1090 
THE RURAL NBAV-vo'^KBR 
October 2G, 
European agricultural scientists have also been giv¬ 
ing attention to sulphur as a fertilizer during the last 
two or three years. The fact that they have ap¬ 
proached the matter from an entirely different point 
of view makes their results all the more interesting 
and valuable. Their methods have been invariably 
to use some form of sulphur directly as a fertilizer 
in pot or field experiments. So far as is known 
they were not aware of the work of Hart and Peter¬ 
son ; at least, they seemed to have the idea that sul¬ 
phur acted indirectly, affecting the soil bacteria in 
some way rather than directly as a plant food. 
E. Boullanger tried out three forms of sulphur in 
pot experiments. All three—iron sulphate, uranium 
sulphate and flowers of sulphur—proved to be bene¬ 
ficial to the plants. At another time the same in¬ 
vestigator added flowers of sulphur to the soil and 
found that the growth' of carrots, beans, celery, 
lettuce, sorrel, endive, potatoes, onions and spinach 
was greatly improved. He further stated that the 
weight of the vegetables was increased from 10 per 
cent, to 40 per cent. 
Maizeres added sulphur at the rate of 250-300 kilo¬ 
grams per hectare (2,226 to 4,452 pounds per acre) 
to his fields of potatoes and beets. Large increases 
in the yields followed and he decided the value was 
due to two causes—the disinfecting action of the 
sulphur and the direct entering of the sulphur into 
the composition of the plant. 
The use of sulphur in Germany during 1909, ac¬ 
cording to E. Chancrin and A. Desriot, resulted in 
the reduction of potato diseases and an increase in 
yield. Their opinion as to the reason for the bene¬ 
ficial action was that the sulphur might cause a par¬ 
tial sterilization of the soil, similar to that caused 
by heat and other agents. 
Crop. 
Wheat (30 bu.). 
Barley (40 bu.). 
Oat (45 bu.). 
Corn (30 bu.). 
Alfalfa (9,000 lbs..).. 
Turnip .. 
Tobacco . 
Cabbage . 
Potatoes (3,360 lbs.) 
An article in a German agricultural paper states 
that experiments show a reduction of 50 per cent, 
of the total number of diseased tubers when the 
soil was treated with flowers of sulphur. Not only 
was this true, but the condition of the soil was im¬ 
proved and the yield increased. 
L. Degrully writes that experiments carried on in 
1911 showed that 109 g. of sulphur per square meter 
(about 975 pounds per acre) doubled the crop of beets 
and increased the yield of turnips 33 per cent. A 
large part of the sulphur appeared later in the soil 
as sulphates. Pie supposed the benefit was due to the 
direct effect of sulphur on the plant. Pyrites has also 
been used successfully in vineyards of Europe, where 
it is said to have added chemical agents to the soil 
and markedly improved the physical condition of 
the soil. 
The last case of using sulphur as a fertilizer which 
will be considered in this article is reported by A. 
Demolon, who mentions the use of residues from gas 
purifications in France. The value is ascribed to the 
sulphur which forms 40 per cent, of the residues. He 
also states that flowers of sulphur added to garden 
soil gave a better growth of leaves and roots, and 
favored development of chlorophyll. 
The practical trials of sulphur in Europe confirm 
the laboratory work done in America and show con¬ 
clusively that sulphur is a factor to be reckoned 
with in a rational fertilizer. It is a point the prac¬ 
tical man should be familiar with, and take into con¬ 
sideration when deciding on a fertilizer. Sulphur 
may be applied as flowers of sulphur, iron pyrites, 
gypsum, or in superphosphates, sulphates of potas¬ 
sium and ammonium, and stable manures. It would 
be an interesting experiment to apply flowers of sul¬ 
phur directly to plots of turnips, onions, cabbage and 
potatoes, as the first three require particularly large 
amounts of sulphur and the latter has responded to 
the use of this element in a gratifying manner ac¬ 
cording to actual trials. elmer e. fickett. 
A GASOLINE TRACTOR AT WORK. 
The picture at Fig. 449 shows a gasoline -traction 
engine at work on the farm of Edward Notestine, a 
progressive farmer in central Pennsylvania. Gaso¬ 
line engines have been used in parts of the West 
for some time for this kind of work, but Mr. Notes¬ 
tine is the first man in this section to demonstrate 
their use for farm work in Pennsylvania. When Mr. 
Notestine purchased this engine and gave out the in¬ 
formation that he would use same on his farm for 
I. 
Sulphur 
According 
to Wolff's 
Removed 
Pounds, 
per Acre. 
3.55 
5.1 
6.2 
5.35 
37.8 
44.4 
62 ! 8 
II. 
Sulphur 
Actually 
Removed. 
Pounds 
per Acre. 
15.7 
14.3 
19.7 
12.0 
64.8 
92.2 
21.0 
98.0 
11.5 
III. 
Phosphoric 
Acid 
Removed 
Pounds 
per Acre. 
21.1 
20.7 
19.4 
18.0 
39.9 
33.1 
16.0 
61.0 
21.5 
plowing, cutting his wheat and oat crop, etc., other 
farmers generally looked askance at him, shook their 
heads, and said he will find that it will not work. 
Mr. Notestine bought the engine and a plow that 
turns up four furrows at a time and started into do¬ 
ing his Spring plowing. The motor worked to per¬ 
fection. He has cut his wheat and oats crop and 
hauled them in with this power, and is doing his Fall 
plowing with same. He is well pleased with the ex¬ 
periment, and other farmers in this section are satis¬ 
fied that the experiment has been a success. The en¬ 
gine is of 20 horse power. This farmer is using 
same both on level and hilly ground; he is at the 
present time doing his Fall plowing with it. It has 
proved highly satisfactory in the uses he has put it 
to, plowing, cutting his crops of wheat, hay and oats, 
and in other farm work. Fie operates a large farm, 
and is one of Mifflin County's best known and most 
progressive farmers. The weight of this engine is 
12,600 pounds. e. e. c. 
THE FALL GRAFTING FAD. 
Did any of your folks ever hear it said that a pear 
tree is fatal to a peach? I know some people firmly 
believe that a peach tree will surely die if set next 
to a pear. I have had some experience that seems to 
back up that thory, but I have had the peach die 
when there was a good alibi for the pear, so I think 
“not proven” a proper verdict. Will The R. N.-Y. 
please take the stand? 
What about grafting trees now and early in Sep¬ 
tember? No one around here ever heard of such a 
thing, but a man is collecting a lot of money in our 
town for grafting apple and pear trees; claims it is 
a suitable and proper time. He uses two-year-old 
wood, too. I saw some of his work to-day, and his 
scions had spurs on every one. He says they will 
fruit earlier. His price is five cents each scion, and 
he puts in a good many, over one hundred in some 
trees—claims special virtues for his wax—says it is 
expensive and contains rubber. Says he is a gradu¬ 
ate of Cornell. His circular is signed by a forestry 
company, and solicits all kinds of tree contracts. To 
his credit it may be said that he hasn’t recommended 
the hypodermic treatment for injecting medicine into 
the sap. u. s. 
Massachusetts. 
A man is going around in our neighborhood graft¬ 
ing large old apple and pear trees; he seems to be 
honest; says he has done Fall grafting the last 15 
years; some of the grafts made about six weeks ago 
have leafed out. What do you think about it? He 
said in Missouri nobody thinks of grafting in Spring. 
I have more time in Fall, therefore would like to 
know if it is possible to graft successfully in Fall, 
or if the man is only a “grafter.” E. K. 
Massachusetts. 
I do not think that a pear tree exerts any unfavor¬ 
able influence over a peach tree planted near it, ex¬ 
cept in that it might check its growth by robbing it 
of moisture or plant food, which might be the case 
with any other variety of fruit or shade tree planted 
near the peach tree. 
Fruit trees are grafted in early Spring, just before 
the beginning of active growth, so that the union be¬ 
tween the scion and the stock will be likely to take 
place quickly and before the scion can dry out. Most 
fruit trees stop growth early in September, so that no 
such union would take place in a graft made at this 
time, and the scion would be likely to be dead by the 
following Spring. People are too ready to accept new 
theories from traveling agents in regard to fruit trees, 
which accounts for the number of men selling ma¬ 
terials which are of little or no value. 
New Jersey Station. m. a. blake. 
R. N.-Y.—We have no faith in Fall grafting. In 
reply to a question somewhat like the above Prof. 
Hedrick of the Geneva Station says: 
The work ought not to be done until after the begin¬ 
ning of the new year, under no circumstance in the Fall. 
If it is topworking young trees that is contemplated, 
whip, as well as any other kind of grafting, can far bet¬ 
ter be done in early Spring than Fall. I can hardly im¬ 
agine conditions such that Fall grafting in topworking 
trees of any kind or any age would be better than choos¬ 
ing the work in the Spring. Several letters have come 
to this Station during the past few months in regard to 
Fall grafting, which lead me to think that some one has 
recommended the practice to fruit growers in general, in 
the State. I am sure that grafting in the Fall can hardly 
be more than another unprofitable fad for fruit growers 
already burdened with too many fads. 
There are, certainly, fads enough in this world to 
stagger most of us if we tried them on. We feel 
disposed to give every fair proposition a trial before 
condemning it, but the trouble is that the ladders and 
the fakers start in to coin money before their schemes 
are tried out. The man who pays for the work must 
pay for the experience. Paying for experience is like 
buying a ticket on the road to the poorhouse. Our 
advice is to let Fall grafting and similar fads alone. 
FARMERS AND THE HAY BUSINESS. 
Many farmers are seriously considering the advisa¬ 
bility of turning their attention to growing and sell¬ 
ing hay. This is a topic that needs consideration be¬ 
fore changing from the dairy business to engage in 
it. It may be done successfully, I believe, but it is a 
question whether the farmer who has always been 
handling the dairy would be likely to succeed in every 
point until he has had considerable experience. As a 
rule the farmers who are growing hay for market 
largely are running out their farms. This may not 
be necessary if one has just the right ideas of the job 
and has had experience. I know of several localities 
where dairying is the rule but where now and then 
a farmer has turned his attention to selling hay from 
his farm. In nearly all of these cases the farms have 
been producing less as the years go on. In a few 
cases the farms have kept up to their normal capacity 
or have actually improved. In a conversation with 
one of these farmers recently he said that his farm 
did not produce much over half what it did when he 
commenced to sell hay. His reason for the change is 
the same that others give for changing, lack of com¬ 
petent labor for the dairy business. 
In one locality in this State where hay has been 
the principal product for market for a number of 
years I was told that the land is in a poor state of 
production. The farmer who gave me the statement 
advocated raising Short-horns for beef and milk. He 
said it is hardly possible to get the right help to 
carry on the dairying extensively, but that the farmer 
can do some dairying and grow some beef and come 
out on the right side. All of these statements are 
rather against the idea of selling hay. In one other 
locality not a hundred miles from the one just noted 
I found farmers had been selling hay for a good many 
years, and that their farms are improving consider¬ 
ably. They did run down for a time, but the farmers 
changed their methods and are making more money 
than before, and are improving their lands at the 
same time. The reason given is this: They are do¬ 
ing more in the dairy line than formerly, and they are 
selling rather less hay. They sell the higher priced 
hay, which is at the same time poorer hay for cows, 
and they use the mixed hay and clover for the dairy. 
They also use some other crops for the rows, such as 
corn fodder or silage, and some t>f the straw is also 
used. They have made a good reputation for hay in 
the markets, which adds to their advantages when 
making sales. They use some of the manure for top¬ 
dressing and supplement with a rather liberal use of 
chemicals. Experience and a clear idea of the needs 
of the soil has helped them to win out in a policy of 
selling a part of the hay gcown. This method also 
saves them in part from being one-crop farmers, 
something that needs to be avoided in most cases. 
The one-crop farmer can grow more than he can 
harvest usually. It is better to diversify a little at 
least, although too much diversity is as bad as too 
little. 
We have had some experience in growing hay, es¬ 
pecially since the difficulty of getting good help has 
become more acute, but as yet we have sold but little. 
Perhaps we have given the subject of market hay 
as much study as anyone here, because we have been 
considering the growing of hay as long as anyone. 
Our hay crop seems to be gradually improving each 
year. There will be unfavorable years, to be sure, 
but I think we can keep our growth good if we take 
pains enough with it. We make it a practice to plow 
as soon as seems necessary to make a good growth. 
A large part of our seeding is with oats and peas. 
Sometimes we sow this crop two years in succession 
if the field appears to need more tillage than can be 
given in one season. By seeding with oats and peas 
we get a good crop of oat-and-pea hay. That is a 
kind that cattle like, and it matures just after the 
meadow hay has been harvested as a rule. In that 
way we lengthen the period of harvest, which gives 
us a better chance than if all were of the usual sort. 
Another point is the fact that we get a better seeding 
when the stuff is cut off earlier than when oats, for 
example, are left to mature. We think that peas, be¬ 
ing legumes, help a little to enrich the soil by the ac¬ 
cumulation of nitrogen and some humus-making ma¬ 
terial. Clover the following year usually does well 
if we have limed the field well. In our practice we 
use the pea-and-oat hay and the clover for our cows, 
and 1 should expect to do so if I were to try to sell 
some hay. If manure has not been used on the seed¬ 
ing we top-dress it the following Winter. Commonly 
we use manure in seeding. As w r e feed some pea- 
and-oat hay we think we inoculate for peas by spread¬ 
ing the manure. We do as much top-dressing as we 
can every year, but in addition to this we use chem¬ 
icals on the older meadows if there is a good sod 
and we are not able to top-dress with manure. In a 
general way this is how we will have to go at the 
hay business if we would keep our land in good pro¬ 
duction. By following some such method we may 
sell off a part of the cows and sell some hay. Were 
milk prices a little better it would seem undesirable 
to reduce the dairy very much anyway. As it is some 
reduction may have to be made. While considering 
the question we may as well think of the possible fall¬ 
ing off in price of hay', as there has been in the price 
of milk. There is more than one side to the subject, 
and we would better go slow in changing. 
Chenango Co., N. Y. H. h. lyon. 
