1912. 
THE RURA.L, 
WESTERN FRUIT GROWERS AND 
EASTERN FARMS. 
A correspondent in Washington has 
written us a letter which is much like 
hundreds of others. We believe it ex¬ 
presses the feelings of many who are 
studying the future of fruit growing. 
We take up some of his questions in 
order: 
This is a wonderfully productive coun¬ 
try and grows fine fruits, but there are 
many things associated with rural life here 
which are not congenial to us, and I am 
thinking very strongly of selling my 60- 
acre fruit ranch and returning East to 
continue in the same line. 
We have this same story from many 
fruit men on the Pacific Coast. There 
seems to be a belief that most of them 
could do better here. 
With the knowledge I have gained 
through my five years’ experience here I 
am convinced that if the same attention 
were given orchard work in the fruit sec¬ 
tions of the East that is given here, and 
the same advanced methods in grading and 
packing followed, that the great markets 
of the East upon which the Western fruit 
grower depends, could be supplied much 
nearer with just as good fruit in just as 
attractive packages and with a great sav¬ 
ing in the expense of handling and freight. 
In general that is true, but there are 
other things to be considered. On the 
Pacific Coast growers have learned to 
cooperate and work together. That is 
about as much responsible for their suc¬ 
cess as any superior knowledge of grow¬ 
ing and packing. In most parts of the 
East the true spirit of cooperation has 
not been developed. Until it is devel¬ 
oped you must remember that the best 
methods of packing and handling cannot 
be made most effective. 
I have had some correspondence with 
growers in Virginia, which State seems to 
be paying attention to up-to-date methods, 
but I should like to know more about con¬ 
ditions in the New England States and 
New York, where I used to live. 
You should send to the State Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture at Albany for a 
copy of a book on the unoccupied farms 
of New York. This gives a fair de¬ 
scription of farms which are for sale at 
fair prices. Some of these descriptions 
are somewhat colored,_ and no one 
should buy without seeing the land; but 
the book will give one a fair idea of 
what to expect. The Farmers’ Institute 
Bureau* at Albany, under Edward Van 
Alstyne, will give reliable information. 
Would it be possible for a man of my 
experience and knowledge in this business 
to obtain remunerative employment with 
tiie more progressive growers and associa¬ 
tions until I could look the ground over 
and decide upon a suitable location? 
You could probably obtain work at 
fair wages. There are few, if any, “as¬ 
sociations” such as handle and pack fruit 
in the Far West. Most of our growers 
thus far handle barrel stock, and would 
not be likely to pay large wages. 
Also, are the chances to pick up an 
old farm suitable for orcharding in a good 
locality cheap, what they were some years 
ago? 
There are not many really suitable 
farms for sale “cheap.” You can still 
buy land at low prices, but it will not 
be very well adapted for fruit. There 
are sections—for instance, northern Ver¬ 
mont—where land can be bought at a 
low figure and on which Fameuse. Mc¬ 
Intosh or Spy apples grow to perfection. 
As a rule, however, good orchard land 
is now held for a good price, and 
justly so. 
of potash. Babbitt’s lye therefore, is 
not correctly labeled as regards potash, 
but for the household purposes for 
which lye is commonly used the ma¬ 
terial is effective. w. e. britton. 
State Entomologist. 
A SEPTIC TANK. 
A. II. 8., Vienna, Va .—The accompany¬ 
ing drawing illustratees the “septic tank” 
which our architect proposes for our new 
residence. I am not sure that it involves 
the principles of the true septic tank. 
Will you state your opinion in the matter, 
also the practicability o.f the size for a 
small family? The claim is made that 
this is preferable to any other form, as 
there are no odors from it. 
Ans. —The septic tank plan which you 
send is defective in that it provides for 
no method of purifying the effluent from 
the receiving chamber, and also in that 
this chamber is ventilated, instead oi 
being made a closed, airtight receptacle 
for the action of anaerobic bacteria 
upon the organic matter in the sewage. 
The effluent from this chamber should 
be purified by passing it through an arti¬ 
ficial filter bed of sand, or by conduct¬ 
ing it through drain tiles laid beneath 
the surface of the ground. The tank 
should have a capacity of 60 gallons 
per day for each person in the family. 
A discussion of the principles involved 
will be found in the April 13 issue of 
this journal, and answers to various 
questions concerning the details of a 
system are also given in subsequent num¬ 
bers. _ m. B. D. 
A Foreign Not Fake.— The orchard and 
crop fakes are not all confined to this 
country, It appears. The system is old 
enough to be gray-haired. The soap-nut 
tree, Sapindus utilis, was first planted in 
Algeria in 1845, the original tree coming 
from Asia. It was found that the shells 
of the nut contained a large per cent of 
saponin, a soap-like substance used for re¬ 
moving stains. Nearly 20 years ago a 
boom was started for planting and culti¬ 
vating this tree, very much after the 
fashion of the ginseng boom in this coun¬ 
try, or the later schemes for planting 
fruits and nuts. It was claimed that the 
price of the nuts would remain high, and 
that the trees would continue to pay a 
net profit of $200 or more per acre, with 
very little care or cultivation. We under¬ 
stand that stock was sold in propositions to 
grow these nuts very much in the manner 
of booming some of the unit orchard 
propositions. It was known that the 
saponin would remove fat and grease from 
clothing, and wonderful fairy tales were 
built up out of the possibilities in manu¬ 
facturing such fat extractors. The result 
was, as is usual, that the business was 
overdone, and that during the past two 
years 96 acres of trees on the original 
plantation have been cut down. The com¬ 
pany now has on hand over 130 tons of 
these nuts which cannot be sold, and the 
trees are being cut down to put the land 
in other crops. That is about the way 
such boom plantations go. It is easy to 
make up a thrilling story about what they 
ought to do, but when we consider the 
small proportion of human beings who do 
as they ought to, we can hardly expect 
trees to give a larger proportion. 
I see no logical reason why some of the 
millions sent West each year for fruit 
could not be spent nearer the large markets 
which alone are responsible for the profits 
and high prices of fruit land throughout 
this section, and at the same time build 
up a very desirable class of land dwellers. 
That is the theory we have been ad¬ 
vancing for years. In a small way, on 
our own farm, it has been worked out. 
Potash or Soda. 
B. B. II., New York, N. Y .—In The R. 
N.-Y., page 949, in the article on “Lye 
as an Insecticide” is this sentence: “In 
our experiments to destroy the San Jos6 
scale, about 10 years ago. one of the mix¬ 
tures consisted of Babbitt’s lye or potash” 
(which, by the way, is soda). Will you 
please explain what is meant? The label 
read, “Pure potash or lye.” If potash is 
soda, is soda potash? Is muriate of potash 
muriate of soda? 
Ans. —Potash and soda are common 
names for the hydroxid and carbonate 
compounds of potassium and sodium, 
two distinct chemical elements, which 
are much alike in their properties. Soda 
is not potash and potash is not soda, 
yet for the purpose of making soap 
cleaning, and neutralizing acidity, either 
can be used. Soda is usually much 
cheaper than potash, but as a fertilizing 
element potash is far more important 
than soda, and is absolutely essential 
to plant growth, nitrate, sulphate and 
muriate being valuable potash salts com¬ 
monly used in fertilizers. The term lye 
is used for the caustic or hydroxid form 
of both soda and potash and “Babbitt’s 
Pure Lye or Potash” is soda instead 
at LOW mi of 
Edwards hlddl Shingles 
“la all my life I 
was never so sur- (' 
jirised”writes Mr. D.VS 
Elzroth, of Fosters,.*’ 
Ohio, “as I nra at mv 
new Edwards STEEL 
Shingle barn roof. I 1 
wouldn't ha vo be-' 
lieved it if I hadn't 
seen it with my own 
eyes. Yoursteel shin¬ 
gles cost lots less than 
wood and they suro 
beut wood shingles . .d that .bber roll roofing 
forty miles. The stuff got here xgood shape, right 
on time and I done the work myself. I’ve got the 
best roof in the township. What a fool I was not 
to get your catalog 4 years ago when 1 roofed my 
house. 
Factory Prices—All Freight Paid! 
Fire-proof, rot-proof, rust-proof. Guaranteed 
against lightning by $10,000 Bond. 
Never need repairs. Out-last three wood-shin¬ 
gle and live composition roofs. Lowest factory 
prices—all freight paid. Put them on yourself. 
Made of Open Hearth Steel, finest quality. Made 
absolutely rust-proof by our world-famous “Tight- 
cote” Process. Come in sheets, 24 inches wide, 6 
to 12 feet long. 
Nothing to do but nail sheets on old roof or 
sheathing. Edwards Patented Interlocking Do- 
vice covers all nails, makes permanent water¬ 
tight joints. 
Makes handsomest, most lasting roof in ex¬ 
istence. Write us. If possible give size of roof 
and we will quote price, delivered to your station. 
Postal brings catalog 1173 and factory prices by 
next mail. 
THE EDWARDS MANUFACTURING CO. 
1123-1173 Lock Street Cincinnati, Ohio 
The World’s Largest Manufacturers 
of Steel lioofing (87) 
NEW-YORKER 
me 
CENTURY 
Rubber Boot 
A Tiger for wear. They 
are made of live, 
high-grade Rubber. 
Extra quality from toe 
to pull straps. A hand¬ 
some piece of honest 
value—the Century. Re¬ 
inforcements at ankle, 
heel, toe and sides of real 
rubber and strong duck 
make this a battleship 
boot for wear in damp, 
wet weather. Your 
feet slide into comfort 
and warmth. 
Protect your 
pock et- 
book — 
andlook 
for the 
“Cross” 
on the bottom. Remember the “nocrack’’ankle 
and the wear resisting soles of pure rubber. Ask 
your dealer, if he has none—write us his name 
and ask for handsome free Booklet No. 27. 
Beacon Falis Rubber Shoe Co,, Beacon Falls, Conn. 
New York Chicago Boston 
I 
GUARANTEED FOR 30 YEARS. 
INGOT IRON ROOFING 
99.84%^^ Money back or a new roof if it de- 
PURET teriorates or rusts out. No painting 
fl or repairs required. Our Indemnity Bond pro- 
■ tects you.. Costs no more than ordinary roof- 
I ing. Write for big illustrated book FREE. 
The American Iron Roofinii Co. 
| Station I) ELYRIA, OHIO. 
■810,000 Backs % 
this portable wood saw. Onaranteed 1 year—money 
retunded and freight paid both ways if unsatisfac¬ 
tory. You can easily earn $10 a day with a 
HERTZLER & ZOOK 
Portable 
As low as $10 
.YVooil 
aawiug all kinds of neighbors’ lum¬ 
ber. Strictly factory prices—stive 
jobber’s profits. Operates easily* 
'a Stick sits low—saw draws it on im¬ 
mediately machine starts. Only $10 
saw to which ripping table caa be 
added. Write for catalogue. 
HERTZLER & ZOOK CO., 
Box 3 , Belleville. Pa. . 
Big Bargains 
In Feed Molls 
Write us without delay for 
latest reduced factory price i_ 
on a feed grinding mill from the famous 
QUAKER CITY LINE 
(Standard 46 Years) 
Direct from Factory on 
lO Days Free Trial 
No risk or expense to you—we pay freight. 
Put it to every test—Grind yotir feed free— 
see how fast it works—how easy it operates 
how iittle attention it needs. Then if it 
doesn’t satisfy, we take it back. Our 
23 $ty!es-Hand Power-to 20 H. P. 
grind any grain, separate or mixed—ear or 
shelled corn, any grade of meal from coars¬ 
est to finest table meal. Also grinds husks 
as well as cobs and corn. 
WRITE FOR FREE BOOKS 
Illustrated Grinding Mill catalog and 45th 
anniversary Farm Supply catalog quoting 
bargain prices. 
The A. W. Straub Company 
Dept. E 3740 Filbert St., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Dept. T 3709 So. Ashland 
Ave., Chicago, ill. 
SAYE^SLOO 
Every mouthful of unground 
feed your stock eats means 
a waste of 2S to 30%. Would 
you let that amount rot in the 
field unharvested? Not 
Then GRIND IT on a 
SEND FOR CATALOG 
We also build Samson Wind 
Mills, Pump Jacks, Hand Grind¬ 
ing Mills for Poultry Raisers, 
Gasoline Engines, Ensilage Cut- 
" ters and Brass Candlesticks. 
STOVER MANUFACTURING CO. 
188 Ideal Avenue. FREEPORT. ILLINOIS 
Thin model, 
19 jewels. 
Adjusted to 
the second. 
25-year 
guaranteed 
gold strata 
case . 
STARTLING 
Watch Offer! 
Above Is the Exquisite Ribbon Monogram Design. 
You may have your own initials handsomely engraved 
by hand on the superb gold strata case, guaranteed for 
25 years. Your choice of scores of other handsome de¬ 
signs. See our catalog. 
The great Burlington Special at the 
rock-bottom price! The world’s greatest master¬ 
piece of watch manufacture now sold direct to the 
consumer at the same price that even the wholesale 
jeweler must pay. The superb Burlington Special — 
adjusted to temperature, isochronism and all positions, 
19 jewels, fitted at the factory into the superb gold 
strata case—now sold direct to you at the rock-bottom, 
anti-trust price. 
The Fight Is On! 
We will not be bound by any system of 
price-boosting contracts with dealers. We will not sub¬ 
mit to any • r high-profit” selling scheme. We will not 
be dictated to by ANY “system”. No matter what 
it costs, we are determined to push our independent 
line, even if we should have to fight a combination of 
all the watch manufacturers of the country. And so 
we are making this offer—the most sweeping, astound¬ 
ing offer ever made on a high-grade watch —the famous 
Burlington direct and at the same price wholesale 
jewelers must pay. And, in order to make the prop¬ 
osition doubly easy for the public, we’ll allow this rock- 
bottom price, if desired, on terms of $2.50 a month. 
Post Yourself ! B , e sure to get post- 
ed on watches and watch 
values, trust-method prices and anti-trust prices be¬ 
fore you buy a watch. Learn to judge watch values. 
Watch Book Free! 
Read our startling exposure of the 
amazing conditions which exist in the watch trade to¬ 
day. Read about the anti-trust fight. Read about our 
great $1,000 challenge. Learn how you can judge watch 
values. Send your name and address for this valuable 
FREE BOOK now, TODAY. Just your name and ad¬ 
dress on a postal is enough; but write today. 
BURLINGTON WATCH CO. 
Dept 4298, 19th Street and Marshall Blvd., Chicago, Ill. 
No Burrs to Get Dull 
■One set of “Bull Dog” 
rollers grinds 5,000 bu. cob—wet, dry or 
oily. Can’t clog —force feed 
throughout. 
SSSffii Bull Dog* 
“Try It Ten Days Free 
i Norisk—notacentdown. If it doesn’t, 
^grind faster, finer, cheaper than any * 
.other mill you ever saw—back at our * 
^ expense. Write for details, stating 
I. P. of engine. Lett Mtg. Co. 
JJ04 East Road, Crown 
Point, Inu. 
SCIENTIFIC SWEEP MILL 
This No. 6 triple geared, double act¬ 
ing sweep mill has more capacity and 
will do better work than any other 
two-horse mill ; it 
TURNS CORN 
TO DOLLARS 
Avoid waste, and make 
big profits by grind¬ 
ing your feed with 
ono of our mills. We 
; make power mills also 
: for engines of any size. 
Send for free catalog, 
THE BAUER BROS. CO., Box 415 Springfield, Ohio 
Big Saving On 
ROOFING 
Send no money! Pay only if satisfied. 
Sensational low prices! Thousands of' 
farmers getting the benefit. Huy now— 
save big money. Share in the Profits 
o® 20 Great Factories. We sell only ' 
direct to you, no middlemen. Great book and^ 
$1.00 Profit-Sharing Certificate Free if you write 
postal at once. Don’t miss this grand offer. 
FXCPII ^ e,alRoofin K and siding is highest M 
quality made. Brand new —not used. 
Look out for shop-worn and second hand stuff. Get 
our prices, big book of bargains from 20 great fac¬ 
tories and $1 certificate—all free. Ask for Free sample. 
[The United Factories Co., Dept. It31, Cleveland, Ohio 
9 60RDS IN SO HOURS 
—, SAWS ItOW.Y 
W TttKK.S 
BY ONE MAN. It’s KING OF THE WOODS. Saves money and 
backache. Send for FREE catalog No B68 showing low price 
and testimonials from thousands. First oruer gets agency. 
Folding Sawing Mach. Co., 161 W. Harrison St., Chicago. ILL. 
Elite Burning' Oil 
In Wood and Iron Barrels 
A perfect burning oil made from 
Pure Pennsylvania Crude. : 
25 Years on the Market 
Write for Particulars and Prices 
DERRICK OIL CO., - Titusville, Penn. 
