1908. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3S1 
BOX REEL FOR GARDEN LINE. 
Fig. 162 shows a tool that wc have 
found very handy and useful. It is of 
my own invention; that is, I had never 
seen or heard of one before making 
this. I shall not try for a patent, but 
will pass it along for the benefit of 
brother gardeners. The picture explains 
it fully I think, but will give the dimen¬ 
sions of this one, although it can be 
made any size desired. The box is 12 
by 14 inches and 18 inches high, except 
the side board, to which gear is at¬ 
tached ; this is 30 inches high. The 
bottom board is 30 inches long; this 
gives a projection on each end to place 
a weight to hold the box steady when 
the line is wound or unwound. The 
BOX REEL FOR GARDEN LINE. Fro. 162. 
spindle should be made in the shape of 
a spool to prevent the line binding when 
winding, and the spool should clear the 
side of the box by an eighth of an inch 
to prevent friction; one end of the 
spindle should be set in the side a half¬ 
inch, the other end project through far 
enough to take on the small sprocket 
wheel. If you have not an abandoned 
bicycle you can procure the chain and 
sprocket wheel at any second-hand 
bicycle shop for a small sum. The 
small wheel should be screwed on the 
end of the spindle, which has been made 
the right size to receive it, and held in 
place by a staple; the large wheel is 
fastened to the upright (as near the top 
as the length of the chain will allow) 
by a half-inch bolt three inches long 
with threads cut two inches on same, 
and a burr placed on each side of thq 
board. Place handle on top so box will 
balance when carried. 
Ohio. ARTHUR D. DORR. 
Potato Fertilizer. 
L. II. R., Hartcinton, Conn. —1. I have 
plowed a heavy turf field for potatoes, and 
fiud in places quantities of coal ashes which 
have lain in the soil for years. Will this 
cause scab or any other trouble to the 
potatoes? Does soaking seed in formalin 
protect from scab germs in the soil, or 
only from the germs on the seed? 2. Please 
give the analysis of the following formula 
which is to be used for potatoes at rate of 
1.500 pounds per acre, and for corn at 
rate of 600 pounds per acre: 200 pounds 
nitrate of soda, 19-20 per cent ammonia; 
200 pounds dissolved bone black: 300 
pounds high grade sulphate of potash ; 600 
pounds acid phosphate: 700 pounds blood, 
hone and meat. This formula unmixed costs 
me $31.85 at my railway depot, and has 
given fine results, hence I would like to 
know the analysis. 
Ans. — 1 . You need not be afraid of 
the coal ashes. They do not contain 
any lime, which is the thing in wood 
ashes that causes scab trouble. Soaking 
in formalin simply kills the germs in 
the seed potatoes. It will not affect 
the germs already in the soil. Sulphur 
scattered in the hill or drill will keep 
them dormant. 2. We figure that an¬ 
alysis as follows: 
Ammonia Plios. Acid Potash 
200 Nitrate of soda... 
200 Bono black . 
?90 Sulphate of potash 
38 
32 
• • 
150 
loo Acid phosphate. . 
84 
1 00 Blood, etc. 
49 
70 
Total. 
87 
186 
150 
T he 87 pounds of ammonia represent 
about 72 pounds of nitrogen, so that 
you have a mixture containing Z l / 2 per 
cent nitrogen, nearly 9 y 2 phosphoric 
acid and 7 l / 2 potash. 
Planting an Acre of Potatoes. 
G. P. G„ Wolfeboro, X. II .—Will yon 
give me your method of potato growing? I 
have an acre to plant this Spring, and I 
want to use the best method. 
Ans. —We can best answer by telling 
how we are planting an acre on our 
own farm. We assume that this man 
does not own a planter and that the 
work is done by hand. When the soil 
is dry so that it will not ball up when 
turned over we plow about eight inches 
deep. Then we work across the furrows 
with a spring-tooth harrow, then with an 
Acme smoothing harrow, then with the 
Cutaway and then with the Acme again, 
until the soil is thoroughly pulverized 
and all lumps broken up. Other tools 
will do this work, but it is very im¬ 
portant to have the soil as fine and 
open as can be. When the soil is fit 
we open deep furrows three feet apart. 
We do this by going back and forth 
with a small plow, but a double shovel 
plow will do the work better. In the 
meantime wc cut the seed, first soaking 
it for about two hours in a solution of 
one pint of formalin to 30 gallons of 
water. In cutting wc plan to have an 
average of two good eyes on a large 
piece of seed. The manner of cutting 
depends upon the variety largely. Some 
varieties like Carman have most of the 
vital eyes at one end. The eyes at the 
stem end are often dead, or too feeble 
to make good plants. In cutting such 
varieties we slice lengthwise of the 
tuber, so as to have one or two of the 
strong eyes at the bud end on each 
piece. With medium-sized tubers we 
cut them in two pieces—the larger ones 
being quartered. Other varieties are 
long and slender in shape, with strong 
eyes growing all over them. These 
make more seed pieces and can be cut 
differently—so as to have two eyes to 
each piece. In our own practice we 
scatter dry sulphur over the seed pieces 
When you write advertisers mention Tun 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee page 10. 
while cutting. This helps kill the scab 
germs, and also keeps the seed from 
rotting. When the furrows are i made, 
we drop the seed by hand, planning to 
place them about 18 inebes apart in the 
furrow. By dropping at the side of 
the furrow in soft ground, and letting 
the seed pieces roll down you will get 
them about where you want them. Our 
plan is to drop the seed and then with 
the side of the foot scrape a quantity 
of fine soil over it. This covers it 
enough to begin wi.h. After this cover¬ 
ing fertilizer at the rate of at least 
1,000 pounds per acre is scattered along 
the furrow. We do not try to put it all 
down into the furrow, but in a wide 
track about two feet wide. If you have 
a weeder, this can then be run along the 
rows to partly fill the furrows, or a cul¬ 
tivator or harrow can be used. We do 
not attempt to fill the furrows level full 
at first. This may seem small business 
to those who plant acres of potatoes in 
large fields with a planter. We own a 
planter, but seldom use it, as our fields 
are small, and most of our potatoes are 
planted among trees and vines. If we 
were after a prize on an acre of pota¬ 
toes we would plant by hand. 
Alfalfa Culture. 
I would like to have some information 
about Alfalfa. IIow much to sow on an 
'acre? What soil is best, low pieces or 
higher grade? What time should it be 
sown? g. f. 
Middleburg, Pa. 
Read The R. N.-Y. The whole matter 
will he gone over. We use 20 pounds of 
seed per acre. The best soil is a rich loam, 
well drained—with an open subsoil. The 
Alfalfa is a deep-rooting plant and will not 
thrive on low wet soils where the water 
level is near the surface. We sow about 
the middle of August. 
Picks Up Hay Profits 
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How 
T wo ^Cylinder 
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•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■•I 
The Key to Success 
in Farming 
Success in farming is no closed door once the well-established 
rule is understood; that to produce big crops from poor, worn-out 
soils is not possible without the aid of fertilizers and that the best 
of these is Bradley’s. Most observing farmers possess this key— 
and their success is proverbial. 
It is a well-known fact that the use of Bradley’s Fertilizers 
belongs to good farming; that the farmer who uses them is pro¬ 
gressive and prosperous; that the crops he raises are plenteous 
and profitable; that his lands are in good tilth and his buildings 
in good order;—and that his faith in the value of fertilizers is 
founded on the soundest possible basis — for it is founded on 
BRADLEY’S. 
See Local Agents, or address 
The American Agricultural Chemical Company 
BRADLEY FERTILIZER WORKS 
92 State Street, Boston, Mass. 
