iyi2. 
THB RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
401 
Vitality of Weed Seeds. 
J. B. L., New York. —1 have bought some 
hay which, contains considerable white 
daisy. I do not wish to introduce this 
weed oa my farm. Would I be likely to do 
so by feeding this hay to cattle and using 
the manure? In other words, will the 
white daisy seeds die after passing through 
the stock? 
Ans.— No one seems to know defi¬ 
nitely. The Vermont Experiment Sta¬ 
tion found weed seeds in many of the 
commercial feeds, and proved that 
many of our common weeds did germi¬ 
nate after passing through a cow. The 
white daisy was not included in the 
list of weeds, but the chances are that 
its seed would survive and live in the 
manure. It was found, however, that 
when weeds are cut into the sik> with 
the corn the heat generated there 
destroys the vitality of the seed. 
Clover on Corn Stubble. 
M. N. G.j Fleming ton, N. J. —Circum¬ 
stances have made me the possessor of a 
farm, four acres of which are now in Win¬ 
ter wheat and five acres were in corn last 
season. Unfortunately I do not know any¬ 
thing about farming, and circumstances will 
not permit me to give any time or attention 
to it this year, so the farm will remain 
idle for a while. I am informed that it 
will be necessary to plant something where 
the corn has been to prevent the soil from 
burning up this Summer. I have been 
advised also to put clover seed over the 
wheat. Will you advise me what to do that 
will require the least attention and still 
maintain the fertility of the soil until I 
can give it the proper study? 
Ans.— There are many like this man 
who have a farm but no time to attend 
to it. They get wagon loads of advice. 
Under such conditions renting usually 
spells ruin. If you expect to handle the 
farm yourself later we should sow a 
mixture of Red and Alsike clover on 
the wheat about April 1. As early as 
the ground is fit plow or disk the corn 
ground and sow oats seeding to clover 
at the same time. Get some good 
farmer to do this for you. The soil 
will not “burn up” if you let it alone, 
but it will grow up thick with weeds 
and be all the harder to conquer when 
you get at it finally. The clover will 
be improving it for you. 
have never been known to attack 
grapes. Our own celebrated robin 
ordinarily holds the championship for 
destroying fruit, especially Delaware 
grapes. From the very minute they 
color up the birds are at them. The 
damage they do is less from eating, but 
they peck up the clusters so they are 
practically worthless. I think the star¬ 
ling will prove a blessing to this coun¬ 
try. They are not seed eaters, have 
nothing in common with our blackbirds 
and do not pull corn. They are rather 
an upland bird and nest in hollow trees 
and nest boxes. Charles friholin. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. 
Oats on Corn Stubble. 
Seeing P. ,T. D.’s inquiry about seeding 
oats on corn stubble wittiout plowing I 
would say that the best crops of oats that 
I have ever raised I have had from corn 
stubble that was not plowed. If P. J. D. 
will use a double-action disk harrow going 
over his stubble once, then sowing the oats 
and again going over it twice, being careful 
to try to cross-harrow every time, I think 
that he will got as good results as from 
plowing. Set your disk to the last notch 
and if your team is not able to handle it 
put on the third horse and you will be sur¬ 
prised what fine shape and good seed bed 
you can make without plowing, unless your 
land is well filled with fiat stones. I con¬ 
sider the double-action disk the greatest 
tool of its kind that any farmer can have. 
Florida, N. Y. j. o. g. 
When Oats Grow Too Fast. 
E. 8. L.j Connecticut .—Can anyone give 
us a stiff straw variety of oats that can 
be grown on rich heavy soil without lodg¬ 
ing? I manure heavily for corn (cow 
manure), next year follow with oats, which 
usually grow very rank until time to -head 
out; then if we get any wind with rain 
they go down so low they cannot be cut 
with anything but a scythe, and of course 
do not get over one-half crop of grain. I 
have tried these lodged oats for hay. but 
they are not satisfactory, as they will get 
soft on under side before you cut them. 
Cattle will not eat better than thrashed 
straw. Some years it costs more to harvest 
such a crop than they are really worth. 
What can we do? It looks as though we 
might have to cut the oat crop out entirely. 
This is serious, as Western oats to buy for 
several horses cost money and a lot of it; 
also we need the straw for bedding the 
cows on milk farms. 
Ans.— Probably it is the soil rather 
than the oat. Your description indi¬ 
cates that this soil is rich in nitrogen 
and probably lacking in potash and 
phosphoric acid—one or both. Nitrogen 
drives a plant on too quick and tender 
growth, which, if not supplied with 
the other plant food elements will 
“lodge” or fall down. Two remedies 
are suggested: One is to use, say 300 
pounds of phosphate and 100 pounds 
muriate of potash per acre. This will 
supply the potash and phosphoric acid 
and will often harden and strengthen 
the straw. The other is to use 600 
pounds or so per acre of salt. This 
adds no actual plant food, but retards 
the formation of nitrate and thus holds 
back the rapid growth and also stiffens 
the straw. 
The European Starling Once More. 
I have read with some interest Mr. 
Mann’s article on the European star¬ 
ling. My firm belief is that his fears 
will prove unfounded. I was born in 
Southern Germany, among the vine¬ 
yards and orchards, and the people 
there held no bird in such high esteem 
as they do the starling, as he lives, en¬ 
tirely on insects and makes a specialty 
of destroying the May beetle, the 
parent of the white grub. They are 
not only highly protected by law, but 
nest boxes are erected everywhere for 
their convenience. 
The starling is a migratory bird and 
Luffman’s report they come over from 
Africa to destroy Malaga grapes in 
Spain, sounds strange. I think the 
damage he speaks of is done by the 
flocks coming south from central and 
northern Europe in their migratory 
flights to Africa, as then they gather 
in enormous flocks and might, on alight¬ 
ing in some vineyard, do damage. But 
where they breed or live in pairs, they 
Oats Without Plowing. —P. J. D. asks 
whether it would be as well to work oat 
ground with cultivator and harrow as to 
plow it. I do not advise cultivator and 
harrow, but if he will put on a disk pul¬ 
verizer, get on the same and work it four 
or five inches deep, and then put on a good 
lever harrow and set it down so that it will 
dig to the depth it was worked with disk 
harrow, and then covers his grain well, he 
will save plowing and his crop will not 
be anything short, at least if his farm is 
in Jefferson Co., N. Y. We would expect a 
full crop. I would like to hear from him as 
to results if he follows this plan. e. j. v 
Cape Vincent, N. Y. 
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IOWA new gal vanized gates 
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ORIGINAL & 
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STEELPOSTS 
^T'HE pasture is 
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farmland live stock 
must have freedom. 
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