1909. 
THIS RURAL NEW-YORKER 
109 
A CONCRETE FENCE POST. 
On page 7, January 2, I notice a 
description of a concrete fence post 
which seems to me to have a great 
deal of merit, but which I think can 
be improved without increasing the 
cost. As shown by the accompanying 
diagram I would bevel the seats of the 
post so as to take the strain off 
the bolts, which is the weak point in 
the concrete, then I would give the 
post two seats instead of one, making 
the joint somewhat like a ship lap or 
ship splice in a timber. The outer edge 
of the lower seat must be bevelled in 
the opposite direction from the main 
part of the seat so that the water will 
not run into the joint and rot the 
post. Instead of using old pipe for re¬ 
inforcement as suggested I would put 
the bolts right through the pipe and 
not use wooden plugs, a smooth pipe 
would have little value as a reinforce¬ 
ment for concrete, and the strain being 
transversely of the post the reinforce¬ 
ment should be put in vertically and 
should consist of twisted iron or steel 
rods, or even the twisted and serrated 
fence band or tape would be of more 
value than a smooth piece of iron of 
any kind. m. h. 
Paterson, N. J. 
TWELVE GOOD BOOKS FOR A DOLLAR. 
Recently while in Italy I became well 
acquainted with Father Thomas P. Hur¬ 
ley, of Ireland, who was ever on the 
alert to pick up some new ideas regard¬ 
ing agriculture for his people. He said 
all priests in Ireland kept abreast of the 
times on the new inventions and better 
methods of farming; that every priest's 
house contained agricultural and hor¬ 
ticultural books, and that many of them 
had quite good libraries on these sub¬ 
jects and that the farmer consulted them 
freely. We often had long talks on co¬ 
operation for the farmer and his wife. 
I was much interested in their method 
of starting agricultural libraries and get¬ 
ting to the farmer the last word on the 
subject that interests him most by co¬ 
operation. 
Father Hurley said that 12 farmers 
each placed in his hands, say the equival¬ 
ent of a dollar, and that he, with the 
advice of two other men, judges of good 
agricultural books, bought with this 
money 12 books; that two or three 
might cost two or three dollars each, 
while some would cost only 25 or 50 
cents. The wives and daughters might 
also place their money in his hands for 
books on household economics. Now, 
when these sums are spent, not wasted, 
because the books are well selected, they 
are sent to the clubs, where they are 
passed on January first, to each member 
by lot; then on the first of each suc¬ 
ceeding month they are exchanged, and 
during the last of December there is a 
raffle for permanent possession. In this 
corporation each member has had 12 
good books for only one dollar, and it 
is quite possible that each book, or at 
least one of the 12, will contain an idea 
that the member can turn into ten dol¬ 
lars hard cash; therefore it will be a 
paying venture. It occurs to me that the 
recent Presidential committee for the 
improvement of rural conditions, of 
which Prof. L. H. Bailey is the head, 
will be glad to publish a selective list 
of some five hundred books in regard 
to things that live and grow or are used 
on the up-to-date farms. If each parish 
priest or preacher, with the help of the 
doctor and superintendent of schools, 
will organize the clubs, and the Director 
of the State Experiment Station will 
buy for them, a large amount can be ex¬ 
pended at one time and wholesale rates 
obtained, while the meeting place might 
be the red school house on the corner. 
C. H. 
;thf oats and peas crop. 
J. Grant Morse, answering F. M. R.’s 
oats and peas questions, among other things 
says that the peas, with him, open first, 
and he claims this is the only objection to 
sowing oats and peas at the same time. 
Evidently Mr. Morse has a later variety 
of oats than we have. What variety is it? 
Mr. Morse says last year he sowed two 
bushels of oats and one of peas per acre. 
That might also have something to do with 
early ripening of 'peas, I should be inclined 
to think that it was more of a dying or 
smothering process, rather than ripening. 
Sowing in above proportions 1 would not 
look for many peas. We sow just the op¬ 
posite. We plow our ground in the usual 
way, sow two bushels of Canada peas broad¬ 
cast, and with a spading harrow work in 
the seed. We do this work just as we 
would if we prepared the land for oats. 
We pay little attention to what becomes 
of the peas we sowed. Next we broadcast 
a bushel of oats, covering it, by going over 
the ground with a smoothing harrow once 
each way. 
Mr. Morse asks who has tried the mar¬ 
rowfat peas. We have grown them alone 
(not with oats). I will name some ob¬ 
jections : First, the seed costs more per 
bushel; next, I should say the seed was 
double the size of the Canadas, hence a 
greater quantity of seed needed, thus in¬ 
creasing the cost of the crop to begin with ; 
when ripe the marrowfats shell much easier 
than the Canadas, thus entailing some loss. 
I hope, however, Mr. Morse will try some 
marrowfats and report; I shall do the 
same. Will Mr. Morse give his way of har¬ 
vesting the crop? if cut for grain, we cut 
with binder, like other grain, but bundles 
often get moldy in the center ; I am think¬ 
ing of cutting and curing just as I would 
do if cut for fodder, but the owner of the 
thrashing outfit that does our thrashing is 
afraid stones might be raked up and cause 
trouble in the separator. My idea is to 
roll the ground thoroughly after sowing, 
thus pressing into the loose soil any small 
stones that may be on the surface; the 
larger ones are, of course, all picked up 
and hauled off. It seems to me that the 
rake would not dig iu to gather up stones. 
Ohio. J. H. BOLLINGER. 
WANT TO KNOW. 
Concrete Dwellings.-—I would like to 
know if any readers of The R. N.-Y. have 
had any experience with concrete dwellings. 
I would like the results of such experience, 
the faults of such buildings, their good 
qualities, what plan or system of construc¬ 
tion was used, cost as compared with lum¬ 
ber and what they think generally of con¬ 
crete for dwelling houses. i. p. 
South Dayton, N. Y. 
Ventilation, by F. II. King. This book 
covers the whole subject of house and barn 
ventilation in a clear concise manner, and 
will fill an important place in the farm 
library. For sale by The Rural New 
Yorker; price, postpaid, 75 cents. 
Physical Properties op Soils : by 
Arthur G. McCall; 106 pages; illustrated; 
Orange Judd Co., New York. This book 
gives a concise and systematic course for 
studying soils with special reference to 
moisture, specific gravity, air spaces, 
capacity to hold water and to permit its 
rise by capillary action, mulches, effect of 
heat and determination of organic matter. 
Intended primarily for the class room, but 
useful in the farm library. For sale by 
The Rural New-Yorker; price, postpaid, 
50 cents. 
Wood is Going Up in Price 
and Coming Down in Quality 
Use Cement instead—but before you buy any of 
it send for our book which shows why 
Portland Cement 
is just as cheap—and everlasting—for your farm work 
of almost every sort, as it is for the large govern¬ 
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Edison Portland Cement is always the same in 
color, texture and strength; and it is 
the most economical because it goes 
farthest as well as stands practically 
forever, and that’s because it is 
ground uniformly 10% finest of any 
brand of cement. 
Make it of “Edison” and save money. 
Write for the Book, TODAY. 
EDISON PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY 
921 St. James Building, New York City 
n«««« 
, Write for FREE BOOK on “HOT-BEDS , 
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Cut Prices on Hot-Bed Sash 
Size 3x6 ft., 1%, 6x10 Glass . 31.69 
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How You, Yourself, can do Four Men’s Lifting 
with the Burr Automatic Safety Tackle Block 
You don’t know what you are missing—how much unnecessary work 
-you are doing, and how much money you are losing—by not having 
one of these wonderfully convenient Automatic Safety Tackle Blocks 
on your farm. You can alone do nearly all the heavy lifting required 
about your place with our block—shifting wagon boxes, stretching wire 
fences, moving stones, logs, sick or injured animals, etc. 
The Burr is the only rope block made that is as adjustable as a chain 
block. It is the only rope block made without teeth wedges, springs 
etc., to wear, tear and chew up good rope. ’ 
Actually preserves rope, yet locks as unfailingly and rigidly on 
wet or greasy rope as on dry. Locks at an angle or upside down 
So accurate in locking that load can be raised and lowered a 
hair’s breadth. 
The Burr Automatic Safety Tackle Block 
is made of best steel. Positively can’t wear it out. In fact, 
works better with age. 
You can pay for the Burr in extra hired help saved on one 
job. No farmer should be without it a minute. 
Prices range from 70 cents to $4.25. 
Let’s tell you how many uses and advantages over 
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saves many dollars a year, and an enormous amount 
of hard work. 
Just a postal now to— 
BURR MFG. CO., 136 Viaduct f Clevelanc, O. 
WHY NOT USE HUBBARD’S? 
