THK RURAL NEW-YORKER 
863 
BUCKWHEAT. 
A Familiar Crop. —The time is again 
at hand, for sowing buckwheat in the 
sections where it is raised, and the usu¬ 
ally large acreage will doubtless be given 
to this crop. Where buckwheat has long 
been grown, there is little to describe 
about its management that is not already 
familiar to farmers, but there ax-e a large 
number of Westerners who have recently 
bought Eastern farms to whom buck¬ 
wheat will be a new crop, and to whom 
information concerning it will be wel¬ 
come. The three principal varieties of 
this grain grown in this country are the 
Japanese, the Silver Hull, and the Grey. 
Both the plant and seeds of these varie¬ 
ties differ in size, the Japanese being the 
largest and the Silver Hull the smallest 
of the three. These two are sometimes 
mixed in seeding, with the idea of get¬ 
ting a larger area of bearing straw by 
having the smaller Silver Hull plant 
come up under the protecting spread of 
the Japanese. No definite statement as 
to which variety yields the best can be 
made, as each one has proved better than 
another under some conditions. In the 
writer’s vicinity through Central and 
Southern New York, the Japanese va¬ 
riety, once popular, has apparently given 
place in favor to the smaller kinds; 
though little effort is ordinarily made to 
keep any variety pure. Millers do not 
like to have the large Japanese mixed 
with the smaller varieties, as it makes 
milling somewhat more difficult, but no 
discrimination is made against it. A 
small but heavy variety, known as “old- 
fashioned black” is much sown, anti some 
newer kinds, probably strains of the 
standard varieties, are also popular. 
Yields of buckwheat are most variable, 
it being an exceedingly “catchy” crop, 
but from fifteen to thirty bushels per 
acre are commonly expected; and under 
exceptionally favorable conditions it may 
go much higher. It is needless to say 
that it may also go much lower, one mil¬ 
ler of the writer’s acquaintance having 
for his favorite story concerning it the 
statement that a farmer approached him 
one season saying that he had sown four 
bushels of buckwheat and had harvested 
but three. He explained that he didn’t 
care about the size of the crop, but he 
did want to know what became of that 
other bushel. 
Seeding .—From three pecks to one 
bushel of seed per acre are usually sown, 
the smaller amount upon the better 
ground. Buckwheat will adapt itself to 
a wide variety of soils, though well- 
drained light loams are usually consid- 
ered superior for this crop. It is often 
sown, however, and with good results, 
upon heavy, more or less sour, land, 
where one would not expect other grains 
to do well. Buckwheat has, in fact, been 
largely used as an emergency, or catch, 
crop, to be sown where other crops have 
failed, or upon ground too rough and 
difficult of cultivation to permit of the 
care that other crops demand. With a 
favorable season it will respond to good 
soil and good treatment, but the fact that 
it is so markedly affected by unfavorable 
season conditions makes most growers 
give preference to other crops as staples. 
Buckwheat requires cool weather for the 
proper development and ripening of its 
seed, and it is accordingly sown as late 
as possible with a fair chance to ripen 
before a frost; from the middle of June 
to the middle of July being probably 
about the extreme limits of its seeding. 
In Southern New York, the first week in 
July is a favorite period for seeding this 
grain. 
Fertilizer. — Many farmers believe 
that it pays to use commercial fertilizer 
upon buckwheat, if upon no other crop, 
and there is little sown in the writer’s 
vicinity without at least from 100 to ”00 
pounds per aci-e of “phosphate.” The 
winter, himself, has used for several 
^cars 200 pounds of acid phosphate per 
acre and has obtained as good results as 
where a more expensive complete ferti- 
Hzer was used. A mixture of acid phos¬ 
phate and potash is more generally used, 
and from its composition should be su¬ 
perior. Several commercial brands of fer- 
Olizer containing about 10 per cent of 
phosphoric acid and eight per cent of 
potash are much used. As a heavy 
giowth of straw is not desired, there is 
11,1 ueed upon most soils for the more ex- 
l" usive ammonia or nitrogen in a com- 
!»h‘ te fertilizer, and too much of this 
plant food is detrimental to the crop, 
since it produces a heavy growth of straw 
which is apt to “go down” before the 
grain ripens. Once down, buckwheat 
cannot regain its upright position, and 
a serious loss in grain occurs. Buck¬ 
wheat is one of the most moderate of 
crops in its demand upon soil fertility, 
and is frequently sown for a long suc¬ 
cession of years upon the same ground. 
With a moderate application oF com¬ 
mercial fertilizer each year, there is lit¬ 
tle or no decrease in yield, and save for 
the exhaustion of humus, the soil does 
not seem to suffer from this continued 
cropping. Buckwheat has also the pecu¬ 
liar property of leaving the soil in a 
markedly light and porous condition. 
Fitting the Soil. —Because of its 
late seeding, the ground for buckwheat 
is frequently not fitted until June, or 
even later. This is probably the great- 
est mistake that is commonly made in 
handling the crop. It usually occurs, 
to be sure, from pressure of necessity, 
i-ather than from ignorance or indiffer¬ 
ence, but it is a serious error where it 
can be avoided. Buckwheat ground 
should be plowed as early as possible, at 
least several weeks before seeding, and 
should be harrowed sufficiently often to 
kill all weeds and keep the surface in a 
mellow condition while the soil beneath 
is becoming settled and compact. The 
effect of early plowing and thorough fit¬ 
ting is often most striking, being clearly 
shown upon a twelve acre meadow be¬ 
longing to the writer, which, two years 
ago, was sown to buckwheat. The plow¬ 
ing was started early, but was discontinued 
after perhaps one-fourth of the ground 
had been plowed. Owing to pressiix-e of 
other work, it could not be completed un¬ 
til just before time to seed the grain, 
early in Jilly. The whole meadow had. 
otherwise, the same treatment, and was 
sown at the same time, but the part that 
had been plowed early gave the buck¬ 
wheat the quickest start and this advan¬ 
tage was maintained throughout the sea¬ 
son, showing equally plainly in yield of 
grain. 
Harvesting. —Buckwheat is cut with 
hand cradle or drop reaper, usually be¬ 
ing ready to harvest about eighty days 
from time of sowing. It is allowed to 
stand as long as possible, as the grain 
fills and ripens during the cool days of 
the fall, but every effort is made to cut it 
before the first fi-ost, which will stop all 
further growth of stalk and seed, and 
will, in addition, injure the straw for 
feeding purposes. The increasing de¬ 
man for buckwheat flour is making this 
crop a more and more profitable one as a 
good price is obtained for the grain, and 
the middlings make one of the most val¬ 
uable high px-otein feeds for dairy cows. 
M. B. DEAN. 
BROKEN LEG MUSINGS. 
[The following notes ax-e written by a 
farmer who recently met with an acci¬ 
dent—breaking his leg in the busiest farm 
season. It is hard for a farmer to be 
crippled right when he most needs all 
his powers, but this one is a philosopher.] 
A man on one leg and two crutches 
has to be suited with ’most anything, 
but then I suppose nothing is so bad 
but what it might be worse. When I 
look out and see the grass growing in a 
promiscuous fashion on the front lawn, 
I feel sure it must be growing equally ' 
well in the mowing fields. Not having 
any corn planted, the hens will have to j 
forego the pleasure of a few home-grown ! 
ears at bedtime next Winter, but my j 
good neighbors sowed my oats for me, j 
and after harvest I can soak and sprout 
them instead. 
After the Alfalfa plot was limed last i 
August, we had a few bags of lime 
left over; this was applied to the clay 
end of the wlieatfield. A look at the 
crop at present will even cheer a man 
unlucky enough to break a leg. The 
good wife feels the extra burden, but 
the load is lightened somewhat by the 
fact that our high school girl is soon to 
graduate with the second highest class 
honors, despite a handicap of youth, so 
you see every cloud has a silver lining. 
When I review the acts of life, and how 
an accident has brought out the generous 
and responsive sides to my neighbors’ 
characters, and the generous impulses 
that has led them to give me assistance 
in the time of need, I feel that the bond 
of sympathy which draws one farmer 
to another ought to be more spontaneous, 
and not need the incentive of an accident 
or other unusual occurrence to bring into 
evidence the best impulses in our systems. 
As in evex-y walk in life, there are, of 
course, farmers of poor characters, but 
on the other hand there are a great many 
more honest, industrious farmers and 
neighbors woi-king along separate lines, 
and approximately at cross purposes. 
All the people of the universe must be 
fed and clothed from the soil; the farmer 
is the purveyor of food to all the people 
of the world, and should be looked upon 
as an important cog in the wheel, not 
with indifference and toleration. Until 
The R. N.-Y. started its campaign on 
the 35-cent dollar, no systematic effort 
was ever made to show the utter depth 
to which the farmer had allowed his 
business to fall or the dependence placed 
upon the middleman and creatures of high 
finaiice. Such of us as read The R. 
N.-Y. fully appreciate the poor business 
methods the farmer has been following. 
It is a good business proposition to get 
in touch with one’s neighbors; better 
markets can be secured by co-operation 
and push. Conjunctive buying is another 
advantage and other things may be done 
to raise the standard of agriculture. 
New York. geo. e. howell. 
INSPECTION OF MAIL PACKAGES. 
The Florists’ Exchange calls attention 
to a bill recently introduced by Congress¬ 
man Raker, which provides for the in¬ 
spection of any parcel sent by mail 
which contains fruit, plants, trees, shrubs, 
nursery stock, grafts, scions, peach, plum, 
almond, or the pits of other fruits, cotton 
seeds, or vegetables, at point of delivei-y 
in any post office of the United State's 
that requests such inspection and where 
the requisite inspectors are provided by 
the States to perform such service. 
It may be easily seen that this bill 
(IT. R. 4357). hampers parcel post trade 
in lines where its development would be 
especially useful. Carefully wrapped per¬ 
ishable articles would not only be de¬ 
layed. but left for hurried officials to 
rewrap at their discretion. The bill 
says: 
“It shall be the duty of the postal offi¬ 
cers to apprise said fruit inspectors of 
the presence of such parcels. It shall 
also be unlawful for any postmaster or 
postal clerk to deliver such pax-cel until 
it is released by such regularly appointed 
fruit inspector, who certifies that it is 
free from injurious insects and injurious 
fungi.” 
It is evident that there is much delay 
and exasperation possible under such a 
bill. It is likely that the various trade 
societies of the florists and nurserymen 
will take this matter up, and it would 
seem to possess equal interest for fruit 
growers generally. Why are mail ship¬ 
ments different from those sent by ex¬ 
press? Imagine waiting for an inspector 
to pass judgment on a carload of peaches! 
IDEAL FRUIT PICKING BAG 
and so arranged as to 
equalize the load on 
both shoulders. 
The openings are ai-- 
ranged so both hands 
can be used in picking 
and the draw string is 
arranged so the fruit 
can be let out at the bot¬ 
tom in emptying the 
bag. 
The bag can be let 
down to the bottom of 
FRONT BACK the barrel before open¬ 
ing the draw string, thus not bruising thefruit. 
This is the best and handiest arrangement 
for picking fruit that has ever been offered 
A trial will convince the most skeptical. 
SAMPLE POSTPAID, $1. AGENTS WANTED. 
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35 Ambrose St.; Rochester, N. Y. 
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Tr Lt 1/ Lt MACHINES 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
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POWER SPECIALTY Co., 
Ill Trinity Building, Nevr York 1 
Frost Vagaries. —Undoubtedly the ef¬ 
fects of “Vagaries of the Cold” de¬ 
scribed by W. F. Massey, page 793, were 
due to individuality of the plants as well 
as to varying degrees of temperature 
within narrow limits. The instance he 
gives of one uninjured plaut where oth¬ 
ers were killed in a greenhouse indicates 
that the one possessed greater powers 
of resistance than did the others. I have 
frequently noticed that some varieties of 
apples freeze in a higher temperature 
than others, and during the apple harvest 
have often seen apples of the same va¬ 
i-iety lying on the ground or in piles 
side by side, one frozen and the other un¬ 
touched. and have also noticed that un¬ 
sound fruit, or that with a broken skin, 
freezes more quickly than absolutely 
sound fruit. A few times when the frost 
has crept into my apple bins, where there 
was practically no circulation of air. I 
have found frozen and unfrozen apples 
lying touching each other, all of which 
leads me to believe that “individuality” 
is as distinct in the vegetable as in the 
animal kingdom. 1 . s. albrigiit. 
Albany Co., N. Y. 
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KEYSTONE WATER DRILL CO 
Beaver Falls, Pa, 
Free Box of Samples 
sent to your station charges prepaid. All 
sizes, 2 inches to 20 inches. Delivered 
prices quoted on request. 
THE E. BIGL0W CO., New London, 0. 
Real Bone and Potash 1 
In some sections wheat growers refuse to use any other 
phosphate than real bone. 
More wheat and a better stand of clover will be secured if 
the bone is balanced with Potash. The longer bone has been 
used the more urgent becomes the need of 
POTASH 
. Try 200 to 400 pounds per aci’e of a mixture of equal parts of bone and 
Kaxnit, or one ton of bone with 300 pounds of Muriate of Potash. 
See that your dealer carries Potash. If he does 
__ /f\ not, write us for prices f-tatine amount needed. 
^ ^ and ask for our free book, ’'Fall Fertilizers.” 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, Inc. 
NEW YORK—42 BROADWAY 
McCormick Slock, Cnfc 3 go 
Bank & Trust Bldg., Savannah 
Whitney Central Bank Bldg., New Orleans 
Empire Bldg., Atlanta 25 California St., San Franciscg 
KAINIT 
BONE 
ME A# 
