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.] 
ALFALFA FROM SYRACUSE, N. Y. 
1 am sending you by express a sample 
of Alfalfa, such as we are now harvest¬ 
ing. Our crop we think is the best we 
have ever had. The sample was taken 
because it was standing up. Much of 
that which is lodged is much longer. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. h. worker. 
R. N. Y.—This Alfalfa measured over 
five feet from base to tip and was thick 
as need be. An acre of such forage 
would give a vast amount of feed. We 
described Air. Worker’s Alfalfa several 
years ago, and told how it had improved 
every crop in his rotation and had en¬ 
abled him to sell grain from a dairy- 
farm. With corn silage and hay from 
such Alfalfa as this a dairy farmer has 
little use for the feed dealer. All 
around Syracuse are to be seen evi¬ 
dences of what Alfalfa does for a 
country. At one place we found a 
large barn on a comparatively small 
farm. We thought it represented one 
of the farm tragedies often seen in cen¬ 
tral New York, where great barns often 
stand empty to remind one of former 
prosperity. Quite the reverse was true 
of this barn, for it had been built on a 
fruit farm to hold the hay taken out of 
a thrifty orchard. Two cuttings were 
taken for hay and one left for mulch¬ 
ing. __ 
Curing Onions. 
C. is. c., Bessemer, Ala. —Will you give 
me the best method for curing and keeping 
unions? At what stage should they he 
taken up for best results? Should they 
be kiln dried? If so. will some one give 
me the plans for a kiln to dry them? 
Ans. —My practice has been to lift 
the onions as soon as the tops begin to 
show ripeness and falling, even though 
there may be scallions or thick-necks 
still standing. The keeping of onions, 
especially in the South, depends very 
largely on the variety grown. Some va¬ 
rieties of onions are poor keepers un¬ 
der any conditions. The best keeper I 
have ever grown is the little white Mul¬ 
tiplier. which 1 have kept in the South 
a whole year unsprouted. The next 
best keepers are the Yellow Globe Dan¬ 
vers, Southport Yellow and White 
Globe and the Red Wethersfield. None 
of the Italian sorts will keep well, and 
the Yellow Potato onion is a poorer 
keeper than the white one. Onions 
grown the same season from seed will 
keep better than those grown from sets 
of the same variety. In lifting the 
onions I leave them for a time lying 
along the rows in the sun, but never 
when rain threatens. When partially 
cured in this way I spread them out in 
the hottest loft on the place till the 
tops are completely dried. I then put 
them in the coolest place I have, and 
in total darkness if possible, still re¬ 
taining the tops, and never remove the 
tops till I want to use or sell them. 
They sprout much more readily with 
the tops removed, and lie lighter and 
are less apt to heat owith the dry tops 
left on. In Winter I prefer to have 
them- where they may possibly get 
frozen slightly than to leave them where 
they will be too warm. Put in the 
South do not attempt to keep onion 
sets over Winter, but always plant them 
in the Fall, and if you want to grow a 
ripe crop, sow the seed in February of 
either of the Globe onions and you can 
get a better-keeping crop than you can 
grow from sets. I received last Fall 
from a seedsman seed of what he 
called a new Winter onion. They were 
sown late in the Fall and grew all Win¬ 
ter, and at this date, June 20. they arc 
still growing, with no signs of ripening. 
W. F. MASSEY. 
THE KUK.A.L NEW -VORKEK 
SHORT STORIES. 
Fertilizer for Strawberries. 
You say <ln not put ashes on strawber¬ 
ries. Wlint shall we use on Ihem? 
Connecticut. e. s. b. 
A simple mixture of three parts line 
ground bone to one part muriate of potash 
will do where the soil is naturally rich, 
or where manure was used. On light soil 
or where no manure was applied we would 
add one part by weight of dried blood. 
This would mean MOO pounds hone, 100 pot¬ 
ash and 100 dried blood. 
Second Crop Potatoes. 
What do you mean by second-crop po¬ 
tatoes? Can I take early potatoes, har¬ 
vested in early part of July, and plant 
some of them over again in the same sca- 
M. G. 
N. J. 
potatoes are. as the 
of an early first crop 
season. In 
this can Ik? 
BUB E 2 E 
son ? 
Egg Harbor City, 
The second-crop 
name implies, seed 
ripened and planted the same 
Kentucky and south of there 
done in most seasons. There is not. usu¬ 
ally. a large second crop, hut the tutters 
thus grown are very good for seed. In 
some parts of the trucking districts of 
the South this second crop is kept in the , 
ground and dug early the following Win- \ 
ter. and sold as new potatoes. We have 
succeeded in ripening tubers so as to sprout 
in July, hut usually special treatment is 
needed. We spread the tubers in a shady 
place under trees, kept them moist and 
lightly covered with straw. 
The Stringfellow Method. 
Your article on the Stringfellow method 
of planting, on pages 0X7 and 6X8. with the 
very effective illustration, was of groat in¬ 
terest. I have practiced this method on 
my own place for several years with 
peaches and dwarf pears, and with decided 
success. If thoroughly and Intelligently 
tested, it is my judgment that String- 
fellow's principles are capable of adapta¬ 
tion over a much wider range of country 
than is now suspected. wn.nrn Dubois. 
Ohio. 
it. N-.-Y.—We learn from correspondence 
that many large growers are following the 
Stringfellow plan. One man wriles ns that 
he has planted 40,000 trees that way. Yet 
tlie experiment stations have, as a rule, 
paid no attention to the matter. 
Buckwheat and Crimson Clover. 
T am having a piece of meadow plowed 
to put in buckwheat. Would it be an ad¬ 
vantage to sow Crimson clover with it, if 
T can get the seed, and how much of 
each? What fertilizer? If the clover can¬ 
not he used, would it be well to sow rye 
with the buckwheat? ®- 
New England. 
Yes. good results are obtained by sow¬ 
ing Crimson clover with buckwheat. We 
should use five pecks of buckwheat and 
10 pounds of clover broadcast. Rye will 
make a slow growth until the buckwheat 
is cut. and will give a crop to plow under. 
We would rather have the clover. From 
choice we would use at least 400 pounds 
per acre of a fertilizer containing at least 
'2V> per cent nitrogen. 8 of phosphoric 
acid and fi of potash. 
Mowing Potato Vines. 
I plowed up a meadow last Fall, liar- 
rowed it twice this Spring, manured it 
pretty heavily, and have planted it to 
potatoes with a little phosphate on top of 
each hill. The potatoes came up quickly 
and thick: they have almost tilled the 
patch with greens. 1 was told that the 
potatoes are up too much, so they will not 
make any showing underneath, so if T 
want to get good results down below. I 
should, just as soon as their bloom falls, 
either with a scythe mow it off. or else 
break each plant down. I never heard of 
such doings, so I would like to lie advised 
by you. Does it harm the potatoes if 
you spray them in full bloom? w. g. 
Sandy Hook. Conn. 
Who gives you any such advice? We 
should pay no attention to it. Keep those 
vines growing by good cultivation and 
spraying with Bordeaux Mixture. The ob¬ 
ject is to keep them alive and thrifty as 
long as you can. We have seen potato 
vines mowed off. In one case the vines 
were small and had begun to blight. The 
owner mowed them and burned the vines. 
His theory was that by cutting off the 
diseased vines and thoroughly spraying the 
stumps he could cultivate and start a new 
lot of healthier vines, it was a favorable 
season and worked that way. hut we would 
nol mow such vinos as W. G. reports. 
on 
Rk ~JVeeds 
J\[o Painting 
A MATITE costa less 
than the "smooth 
surfaced” roofings at 
the beginning, and ita 
comparative cost grows 
less every year because 
you never have to 
spend any money for 
paint. .. 
Amatite haa a real min¬ 
eral surface which gives 
protection without paint¬ 
ing or attention of any kind. 
The man who buys Ama¬ 
tite makes no mistake. 
Sample and booklet 
request. 
Barrett Mfg. Co. 
New York Chicago 
Philadelphia Boston 
St. Louis Cleveland 
Pittsburg Cincinnati Kansas City 
Minneapolis New Orleans London.Eng. 
July 24. 
When you write advertisers mention Tub 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll got a quick reply and 
a square deal.” See guarantee page 8. 
Save Your Crops 
From Early And Lale 
Frosts With The 
TROUTMAN 
ORCHARD 
HEATER 
FOR BURNING OIL 
Millions saved this year. 
Write us for prices and 
full information. Capable 
and responsible agents 
wanted. Address 
THE ROUND CREST FRUIT 
CO., Canon City, Colo. 
C hoice clover and grass seeds sola 
direct to the fanner. We have reduced our 
| choice Hungarian and Millet seeds to the present 
market value. Write for samples and prices at 
once. N. WKKTHKJMKK & SONS. Ligonier, Ind. 
Cnn CAI C—Crimson Clover Seed. #0.00 bushel 
lUn OHLC Gow Peas, $1.75 to $2.1)0 bushel 
,1. E. HOLLA 
pound 
Nil, 3 
Milford. Dela. 
PCI CDY-KKST VARIETIES. Full count of 
WCLCn I heavily rooted, stocky plants. 
H. A. TODD, Doylestown, PenDa. 
HARRISON’S NUKSKKIES. Berlin, Md. 
1100 acres trees and plants. Catalog free. 
C 
ARRACK PI.ANTS-A11 Seasons, Premium, 
Flat Dutch. Surehead. Danish Ball bead ,$1.00 
per 1000. BASIL R. PERRY, Cool Spring, Del. 
1,000,000 PL ANTSp-.LT.Sl,” 
Surehead and Danishball Cabbage, $1.00 per 1,000; 
10,000 for $8.00. White Plume, G. S. Blanching. 
Giant Pascal. Winter Queen and Perle l,e Grand 
Celery. $1.25 per 1.000; 10.000 for $10. (HI. Address 
CALEB BOGGS & SON, Cheswold. Del. 
0 1*1 DC A Q-Fsm-.v reclenned stock, 
WwV» rCMO $ 1.75 per bushel. 
K. KIGG. Jr., Burlington, New Jersey 
A LFALFA SOU. for Inoculation — Book 
your order now to insure prompt shipment. 
K. T. GILL. Haddon Farms, Haddontield, X. .1. 
Quart of Strawberries i>u UJ Ti 9 io 
Send for Catalogue and Prices. 
T. C. KKVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
For Best EXTENSION UDDER “ '7ISSK*'" 
JOHN J. l’OT'i’Elt, U Mill St., Binghamton, N. Y. 
LITTLE TREES and PLANTS 
Will bear fruit almost as quickly as the large ones. Some of 
you are a long distance from a nursery. We can send them in 
finest condition to any part of the country by mail post-paid. 
Peaches and Apples at $1.00 per dozen, other stock 
at proportionate prices. 
JOS. H. BLACK. SON & CO., Hightstown. N. J. 
it Ij,. <)/ ^7 
*0 Sf. <Sx Sfcc 4 
«v hs V °/> * 
v O ' 'o 
Tarring Corn.— My method of tarring 
>rn. for ease in stirring, and giving tlie 
irn a nice coat of far, beats anything J 
tve seen yet. A tablespoonful of tar and 
ro quarts of hot water will be sufficient 
r four quarts of corn. This amount of 
it water will not injure the corn, but will 
d germination and lliin the tar. so a 
tie vigorous stirring with a paddle will 
ve the corn a nice even coat. If corn is 
rred the day or evening before ttsing 
id water poured off. it will lie quite dry, 
id then you can dust with fine, dry dirt. 
Driftwood, Pa. b. e. l- 
Thomas Phosphate Powder 
BASIC SLAG PHOSPHATE 
The Only Phosphate Especially Suited 
For Use Upon Alfalfa — Unequalled For 
Grass, Clovers, Pastures and Fruit Trees. 
A Ton of THOMAS PHOSPHATE 
POWDER Contains Approximately: 
340 to 380 lbs. of Phosphoric Acid 
700 “ 1000 “ “ Lime 
100 “ 120 “ “ Magnesia 
260 “ 280 “ “ Iron 
140 “ 180 “ “ Manganese 
From this you can readily see why it gives such remarkable results. 
Our Booklet, “THOMAS PHOSPHATE POWDER AND ITS 
TTSES.” is sent free if you mention The Rubai. New-Yokker. 
THE COE-MORTIMER COMPANY, Special Importers 
24 Stone Street, New York City 
j 
