732 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
June 7, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
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FOOL TALK ABOUT ‘ STONE MEAL.’’ 
I recently met an agent of the “Stone 
Meal Fertilizer Company,” Inc. lie is 
selling fertilizer that in my estimation 
is doing wonders. A friend of mine 
brought him to me and said : “We have 
something to make you lots of money 
without working.” I told him that’s just 
what I am looking for. lie then intro¬ 
duced the agent to me. I have forgotten 
his name; in fact, I did not listen to his 
name. We then got to talking about his 
fertilizer. He told me I should not use 
an arsenate on the potato vines for the 
bugs, as it will make watery potatoes, 
and also that Paris green used on the 
vines will get into the tubers; that by 
spraying apples with liine-sulphur the 
sulphate will get into the apples. He fur¬ 
thermore claimed that by using his fer¬ 
tilizer the potato beetle would do no dam¬ 
age to the vines, nor would they have any 
blight. We would not need to spray for 
San Jose scale nor Codling moth, as this 
would put something in the tree and 
apple, and also the potato vine, that the 
insects and fungus diseases would not 
harm them. He said if it does not do all 
that he claims for it I need not pay more 
than the freight. He asked me how many 
potatoes I raise to the acre. I told him 
from 125 to 150 bushels and sometimes 
more. “Why don’t you raise 250 bush¬ 
els?” he said. “By using my fertilizer 
you can increase your yield 100 bushels 
to the acre.” I said: “Will you guar¬ 
antee me 250 bushels? If you do, I will 
use your goods. We will sign an agree¬ 
ment guaranteeing me 250 bushels.” But 
he would not. I said: “I will not use 
your goods, but will wait and see how 
my neighbors make out with it.” It 
seems to me it comes under the head of 
the “tree boring fake.” I may be wrong. 
Pennsylvania. Arthur b. bear. 
R. N.-Y.—On page 461 we gave a long 
statement about this “stone meal.” 
Judged by the amount of plant food it 
contains this crushed rock is worth about 
$3 per ton on the basis used in valuing 
other fertilizers. The price, we believe, 
is $20. As a matter of difference of 
opinion regarding the fertilizing value of 
this stuff we should not have classed 
stone meal as a fake, for we thins the 
promoters honestly believe they have a 
good thing. When their agents tell such 
stories as the one here reported it is time 
to class them where they belong. When 
any man claims that this ground rock 
will “put something into” the tree or 
plants which will destroy scale or worm 
or bug he is either a downright liar or so 
feeble-minded that he ought to have a 
stout guardian appointed at once. No 
use arguing or playing with people who 
will make any such claims. You waste 
your time and your money fooling with 
them. 
TESTING “AVAILABLE’’ PLANT FOOD. 
I have always understood that the 
chemist cannot take soil and analyze it 
so as to tell me what is available to the 
plants, also the same with fertilizers. 
That is, the chemist can tell how much 
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash 
there is, but cannot tell if it is available 
to the plant. A graduate of our college 
told me recently that they can tell by a 
test of a weak solution of acid what per 
cent, is available to the plant. Is this 
so? f. h. L. 
So. Hadley, Mass. 
It is true that analysis of soil do< s not 
help much in direct fertilizing. It may 
show that a soil is particularly deficient 
in one or more elements. For example, 
analysis of a swamp or muck soil might 
show a high per cent, of nitrogen, but 
little phosphoric acid and still less potash. 
Yet this would not prove that no nitrogen 
was needed, for the large quantity found 
in th i soil is inert, and not available as 
plant food. In an average soil the pro¬ 
portion of plant food is so small that 
while the chemist may determine the 
amount his tests are not tine enough to 
tell accurately what proportion is avail¬ 
able and what not. The case is different 
with a fertilizer. For example, in 100 
pounds of fertilizer there may be three 
pounds of nitrogen, 10 of phosphoric acid 
and eight of potash, while in 100 pounds 
of soil there might be only the fraction 
of an ounce of these elements. 
In determining what part of the plant 
food is “available” the chemist, after 
much experimenting, fixes upon a stand¬ 
ard. A certain part of the nitrogen will 
dissolve in water, another part of it is 
found as ammonia; another part will dis¬ 
solve in a certain weak solution of chemi¬ 
cals, and those are all considered more or 
less “available”—that is, in such form that 
the plant can use such nitrogen during 
the season. As for the potash, that part 
of it is considered “available” which will 
readily dissolve in water. A part of the 
phosphoric acid will dissolve in water. 
Another part will dissolve in a solution 
of weak vinegar. This weak solution is 
supposed to be about the strength of an 
acid which is secreted in the soil by the 
roots of living plants, and this, along with 
the part which dissolves in water is con¬ 
sidered “available” to plants. The sys¬ 
tem is not perfect, but it has served its 
purpose well in the fertilizer industry. 
Increasing Size of Strawberries. 
What can be done to make strawberries 
larger? I have a fine two-year-old bed 
loaded with berries, but they are not 
large. We have had four weeks without 
any rain. Would nitrate of soda help 
the size or does that merely make the 
plants grow better? m. t. h. 
Charlottesville, Va. 
Some varieties produce few' blooms and 
naturally grow large-sized berries. Oth¬ 
ers overload with bloom and, especially 
in a dry season, give many small berries. 
It is more a matter of variety and culture 
than of fertilizing. Where the plants 
run into thick, matted rows the berries 
will be small. Where the plants are in 
hills and the runners are cut off the fruit 
will be larger. You probably have a va¬ 
riety which does not naturally make large 
berries. The season is dry and very 
likely the plants have run into thick, 
matted rows. Under these conditions you 
cannot do much to increase the size this 
season. A dressing of nitrate of soda 
will make a larger plant, but it is too late 
to make much change in the size cf the 
fruit. 
Cutting Alfalfa. 
Last August I seeded three-quarter 
acre of Alfalfa, after carefully preparing 
the soil, and have a very satisfactory 
stand, it being now from two to three feet 
high and very thick. I understand that 
I should cut this June 5 to 10, and again 
about the middle of August. Is that cor¬ 
rect? K. B. F. 
Massapeag, Conn. 
The dates may not be exact but they 
are close to it. The Alfalfa should be 
cut when more of the plants are in full 
bloom. This condition will vary some¬ 
what with the season, but with us the 
first cutting came about the middle of 
June, the second in early August. 
Crimson Clover in Connecticut. 
I set out 15 acres of peaches and 
apples two years ago, after taking a 
year to prepare the ground by planting 
cow peas. I raised corn between the trees 
last year and the year before; I am 
thinking of planting Crimson clover as 
a cover crop. When should I plant it 
and should it be plowed under this 
Fall or next Spring? M. R. 
Connecticut. 
We should sow rye along with the 
Crimson clover—about half a bushel of 
rye with 12 pounds of clover seed per 
acre. This clover is a risky crop in 
Connecticut. Do not seed this cover 
crop much before August 1. If you put 
Crimson clover in earlier the hot weather 
will drive it to early seeding and it will 
die at three inches or more in height. 
Either keep your soil cultivated or sow 
millet to be plowed under in time for 
clover and rye seeding. The great thing 
to remember abofit Crimson clover is 
that it is a cool weather crop, and should 
not be seeded until late Summer or early 
Fall. 
Vetch and Bacteria. —We see in 
“Hope Farm Notes” that vetch has not 
done so much, and many others report 
only fair success. May I suggest a few 
things from experience? We find all 
legumes when planted for the first time 
succeed better if planted quite early in 
their natural seeding time. The first of 
July, 1912, we planted vetch and Soy 
beans in rows 32 inches apart. The 
Soy beans, Wing’s Sable, matured and 
were harvested, the vetch remained and 
is very fine now. Vetch sown between 
the rows in latter part of August, 1912, 
is poor incomparison. The early sown 
vetch stools so much that less seed is 
needed. Your recent article in answer 
to a correspondent in which you say the 
question of bacteria is to be an important 
one in the future was interesting. We 
have studied along this line and when 
we inoculate, whether with the prepared 
cultures or soil, or both, we put slag in 
the drill so that it gets right down in 
the moist soil with the bacteria. If soil is 
used it is sifted, let dry in shade, and 
mixed with basic slag. We figure the 
lime, phosphorus, iron and magnesium in 
the slag would help make a good home 
for the little fellows. Dr. Fletcher tells 
us carbonate of potash and gypsum would 
not be harmful, and in the future we 
shall add these to the slag. 
Virginia. bailey orchard co. 
Destroying Mullein and Sweet Fern. 
To Get Rid of Mullein.—This plant is 
biennial and propagates itself by seeds. 
Kill the young plants as soon as they are 
big enough by cutting them off with a 
knife just below the surface of the 
ground. The roots will not sprout. The 
older plants can be pulled up and under 
no circumstances should any of them be 
allowed to run to seed. 
To Kill Sweet Fern.—Mow with brush 
scythe any time between the first of July 
and middle of August. Brushing the sec¬ 
ond year will effectually kill it out. Where 
there is comparatively little it can be 
pulled up easily by hand. The plant is 
a surface rooter, and although some of 
the roots may be left and will sprout they 
can easily be destroyed. I find a spud 
a useful implement to destroy both mul¬ 
lein and sweet fern. w. 
MASSACHUSETTS SPRAYING NOTES 
I finished spraying the apples before 
this rain came (May 24) which will 
bring out the cedar rust in great shape 
in the neighboring pastures. I trust I 
have nailed it this year at the start. 
When the buds showed pink I sprayed 
McIntosh, etc., for scab, and everything 
got the dormant lime-sulpliur, so this 
makes my third spraying on some of the 
trees so far, which is more than usual. 
I have a smattering of peach leaf-curl this 
year in some of the older trees, due, I 
think, to the fact that some of the trees 
were sprayed after leaves showed green. 
The younger trees which were sprayed 
earlier hardly show any up to now. Last 
year's tent-caterpillar plague is continued 
another year, and many trees in pastures, 
etc., are entirely defoliated. I still swear 
by lime-sulphur for these pests, as I 
found only one nest in all my trees 10 
years old or younger which were thor¬ 
oughly sprayed, although instead of being 
killed in the egg cluster as usual I saw 
some which had hatched and died at about 
3-16-inch long. On the older apple trees 
I found some nests, but apparently about 
half were killed out, so the damage was 
not great and the arsenate for the Cod¬ 
ling moth settled the rest. I am finding 
Gypsy-moth caterpillars scattered here 
and there, and they are very small now. 
being about a quarter of an inch long, 
while the tent-caterpillars are up to an 
inch and a half where they hatched early. 
The Gypsies are indicated by small holes 
about an eighth of an inch across near 
the center of the leaf. We creosoted all 
the visible egg clusters, but some will get 
by, and it is arsenate for those and tree 
tanglefoot in one bad spot. 
Our recent frost apparently did quite 
a little damage, though not so very bad 
near here. Our peach “blow” was easily 
three or four times too much, and good 
bee weather made it look like a glut in 
the market later as every back yard 
peach tree blossomed full. The peaches 
are now the size of peas, and the set is 
about normal; the older trees could stand 
more while the three and four-year-olds 
will stand some thinning probably. Our 
strawberries were hardly far enough 
along to get hurt, though some reports 
are different. Pears blossomed full and 
set well. Apples hereabouts all right, 
while currants got nipped. A self-regis¬ 
tering thermometer showed 30 degrees at 
the house, while the orchards are usually 
two degrees higher, but some cover crop 
self-seeded buckwheat in the orchard 
showed the frost. F. Howard brown. 
Secretary Mass. Fruit Growers. 
Marlboro, Mass. 
It was in the churchyard. The morn¬ 
ing sun shone brightly and the dew was 
still on the grass. “Ah, this is the 
weather that makes things spring up,” 
remarked a passer-by casually to an 
old gentleman seated on a bench. “Hush !” 
replied the old gentleman. “I’ve got 
three wives buried here.”—Credit Lost. 
f7__ C_ 1_—MILLIONS OF SWEET POTATO PLANTS AN. 
ror oaie VEGETABLE PLANTS. 1‘rieo list free, 
MICIIAKL, N. KORGO, - Vineland, N. J. 
COR SALE-DANISH PEDIGREED CAULIFLOWER SEED-Ear 
* best Snowball, Extra Early Dwarf, Erfurt, 
Danish Giant or Dry Weather. If) cents package; 
$1.50 ounce; ?•'> b-pound. No more reliable seed 
grown. E. L. THOMPSON. 81 Quebec St., Portland, Maine 
ALFALFA BACTERIA 
Connecticut grown. Examination of fields request¬ 
ed. Silted earth $20 per ton. Unsifted, $10 per ton, in 
bags, F. O. 15. cars, Berlin, Conn. CHAS. M. JARVIS 
Sweet Potato Plants^^Tomatof'sKsd 
per 1000; and Cabbage Plants $1 per 1000. Sond for 
freo list. W. S. FORD & SON, llartly, Delaware 
VEGETABLE PLANTS 
Sweot Potato. Tomato, Cabbage, Celery. 
Cauliflower Plants, leading varieties ; large 
nr small lots. Prices low. CATALOGUE 
FREE. Any of the abovo postpaid, (10c. 
hundred. Pepper and Egg Plants 2llc. dozen. 
HARRY L. SQUIRES, - Remsenburg, N. Y. 
Save Half 
That Roofing Cost! 
Buy direct from the manufacturers! Get 
the honest New England-made asphalt felt 
roofing—one of the oldest, most famous roof¬ 
ings in the world. 
Sunset Roofing 
At Theta Wholesale Prices 
1 ply, $1.25 Per Roll 
2 “ 1.50 “ “ 
3 “ 1.75 “ 
108 Square Feet In Each Roll—Nails and 
Cement FREE! 
You can buy one as well as 1000 rolls at 
these prices. 
Our whole reputation Is behind this roof¬ 
ing. Our money is in the plant that produces 
Sunset Booling. We know what goes into its 
making—and we know what satisfaction 
wiU come out of its use. 
Free Fountain Pen 
with every order for 10 rolls Sunset Roofing. 
Or get us an order for 10 rolls from auyone 
else—and we will send you free, a Webber 
Fountain Pen, a pen no dealer can equal for 
less flian $2.50. 
Use Our Wall Board 
In place of lath and plaster and save money. 
Makes even, durable wall. Cannot swell or 
shrink. 48 in. wide, all lengths. Write for 
low faetory-to-you price. 
Buy your building materials direct from 
factory—and save money. We own onr own 
building material mills. We own the timber. 
We can save you a surprising lot of money. 
Write today for our prices on anything you 
need. 
Write For Freo Factory-To-You Catalog 
WEBBER LUMBER & SUPPLY CO., 
57 Thompson Street Fitchburg, Mass. 
Yes, sir. Get a Galloway Pumping 
Engine Outfit. Put it to a 90-day t st on 
your farm. Use it to run the chum, cream sep¬ 
arator. washing’ machine, pump or any small 
mach e on your place. Then if you don’t say it’s 
the best little engine you ever saw in your life, 
you can ship it back. I’ll refund your money and pay 
the freight both ways. No etringsto thi offer—is there'/ 
Then on t pof this wonderfully liberal offer I’ll save you 
$25 to $50 0.1 the outfit. Can you boat itT Never. Write me today. 
Get My Special Offer and Prices 
Do it today. Only $24.75 for a Gi h. p. "Boss 
of the Farm” pumping engine. You c._.’t afford to wait 
for your windmill to blow down or a calm, hot 
day when you have to do all the pumping for a 
lot of stock by hand. Be prepared. _Get my spe- 
cial pumping * ‘ * * 
gine ana join 
enffino cub to:—.... ... - ——, - . 
You’ll neotl an engine in the next few weeks. It 11 pay jj 
for itself the first month. Get my spocinl 1913 
offer. Address: Win. Galloway. Pres. 
William Galloway Co.\ 
* 7C 27:.K Galloway Stn.. 
/ D \' r — , Waterloo, la. ] 
505 
/ who doesn’t own an engine will send us ► 
liis address, we will place in his hands ' 
“ without a penny’s expense, or obligation of 
any kind, the exact facts and figures he win 
need when he is ready to buy an engine. 
Write now, please, while you think of it- 
DEYO PORTABLE ENGINE 
uses less gasoline, furnishes more power and 
does more work than any other farm engine 
WE PROVE IT 
OETO-MACEV ENGINE CO. 
as WnHhlngton St., BINGHAMTON, N. Y. 
largest Manufacturer* of Gasoline Kngiet'rf in the East. 
J. 8. Woodhome, lS'J-lUo Water St., New York 
KicharcNou Mfg. Co., Worcester. Mass. 
Kendall X Whitney, Portland, Maine 
Thousands and Thousands 
of Tomato, Cabbage, Celery, Cauliflower and Sweet 
Potato plants for sale how. Sweet I * e !,, n ,; v 
Yellow, $1.50 per 1000. Big Stem Jersey at *2 perRMW- 
New Stone tomato plants, $1 per 1000. Special pi 
on large lots. Send for our 1913 catalogue and g< t 
our prices on all kinds of plants before you W ■ 
KOMANCK SEED. PLANT AM) TUI R 
FARM, Caleb Hoggs & Son, Gheswolil, J)en 
Ultein-n DIomFc I* 00ts - Dettuce, Kohl-rabi. 
0032.6 Plants 81 per 1000. Tomato, Sweet 
a toes, $1.50 per UNH). Cauliflower, Peppers, $2 per 
. Send for list. J. C. SCllMIDT. Bristol, la. 
leed. Beans 
ow Eyes and White Medium, free from anUirac- 
, Excellent samples. Red Marrows, very goou 
il.GO oer bushel,00 lbs. Samuel Fraser, Getieseu, im 
