47o 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 17, 
four years have headed very close to the ground. The 
peach will run from 6 to 18 inches and the apple two to 
three feet from the ground. Two of the last orchards 
planted are on mountain land so steep and rough that 
it never can be cultivated with a team. The rows are 
18 feet apart, and the trees stand 10 and 12 feet in the 
row. Mr. Barnes says that those trees had next to 
nothing done to them in the way of working, and yet 
some of them made two and even three feet of grow’th 
last year. H. w. c. 
(To be continued.) 
NITRATE OF POTASH AS A FERTILIZER. 
A short time ago there was an inquiry in The R. 
N.-Y. regarding nitrate of potash as compared with 
nitrate of soda and muriate of potash, which was an¬ 
swered unfavorably as regards the economy of nitrate 
of potash. The writer has bought and mixed, each year 
for the past eight years, from 12 to 15 tons chemicals, 
and has made quite a study of the economy and effi¬ 
ciency of different materials. Owing to the high cost of 
nitrate of soda the present year an effort was made to 
find something to take its place. As a large part of 
our fertilizers are used on grass lands, it was considered 
important that a readily available and quick-acting 
source of nitrogen should be used. Nitrate of potash 
contains the two most important ingredients needed by 
the grass crop, nitrogen and potash, in such combina¬ 
tions as to be at once available. A small amount of 
finely-ground bone was added chiefly to dry out the 
nitrate of potash, so that it could be readily distributed 
with a broadcast fertilizer sower. Nitrate of soda con¬ 
tains on the average 15J4 per cent of nitrogen, while 
muriate of potash, of a high grade, contains 51 per cent 
of actual potash. Nitrate of potash has an average com- 
position of 13 per cent of nitrogen and 4554 per cent of 
actual potash. The following table shows the relative 
cost, at the best prices which could be obtained for 
the different materials: 
1 ton of nitrate of potash at N. Y.$7.".00 
Freight to local station . 2.80 
877.80 
Equivalent, of nitrogen from nitrate of soda, 1677 lbs. 
at $48.50 per ton .$40.67 
Equivalent of potash from muriate of potash, 1765 
lbs, at $41.50 per ton. 36.64 
Freight to local station on 3,442 lbs. 3.82 
$81.13 
Difference in favor of nitrate of potash.$ 3.33 
Litchfield Co., Conn. chas. s. phelps. 
POTATO BLIGHT IN CENTRAL NEW YORK 
A SPRAYING EXPERIMENT.—A personal expe¬ 
rience with the late blight of the potato may be of eco¬ 
nomic interest to all potato growers. We have been 
aware for some time of the results obtained by the ex¬ 
periment station workers, notably in the Vermont Sta¬ 
tion, in preventing this blight which prevails occa¬ 
sionally and somewhat frequently in central New York 
by spraying with the Bordeaux Mixture. Since potatoes 
constitute one of the chief crops on our farm, the old 
Lincoln homestead, three miles west of Syracuse, my 
father and I decided two years ago to make a trial 
treatment as an experiment, but rather more extensive 
than we would care to undertake, had we not had full 
faith in the results reported by the other workers. The 
field was planted with Burbank potatoes in rows three 
feet apart, and the hills 17 inches apart in the row. 
The soil is a disintegrated shale containing much gyp¬ 
sum, and receiving drainage water from limestone. It 
is in a high state of cultivation, and highly manured. In 
this particular field the blight is a very frequent visitor, 
coming nearly every year. In 1902 it was first noticed, 
and nearly ruined the crop, so that the yield was not 
more than 50 per cent of what it should have been. It 
was in 1903 that the treatment which I am describing 
was made. Spraying had not been undertaken on any 
adjoining farm by any farmer in that region with the 
exception of a very few small market gardeners, who 
used the knapsack or bucket pump, treating possibly one- 
half acre or an acre of potatoes. The Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture was made according to the formula 5-5-50, and 
applied three times; first when the potatoes were 10 to 
12 inches high; second, about 14 days later, and third 
about 14 days after that. In the interval there were 
some rains, but not enough seriously to interfere with 
the treatment. In all there were 17 acres treated. Six 
rows were left untreated, however, in order to deter¬ 
mine the value of the treatment. In 1904 17 acres on 
the same field were also treated three times at the same 
age, and three rows were left untreated. 
RESULTS OF TREATMENT.—As to the benefits 
of both of these treatments, I may say that in 1903 the 
six rows left unsprayed blighted and died to the ground, 
while the adjoining rows remained healthy and green. 
Fig. 198 shows the difference. Absolutely the only dif¬ 
ference in these two portions of the field is that the 
portion of the field at the left was sprayed three times. 
while the portion to the right was unsprayed. The soil, 
fertilizers, time of planting, kind of seed and everything 
excepting spraying was precisely the same on these two 
regions. The sprayed potatoes continued to grow and 
the unsprayed potatoes were dead. In digging the dif¬ 
ference is fully as striking. Two rows of equal length, 
one sprayed and one not sprayed, were dug and the 
yield measured. The unsprayed gave 1054 bushels and 
the sprayed 17 bushels. Spraying had caused an in¬ 
crease of 62 per cent in the yield. In 1904 the results 
were very similar, and need not be recited. The striking 
benefit received from spraying only once, an experiment 
POTATO FIELD SHOWING SPRAYED AND UNSPRAYED 
PORTIONS. Fig. 198. 
which was tried on a small portion of the field, is worthy 
of note. Where sprayed only once a given area gave 
6014 bushels, 5354 of which were salable, and the same 
area unsprayed gave 3954 bushels, 3154 bushels of which 
were salable, an increase of spraying of 53 per cent in 
total yield and 70 per cent in salable potatoes. That is 
nearly as much benefit was noted from one as from 
three sprayings. The amounts above given were made 
as the potatoes were picked in the field. No difference, 
however, was noted in the keeping quality, and there 
was no particular loss from rot, so that the estimate as 
given may be considered as applying, at the time of sale. 
Stating this gain in terms of bushels per acre the yield 
on an unsprayed acre was 147 bushels, and upon a 
sprayed acre 250 bushels, making an increase in yield 
due to spraying of 103 bushels. Even with potatoes 
bringing but 50 cents per bushel, as was the case that 
year, the gross increase amounted to $51.50 per acre. 
COST OF SPRAYING. —One authority says that 
“the Bordeaux Mixture costs 8-10 of a cent a gallon. 
The aim is to apply from 150 to 200 gallons per acre. 
Two applications require 300 gallons, and three applica¬ 
tions require 500 gallons.” Conner sulphate was bought 
for 654 cents per pound in 100-pound lots. Ten acres 
sprayed three times will require 5,000 gallons, or 500 
pounds of copper sulphate costs $31.25; also 500 pounds 
of lime cost $1.50, the total actual cost of the materials 
being $32.75, on the basis of 10 acres. The cost of 
mixing is trifling, and the cost of application, if proper 
DETAIL OF SPRAYED POTATO FIELD. Fig. 199. 
machinery is at hand, is very slight. The application 
on our field was made by using the Gould power sprayer, 
tank mounted on wheels with a pump geared to the 
wheels and supplying spray from six nozzles, taking 
therefore six rows at a time. With this spraying ma¬ 
chine an acre can be sprayed in from 15 to 20 minutes, 
requiring one man and two horses. The cost of the 
sprayer was $70. While the sprayer is' somewhat ex¬ 
pensive, it is possible for several farmers to buy one 
together, and thus reduce the cost to each. It will be 
seen at a glance, however, that even if you deduct the 
cost of the sprayer as well as the cost of the materials 
and labor from the profits of the first year, the spraying 
pays a handsome profit even upon the basis of 10 acres. 
The difference of the yield of the sprayed and unsprayed 
10-acre field, based on our yield of 1904, would be 
$515; the cost of materials $32.75, leaving a difference 
of $483.25 to set against the trifling amount of labor 
required and to pay for the spraying machine. 
LSE OF PARIS-GREEN.—There is one feature of 
the labor of which I have not spoken, and that is in 
connection with the fact that most years it is necessary 
for the farmer to apply Paris-green for the Potato beetle, 
whether he chooses to use the Bordeaux or not. If the 
Paris-green is needed it may be mixed in with the Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture at the rate of one pound for every 200 
gallons, and applied with the Bordeaux. In such a case 
it costs nothing to apply the Bordeaux Mixture, since 
the green would have to be applied anyway, and the 
Bordeaux may be applied with it without any extra labor. 
The use of the power sprayer, even if the green alone 
is to be applied, is to be highly recommended; not only 
because of the cheapness and thoroughness of the appli¬ 
cation, but also because it makes it possible to go over 
10 or 20 acres of potatoes with the green, even in the 
midst of haying, or when >ou are pressed with work 
of whatever kind. You can always secure time enough 
to run over your potato field with the green if you have 
a power sprayer, when you could not get time to make 
the same treatment by hand. This often means a great 
difference in the yield of the crop. This experience, 
though not showing such large gains as have been re¬ 
ported in some bulletins, seems to be thoroughly con¬ 
vincing as a practical field demonstration as to the value 
of spraying with the Bordeaux Mixture for the pre¬ 
vention of the blight; also to show clearly the cheapness 
and efficiency of power sprayers for applying the green 
alone. 
PROFIT OF SPRAYING.—The loss from blight 
throughout the country is very great. In 1885, in six 
of the chief potato-growing States, it was estimated to 
be $10,500,000. This could have been very largely avoid¬ 
ed by proper treatment. The results of spraying as 
stated by the New York Experiment Station are as fol¬ 
lows: An increase in yield per acre due to seven spray¬ 
ings of 12354 bushels, having a value of $61.75. Allow¬ 
ing that the extra expense of the seven sprayings was 
$13, a very liberal allowance, there is left a net profit 
of $48.75 per acre. F. L. stevens. 
N. C. College of Agriculture. 
HOW TO CURE ALFALFA HAY. 
As it will soon lie time for making Alfalfa hay, I would 
like to hear from some of your experienced readers the best 
methods to make it. It is a new crop in this section of 
the State, as I have never seen any of it growing in this 
county until I sowed my little crop, and I have never seen 
any made. I understand Alfalfa hay must be made dif¬ 
ferently from that of Timothy or clover. t. b. h. 
York Co., l’a. 
When we get ready to cure our Alfalfa and make it 
into hay we expect to adopt about the following method: 
We shall not expose long to the sun after being cut, but 
will practically cure it in the cock to save the leaves as 
far as possiible. We have provided haycaps to protect 
from the rain and dew. D. c. lewis. 
New Jersey. 
I should advise to mow in the morning as soon as 
the dew is off, tedder, rake as soon as the rake will 
draw it together, cock in small cocks, and leave to cure 
from two to five days. Turn the cocks over every two 
days so as not to smother the Alfalfa, as Alfalfa starts 
a new growth very quickly. Turning the hay over is 
done by two men (one left handed) by placing the 
fork, on one side, lifting, and walk past the cock, 
drawing out the forks. Two men, this way, can turn 
the cocks as fast as they can walk. Be Careful not to 
handle when too dry, as the leaves will drop off. Draw 
in, if necessary, late in the afternoon. Handle Alfalfa 
about the same as clover. The best hay I have seen 
in this section is part Orchard grass, perhaps one-fourth. 
The Orchard grass aids in curing the Alfalfa. M. h. 
Fayetteville, N. Y. 
We have had no difficulty in curing the Alfalfa hay 
in reasonably good weather, according to the following 
plan: Cut in the afternoon, when the foliage is dry; 
about 11 o’clock on the following day begin with the 
tedder, shake it well, going over it at least twice; then 
rake and put up in small cocks. If the weather is 
good, this may remain until the day following, when 
they should be thrown out about 10 o’clock, stirred well 
and hauled in during the afternoon. The main points 
to observe in the curing of Alfalfa hay are, first, to 
handle it while it is in a wilted state before the leaves 
are thoroughly dry, to prevent the loss of leaves. If it 
is put up when warm, and allowed to stand in the cock 
for 24 hours, it will continue the curing process without 
becoming so dry as to lose on the subsequent handling 
after it is thrown out. During such weather as we are 
having at the present time, cool and cloudy, it will nat¬ 
urally take several days to cure. e. b. voorhees. 
New Jersey. 
