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545 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKE 
mitted. Carbolated vaseline is the best dressing for such 
a wound, and the part should be kept still and without 
movement.” 
Cost of Carrying Water. —A farmer recently told me 
that he did not understand what writers meant by talking 
about an extra weight of water in manure or the cost of 
carrying water in the green hay or fodder. As he could 
not see all the water he did not fully realize that it was 
there. He had a practical illustration of the cost of carry¬ 
ing useless water a few days ago. He had two letters to 
mail of equal size. One sheet was damp and sticky with 
water while the other was dry. The postmaster weighed 
the letters and told him the dry one could go for two cents 
while the damp one would cost four cents. If the damp 
one had been dried it would have been mailed for two cents. 
I his is a practical illustration of the cost of carrying use¬ 
less water. 
CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND STABLE 
MANURES. 
THEIR RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE SYSTEM OF 
IMPROVED AGRICULTURE, ETC. 
W. F. TABOR. 
(Concluded.) 
Brother farmers, you know not the capacity of your soil 
until you have tested it. You do not expect your horse to 
do hard service without good food. You do not expect 
your cows to give a large quantity of rich milk without 
plenty of food, and that of the proper kind. With no 
more reason can you expect your land to give good re¬ 
turns without good treatment. What is wanted is more 
intensive instead of extensive farming. Why cultivate 
two or three acres to get what one can and will produce 
under proper treatment ? 
Have more faith in Mother Earth. It contains all the 
elements of plant growth in varying proportions. The 
mineral elements in the soil need the influences of the sun 
and the rain, which bring with them and store up in the 
recesses of the disintegrated soil the elements that play 
such an important partin the rapid growth of plants. 
The finer the soil is made, the greater its capacity for ab¬ 
sorbing and retaining moisture, which dissolves the min¬ 
eral and manurial elements in it, for the uses of the plant. 
The germ of plant growth must be started into life by the 
moisture in the soil. Therefore, manure of no kind can 
benefit the plant until it has attained such a growth that 
it can absorb and feed upon the manure. No sort of man¬ 
ure can benefit the plant until it is dissolved and brought 
into a liquid form, so that it may be absorbed by the plant. 
Now, what conclusion can we draw from these statements 
with respect to the question under discussion—the rela¬ 
tion of chemical fertilizers and stable manures to each 
other and to the system of improved agriculture ? 
I would answer in one word : concentrate. Concentrate 
your resources and your labor; cultivate fewer acres, but do 
it better. Then make such an application of manures as 
each special crop needs, and in such form that it can be 
used by the plant. Each has its special work to do. Stable 
manure will make more growth of wood in tree or vine, 
more growth of stalk and leaf in plant, but chemical fer¬ 
tilizers are better in the production of the grain and fruit, 
in quantity and quality. Perhaps you would like to know 
if my practice corresponds with my theory. I practice 
spreading stable manure as fast as it is drawn out during 
the fall and winter months upon land I intend to plant 
with corn the following season. I now have about three 
acres, upon which I have spread nearly 100 tons of stable 
manure. A crop of corn was taken from the land last 
season, after which it was plowed. I intend to mix this 
manure with the soil as completely as possible, and to use 
some fertilizer on the field at the time of planting, and I 
expect to realize $100 per acre for the corn that grows upon 
it, as I have done several times. 
This ground I would plant the following season with 
potatoes, using a special potato manure. I shall expect 
that the heavy dressing of stable manure will leave such 
an amount of vegetable matter in the soil as to render it 
light and porous, and fitted for the production of a heavy 
crop. I apply stable manure to my vineyard if I want 
growth of vine, but a fertilizer rich in phosphoric acid and 
potash is necessary for the production of the best quality 
of grapes. I use a special fruit and vine manure in plant¬ 
ing strawberries, which are usually set upon ground 
previously used for corn. The manure which is drawn 
from the city during the summer months, when the crops 
are upon the ground, is spread upon the pile, which we 
make in the field near where we intend to use it, driving 
on to and over the pile as it is made, compacting it as much 
as possible in even layers. The manure, when drawn, has 
very much straw in it, and but little moisture, and I have 
found that compacting it in this way, and immediately 
after heavy rains, has prevented flre-fanging or burning to 
any great extent. The heat that is engendered makes 
the straw brittle, and when we turn the pile late in 
the fall it is found in good condition to apply 
as a mulch on strawberries in the winter, for 
which purpose I use it, at a cost of about $50 per 
acre. This serves the threefold purpose of fertilizing the 
plant, keeping the ground cool, and the berries from be¬ 
coming soiled. I use both well-rotted stable manure and 
chemical fertilizer for growing onions and other vege¬ 
tables. Each has its special work and place and always 
will have, and in this connection I want to remind you 
again that unless you properly prepare the soil by deep 
and thorough culture, you never will realize the full 
value of the manure you apply, for back of all manures 
and fertilizers lies the foundation rock of all success, the 
proper preparation of the soil, for to a very great degree 
tillage is manure. 
As I said before, each has its special work and place, but 
1 have been seriously considering the matter of how long I 
shall continue buying stable manure. I am satisfied that 
the manurial elements in it cost more than they do In the 
commercial fertilizer. When we consider that there are but 
38 pounds of fertilizer in a ton of stable manure, that we 
have to draw and handle 100 pounds of mineral matter, 
such as sand, iron, etc., of which the soil always contains 
an abundance; 266 pounds of woody matter, derived from 
air and water, which succeeding crops can obtain with 
equal freedom, and 1,500 pounds of water, which is about 
the average amount in the ton, you can see what a 
tremendous waste of time and muscle,and expense in wear 
and tear of horses, wagons, etc., is incurred in handling 
tha<t which is almost useless. I am satisfied, from exper¬ 
ience, that the cheapest plan for the average farmer to pur¬ 
sue to enrich his soil, is to grow green crops by the aid of 
commercial fertilizers and plow them under, repeating the 
operation until a sufficient quantity of vegetable matter 
is incorporated into the soil, which has'been loosened and 
pulverized by these repeated plowings and harrowings.so as 
to cause it to produce paying crops. I have sown oats in 
the spring which, by the application of a fertilizer, made 
a heavy growth, which was plowed under by July 1, the 
ground was then sown with buckwheat, which in turn was 
plowed under, and we found the land in fine condition after 
plowing in the spring, the estimated value of the two 
crops plowed under being equal to 25 loads of manure per 
acre. Wheat or rye could be sown after turning under the 
buckwheat and seeded, if you wish to do it. 
You see in this the union of the same forces which I have 
aimed to keep before your minds, the better preparation of 
the soil, together with the thorough mingling of the 
manurial elements in it. Much depends upon the imple¬ 
ments we use in the preparation of the soil. A good plow 
is indispensable, and following this I have never had any¬ 
thing that gave me as much satisfaction in its work as the 
Cutaway harrow, which will pulverize and mix thoroughly 
to the depth of four to six inches, burying rubbish instead 
of bringing it to the surface, combining the work of both 
plow and harrow. And when we come to apply the 
power that is necessary in the use of these implements to 
prepare our soil and put in our crops, which in these days 
is so very generally done with horses, put on them a steel 
farm harness, which does away with the useless appen¬ 
dages of traces and whiffletrees, making lighter and easier 
work for both man and team. 
GARDEN NOTES. 
I have nine seedling raspberry plants raised from the 
Gregg, and all so much alike and so much like the Gregg in 
size and time of ripening as to leave no practical difference. 
They were all from one berry, and all that I raised. 
I have so much faith in the pistillate strawberries not 
needing any other plants set with them, that I intend to 
try them so far from perfect-flowered varieties that they 
cannot be fertilized. I believe the berry, as it is called, 
has the same relation to the fruit or seed, that the cob has 
to the corn ; the cob does not need to be fertilized, and the 
unfertilized strawberry will be almost without seeds. I 
do not say that this is so; I have no proof positive. I 
know that the Mount Vernon bore well at least 10 yards 
from other kinds; that the berries were smooth and had 
very few seeds, not a quarter of the usual number. 
The Pink-eye wax bush bean is a good snap, early and 
prolific, stringless, and, so far, free from spots. 
The Henderson Dwarf Lima is doing well and appears to 
be much earlier than the pole Lima, all planted at the 
9ame time. It is an acquisition where poles are scarce. 
The Champion Tomato is an upright so far, and from 
present appearances will be a poor cropper. Ignotum is 
looking very well and bids fair to excel all others that I 
know. It is a strong grower. The fruit is large, smooth, 
and ripens early, though not the earliest. It used to be 
thought that poor ground gave the earliest fruit; on the 
contrary I find that the richer the soil the earlier the fruit 
I have Ignotum plants (July 25) with good sized fruits 
from seeds sown the 10th of May. Other plants are not 
yet in fruit on poorer soil and all were treated alike except 
that the plants with the fruit are set where a pile of brush 
was burned this spring. i. j. b. 
Mercer County, N. J. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address 
of the writer to insure attention. 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.] 
Fungous Enemies of the Farmer. 
C. P., Media, Pa .—Is it probable that the farmer will 
ever be able to contend successfully against his fungous 
enemies ? Is there any preventive of the rust on wheat 
and oats that has affected a large region in Eastern Penn¬ 
sylvania ? What about the pest that has nearly destroyed 
the ash trees in the same district this season ? Can the 
spread of black-knot on cherry and plum trees be success¬ 
fully combatted ? Is it not possible that we may be unable 
to raise maize much longer, on account of the rapid in¬ 
crease of smut upon that plant? It seems to me that 
science and art staud almost helpless before these foes. 
ANSWERED BY DR. BYRON D. HALSTED. 
The cry for help comes up from all sides, and the above 
letter is only a fair sample of those having special refer 
ence to fungi. Insects do much damage, and so do several 
other troubles that cannot be classed under the head of 
either fungi or insects. But there is hope, much hope, 
thanks to the work being done at the experiment stations 
and by private parties as well. Farmers have learned so 
R. 
well how to combat the potato bug that they would almost 
feel lost without it. In like manner, some of the fungi* in¬ 
jurious to crops are being overcome. For example, it has 
been demonstrated that by the thorough use of the salts 
of copper the rots of the grape can be kept in check. The 
first question in the letter, it seems to me, will be answered 
in the affirmative by nearly all who have kept abreast of 
the progress made in the use of fungicides. The rusts of 
wheat, oats, etc., are peculiar fungi in this, that they live, 
or may live, upon more than one kind of plant. Thus the 
wheat rust lives in one stage upon the barberry, and it 
follows that to eradicate the rust the barberry must go. 
The connection between the presence of the barberry and 
the wheat rust is a matter of ancient rural history, but it 
was not until a few years ago that the real connection was 
determined. There are at least three kinds of rust that 
prey upon the wheat, and this complicates matters. Some 
varieties of wheat are not so susceptible to their attacks as 
others, and therefore much is to be done in selecting the 
best sorts in this regard. More care could be taken to 
burn or otherwise destroy the spores of the rust, as they 
are formed in vast numbers upon the stubble of the grain 
field. The ash-leaf fungus may be another rust, as there 
is one that has done much damage this year, or it may be 
an anthracnose similar to that upon the grape. In most 
cases it will not pay to spray the trees ; but in the case of 
elegant lawn ash trees a mixture, as follows, may prove of 
use: Dissolve three ounces of carbonate of copper in one 
quart of ammonia water, and dilute to 22 gallons, and 
spray with a force pump having a fine nozzle. The spread 
of black-knot can be checked by cutting and burning. In 
doing this the knife should pass a foot below the knot, and 
if the tree is badly affected it should be cut down near the 
ground. The spores form upon the surface of the growing 
knot, and also another kind is produced within the knot 
crust later in the season. By burning the knots the spores 
are destroyed, and the spreading of the fungus is thereby 
prevented. The “ other hosts ” in this connection are the 
wild cherry and plum trees, and these should be cleaned 
out of the forests and fence-rows. It is up-hill business to 
have clean fruit trees when the woods are full of the black 
knot. The smut in corn should bring dismay to no one. 
This is much easier to dispose of than the rusts, as a treat¬ 
ment of the seed grain does much to reduce the amount. 
The latest and probably best method is to treat the grain 
to be planted to a bath in water heated to 135 degrees Fahr. 
The heat kills the spores of the smut which otherwise, 
clinging to the grain, would be planted with it, and after¬ 
ward grow and develop smut in the plant. It is best not 
to grow corn upon the same field in succession, and also to 
pick and burn the smutted ears as they appear. Science 
and art are doing much, but let us remember that it takes 
time to do enough. ‘‘Art is long,” science is also long 
and the end is not yet 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
T. IF. S., Argyle, N. Y.—l. What are the names and ad¬ 
dresses of two or three of the best commission merchants 
in Boston to whom I can ship a quantity of beans ? Is not 
Boston one of the best markets for beans ? Would it not 
be quite safe for me to ship a quantity of beans or even 
potatoes to such firms. 2. Do you know anything about 
the Vermont Prolific Winter Rye so highly recommended 
by Peter Henderson in his catalogue ? He claims it will 
yield, under ordinary cultivation, from 40 to 50 bushels to 
the acre. Would it pay me to sow a few bushels? 3. 
What varieties of strawberries would you recommend as 
the most profitable for market purposes in this locality, on 
quite deep, dry, slaty land ? Do you think the Gandy and 
Monmouth, or Parker Earle and Shuster’s Gem would be 
profitable kinds ? What fertilizers would be best to use ? 
Would unleached hard-wood ashes be a good fertilizer ? 
Ans.— 1. We are not well enough acquainted with Boston 
commission merchants to care to recommend them. We 
see no object in shipping beans to Boston, as New York 
prices are at present much higher, and Boston commission 
men generally charge more for selling, cartage, etc., than 
the New York merchants. It is always safe to ship any 
good merchantable product in good condition to any reli¬ 
able commission house. 2. No. If any of our readers have 
tested the variety we should be pleased to have their 
opinion. It would not pay you to sow a few bushels if you 
had to pay a fancy price for the seed. Test new things in 
a small way. 3. Wilson, Cumberland, Bubach, Parker 
Earle and Sharpless are probably as good as any. A trial 
will be needed to decide the best varieties for your soil. 
Unleached ashes supplemented with finely-ground bone 
are an excellent fertilizer. 
F. B. S., Rldgely, Md.— What does The Rural know 
about the Great American Strawberry ? Is it productive ? 
Would it be a good fertilizer for the Crescent ? What are 
its good points and its faults ? 
Ans.— The Great American Strawberry (Durand) is a 
failure in most places. It requires the highest culture and 
then generally fails. We should not use it for fertilizing 
Crescent or any other pistillate. 
A Subscriber, Wellandsport, Ont., Can. — Who are re¬ 
liable dealers in raw furs in New York ? 
Ans. —Belt, Butler & Co., 173 and 175 Duane street, are 
large handlers of raw furs of all kinds, and will probably 
give satisfaction to any who may favor them with consign¬ 
ments. 
H. R., Waterbury, Conn.— Is any remedy known for 
cabbage-worms ? 
Ans.— Buhach or Pyrethrum powder is best. Use two 
table-spoonfuls to a pailful of water—two gallons—and 
spray. 
A. M. A., Point Breeze, N. Y.— When is the best time 
to seed a lawn ? 
Ans.— September 1, if the weather be favorable, or as 
early in the spring as the ground can be worked. 
