98 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 10, 
sublimed flowers of sulphur, or flour sulphur is to be 
used in the preparation. A large portion of the sub¬ 
limed flowers of sulphur is in an amorphous (shape¬ 
less) condition, and for this reason it combines with 
the lime on boiling very much more readily than the 
flour sulphur, which is crystalline. It follows, there¬ 
fore, that when sublimed flowers of sulphur is used, 
the boiling need not be so prolonged as when flour 
sulphur is used. Further and more important, as the 
flowers of sulphur combines more readily with the 
lime there is a much greater certainty, when using the 
flowers, of obtaining a complete combination, which 
everybody concedes is absolutely essential. While these 
considerations are of the greatest importance when in¬ 
experienced hands prepare the mixture, there can be 
no question but what the sublimed flowers of sulphur, 
because of its much greater activity, should always be 
given the preference over the flour sulphur for this 
purpose. The difference in cost between the two 
grades of sulphur is so slight (but 10 or 20 cents per 
hundred pounds) as to be of relatively no importance 
whatever, if the cost of. the other ingredients, and of 
the preparation and application of the wash is taken into 
consideration, when there is a possibility of all of the 
labor counting for nothing, owing to a satisfactory 
combination not having been secured. In my opinion 
the decomposition of the ingredients present in the 
wash when it is applied on the trees is practically com¬ 
plete within 48 hours. I cite this as illustrating how 
rapidly the composition of the mixture changes when 
it is freely exposed to the air. This would seem to 
show the importance of applying the wash as soon 
as practical after it has been prepared, for. while the 
action would be much slower where a large bulk of 
material is allowed to stand with only a small surface 
exposed, yet there would undoubtedly he more or less 
decomposition, dependent upon conditions, with the 
result that the wash would probably be much less 
efficient than if applied promptly. F. H. pough. 
NITRATE OF POTASH AS FERTILIZER. 
I received your inquiry about use and value of nitrate 
of potash as a fertilizer; I used a small quantity in 
1903, and in 1904 I used two tons in mixing fertilizers 
for top-dressing grass and for my peach orchards. I 
think very highly of it, and should use it the present 
season if I could get it at a reasonable price. The 
person of whom I bought last year informs me the 
price has gone so high that he does not carry it this 
season. The price a farmer can afford to pay for it 
must be determined by comparison with other fer¬ 
tilizing chemicals. Assuming the nitrogen equal in 
quality to that in nitrate of soda, and the potash equal 
in quality to potash in high-grade sulphate of potash, 
we will compare its value with those chemicals. The 
potash in high-grade sulphate of potash is worth 47 
cents per pound with high-grade sulphate of potash 
costing $47 per ton, for which it can be bought at pres¬ 
ent time. Nitrogen in nitrate of soda, which can now 
be bought for $52 per ton, costs' 16 % cents per pound. 
One hundred pounds of nitrate of potash contains 44 
pounds potash at 4.7 cents, $2,068; 14 pounds nitrogen, 
16)4 cents, $2,275; amounting to $4,343. One ton ni¬ 
trate of potash is worth $86.86. When freight costs 
$2 per ton there will be a saving on freight of about 
65 cents per ton in buying nitrate of potash, making its 
value for purchasing when compared with nitrate of 
soda and high-grade sulphate of potash $89.49 per 
ton. If its potash is compared with potash in muriate 
of potash the value of one ton of nitrate of potash 
would be about $82.85. I think the potash in nitrate 
of potash even better than that from high-grade sulphate 
of potash for Spring application to orchards. It cer¬ 
tainly did unusually well in my orchard last year. I 
had reckoned on getting two tons nitrate of potash this 
season, and was much disappointed not to find it in 
market as a fertilizer. M. morse. 
Massachusetts. _ 
HARVESTING CORN. 
The small, heavily-loaded cornfield was a problem 
to us. Our neighbors had also the same task for them¬ 
selves, and every man was occupied with his own, 
and no outside help was to be obtained. There was only 
the farmer, his wife and youngest son, 12 years of age, 
who should be in school, to harvest that corn. The 
farmer and his wife both believed in being helpful to 
each other indoors and out, so to keep the boy in school 
she volunteered to help. Part of this field was low, 
having, as the neighbors said, a “Winter spring,” and 
in a wet or stormy time the land was not firm enough 
to draw heavy loads, so the necessity of clearing this 
part of the field as soon as possible, before the stormy 
weather came on, was great. So with some mental 
protests from the farmer and some thought on the 
revolutionary aspect, to our conservative neighbors, of 
such a proceeding, we began the work of breaking off 
the corn on this lower part, unhusked, setting up the 
shocks of bound stalks, and hauling the corn to the 
barn to be husked evenings or stormy days. This made 
it possible to clear that low land, while the weather was 
suitable to draw in a load. The barn floor would hold 
several loads of the unhusked ears, and this was much 
easier than to draw in the corn unhusked. Indeed, 
one man could do this alone, when two men would be 
required to bring in the corn shocks unhusked, besides 
the economy of room on the floor. We found this 
method so rapid that we continued throughout the 
Volume of Mir required 
ass through Poultry House 
per Hen per D&y 
9 feet. 
NEEDED AIK COMPARED WITH HEN. Fig. 40. 
whole field. During a week’s vacation our son helped at 
the work, and we three, in an evening, could 
easily husk a load of corn, and quite enjoy it, 
sitting on a bag of husks by lantern light, shel¬ 
tered from storm or wind. The farmer himself husked 
in a short evening 12 bushels, which was at the rate 
of fifty bushels a day—more than he ever could do in 
his best days, before rheumatism and gray hairs had 
appeared. When the son was in school, we found 
that we two could easily break off 100 bushels in a day, 
not binding until later, or next day. One able-bodied 
man could probably do as much as both of us. The 
corn unhusked was safer in case of storm and cleaner 
than husked corn thrown on the ground. The binding 
of stalks required less time, when only that was to be 
done, and time was saved by thus doing one thing at 
a time; breaking off, binding, setting up stalks, and 
husking in barn. Very difficult ears were thrown in a 
pile, and husks were severed with a hatchet, saving 
time and muscle. The culls were easily separated, and 
good corn made ready for crib. We are positive that 
this solved the labor problem for us, more easily and 
quickly than the usual method; 300 bushels harvested 
by three not very strong-handed people, with no severe 
exposure or cold fingers, may encourage others to try 
new ways. _ m. p. a. 
GARDEN FROM EARLY TO LATE. 
I am not an expert in hotbed work, and have some 
difficulties which many do not. Until within two years 
I have not attempted to do much with hotbeds, but only 
with cold frames, to avoid using hot manure, which was 
not easy for me to get until two years ago. I put 
Volume of Mir required 
to pass through. Stable 
per Cow per D&y 
44 feet. 
NEEDED AIR COMPARED WITH COW. Fig. 41. 
hot dressing in Saturday, January 20, and I plan to 
start about February 1. 
Out of doors I feel more confidence in sending you 
a report. Just as soon as the frost is out, the last of 
March if possible, I plant early peas in rows six feet 
apart, putting up four-foot chicken wire when they are 
up about an inch. I plant almost wholly for retail 
trade, selling my fruit, vegetables, poultry, eggs and 
cream to the Summer people, so that I have to plan 
most carefully for a continuous supply of everything de¬ 
sirable. By this method with the early peas I miss 
getting them as early as others do, but get a large 
crop. For first early they should not be brushed, as the 
wind blowing them to and fro checks their growth, 
and they fruit quicker, while sticking them gives the 
largest possible development and keeps them in season 
from the middle of June into July, and they will all 
reach the top of the wire. I plant white Japan melons 
between these rows May 1 in boxes with glass over 
them. Some years the melons force me to take up the 
peas before they are through bearing—especially if there 
are sufficient rains to keep the peas growing, in which 
case I think they would go to the top of a five-foot 
wire. My late peas have not been planted so early 
as perhaps they might have been on account of the 
earlies being in the way. The only real late pea that 
succeeds with me is the Marblehead Early Marrowfat, 
which will grow above the top of five-foot wire. 
Corn, first planting about April 20, Cory—Squantum 
and Cory when the first is up, Squantum and Cory when 
the second begins to show, and Squantum a third 
time, after which Squantum until July 10 or 12. My 
experience has been that each successive planting should 
be put in when the preceding shows up, rather than 
planting by dates, the plantings are less liable to come 
up together. By this plan during the past two or three 
years I think I have missed having corn only two or 
three days in the entire season. If frost holds off until 
October 10 all the corn will mature usually, but if it 
comes in September more or less gets caught. My 
corn is always drilled and thinned. I have never used 
hill culture. 
In 1904 I planted peas, Maud S.. April 2; corn, 
Cory, April 23; Squantum, April 29. In 1905, peas, 
March 31; first corn April 22; second May 5. 
Rhode Island. t. t. jencks. 
DO FARMERS WANT POOR SEED? 
About this time last year you had some articles on 
purity of clover and grass seed, and there was quite a 
discussion about it. Here is an interesting sidelight 
on the question. I wrote to a neighboring seedsman for 
sample of his clover, as I understood he was selling 
below me, and I wanted to see what he had. The 
sample when it came was so bad that I wrote him that 
he ought to get at least 60 days for sending out such 
stuff. He wrote me a long letter in reply, which was in 
part as follows: 
Field, I don't mind telling you (but I don't tell everyone) 
that we sell twice as much of that cheap grade as we do 
of the choice grades. We sell it to such men as -— 
(naming a well-known big farmer). He was in here yes¬ 
terday and bought 10 bushels of it. We also sold a lot 
of this grade to several of the best farmers in rage County. 
They Invariably chose the cheaper grade. This thing of 
wanting to sell the best grades obtainable in grass seed is 
splendid in theory, wonderful and beautiful—but it won't 
work. You have to sell the people what they want. If 
you sell strictly by sample they have no right to kick. 
Now, if he is in the right of it, I want to know it. I 
enclose with this a sample of the clover seed he sent 
me. Put under the glass, or even put your “specs” on 
and look at it carefully. I have identified three kinds of 
thistle in it, two of dock, two of dodder, two of buck¬ 
thorn, Alsike, White clover, Timothy, and a lot of strange 
weeds I don’t know, and hope I never will. And he 
hoasts that he has sold lots of this seed right in my own 
county, to “the best farmers.” Just think of that man 
with 80 acres of $100 Iowa land seeded with that mess. 
Now is it true that the farmers deliberately choose that 
kind of clover seed? If so, is it worth while to educate 
them to ask for better grades? The man who sent that 
sample is making lots of money in the seed business, and 
has an enormous trade. henry field. 
The Government Weed Seeds. 
Allow me to say a few words with reference to the 
“free seed distribution.” The law of our State requires 
that all noxious weeds growing within the bounds of 
the highways be cut down or destroyed twice in each 
year. This is reasonable and right, hut the Government 
should know what the “free seed distribution” consists 
of. Not many years ago one of my neighbors received 
some of those free seeds, and among other things was 
a packet of Cacalia, or tassel flower, or Flora’s paint¬ 
brush, which we call “the devil’s paint-brush,” and it is 
one of the worst weeds we have to contend with. We 
have hundreds of acres literally covered with it, and 
so compact that nothing in the shape of grass can grow. 
Also a packet of bluebells, which are spreading like 
wildfire about here. I can’t say how they got here, but 
truly we have no use for any more seeds from the Gov¬ 
ernment of this sort. We know that Uncle Sam is a 
most liberal fellow, but he will make no mistakes along 
that line if he discontinues the business and helps us to 
keep his laws. J. f. clark. 
New l^ork. 
R. N.-Y.—Uncle Sam ought to be ashamed of himself 
to help break the laws which he is supposed to enforce. 
Fruit growers throughout eastern Pennsylvania are mak¬ 
ing strong efforts to destroy the San .Tost* scale. Brilliant 
weather enabled the work of spraying to progress rapidly in 
the Fall. In many orchards three-fourths the trees have 
been sprayed. The lime, sulphur and salt mixture Is 
generally applied. e. r. deysher. 
