1913. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
389 
TREATMENT OF MUCK. 
IF. E. S., New Paltz, N. Y .—I would like 
to know about the treatment of muck. I 
have unlimited quantity, no standing water 
on it for years, is very soft, light (in 
weight), and mealy. Effect on litmus paper 
practically imperceptible. I got out about 
30 big loads last Fall and composted with 
1500 pounds air-slaked lime. I wish to 
work it over soon as thaws and add phos¬ 
phate and phosphorus. I would like a 
general fertilizer (from it) if possible, to 
be used on grapes, grass and grass land. 
Ans.— Most mucks are quite sour and 
should be fully composted before using. 
We should have used at least twice that 
quantity of lime, and with each ton 
of muck at least 50 pounds of ground 
lime and 25 pounds muriate of potash. 
These may be scattered in as the muck 
is hauled out of the swamp and piled. 
It would pay to fork the pile of com¬ 
post over once or twice during the Win¬ 
ter. That leaves it fine and ready for 
use. 
RAT-PROOF CORNCRIB. 
I have noticed several articles lately 
in your paper in regard to rat-proof 
corncribs. I am so well pleased with 
one I put up two years ago that I think 
more people should know of it. It is 
1st 
RAT-PROOF CORNCRIB. Fig. 135. 
galvanized, perforated iron and is in¬ 
expensive, rat-proof, fire-proof and ap¬ 
parently rust-proof. A picture of it is 
shown at Fig. 125. H. N. H. 
Black Rot of Sweet Potatoes. 
IF. 11., Vineland, N. J .—I am engaged in 
the culture of sweet potatoes almost ex¬ 
clusively, generally with good average suc¬ 
cess, but like everyone else In this particu¬ 
lar line, am troubled to a greater or less 
degree with black rot, and in spite of all 
precautionary measures I always And some 
among my seed potatoes. Of course I 
always discard any potatoes at bedding 
time with the least sign of disease. I also 
select my seed in the field and only from 
hills that appear perfectly healthy. I 
realize that there are a variety of causes 
that produce this effect. Is there any 
treatment I could give my seed potatoes 
that would kill any black rot spores that 
may be on the apparently healthy potatoes 
after the few visibly decayed ones have 
been discarded ? I have read of the forma¬ 
lin treatment prevention of scab in round 
potatoes, and would like to know how it 
or any other treatment would, work in my 
case. Would not sprinkling the potatoes 
after they are bedded in the hotbed be as 
effective as soaking? I use the fire heat 
type of hotbed. 
Ans.— I would like very much to give 
this correspondent some information 
that would be of value to him in his 
efforts to prevent black rot of sweet 
potatoes, but the fact is we are all more 
or less in the dark as to the proper 
treatment for this disease, and also for 
the more injurious disease known as 
stem rot. Growers here are troubled 
more or less with both these diseases in 
their sweets, but as yet no satisfactory 
method of treatment has been found for 
either. Some little experimenting has 
been done here and there among grow¬ 
ers, but no concerted action has been 
taken to find the cause or remedy and 
every grower seems to have a different 
theory as to the cause of the disease. 
Precautionary measures are helpful. It 
is noticed that cold, wet conditions in 
either seed bed or field favors the de¬ 
velopment of black rot, and it is also 
worse where large quantities of manure 
is used in the field. Growers, too, are 
always careful to select only seed and 
plants that are apparently free from the 
disease. Sulphur seems to have found 
favor with many growers as a partial 
remedy for black rot. They use it lib¬ 
erally in the bed. sprinkling it over the 
potatoes at bedding time and also in 
the row at planting time. It does no 
harm and is worth trying out more 
thoroughly. I know nothing about the 
effect of formalin treatment, and have 
been unable to find anyone that does. 
However, I want to find out about it, 
and just now, at the suggestion of Prof. 
Cook, I have some sweet potatoes at 
New Brunswick that will be tested in 
the laboratory to see just how the for¬ 
malin treatment affects them. If it is 
not injurious there, it will be tried later 
at planting time in the potato bed. In 
this connection and for the encourage¬ 
ment of sweet potato growers, will say 
that Prof. Mel T. Cook, head of the 
new State Department of Plant Pathol¬ 
ogy, is taking up the study of both black 
rot and stem rot of sweet potatoes, and 
it is hoped that good results will attend 
his efforts to help us out. 
South Jersey. trucker, jr. 
Fertilizer for Old Soil. 
I have a plot of ground about 60 by 40 
feet, which to my knowledge has not 
been plowed up in 30 years. It is in grass. 
Last Spring I had the sod turned under, 
and planted carrots, beans, radishes, tur¬ 
nips, rutabaga, kohl rabi, etc., great deal 
of which all went to tops. What does this 
land require and what quantity to apply? 
The soil is of a very yellow color, it. 
Dobb’s Ferry, N. Y. 
When crops go “all to tops” you may 
know that there is an excess of nitrogen 
and not enough available potash and phos¬ 
phoric acid. One of the functions of ni¬ 
trogen is to promote a rapid growth. A 
dressing of wood ashes, about 150 pounds 
for this patch would be suitable, or 50 to 
75 pounds of a chemical fertilizer. Buy a 
mixture designed for wheat seeding or for 
corn and broadcast half aud use the rest 
in hill or drill. 
Crop to Plow Under. 
I am going to plow an old buckwheat 
stubble just as soon as I can this Spring, 
and wish to sow on it either Hairy vetch 
or Soy beans; then after my haying, with¬ 
out cutting of the vetch or beans for hay, 
I would like to plow it under, work ground 
till September 1, then seed to Timothy and 
Alsike clover. I shall put lime on the 
ground after second plowing. Which will 
will be better to sow in the first place to 
plow under? e. e. s. 
Wurtsboro, N. Y, 
We should sow oats and Canada field 
peas, as we have often described, as early 
in Spring as the ground can be fitted. 
Plow these under in July and use lime and 
fit the soil well for seeding. We think the 
oats and peas will give a larger crop for 
turning under in this way than vetch or 
Soy beans. 
Whk.v you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and vou'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
* - - -> 
It’s Always 
A Good Thing 
To have a 
Clear Horizon 
at both ends of the day. 
A dish of 
Post 
Toasties 
for breakfast and again at 
the evening meal opens and 
closes the day with a dash 
of sunshine. 
Toasties are bits of hard, 
white Indian Corn,first care¬ 
fully cooked,then rolled thin 
andcrinkly,and toasted to a 
delicate appetizing brown. 
Not a hand touches the 
food in manufacture, and it 
isreadyto serve direct from 
the package—to be eaten 
with cream or milk—and 
sugar, if desired. 
Post Toasties taste de¬ 
liciously good and are rich¬ 
ly nourishing. 
_ J 
More profit per acre 
HOW? 
Manufacturers have found that their 
costs per unit of production whether it be a 
pair of shoes, a machine or a yard of cloth, 
are reduced by increasing the output of the 
factory. The same principle applies on the 
farm. Increasing the yield per acre reduces 
the cost per bushel, thus making more profit. 
Increased production chiefly depends on 
increased available fertility which is obtained 
by the use of high grade fertilizers. 
BOWKER’S 
Bowker’i Fertilizers arc 
high grade and available. 
They are active, sure, and 
well backed by forty years of 
experience, the best of mater¬ 
ials and facilities and prompt 
service. A suitable fertilizer 
for every crop and adapted to 
every pocketbook. 
We want Agents in unoc¬ 
cupied territory. Write today 
for prices and terms; this may 
mean a good business for you 
if you act at once. 
Write anyway for our 
illustrated catalogue and 
calendar before you buy your 
spring fertilizer. We want you to know what we can do. 
BOWKER 
FERTILIZER 
COMPANY 
80 Lyman Street, Buffalo, N. Y. 46 Chatham Street, Boston. Mass. 
63 Trinity PI., New York, N. Y. 1218 2nd. Nat. Bank Bldg., Cincinnati. 
Original and largest manufacturers of special fertilizers. 
LIME 
for the soil only. Our Agri¬ 
cultural Lime can be applied 
at the time of seeding and 
will not burn anything. Will 
drill, broadcast or scatter. 
We guarantee immediate 
shipment, analysis, mechani¬ 
cal condition, fineness, quick 
results and no burning. 
Litmus paper free. Write us. 
CALEDONIA MARL CO., Caledonia, N. Y. 
GROUND LIMESTONE 
FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT 
Alfalfa srnd Clover MUST have it 
ANALYSIS GUARANTEED 
Write for circulars ORDER EARLY 
THE STEARNS LIME COMPANY 
DANBURY, CONN. 
GALVANIZED 
GRIFFIN LUMBER CO., 
ROOFING 
*3.59perSq. 
Del. your station 
HUDSON FALLS, N. Y. 
$10,000 Backs 
this portable wood saw. Guaranteed 1 year—money 
refunded and freight paid both ways If unsatisfac¬ 
tory. You can easily earn $10 a day with a 
HERTZLER & ZOOK 
Portable 
vWootl 
saving all kinds of neighbors' lum¬ 
ber. Strictly factory prices—save 
Jobber's profits. Operates easily, 
“k Stick sits low—saw draws it on im¬ 
mediately machine starts. Only $10 
oaw to which ripping table can bo 
added. Write for catalogue. 
HERTZLER & ZOOK CO.. 
Box 3 . Belleville. Pa. . 
SUPERIOR 
W ARRANTY—Castings replaced' 
FREE ANYTIME 
—one year or 20 years—if shown to 
be defective. Disc Bearings Warranted 
for LIFE OF DRILL; replaced FREE if they 
ever wear out. Every Drill guaranteed 
to be and do all we claim. 
Superior Drills are made in all sizes 
and styles in plain and Fertilizer—Disc, 
Hoe and Shoe. 
No seed too large; none too small for 
the Superior Double Force Feed. Be sure 
and send for the Superior Catalogue. 
Tells just what you want to know. Read 
it. Then go to your local dealer and 
insist on seeing the SUPERIOR —“The 
Name Tells a True Story.” 
