1170 
able amount of free phosphoric acid, a strong 
mineral acid, and also to the presence of mono¬ 
calcium phosphate (one-lime phosphate), which is an 
extremely acid salt. Acid phosphate frequently 
contains from four to 6^% of free phosphoric acid, 
or, in other words, from 80 to 130 pounds of free 
phosphoric acid in a ton. The same acid phosphate 
may also contain from seven to A/% of phosphoric 
acid in the form of mono-calcium phosphate; that is, 
from 140 to 90 pounds of phosphoric acid in this 
form per ton. It is the free phosphoric acid and the 
mono-calcium phosphate in the acid phosphate that 
causes the material to “eat” or destroy the bags, and 
it is this fact that makes it necessary for practically 
all fertilizer manufacturers to treat with special com¬ 
pounds the bags in which acid phosphate is to be 
packed and shipped. 
In my opinion, the depletion of soils of their lime 
content is due very largely to another material, namely, 
muriate of potash or chloride of potash. Chlorides 
rob the soil of lime by forming in the soil chloride of 
calcium, which is over 1.6 times as soluble as common 
salt, and therefore leached out on the ground very 
readily. 
Now when it is considered that the favorite prc j 
scription of the home mixers of fertilizer is a mixture 
of raw acid phosphate and muriate of potash, with 
sometimes the addition of a relatively small amount of 
nitrate of soda, it is apparent that this is the worst 
combination that can be devised for use upon soils 
where it is desired to maintain an alkaline condition. 
This accounts, I believe, for many of the bad results 
obtained from the use of home mixtures. On the 
other hand, in preparing high-grade commercial fer¬ 
tilizers, the careful manufacturer so prepares his goods 
that the free phosphoric acid in the acid phosphate 
shall exert its influence on the bone, tankage and 
other materials contained in the goods, and further 
provides a certain amount of basic materials in the 
fertilizers, so that the user of these goods receives all 
the benefits from the acid phosphate without experi¬ 
encing any of its disadvantages. The employment of 
these basic materials also supplies in a correct pro¬ 
portion the basic materials necessary to replace in the 
soil any lime that may have been removed by the 
muriate of potash or by the use of sulphate of am¬ 
monia. The manufacturer with his corps of expert 
chemists is able to determine to a nicety just how 
much of such material is required, which the home 
mixer can hardly hope to do. 
In confirmation of the fact that acid phosphate used 
in its raw state may do harm, I quote the following 
from the latest edition of the standard work on agri¬ 
culture by Prof. F. H. Storer: 
In using superphosphate, a certain amount of care 
should be exercised, as was said just now, lest this acid 
substance injure the seed or the young crop or useful 
micro-organisms in the soil. It is well known that free 
mineral acids, even when highly diluted, are injurious to 
most plants. For example, sulphuric acid diluted even 
with 1,000 parts of water has been used with advantage 
for killing grass and weeds in gravel walks made witn 
Hint or silicious sand. 
The effect of residual sulphuric acid in the soil is 
well shown by the continuous manuring of the same 
piece of ground with sulphate of ammonia for a term 
of years. Starting with a field having a luxuriant 
growth of Timothy and clover, we find after manur¬ 
ing such a field with sulphate of ammonia for, say, 
three or four years that the growth on it is simply a 
mass of daisies, sorrel, and other noxious weeds. And 
yet, when properly used in commercial fertilizers in 
which the proper basic materials are supplied, it is an 
acknowledged fact that sulphate of ammonia is one of 
the best sources of ammonia (or nitrogen) that we 
know of. 
In general, it can be truly said that an acid condi¬ 
tion is obnoxious to nature. In human beings it 
causes rheumatism, gout, kidney troubles and a host 
of other diseases. In the soil it prevents the profitable 
growth of such valuable crops as Timothy (Herd’s 
grass), Blue grass, clover, Alfalfa, asparagus, spinach, 
onions, tobacco, beets, celery, lettuce, and many others. 
It prevents development in the soil of the nitro¬ 
bacteria that enable the leguminous crops, such 
as clover, Alfalfa, etc., to take nitrogen from the air 
and also prevents the growth in the soil of the nitrify¬ 
ing bacteria that convert crude forms of nitrogen 
into nitrates suitable for plant food. 
From what I have said above and what I have 
quoted from other authorities, it will be clear that I 
do not quite agree with Mr. Bowker in believing that 
free sulphuric acid is desirable in the soil, espe¬ 
cially in view of the fact that it destroys plants even 
when diluted with 1.000 parts of water. I am inclined 
to think that if there is any benefit to growing plants, 
to be derived from sulphur that it is more likely that 
this benefit would result from the use of neutral 
salts of this acid. As a matter of fact, we have as 
yet in this country barely scratched the surface of the 
THE RURAF NEW-YORKER 
subject of chemistry of plant foods. Not only should 
the question of the value of sulphur be thoroughly in¬ 
vestigated, but also the effects of iron in preventing 
and curing chlorosis (bleaching or yellowing of the 
leaves), and in developing high color in fruits, should 
be studied. The effects of manganese in correcting 
soil toxins or poisons and in preventing and curing 
the sickly yellow appearance the oat crop frequently 
has, should be thoroughly investigated. I believe that 
Mr. Bowker is on the right track in encouraging the 
study of these questions, but, as you observe, I reach 
the goal of my conclusions by a somewhat different 
road. GEORGE d. leavens. 
THE GREAT HEN CONTEST. 
The second week of the “International Egg-laying 
Contest,” at Storrs College, Connecticut, leaves the 
White Leghorns still in the lead, the champion pen 
this week being the pen of Thomas Barron, of Eng¬ 
land. They laid 17 eggs out of a possible 35, nearly 
a 50 per cent lay. Buff Leghorns were second best, 
the pen of Geo. H. Schmitz, of Illinois, laying 13 eggs, 
a 37 per cent. lay. This contest may lead to a re¬ 
vision of the generally accepted opinion that Leg¬ 
horns are not good Winter layers. Not very long ago 
Leghorns were supposed to require tight warm houses 
if any eggs were expected in Winter, and stoves or 
other means of artificial heating of the houses was 
frequently resorted to to produce “Summer condi¬ 
tions,” as it was called. But this contest is in open- 
front houses with constant stveep of fresh air through 
them night and day, the houses being boarded up 
from the bottom only high enough to prevent the 
wind blowing directly on the birds. The 155 White 
Leghorns in this contest laid 96 eggs the second week, 
as against 37 the first week. But I imagine I hear 
some of the breeders of the American breeds say: 
“Just wait until we get some zero weather, then see 
them shut up like a jackknife.” Well, that is one of 
the things this contest is to find out. 
The American breeds have not made a very good 
showing up to date. Out of 13 pens of Barred P. 
TRAP NEST USED IN HEN CONTEST. Fig. 47S. 
Rocks only two pens have laid, one giving eight eggs 
and one four. Four pens of White P. Rocks have laid 
three eggs in the two weeks. Partridge P. Rocks, 
Columbian P. Rocks, Silver Wyandottes and* Golden 
Wyandottes have not laid an egg. Buff Wyandottes, 
only one pen entered, have laid nine. Three pens of 
Columbian Wyandottes have laid six. Eight pens of 
White Wyandottes have laid 35. Single Comb R. I. 
Reds, eight pens, have laid eight eggs, while the Rose 
Comb Reds, four pens, have laid 20. Black Minorcas, 
Anconas, Houdans and “Buttercups” have not laid an 
egg. The Buff Orpingtons, four pens, have laid 17 
eggs; five pens of White Orpingtons have laid 18 
eggs. 
Without doubt the biggest improvement in poultry 
keeping in many years has been the introduction of 
the open-air house; and bipeds of the “genus homo” 
are finding out the benefit of fresh air. Out of the 
dozen dwelling houses on Willington Hill, four have 
been equipped with open air sleeping rooms, and 
another is soon to be. These are built over the piazzas; 
drop blinds furnish privacy, but let the air through. 
The old scourge of New England, consumption, wi’l 
have his teeth drawn and his claws cut in proportion 
as this habit obtains. geo. a. cosgrove. 
R. N.-Y.—Last week we gave a picture of the house 
in which these “contest” hens are kept. This week at 
Fig. 478 is shown the form of trap nest used for 
testing the birds. 
GOOD YOUNG STOCK.—The picture at Fig. 480 
is sent us by a friend in Tompkins County, New York. 
It is a picture of her neighbor’s boy, and she said it 
shows one way of keeping the boys on the farm. 
This boy is 12 years old. He walks three miles to 
school, and says he is “on the way to Cornell.” 
Among other valuable and interesting qualities it is 
said that he can make a good cake that will melt in 
your mouth, as well as take care of a horse or other 
farm stock. Certainly as the group stands it shows 
a collection of fine stock, which might well be multi¬ 
plied on the farms of New York. 
December 0, 
“THE CONSUMER’S DOLLAR.” 
This week we begin a series of articles designed to 
show just what consumers in various American cities 
pay for stated articles of food. We have selected 
such articles as farmers can sell direct where they 
have opportunity in a public market or by private 
trade. These articles are freely sent by mail in 
Europe and Great Britain, where there is a fair par¬ 
cels post privilege. In order to obtain these figures we 
wrote to parties whose names are taken at random 
from our list. No effort has been made to make any 
special showing one way or the other. These people 
were merely asked to tell just what they pay for these 
articles. The only object we have is to get at the 
facts. We hope to report these prices from week to 
week. Let farmers compare the prices they receive 
with these figures : 
1 
Pittsburgh, 
Portland, 
Hartford, 
Harris- 
Pa. 
Me. 
Conn. 
buro, Pa. 
Roasting fowl, per lb_. 
20-25 
20-25 
*65-90 
One-half peck potatoes... 
... 10 15 
13 
15 
20-25 
One quart onions. 
... 5-13 
6-8 
5 
5-15 
One-half peck turnips.... 
One bunch celerv. 
... 20 
... 5 
8-15 
10-15 
10 
12 
5-10 
5-15 
One head lettuce. 
5 
8 
5-10 
15 
One-half peck apples. 
... 8-15 
15 
13 
One dozen eggs.. 
50 
30-45 
38-40 
One pound butter.... 
37-38 
3G 
35-43 
One pound lard .. 
15-18 
13 
1214 
14 
One pound country sausage. 15 
10 
18 
14-18 
* One fowl. 
The Hartford correspondent 
says : 
Regarding roasting fowl, would say that this was a 
‘'gilt edged" bird furnished me November 10 by my laun¬ 
dress, so this price was direct “from producer to con¬ 
sumer.” I could not say what the store price would have 
been, as we have found store chickens very unsatisfactory. 
The other prices are regular grocery rates and grocery 
measure. Butter, the best creamery; eggs from nearby 
poultry farms, fresh, but with pale yolks and thin whites. 
The Pittsburg correspondent says fresh butcher’s 
sausage is referred to in her case. The chicken is 
fresh-killed. The prices had been the same for sev¬ 
eral weeks, except the butter and eggs, which were in¬ 
creasing and would go higher. 
Our Harrisburg informant says: 
1 understand the price the hucksters were paying the 
last day or two for potatoes at the car is $1.10 a bushel. 
1 recently bought a barrel of Greenings from a commis¬ 
sion house hero in town for $2.50. They were raised in 
the vicinity of Harrisburg. Mr. Gabriel Iliester told me 
recently that he was selling his Baldwin apples f. o. b. at 
Newport, Fa., for $4.25 a barrel. The bulk of the green 
goods such as you mention are sold in the markets here. 
There are five markets in Harrisburg, full of stalls which 
are rented by the farmers (there are a few hucksters who 
have stalls) and they regulate the price. The stores can¬ 
not charge any more, or, if they do, there will be no sale. 
Nearly every housewife can be seen trudging to and from 
the market with her basket on Wednesday and Saturday, 
so that the farmer in this vicinity gets 100 cents on the 
dollar, and you may be sure that they get all their goods 
are worth, and then some, for the quality of the better 
part of the produce is inferior. At the present time we 
lire paying seven cents a quart for milk in the city. 
There was recently an agitation to raise the price, but 
the consumers and peddlers of the milk remonstrated so 
strongly against the farmers raising the price, and thev 
showed so conclusively that other towns in the vicinity 
were selling milk cheaper than here that the matter has 
been temporarily dropped. 1 am told, however, on good 
authority, that the farmers of the vicinity are forming a 
stock company. They intend to put up a building for the 
distribution of milk, have their owu wagons for deliver¬ 
ing it, charge six cents a quart to the consumer, until they 
have driven our present milkmen out of business, when 
the intention is to raise it to nine cents. This is all be¬ 
cause the physician who runs a private sanitarium and is 
used to fat fees started in to raising milk and was not 
satisfied with a reasonable profit. p. t. b. 
WHAT ABOUT CROWN-GALL ON TREES. 
I have bought the farm on which the former owner 
planted in 18S9 and 1902 about 800 apple trees, with other 
fruits. There are 475 of these now standing, but at least 
100 will have to come out. Those which must come out 
have never made any growth to amount to anything, and 
arc worthless. Nearly every one has well-developed crown- 
gall or hairy root. The good trees show either none or 
only slight infection. The really serious problem is : Can 
1 safely replant this orchard, either where trees have been 
gone for some time, or where I take them out now? If 
the disease is carried by tools and is in the soil, would 
it not of necessity affect the new trees? - a. w. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
My opinion is that one cannot safely plant peach, 
apple, and many other orchard trees in soil where 
plants diseased with crown-gall have grown. It does 
not always follow that a galled tree is a poor one, or 
that it will die because it has a gall; but its presence 
in a field makes conditions dangerous for those varie¬ 
ties less resistant to gall, and also to very young trees. 
The crown-gall organism works in soft tissue, and by 
being there stimulates more soft tissue to form in 
the shape of galls. Galls may become very hard, but 
the dangerous part is always the softer superficial 
layers. This soft tissue is an attractive place for 
borers, which, working through the galls and then 
through other parts of the crown of the tree not 
galled, carry the organism with them and infect these 
other parts. It is not an uncommon thing to find a 
peach tree almost, or entirely, girdled by a succession 
of galls accompanied by borers. 
If healthy trees are wounded by the cultivator or 
by a tool used to take out borers, which instruments 
and tools have been used at other times around dis¬ 
eased trees, infection in the healthy trees may follow. 
The experimental stage has not yet been passed with 
reference to such a broad subject as crown-gall, but 
certain facts have been established: The disease is 
infectious; its presence is injurious, whether directly 
or indirectly, and the safest way to prevent its spread¬ 
ing in a } r oung orchard is to destroy by burning trees 
known to be infected, and not risk replanting in the 
soil from which an infected tree was lifted. 
Department of Agriculture. erwin f. smith. 
