286 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 31, 
CHEMICALS OR WOOD ASHES? 
IF. A. B., Interlaken, N. T .—I can buy 
hard wood ashes for $10.50 per ton, which 
analyze five per cent potash, 1 y, per cent 
phosphoric acid, 30 per cent wood lime. Or, 
in place of this I can buy for $10.50 600 
pounds fresh ground lime, 200 pounds muri¬ 
ate of potash, 400 pounds acid phosphate 
(16 per cent). Which combination would be 
preferable to apply to apple or pear orchards 
in bearing? 
My own experience is that I should pre¬ 
fer the ashes, as I have always found that 
there is something in wood ashes of value 
over and above what the chemists are able 
to find in them, and it is one of the most 
valuable fruit fertilizers that one can get. 
I use large quantities with marked suc¬ 
cess both in the peach and apple orchard. 
Connecticut. J. H. hale. 
Several years ago I used a carload of 
Canada ashes, which I was satisfied was 
as good as the best. I used them on or¬ 
chards and other crops, and did so liber¬ 
ally, but the results were disappointing, and 
from my past experience with wood ashes 
I should decidedly give preference to the 
same money’s worth of good commercial 
fertilizer. Charles black. 
New Jersey. 
My experience with ashes and lime is 
limited to a few applications of Canada 
hard wood (unleached?) ashes from which 
we saw but little benefit, and to one or 
two applications of stone and air-slaked 
lime which were without noticeable results, 
which I believe proves that our soil is 
not in an acid condition. We are using 
acid phosphate and muriate of potash, 
shovel mixed, and also a high-grade tank¬ 
age to which we add potash. After 10 
years use can see no reason to change. 
New York. e. w. barnes. 
If the wood is burned in small quantities 
over grate bars, so the ashes can drop 
through and cool quickly in the pit below, 
which is cleaned frequently, as is the 
case in a kitchen range, I would prefer the 
ashes to the chemicals. Such ashes have 
given me most excellent results, using 
from a peck to a half bushel to a tree, 
according to size of the tree. If, however, 
the ashes are allowed to remain in the 
answer, but on average soil we would use 
more nitrogen and more potash. This 
mixture contains 16 pounds of nitrogen, 
100 of potash and over 200 of phosphoric 
acid. Our idea of a good corn fertilizer 
is at least 50 pounds of nitrogen, 140 of 
potash and 160 of phosphoric acid. 
Nitrate of soda is not the best form of 
nitrogen to use on corn. It is the most 
soluble form, and with the small amount 
you intend using there will be little of it 
left after June. You must remember that 
corn makes its most rapid growth in July 
and August. The theory of a fertilizer 
for corn is to use organic forms of nitro¬ 
gen, like dried blood, tankage or bone, 
which slowly decay in the soil, and be¬ 
come available late in the season. A 
much better mixture would be 400 pounds 
dried blood or tankage, 300 muriate of 
potash and 1,300 acid rock. If you are 
planting on a clover sod this small 
amount may answer, but on ordinary soil 
we would use at least 500 pounds per acre. 
We would not use the lime with this 
fertilizer on the corn, but on the wheat. 
Frogs in Springs. 
A. II. 8., Cortland, N. Y.—Water is piped 
to my house from springs which are walled 
up six or eight feet. Somehow frogs have 
got into the spring, causing trouble, especially 
when the water is low. How can they be got 
out? 
Ans. —If the springs are small the sim¬ 
plest protection against frogs would be to 
set up a series of iron posts or stakes— 
say pieces of three-quarter-inch gas pipe 
—and stretch around these a strip of gal¬ 
vanized wire netting with half-inch 
meshes. This should effectually keep them 
out after they are once removed, provided 
the connection with the ground is made 
close. This could be done effectually 
and permanently by removing the earth 
around the outside of the netting and 
bedding the posts and netting in a curbing 
of cement or concrete six or eight inches 
thick. I suppose the spring is not so 
large but that any frogs in it could be re¬ 
moved with a dip net, and if the spring is 
not a pond in which the water gets warm 
in the Summer the frogs would hardly 
breed there. f. h. king. 
hot fire for a considerable time, the potash 
is apt to become overheated and vitrified, 
and is not readily available. I have bought 
such ashes, that analyzed well but were 
very slow of action, and for that reason 
I prefer to buy chemicals. In fact I have 
stopped buying ashes altogether. 
Pennsylvania. Gabriel hiester. 
Alfalfa in an Orchard. 
S. K. W., Stanfordville, N. Y.—If one fol¬ 
lows the Hitchings method with an orchard, 
what is the matter with Alfalfa? 1f Alfalfa 
is not suitable to grow in orchard for mulch, 
why not. and what is best grass for that 
purpose? How would Tall Oat-grass do? It 
certainly makes a rank growth and remains 
a long time in sod. 
Ans.— We would not sow Alfalfa in a 
young orchard. It uses so much water 
that it will rob the trees and stunt their 
growth. The same is true of grain or 
any grass which makes a quick, rank 
growth in Spring. The young trees need 
an abundance of moisture. With older 
trees well established, the Alfalfa might 
answer, provided it was cut frequently 
and part of it left on the ground for 
mulching. We have seen an excellent or¬ 
chard about 15 years old in which Alfalfa 
had been seeded four years. Two cuttings 
were made into hay—the third being left 
on the ground. The manure made from 
feeding the Alfalfa hay was hauled back 
and spread over the orchard. Under this 
treatment the trees were certainly in fine 
condition. 
Fertilizer for Corn. 
E. H. 8., Orangeville, Pa .—Would you con¬ 
sider this a good mixture for corn? I want 
to drill it over the entire field with a grain 
drill at the rate of 200 pounds per acre. 
It will cost me about $19.50 per ton, not 
counting anything for the mixing: 100 
pounds nitrate of,soda; 200 pounds muriate 
of potash; 1.700 pounds acid rock, 14 per 
cent phosphoric acid. What do you think 
of drilling ground lime at the rate of 
10 bushels per acre on ground before plant 
lng with corn, and the same amount when 
sowing with wheat? 
Ans.—O n a good clover sod this might 
Glasshouse Questions. —The description 
and picture of Mr. Dexter Field’s glasshouse 
on page 147, was of much interest to me. I 
want something like it, not so large, and 
will get information before I build. I take 
it the house is not heated by artificial heat. 
Am I right? How low does the mercury 
drop in Winter where he is located. 
Ohio. J, h. b. 
Clothing 
Made 
to Order 
at the 
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Save Half 
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handsomely trimmed 
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Men’s wool Suits 
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$7:22 to 815=22 
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and catalogue. 
CLEN ROCK WOOLEN MILLS, 
203 Main St., Somerville, N. J. 
GENUINE PERUVIAN GUANO 
Warranted Pure and Unadulterated. 
THE BEST SOURCE OF PLANT 
FOOD. 
Nitrate of Soda, Basic Slag, Potash Salts 
AND ALL 
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Our 80 Page Book, Plant Food Problems, 
sent free of charge, if you mention The Rural 
New-Yorker. 
Our Agricultural Expert will test your soil and 
advise as to its proper fertilization, free of charge. 
We distribute fertilizing materials from New 
York, Boston, Mass., and Charleston, S. C. 
COE-MORTIMER COMPANY, 
137 Front Street, New York City. 
9 •!< 
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£ 
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♦?« 
HE ATTENDS TO BUSINESS 
who goes straight to work to cure 
Hurts, Sprains, Bruises 
by the use of 
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and saves time, money and gets out of misery quickly. 
It Acts Like Magic. Price, 25c. and 50c. 
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*> 
❖ 
I J ’ arvest is to the swift IT The 
growth is now , , ' har, y. quick 
- -V.M “» 
Zers > or ^ert g uanos „ . Cs ’ cru * f er - 
need quick-acting fenllTT^ 0 ^ cro P s 
^ers, which are Z tbe Bowker 
,Ca,s > a< Lpted to different r ^ ^ Cbem ~ 
for use. They have nrod T* and are all ready 
t0 P , r ° duce Phenomenal crops ^ ^ C ° n ‘ inUe 
/ USed by intensive Lme ** eXten ' 
Mr. TeZ / 
C °nn„ had cabbage and beets i n th ‘ WmaDtic ’ 
'°th, grown on Bowker’s a h ’ emarket June 
producers. ’ ahead of all other 
Send for Illustrated Catiln 
uiaaa. 
ACME 
SIZES 
3 to 17 feet 
Agents 
Wanted. 
I deliver f. o. b. at 
Pulverizing Harrow 
Clod Crusher and leveler. 
SENT ON TRIAL. 
To be returned at my expense if not satisfactory. 
The best pulverizer—cheapest 
Riding Harrow on earth. The 
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Made entirely of cast 
iron 
Catalog and booklet. 
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