1909. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
t 
391 
SEEDING GRASS WITH BUCKWHEAT. 
In reply to C. S., on page 163, I 
think he would stand a much bet¬ 
ter chance to get rid of quack 
grass by following the plan of plant¬ 
ing to early beans and then to buck¬ 
wheat and grass, than he would to 
undertake to seed the grass with oats 
in the Spring. I have never tried 
seeding grass with buckwheat sown 
very thick, but I have made a prac¬ 
tice of sowing three pecks of buck¬ 
wheat to the acre and grass or grass 
and clover for a number of years, and 
I always get a stand of the grass with¬ 
out a crop of weeds to be in the way 
of the grass. If I seed with oats or 
wheat there is always a crop of weeds 
after the harvest, which injures the 
grass. Two years ago I noticed a 
buckwheat field belonging to a neigh¬ 
bor, in wjiich his drill got out of order 
and he drilled nearly three bushels of 
buckwheat per acre over a large part 
of the field. He had also sown Tim¬ 
othy in with the buckwheat, and I 
never saw a better stand of grass after 
the buckwheat was harvested. There 
did not seem to be a weed in it but 
the young grass seemed to occupy every 
inch of the soil, and had made as good 
a growth as where the buckwheat was 
not sown so thick. A. j. l. 
Albion, W. Va. 
BROADCAST OR DRILLED FERTILIZER. 
On page 105, A. L. H. complains of 
his crops turning yellow when using 
fertilizer. I think this comes from ap¬ 
plying it the wrong way. As a gen¬ 
eral rule, I think it is better to sow 
fertilizer broadcast, no matter how much 
the quantity used. This is particularly 
true of crops that have a root sys¬ 
tem like corn and tobacco, but prob¬ 
ably does not apply so much to the 
potato, unless heavy applications are 
used. Corn and tobacco have such root 
systems that they can gather the avail¬ 
able fertility even if they must travel 
several feet to get it. More than that, 
for the best development of the crop 
it is even necessary that the available 
plant food be mixed through the soil. 
Some plants can use plant food if it 
is in bunches, as it would be if drilled 
in the rows. No one would expect to 
raise a good crop of corn or tobacco 
if he were to put manure under the 
hills. Why expect more of fertilizer? 
The very dry Summer last year we 
raised fully as heavy a crop of corn on 
a worn-out field, bare for at least two 
Winters before, with an application of 
666 pounds of 12 phosphoric acid, five 
potash fertilizer, broadcast on a field 
in good tilth with sod and manure. 
Reasons why fertilizer should be broad¬ 
cast: If fertilizer is put in the drill 
its proximity to the plant causes an 
undue growth, and as the plant gets 
larger and the root system also, and as 
they strike out farther are not able 
to find available plant food as fast as 
the rapidly growing plant needs it, so 
the plant suffers a checked growth. 
Or, probably, because when in the drill 
it absorbs in a dry season more water 
than the plant can spare, and thus 
causes the plant to become yellow. With 
potatoes 500 or 600 pounds may be 
drilled in, but care should be taken to 
run several times through the row with 
some tool to mix the fertilizer with the 
soil. Probably A. L. H. failed to do 
this. I cannot explain its action on 
oats unless it may cause an excessive 
growth, which, when a dry season sets 
in, is unable to get enough moisture. 
It is easily explained why he gets no 
good results from using manure on 
a sod field. When both are plowed 
under in the Spring there is not enough 
time for them to rot; he cannot get a 
firm seed bed, and the presence of the 
large amount of undccaycd vegetable 
matter dries out the soil. Let him plow 
in the Spring (better yet in the Fall), 
and put the manure on top; he will 
get better results. A better plan is 
this: Plow so that when harrowed the 
sods and manure are on top, and then 
prepare his seed bed as well as he can. 
It may seem a slipshod manner, but it 
is really a sort of mulch culture. The 
sods and manure will rot down so 
that their plant food is available at a 
time most needed—in July and August. 
Probably some of our older and wiser 
heads can explain why his clover fails 
to catch. He complains of his Timothy 
remaining short and rusty. If he will 
use 100 to 200 pounds of nitrate of 
soda top-dresser, which generally con¬ 
tains about 10 per cent ammonia and 
6 per cent phosphoric acid, or a fer¬ 
tilizer analyzing about 7-7-7, the re¬ 
sult will surprise him. r. j. brossman. 
Lancaster Co., Pa. 
R. N.-Y. —We know of market gar¬ 
deners who put a forkful of manure in 
each hill when planting early sweet 
corn. The manure is packed down and 
a little soil put on it. This makes a 
little hotbed of each hill. The seed 
sprouts and makes a rapid and profitable 
growth. Potato growers often sow at 
the rate of 1,500 pounds or a full ton, 
in the drill with the seed pieces. As a 
general proposition, however, we think 
Mr. Brossman is right in broadcasting 
manure. 
VALUE OF A WATER POWER. 
W. A. Bassett’s inquiry about a 
spraying outfit and replies to the same 
been of interest to me, and I submit 
the following suggestions: As Mr. 
Bassett has a stream of water run¬ 
ning through his place I am wonder¬ 
ing whether he could not utilize it for 
power instead of using an engine. If 
the stream has a slight fall and he 
simply wanted to elevate the water into 
a tank a comparatively inexpensive ram 
would do the work to perfection, and 
that with very little attention. Or, bet¬ 
ter yet, if he could construct a small 
dam and put in a water-wheel he would 
have something that after once being 
installed would add much to the value 
of his farm. A cheap building could 
be built over it and with little addi¬ 
tional expense equipped with a grind¬ 
stone for sharpening tools, etc., and 
if he has any boys who now turn the 
grindstone for him they certainly would 
appreciate it. Factories are frequently 
taking out their old wheels and putting 
in larger and I doubt not that a sec¬ 
ond-hand wheel that would answer his 
purpose could be bought for little 
money; in fact, I have known them 
to be sold at the price of old iron. I 
suggest this in case he could not feel 
like paying for a new one. Running 
water is very deceiving to most people 
as to the fall. Streams that at first 
sight would seem to have little or no 
fall under the surveyor’s instrument 
show sufficient to warrant the attempt 
to harness it. I recall one instance 
where a man was called a fool by 
nearly all the town because he pro¬ 
posed to get water power from a cer¬ 
tain stream and it did almost look as 
if he would have to make the water 
first to run up hill, but he accom¬ 
plished it, and to-day that power is 
used and is considered quite valuable. 
I mention this, simply thinking per¬ 
haps this may be the case with the 
stream on Mr. Bassett’s place. Prob¬ 
ably for what power the latter needs 
a gasoline or crude oil engine would 
cost him only 75 cents or $1 per day, 
but with water-wheel power on his 
place the after cost would be a mere 
trifle. GEORGE D. CLARK. 
Connecticut. 
Resists 
hRE 
rot 
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H. W. JOHNS-NANVILLE CO. 
Home Office, too William St., N. Y. 
96<L 
cannot be laid upon the fact that the fertilizer nearest to nature, or nature’s 
manure, will prove the most reliable and profitable. 
That is why Swift's Fertilizers are so much in demand—so satisfactory. 
They are crop producers as well as soil builders. They leave the soil in 
excellent condition for later use after first crops have been removed. 
For this reason they are active all the time. Be sure you use them. 
Swift—Superior—Sure 
"It gives me great pleasure to state that 
I raised one of the finest crops of corn on 
Swift’s Fertilizer this season ever pro¬ 
duced on World’s End Farm. The yield 
was more than 95 bushels shelled corn per 
acre. 
Have used these fertilizers to my entire 
satisfaction the past ten years, and will use 
them extensively this coming season.” 
r " ! ’] C. R. Goodhue, Supt., 
World’s End Farm, 
Ilingliam, Mass. 
“I have conducted an experiment with 
over 60 varieties of potatoes to ascertain 
the best yielder. Swift’s Superior Fertilizer 
has given glorious results in spite of the 
driest season known in the century. Yield 
460 bushels per acre of handsome salable 
potatoes. After many years’ trial with 
d i fferent kinds, your fertilizer gives me the 
best results, and it conserves moisture 
even in periods of drought.” 
[Signed] Rev. J. R. Lawrence, 
Raynliam, Mass. 
One of the vital demands upon you is to enrich the soil and maintain its 
fertility. To do this economically and successfully simply insist upon using 
Swift’s Animal Fertilizers. They cost no more than others, and are swift, 
superior, sure. See local agent or write us. Free Pocket Memo Booklet 
containing valuable crop information on application. 
Swift’s Lowell Fertilizer Co., 40 North Market St.. Boston, Mass. 
[Signed]^ 
is now successfully raised in 
most sections of the country and 
heavy yields are obtained by 
the use of 
POTASH 
Potash gives vigor to the plant aivd insures a 
deep rooted, well set stand that produces large 
yields. All who have used Potash, say : 
for 
per 
Potash is Profit 
No fertilizer is complete 
alfalfa without at least 10 
cent, of Potash or 10 pounds of 
actual Potash per 100 pounds of 
fertilizer. If you cannot get such 
a fertilizer from your dealer vou 
should reinforce tin' low grade 
goods with 2 pounds of Muriate of 
Potash to the hundred (or each per 
cent, of Potash needed. 
Write for instructive pamphlets pertaining to 
the fertilization of all crops, etc. 
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