1248 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 22, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insuro 
attention. Before asking a question, please see 
•whether it is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one time. 
Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Fall Plowing in a Dairy Country. 
Wo have been trying to get the editor 
of The R. N.-Y. to make us a visit, but 
his multitudinous duties, especially at 
Hope Farm with its interesting family, 
seem to keep him fully occupied. If the 
Hope Farm man should come here now 
(Nov. 5) he would almost swear. He 
would find these farmers turning over 
their corn stubble for next year’s crop of 
oats, and leaving the ground for the Win¬ 
ter as bare as Elisha’s head, and he such 
a cover-crop advocate! What a lecture 
he would read us! The only covering we 
give our land is a coat of manure right 
from the stables, on the next year’s corn 
ground. That is going on all around us, 
as well as the plowing. Cows are in their 
Winter quarters, and on full feed. Most 
of the farmers began feeding silage as 
soon as they were done cutting. Few if 
any had corn enough to fill their silos. 
The hay crop was fairly good, and secured 
in prime condition, but I am inclined to 
think that fodder will be scarce before 
grass comes again. Cows seem to be 
doing well, and the big loads of milk at¬ 
test that they are responding to their 
feed. It is generally supposed that silage 
reduces the cost of living for the cow. 
Maybe 'so, but it does not show in the 
store bill. The milk goes to Borden’s at 
Wassaic and Sheffield Farms at Amenia. 
We get our monthly check, take it to the 
feed store and pay our bill. If there is 
any change coming we take it home to 
pay the hired help. Some inquisitive fel¬ 
low may ask, “How do you live, then?” 
I will tell you. We raise a few potatoes, 
keep some poultry and if we can save a 
little corn from the silage cutter we fat¬ 
ten a pig. When that’s gone we have to 
fall back on jack rabbit and woodchuck; 
they are plenty. Then I want to add for 
the especial benefit of the Hope Farm 
man that here at our house we have a 
few McIntosh apples that we bake with 
a little sugar. These moisten up the 
baked potatoes. h. v. d. r. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
R. N.-Y".—The Hope Farm man knows 
better than to lecture farmers who have 
thought and reasoned out any useful farm 
practice. They know their own local con¬ 
ditions better than he does. He would 
watch their Fall plowing and then go 
south to his farm, feeling mighty thankful 
that he had it all covered with rye, clover 
and vetch. These crops take the place of 
the manure which the dairymen use. 
“ Indian Buckwheat." 
Indian buckwheat, grown in New 
Brunswick, is a very small rough grain, 
called rough buckwheat there. It is not 
so good grain as we grow here; shorter 
growth than ours, begins to grow sooner 
and continues to grow and bloom until 
frost. It is very branching and slender in 
growth. They grow large crops of it 
there on new stump land. I suppose they 
grow this kind on account of early frosts. 
I have grown it here, but prefer Silver 
Hull. I got the seed from New Bruns¬ 
wick. It used to be grown in Northern 
Vermont, and I think is now. o. C. C. 
Milford, Mass. 
I notice on page 1201 an unanswered 
inquiry concerning so-called “Indian buck¬ 
wheat.” I presume the writer refers to 
India wheat, and if so, I. too, have been 
wondering if the improved varieties of 
buckwheat have driven the time-honored 
India wheat from the face of the earth. 
India, or Indian wheat, or, as it was 
often called, “nigger” wheat, formed an 
important article of food in New Eng¬ 
land from a very early period until soon 
after the close of the Civil War, when it 
was superseded, at least in this locality, 
by buckwheat. India wheat, as I remem¬ 
ber it, closely resembled buckwheat in its 
general appearance and manner of growth, 
but was much smaller. Besides, the blos¬ 
soms and, I believe, the foilage were yel¬ 
low. The kernel was black and smaller 
than that of buckwheat, and instead of 
being rounded, was depressed on each of 
its three triangular sides. The hull, too, 
was hard and thick, so that the yield of 
flour was very much less, bushel for 
bushel, than of buckwheat. The flour | 
had a decidedly yellowish tinge and was 
very dry. It was prepared for use pre¬ 
cisely as buckwheat flour is prepared. 
The plant had a wider adaptation to 
different soils than any plant I have ever 
known. C. o. o. 
Montpelier, Vt. 
R. N.-Y.—Gray’s Botany gives Fago- 
pyrum Tataricum as Tartary or Indian 
wheat, cultivated for flour like buckwheat 
(Fagopyrum esculentum) but with small¬ 
er yellowish flowers, grain smaller, with 
less acute angles, wavy, dull and roughish. 
Alfalfa and Crab Grass. 
I am making an effort to grow Alfalfa 
successfully, and to a certain extent have 
succeeded, but our land seems to be sub¬ 
ject to crab grass, which takes possession, 
and after a year or two kills out the Al¬ 
falfa. I have prepared (after white po¬ 
tatoes) about five acres each Fall for the 
last three seasons, 1911, 1912, 1913, and 
had no difficulty in getting a good stand, 
for I applied two tons of lime, four tons 
of earth from a field of Alfalfa two years 
old, with lots of the bacteria present, and 
the inoculation was complete. This five- 
acre plot made three fine cuttings the 
first season of about 8-7-6 tons per plot. 
The second year the first cutting was 
good, second turned yellow in spots, and 
seemed to die out, and last cutting was 
light. This year the crab grass took 
possession where it turned yellow the 
year before. Yet in spots the Alfalfa is 
rank and healthy. I sowed a plot of 
five acres a year ago, 1912, and got a 
fine stand. The first cutting was good, 
but dry Summer was hard on it, and the 
last two cuttings were light. The five- 
acre plot sown in August last is as good 
as I eyer saw; what it will do next sea¬ 
son time will tell. I write this for the 
benefit of R. N.-Y. readers, and my im¬ 
pression is that there is something wanted 
in the shape of phosphoric acid or pot¬ 
ash to make a perfect plant food, to keep 
up the vitality of these different plots 
of Alfalfa. I hope you will comment on 
what I have written, and give your opin¬ 
ion on supplying phosphoric acid and pot¬ 
ash. E- G. GREEN. 
R. N.-Y.—You do not say how the po¬ 
tato crop was fed. If with the usual 
heavy dressing of potato fertilizer there 
ought to be enough potash and phosphoric 
acid left in the soil for the Alfalfa. If 
manure was used on the potatoes both 
these elements may be lacking. Our ex- | 
perience with crab grass is that it will | 
strangle out most crops unless it is 
destroyed by constant cultivation. We 1 
should try an application of 300 pounds , 
fine bone and 100 muriate of potash per 
acre. 
Mistake in Farm Deed. 
I sold 10 acres of my river flat accord¬ 
ing to the deed of the farm, but when 
they made the survey they started from 
the top of the river bank instead of start¬ 
ing from low-water mark, taking about 
one acre of land that did not belong to 
them. The deed of the farm calls for 
low-water mark, and there was no agree¬ 
ment that they should have 10 acres 
measuring from the top of the bank. I 
did not notice this mistake until the 
deed was signed, and then purchaser re¬ 
fused to move the line. Is there any way 
that I can make him move the line 
where it belongs, and give me the land 
that belongs to me. or shall I have to 
take the river bank? Can I hold the 
river bank if I cannot get the line moved/ 
11 is deed called for the river bank, but 
I do not know whether he could hold it 
by taking it that way or not. R. E. H. 
New York. 
It is hard to understand how the de¬ 
scription in the deed you gave your neigh¬ 
bor can begin at the river bank and in¬ 
clude the river bank. He cannot take 
any more land than the deed calls for, 
and if you think he has done so you 
should have an accurate survey made ac¬ 
cording to the description in his deed, 
and then physically move the line fence 
to where it belongs, or get the fence 
viewers to settle the dispute. If it was 
in both of your minds when you made the 
agreement to sell and he to buy that hi' 
was to have 10 acres beginning at low 
water, and he has taken only 10 acres, 
then your only remedy is to begin an 
action in equity to have his deed re¬ 
formed to agree with the facts on the 
ground that you signed it under a mis¬ 
take. This is but another proof of the 
fact that one cannot. be too careful in 
reading all papers before signing them. 
M. D. 
U 
The Bastian 
Oregon” Primer 
Operates with a simple pnmp-gun 
action upon a most powerful com¬ 
pound leverage, enabling you to cut, 
with a quick pull, a small twig or a 
limb an inch thick. This pruning 
hook is light but very strong, power¬ 
ful and durable. The natural posi¬ 
tion of your hands on the pole-handle 
gives ease, speed and accuracy of 
operation. All side-strain is eliminat¬ 
ed as the compound leverage principle 
places the strain lengthwise of the 
pole. The perfectly tempered and 
ground Sheffield Tool Steel blade 
makes a clean, smooth cut—there's 
no chance for it to pinch or bind. 
THE BASTIAN “OREGON” 
PRUNING SHEARS 
These shears work with the same 
easy but powerful compound action 
as the pruning hook. They are espe¬ 
cially adapted for cutting out water 
sprouts and suckers, heading back 
young trees, trimming hedges, berry 
bushes, etc. 
THE BASTAIN “OREGON” 
FRUIT PICKER 
gets the fruit 
t h a t’s “w a y 
out of reach” of 
your hand, and picks 
fit without bruising in 
the slightest. You need 
this handy fruit picker. 
It will soon save enough 
fruit to pay a big proiit. 
TRY THESE ORCHARD TOOLS 
Bastian “Oregon” Orchard 
Tools are carefully made 
of the best materials. They 
are reasonable in price and 
guaranteed. Made in all 
lengths. 
If the local dealer cannot 
supply you with these tools, 
do not accept substitutes. 
Write to us and we’ll send 
prices and the name of the 
nearest dealer who can sup¬ 
ply you, or we’ll ship di¬ 
rect. Try Bastian “Ore¬ 
gon” Tools before buying 
others. Write to-day for 
descriptive circular. 
STOREY MFG. CO. 
1540 Macadam Road, Portland, Oregon 
BF.Iit THEM as onr representative in yonr territory. 
You are sure to he unusually successful because the 
uuality and reliability of our trees bring repeat orders 
and make satisfied customers. Wo have been in 
business 31 yeain and stand hack of you in a practical, 
helpful way. Write today for Local Representative 
—part* time or whole time. Ask for Flan A. 
BUT THEM direct from us if you prefer. Prices 
are right; we protect you against nursery careless¬ 
ness and subsequent loss. Scores of the largest, 
most successful growei-s buy our trees year after 
year. Write for valuable Catalog. 
THE BARNES BROS. NURSERY CO. 
BOX 8, :: :: YALESVILLE, CONN. 
If you want a cheap 
NO MORE ana safe method for 
^RABBITS and P B?) R ERSouto1 
your orchard,paint your trees with “Sul- 
focide” the new concentrated sulpaur 
compound. Easy to prepare and apply. 
One application lasts one year. “Sul- 
FOCiDn”solves the rabbit problem.Write 
today for booklet, “Sulfocide, Sure pro. 
tection fiom rabbPs and borers.” Ad. 
dress B.G. Pratt Co.,so Church St.,N .Y. 
£ , 
Get the New 
Harrison Catalogue for 1914 
All its fifty pages have been revised, UT f 
and brought up to 1914 practices. Many ImQ'UT' I 
new pictures. A handbook of facts for ,T • 
the fruit-grower. Sent on request—write today. 
Our completo fruit-grower’s guidebook is sent 
for 50 cents, and that amount rebated on a $5 
order. Our valuable handbook on Evergreens. 
Shade Trees, Hedges, etc., is sent on request. 
Buds from Bearing Trees—Get This! 
Light-bearing and occasional-bearing trees are 
eliminated when trees are so propagated, and every 
tree has a natural tendency to produce heavy, 
regular, flawless crops. All Harrison trees are 
budded from bearing orchards, and we sell only 
trees we grow ourselves. Don’t struggle against Na¬ 
ture by expecting drone trees to bear. Let Nature 
carry you along by having in your orchard only pro¬ 
ductive trees. Ask us questions. Describe your plans 
and land. Write now for the catalogue and books. 
HARRISONS’ NURSERIES, Box 393, Berlin, Maryland 
Nursery Stock of Sterling 
Extra fine 1 and 2-year budded Apple an<f l*. 
Peach. Asparagus Plants, Cherry, Pear, PIimi, Ileitis. 
Raspberry etc. Shade Trees, Shrubs and J 
Hedging. Write now for our Wholesale Planter Price List. 
We will save von money and give you satisfaction. 
THE WESTMINSTER NURSERY, Box T29, Westminster. Md. 
Now making 1914 deliveries—“FRIEND” 
POWER SPRAYERS—latest improve¬ 
ments. “Friend” Mfg. Co., of Gasport, N. Y. 
Acid Phosphate 
for 
Home Mixing 
Fertilizers 
WILCOX FERTILIZER CO. 
Manufacturers of Wilcox Fertilizer 
“Fertilizers that Fertilize” 
MYSTIC CONNECTICUT 
LEVIN PRUNER 
T HE best Primer. Cuts 14-inch 
dry branch. Quick, clean, 
easy cut. We will send it post¬ 
paid for one new yearly subscrip¬ 
tion at .$1, or for club of 10 ten- 
week trials at 10 cents each. 
These articles are not given with a sub¬ 
scription to The Rural New-Yorker, but 
are given to the agent as a reward, in 
place of cash, for extending the subscrip¬ 
tion list of The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
333 WEST 30th ST„ NEW YORK. 
KINGS 
Invite you to corue to Dansville. 300,000 fruit trees to sell. 
Apples 2-yr. 5 to 7 ft. at $120.00 per 1,000. Poaches, 1-yr. 4 to 6 ft. 
at $80 00 per 1,000. Guaranteed true to name, free from scale 
and aphis. Visit us now or write at once. Prices will advance. 
Buy from a reliable firm on a rising market. 
KING BROTHERS NURSERIES, - DANSVILLE, N. Y. 
New Times, 
New Things 
The old fertilizer 
formulas are giving 
way to the new. At 
every farmers' meeting 
one subject should be 
the fertilizer formula 
that will furnish a balanced ration to the crop and keep up the fertility 
of the soil. To do this the fertilizer should contain at least as much 
POTASH 
as Phosphoric Acid. Our note book has condensed facts essential 
in farmers’ meetings and plenty of space to record the new things 
that you hear. Let us send one to you before your Institute meets. 
A supply of these is furnished by request to every institute held in several states. 
We will be glad to send a supply delivered free of charge to every Institute, Grange 
or Farmers’ Club Officer on request. It contains no advertising matter. 
German Kali Works, Inc., 42 Broadway, New York 
McCormick Block, Chicago, ID. Bank & Trust Bldg., Savannah, G*. Whitney Central Bank Bldg., New Orleans, La. 
Empire Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. 25 California St„ San Francisco 
