660 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 27, 
WHEN PHOTOGRAPHS LIE. 
The discussion over posing live stock 
for the camera has brought out some 
curious facts about pictures. This is 
a useful thing, because in the future the 
camera must be used extensively in 
showing animals which are offered for 
sale. In order to make a fair showing 
for such animals the operator must 
know how to hold the camera. For 
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE PHOTO¬ 
GRAPH? Fig. 198. 
example, take the picture of the horse 
shown at Fig. 198. Perhaps you can 
answer the question: 
“Please submit the enclosed print to 
your photo experts and ask what ails 
it. The horse has won seven blue rib¬ 
bons, having never been defeated, but 
no one would guess it after a glance at 
the picture.” Florence mott. 
Michigan. 
GROWING ALFALFA SUCCESSFULLY. 
I commenced growing Alfalfa 10 
years ago, and have now 90 acres grow¬ 
ing, and it is doing finely. I shall seed 
40 acres more this Spring. When I 
commenced growing Alfalfa I inocu¬ 
lated the seed with chemical bacteria 
obtained from the United States De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, but the Al¬ 
falfa did not grow much the first year, 
presenting a yellow and sickly appear¬ 
ance, and the second year it did not 
do anything much in the way of grow¬ 
ing up to the 10th of June. I could 
see that some of it was dying out, so 
I sent to a fanner in an adjoining 
county and purchased two tons of Al¬ 
falfa soil, which he took from a ditch 
he dug through his seven-year-old field. 
This cost $10 per ton, including freight. 
I sowed the soil broadcast by hand 
over my Alfalfa, and to my great sur¬ 
prise in less than four weeks the Al¬ 
falfa commenced growing rapidly, and 
all turned green and has been dark 
green all over the field ever since. I 
have cut from this field for the last 
five or six years about four tons per 
acre of as fine hay as I have ever seen. 
The question has been asked many 
times, “When is the best time to sow 
Alfalfa seed?” and I will here give 
some of my experience. Nine years ago 
I had a six-acre field of peas, and after 
. I harvested the peas I plowed the 
ground and fitted it in fine shape and 
sowed it to Alfalfa (this being about 
the 25th of August). I got a nice catch, 
but the freezing in the Fall and Spring 
killed it, so I had to reseed it that 
Spring, and since that time I sow no 
more Alfalfa in the Fall. It is a very 
tender plant, and needs growth in order 
to pull through its first Winter. Since 
then I sow my Alfalfa in May, which, I 
believe, is the best time to seed to Al¬ 
falfa in this climate, and without a 
nurse crop at that. 
I have the best success with corn 
ground for Alfalfa'. I keep the corn as 
free from weeds as I possibly can, cut 
the corn close to the ground so there 
will be no stubble, and as soon as it is 
dry enough the following Spring I put 
on a good sharp spring-tooth harrow 
and harrow the ground every two weeks 
up to about May 15th. At the same 
time I have inoculated the ground with 
soil from my oldest Alfalfa field, by 
putting on at least a ton of soil to the 
acre, then sow about 15 pounds of seed 
to the acre. My experience is that 
where I inoculated the ground with a 
ton or more of soil to the acre, I can 
cut a good crop of hay the first season, 
and where I inoculate light, I cannot cut 
any hay the first season and the hay 
crop will be light the second and third 
seasons, so I am fully convinced that it 
pays me to inoculate heavily. 
My friends have asked me many times, 
“What will you do when you want to 
break up your Alfalfa?” My reply to 
them is, I hope I never shall be so fool¬ 
ish as to want to break up the Alfalfa, 
for it is too valuable to destroy. I 
consider land worth at least $100 per 
acre where there is a good stand of 
Alfalfa. A good stand of Alfalfa will 
cut, at a low estimate, three tons of hay 
per acre annually, and again at a low 
estimate, the hay will bring on an aver¬ 
age of $12 per ton (this Spring I am 
selling Alfalfa hay for $20 per ton). 
At $12 per ton it will amount to $36 
per acre each year, and no plowing or 
seeding at all being required, and the 
Alfalfa getting heavier each year for 
years to come. I would ask where a 
farmer can get better returns for $100 
than that. In Germany they call Alfalfa 
“live-forever clover,” on account of its 
long life. w. h. underwood. 
Johnson Co., Ill. 
AN OLD TROUBLE ONCE MORE. 
I have recently moved into a house that 
is ceiled with wainscoating. bedrooms and 
all, and is alive with vermin. Would you 
tell me what to fumigate with to kill them, 
and what besides fumigating will kill bed¬ 
bugs? E. A. C. 
Fumigation with sulphur is recom¬ 
mended by Dr. E. P. Felt as a means 
of controlling bedbugs. Two pounds 
of sulphur are advised for each 1,000 
cubic feet of space, the treatment being 
continued for at least 24 hours if pos¬ 
sible. Sulphur candles are excellent for 
this purpose. The rooms treated should 
be tightly closed during the process, 
keyholes stopped up, and paper pasted 
over any cracks. Stand the sulphur 
candle on some support resting in a 
large pan of water, as a precaution 
against fire. Of course fumigation with 
hydrocyanic acid gas is the most effec¬ 
tive, but the gas is so deadly that we 
do not like to advise it. The inquirer 
in this case is so situated that extreme 
measures must be resorted to, as the 
woodwork is doubtless filled with the 
creatures. 
While gasoline spraying is certainly 
dangerous, because of the risk of fire, 
it is the only way one can reach crevices 
in old woodwork. The Nevada Experi¬ 
ment Station, in a report issued last 
year, detailed some satisfactory experi¬ 
ence with gasoline. The method of ap¬ 
plication was as follows: Two gallons 
of gasoline were poured into the brass 
supply tank of an automatic sprayer, 
the air in the air chamber was com¬ 
pressed, and the liquid was sprayed in a 
fine mist along the edges of beds 
and mattresses, behind curtains, on the 
backs of pictures, and behind baseboards 
and picture moldings. All similar hid¬ 
ing places were treated with buhach 
(Dalmatian insect powder). One of 
our correspondents last year described 
the use of camphor dissolved in alcohol, 
applied from an atomizer. This was 
said to be very satisfactory, and we 
think it would be desirable to have it 
at hand when gasoline could not be 
used. Before treating with gasoline the 
woodwork should be well washed and 
wiped; do the spraying early in the 
morning, and then air the room all day 
to get rid of the inflammable vapor. 
If the sulphur fumigation is used, re¬ 
member that it will discolor white paint, 
and bleach many colored fabrics—which 
limits its household use in many cases. 
SUBSTITUTE HAY CROPS. 
C. W. S'., Hammonton, V. J .—Having to 
buy hay for horse and cow. I wish to know 
what crops I could grow and how much land 
I would need for same to get the quickest 
feed to eliminate buying hay. I have a 
piece of ground, one-eighth of an acre, 
sowed to rye last Fall, and manured well; 
it looks well, also two other pieces about 
the same size but sowed later and just 
coming through now. I was going to use 
these patches for strawberries and garden 
truck, but could alter this if it would pay 
me better to do so. Will this rye make 
good hay? When will it be ready to cut? 
What other crops could I plant to follow 
the rye for best results and cheapest ex¬ 
pense? I have no pasture here, only about 
one-half acre close to swamp, and flies 
are so bad in hot weather I cannot use it. 
I am going to plow that up if I can and 
plant corn, but it will be a rough job 
having grown up to brush which I cut down 
and am pulling or grubbing roots out now. 
This lot never has been plowed, people 
say around here, for 10 years, so is prettv 
tough. Would chicken manure mixed with 
ashes do to fertilize corn and how much 
could a hill stand without burning out? 
The ground Is very r .oist but in Summer 
would be all right as no water lies there. 
What is the best fertilizer to top-dress 
(this Spring) a strawberry bed, and how 
much should I use? Some people say just 
use potash and others say use a complete 
fertilizer. 1 have quite a little chicken 
manure. Would this do? 
Ans. —We should let the rye grow 
and cut it when the bloom first appears. 
Do not wait until the heads form. It 
makes only fair hay—the poorest of all 
the grains, but stock will eat it. Prob¬ 
ably corn fodder thickly seeded in drills 
will give you as much feed as anything 
you can plant after the rye. Seed it 
thick and give good cultivation and fol¬ 
low with rye again. Soy beans might 
do well on part of the field, but the 
fodder corn is surer. Do not mix the 
hen manure and wood ashes before put¬ 
ting into the ground, and do not put 
either in a chunk in the hill. Better 
plant the corn alone and when six 
inches high scatter a handful of the 
finely crushed manure around the hill 
and hoe it in. We should use a com¬ 
plete manure on the strawberries—one 
containing about 2 Yz per cent nitrogen, 
eight phosphoric acid, and at least 
seven of potash. 
PURE FOOD AND DRUG REGULATIONS. 
On page 189 a question is asked by B. G., 
of Wellsville, N. V., regarding securing of 
serial number in connection with the Food 
and Drugs Act. I enclose a conv of the 
most recent decision relative to guarantee¬ 
ing food and drug products and the form 
in which this guarantee legend shall be 
stated. You will note therein that it Is 
necessary for the guarantor to insert his 
name in the guarantee phrase, this being In 
order to avoid the impression which was 
created under the old form of phrase used, 
that the Government was guaranteeing the 
product bearing the legend. There is con¬ 
siderable misinformation abroad regarding 
this matter, and for that reason I am send¬ 
ing you this letter. Application is made 
for the serial number upon a regular form 
supplied by the Department of Agriculture 
at Washington or by one of the branch 
laboratories situated in various parts of 
the country. The applicant is supposed to 
know that his product complies with the 
law when applying for a serial number to 
be used in connection with the same. No 
statement of composition or sample for ex¬ 
amination is required to be sent; the re¬ 
sponsibility rests entirely with the appli¬ 
cant as to whether the product to be guar¬ 
anteed is a lawful one. When the serial 
number is received it may be used on any 
lawful food or drug product placed on the 
market by the possessor of the number. You 
will see by the enclosed application form 
that the same is worded so as to cover all 
products manufactured or sold under the 
serial number assigned, whether on the 
market at the time of receiving the num¬ 
ber or offered for sale subsequent thereto. 
I hope these points may be of some service 
to your readers if you care to publish any 
or all of this letter. w. T. dubois. 
Chief, Buffalo Laboratory. 
R. N.-Y.—It appears that heretofore every 
package of goods sold under the pure food 
laws carried the words “guaranteed under 
the pure food and drug act,” etc. This 
never meant that the Government guaran¬ 
teed such goods, for it never did, yet some 
unscrupulous persons have tried to make it 
appear that such guarantee was intended. 
In order to overcome this it is now pro¬ 
posed to amend the law as follows: 
“Section b of Regulation 9 is hereby 
amended to read as follows: 
“(b) A general guaranty may be filed 
with the Secretary of Agriculture by the 
manufacturer or dealer and be given a 
serial number, which number shall appear 
on each and every package of goods sold un¬ 
der such guaranty with the words ‘Guar¬ 
anteed by (insert name of guarantor) under 
the food and drugs act, June 30, 190G.’ ” 
Alfalfa in Young Orchard. 
_compensating geai 
aligning device are successful examples of 
the wonderful inventive genius of Mr. Joseph 
Dain. The gears are so mounted in relation 
to each other that perfect balance and true 
mesh are permanently insured and the crank 
shaft is relieved of all end thrust, preventing 
lost motion, reducing draft and multiplying 
.Cutting power. That is why the Dain Mower 
runs lightly and cuts where others fail, 
j it .is the only mower you can realign, your- 
Aelf, right in the field with your wrench. This 
practical adjustment for maintaining the cutter 
bar in line with the pitman, means added 
efficiency and years of extra service. 
A Real Vertical Lift 
Notice the spade handle on the lever. Easy 
’to grasp, no twisting. One movement of one 
lever raises the bar, knife throws in and out of 
gear automatically as bar is raised and lowered. 
The large-coil, flexible spring floatsThc cutter 
bar, does practically all the work in lifting with 
the foot at comers and helps in raising the bar 
vertically. 
Consult the nearest John Deere dealer, learn 1 
all about this greatest of all Mowers, and about 
the entire line of Dain Hay Tools, Loaders, Side 
Delivery Rakes, Stackers, Sweep Rakes, Presses: 
every one the best of its kind. 
• Dain makes the best hay tools. They have 
been, specializing on them for over a, quarter of 
a century. 
’ Send for full particulars and a free copy of 
"Better Farm Implements and How to Use 
Them," the most complete and practical book 
ever written. Write today, a n 
Ask for package No. K <30 
John Deere Plow Co. 
Moline, Minot. 
“Get QmaUty W Service. M) Deere Demlert GV** Bc*k " 
© [j 
3 © 
The Business Farmer 
Uses a Typewriter 
The New Model Five 
L.C. Smith & Bros. 
Typewriter 
The writer two years ago planted an or¬ 
chard of two acres to apples, pears and 
cherries, that was sown same year to Al¬ 
falfa. slightly mulching the trees with 
strawy manure iu Spring and Fall. Trees 
when planted were protected with tar 
paper, placed about the trunks, leaving 
plenty of air space. I expect to cut for I 
hay the Alfalfa, and If possible have it re¬ 
main for a few years, mulching the trees 
lightly each year. What do you think of 
the idea? Orchard is located in north cen¬ 
tral Indiana. j. m. l. i 
As general advice we would not seed 
Alfalfa in a young orchard unless the soil 
is naturally moist or well able to hold 
moisture. The Alfalfa is a hard drinker 
and makes great demands for water. On 
thin land or in a dry time it would get 
about all there is in the land, and the 
young trees will suffer. After trees are 
large enough to bear fruit thev mav take . 
care of themselves, but we would not put 
Alfalfa with the small trees unless water I 
could be added by irrigation, or nearly all 
the Alfalfa could be cut and put around 
the trees. With irrigation Alfalfa would 
make a profitable orchard crop. 
is the only writing machine that 
is ball bearing at all important 
points and made to do all kinds 
of work without attachments. 
« 
It will pay you to send for the book, 
“ X-Ray Excellence.” 
L. C. Smith & Bros. 
Typewriter Co. 
Syracuse, New York 
Branches in All Principal Cities 
get ready. 
Farmers Thresh Your Own Grain 
ELI IS CHAMPION Ve enoli ^ 1 1° own the thresher. Be independent. 
THRESHERS 
Suit everyone. Both the profes¬ 
sional thresherman or the farmer 
who wants a home outfit will find the 
Champion rightly named. The picture 
shows ELLIS CHAMPION NO 2. It is complete 
with stacker, tailings, elevator and grain bag¬ 
ger. Connect it with steam, gasolene, tread or any 
other power, put in the grain and the Champion does 
the rest. No straw clogging. Any size. 
We also make trend and sweep horse-power, drag or eireular saws- 
Our catalog tells the whole st oV;: ELLIS KEYSTONE AGRICULTURAL WORKS, PetUt.wn, Pa. 
