6410 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Jnly 3, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore 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.} 
POTATOES AGAINST SUGAR BEETS. 
The discussion that went on last Win¬ 
ter about growing sugar beets and rela¬ 
tive profits to growers, led me to make 
some comparisons between beets and 
potatoes, and here is one of them: John 
Vreeland grew the year 1007 from three 
acres, drill measure, 745 bushels; 1908, 
same ground, second planting, 760 bush¬ 
els. The books of produce dealer show 
1275 bushels at 65 cents per bushel, 
$828.75, price being the same for both 
years; 115 bushels of sorted potatoes 
were taken each year for seed and 
family use, 230 at 65 cents, $149.50; 
total, $978.25; 600 pounds of fertilizer 
to acre each year; seed cut to one eye, 
sprayed four times. 1 think this better 
than any beet crop reported, when we 
take into account that this is a hill 
farm that could not be sold for more 
than $30 per acre. 1 might add there 
are plenty of farms in Allegheny county 
that can he bought at $15 to $25 per 
acre. A goodly portion of each farm 
is well adapted to potatoes that might 
be made to do as well as this farm to 
the man with a good head and the right 
crook in his wrist for growing pota¬ 
toes. A. L. LITCHARD. 
Allegheny Co., N. Y. 
What Kind of Water Pipe? 
Tj. IT. J., North Weave, N. H .—I wish to 
bring water to the honse from a well about 
20 rods distant, with a fall of about 30 
feet, and would like your advice as to the 
kind of pipe to use. In our soil lead wastes 
away badly, and I am told that iron, 
whether galvanized or not. will rust. Would 
you recommend tin-lined lead, brass or cop¬ 
per. How do prices compare? 
Ans. —I should use galvanized iron 
pipe. Our family have used water for 
years that comes through this kind of 
pipe to a pump and never has any rust 
or taste of iron. I have had no experi¬ 
ence with the last three named, but any 
of those materials would surely be 
higher in price. j. f. v. s. 
A Drain In Quicksand. 
.4. I. L., North East, Pa —Flow 7 can I 
lay a tile drain through a bed of quicksand 
so that the tiles will not fill and choke 
up in a short time? The places are not 
mire lakes, but springy. A horse can walk 
around on the surface and pull a fair load 
if he does not step too many times in one 
place. There is plenty of fall for drainage. 
1 have thought that three or four inches 
of fine crushed stone and coarse sand under, 
around and over the tiles before filling in 
the ditch might do the business. Does any¬ 
body know 7 ? 
Ans. —“Crushed rock," if just coarse 
enough not to pass the joints, and no 
coarser, would be all right and three 
or four inches would hold back the 
quicksand, but coarse gravel can usu¬ 
ally be obtained at less cost and will do 
the work as well. If the bottom is soft 
it would need planking. Be sure of a 
uniform grade and well-burned tile of 
good form that will lay good joints. 
These are some of the factors that spell 
success with a drain. Mid-summer or 
early Autumn, when the ground is dry. 
is the most seasonable time to operate 
in quicksand. Careful, intelligent en¬ 
gineering is useful in quicksand, and 
one must bear in mind the old adage: 
“No chain is stronger than its weakest 
link.” One carelessly laid or soft- 
burned tile may throw the whole sys¬ 
tem out of commission. 
J. F. VAN SCHOONHOVEN. 
The Loss From “ Phosphate.” 
/). M., Spencertovn, N. Y. —Does phosphate 
lose any of its value by being sown broad¬ 
cast and not harrowed in for a few days? 
Ans. —It depends somewhat upon the 
“phosphate” and the climate. A true 
“phosphate” contains nothing but phos¬ 
phorus in combination with some other 
element, usually lime. There would be 
no loss if this were left on top of the 
ground. Many farmers use the word 
"phosphate” for all kinds of mixed fer¬ 
tilizers—containing not only phosphoric 
acid, but potash and various forms of 
nitrogen. There is no danger of losing 
potash in the form of a gas, which 
would be the only way fertilizers left 
on top could be lost. The only thing 
yon could lose in this way would be 
some forms of organic nitrogen; that is 
those forms which must decay in order 
to give up their plant food. Ncarlj 7 
every farmer has noticed the smell of 
ammonia coming from a pile of hen 
manure left in a warm and damp place. 
We have noticed the same thing in 
“muggy” weather when Crimson clover 
or cow peas were left to rot on top of 
the ground. In Florida, where the air 
is moist and hot, there is some loss 
when cotton-secd meal rs put on top of 
the ground. In a northern climate at 
this season there would be little or no 
loss from this cause. We fertilized our 
corn this year—scattering the fertilizer 
after planting and leaving it on top un¬ 
til the first cultivation. We believe there 
was no loss—still the place for fertilizer 
is in the soil. 
A Concrete Lawn Roller. 
Several Headers .—Can I make a lawn 
roller out of concrete? If so, how? 
Ans.— The little sketch will show you 
how to make the forms for such a 
roller. One-inch boards should be cut 
to form a ring, as shown in the sketch. 
This can be done by driving a nail 
in the leveled floor and tying a string 
to the nail one inch longer than the 
radius of the roller, and then marking 
on the board an arc of a circle, at the 
same time marking at the ends a bev¬ 
eled line as shown dotted in the lower 
sketch. A full circle should then be 
marked on the floor and these boards 
fitted around it until a comp’ete ring 
is made. Two sets of these boards are 
necessary, as an upper and lower ring 
rings nail slats, 2x1 inch and separated 
about four or five inches. These slats 
should be the same length as the pro¬ 
posed roller. One ring should be nailed 
to each end of the slats. To the inside 
of these slats nail sheet steel or heavy 
tin, and if the work is carefully done, a 
perfectly round form will result. A 
strip of metal should also be nailed 
around the middle of the slats half way 
between the two rings. Pipe about 1/ 
inch in diameter should be secured in 
the centre of the mold. This can be 
done by nailing boards about four 
inches wide to the lower and upper cir¬ 
cle and boring a hole just large enough 
to hold the pipe. Care should be taken 
to have this pipe exactly in the centre 
of the mold. Before placing the con¬ 
crete the sheet metal or tin should be 
painted with oil. percy h. Wilson. 
SHORT STORIES. 
When o Use Lime. 
What is the best lime to use for liming 
a field, and the best way to apply it? 
Ravena, N. Y. c. s. s. 
See the article by Mr. Wing on page 638, 
regarding different kinds of lime. We used 
slaked lime. The best way to use it is 
to spread on the rough furrows and harrow 
into the upper soil. 
Hard-Shelled Potato Eufs. 
What do you find the best remedy for 
the liard-sbell potato bug? We can pick 
a pint every day off our garden, eight rows 
about 200 feet long. H. s., JR. 
East Onondaga, N. Y. 
We have found nothing better than hand 
picking. Tile hard-shelled beetles do not 
eat. the vines as rapidly as the slugs do. 
We have known them to be so numerous 
that they ate tomato and potato vinos, and 
in the Fall ate the tubers. Tn the Spring 
they lay the eggs (on the under side of 
the leaves) from which the slugs hatch. 
Killing Ox-Eye Daisies. 
I have a field that is polluted with ox-eye 
or white daisies. Will you advise if there 
is any way to exterminate them? 
New Wilmington, Pa. w. m. l. 
The only way to be sure of it is to 
adopt a rotation which includes two hoed 
crops, like corn and potatoes. Keep these 
crops thoroughly clean and the daisies will 
be killed out. The plant is surface rooted 
and easily killed. In old meadows which 
cannot well be plowed it is difficult to kill 
out the flower. The way would be to cut 
early before it can make seeds and keep cut¬ 
ting. 
A “ Catch Crop ” For Currants. 
1 have a patch of currants consisting of 
2.300 bushes on very fertile soil set two 
years. Would you advise sowing clover 
and turnips among them to keep down 
weeds and improve the soil? I want some¬ 
thing that would winter-kill and be re¬ 
moved in the Spring. F. R. L. 
Troy, N. Y. 
We certainly should sow Crimson clover 
and turnips late in July to improve the 
soil and smother weeds. If you want some¬ 
thing that will winter-kill we should sub¬ 
stitute Dwarf Essex rape for the clover. 
While the clover will usually kill out in 
your latitude, it will live some years. By 
sowing two pounds each rape and Covv-hcin 
turnips to the acre you will grow a great 
mass of green stuff which will smother 
weeds and die during Winter. Of course, 
this will not improve the soil as clover 
would, but it will add organic matter. We 
should sow this seed on the ground in late 
July and then work back and forth with a 
light cultivator. 
The Stringy Milk Germ. 
I should like the advice of some butter- 
maker or dairyman as to the cause of 
stringy cream. We have had that trouble 
at times for several years, and after the 
cream has been churned, cream will rise 
again on the buttermilk. We use the cream¬ 
ery where the water is put around, not in 
the milk. Is the fault in the cows or 
care of the milk ? H. I*. 
Penn Yan, N. Y. 
We think this is the old trouble which 
has been often brought up. A germ causes 
this stringy or cheesy milk or cream. It is 
usually found on the milk vessels, in the 
stable or in the sink drains or similar 
places. In most cases reported to us thor¬ 
ough boiling of all pans, pails or any¬ 
thing else that touches the milk has stopped 
the trouble by killing these germs. Keep 
the stable clean and use whitewash there. 
Boil everything the milk touches for half 
an hour every day and keep in the sun 
when possible. Washing in warm water 
will not do it. 
Simplest 1 
Cream Separator 
This picture shows the extreme simplicity, 
lightness and durability of the sanitary Shar¬ 
pies Dairy Tubular Cream Separator bowl. 
Easily washed thoroughly in three minutes. 
In the right hand is the bowl—as smooth inside 
as out. On the little linger is the dividing wall, 
the only piece used iuside the Dairy Tubular 
bowl. The other piece is the bowl bottom. 
Tubular Cream Separator sales exceed most, 
if not all, others combined. World’s biggest 
separator factory. Branch factories in Can¬ 
ada and Germany. Write for Catalog No. 153. 
XOIUUIO, 
Winnipeg, Can. 
Portland, Ore. 
Our Zinc-Coated (Guaranteed) 
Iron Gut Nails Are Rust Proof. 
The heads won't rust off. Just as good as old- 
fashioned wrought cut nails. Will withstand cli¬ 
matic, conditions and the free acid present iu the 
sap of all wood. Last a lifetime. Write for.prices 
and samples. . 
Malleable Iron Fitting's Co„ Branford, Conn. 
THE BEST VARIABLE FEED 
SAW MILL 
Made lor portable purposes, also larger sizes. 
Engines, Boilers and General Machinery, 
NEW and KE1UIILT at Lowest I’rices. 
THE “LEADER” INJECTOR, 
most simple, reliable and efficient. 
Send for circulars, stating your wants. 
TTre RANDLE MACHINERY CO., 
1826 Powers St., Cincinnati, Ohio. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, Berlin, Mil. 
1100 acres trees and plants. Catalog free. 
ALFALFA 
All Northern Grown and 
guaranteed to be 99 per cent 
pure. Should produce hay 
at $40.00 per acre annually. Write for Free Sample 
and Instructions on growing. 
GRAIN AND GRASS SEEDS 
Northern drown and of strongest ’vitality. Wo invito you to 
jet Government Tests on onr samples. Send for Cat. No. 23 
THE J. E. WING & MtOS. SEEI> CO. 
Box 223, Meelianicsburg, Ohio 
CELERY- 
BKST VARIETIES. Full count of 
heavily rooted, stocky plants. 
H. A. TODD, Doylestown, Penna. 
CELERY 
PLANTS, $1.25 per l,oeo. (G. Self-BUnchiag, 
$1.50). 200 plants by mail for $ 1 . Dim*, on 
larffo Jots. Slaymaker Jt Son, Dover, Del. 
DI Si IJTQ—Cabbage; Beet: (8doz. prepaid 40 cts.) $1.00 
■ LiHIl 8 O per 1000; all varieties; Grown from Selected 
Seed; sold direct, wick’s Seed I’ nr him, Lancaster, I’a. 
CflR CAI C—Crimson Clover Seed, $5.r 
run unit Cow Peas, $1.75 to $2.0 
$5.00 bushel 
.00 bushel 
Cow-Horn Turnip Seed. 40<*. pound. 
J. E. HOLLAND. Milford, Dela. 
Acres of Cabbage Plants, on row land, from 
purest seeds. — Wiiuiigstadt. Succession, Flat 
Dutch, Danish Ball. COO iu basket, $1.00; 5000, $5.00; 
10,000, $8.00. JOHN EICHSTEDT, Factory ville.Pa. 
ABB AGE PI, ANTS—Premium Flat Dutch, 
! Danish Bullhead, and Snrehead. $1.00 per >1. 
R. J. BKOSSMAN, Ephrata, Pa. 
Avocado Pears. —A communication from 
Mr. Parry, of Miami, Fla., published re¬ 
cently in The U. N.-Y., statiug that as 
high as $2 each had been received this 
season for avocado pears attracted my 
attention. As it was printed without a 
word of explanation, it led me to seek some 
confirmation of this extraordinary claim. 
The writer does not question the accuracy 
of Mr. Parry's report, but investigation 
confirms the conviction that such returns 
are quite unusual, and the publication of 
them without explanation is to some extent 
misleading and against the confirmed con¬ 
servative rules of The It. N.-Y. Last week 
in the leading fruit store of this borough 
of Greater New York, we found some fine 
specimens of avocados selling at 40 cents 
each, and asking if they ever brought 
more, were told, “No. not with us; 40 cents 
is about the limit.” J. yatks peek. 
ANE Quart of Strawberries plkut a i»i© 
V Send for Catalogue and Prices. 
T. C. KKVTTT, Athenia, N. J. 
C ABBAGE PLANTS—All Seasons, Premium, 
Flat Dutch. Surehead, Danish Bullhead, $1.00 
per 1U0U. BASIL It. PERKY, Cool Spring, Del. 
C hoice clover and grass seeds sold 
direct to the farmer. We have reduced our 
Choice Hungarian and Millet seeds to the present 
mar net value. Write for samples and prices at 
once. N. WERTHEIMER A SONS, Ligonier Iud. 
For Best EXTENSION LADDER at 
JOHN J. POTTER, 14 Mill St., Binghamton, N. Y. 
Of snn-tonehed early apples 
ine Dig V^rop fr om Delaware follows 
closely the big crop of strawberries. General in¬ 
formation for fruit buyers and also farm oppor¬ 
tunities for home-seekers furnished by 
State Board of Agriculture, Dover, Del. 
200 FARMS FOR SALE PT.": 
Valley from 5 to 200 acres; $25 per acre up. New 
catalog and map. Horace G. lieeder, Newtown, Pa. 
CRIMSON CLOVE 
The great soil improver. Valuable 
also for early green food, grazing and. 
hay crop. Special circular free; also 
sample and price of seed on request. 
HENRY A. DPEER, 
714 Chestmit St., Philadelphia. Pa. 
