354 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 29, 
cium penta-sulphide may decompose with the formation 
of hydrogen sulphide, it is true, but it decomposes very 
readily and rapidly. My experiments showed quite con¬ 
clusively that when calcium penta-sulphide is exposed 
to atmospheric influences in a thin film, as when 
sprayed on the trees, the decomposition of the penta- 
sulphide is practically complete within from 24 to 48 
HOMEMADE BARN WINDMILL. Fig. 140. 
hours, depending somewhat on atmospheric conditions. 
The evolution of hydrogen sulphide due to the decom¬ 
position of this compound would therefore cease before 
the wash begins to act, as I believe it has been quite 
generally found that the wash has but little or no effect 
until two or three days after its application. This would 
seem to dispose of the idea that hydrogen sulphide is 
the active agent, even were we inclined to admit that 
it has any value as an insecticide, which I think ques¬ 
tionable. 
From the fact that the chief constituent of the freshly- 
prepared wash, calcium penta-sulphide, decomposes so 
rapidly, it seems evident that we must look to some of 
the products of decomposition other than hydrogen sul¬ 
phide for the active agent, and I would offer the follow¬ 
ing suggestion as to the way in which the wash acts, 
although I have not been able to carry my experiments 
to a conclusion, owing to lack of facilities and time. 
Upftn its decomposition calcium penta-sulphide sets free 
a very large percentage of the sulphur used in its prep¬ 
aration, as free sulphur. This sulphur, however, is in 
an extremely finely divided and probably amorphous 
condition, and moreover, uniformly distributed through¬ 
out a more or less porous coating of calcium carbonate, 
so that we have a relatively enormous surface exposed. 
We therefore have ideal conditions for chemical action. 
Although I am fully aware of the fact that sulphur is 
not supposed to oxidize at ordinary temperatures, I 
believe that this is only relatively true, and that the 
conditions which we are considering are so favorable 
that there is a very decided action, resulting in the 
formation of sulphur dioxide, and possibly some of the 
hieher products of oxidation. The value of sulphur 
dioxide as a fungicide and insecticide is so well known, 
and its application so universal, that if we could show 
that it was formed under the conditions we are con¬ 
sidering we would seem to have the explanation as to 
the way the wash acts. Because of the general misap¬ 
prehension in regard to the odor of sulphur dioxide, the 
gas formed on burning sulphur, which is almost inva¬ 
riably described by the layman as the odor of sulphur, 
I take the liberty of calling attention here to the fact 
that sulphur of itself has practically no odor; the 
pungent, penetrating odor so generally described as that 
of sulphur being really the odor of sulphur dioxide. 
The conditions under which the wash is used presup¬ 
poses the presence of moisture, sunlight and rapid varia¬ 
tions in temperature, all of which no doubt would tend 
to increase the chemical action. 
In considering the possibility of the action of the 
wash being due to the formation of sulphur dioxide 
through oxidation, we must keep in mind its enormous 
activity. I believe it has been shown that one part of 
sulphur dioxide in 1,000,000 parts of air is fatal to vege¬ 
tation if the action is prolonged, and, although I am 
not aware of any data as to the amount necessary to 
destroy insect life, it would seem, from the enormous 
activity of. sulphur dioxide as shown by its injurious 
effect on plant life, that we would not have to look for 
the formation of such large amounts to be effective 
against the San Jose scale under conditions such as we 
are considering, as the sulphur dioxide would be formed 
practically in immediate contact with the insect. In 
this connection there is an interesting experiment which 
any of your readers may try, and I think without 
injurious results other than some temporary inconven¬ 
ience. If they will rub some very finely powdered sul¬ 
phur upon a piece of soft cloth, and shake this before 
the face, so as to introduce a little of the dust into the 
eyes, I think they will be convinced that sulphur is 
capable of setting up considerable irritation. I am una¬ 
ble to say positively that the sulphur dust introduced 
into the eye oxidizes, but as the effect in every way 
resembles that produced by the gas sulphur dioxide, it 
seems fair to assume that this is the case. 
_ F. H. POUGH. 
USE OF HOMEMADE WINDMILLS. 
I am much interested in windmills. Our vegetable 
raising, which is getting to be quite a source of income, 
depends very largely upon irrigation. We have an old 
small windmill which does fairly well, but we need 
more water than this can give us, and we want power 
for other purposes also. There was something in some 
of the agricultural papers several years ago about the 
windmills built by Kansas farmers at an expense of 
only a few dollars. I think The R. N.-Y. had some¬ 
thing about them. I think such a windmill would be 
very useful here in Cuba, where the direction of the 
wind is almost constant during the greater part of the 
year. 1 have an idea that some da)' we shall have a 
wind engine whose essential features will be a series 
of sails attached to endless chain or cables. Fuel is 
so expensive in Cuba that we must look for a cheaper 
power than steam power. It seems to me the easiest 
way to get power here is to get it from our trade winds. 
Cardenas, Cuba. e. e. h. 
About 10 years ago we printed pictures > some of the 
“go-devil” windmills then in use in Nebraska. Two 
pictures are re-engraved here. The Nebraska Exper¬ 
iment Station at Lincoln has since issued a bulletin 
describing these cheap mills. The mill shown at Fig. 
148 is said to cost only $1.50, being made of old boards, 
bagging and an old buggy axle. This crude affair 
gives an idea of the principle employed ' these mills. 
They are made like an old-fashioned water-wheel, the 
DOUBLE CROPPING IN FLORIDA. Fig. 147. 
box below the axle shutting off the wind so that the 
power is exerted only on the upper blades. Thus they 
are turned around when the wind blows, hard enough 
over the box. In some cases the mills are large, with 
blades 16 feet or more wide with the power working 
directly upon the pump. The mill pictured can only 
turn when the wind blows in a certain direction. Some 
of the larger mills are arranged to turn partly around, so 
as to catch the wind from other quarters. The mill 
shown at Fig. 146 is put on top of a barn with sprocket 
wheel and chain running down to gearing below. Of 
course this mill is fixed so that it will turn only when 
the wind blows in certain -directions. The lower part 
of the picture shows how the mill is shut off. The 
value of such mills consists in the low cost of construc¬ 
tion. They will not develop the power of one of the 
modern windmills, and they are usually given up when 
farmers are able to buy better ones. They have a use, 
however, and in many places have proved their value, 
and made a garden and small Alfalfa field possible. 
PLAN FOR A NEW ENGLAND ORCHARD. 
I am purposing to set out an orchard of 20 acres on 
one of the Connecticut hilltops. I desire to get finan¬ 
cial returns from it as soon as I can, and at the same 
time provide for a permanent income on a sound basis 
of Winter apples. I have had no experience in Connec¬ 
ticut orcharding, but from books, bulletins and cata¬ 
logues I have worked out a plan upon which I should 
be very glad to have the opinion of some of your expert 
correspondents. My planting plan calls for the setting 
of 40 slow-maturing permanent apple trees, of 40 quick- 
maturing and presumably short-lived apple trees, and of 
80 peach trees to the acre of land. The plan may not 
be new. but as I have not seen any exactly like it I send 
it to you, hoping for comments. In the plot A stands 
for the permanent apple trees, which stand 33 feet apart 
each way, and will finally occupy all of the ground. The 
quick-growing apple trees are indicated by B, and form 
with the permanent trees diagonal rows about 24 feet 
apart, and with the trees 24 feet apart in the rows. 
After removing the peach trees, P, the apple trees of 
both kinds will occupy all of the ground, and stand 24 
feet apart each way. Before the removal of the peach 
trees the ground is occupied by the various small trees 
standing 16J4 feet apart each way. I purpose setting 
peaches as follows: 200 Mountain Rose, 600 Elberta, 
400 Stump, 200 Frances; 100 Chairs, 100 Fox. Of 
quick-maturing apples my list contains: 200 Oldenburg, 
200 Alexander, 200 Mann, 100 Rome Beauty, 50 Wag- 
ener, 50 Yellow Transparent. My list of permanent 
trees is: 400 Baldwin or Sutton, 200 Northern Spy, 100 
Spitzcnburg or King, 100 Hubbardston or Jonathan. 
P A 
A 
B 
B 
B 
A 
B 
B 
B 
A 
A 
P, peach; A, permanent apple; B, filler. 
Wisconsin. quality. 
R. N.-Y.—We shall be pleased to have readers crit¬ 
icise this plan. We do not know whether it is intended 
to cultivate this orchard, or to depend upon grass and 
weeds for mulching. We assume of course that the 
orchard will be well fertilized. On our own hillside 
land we should not plant fruit trees so thickly. Our 
own plant is to plant apple trees 32 feet apart each way, 
with a peach tree in the center of the square. These 
trees are fertilized, but not cultivated, the grass and 
weeds being cut and left on the ground. In one p'rt 
of the orchard we have Baldwin trees planted 50 fee’ 
apart each way with Wealthy as fillers, so as to make 
the completed orchard stand 25 feet each way. We 
have been tempted to put a peach tree in the center of 
each square, but doubt the wisdom of such close plant¬ 
ing. We shall be glad to have New England readers 
criticise the varieties named. 
DOUBLE CROPPING IN FLORIDA. 
Fig. 147 shows potatoes and corn on my place here. 
We plant potatoes in four-foot rows, and when the 
potatoes are three inches high (which will be about 
four to five weeks later) side out the potatoes with a 
12 or 14-inch sweep. This will leave a small ridge in 
the middle yet unbroken; I open this ridge with a small 
planting plow, and cover the corn with a hoe, which 
leaves the corn slightly below the level. When corn 
is four blades high I hoe it out. When about knee 
high I run four furrows around the corn with a half 
sweep, which bars the potatoes down to a narrow bed 
of say eight inches. This leaves the potatoes in ex¬ 
cellent condition for digging either by hand or horse 
power. The corn will be ready to gather about July 15; 
NEBRASKA WINDMILL COSTING $1.50. Fig. 148. 
the land can be planted to sweet potatoes and gathered 
the end of December or left to grow up in Crab grass 
and be ready for hay by October 1. The hay can then 
be cut and another crop of potatoes grown by the last 
of December. This is intensive farming, and is entirely 
practicable in our long season with good land and irri¬ 
gation. I do not think that the best results can be 
had by pasturing on lands that are susceptible of in¬ 
tensive farming. jno, w. JA.QK.son.. 
Manatee Co., Fla. 
