1909. 
NITRATE OF SODA FOR ONIONS. 
T. J. \V., Vineland, N. — Would it be 
any advantage to onions to use a small 
quantity of nitrate of soda on an onion 
patch, say a week or so after they are set? 
1 raise one-third of an acre every year; I 
have trouble to start them, and they come 
a little too late to get the price. I want 
them by the first of July. I generally get 
from 125 to 150 hampers from the piece, 
but a week will make a great difference in 
the price. I would like to know if nitrate 
of soda would stimulate them and help to 
start them? 
Ans. —Yes, it would be of decided ad¬ 
vantage to use nitrate of soda on early 
set onions. The onion is a plant that 
begins its growth very early in the 
Spring, long before the soil is warm 
enough for nitrification to be suffi- 
ently active to furnish any great quan¬ 
tity from natural sources. Nitrate of 
soda is available as soon as applied, 
hence, if it is applied early when the 
young plants are most in need of avail¬ 
able nitrogen, beneficial results may be 
expected. My observation has been 
that many men who are not familiar 
with this salt use too much at one ap¬ 
plication. This should not be done for 
two reasons. First, it stimulates too 
much stem and leaf growth; second, 
it is liable to leach down below the 
feeding roots and a part, at least, be 
lost. Another factor should be consid- 
• 
ered in using nitrate of soda. The 
crop on which it is to be applied should 
be well supplied with the two mineral 
elements, phosphoric acid and potash, 
because the soda cannot do the most 
possible good in the absence of soluble 
and available mineral matter. In the 
absence of a sufficient amount of min¬ 
eral matter and a full supply of avail¬ 
able nitrogen, particularly in the form 
of nitrate of soda, this vegetable is 
quite likely to be of very poor quality, 
and its keeping qualities greatly im¬ 
paired. On this vegetable I would not 
use more than 100 to 125 pounds of ni¬ 
trate of soda at an application, and that 
repeated in three or four weeks, and 
none applied after bulbs are fairly well 
advanced. c. c. hulsart. 
APPLES FOR SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA. 
In speaking of several varieties of apples, 
it must be borne in mind that I refer espo- 
tially to what is sometimes called the 
"South Mountain" district of southern 
Pennsylvania, covering the counties of 
Adams, Franklin, Cumberland, York and 
Lancaster. It is probable, however, that 
most of these varieties will do well in 
nearly all the southern and south-central 
counties of the State. Indeed, it is likely 
*- ; at most of them are known throughout 
the State, for my list is a short one, com¬ 
posed mostly of varieties on which we have 
learned to pin our faith both for home and 
market purposes. 
Of the early apples, I would place Yel¬ 
low Transparent first. It is of good size 
and a good cooker, being decidedly tart. It 
can be used long before ripe, beginning 
about July 1 and covering several weeks, 
i lie tree is an erect, slow grower and be¬ 
gins bearing at an early age. When picked 
green, this apple is a fair shipper and 
meets a strong demand in most markets. 
Early Ripe is one of our old standbys. It 
is a large, greenish yellow apple, ripening 
about a week later than Yellow Trans¬ 
parent. it is excellent for sauce, even 
when quite green. I believe Benoni is our 
best early red apple, of which we have 
too few. Us quality is good, especially for 
dessert, its color is bright red with yel¬ 
lowish stripes. The trees make a strong 
erect growth, are somewhat slow begin¬ 
ning to bear but, having begun, yield large 
crops. Of the midsummer varieties, an 
apple known with us as “Seek-no-further” 
follows closely on tlie early kinds. It is a 
i-rnall yellow apple, conical in shape, a 
great bearer, a fair cooker, and a fine 
shipper, keeping its firmness until dead 
ripe. 
" *tb us there is probably no better all¬ 
round Summer apple than the Summer 
kambo. The tree is a strong, hardy grower 
and bears rather early. The fruit is large 
and handsome, when ripe, is an excellent 
cooker and baker and it is hard to find a 
better apple for eating raw. The fruit 
ripens very unevenly on the tree, thus giv- 
^ long season. For shipping it 
should ho given three or four pickings. 
' lien allowed to color, it stands shipping 
well and meets ready sale almost every¬ 
where. Porter is another excellent Sum¬ 
mer variety. Good size, conical, yellow and 
quite tart. Highly prized lor jelly making. 
THE RURAL 
Maiden Blush bears well and is-a profit¬ 
able shipper. There is probably no better 
known and more generally useful Fall 
apple in our whole district than the 
Smokehouse. It is excellent for all pur¬ 
poses, ready to use by September 1 or 
sooner, and when grown free from defects 
will keep well into Winter. It is not par¬ 
ticularly handsome, but always sells where 
it is known. Grimes Golden is coming into 
strong favor with us, an apple of good size, 
golden yellow in color with a wonderfully 
rich, spicy flavor, equaled in my opinion 
by only one other of our apples. Grimes 
Golden should be picked about September 
15 and 20 and when properly stored will 
keep nicely till midwinter. When too 
much exposed to the air those apples are 
inclined to wilt. Philadelphia is a good 
market for them at holiday time. Baldwin 
is a Fall apple with us, and must be 
picked in September. Unsprayed, this fruit 
is often very faulty, ripening early, but 
when well sprayed and free from disease, 
our Baldwins keep nearly as well in stor¬ 
age and have better quality than the. New 
York Baldwin. Ben Davis grows well with 
us, lias good size and high color and has 
made some money for our growers, but it 
is the same deceitful corky old Ben. My 
attitude toward this fellow is to plant no 
more of him and to graft the growing 
trees to something better. I believe Smith 
Cider is our easiest apple to grow. It is 
nearly always smooth and perfect, sprayed 
or unsprayed. It bears well and has fair 
quality, but a very unfortunate name, 
which I believe is partly responsible for 
the low standing this fruit has in most 
markets. 
One of the newer ones in our section is 
Stayman Winesap. We have great faith in 
the future of this apple and are planting 
largely. It is a large red apple, not very 
bright in appearance, but equals the Grimes 
in flavor and in addition has a particularly 
crisp juicy flesh. For several years it has 
brought the highest price in Philadelphia 
markets. 
Last on my list, but by no means least, 
comes the York Imperial, by all odds the 
money-maker for our section. It is a 
bright, handsome apple, good size, ships 
well, a most excellent cooker, is desired 
for export and if well colored on tree and 
properly stored, is a great keeper. The 
greatest fault of this variety seems to be 
its tendency to overbear, resulting in a 
great many small green apples on lower 
limbs and no crop at all the following 
year. Some persons recommend hand thin¬ 
ning of tiie fruit and have proven that it 
pays them. In tliis, I have had no ex¬ 
perience. It looks like a pretty big under¬ 
taking. On the other hand, I am satisfied 
that an open-headed tree, kept well pruned, 
will go a long way toward improving size 
and color of fruit. Two other apples highly 
recommended are Jonathan and Rome 
Beauty. Both are known to do well in 
about this latitude, and we are experi¬ 
menting with them. I feel sure that if 
they can be grown successfully, both will 
prove very profitable apples, c. J. tvson. 
Adams Co., Pa. 
TEXAS PEACH NOTES. 
We are just now busy digging up and 
getting rid of two highly boomed varieties 
of peaches of a few years back. One is 
tlie Slappy, which came recommended as 
an equal of the EUberta, ripening about 
three weeks ahead of it. It proved here 
a very shy bearer of a poor excuse for a 
peach. It would swell out on one side, 
get ripe and even soft, while balance re¬ 
mained yet green. Its time of ripening 
right alongside of it was several days 
after Carman, q'he other variety destroyed 
was Quinn, which is practically a repro¬ 
duction of Yellow St. John. A good 
enough peach but too small for profit. 
Being a regular crank about testing new 
varieties I have been often caught in the 
past with the empty bag to hold. Yet, 
considering all, I have nothing to regret. 
There is quite some fascination and pleas¬ 
ure in testing new kinds, and if but one 
in 10 proves of superior value, we can well 
stand the loss on the rest. Our Winter 
had been mild up to about a month ago, 
when we had a regular old-time “blizzard,” 
with another one last February 15. As a 
result many peach buds are killed. In some 
sheltered locations trees had bloomed freely 
for 10 days. Of course there is no hope 
of a crop in such cases. Out in the open 
prairie with us here the damage does not 
appear so great since most of the trees 
are yet dormant. j. w. stubenraucii. 
Limestone Co., Tex. 
Which would be the very best—the 
largest and finest fancy yellow peach to 
supply the first class of trade—to the con¬ 
sumer direct ? Do not be governed by the 
term “commercial,” as the fruit would not 
have to be shipped by rail, but would be 
in the hands of the consumer the day it is 
picked. When I add that soil and climate 
is ideal it ought not to be difficult to name 
one single sort as excelling, even thus 
slightly perhaps, all others, for the pur¬ 
pose named. w. h. s. 
Ambler, I’a. 
We think Foster Seedling or Niagara 
will fill the bill. 
NEW-YORKER 
!99 
Our Books 
Free 
t 'he 
CitUivivtionjj 
of 
Cottoi 
|rGrass Grow i n £ 
■ for)Voht 
Modern 
Farming 
is the science of getting as big crops 
from long used fields, as our early farmers 
got from their new lands. 
Nitrate of Soda 
is the mainstay of every practical farmer. It is a wonderful 
plant-food for all crops. 
OUR FREE BOOKS 
cover the whole subject of Nitrate of Soda fertilizing 
how how to get larger yields at low cost. Send 
for books on the crops in which you are 
interested and make more money. 
Win. S. Myers, Director 
John St. and 73 Nassau 
New York 
pwing 
jthy Huy 
Market 
quare Deals and j 
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Your dealer is in business for himself, but— 
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Ninety-nine out of every hundred dealers will 
tell you that Rex Flintkote Roofing gives a pro¬ 
tective service that is not only the most positive 
against, weather and fire, but cheapest in cost per 
year of service. 
The facts—long yedrs of satisfactory wear—prove this and 
your dealer knows the facts—it’s his business to. 
I his endorsement of your dealer is your greatest protection in 
buying roofing. 
Road what trustworthy dealers say about 
FLINTKOTE 
ROOFING 
T. Schuuk 
Mr. Remer 
Tos. Binford 
SCHUNK-MARQUARDT CO. 
... , Toledo, O., Dec. 22, ’08 
We have sold Rex Fiintkote for 
years, and knowing it as we do 
recommend it as the best. It’s a 
pleasure to sell it for it gives en¬ 
tire satisfaction. 
Yours truly, 
Schunk-Marquardt Co. 
REMER BROS. 
Saginaw, Mich., Jan. 5,08 
Gentlemen: We believe Rex 
Flintkctte is the best roofing on die 
market. We hear nothing but 
praise of it from our customers 
who are using it. Our sales are 
increasing all the time. We have 
ail faith in it and recommend it to 
every one. 
Yours verv truly. 
Remer Bros. 
JOSEPH BINFORD & SON 
Crawlordsville, Ind., Jan. 5, ’og 
Gentlemen: Our first order for 
Rex Ehntkote, six years ago, was 
a trial order, as we had little faith 
in prepared roofings. We are now 
doing a fine business in it against 
six or seven competitors selling 
cheaper brands. 
Yours truly, 
Joseph Binpord& Son. 
SWINT, REINECK & CO. 
Fremont, Ohio, Dec, 11, ’08 
Dear Sirs: We have sold thou¬ 
sands of squares of Rex Flintkote 
in the last seven years, and have 
neveryethad one, single complaint 
about it. We wish your continued 
success. Yours very truly, 
Swint, Reineck & Co. 
W. B. HAYDEN & SONS 
Cassopohs, Mich., Dec. 29, ’oS 
Gentlemen: After selling Rex 
rhntkote three years we find it 
just what you say it is—not one 
complaint yet. We enjoy selling 
it, for the quality is there. We 
recommend it to our customers, 
_ Yours truly, 
W. B. Hayuen & Son, 
J. F. Hayden. 
I j.Owint 
J. I'’. Hayden 
J. W, MACKEMER & CO. 
Peoria, 111 ., Sept. 7, ’07 
Dear Sir: We have sold Rex 
Flintkote for five years and find 
that it sells on its merits. We have 
already sold this year, three times 
as much as all of last and expect 
to sell more next. We have yet 
to receive the first complaint. 
Yours truly, 
J. W. Mackemer J.W.Mackemer 
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