TOO 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 15, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
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whether it is not .answered in our advertising 
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Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Waste Ashes and Potato Scab. 
I have been able to get waste ashes 
from the wood burned in a brick yard. 
These ashes have been thrown away 
for years, farmers not considering them 
worth the trouble to get them. It is a 
hard dirty job to get the ashes, but I 
frequently get 12 barrels of screened 
ashes, well shaken in the barrels, in 
four hours, and do it alone. Applied 
at the rate of 25 to 30 barrels to the 
acre, they have made a wonderful 
showing in the grass and clover crop 
on some of my land, and the results 
show for a surprising length of time. 
I suppose the chemists tell us just what 
the ashes contain, but i have not been 
able to equal them with air-slacked 
lime, muriate of potash and acid phos¬ 
phate. On my sandy land I have seen 
very little benefit from their use, and 
they have completely spoiled it on the 
strip used for potatoes. Though I have 
planted clean seed, soaked in corrosive 
sublimate, and got a clean crop right 
to the row where the ashes were ap¬ 
plied, they were a mass of scabs every 
time where the ashes were and this is 
the case several years after the ashes 
were applied. It would seem that the 
spores themselves were in the ashes. 
The greatest fear I have of purchased 
manure is the mustard seed in it. 
M. F. 
R. N.-Y.—It is difficult to make up 
a mixture of chemicals that will equal 
fine, unleached wood ashes. This testi¬ 
mony as to their effect upon the potato 
crop is common. In practically every 
case reported the ashes have increased 
the amount of potato scab. Some years 
ago a farmer ia .Michigan reported 
using wood ashes and growing the 
finest potatoes—free from scab or 
disease. This seemed so unusual that 
samples of the soil were obtained and 
examined by a bacteriologist. He was 
unable to find any scab germs in it. 
This was one of the few cases where 
these germs had not developed in the 
soil. They could not pass through fire 
and live in the ashes. 
Fertilizing Value of Carcass. 
P. 8. L., Point Pleasant. W. Va. —We 
operate a large live stock farm on which 
we have often from 500 to 600 head of 
animals of various kinds and ages. Neces¬ 
sarily there is a certain amount of loss 
during a year from this number and the 
problem is how to get some value out of 
the carcass as a fertilizer. We thought to 
build a concrete tank or box sufficiently 
large to hold several bodies, with the ex¬ 
pectation of using quicklime or sulphuric 
acid to cause decomposition. However, we 
fear former would not be sufficiently rapid, 
and that latter would decompose walls of 
tank as well as body. We do not expect 
to get something that is line and dry 
enough to run through the fertilizer com¬ 
partments of a drill, but just a semi-liquid 
mass that by the addition of some earth 
could be shoveled into a wagon and thence 
on to the ground. The cost of hauling and 
putting in tank would be not quite so much 
as burying, and if latter is done deeply 
enough to be out of reach of that constant 
menace, the dog, it is too deep for any crop 
to use. 
Ans.— We doubt if the quicklime 
and acid would prove satisfactory. The 
latter is too dangerous to use on the 
farm. Last year we had a good article 
on the disposition of such carcasses by 
cooking and grinding. If you have 
steam power we think it will pay you 
better to make a tank for steaming the 
carcasses. If the animals die a natural 
death the cooked meat and “soup” can 
be fed to the hogs—thickened with 
corn-meal. The bones can be crushed 
in a bone mill. In this way you will 
obtain a more satisfactory fertilizer 
than where the carcass is “eaten up” 
by quicklime or acid. We have known 
cases where such carcasses were chop¬ 
ped up with an ax and the pieces packed 
in horse manure. After a time this 
leaves the bone bare. They may be 
crushed in a bone mill or packed in 
layers of wood ashes and kept moist. 
If anyone has used the vat with quick¬ 
lime or sulphuric acid we would like 
to have their experience. Personally 
we doubt if it would prove satisfactory. 
What is Land Plaster ?J 
TF. IV. X., InyersoU, Ontario .—Of what 
Is land plaster composed? What is its ac¬ 
tion on a crop, more especially grass? Is 
it of value at *4 per ton? 
Ans.— Land plaster or gypsum is sul¬ 
phate of Ihne. A pure sample contains 
32 1 /2 per cent of lime, 46^ per cent of 
sulphuric acid and 21 per cent of water. 
Burn gypsum and drive off the water, 
and you have plaster of Paris. When 
this is ground and mixed with water 
it forms a white solid mass. Gypsum 
furnishes lime to the crops after it de¬ 
composes in the soil. Its chief action, 
however, is a chemical one; as it decom¬ 
poses or breaks up in the soil it sets free 
a quantity of potash, provided the pot¬ 
ash is found in certain combinations. 
Years ago the use of land plaster was 
very common, and all sorts of reasons 
were given tor its favorable action, par¬ 
ticularly upon clover and grass. After 
a time in almost every case the land 
plaster failed to give results. Investiga¬ 
tion showed that, as stated above, the 
chief advantage of using plaster lay in 
the fact that it set free potash, and by 
making this potash available encouraged 
the growth of those plants which re¬ 
quire large supplies of that material. 
After some years this action failed, be¬ 
cause the forms of potash which re¬ 
sponded to the action of the plaster had 
been exhausted. Thus the use of plas¬ 
ter for field purposes has been largely 
given up. It is still used to some extent 
in stables, in henhouses, and for pre¬ 
serving manure, and it is very useful 
for that purpose. As compared with or¬ 
dinary forms of lime, we think the lat¬ 
ter will usually prove more satisfactory, 
and the best place for the plaster is in 
the stable or manure pile. 
Lime Questions. 
1. Will distributing hydrated lime through 
a grain drill injure the drill in any way? 
Is there any objection to so doing? 2. Will 
applying lime bow to ground to be sown 
to buckwheat later benefit or injure the soil 
for the crop? I think the early sowing of 
lime beneficial to the soil, but will it re¬ 
lease plant food too early for a crop of 
buckwheat to take it up? I wish to seed to 
Timothy with the buckwheat, and land Is 
sour. * F. a. J. 
Windsor, N. Y. 
1 . No—not if the lime is properly hy¬ 
drated. This means ground and thoroughly 
sprayed with enough water to slack it per¬ 
fectly. Such lime is often used in the 
grain drill. 2. It will benefit the soil to 
use the lime some weeks in advance of seed¬ 
ing. In many cases lime is used too close 
to the seeding to obtain more benefit. The 
lime should work down and all through the 
soil. It will break up the organic matter, 
but as this takes place in the soil there will 
not be much loss of ammonia. 
A Case of Pear Blight. 
Will you please tell me through your 
paper what is the matter with two of 
my pear trees? One is a Bartlett and the 
other is a tree of some old-fashioned variety. 
Last July or August the leaves on both 
trees began to wither and die. The Bart¬ 
lett tree was the worst. I was told it 
was blight and I cut oil all affected parts 
on the Bartlett. What I would like to 
know is, if there is any way of preventing 
it, and should all affected branches be cut 
off? These two trees stood very close to¬ 
gether. I have several others, but they 
were not affected. P. m. c. 
Granby, Conn. 
There is no doubt that the trees men¬ 
tioned had the blight that has long been a 
terrible scourge among pear trees and also 
to some extent on apple and quince trees. 
There is no other practical way to fight It 
than to cut out the affected parts and 
destroy them. This must be done very 
thoroughly, and by cutting far below the 
diseased part that is seen. And there is 
constant danger of the germs of the dis¬ 
ease coming again from the neighboring 
trees that are affected. The U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture has a bulletin on pear 
blight that can be had for the asking and 
is well worth studying. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Another Experience with Crooks. 
Experiences with crooks, such as are 
narrated by F. W. P. on page 621, ought 
to be placed as often as possible before the 
ublic, for there are very many people, per- 
aps well up on the ways of their asso¬ 
ciates, who are still unacquainted with the 
professional swindler. I am quite sure that 
it was my reading that kept me out of the 
hands of a pair of them some years ago. 
I had gone down to my old home in the 
middle of the State, and found that there 
was a circus on in the village nearby. Go¬ 
ing over to the railroad station that morn¬ 
ing to ask about train movements. 1 was 
accosted at the door of a big hotel stable 
on the way by a fellow who was using all 
his talents' to make him appear as gawky 
as possible. I smelled the crook at once, 
but stopped to hear his lingo. lie and dad, 
he said, had come up from Kentucky with 
a lot of horses to sell to the circus. He 
told me all the improbable stories of the 
animals and the trip be could think of till 
his pal, who appeared to be a trifle late, 
made his appearance. The two were 
strangers of course, but they somehow 
soon fell to disputing about some new card 
game, each vowing that he could “do” the 
other at it. They had appeared to forget 
all about me and were soon sitting down 
in the litter on the rear stable dirt floor 
having it out. They had not quite reacned 
the stage of inviting me to take a hand 
when I quietly walked out. When I had 
got a few rods away I looked back. There 
they were both standing in the broad door¬ 
way looking my way. My departure had 
taken all their interest out of the game. 
I could never understand why it was that 
there was nobody else about the stable at 
the time, full of horses as it was, unless 
these fellows had paid the regular attend¬ 
ants to stay away awhile. When I saw 
the sad glances they cast at me I was 
tempted to raise a laugh at them, but the 
enmity of anyone is not to be lightly in¬ 
curred. so it was no doubt best to leave 
them In silence. , J. w. e. 
New York. 
Seedling or Grafted Walnut Trees. 
I have been complained of by a nursery¬ 
man for advising the planting of grafted 
or budded Persian walnut trees instead of 
seedlings. This I have done without the 
slightest thought of hurting the trade of 
the one who has made the complaint or 
anyone else. While the only sure way to 
get the true variety is by planting grafted 
or budded trees, it is far bettor to plant 
seedlings than none at all. They will bear 
good nuts, and some of them may be even 
better than the parents, but as seedling 
walnuts vary much as do other seedlings, it 
is absolutely safe only to plant such as 
come by budding or grafting from the trees 
that are positively known to bear good 
crops of the best nuts. For many years 
the California walnut growers planted seed¬ 
lings, but now they are planting many more 
grafted trees than formerly. These are 
propagated on seedlings of the native wild 
walnut of California or the eastern Black 
walnut. Both make good stocks and the 
trees on them grow better than on their 
own roots, so I have heard from many 
sources. The same is proving true in the 
Eastern States with the walnut trees and 
it would seem to be the part of wisdom to 
profit by the experience of others. But I 
do not wish to bo understood as condemning 
the planting of seedling Persian walnut 
trees, for many of them will be as good 
as the originals and while some will be less 
valuable others will be better. It is in 
this way that we get improvement in va¬ 
rieties and by budding and grafting we are 
able to bold the trees np to the high stand¬ 
ards so established. h. e. van deman. 
Corn In ear, per 100 pounds, $1 ; oats, 
per bushel, 32 pounds, 65 cents; wheat, 
per bushel, 60 pounds, $1 ; Timothy hay 
per ton (at pnblic sales $36), $30; mixed 
hay, $28 : clover hay, $24 ; corn stover per 
bundle. 32 cents; bran per 100 pounds, 
$1.70; cattle, per bead, from $20 to $50; 
milch cows, $35 to $60 ; bogs, per 100 
pounds, $7.10. Cream gatherers pay, per 
pound butter fat, 20 cents; butter, per 
pound, 24 ; eggs, per dozen, 18 ; milk we 
sell at five cents per quart. Lard, 10 
cents per pound; hams, 12 cents; bacon, 
12 cents; shoulders, nine cents. 
Ohio. o. w. b. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
Let Us Show You 
Just What You 
Want to Know 
—that the 
DEYO PORTABLE ENGINE 
IS THE BEST ENGINE FOR YOU 
Government test shows lowest fuel consumption with 
greatest power. Write today for illustrated cataloe. 
Oeyo-Macey Engine Co., 22 Washington St., Binghamton, N.Y. 
A A r . ( J. S.Wo«dhonsf,191 Water St.N>wTort,N.Y. 
o i g 8C < Kendall & Whitney, Portlaud, Maine 
Sales Agents j „ M Ho o*h, 402 W, 9th A ve. y Columbus, Ohio. 
95 
AND UP¬ 
WARD 
AMERICAN 
SEPARATOR 
SENT ON TRIAL, FULLY 
GUARANTEED. A new, well 
made, easy running separator for 
$15.95. Skims hot or cold milk: 
heavy or light cream. Different 
from this picture, which illus¬ 
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marvel, easily cleaned. Whether 
dairy Is large or small, obtain our 
handsome free catalog. Address, 
AMERICAN SEPARATOR CO. 
BAI 
Don’t You Dig Potatoes 
You can earn more money—get at least 15 cents 
more profit per bushel—get the crop out of the 
a ground clean and whole by using a 
^ ar< l u ^ ar 
Just as much difference using this digger- 
just as much advance over hand digging as 
modern machinery beats old style methods. 
Works in any kind of soil You need this dig¬ 
ger if you have an acre or more in potatoes. 
Write for book on potatoes and how to dig them, 
and new catalogue of other farm machinery and 
our new trylng-out plan. 
A. B. FARQUHAR CO.. Ltd., Box 200, York. Pa. 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
Now The FALL BEARING Strawberries. 
Send for T. C. KEVITT’S Catalogue, Athenia, N. J. 
those who till it,”— Adv. 
SEASONABLE FARM SEEDS 
COW PEAS 
Valuable for hay and silage, and im¬ 
prove soils, even if crop is cut. We 
offer choice Whip-poor-will, New 
Era. Black-Eye and Clay Cow Peas. 
MANGELS FOR 
FEEDING STOCK 
All the best varieties. Also Millets, Back* 
wheat and other seeds for sowing now. 
Write for prices on any farm seeds desired. 
Also for a copy of our Alfalfa leaflet, free. 
Henry A.Dreer, Philadelphia, Pa. 
C ABBAGE and CELERY PLANTS— Best variety, $1 per 1000, 
$7.50,10.000 Tomato, Sweet Potato and Peppers, $1.50 per 
1000; Cauliflower, $2.50 per 1000. J. C. Schmidt, Bristol, Pa. 
rnn CAI C-SWEET POTATO PLANTS and VEGETABLE 
rUn OALC PLANTS by the millions. Send for 
price. MICHAEL N. BORGO. Vineland, N. J. 
CWEET POTATO PLANTS-Red* Y.llow,*2 perlOOO. Cabbage 
O a Tomato Plants. LiBt Free. W. S. FORI* & SON,Ilartly,Del 
En*, Cafa Cow Peas, $2.00 to $2,50 bushel: 
■ Crimson Clover Seed, $6.00 to 
$7.00 bushel; Red Clover Seed, $12.00 bushel. 
JOSEPH E. HOLLAND.... Milford, Delaware. 
WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY 
Tomato, Cabbage and Celery Plants 
Can fill your orders for as many as you want. Spe¬ 
cial prices on large lots. Send for onr 1912 price-list. 
ROMANCE SEED, PLANT & TRUCK FARM, 
Caleb Boggs & Son, Cheswold. Del. 
sale genuine sabe soy beans 
yielding. BAILEY ORCHARD CO., Fishersville, Va. 
CABBAGE PLANTS 
Pepper, Egg Plants, 2c. each. 
-SWEET POTATO PLANTS, TOMATO. CELERY, CAULIFLOWER, PEPPER, 
STRAWBERRY, ASPARAGUS. EGG PLANTS. Leading varieties. Prices 
low. Large discounts on large orders. Cabbage plants by mail, 
postpaid, 70c. hundred: Sweet Potatoes, 55c. hundred; Tomato, 
Catalogue free. HAKKY L. SQUIRES, Good Ground. N. Y. 
DAIRYMEN 
Are Changing From Other Separators 
to the 
U. S. CREAM SEPARATOR 
Read the experience 
While using a 
of a well-known hotel man and farmer: 
Separator Mr. John Smith, Lewbeach, 
set up a No. 15 United States Interlocking Separator for trial. 
After using it I found it made smoother cream and made me more 
and better butter than the other machine. It is easier to turn and 
easier to clean. I can clean it in one minute and can say none to 
much in praise of it. M. L. Huggins, Lewbeach, N. Y. 
You can make bigger dairy profits with less work, by using the 
United States Cream Separator. Why not be one of the 26791 
who are changing to the U. S. this year ? 
Prices, $25 and up. Liberal exchange allowance for old 
separators of all makes. Write today for a free 
demonstration. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO. 
Bellows Falls, Vt. 
Distributing Warehouses 
, Everywhere 
