101 .'}. 
1047 
Here is our old friend stone meal once more: 
I have just been advised that a man is canvassing 
Lancaster County for the sale of ground rock or stone 
meal as a preventive of smut in wheat. The quantity 
required is a quarter ton to the acre, price $25 a ton, 
to be shipped from New Jersey. This looks like one of 
the many frauds gotten up to swindle farmers. B. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
We have given the facts about stone meal several 
times. It contains a small amount of plant food— 
worth not far from $3 per ton as compared with 
standard fertilizing substances. Any man who claims 
that this crushed rock will prevent smut in wheat is 
a fake, and any farmer who listens to him will 
waste time. You might just as well claim that if a 
man will only chew’ oyster shells he will not suffer 
from poison ivy or itch. If you want to prevent 
the smut.disease soak the seed grain in the for¬ 
malin solution which we have so often described. 
Waste no time over “stone meal.” It will be like 
asking for bread and paying a long price for stones. 
* 
The latest engineering dream is to control the 
Gulf Stream and change the climate of the north¬ 
eastern part of this country. The warm waters of 
the Gulf Stream flow up the coast until they are 
met by the icy waters flowing down past Labrador. 
This meeting of warm and cold currents causes the 
great fogs on the coast, and changes the climate. If 
the northern icy flow’ could be deflected the warm 
waters of the Gulf Stream would change our north¬ 
ern coast climate and make it more like that along 
the Pacific Coast. At least that is the claim, and in 
order to bring it about it is purposed to build a 
high bank or wall from the coast of Newfoundland 
out 300 miles across the “Grand Banks.” This would 
deflect the flow of cold water from the North and 
enable the Gulf Stream to slowly make for New 
England a climate like that of upper California and 
Oregon! Surely a great scheme—but what would 
become of our Baldwin and Northern Spy apples? 
While they are figuring out this climatic change let 
us give our thought to another stream. This is the 
flow' of farm produce to market. Somewhere along 
the way it strikes a cold stream which freezes G5 
cents out of the dollar. It is the 35-cent dollar which 
makes farming seem cold to many a bright boy. 
How a 50-cent dollar would warm up the atmosphere 
for agriculture! 
* 
In the same mail last week came two letters about 
hydrated lime. One was from a manufacturer, giv¬ 
ing a fair statement about this form of lime and its 
value. The other came from a farmer who had 
listened to the guff of a lime agent. This agent 
claimed that his hydrated lime was a complete fer¬ 
tilizer, since it could make potash and phosphoric 
acid available in the soil. It would also cure peach 
yellows and kill potato beetles and San Josfi scale. 
This agent was simply a very poor liar, or else so 
feeble-minded that he ought to be put into some 
institution. Lime is one of the most useful things 
in our eastern farming, but when a man tries to 
make you think “hydrated” spells miracle he should 
have some quicklime slaked under him to remind 
him of what is to come if he keeps up his yarns. 
Hydrated lime may be called a pure water-slaked 
lime. Suppose we burn limestone thoroughly. We 
have then “lump” or “quick” or “stone” lime. This 
liine may be slaked in the usual way by exposure 
to air or by using water. It will contain not only 
the slaked lime but 15 to 20 per cent of impurities, 
such as cinders, coal ashes, sand, pieces of unburned 
lime, and particles not fully slaked. Suppose again 
we take this same quicklime and "hydrate” it. To 
do this the lump lime is first cracked or ground and 
passed through a tube where it is exposed to a fine 
•spray of water. Thus every part of the quicklime 
is slaked and later the tine lime dust is separated 
from the impurities and coarser particles. Thus the 
hydrated lime is finer than the ordinary slaked lime, 
more uniform in quality and with a larger propor¬ 
tion of lime. It will handle better, keep better and 
he more uniformly effective. It has not miraculous 
powers and will not do anything which other good 
forms of slaked lime will not do. It usually costs 
twice as much or more than slaked lime. We have 
used it with satisfaction, but with a good lime 
spreader to handle the slaked lime we got more 
time effect for a dollar in that form. At the same 
time it is foolish for writers to abuse the manufac¬ 
turers when they offer hydrated lime and tell the 
truth about it. 
FANCY FRUIT BY MAIL. 
I am sending you by parcel post to-day an apple 
mailing carton filled with Golden Sweet apples, 
dunking you might be interested in making some 
further reply to “S. P. T., Ashton, Md..” on page 953, 
'dio asks about using parcel post for mailing fancy 
truit. This carton has been in use in a large coiu- 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
mercial orchard in Massachusetts for at least a year 
for marketing extra fancy apples, and was used by 
us for mailing as soon as the parcel post went into 
effect. We began sending apples in January as far 
as Washington, I). C., to test the mailing possibili¬ 
ties, and had early apples on sale in August of this 
year. Our mail order business is still small, as it 
takes some time to work up a new business, but we 
hope in time to divide the middleman’s profits be¬ 
tween producer and consumer to the satisfaction of 
both. Postage on one dozen apples in the first two 
zones rarely exceeds 10 cents. We have sent As- 
traclian apples across the third zone successfully, 
but at that distance the postage ears up the profits. 
A Connecticut firm is getting out a carton without 
inside divisions to carry one peck, but I have not 
seen it used by mail. The weight would be in the 
MAILING PACKAGE FOR FINE APPLES. 
Fig. 400. 
neighborhood of 14 pounds. The so-called 20-pound 
climax basket can also be mailed. It carries a little 
over a peck and weighs well under 20 pounds filled. 
The risk of bruising is, of course, much greater in 
these larger parcels, and not so desirable for extra 
fancy fruit. e. ferguson. 
Massachusetts. 
R. N.-Y.—The postage on these apples from Cum- 
mington. Mass., was 22 cents. The fruit arrived in 
fine condition. A picture of the mailing package is 
shown at Fig. 400. and the brand which is printed 
on the wrapping paper at Fig. 401. This package 
is 12x9 inches and 2}4 inches deep. We believe that 
BRAND FOR MAILAGE APPLES. Fig. 401. 
time will develop a good mail trade in high-class 
apples. Thus far the peaches sent us have not ar¬ 
rived in the best condition. 
STROUT LOSES AGAIN. 
Some time back we published a complaint of a 
Connecticut farmer, who was threatened with suit 
by the Strout Farm Agency for the collection of a 
withdrawal fee. He had previously signed a con¬ 
tract without knowing the contents, but with the 
representation that it was merely a listing blank. 
We said that we did not believe the fee could be 
collected, and promised to pay the expense of de¬ 
fending the suit. We notified the Strout Agency 
to come on with the threatened suit if they wanted 
to test our judgment of the law and the fact. In 
the meantime, the farmer, Mr. Reidenbaeh. moved 
to New York City, and Mr. Strout, evidently believ¬ 
ing that he had a better chance with his technical 
contract in the city court than he would before a 
jury of farmers, decided to bring a suit. This was 
tried last Wednesday in New York City and the 
following letter gives the result : 
We are glad to state that the E. A. Strout Agency 
have lost their withdrawal suit against us, for which 
we wish to thank you and assure you that we very 
greatly appreciate all you have done for us. We also 
feel grateful to the able counsel who defended us. The 
jury of 12 men reached a verdict within 25 minutes 
after the charge by the judge and the verdict was in 
our favor. Again thanking you, we remain, 
I’. .1. BKIDEXRACH AND.SISTER, 
That decision covers the withdrawal fee where the 
contract was signed without knowing its contents 
and under misrepresentation by the agent. No 
farmer need now fear the Strout threat of suit to 
collect this fee if he was imposed upon when he 
signed the contract. Next week we shall give more 
of the details. It is enough now to know that the 
Strout bluff was called, and that they lost at a 
show-down. 
CROP OUTLOOK. 
Government Crop Report. 
X UU V I < 
ikcpuiuiij; jL>uuru tae i^urcau or kSta- 
trstics of the United .States Department of Agriculture 
estimates, from the reports of the correspondents and 
agents of the Bureau, as follows: 
For the United 
States: 
Condition, 
Sept 1, 
Probable 
Acreage yield in 
1913. millions of 
Crops 
1913 
1912 
Acres. 
bushels 
(lorn . 
82.1 
106.884.000 
2,351 
Winter Wheat.... 
• • . . . . 
30,938.000 
511 
Spring 11 heat. . . . 
.. 75.3 
90.8 
18,663,000 
243 
(kits . 
92.3 
38,341,000 
1.066 
Barley . 
88.9 
7,255,000 
16S 
Rye . 
2,134.000 
35 
Buckwheat . 
.. 75.4 
91.6 
841.000 
11 hite Potatoes... 
87.2 
3,685,000 
15 
Tobacco . 
’.. 74.5 
81.1 
1,144,500 
325 
S61 
Flax . 
S6.3 
2.425.000 
20 
Rice . 
.. 88.0 
88.8 
824,100 
27 
Hay. all tame. 
Apples . 
.. 81.8 
67.9 
48,293,000 
63 
CORN BY STATES. 
Per cent 
of TJ. S. Condition 
acreage 
September 1 
10-year 
States 
in State. 
1913 
1912 
average 
Illinois . 
_ 9.9 
62 
85 
84 
Iowa . 
. 9.3 
76 
93 
81 
Nebraska . 
37 
80 
78 
Kansas . 
_ 6.9 
10 
74 
70 
Missouri . 
41 
S4 
SO 
Texas . 
78 
75 
74 
< )klahoma . 
39 
64 
69 
Indiana . 
81 
85 
84 
Georgia . 
.... 3.8 
87 
75 
87 
Ohio . 
81 
85 
82 
Kentucky . 
_ 3.4 
59 
87 
86 
Tennessee . 
_ 3.1 
65 
82 
86 
Alabama . 
- 3.0 
78 
82 
88 
Mississippi .. .. 
_ 3.0 
81 
81 
85 
North Carolina. 
- 2.(5 
S7 
75 
S4 
South Dakota .. 
- 2.5 
7S 
87 
84 
Arkansas . 
_ 2.3 
71 
80 
82 
Minnesota . 
o o 
95 
S2 
83 
South Carolina. 
- 1.9 
86 
77 
as 
1 irginia . 
_ 1.9 
85 
74 
S5 
Louisiana . 
85 
81 
84 
Michigan . 
80 
75 
SO 
W isconsin . 
.... 1.5 
94 
80 
82 
Pennsylvania .. 
_ 1.4 
SI 
80 
S3 
United States 
.100.0 
65.1 
S2.1 
80.9 
OATS BY STATES.' 
States 
Per cent 
of U. S. 
acreage 
Condition at time 
of harvest 
10-year 
in State. 
1913 
1912 
average 
Iowa . 
.. 12.7 
S3 
101 
81” 
Illinois . 
53 
98 
78 
Minnesota . 
.. 7.8 
87 
96 
81 
A\ isconsin . 
90 
91 
S3 
Nebraska . 
. . 5.9 
70 
76 
72 
North Dakota. 
72 
97 
77 
Kansas . 
54 
84 
65 
Ohio . 
72 
98 
82 
Indiana . 
. . 4.6 
51 
98 
78 
South Dakota . . .. 
. . 4.2 
70 
87 
SO 
Michigan . 
. . 4.0 
78 
87 
SI 
New York . 
.. 3.4 
86 
78 
87 
Missouri . 
.. 3.2 
56 
93 
73 
Pennsylvania .... 
. . 3.0 
83 
87 
86 
United States... 
. . 100.0 
74.0 
92.3 
79.3 
Cotton Ginning Report. 
The Census Bureau states that cotton from the 
growth of 1913, ginned prior to September 1. amounted 
to 794,000 bales. This compared with 730.935 bales 
last year to September 1, 771.297 bales iu 1911 and 
353,011 bales in 1910. Sea Island hales included 430. 
compared with 232 for last year. Ginnings by States 
to September 1 were as follows: 
Alabama . 
Arkansas . 
Florida . 
Georgia . 
Louisiana . 
Mississippi .... 
North Carolina 
Oklahoma . 
South Carolina 
Tennessee. 
Texas . 
All other States 
1913 
44.525 
2.200 
2,956 
72.622 
7,566 
2,027 
188 
4.943 
7.272 
9 
649.694 
4 
1912 
12.S24 
81 
1,832 
34,526 
1.724 
442 
674 
323 
4.260 
674,249 
• • • • 
LOSSES IN GINSENG. 
Another ginseng company seems to have evaporated 
into thin air. The Millard Ginseng Gardens of Hous¬ 
ton, Mo., some years ago started out with flaming ban¬ 
ners. _ Investments were called for with the " usual 
glittering bait of big returns for a small investment. 
It is said that $75,000 was sunk in the enterprise. One 
misfortune after another followed, ending with blight, 
a disease which cleaned out the ginseng and made its 
culture unprofitable. The enterprise has now been 
abandoned, except that the small roots left in the 
ground will be dug and sold for what they will bring. 
This is but one of many a failure with this crop. From 
the first we have advised our readers that ginseng is a 
gambler’s crop. The root has very little medical virtue, 
and would have very little market in the world, except 
for a superstition among the Chinese. It requires more 
careful culture than 99 out of 100 peoDle are 
to give, and the plant is subject to several diseases. 
A few men have made money out of ginseng, bv supply¬ 
ing seeds and plants to other cultivators. A very few 
seem to have made some money by actually producing 
roots large enough to sell. The whole business, how¬ 
ever, is a gamble, pur^ and simple, and not a business 
for the average grower to engage in. 
