1911. 
0f 
PLANT FOOD VALUES OF FEED. 
In England, when a farm changes 
tenants, the question of “unexhausted 
manurial values” must be considered. 
This means that the outgoing tenant 
must be paid for the plant food left in 
the soil from the grain which he has 
bought and fed. He is not at liberty 
to take away any manure, but if he can 
prove that he has within the previous 
two years bought and fed grain, bran, 
cotton-seed meal, linseed or similar food 
he receives a credit for such food. This 
custom is so general that there is an 
Association of Agricultural and Tenant 
Right Valuers, members of whicli go 
about making valuations when tenants 
leave a farm. There have been _two 
methods of computing such value. One 
was to estimate the cost of the food 
and make a proportionate value based 
on the amount of plant food supposed 
to be left. The othei plan is to make 
a standard price for nitrogen, potash 
and phosphoric acid, much like our 
American trade values of chemicals, 
and figure from these prices based on 
the analyses of the feeds. The last 
named plan is considered fairest. Under 
the first plan if the tenant could show 
that he had bought and fed feed to the 
value of $500 during the last year he 
had the farm he would be credited with 
$250 as “unexhausted value.” This is 
not fair, because it is easy to see that 
$50 worth of cornmeal could not pos¬ 
sibly give the manurial value of $50 
worth of cotton-seed meal. The com¬ 
mon plan now followed is to assume 
that one-half the nitrogen, three-fourths 
of the phosphoric acid and all the potash 
in the food consumed during the last 
year the tenant held the farm will be 
found in the manure, and that the next 
year only half of this will remain in 
the soil. On this basis it is’ figured that 
a ton of cotton-seed meal should contain 
6.9 per cent of nitrogen, 3.1 of phos¬ 
phoric acid and 2 per cent of potash. 
At the ruling price one-half this nitrogen 
would be worth 41.5 shillings, three- 
fourths the phosphoric acid seven shill¬ 
ings, and the potash eight, or 56 shill¬ 
ings, or about $14, and this would be 
credited to the outgoing tenant. If the 
tenant had fed a ton of cotton-seed 
in the year before the last he would be 
credited with $7 for the plant food left 
in the soil. In like manner a ton of 
corn would be credited $3.50 for the 
first year and $1.75 for the year before. 
We have not yet come' in this country 
to any such elaborate estimates, but 
the tendency in all good farming regions 
is to consider plant food as cash. The 
“Mark Lane Express” contains a re¬ 
port of a lawsuit over a manure pile. 
An incoming tenant on an English farm 
found a pile of manure for sale, and en¬ 
gaged a valuer to put a price on it. 
This price was set at about $40 and was 
paid. It was found later that this 
"manure” pile was composed largely of 
road scrapings, and the tenant sued the 
valuer for giving too high a value. After 
a long trial the tenant lost. 
Metal Roofs and Lightning. 
E. .4. P ., Chatham, Pa .—Some of the 
manufacturers of iron roofing claim that if 
connected with the ground by wire it af¬ 
fords the best protection against lightning. 
What do you think of this? ‘Does the iron 
roof, without the wire connection, increase 
the risk over a shingle roof? Is the wire 
connection of any benefit? 
Ans. —A metal-covered building, roof 
and sides, and well connected with the 
ground, is ideally protected against 
lightning. A metal roof, well connected 
with permanently moist earth, is also 
well protected against lightning. The 
metal roof unconnected with the ground 
is not essentially more dangerous than 
an ordinary roof, but the roof should 
be well connected with the ground. 
One of the best methods is to use strips 
of galvanized sheet iron riveted and 
soldered to the roof and riveted and 
soldered together, carried down the 
sides, and the end terminating in per¬ 
manently moist soil, riveted and sol- 
THE RURAL? 
dered to a strip of of the same metal 
some two feet square laid flat on the 
bottom of the hole and the earth filled 
in over it. The wider the strips and 
the more of them, the more complete is 
the protection. They ought not to be 
less than four inches wide, and two of 
them on opposite sides of the building 
which is metal roofed, would constitute 
fair conductors. f. h. king. 
Alfalfa after Rye. 
•7. F. F., Bedminster, Pa. —I have an acre 
of well-drained gravelly loam that is seeded 
to rye. I took a crop of rye off it Summer 
of 1910, let ragweed and a small amount 
of clover grow there until September 26. 
That day I gave it a good coat of barn¬ 
yard manure. I plowed weeds and manure 
under, prepared a good seed bed and 
seeded down to rye, using 200 pounds of 
fertilizer, analysis available phosphoric acid 
12 per cent, potash five per cent. If I 
harvest the rye, lime the acre and seed to 
Alfalfa, can I expect a stand? Clover 
grows x’eadily when season is favorable. I 
am told that no farmer is rich enough to 
pasture a field, that cattle take more fer¬ 
tility off in a single season than a farmer 
can haul on in a Winter of barnyard 
manure. Is this true? I have the time 
and the help. Would you advise me to 
haul out the barnyard manure upon the 
sod field that I intend to plow for corn in 
the Spring? 
Ans. —You ought to have a good 
chance to start Alfalfa on that field after 
the rye. Use plenty of lime, and if you 
can get soil from an old Alfalfa field 
use it. As for pasturing, it depends on 
what kind of stock you keep. Of course 
the plant food contained in the milk 
would be taken from the field, and if the 
cows were stabled at night half the 
manure would also be taken. If the 
stock should be beef cattle or sheep 
the loss to the field would be what they 
carry away in their bodies, as meat, 
bone and wool. During a series of 
years this loss would be considerable. 
In the West, where live stock were 
pastured for many years, the far >s 
ran down through lack of phosphoric 
acid, which was taken from the soil in 
the bones of live stock. In dairy dis¬ 
tricts there is usually a marked differ¬ 
ence between sections where entire milk 
is sold and where butter is made, for 
the milk contains far more plant food 
than the butter. If the sod field is 
fairly level and there is no surface wash 
over it we would haul out the manure 
this Winter. 
NEW-YORKER 
Express Rates.—Y our inquiry in regard 
to express companies causes me to write 
you. I sent a package, 10 pounds, to 
South Bend, 70 cents, also a package, four 
pounds, to Freeport, Ill., 60 cents. I am 
inclined to think this must have been an 
extra rate so the express company’s Christ¬ 
mas present to their employes should come 
from the general public. The Lord loves 
a cheerful giver, so I suppose we ought 
not to complain. j. w. e. 
Pittsburg, Pa. 
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Easy for Anyone to Lay 
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The World's Largest Manufacturers of Steel 
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DAILY 
OUTPUT 
18,000 
BBLS. 
YEARLY 
OUTPUT 
OVER 
6.500,000 
ALPHA 
PORTLAND CEMENT 
is absolutely the best that can be made 
for all farm work. Largely used by 
U. S. Government and in State, Munici¬ 
pal and Railroad work—a reputation of 
20 years behind it. Ask your dealer for 
ALPHA 
Send for Booklet and learn why it is the best. 
ALPHA PORTLAND CEMENT CO., 
ADDRESS 
2 Center Square, EASTON, PA. 
h hex you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” Sec guarantee page 16. 
JDMPIRE FENCE 
let the genuine EMPIRE big 
wire fence, direct, at wholesale. 
‘ .Save dealer’s profits. 
Big Factory, Big 
Sales, 23 Styles 
No traveling salesmen, small 
, — expense, prices low. Every- 
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mall. Prices of leadingstylesfrelght pre¬ 
paid to all points north of the Ohio and 
-east of the Mississippi River:— 
Wires Inohoshigh Medium Weight Extr» he»Tj(»ll No.9) 
,j> 39 23c per rod 37c per rod 
10 47 26c per rod 41o per rod 
12 65 S2c per rod 49c per rod 
Special rates beyond this territory. 
BOND STEEL POST CO., 23 E. Mauuee St., Adrian, Mich. 
MARKET GARDENERS’ PAPER 
Weekly Market Growers’ Journal—only paper printed 
especially for vegetable growers. $ 1.00 a year, 62 is¬ 
sues. For 10 cents and names of three market gardeners 
we will send it ten weeks with our popular booklet, 
“$25,000 a Year From Twelve Acres.” Send for free 
sample copies—it is the best way to judge. 
Market Growers' Journal, 541 Walker Bldg., Louisville, Ky. 
Heaviest Fence Made 
Heaviest Galvanizing 
We make 160 styles. Horse 
cattle, sheep, hog, and bull 
prooffences made of No. 9 
double galvanized wires 
and absolutely rust proof 
Bargain Prices: 
14 cents per Rod Op 
Poultry and Rabbit Proof 
Fences, Lawn Fences and 
Gates. Send for Catalog 
and Free sample lor test. 
The Rrown Fence St Wire Co. 
Dept, 59 Cleveland, Ohio 
SlkVAPVt TREE 
WMM 
1 Vi ih. .it. 1 
25c 
48 IN. F ^„ C / 
Best high carbon coiled steel 
wire. Easy to stretch over 
hills and hollows. FREE 
Catalog—fences, tools. Buy 
from factory at wholesale 
prices. Write today to Box 67, 
MA80.V FENCE CO., LEESBURG, 0. 
Cents a Rod 
For 18-In. 14 3-4e for 22-In. Hog 
Fence; loe for 26-lnch; 18 8-4e 
for 32-Inch; 25e for a 47-lnch 
Farm Fence. 48-Inch Poultry 
fence 28 l-2e. Sold on 30 days 
trial. 80 rod spool Ideal Barb 
Wire $1.45 Catalogue free. 
KITSELMAN BROS., 
Box 230 NN UNCIE, IND. 
FENCE 
Strongest 
Made — 
Maideof High Carbon Double Strength 
Colled Wire. Heavily Galvanized to 
prevent rust. Have no agents. Sell at 
factory prices on 30 days’ free trial. 
We pay al I freight. 37 heights of farm 
and poultry fence. Catalog Free. 
COILED SPRING FENCE CO. 
Box 263 Winchester, Indiana. 
_ LAWN FENCE 
Many Styles. Sold on trial at 
wholesale prices. Save 20 
to 30 per cent. Illustrated 
Catalogue free. Write today. 
KITSELMAN BROS. 
Box 440 Munoie, Indian. 
LAWN FENCE 
I Many designs. Cheap as 
wood. 82 page Catalogue 
I free. Special Prices to 
I Churches and Cemeteries. 
LCoiled Spring Fence Go. 
’Box 314 Winchester. Ind. 
FROST 
WIRE FENCES 
A Heavy Pence made of Hard wire, 
bull! with one purpose in view, 
0 0 of lasting and ■atfsfactory 
'* * ^ service. No repairs. Free catalog 
upon request. Ask your dealer. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO. 
Dept. H CLEVELAND, 0. 
One Animal and Three Hogs 
to an Acre 
T HIS is a fair estimate of the average feeding ability of 
the soil. On a farm of 80 acres the highest limit of 
efficiency is 20-acre fields. Large fields diminish the 
earning power because two small fields alternated will furnish 
much more support for stock than the same average in one big 
field. The fence is the important factor; and with the liberal 
use of gates, unlimited extension and alternation is simple. 
The steel in Ellwood fence is specially as to prevent sagging. The small and 
made from carefully selected stock. 
It is hard, elastic, tough and springy. 
The line wires, composed of two or 
more wires twisted into cables, give 
each individual wire the shape of an 
elongated, coiled spring. The fence is 
therefore sufficiently elastic to take 
care of expansion and contraction, and 
yet so rigid when properly stretched 
permanent mesh is made by weaving 
one continuous wire throughout the 
fabric. The mesh or stay wires are so 
interwoven that slipping is impossible. 
The triangular truss fs the strongest 
form of construction known. For this 
reason. Ellwood fence will stand the 
hardest usage and still retain its 
shape. 
Ellwood Fence is sold in your town. J^wooddia® 
er and let him show you his different styles offence and quote you his low 
prices. Get his expert advice on your special needs. He is on the spot, 
buys in large quantities, gets the lowest carload freight rates, demonstrates 
quality before your eyes and is the man from whom you will get the most 
for your money. 
FRANK BAACKES, Vice President and General Sales Agent 
American Steel & Wire Co. 
Chicago New York Denver San, Francisco 
Sendfor copy of “EllwoodFenceNews" profusely itlustrated.devoted to thelnteresls of farmers and show- 
tng how fence may be employed to enhance the earning power of a farm, furnished free upon application. 
