620 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
August 17, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to in¬ 
sure attention. Before asking a question, 
please see whether it is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few 
questions at one time. Put questions on a 
separate piece of paper.] 
A YOU NO APPLE EATER. 
Mrs. Ole Enwolsen, of Washington, 
sends the little picture shown at Fig. 309 
and says: 
Tell the Hope Farm man never again to 
talk about “out West” until he has visited 
Puget Sound. Roses large as saucers and 
strawberries like teacups; perfect climate 
and scenery unrivaled, and apple consumers'; 
A YOUNG APPLE EATER. Fig. 309 
Yes, the champion is our own little boy. At 
three months of age he could consume all he 
could get, and all of his two years of life 
he has eaten of them every day and has never 
been sick an hour. 
That’s a good send-off for good old 
Doctor Apple.. As for being “out West” 
some 30 years ago when the Hope Farm 
man went West in all the country beyond 
Indiana people spoke of going back to 
“God’s country” some day. Now, it would 
seem as if the western line marking this 
territory had reached the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains at least._ 
A Talk About Poison Ivy. 
J. P. /)., Madison, Ind ,—Is there anything 
we can put in water that will kill the poison 
ivy plant by sprinkling it on with a sprink¬ 
ling can? I have tried carbolic acid emul¬ 
sion ; it only burned the leaves. I have been 
poisoned (and so has my six-year-old boy) 
for two Summers during hot weather. As 
soon as we get it cured it will break out 
anew when we get near the vines. It is not 
practical to dig the plant up, because it grows 
all along the edge of the woods and along 
the fences; also around old stumps in the 
clear. Most people claim you have to touch 
it to get poisoned. I know better; I have 
had my toes poisoned for about six weeks, 
and I never went barefooted. I have touched 
it and had my hands and arm swollen twice 
their natural size. I have the pimples all 
over my face now. and my little boy has the 
water blisters on his hands. 
Ans. —Wc Enow of nothing which can 
be sprinkled on poison ivy to prevent its 
growth; digging and rooting up is the 
most certain method. The only thing we 
know of is the application of concen¬ 
trated sulphuric acid, one-half teaspoon¬ 
ful applied to the stem every two or three 
we«ks in the Spring when the plant is 
growing most vigorously. This acid must 
be handled very carefully and not al¬ 
lowed to touch the skin, as it is highly 
corrosive. It is a very long job to get 
rid of this plant where it grows freely, 
as we know from experience. The brush 
should not be left on the ground or used 
for fuel and in burning it in the field 
care should be taken not to inhale the 
smoke or to handle the wood any more 
than is necessary. We have known of a 
serious outbreak of inflamed eyes during 
the Winter, which was laid to the use of 
stove wood covered with poison ivy. 
Although dried and seasoned, the smoke 
or vapors arising from the wood caused 
this inflammation. We are quite aware 
that a susceptible person may be poisoned 
without actual contact with the plant, as 
we have known several such cases. Some 
people, however, are completely immune 
and efforts should be made to engage 
such persons in the uprooting of the 
plant. There are a number of familiar 
remedies for this poisoning, the most 
excellent one being an alcoholic solution 
of sugar of lead. It should not be the 
strongest alcohol, but a 50 or 75 per cent 
grade. Add to this powdered sugar of 
lead, as much as will easily dissolve. 
The milky fluid should be well rubbed 
into the affected skin and the operation 
repeated several times during the course 
of a few days. The itching is at once 
relieved and further spread of the erup¬ 
tion checked. This lead solution is poi¬ 
sonous if taken internally. Another rem¬ 
edy which we have found useful is pure 
olive oil rubbed over the skin, and we be¬ 
lieve that a susceptible person who is 
working around the poison ivy would do 
well to rub hands and face and other ex¬ 
posed skin with olive oil while at work. 
We think this would be of some use in 
preventing poisoning. But the poison 
gets on the clothes, too, and thus one 
may be poisoned without actual contact 
with the plant. Ordinary washing does 
not remove the poison unless very hot 
water and plenty of soap is used, because 
it is a volatile oil, and for this reason 
bathing the skin in alcohol or tincture of 
witch hazel after exposure is the best 
way to remove the poison. 
Hovr To Work a King Drag. 
E. C. T., Flora Dale, Pa .—I note on page 
426 an article by J. H. Bollinger, headed 
“Drag the Roads.” We made a King drag 
a year ago, using planks 3x12 inches, and 
the cutter bar from an old mowing machine 
to furnish a cutting edge. It scrapes very 
nicely, but we find one serious objection, 
which is, that it leaves quite a windrow of 
earth and loose stones in the center of the 
road, and I would like to ask Mr. Bollinger, 
or anyone else who has had experience, how 
they avoid this. With a road machine we 
have control of the cutting edge, and can 
raise it slightly so as to permit the earth to 
pass under, thus spreading It evenly and 
leaving no ridge. 
Ans. —I saw a short time ago in a neigh¬ 
boring township a drag built probably on 
the same principal as described, made of 
plank 3 x 12 set on edge with a sharp 
plate bolted to it to produce a “cutting 
edge.” It does the cutting and scraping 
almost as well as a regular road machine, 
but like E. C. T.’s, the operator has no 
control of the “cutting edge,” and there¬ 
fore leaves a windrow of dirt at the side 
as it moves along. The mission of the 
King drag is not to turnpike or grade the 
road, but to “keep up” a improved, prop¬ 
erly graded and turnpiked road; to ac¬ 
complish this a “cutting edge” is not want¬ 
ed. You do not want to “cut” into this 
roadbed, but simply level down the wheel 
and hoof tracks that traffic produces dur¬ 
ing and after a rainfall. During a long 
wet spell these tracks become deep; and 
water stands in the bottom of them even 
though the edges and surface have par¬ 
tially dried up. Going over the road now 
the mud that your drag forces ahead of 
it forces every drop of water out of those 
tracks and fills them with mud, leaving 
the road back of the drag as smooth as 
a cemented surface troweled down, and 
on a “drying day” will bake and become 
almost as hard. At the next rain the 
water will run from this roadbed quickly, 
where if these tracks remain, they will 
fill up and hold the water and become 
gradually deeper, eventually producing 
ruts and sink holes. It also is essential 
that stones, sod and water be kept off an 
earth road; if that is done it is not diffi¬ 
cult to have a good road 10 months out 
of every 12. The drag that I use, de¬ 
scribed some time ago in The R. N.-Y., 
I made from two White oak sticks 6x6 
inches eight feet long, set on edge 18 
inches apart, held in that position by two 
iron rods; to these rods is fastened the 
chain to which the team is hitched. To 
the “cutting edges” of these sticks I 
spiked blunt strips of old wagon tire, not 
to cut, but to keep the edges from wear¬ 
ing down, which it would not take long 
to do, thus necessitating the building of a 
new drag often. This drag on an unim¬ 
proved road with ruts and sink-holes, 
would do very little, if any good, but is 
just the tool to keep up an improved road 
to perfection; it leaves no windrows. I 
was amused last week one day; a city 
man ventured out into this part of the 
country (the first one this season) in his 
auto. With the exception of the bottoms 
of those terrible ruts and sink-holes the 
road was dried up, but he had a picnic 
getting through them. When he struck 
the north line of my farm he saw before 
him a stretch of fine road. Thinking 
probably that from now on he would have 
clear sailing, he “let her out,” never 
dreaming that “breakers” were awaiting 
the speedy auto before long. No sooner 
was he off from in front of my place than 
his auto went down, pitching him almost 
headlong into the rut. it came so suddenly 
the speeding was of such short dura¬ 
tion ; I was not close enough to hear 
any remarks, nor any expression of his 
feelings, but imagination in such cases 
helps one along. j. h. bollinger. 
Ohio. 
WANT TO KNOW. 
Picking Up Cohn.—T he dread of picking 
up the corn a corn binder knocks off on some 
(i0 acres prompts me to write for helpful 
ways of doing this. In picking up by hand 
one stoops and then lifts half the body 
about two feet in raising up. The muscles 
that do it are proportionately weaker than 
are the muscles of the legs that lift the 
whole body in climbing stairs, and of the 
two things I would prefer climbing stairs 
all day. I believe the readers of The R. 
N.-Y. are too intelligent to waste energy so 
unprofitably, and they surely have this kind 
of work to do. I want to hear how they 
do it. Some kind of fork would reduce the 
lifting to the weight of the fork and the 
corn on it. A manure fork doesn't hold 
enough ears and requires too much walking 
to empty and most other kinds require 
stooping. What has been your solution of 
this problem? c. l. h. 
Noblesville, Ind. 
Mulch in Strawberries. —I tried grow¬ 
ing mulch in strawberries about 30 years 
ago in Indiana. It did not work satisfactor¬ 
ily because Jack Frost would not come on 
schedule time. If seed is sown too late you 
will not get enough growth; if too soon you 
will get too much. s. f. ii. 
The Clyde Strawberry. —I see no men¬ 
tion of the Clyde strawberry in The R. N.-Y.; 
this has been my best bearer, as early as 
Glen Mary, more and larger berries, several 
two inches in diameter, later than except 
Nick Olimer. and excellent in quality. I 
have Glen Mary, Clvde, Commonwealth. Sam¬ 
ple, Marshall and Nick Ohmer. I think the 
Clyde has done better than any two of the 
others. s. J. G. 
Connecticut. 
“Ma!” “Yes, dearest; what is it?” 
“Did you get my baby sister at the gro¬ 
cery?” “Of course not. What ever put 
such an idea in your head?’ “It says on 
the grocer’s wagon, ‘Families supplied.’ ” 
—Judge. 
BASIC SLAG PHOSPHATE. 
(THOMAS PHOSPHATE POWDER.) 
The Best Phosphate for Seeding Down to Grass, Wheat, Rye, 
and All Fall Sown Grains. UnequaJed for Fruit 
Trees, Clover, Alfalfa, and Pasture Lands. 
Send uh a postal card w ith your name and address, mentioning 
The Bubal Nkw-Yokkkr and we will tell you WHY' the above is 
true,and we will send yon our Booklet, “A Remarkable Fertilizer, 
Basie Slag Phosphate and Its rses.” 
THE COE-MORTIMER CO., 
Special Importers of BASIG SLAG, NITRATE OF SODA and 
POTASH SALTS. Sole United States Agents for (lenuine 
Peruvian <>uaiio, Manufacturers of High tirade Fertilizers. 
24 Stone Street, New York City. 
The International Silo 
An Automatic-Take-Up-Hoop. Self Adjusting. 
A Continuous, Open Door Front. An Easy 
Operating, Non-Sticking Door. A Permanent 
Ladder. Selected Tank Pine and Guaranteed 
Workmanship. INTERNATIONAL SILO 
COMPANY, Erie St., Linesville, Pa. 
ARE YOU PLANNING TO 
SOW YOUR WHEAT RIGHT? 
Careful preparation of seed bed and heavy applica¬ 
tion of fertilizer will go a long way—not the whole way. 
YOUR SEED MUST BE RIGHT. 
I grow and sell seed wheat of the quality and 
variety you want. My Booklet and samples are free 
to careful wheat growers. 
If the seed you buy from me is not satisfactory 
send it back and I will do the same with your 
money and pay freight for round trip. 
A. H. HOFFMAN, 
Bamford, Lancaster Co., Penn. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
11 The best varieties, both 
new and old, and * the 
methods of planting to raise a 
full crop of strawberries next 
year, are fully particularized in 
Dreer’s 
Mid-Summer Catalog 
Also describes and prices the best 
strains of Celery, Cabbage and other 
vegetable plants. 
A select list of the best Palms, 
Ferns, and decorative plants. 
Seeds of old-fashioned Hardy 
Perennials and other flowers for 
summer sowing. 
Write today for a eojry and please 
mention this magazine—FREE. 
HENRY A. DREER, - Philadelphia. 
Gold Coin Wheat, 
Stiff Straw, no smut, hardy, yield over 40 bushels; 
$1.25 per bushel. Bags, 15 cents. 
IDLE WILD FARM, - - Ludlow ville, N. Y. 
CHOICE SEED WHEAT 
“Gold Coin,” also Large White Rye, 
very superior quality, for sale. Produced 40 bushels 
to acre grown on my farm Huntington, L. I. Address 
CHAS. D. SMITH, Fairground, Long Island, N. Y. 
FNOX’S SEED WHEAT yields 30 to 45 bushels 
per acre. Red, bearded or smooth, pure, clean, 
cheap. Sold on a plain guarantee. Poole, Fulcaster. 
Imp. Rudy, Invincible, Silver Sheaf and others. 
Booklet. WILLIS R. KNOX, 14 Newport Ave., Intercourse, Pa. 
Fultz 
Hardiest and best yielding 
winter wheat on all soils. 
Always plump and good 
WnPfl t c °l° r - The very best pos- 
’ ' sible milling wheat. Our 
seed pure and graded for sowing. Also 
Mammoth White Rye, and extra quality 
Timothy Seed. Samples and circulars. Write, 
THE 0. C. SHEPARD CO., 9 E ST., MEDINA, OHIO. 
nr I rnv PLANTS. Strong healthy plants 
UCLCnl $1.00 per 1,000 , 500 70c. Golden Heart, 
Winter Queen, White Plume, Giant Pascal, Golden 
Self Bleaching. Cabbage plants, Flat 1 hitch 80c per 
1,000. F. W. ROCHELLE, Chester, New Jersey. 
For BEST and CHEAPEST 
Wood Preservatives 
Addross C. S. McKINXEV, Manager, 
CARBOLINEDM WOOD-PliESERV ING CO., 
60 Wall Street, New York. 
SMALL THRESHERS SS 
and clean perfectly. No waiting or feeding big crews. 
Silos. Cutters. Powers, Manure Spreaders. Catalog free. 
HARDER MFC. COMPANY. Box » 1 , Coblesklll. N. Y. 
[Till I PROD IMS from our mid summer 
TULL linur STRAWBERRY PLANTS. Send 
for List. Kevitt’s Plant Farm, Athenia, N. J. 
FOR SALE 
bushels Crimson Clover 
Address 
-3,000 
Seed, $3.75 bushel. 
JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, Milford, Delaware. 
C RIMSON CLOVER— M.v own growing; lat. New York City. 
Fresh new recleanod seed. tl.Sf, per pk., $5.00 per bushel. 
ISRAEL Jl. KAUFFMAN, llelletille, Mifflin Co., Pa. 
1907 CROP CRIMSON CLOVER SEEDS, 
now' ready. No tveeds. Thoroughly recleaued new 
seeds, fully guaranteed. Write to-day for sample 
and price. Address E. G. PACKARD, Field Seeds 
Specialist, Dover, Delaware. 
FERTILIZER LIME.SS 
Si WALTON QUARRIES, Harrisburg;, Pa. 
GRANULATED LIME 
For Farms. Especially prepared to drill with crop 
same as phosphate. Manufactured in Somerset Co., 
Pa, Circular free. C. J. Yoder, Grantsville,Md. 
m 
L—l 
YOU CAN’T GEU 1 
A BETTER FENCE, 
’no matter how much you | 
' pay, than the 
FROST WIRE FENCE 
- For farmers’ use, it’s the most sub¬ 
stantial fence made, most satisfactory. 
We pay freight. Gel our free catalogue, j 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO.. Cleveland. Omo.j 
■brake A- Co., !><> West St., New York, X. Y. 
APPLE TREES 
INTOTIIINTG BUT APPLES 
ROGERS ON THE HILL, Dansville, N. Y. 
Dwyer’s Pot Grown Strawberry Plants 
Strong, healthy plants from selected stock of choicest fruiting varieties sure to give 
satisfaction and PRODUCE A FULL CROP IN 15H)8. 
We also have a full line of Fruits and Ornamental Trees, Plants, Vines, etc., for 
Fall Planting. We do Landscape Gardening in all its branches. Catalogue Free. 
T- J. DWYER & CO., P. O. Box I, Cornwall, New York. 
