336 
MAY 24 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
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see if it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask only 
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of paper.] 
Wheat in Southern Ohio. 
D. H. C., Monmouth County, N. J.— In a recent issue 
of the Country Gentleman, Waldo F. Brown has the fol¬ 
lowing to say :—“ Where wheat was fertilized, either with 
stable manure or commercial fertilizer, in many cases it 
is killed worse than where no fertilizer was applied, for 
the wheat seemed to be tender and more susceptible to the 
freeze on account of it.” I would like to have Mr. Brown 
explain this matter. 
ANSWERED BY WALDO F. BROWN. 
The experience of wheat-growers the past winter and 
present spring over a large breadth of Southern Ohio and 
Indiana, has been unusual and to some extent, puzzling. 
Our remarkably open winter kept the wheat growing, and 
it was not damaged at all until March, and the first of 
that month there was a prospect of a magnificent crop. 
The ground had not been frozen enough all winter to bear 
a team, and the flowers had been blooming in the woods 
almost without interruption since Christmas. March 
came in with a temperature of 14 degrees, and by the 6th 
the mercury had fallen to nearly zero, and the ground 
remained frozen until the 10th. The wheat was so tender 
from the previous warm weather that much of it was 
killed outright, and where fertilizers—either commercial, 
or stable manure—were used, in many cases the damage 
was greatest. It is also true that the wheat sown the ear¬ 
liest and that had the best start in the fall suffered the 
most. On my own farm nine acres of my best land were 
in wheat, and I had top-dressed about half of it with fine 
stable manure, and this part has suffered more than 
the part not manured. A neighbor seeded part of an 
adjoining field the middle of September, and then con¬ 
cluded to sow the remainder, and did so the first of Octo¬ 
ber, and this is now the best wheat in the field. A short 
distance west is another field, a part of which was ferti¬ 
lized, and this is nearly all killed; while the remainder is 
fairly good. Protection from wood lots, orchards, hedges, 
or even buildings, saved many fields, and rolling land suf¬ 
fered less than flat, and clay and alluvial soils show much 
better wheat than loamy land. West of my town for 10 
miles is a stretch of rich, black land, well under-drained, 
on which wheat is usually very heavy, but here you can 
scarcely find a good field of wheat, while much of it has 
been plowed up. East of the village is a rolling country of 
much poorer land, a succession of clayey ridges alternat¬ 
ing with creeks and narrow bottoms, and here there is 
scarcely a poor wheat field, the promise being good for a 
yield of from 30 to 30 bushels per acre. I have lived in this 
locality for over 40 years and recall but two years be¬ 
sides this when manure was a disadvantage to the wheat 
crop, and in both those cases unseasonably warm weather 
was followed by severe freezing late in the season, either 
in March or April, which killed outright the plants that 
had made an unseasonable growth. 
Two other points of interest brought out are that some 
varieties of wheat are adapted to certain soils and that 
some seem hardier than others. On loamy soils the Pool 
wheat is killed outright; while on colder clay soils it has 
wintered well. A variety of wheat called Gold Dust, 
has wintered safely while other varieties in the same field 
are entirely dead. From what is written, it will be seen 
that the fact that the wheat is in many cases killed worse 
on lands where fertilizers have been used is not an argu¬ 
ment against their use, for it was the result of an un¬ 
usual condition of weather and growth which very rarely 
occurs, and wheat dressed with stable manure suffered in 
the same way. This also accounts for the killing of the 
wheat on the loamy lands, and also the fact that they are 
underlaid with clay, while the warm bottom lands are un¬ 
derlaid with gravel. The failure of wheat is almost un¬ 
iversal through the flat black lands of Indiana, and I pre¬ 
sume also of other localities, but I can only speak from 
observation on these lands. 
The Bennett Compulsory School Law. 
Several Subscribers.— Will theR. N.-Y. explain the law 
passed by the Wisconsin legislature last winter which 
compels the teaching of the English language in the public 
schools of that State ? 
Ans.—T his bill is entitled: “ An act concerning the edu¬ 
cation and employment of children.” Govenor Hoard has 
stoutly championed this bill. In response to the R. N.-Y.’a 
request for his opinion regarding it, he writes as follows : 
“ I am fully convinced that the compulsory law passed 
by our legislature will have a very important bearing upon 
the interests of agriculture, when it shall have time ‘to 
run a free course ’ and bear its fruit among the coming 
generation. If there is anything that agriculture and the 
representatives of agriculture most seriously need, it is 
understanding and knowledge and the widest diffusion of 
knowledge will produce the widest beneficence in results. 
Of course knowledge must largely come through language. 
A farmer can hardly become a thorough student of the 
problems of agriculture who is not a reader and thinker. 
The promotion of education means the promotion of agri¬ 
culture, and the agricultural class have their needs and 
necessities as prominently as any other class, if not 
more so.” 
Below we give the main features as signed by Governor 
W. D. Hoard, omitting only the provisions enacted for 
enforcing the law, which appear to be very strict: 
Every parent or other person having under his control a 
child between the ages of seven and 14 years, shall annu¬ 
ally cause such child to attend some public or private day 
school in the city, town or district in which he resides, for 
a period not less than 12 weeks in each year, the attendance 
to be consecutive. 
For every neglect of such duty the person having such 
control and so offending shall forfeit to the use of the pub¬ 
lic schools of such city, town or district a sum not less 
than $3 nor more than $20.00; and failure for each week 
or portion of a week on the part of any such person to 
comply with the piovisions of this act, shall constitute a 
distinct offense : provided, that any such child shall be ex¬ 
cused from attendance at school required by this act, by 
the board of education or school directors of the city, town 
or district in which such child resides, upon its being 
shown to their satisfaction that the person so neglecting is 
not able to send such child to school, or that instruction 
has otherwise been given for a like period of time to such 
child in the elementary branches commonly taught in the 
public schools, or that such child has already acquired 
such elementary branches of learning, or that his physical 
or mental condition is such as to render attendance inex¬ 
pedient or impracticable, and in all cases where such child 
shall be so excused the penalty herein provided shall not be 
incurred. 
Any person having control of a child who, with intent to 
evade the provisions of this act, shall make a willful false 
statement concerning the age of such child or the time 
such child has attended school, shall, for such offense, for¬ 
feit a sum of not less than $3 nor more than $20 for the use 
of the public schools of such city, town or district. 
No school shall be regarded as a school, under this act, 
unless there shall be taught therein, as part of the ele¬ 
mentary education of the children, reading, writing, 
arithmetic and United States history in the English 
language. 
Any child between the age of nine and 14 years, who, 
without leave and against the will of his parent, guardian 
or other person having the right to control such child, 
habitually absents himself from the school to which he is 
sent or directed to be sent, and is beyond the control of his 
parent or guardian or other person having the right to 
control such child in that regard, and wanders or loiters 
in streets, alleys or other public places, shall be deemed a 
truant child, and on such truancy being alleged and 
proved, such truant child shall be adjudged a dependent 
child in like manner as is now provided by law for the ad¬ 
judication of dependent children, and on being so ad¬ 
judged dependent may be committed in like manner for 
such time not exceeding two years, as the judge or court 
having the jurisdiction of the matter may determine. Offi¬ 
cers appointed by the board of education or board of school 
directors shall have power and authority to take a truant 
child found on the streets, alleys or other public places 
during school hours to such school conveniently located to 
the home of such child, as may be designated and re¬ 
quested by such parent, guardian or other person having 
the right to control such child, the school which he desires 
such child shall attend; or in case of refusal to designate 
and request, by the parent, guardian or other person hav¬ 
ing the right to control such child; or in case such child 
has no parent, guardian or other person In control, then to 
the public school situated in the district where such child 
lives, or to such public school as such board may direct. 
No child under 13 years of age shall be employed or 
allowed to work by any person, company, firm or corpora¬ 
tion at labor or service in any shop, factory, mine, store, 
lace of manufacture, business or amusement except as 
ereinafter provided. 
The judge of the county court in the county where the 
child resides and is to be employed or to work, may, by 
order of record, grant a permit to any child over 10 years 
to be exempt and in such county from the operation of this 
act as to such employment, and to such extent, and for 
such time and on such terms as may be named in such 
permit, on its being shown to his satisfaction that such 
child can read and write the English language, and that 
it is fit and proper considering the lack of means of sup¬ 
port of the family of which such child is a member, that 
such permit should be granted, and such permit may be 
rescinded by any such judge on written notice to such 
child. Such permit must state the age, place of residence 
and the amount of school attendance prior to the granting 
of such permit. A record of such permits to be kept in 
such court. 
No child shall be so employed or work who does not pre¬ 
sent such permit, and every person before employing or 
permitting such child to so labor or be at service, shall 
require and retain such permit, and shall keep the same 
together with a correct list of all children so employed 
posted in a conspicuous manner in the place of employ¬ 
ment, and shall show such list, on demand, to any school 
officer or teacher or police officer. 
Any person, company, or corporation who employs or 
permits to be employed or to work any child in violation 
of this act, and any person having the control of any such 
child who permits such employment or work, shall, for 
every offense forfeit a sum of not less than $10, nor more 
than $50 for the use of the public schools of such city, town 
or district, and every day of such illegal employment shall 
constitute a distinct offense. 
Any person having control of or in his employ a child, 
who, with intent to evade the provisions of this act, shall 
make a false statement concerning the age of such child or 
the time such child has attended school, or shall instruct 
such child to make any false statement, shall, for such 
offense, forfeit a sum of not less than $10 nor more than 
$50, for the use of the public schools of such city, town or 
district. 
Value of Soil Analysis. 
F. D. IF.. Roscommon, Michigan. —The following is an 
analysis of my soil made by Prof. R. C. Kedzie, of the 
Michigan Agricultural College. The figures refer to one 
cubic foot of surface soil. What fertilizers are needed to 
put it in good condition ? 
Virgin soli, sand and silicates insoluble in acid 95.042 
Oxide of Iron 1.430 
Lime -300 
Magnesia -072 
Potash -970 
Soda -210 
Sulphuric acid .010 
Phosphoric acid -066 
Organic matter containing .05 nitrogen 1.900 
100 . 
Capacity to hold water 84 per cent. 
I am not a chemist so I do not understand the terms 
used. 
ANSWERED BY DR. E. H. JENKINS. 
A chemical analysis of a soil has its uses, but taken by 
itself will seldom give the information which is most 
wanted, for several reasons. The soil may be rich enough 
in plant food, but poor in water or in air—things quite as 
essential to crops as nitrogen or potash. If it is a very 
leachy, open soil or a very tough clay soil or a shallow soil 
with a hard-pan under it, it is probably better off without 
fertilizers. A formula for such a soil would help no more 
than a feast of crackers would help a man dying of thirst 
or a drink of water would resuscitate a man in an atmos¬ 
phere of coal gas. 
Again, the chemical analysis does not show how much of 
the ingredients of the soil is really available for plants. 
This particular soil, for instance, contains .066 per cent, of 
phosphoric acid; that means something like a ton and a quar¬ 
ter of phosphoric acid to the acre to the depth of one foot. 
Now if this were in the form of fine bone or disintegrated rock 
phosphate it surely would be all that was needed; but if it 
were all in hard crystalline rock fragments it might about 
as well be altogether absent so far as the present needs of 
the plant are concerned. Animal tissue is generally a 
nutritious food for animals, but not when tanned and 
made into shoe-leather; and there is much the same dif¬ 
ference in value for plant food between different forms of 
phosphoric acid. 
But what is to be done to the soil ? I should say, 
in the first place, be sure your soil has such texture and 
drainage that it will be slow to suffer from drought or ex¬ 
cessive wet. Drainage and amendments are frequently 
needed, and proper, discriminating tillage always and 
everywhere;—tillage that takes account of the root system 
of the crop, the character of the soil, the present state of 
the weather and also of the weeds—tillage with brains. 
In the next place learn whether your soil specially lacks 
one element of plant food in available form, like nitrogen 
or phosphoric acid or potash; clear directions for experi¬ 
ments in this direction, (“ soil-tests”) are furnished by many 
of the experiment stations in their bulletins. In the third 
place, if these experiments show such a special lack of some 
one element, supply it as cheaply and as abundantly as you 
can. Then, and then only, you are ready to talk about 
“ formulas,” and if you have profited by your own experi¬ 
ments and observation in the meantime, you will probably 
conclude—and wisely—that you know more about what 
your land needs than any one else and will be prepared to 
profit by what has been learned of the special needs of 
special crops. 
A Three-Horse Rig. 
Several Subscribers.— The R. N.-Y. recently spoke about 
a three-horse rig used by Mr. Hicks. We would like to see 
drawings of it. 
Ans.— We present at Fig. 101 a drawing which, while 
somewhat imperfect, shows the principle of the rig. There 
are two shafts much like the ordinary three-horse rig. The 
long evener connects with two shorter ones at points one- 
third the distance from their outer ends, the outside 
horses fastening to the outer ends and the center horse 
fastening to the longer arm of each evener. This equal¬ 
izes the draft so that each horse must draw one-third 
of the load, and there is no chance for shirking. The neck- 
yoke is similarly arranged, the center horse having the 
two longer arms of each secondary neck-yoke, so that he 
has to do only one-third of the work in the backing, in¬ 
stead of one-half of it, as in some three-horse rigs. Instead 
of the neck-yokes having rings to be slipped over the ends 
of the shafts, the iron which encircles the yoke is provided 
with iron pins, which slip into the holes bored in the ends 
of the shafts, being held in place by small wire pins. This 
obviates the difficulty often experienced from the lines 
catching on the ends of the shafts when the latter project, 
as is ordinarily the case. The lines are arranged by simply 
having additional and longer cross-lines fastened to the 
regular lines by the ordinary connecting buckle as shown 
in Fig. 102. Mr. Hicks is very emphatic as to the advant¬ 
ages of three-horse teams. Not only can a much heavier 
load be drawn with only one driver, but three horses can 
handle, for instance, a load of three tons much more easily 
than two horses can one of two tons. With the prevailing 
high price of labor, this is quite an important saving. Mr. 
Hicks also uses a three-horse team for plowing,and is enabled 
to do with three horses nearly twice the amount of work 
most people would accomplish with two, at the expense of 
but one driver. This is one of the many ways in which he 
economizes time, and these many ways in the aggregate 
effect an immense saving. 
