1912. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
497 
Mixing Small Lots of Lime-Sulphur. 
J. J. C., Stillwater, A*. Y.—Will you ad¬ 
vise if I can mix several batches of lime- 
sulphur and pour all together into one 
barrel? Would it be necessary to test each 
batch with hydrometer or could I test the 
combined lot of batches? Will the lime- 
sulphur solution keep for several weeks if 
kept in an airtight barrel? 
Ans. —If receptacle used in boiling 
the 'homemade concentrated lime-sulphur 
solution is not large enough to boil a 
barrel at a time, several smaller hatches 
can be made (using proportionate 
amounts of material) and then mixed 
together and tested by the hydrometer, 
remembering that the hydrometer is in¬ 
tended to give accurate readings at 
about 60° F. The homemade concentrate 
or the commercial will keep for a long 
time in air-tight receptacles if not sub¬ 
jected to very low temperatures. They 
also may be kept in an open receptacle 
provided enough paraffin oil is added to 
form a slight film over the surface of 
the mixture, thus preventing it coming 
in contact with the air. b. d. v. b. 
Salt on Asparagus. 
,T. V. M., North Girard, Pa. —Will you 
tell me how, when, and how much salting is 
required on asparagus and quinces? 
Ans. —I do not know of any farmers 
who use salt on their asparagus. Why 
should they use it? Years ago the 
country people had many strange freaks, 
and one was salting asparagus. Of late 
years this practice has passed away for 
many reasons. Forty years ago there 
were no large beds of asparagus, only 
small garden patches set closely to¬ 
gether. Salt was used on them mostly 
to keep the weeds down. Saltpetre 
waste and brine were also used on these 
small plots. When the large commer¬ 
cial beds were planted the use of salt 
was no longer needed to keep 
the weeds down, as the rows 
were long and three to four feet 
apart, making the labor of taking 
care of them less, as horse work was 
easier and cheaper. During the last 25 
or 30 years the use of chemicals has 
become common, and as they contain 
large quantities of chloride of sodium 
(common salt) its use has been dis¬ 
continued. Some experiments by the 
Arkansas Experiment Station in 1905 
have given some beneficial results by the 
use of salt. Perhaps further research 
would not repeat them. Some writers 
advise five bushels of salt to the acre 
for the purpose of retarding weeds and 
stimulating the asparagus. If a per¬ 
son will stop to think and use a little 
horse sense he will see how absurd such 
advice is. Why, five bushels to the 
acre would do no good whatever and 
would never be noticed. The late Dr. 
Voorhees says there is no real fertility 
in salt, and its indirect benefit may be 
obtained more cheaply by the use of 
other materials that contain salt (chem¬ 
icals mentioned above). Some people 
use salt, thinking thereby to bring more 
moisture to the crop; this is a mistake. 
The use of salt brings the presence of 
moisture in the soil to one’s attention, 
but it causes a crust to be formed and 
tends directly to a loss of the very 
moisture that we seek to conserve. In 
these days of expensive labor don’t use 
salt or any other cheap stimulant on 
asparagus. Use chemicals and get your 
money’s worth of plant food. I do 
not know about salt on quinces. 
Massachusetts. c. w. p. 
Want Federal Insect Laws. 
Your March number was full of spray¬ 
ing, etc., but what use to fill up cistern 
when child is drowned? Why not prevent 
this? I spray, have sprayed for 30 years, 
and still have to spray, because next or¬ 
chard gives me every year a new supply to 
destroy. That orchard is not sprayed—the 
wormy apples are lying on the ground by 
the barrels, just where the worm wants to 
be placed for this year’s crop. Let us have 
United States laws that will compel the 
orchard men all to destroy noxious insects 
and diseases. The South has boll-worms, 
the East tree insects. We fight black rot 
and blight, glanders and cow diseases; why 
not Codling moth, joint worms in wheat, 
and other diseases which are getting worse 
every year? The cry against the farmer is 
always raise more for these enemies to 
fight. To ask farmers to combine to destroy 
these evils is hopeless, and even if one 
State passes such laws, other States have 
not the sense to see that in harmony there 
is strength and good results. We spend 
millions on army and navy, also on pay to 
other non-producing persons; why not let 
money be spent on saving crops that feed 
the nation? There is hardly a nation on 
this earth that is not sick of war, but I 
believe they all have “to keep up with 
Lizzie.” A general combined destruction 
for a few years would do more good than 
the single person’s work done now. For 
me, a small farmer, to talk about these sub¬ 
jects is useless, but if the agricultural 
papers get together and take it up matters 
will bring results. E. meldahl. 
West Virginia. 
R. N.-Y.—Who could enforce such a law 
without years of education? Some of the 
Western States have such laws. In sections 
where there is general interest in fruit 
growing they are well enforced. In others 
where few people grow fruit public senti¬ 
ment is dull and there is no enforcement. 
Treatment of Lettuce and Spinach. 
I have a piece of sandy loam land, 
150x15, upon which I wish to grow crops 
of spinach and lettuce, about half and half. 
In the last few years this laud has not 
done well, though plenty of manure has 
been used upon it. Would you advise an 
application of stone lime before planting, 
and fertilizing also? If so, advise what to 
use and the best way to apply. w. m. d. 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Vegetables of a leafy nature, such as cab¬ 
bage, lettuce and spinach, are greatly bene¬ 
fited by the application of lime. In order 
to grow profitable crops of lettuce and 
spinach it is necessary to fertilize liberally. 
I would first spread a heavy coat of well- 
rotted stable manure, then plow it under 
and apply the lime broadcast at the rate of 
a ton to the acre. Harrow it. until the lime 
is well incorporated with the soil. The fact 
that your land has not done well the last 
few years in spite of the land being liberally 
supplied with manure would indicate there 
are various elements of plant food locked 
up in the soil which are not available, and 
the effect of lime will he to release them so 
that they can be assimilated by the growing 
plants. Your soil is probably a little sour; 
lime will sweeten it up and it will also 
bind together a sandy soil and make it more 
retentive of moisture and fertility. 
G. G. I. 
Heat for Cooking Lime-Sulphur. 
We have an unusually good plant for 
boiling lime and sulphur, but have not 
used it for several years, preferring to use 
the commercial article which we buy by the 
carload. We use a steam engine and rotary 
pump and cooked in wooden tanks. We 
think it pays us, however, to pay a little 
more to buy a uniform article already pre¬ 
pared, and spend our time in more profit¬ 
able and pleasant employment. 
Ohio. w. w. Farnsworth. 
In my opinion the best heat for boiling 
lime-sulphur solution is steam, although it 
can be boiled successfully over a fire. I 
have seen a traction engine used for fur¬ 
nishing steam, and this worked very satis¬ 
factorily indeed. When steam is used it is 
a good plan to have a tank with a fairly 
large bottom surface, and the pipe should 
be laid along the bottom of the tank. This 
pipe should be perforated with a number of 
small holes in order to let the steam di¬ 
rectly Into the mixture. This will serve to 
keep the mixture in motion and will not 
be necessary to stir as often as when the 
mixture is boiled over the fire. When 
boiling over a fire, I would recommend the 
using of a round-bottom kettle. 
ANDREW J. PATTEN. 
Michigan Experiment Station. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
TOO MUCH STARCH 
A Food Problem. 
An Asheville man tells how right 
food did that which medicines had failed 
to accomplish: 
“For more than 15 years,” he says, 
“I was afflicted with stomach trouble 
and intestinal indigestion, gas forming 
in stomach and bowels and giving me 
great distress. These conditions were 
undoubtedly due to the starchy food I 
ate, white bread, potatoes, etc., and 
didn’t digest. I grew worse with time, 
till two years ago, I had an attack 
which the doctor diagnosed as appendi¬ 
citis. When the surgeon operated on 
me, however, it was found that my 
trouble was ulcer of the pancreas, in¬ 
stead of appendicitis. 
“Since that time I have had several 
such attacks, suffering greatlv. The 
last attack was about three months ago, 
and I endured untold agonies. 
“The doctor then said that I would 
have to eat less starchy stuff, so I 
began the use of Grape-Nuts food for 
I knew it to be pre-digested, arid have 
continued same with most gratifying re¬ 
sults. It has built me up wonderfully. 
I gained 10 pounds in the first 8 weeks 
that I used Grape-Nuts; my general 
health is better than ever before, my 
brain is clearer and my nerves stronger. 
“For breakfast and dinner, each, I 
take four teaspoonfuls of Grape-Nuts 
with cream, a small slice of dry toast, 
an egg soft boiled and a cup of Postum; 
and I make the evening meal on Grape- 
Nuts and cream alone—this gives me 
a good night’s rest. I am well again.” 
Name given by Postum Co., Battle 
Creek, Mich. 
“There’s a reason.” Read the little 
book, “The Road to Wellville,” in pkgs. 
Ever read the above letter ? A new one 
appears from time to time. They are genu¬ 
ine, true, and full of human interest. 
SPECIAL O PEER TO "FIRSTS” 
WE HAVEN’T ADVERTISED much during the past few 
months because orders have been coming in as fast as we 
could take care of them. 
CHAMPIONS SELL THEMSELVES. We have no travel¬ 
ing salesmen—don’t need them to push Champions. 
JUST PUT ONE in a section—let orchardists see how much 
better they spray than others—and the rest is easy. Orders 
come from neighbors without our solicitation. 
THE CHAMPION IS CHAMPION, because it has the best 
motor, best pump and is simplest to operate. It gives plenty 
of force, and with our patented nozzle, sprays finer and 
more thoroughly than any other. 
OUR SPECIAL OFFER—made to place one Champion in 
sections where this sprayer has not previously been intro¬ 
duced—will interest you. 
WE MAKE IT TO ONLY ONE—the first in each county. 
So write at once—else you may be second. 
WE GUARANTEE Champion Sprayers—and stand back of 
our guarantee. Better write today—NOW—for our special 
offer to “ firsts.” 
Flanders Manufacturing Company, Pontiac, Mich. 
SPRAT 
r For a 
Better 
Potato Crop 
Spray 4 rows, any width, as fast as 
you can drive with the Watson 
Ospraymo Sprayer. Both wheels 
are power wheels, pressure al¬ 
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agitated, strainers always 
clean. Write today for 
free Spraying Formulas 
and Spraying Directions, j 
Also for cata¬ 
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sprayers, 
all kinds 
for a 11 
purposes 
— Barrel, Knapsack, 
Power Orchard Rigs, etc. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO. 
2 1 1th St., Elmira, N. Y. 
Bigger Fruit Profits 
Here is a spray pump invented 
by fruit growers. It was our 
endeavor to secure the best 
spray pump to use on our 
300 acre fruit farm that 
produced the 
ECLIPSE 
SPRAY PUMP 
It overcomes every defect found 
in other makes—it has proved it¬ 
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Eclipse to work on your trees and 
earn bigger profits. Writeforour 
fully illustrated catalogue. It tells 
why you should spray—and why 
you should do it with an Eclipse. 
It’s free. Write to-day. 
MORRILL & MORLEY MFC. CO., Benton Harbor, Mich. 
THE “ HARDIE” SPRAYERS 
The Spraver with the Trouble Left Out 
Read what one user says about them (we have a thousand such letters): 
Hakdik Spkay Pi mp Co., Hudson, Mich. Kiga, Midi., R.F.D. No. 3, Feb. 12-’12. 
Gentlemen: Please «eml me best prices on spray pumps and accessories. I have 
nsed one of your No. 6 Pumps since May, 1901, without one cent of repairs, and it is 
ready for the 1912 job. I think I can sell hoiiio of your goods, as the farmers are 
awakening to tlie need of spraying ami are buying pumps.—H enry J. Eckels. 
Ten Years of Constant Use and Not One Cent for Repairs 
That’s tiie kind of sprayer to buy—you can’t wear them out; 
and they give such high pressure and work so easy that spray¬ 
ing which would otherwise be a hard, disagreeable job, is 
comparatively easy if you use the " Ilardie,” and when the 
work is done with a high-pressure “ Ilardie ” you aro assured 
of a bountiful crop of high-class fruit. 
We make everything from the smallest hand outfit to the 
largest power Sprayer. 
Our 04-page catalog and book on Spraying, mailed free on 
•request. Don’t delay but write Today. 
THE HARDIE MFG. CO., 
Hudson, Michigan. 
EASTERN BRANCH; 410 W. Racs Street. 
MARTINSBURC. W. Va. 
HAVE YOU 
CONQUERED 
SAN JOSE SCALE ? 
We guarantee it can be done with "Scalecide'’ for less money, with less effort, and more effectively than with Lime-Sulfur 
or anything else. “Scalecide” may bo mixed anywhere, in any kind of a tank or barrel that is clean. “Scalecide” does 
not corrode the pumps or clog the nozzle; consequently the pumps work very much easier, with less labor, wear and tear. 
"Scalecide” will not injure the most delicate skiu, arid may even be placed in the eyes without the slightest inconvenience 
or injury. “Scalecide” is used successfully by fruit growers in the United States, Soutli Africa, Porto Rico, (Juba, and 
Australia, because experience has taught them that the greatest perfection in fruit and foliage is produced by the continued 
use of "Scalecide,” and with less labor and less expense. Let us provo these statements. A postal request to Dept ’N” 
will bring you by return mail, free, our book, “Modern Methods of Harvesting, Grading and Packing Apples,” and new 
booklet, “Scalecide—the Tree-Saver.” If your dealer cannot supply "Scalecide” we will deliver it to any railroad station 
in the United States east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio rivers on receipt, of price : 50-gal. bbls., $25.00; 30-gal. 
bbls., $10.00 ; 10-gal. cans, $0.75; 5-gal. cans, $3.75. Address : B. G. Pratt Co., 50 Church Street, New York City. 
