify the 
old saw and go out like a lamb. F. R. 
New York. 
Batavia, Genesee County, March 10.— 
Produce is low, but I do not feel like com¬ 
plaining of hard times. I have experienced 
worse. I started poor at a bad time for be¬ 
ginning farming—in 1858—and have ac¬ 
cumulated 200 acres of land together with 
two sets of buildings, and have enough ahead 
to buy 100 acres more. Why should farm¬ 
ers complain ? Following this recipe will 
insure every farmer against hard times 1. 
Never buy any luxury until you have the 
cash handy to pay for it. 2. Never measure 
yourself by others; we must all work in 
our own harness. Look around and see 
what others are doing and profit by their 
failures as well as by their successes. 3. So 
far as my experience extends, there is no 
better paper than the R. N.-Y. Farmers 
work too much and think too little. If I 
should try to follow Mr. Terry’s example I 
would fail, for on his 50-acre farm he has 
tools enough to run a 300-acre one under 
mixed husbandry. No farmer should be 
without at least one or two good agricul¬ 
tural papers. AN old settler. 
Pennsylvania. 
INDUSTRY, Beaver County, March 15.— 
The cold wave here last week was the worst 
of the winter; five inches of snow fell, the 
temperature reached four degrees below 
zero. With the exception of this spell, we 
have had a very warm aud wet winter. 
The fruit here is damaged worse than for 
a number of years. Peaches are all killed, 
so are plums, pears, quinces and almost all 
cherries as well as all the early apples and 
the great majority of the late kinds. Pros¬ 
pects for small fruits are good yet. The 
weather is warm again and raining, tem¬ 
perature 62 degrees to-day, lots of mud. 
E. E. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
TEvery query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure atten¬ 
tion. Before asking a question, please see if it 
is not answered in our advertising columns. 
Ask only a few questions at one time. Put 
questions on a separate piece of paper.) 
FERTILIZERS FOR ONIONS AND POTATOES. 
J. A. H., Wecdsport, N. Y.— How can 
I mix the “chemicals” so as to make a 
complete manure for potatoes ? What is a 
formula for a complete manure for onions ? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. I. P. ROBERTS. 
The best manure for onions is very well 
rotted farm-yard manure and the next best 
for both onions aud potatoes is one that 
contains a very large per cent, of potash. 
Unleached wood ashes would contain the 
potash and a sufficient amount of phos¬ 
phoric acid: nothing better could be applied. 
If the ashes cannot be procured and the po¬ 
tato ground is inclined to be sandy or dry 
use German potash salts. If the soil is 
clayey and wet use sulphate of potash. 
Add a little dissolved bone in emergency. 
ANSWERED BY PROF. G. II. WHITCHER. 
A combination which has proven very 
satisfactory in New Hampshire is as fol¬ 
lows ; Dissolved bone-black, 340 pounds; 
muriate of potash, 160 pounds, making a 
total of 500 pounds. This amount is enough 
for one acre where no manure is used. 
For onions. I would suggest a mixture as 
follows: Dissolved bone-black,300pounds; 
muriate of potash, 125 pounds ; nitrate ol 
soda, 75 pounds, making a total of 500 
pounds. Of course relatively more would 
be required for the onions than for the po¬ 
tatoes; probably 1,000 pounds per acre 
would be none too much. The potatoes, if 
on soil where no manure has been used for 
several years, might need some nitrogen 
and the following would probably be a bet¬ 
ter formula than the above. Dissolved 
bone-black, 300 pounds ; muriate of potash, 
150 pounds; sulphate of ammonia, 50 
pounds, making a total of 500 pounds. In 
using this quantity 150 pounds should be 
put in the hills or drills and 850 be sowu 
broadcast and harrowed in before planting. 
A CHEAP FERTILIZER. 
F. E., Fairview, West Virginia.— Un¬ 
der ordinary circumstances and with an 
average fertile soil, would a $16 fertilizer 
with the following analysis be of any value 
for wheat or any other crop. 
Analysis August 1, 1889. 
Moisture at 212 deg. Fall. 
Avail Phosphoric Acid 
Soluble “ 
Reverted “ 
Insoluble “ “ 
Ammonia 
13.00 per cent. 
14.00 per cent. 
10. (X) per cent. 
4.00 per cent. 
1.50 per cent. 
0.80 per cent. 
Tax paid in North Carolina and South 
Carolina and registered in Virginia. 
Ans.— According to this analysis the fer¬ 
tilizer would be worth $23 a ton. It would 
be of value in so far as the land needs phos¬ 
phoric acid. If the land needs potash, it 
must be added in some form. It would al- 
bo be well to add a nitrogenous fertilizer 
containing say three per cent, of nitrogen. 
WHITE HOU8E EXPENSES, ETC. 
E. 11. L., Homer, N. Y.—l. A number of 
papers have lately reported that in addition 
to the salary of $50,000 the President an¬ 
nually receives about $40,000 more for nec¬ 
essary and incidental expenses, and the 
maintenance of an establishment. What 
are the facts of the case? 2. Where can I 
obtain information in regard to U. S. Sena¬ 
tors and Representatives, also with regard 
to the members of the Legislature? 
Ans.— 1. In addition to the President’s 
salary, Congress also pays all the expenses 
of maintaining the White House, its con¬ 
servatory and grounds in good order, also 
the salaries of the President’s official pri¬ 
vate secretary, door-keepers, gardeners, 
etc.—in short all the expenses of the White 
House beyond those for boarding the fami¬ 
ly and entertaining company. The aggre¬ 
gate sum varies every year. We hardly be¬ 
lieve, however, it is often as high as $40,000, 
except when special repairs have been done 
to the building or when it has been newly 
furnished. The expenses are generally heavi¬ 
est during the first year of a new President, 
as an unusual amount of repairing, renova¬ 
ting and refurnishing is then usually done. 
2. The CongressionallDirectory, published 
at the Government Printing Office at Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., gives short biographical 
sketches of all the Senators and Represen¬ 
tatives. Apply for it to the Representative 
from your district. As only a limited num¬ 
ber are printed, however, the supply may 
be exhausted. We do not know where bio¬ 
graphical sketches of your Assemblymen 
can be obtained. 
PLUM TREES THAT DON’T RIPEN THE FRUIT. 
W. A., Plainwell, Mich. —A large,isolat¬ 
ed plum tree, 14 to 15 feet in hight, blooms 
in profusion every season, and sets fruit 
thickly, but when they get as big as a very 
small pea, they turn yellow and fall off. 
Last season the tree was sprayed with 
Paris-green, and dusted with lime, and a 
coopful of chickens was placed under it, 
but the fruit turned yellow, and fell as it 
had done in other years. Why doesn’t this 
tree mature its fruit ? 
Ans.—T his is a fault of very many varie¬ 
ties of native plums, though the Weaver 
has been generally reported to be exempt 
from it. It is more especially prevalent at 
the North, and is commonly attributed to 
the maturity and dissemination of the 
pollen when the pistils are not in the 
proper condition for impregnation. As¬ 
suming this to be the cause of the failure, 
it has been proposed to plant several varie¬ 
ties clustered together, to insure a supply 
of pollen from those blooming at different 
times. The same result may also be se¬ 
cured by engrafting several varieties upon 
the same tree. Knowing t * l, at a spurious 
Weaver Plum—one of the Southern or 
Chickasaw species—has been widely dissem¬ 
inated in Southern Michigan, we deem it 
quite possible that the tree in question may 
be one of these, nearly all of which are ob¬ 
stinately unproductive north of Central 
Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. 
FERTILIZER QUERIES. 
G. IF. A. D., McKee, N. C. —I am using 
fertilizer (dissolved animal bone) for wheat 
on an old red land plantation; would a 
chemical analy&is of the soil be of use ? Or 
would a number of experiments with ni¬ 
trogen, potash and phosphoric acid be of 
more use, or should both be combined ? 
What would be the cost of a chemical an¬ 
alysis ? 
Ans.—T he soil analysis might be of great 
value and might prove entirely misleading. 
One can readily see how difficult it would 
be to obtain a small quantity of soil that 
would fairly represent an entire farm or 
field. It might be possible to select a peck 
of soil that would fairly represent one field, 
but the chances are great that the average 
sample would represent itself and nothing 
more. See what Mr. Lewis has to say 
about this on another page. We should 
say that careful experiments with different 
quantities and combinations of nitrogen, 
potash and phosphoric acid would be of 
more value than the soil analysis. Your 
experiment station at Raleigh, ought to 
make the soil analysis free, aud it will cer¬ 
tainly be interesting to compare the stories 
told by the two methods of learning the 
wants of the land. It will pay you to send 
to the Kentucky Station at Lexington, Ky. 
for a copy of the bulletin giving the results 
of their experiments with different fertili¬ 
zers. 
DISEASE IN PEARS. 
J. R., Wayne County, N. Y.— The past 
season my 60 Virgalieu Pear trees, four to 
eight inches in diameter, failed to bear a 
crop. When nearly grown, the fruit 
cracked and withered. Would grafting 
with some other variety be advisable? If 
so, which would be the best ? Has any 
remedy against this disease been discov¬ 
ered ? 
Ans.—T he old White Doyei n6 (Virga' 
lieu) is peculiarly subject to the malady 
described; and, so far, no effective remedy 
has been discovered. If the trees in ques¬ 
tion are otherwise in good health, with the 
care and good judgment especially requi¬ 
site in re-grafting trees of the size specified, 
and with care also to render the cutting 
away of the old branches a gradual process 
extending through several years, other viv- 
rieties may be inserted, which will be free 
from this malady. Bartlett, Sheldon, 
Howell, and Anjou are all good market va¬ 
rieties for that locality. Angoulfime and 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, which are slow to 
come to satisfactory fruitage as standards, 
would doubtless be found satisfactory when 
grafted upon trees of that age. 
TICKETS AS TALLIES. 
1 Bushel. 
25 Cents. 
W. A. KEENE. 
W. A. K., Madison County, N. Y.— I am 
a market gardener and grow pease, beans, 
etc., for canning factories; do I violate any 
United States law with regard to counter¬ 
feiting by using, for the purpose of keeping 
“ tally,” tickets like this: 
I give one of 
these to each 
picker for each 
bushel of pease 
he turns in, and 
some b usy- 
bodies among 
my neighbors have threatened to prosecute 
me for counterfeiting. 
Ans. —Those neighbors must be nincom¬ 
poops as well as busybodies. Early in the 
late war, during the suspension of specie 
payment, some legislation was enacted in 
Congress against the issue of “ shin plas- 
ters ”—rough notes for less than a dollar is¬ 
sued by private parties in payment for 
goods or services—but the above ticket is in 
no way of the same character. The use of 
such a ticket for the purpose stated is quite 
legal and proper and sometimes very con¬ 
venient. 
A CONCRETE CISTERN. 
G. C. M., Middleton, ZV. S. —Can a small 
cistern to hold about 2,000 gallons be built 
of concrete? It is to be in a cellar free from 
frost. How thick should the walls be 
made? 
Ans. —Yes, in the following manner: 
First make an outer frame of plank with 
sufficient support outside, of scantlings 
well fastened at the ends and especially at 
the bottom, and a plank floor, to sustain 
the weight of the water which would be 
nearly 10 tons. Inside of this build up a 
concrete lining three inches thick made of 
hydraulic cement, and three times its bulk 
of clean, sharp sand, using loose boards in¬ 
side to hold the cement until it is hard. 
Then paint the concrete with a mixture of 
linseed-oil and cement to make it entirely 
water-proof. To hold 2,000 gallons of water, 
the cistern should have 300 cubic feet of 
space, a good size being one seven feet 
square and six feet deep. The concrete 
should be mixed in small quantities at a 
time or it will set before it can be used, and 
will make poor work. 
CONCRETE BLOCKS OR ARTIFICIAL STONE. 
K. M. M., Iowa. —What are the concrete 
blocks seen in front of brick buildings made 
of and how are they prepared? 
Ans. —Concrete blocks, or artificial stone, 
is made as follows: the wooden molds are 
well painted with oil so that the cement 
will not adhere to them, and are made so 
that they may be easily taken apart by re¬ 
moving the keys of the frame. The con¬ 
crete is made of one part of hydraulic 
cement, and three to five parts of sharp, 
clean sand mixed together, dry at first so 
that they will be evenly incorporated, and 
then mixed with water in small quantities 
that may be used at once, as the mixture 
becomes hard very quickly. The concrete 
is well pressed into the molds to produce 
sharp corners and smooth surfaces, a loose 
cover being put on and pressed down firm¬ 
ly on the top. As soon as the blocks are 
hard the molds are removed and the blocks 
are set on a floor to dry without touching 
each other. 
PROFITS IN CARP CULTURE, ETC. 
J. IF. C., Southampton, Mass.—l. Would 
the culture of German carp be'profitable for 
an average farmer here in New England ? 
2. What would be the expense of starting 
in the business ? 8. How can the best in¬ 
formation on the subject be obtained ? 4. 
Is bee-keeping profitable now ? 
Ans. —1. We doubt it. Remember this 
is only an opinion. The R. N.-Y. has never 
succeeded with carp. If any of our friends 
know more about it we would like to hear 
from them. 2. The expense would depend 
largely on the “ lay of the land,” aud the 
