1204 
<TH IS RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 8, 
KILLING GRAIN INSECTS. 
Every day at this season brings ques¬ 
tions about killing weevils in storage 
grain. We have answered the question 
repeatedly, but the information must 
evidently be given again and again. Bi¬ 
sulphide of carbon is used to kill this 
insect. When the bisulphide is exposed 
to the air it evaporates, forming a gas 
heavier than air. This gas is poisonous, 
and being heavy will, when enclosed in an 
airtight package, containing grain, sink 
down all through the mass. It is a poison¬ 
ous gas, death to all breathing creatures, 
and thus it kills the weevils. The way 
to use it is to put the grain into an air¬ 
tight barrel or bin, then pour a quantity 
of bisulphide either into a deep dish or 
upon a bunch of cotton. Put this on top 
BOX FOR FUMIGATING GRAIN. 
Fig. 400. 
of the grain, and then cover the whole 
thing airtight. The gas is formed, and 
there being no way for it to escape it 
sinks down through the grain and kills 
the insects. Most people use a tight bar¬ 
rel or a bin for the purpose. The Ex¬ 
periment Station on the Philippine Is¬ 
lands reports the use of this treatment to 
destroy the weevils in ear corn. They 
make a tight box, like the one shown 
in the picture, Fig. 460. This is made 
of two thicknesses of dressed lumber, 
with tar paper in between. The cover 
is fitted on so as to be airtight. One 
feature of this box is the plug at the 
bottom. The corn is put inside of this 
box, the bisulphide added, and the cover 
put on. After being left several hours, 
the plug is pulled out, and the heavier 
.gas flows away at the bottom. 
A BARN PLAN. 
I have been trying to get a plan of a 
barn that will hold 15 cows. Will you 
send me one and give advice as how to 
build it? V. W. H. 
Auburn Center, Pa. 
Planning a barn for another man is 
a great deal like choosing a wife for him, 
in that he is not likely to be fully satis¬ 
fied with all the details. The accom¬ 
panying floor plan of a barn 34x50 feet, 
PRACTICAL BARN PLANS. Fig. 461. 
and 20 feet high from sill to plate, with 
gambrel roof, would suit the writer if 
he wished one to house 15 cows and have 
sufficient extra space for needed box stalls 
and granary. This barn should have a 
door in each end beneath the gable for 
storing hay and can easily be fitted with 
carrier and track running the full length 
of the loft. A nine-foot passage-way ex¬ 
tends through the barn for convenience 
in removing manure; ample width for 
feed alleys is provided, and the stable may 
be shut off from the rest of the barn for 
greater warmth in the Winter. The 
stable should be tightly ceiled overhead, 
and to avoid dust in the stable the fodder 
may be thrown down in the space be¬ 
tween granary and box stalls. The silo 
may be placed on either side of the barn 
and the stables in either end. Windows 
enough to flood the stable with light 
should be provided, and these should be 
about five feet from the floor, of single 
sash hinged at the bottom to swing in¬ 
ward a few inches for ventilation, the 
side opening thus made being closed by a 
Y-shaped “hopper side.” 
The following standard dimensions are 
given to aid in planning a stable inter¬ 
ior : Stable should be from eight to nine 
feet high, passageway between gutters 
from eight to nine feet in width, gutters 
about 16 inches wide and eight inches 
deep in front, six inches deep on side 
toward driveway, cow platforms from 
four to five feet in depth, according to 
size of cows, which should line up with 
their hind feet close to gutter, lateral 
space for each cow from three to four 
feet, bunks 18 inches -wide at top, and 
feed alleys about five feet in width. Box 
stalls for cows should be about 8x10 feet, 
and about four square feet of window 
sash should be provided for each 1,000 
pounds live weight of stock to be shel¬ 
tered. The King system of ventilation 
is the best for a stable, and when the 
latter is well built, is easily installed. 
Floors should be of concrete, with stand¬ 
ing platforms of wood, if desired. Walls 
may be built of any material desired, so 
that they are tight. Double walls with 
air space between are not needed, unless 
in the extreme northern part of this 
country. m. b d. 
COMPETITION IN CANADIAN FARM 
PRODUCTS. 
What have our United States farmers 
to fear from free-trade in farm products? 
We wrote a number of our Canadian 
readers asking if they are able to grow 
potatoes, hay and dairy products cheaper 
than such products cost on this side of 
the line. Following are fair samples of 
the replies: 
In my opinion there was a time, a few 
years ago, when Canadians could pro¬ 
duce such crops as potatoes and hay, also 
dairy products, cheaper than Americans, 
but at the present time owing to increased 
cost of labor I doubt whether Canadians 
can place any farm produce on the mar¬ 
ket at prices, which would undersell 
the American farmer. I do not know 
what wages American farmers have to 
pay; but will give you a list of wages 
paid by farmers, in this vicinity, in 
hopes of helping you to make a better 
comparison. For men used to farm work 
with steady work the year round, and free 
house $1.50 to $1.75 per day. For men 
equally as good for short terms, say one 
to three months, with board, $1.25 to 
$1.50 per day. For boys 14 to 16 years 
old with board $16 to $20 per month; 
without board $1 to $1.20 per day. For 
haying, harvesting, potato picking, from 
$1.50 to $2 per day with board. 
New Brunswick. wm. b. gilman. 
I don’t believe we can produce hay, 
potatoes or dairy produce any cheaper 
than you can. I don't believe the Amer¬ 
ican farmer has anything to fear from 
competition with the Canadian farmer. 
Ontario, I understand, does not grow po¬ 
tatoes enough for our own use, and I 
think I saw the statement made not long 
ago that Canada does not produce enough 
butter for our own use. I know we have 
been importing it these last two years in 
quite large quantities. As to hay am 
not very well posted on that; I know 
I can very seldom buy for less than $15 
per ton. It is my opinion that you will 
pay just as much for potatoes, hay and 
dairy produce as you did before the tariff 
bill passed. 
Ontario. B. H. mcdowell. 
If there is any advantage it is all with 
the New England farmers as their mar¬ 
kets are more accessible. The cost of la¬ 
bor and fertilizers is practically the same 
in both countries. Potatoes here yield an 
average of 150 bushels to the acre, and 
farmers generally estimate it costs 40 
cents per bushel in the field to grow them. 
They are pretty generally dropping out of 
growing potatoes and giving all their at¬ 
tention to apple growing, which return 
satisfactory profits, shipping them largely 
to European markets. The American 
farmers have nothing to fear from the 
Canadian potato in competition. In this 
locality hay is practically all fed out on 
the farms, so does not go into the market. 
Dairying is done in a small way here, be¬ 
ing under a disadvantage with those 
within easy shipping distance to large 
cities, as is the case with a large part 
of the farmers of the United States. I 
think the farmers of the Eastern States 
particularly have nothing to fear in com¬ 
petition. CLINTON A. BORDEN. 
Nova Scotia. 
The only reasons why Canadians might 
undersell in the United States market 
would be if our land, skill, labor, cheap¬ 
ness of government, or selling organiza¬ 
tion, enable us to save on your outlay. 
In the East our soil is patchy and low 
grade, and judging by the stagnation of 
rural population and the willingness to 
sell farms, the land is now held above its 
present agricultural value. Our schools 
are kept up by the locality under some 
provincial supervision, and are very sec¬ 
ond rate, due to local parsimony, so the 
quality of farming is also low. Together 
with this goes a readiness (in Eastern 
Canada) to live cheaply, which permits 
this poor farming to exist. Till recent 
years logging shared the weight of the 
farm laborer’s yearly wage. Now the 
timber is nearly gone. Our Government 
is one of the dearest in the world, beat¬ 
ing that of the United States by ears 
nine inches long. In the Annapolis Val¬ 
ley our fruit growers have joined hands 
and the union is going to bring us new 
vigor. In growing apples our chief ad¬ 
vantages were cheap land, and cheap 
labor. Land fit for trees is rising in 
price, and labor is being better paid in 
competition with the draw to the West. 
Our position on the sea with ice-free 
ports is our strong card. In view of the 
complaints about freight charges all over 
the States and Canada, this is a big 
asset. As the Nova Scotia fruit indus¬ 
try is fairly localized and as buyers like 
a market where quantity and fair aver¬ 
age quality are obtainable your buyers 
may occasionally take Nova Scotian fruit. 
Besides, an import freight rate is often 
lower than the rate from a local point, 
so your railroads will also be on our side. 
Potatoes, except as a by-product of or¬ 
charding, do not pay. I think they spoil 
low-headed trees. An ordinary Fall price 
is 35 cents for sixty pounds at the buy¬ 
er’s warehouse, in bags. The amount of 
our hay available for sale depends a good 
deal on the question of profit in beef or 
in butter and cheese, and without fair 
profit the hay quickly diminishes in 
amount. Beef production is at a low ebb 
in Canada. Butter has declined from au 
export trade of 34,000,000 pounds in 1906 
to a bare half million pounds in 1912, 
and risen from an import of 250,000 
pounds, in 1906 to an import of over 6,- 
500,000 pounds most from New Zealand. 
The Government explains by saying we 
use more ice cream. We exported 215,000-, 
000 pounds of cheese in 1906 but had 
reduced this to 163,000,000 by 1912. I 
don’t think the States need to worry 
about Canadian competition. 
Nova Scotia. JOHN BuenANAN. 
I do not see how Canadians can grow 
cheaper products unless our land is per¬ 
haps cheaper and taxes lower. The bulk 
of commercial fertilizers are imported 
from United States, and costing about 
$34 for the high grade. AVages cost about 
$1.50 per day. The average farmer I do 
not think is making anything growing 
potatoes, unless raising them in young 
orchards and so cultivating both at once. 
Potatoes sell from about 35 to 55 cents 
per bushel. The general opinion is that 
if we can get 50 cents in the field it is 
unwise to hold them as a rule; that is 
for ordinary years. I do not think we 
get enough for labor expended on them. 
Personally we only grow about enough 
for ourselves now, finding orcharding and 
nursery work more profitable. AVe do not 
consider it profitable to sell hay, as we 
need it to feed to stock to keep up the 
fertility of farm ; that is in this vicinity. 
In looking up dairy produce quotations 
in Tiie R. N.-Y. I do not see any great 
difference in prices from ours. I do not 
think we can produce dairy produce any 
cheaper than United States farmers, as 
we buy about all our mill feeds, which 
are imported here, prices averaging about 
the same, some being more and some less, 
hay from $9 to $16 per ton. 
Nova Scotia. h. e. watts. 
Leaking Tank. 
Could you tell me what kind of paint 
or other material could be used to coat a 
tank that holds about a hundred gallons, 
to stop it from leaking? I cannot find 
the hole, but it is down on the bottom 
somewhere. I have tried white lead paint 
and white sand, but it is bound to peel 
off. Tank is lined with sheet lead and 
not very old. It is on the top floor and 
supplies water for boilers and toilet, as 
we have no city water. It has ruined 
our hall paper below, and ceiling in bath 
room. w. s. 
Long Island. 
I am told by a practical plumber that 
the lead lining of such tanks as yours 
usually first gives out in the angle at the 
junction of the bottom with the sides and 
that small cracks which cannot be found 
without first scraping the lead from here. 
These cracks cannot be mended with 
paint, as the slight expansion of the tank 
when full opens them again. You should 
scrape the load lining wherever you have 
reason to think that the leak may be and 
solder any cracks or suspected places. 
M. B. D. 
Manures and Fertilizers, by H. J. 
AVheeler. The careful work done by Dr. 
AVheeler at the Rhode Island Experiment 
Station is widely known, and the present 
book embodies the knowledge gained by 
years of experience. It is intensely prac¬ 
tical, but brings out much with which the 
working farmer is unacquainted. Pub¬ 
lished by the Macmillan Company, New 
York; 389 pages, freely illustrated, and 
with a copious index; price $1.60. 
“Does your boy Josh take any inter¬ 
est in the farm?” “I should say so,” re¬ 
plied Farmer Corntossel. “It’s the only 
place on earth where he can get three 
meals a day without payin’ fur ’em.”— 
AVashington Star. 
Steady Service 
Economy-First and Last 
In a pair of Hansen’s Gloves. 
Keep them always ready—and you 
won’t suffer from ruSty nails, wire or any 
cold weather hand-troubles. 
They outlast many others of the flimsy 
kind, and the saving in time and hand- 
health is beyond price. 
Hansen’s 
Gloves and Mittens 
job- 
Suit every job — every man. For 
harvest work or lighter chores — for 
driving, motoring or motorcycling, Han¬ 
sen’s give you the grip that holds, with 
“give’’ and softness. Price $1.25 up. 
All sizes. 
Free book tells all about the perfect Hansen 
leather specially tanned to laSl. Will not crack 
or peel, stiffen or harden; easily 
cleaned in gasol ne. 
Write us for book and in¬ 
formation where to order and 
bow to buy, if your dealer 
doesn" t sell Hansen’s. Address 
O. C. Hansen Mfg. Co. 
136 Detroit St., 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
iHat\SCTjs| 
Glove 
Cut&w&y- 
— ■ ■ —lu Tr 
(CLARIS.) 
Disk Tools for Intensive Tillage 
There isn’t a farmer in America but 
who should own at least one Cut¬ 
away (Clark) disk harrow or plow. 
Over 100 Styles and Sizes 
Ask us about the Double Action Engine 
Harrow, the Double Action — Regular, 
the Double Action—Extension Head— (for 
orchard work), the Single Action—Regular, 
the Single Action—Extension Head— (for 
orchard work), the Bush and Bog Plow, the 
Corn and Cotton Harrow, the Rtght Lap 
Plow, the California Orchard Plow, or the 
one horse harrows and cultivators, whichever 
it may be that you need. Ask your dealer to 
show you a Cutaway (Clark) machine. Do 
not accept a substitute. Write us for catalog 
The Cutaway Harrow Company 
Maker of the original CLARK dtsk harrows and flows 
I Ask Only $ 1 ™ 
Send for Free Book on Cloaning and 
Grading Grain. Then ask for tho size " 
machine you want, send $1.00 and I’! 
ship 1014 Model Chatham, freight pro- ’ 
paid, with special screens and riddles for 1 
all Grains, Grasses and Weed Seed where \ 
you live. Givo it a month’s hard tost. If 
not satisfied, send it hack and got your $1. I 
If satisfied, pay me any time before 1914. 
CHATHAM Grain n Grader and 
MANS0N 
CAMPBELL 
Handles all grains an 
grass soeds; takes out 
weed seed; separates mixed grains; 
leaves big, puroscod. Ovor300,» 
000 Chathams in use, and ovory 
owner satisfied! Writo a postal 
now for my FREE copyrighted 
book, “The Chatham System of 
Brooding Big Crops ; ,f _ descrip¬ 
tion, price, terms, etc Address 
nearest oftlco. Dept. '48' 
MANSON CAMPBELL CO. 
Dutroii, Kansas City, Minneapolis' 
: K r 
Cleaner 
''GUARANTEED FOR 30 YEARS 
imemeei 
?9.84%4P’ Money back or a new roof if it de- 
PURET tcriorates or rusts out. No painting 
fl or repairs required. Our Indemnity Bond pro- 
I tects you. Costs no more than ordinary roof- 
I ing. Write for big illustrated book FREE. 
The American Iron Roofintf Co. 
■Station 1)ELYRIA, OHIO. 
\\TV I I DRILLING 
W L LL MACHINES 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells in any kind of soil or rock. Mounted on 
wheels or on sills. With engiuesor home powers. Strong, 
simple and durable. Any mechanic can operate them 
easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithaca, N. Y. 
