1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
CORN GROWING IN JERSEY SAND. 
Experiments With Corn and Fertilizers. 
Some large crops of corn show what can be done when 
skill and perseverance are used, but from several 
sources come expressions of surprise from our western 
neighbors that New Jersey can produce such large corn 
crops. The exhibit at Atlantic City at the time of the 
National Grange included corn from New Jersey. A 
short time since it was quite a common thing when 
traveling through the sandy lands of New Jersey to 
see patches of corn composed of thin stalks in tassel 
when only five or six feet high, often less than this, and 
still this kind of cornfield is in evidence. This corn 
will produce a small number of small cars—nubbins. 
The cause of this kind of crop, which does not pay 
wages for the labor put on it, is that the grower plants 
corn on land that is too poor to grow anything else, 
because every farmer must have corn and fodder, and 
no outlay of capital worth mentioning is necessary for 
this kind of a crop. But frequently one comes across 
a good field of corn, large, deep-green leaves and stalks, 
many of the ears hanging down and so tall that it is 
difficult to sow clover seed in it when walking on the 
ground. Knowledge and skill are required to pass 
from the short to the tall corn profitably, but it can be 
done, and the change can be made on the same field 
One way would be to buy large quantities of New 
York horse manure and fertilizer, but it is a question 
if this can be done profitably without charging some of 
this manure to future crops. Another and probably 
the most common method is to grow corn in some 
rotation, either systematically or otherwise. A good 
farmer will make a success of corn by this method. 
A third method is to grow corn on the same land every 
year, sowing Crimson clover among the corn in August 
and plowing under the sod. 
To illustrate, M. R. Thompson planted one acre to 
corn seven years in succession. 1 he first year he 
harvested 18 bushels of ears. During the seven years 
no fertilizer or manure was applied, but Crimson clover 
was sown in the corn every year, and was plowed under 
the next Spring, except that near the end of the experi¬ 
ment the Crimson clover was mowed early and the 
stubble only plowed under. The Crimson clover was 
winter-killed once and the corn seemed to get a set¬ 
back on that account. The corn crop gradually in¬ 
creased from 18 bushels, and in the seventh year the 
yield on the acre was 157 bushels of ear corn. Another 
method that has given good results is to use 300 to 600 
pounds of commercial fertilizer per acre in addition 
to plowing under Crimson clover, the smaller amount 
in the hill, the larger amount broadcast. This use of 
Crimson clover for fertilizing purposes means the loss 
of good hay. In the sandy section of New Jersey it 
is difficult to grow the kind of hay so 
readily produced on heavy soils. If there¬ 
fore the Crimson clover could be mowed 
and a good crop of corn grown with the 
Crimson clover stubble only plowed un¬ 
der, and this could be done without jeop¬ 
ardizing the next Crimson clover crop, a 
great point would be gained, even if con¬ 
siderable fertilizer had to be used to 
make up for the Crimson clover hay re¬ 
moved. This question has been taken up 
by the Pomona Grange Experiment Com¬ 
mittee, and several farmers have ex¬ 
pressed their intention of comparing the 
results on the following crop of plowing 
under the whole Crimson clover with the 
results of plowing under the stubble only. 
Last year an experiment was planned 
at the Training School Farm to demon¬ 
strate what is the greatest amount of ma¬ 
nure or fertilizer that can profitably be 
applied to corn. A 20-acre field was 
plowed when there was a good stand of 
half-grown Crimson clover. Three plots 
of 16 rows each were taken for the ex¬ 
periment ; 16 rows made approximately 
1 1-10 acre. All the plots were fertilized 
with the Crimson clover sod and with 
550 pounds per acre of home-mixed fertilizer, analyzing 
three per cent ammonia, 15 per cent total phosphoric 
acid, six per cent potash. There was no plot with 
Crimson clover sod only. The three plots were treated 
as follows: Plot 1 : Crimson clover sod and fertilizer 
only, yield 4,135 pounds of ear corn. Plot 2: 12 tons 
of New York horse manure per acre in addition to 
same treatment given to Plot l, yield 4,260 pounds of 
ear corn. Plot 3: 12 tons of barnyard manure per 
acre in addition to same treatment given to Plot 1, 
yield 3,965 pounds of ear corn. The difference in yield 
of the different plots is hardly enough to justify a 
conclusion that any benefit whatever was derived from 
the .application of manure in addition to Crimson clover 
sod and commercial fertilizer. This experiment will 
be continued another season or more in order to de¬ 
termine the second and third year effects of the manure. 
Crimson clover was sown in the corn at the last culti¬ 
vation, and a good stand secured on the three experi¬ 
ment plots. 
The Pomona Grange Experiment Committee was or¬ 
ganized one year ago last August. There were five 
active Subordinate Granges in Pomona Grange No. 4. 
Each Grange sends two delegates to semi-annual com¬ 
mittee meetings held at the New Jersey Training School 
Mayctte. Pranquette. l'arisieime. 
OREGON-GROWN “FRENCH” WALNUTS. Natural Size. 
See Rural isms. Page ”60. 
for Feeble-minded Children located at Vineland, New 
Jersey. A farm of 210 acres is connected with this 
institution. Agricultural experiments are conducted 
here at the suggestion of the experiment committee. 
Members of the different Subordinate Granges also 
perform experiments and report what has been demon¬ 
strated to be successful at the Training School Farm. 
Another article will go more into detail concerning this 
Experiment Committee. geo. a. mitchell. 
Vineland, N. J._ 
POWER ON THE FARM. 
When a farmer is in need of some kind of power on 
the farm he must take into consideration his especial 
circumstances and the use to which the power is to be 
put. In the case of the dairy farmer the steam engine 
is no doubt the best for him, as he has use for the live 
steam in cleaning and sterilizing as well as the power. 
A gasoline engine in other cases might be more satis¬ 
factory and cheaper. The windmill is an excellent 
with the other powers referred to, except the windmill, 
when it starts at all. The farmer must keep a certain 
number of horses, and they are usually idle, or part of 
them at least, in the Fall and Winter. Another advan¬ 
tage is that they seldom get out of repair. No. pipes 
to freeze and burst in the Winter, causing expensive 
and unpleasant repairs. 
Their long usefulness is another point in their favor. 
Fig. 118, first page, shows a power at use in sawing 
wood. This power was used for 25 years, with no 
expense for repairs except new lags, which wear out m 
time by the constant tread of the horses' feet. These 
were put in by ourselves at little expense. Two years 
ago a new frame was made with a new track and new 
wheels, and now the power is as good as new. A 
two-horse tread power will generate from one to four 
horse-power. If light work is being done, as running 
a cutting box, sawing small wood or pumping water, 
one horse is sufficient. This looks easier than the old 
way, and will surely not be one of the reasons that help 
the boys to leave the farm. elmer g. tufts. 
Indiana. 
HAND-POWER SAWS.—While we are discussing 
horse power wood sawing let us show a picture sent 
us from Virginia, Fig. 119. Here we have a faithful 
old sawyer standing in front of his finished job. This 
man goes about from place to place, and by keeping 
steadily at it, leaves a small mountain of fuel as a 
result of each visit. There is an opportunity in every 
neighborhood for such a man, but few men run after 
the opportunity. 
DOUBLE CROPS IN FORESTRY. 
It appears that in forestry as well as in gardening 
two crops may be grown together—one being prepared 
to follow another when the latter is taken out. Edw. 
K. Parkinson, of Albany, sends us the picture shown at 
Fig. 122 to illustrate how this plan can be carried out. 
“The New York State Forestry Commission have been 
most successful in underplanting plantations of White 
birch in the State forest reserves. Fig. 122 shows the 
foresters setting out young evergreens under the 
birches. These will take the places of the birches in 
about 10 years, which will have been all cut off, by that 
time, for pulp or firewood. Many a farm wood-lot 
could be underplanted this way at a small cost and so 
made to yield a continuous revenue.” 
PLANTING EVERGREENS IN WHITE BIRCH. Fig. 122 . 
and very cheap power to pump water for stock, or 
where a limited amount of water is used. In some 
localities, however, large supply tanks must be used to 
insure an abundance of water at all times. This in¬ 
creases the cost. The wind cannot be depended upon 
at all times, and for this reason the windmill is not 
satisfactory when there is use for power at all times or 
at certain times. The gasoline hot-air pumping engine 
does satisfactory work and is run at little cost. For 
the average farmer, who usually is no machinist or 
mechanic, though he ought to understand both, T be¬ 
lieve there is no power that will be any more satisfac¬ 
tory than the endless-chain treadmill or horse power. 
The ordinary farmer has but little use for a power 
except in the Fall or Winter. One of the advantages of 
this kind of power is it is all ready to be used. It can 
be started in a very few minutes, which is not the case 
PREVENTION OF SMUT IN OATS. 
Oat smut is increasing at a rapid rate through the 
West, and at present infests many oat-growing dis¬ 
tricts and is annually responsible fur the loss of several 
hundred thousand dollars to the farmers. Experiment 
stations tell us that smuts in small grains 
are caused by fungus parasites, or minute 
plants that grow and multiply inside of 
the grain plant, coming to maturity in the 
kernels. This fungus cannot live through 
the Winter in or upon the ground, hence 
a crop can only be infested with smut 
from live spores that adhere to the seed 
grains, and are sown with them. It fol¬ 
lows that if we treat the oats used for 
seed before sowing with some substance 
that kills the smut spores upon them, our 
crop will be free from smut. The best 
method to prevent smut is the “formalde¬ 
hyde” treatment. This consists in sub¬ 
merging the seed in a 40-per-cent solution 
of formaldehyde gas. This can be se¬ 
cured from any druggist. One pound of 
40-pcr-cent formaldehyde is required for 
50 bushels of seed to be treated; 50 gal¬ 
lons of water is poured into a barrel and 
one pound of the formaldehyde liquid 
added. A part of this mixture is placed 
in another barrel. 1 wo bushels of oats 
are placed in a sack and submerged for 
20 minutes. By having two barrels, four 
bushels of seed can be treated at the 
same time. At the end of 20 minutes 
the sack is pulled to the edge of the barrel 
and allowed to drain for a minute or two: 
the oats are then emptied on the barn floor 
to dry. We treat the seed a few days in advance 
of sowing to enable the seed to dry sufficiently to run 
readily through the drill. This solution is not poisonous 
to stock in moderate amounts, but if any of the treated 
oats remain after sowing it is policy to mix with oats 
that have not been treated. The treatment of seed oats 
facilitates sprouting. A difference of from two to five 
days in favor of the oats treated was noticeable last 
season. w * D - s * 
Illinois. ~ 
The lion’s share—getting on the outside of the lamb. 
Why does grain in a windy country stand up beiter than 
in calm sections? 
trial. 
Because it has to—like some men under 
