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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 19, 
CATALPA NOT SUITED TO WET 
GROUND. 
C. IE. S., Canandaigua, N. Y .—As I was 
reading about Catalpa for posts, and that it 
would grow in almost any kind of wet soil, 
the idea struck me that I might plant some 
around my swamp and in the low wet parts 
of my cow pasture, say along the open ditch¬ 
es. Do you think I could get them started 
with nothing but cows in the pasture and 
about the swamp? 
cause sweet potatoes like a dry situation 
and plenty of heat. They will not grow 
well in a soil that is cold or too wet. 
Making a ridge of loose dirt gives them 
the loose, warm, dry soil they require. 
Some gardeners go so far as to make a 
round hill for every plant so the soil 
shall be exposed to the sun on all sides. 
Of course, the plant requires some 
moisture when first set out in order to 
Ans. —C. W. S. cannot grow trees 
successfully on such ground. Catalpa 
trees do not like wet feet, and will 
not do well on any soil that is too 
wet to grow the common farm crops. 
Catalpa trees will stand Winter over¬ 
flow or standing water quite well, but 
not wet ground in the Summer or grow¬ 
ing season. Great numbers of Catalpa 
trees have been sold to farmers upon 
the recommendation of the agent that 
they would grow in wet places where 
nothing else could be grown profitably; 
another swindle that has been largely 
worked by agents is to recommend set¬ 
ting 5,000 trees on one acre of land. 
In addition to selling five times as many 
trees as should be set to the acre, these 
traveling agents generally ask $20 or 
$25 per thousand for the trees, which is 
about twice what they are worth, and 
what is worse even than the high price 
is the fact that most of the Catalpa 
trees sold for the tall growing Speci^sa 
variety turn out to be the “scrub” 
Pfignonioides. There may be honest, re¬ 
liable tree peddlers in this world, but 
it lias never been, my good fortune to 
meet one, and the very fact of these 
men traveling through the country, liv¬ 
ing at hotels, and in many cases hiring 
livery horses and buggies, necessarily 
makes them have to sell their trees 
at a very high price. Traveling sales¬ 
men cannot compete in price with the 
nurserymen who advertise in the farm 
papers, and who can reach and talk to 
one hundred thousand people for the 
amount it costs a tree peddler for one 
day’s expenses, and a possibility of talk¬ 
ing to 10 or 12 people. I wish the farmer 
might see that he is the man who is 
paying the hotel bills and livery ex¬ 
penses for all the army of agents infest¬ 
ing this land. I am growing 150 acres 
of Catalpa trees on my own land, the 
oldest of them four Summers’ growth, 
A few of the best of these trees are 
large enough to make two axe handles 
from the butt cut. The only place I 
have ever failed to grow these trees 
successfully has been on ground too wet 
for them, and it was not swampy either. 
H. C. ROGERS. 
Chemicals for Corn and Oats. 
J. O. R., Bernardsville, N. J .—I have 
about 20 acres of sod land that I wish to 
put in with corn. The soil is quite poor, 
and the owner wishes to use nitrate of soda 
as far as possible. Is it possible by mixing 
bone dust with nitrate of soda to get a good 
fertilizer for corn, and if so how should it 
be mixed ? I also have several loads of hen 
manure. Would bone and hen manure make 
a good fertilizer for corn? What kind of 
bone would you use in either case? 1 have 
28 acres of corn stubble to be planted to 
oats. Would the same fertilizer be good for 
them, and how should they be mixed? 
Ans. —Nitrate of soda supplies nitro¬ 
gen, and bone gives phosphoric acid and 
more nitrogen. There is no potash in 
this combination, and that element is 
needed by corn. You can use 100 
pounds nitrate, 300 pounds fine bone 
and 100 muriate of potash, larger quan¬ 
tities in that same proportion. For the 
hen manure you can use 800 pounds, 
well fined, with 400 pounds of bone 
and 150 pounds muriate of potash. 
Sweet Potatoes on a Ridge. 
D. D. B., Barlow, N. D .—I have noticed 
that people who grow sweet potatoes, grow 
the plants in a hotbed or in the house; and 
they make a ridge of earth, in garden or 
field, info which they set the plants. Is it 
i to make a ridge to set the plants 
into? If so, what is the object? 
Ans.— No, it is not absolutely neces¬ 
sary to make a ridge to set the sweet 
potato plants cn, but it is a help, be¬ 
get the roots started, but after they once 
get started there is not much danger of 
dry weather hurting them. 
Clover on Bare Ground. 
J. A. Beach Haven, Pa .—I have nine 
acres of corn stubble that I wish to improve. 
We have been practicing a four-year rota¬ 
tion, corn, oats, wheat, and hay. It was 
manured for corn in 1909, and part of it 
was manured for wheat in 1907 and for 
corn in 1905. I used 200 pounds per acre of 
fertilizer, .$20, ready mixed, for wheat in the 
Fall of 190G. Wheat turned out 14 bushels 
per acre. I sowed four quarts of clover seed 
per acre in the Spring of 1907, and had a 
good stand. On account of drought and 
white grub the corn was a failure last year. 
I do not wish to plow it up this Spring. 1 
wish to sow it with wheat and Timothy this 
Fall. Which do you think the better, let 
it lie as it is, or sow clover seed this Spring? 
The field is clean of weeds and I am pretty 
sure the clover will grow. Do you think it 
will make growth enough until next August 
to pay for the seed? I would plow it under 
then and sow wheat. 1 suppose cow peas 
would be better, but then it would have to 
be plowed, and would be more expensive. 
Ans. —Wc understand that you are so 
situated that you cannot plow or work 
this ground before Fall. We should sow 
Red clover early. Sow the seed in 
the mud of a March thaw, or on some 
morning when the ground is frozen and 
full of little cracks. Give a good seed¬ 
ing, going both ways. The chances are 
that you will get a fair “catch” and 
have a crop to plow under in Fall that 
will more than pay for the seed. 
N. WERTHHEIMER & SONS 
offer their choice selections of all kinds of seeds 
such as Clovers, Alfalfa, White Clover, Crimson 
Clover, Red Toj>. Blue Grass, Hairy Vetches, 
Orchard Grass and all kinds of grain and field 
seeds, which we buy direct from the farming com¬ 
munity and sell direct to the farmer. Prices and 
samples on application. We deliver seeds, freight 
prepaid, to nearest railroad station. 
N. WERTHEIMER & SONS, Ligouier, Ind. 
Rand ALFALFA 
Seed. Guaranteed pure—absolutely 
no weed seeds. Sold subject to State 
and National test. Write for free 
samples and special prices. 
HENRY FIELD SPED CO., BOX 26. SHENAOOAH, I*. 
ALFALFA 
All Northern Grown and 
guaranteed to be 99 per cent 
pure. Should produce hay 
at $ 40.00 per acre annually. Write for Free Sam¬ 
ple and instructions on growing. 
GRAIN AND GRASS SEED 
Northern Grown and of strongest vitality. "We invite you to 
get Government Teste on our samples. ‘They will interest you 
U. S. govt, tests show that 
__the grain analyzes richer than 
linseed meal and the hay nearly as nutritious as 
Alfalfa; will grow on poor soil—and improve it. 
Well worth a fair trial. Write for Catalog No. 23 
WING SEED CO., Box 38 3 MECHANICSBURG, OHIO 
I 
N its bulletin on Alfalfa the U. S. Dept, 
of Agriculture says;—“In addition to 
the hay crop, Alfalfa at two years adds 
S100 to the value of every acre on which 
it grows.” 
“There is no state in the Union in which 
Alfalfa cannot be successfully grown.”, 
Three or four cuttings may be made every 
season. Alfalfa is one of the finest and 
richest of all pasture and hay crops for 
cattle, sheep, hogs and all live stock. A 
very valuable clover; greatly enriches the 
soil and prepares it for other crops. All 
varieties, Montana Grown, Turkestan, 
Grimm and Dry Land Alfalfa are fully 
described and pricedJn our 
26th ANNUAL CATALOGUE 
Considered the most informing and com¬ 
plete, as well as the handsomest, seed 
catalogue published in America. Every 
one of the 140 pages is filled with inform¬ 
ation valuable to the seed planter. En¬ 
tirely free from exaggeration both in 
descriptions and illustrations. 
No farm or garden is so large . 
or so small that this book will 
not assist to greater profits. 
It is expensive and we cannot 
distribute them indiscrimin¬ 
ately, [but we send it free to 
those who wish to buy seeds. 
Write for it today. Trade Mark 
Northrup, King & Co., Seedsmen, 
413 Bridge Sq. Minneapolis, Minn. 
You Pocket 
the Profit 
You Can Save Money by 
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Containing immense line of household and farm articles at away below retailers’ prices. 
Every article guaranteed as represented. Full illustrations. Money refunded if not satisfied. 
Every customer more than pleased. Write today for our big catalog and begin saving money. 
Read'this partial list of contents. 
Bags, Suit Cases and 
T runks. 
Buggies, for Ponies and 
Horses. 
Carpets and Rugs, 
Chinaware, Breakfast and 
Dinner Sets, 
Clothing Made to Order. 
Engines, Gas and Gasoline, 
Feed Mills, 
Furniture of All Kinds, 
Office Desks, 
Hardware and Miscella¬ 
neous Supplies, 
Harness and Horse Supplies, 
Heating Plants for Houses, 
House Material Ready to 
Ered. 
Iron and Brass Beds, Mat¬ 
tresses, Pillows, 
Paints, Ready Mixed, 
Phonographs and Records, 
Poultry Supplies, 
Pumps and Supplies, 
Rubber Clothing and Sun¬ 
dries, 
Roofing Material, 
Sewing Machines, 
Sporting Goods, Base Ball 
and Firearms, 
Stoves and Ranges of All 
Kinds, 
Washing Machines, 
Wringers, 
Watches and Chains, 
Water Supply Outfits, 
Wire and Ornamental 
Fencing. 
Manufacturers Distributing Co. 
Department “H,” 
325-327 Penn Avenue - PITTSBURGH, PA. 
■y;: 
§#%: 
Hall's Gold Nugget Corn Yielded 200 Bu. 
Crates of Ears Per Acre 
HARRIS’ SEED CORN 
VVIE take the greatest pains 
with our seed corn and can 
furnish seed that will grow and 
produce the largest possible 
yields. We have some new and 
improved varieties that are? far 
superior to common kinds. 
SEED POTATOES 
The best early and late varie¬ 
ties of our own raising, free from 
disease. Some bargain prices. 
(Sir Walter Raleigh, {pure) 75c 
per bushel.) 
OATS —The Pest varieties,pure 
clean seed. 
VEGETABLE SEED-Largely 
our own growing of very superi¬ 
or quality. We raise seeds of all 
kinds. Catalogue and price list tree 
Joseph Harris Co., Coldwater, N.Y., 
Get This Winner Plow Truck 
Save Work, Time, Money 
No more aching arms and bruised sides after plowing. Keep 
away from the handles, get out of the furrow, just drive the horse 
A Boy OP Girl Can Plow the stoniest ground with this truck. 
Finest thing for purpose ever invented. Instantly adjustable. 
Holds reversible plow as well. Carries plow, no use for wagon or 
stone boat. Saves plow points. 
Our Trial Offer and Guaranty means perfect satisfaction or 
no pay. Write today for particulars. Fine opportunity for good Agents. 
L. R. LEWIS. Mfgr., Box 12, Cortland, N. Y. 
On 10 
Days 
Trial 
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Anthem! I Fence 
when properly erected, should draw taut until the line wires fairly sing- 
but that never budges the tight grip of the Anthony Knot, 
Of course, when wire contracts, it straightens out 
the crimp mote or less—that's what the crimpisfor. 
If there were any kink inside the knot the con* 
traction would straighten that out too, loosening 
tire knot. 
But there is no kink in the line wires inside 
the Anthony Knot, so no amount of contraction 
can loosen it’s grip. The Stay wires are curved 
around the line wires, but there is no pull on the 
Stay wires. Come heat—come cold, Anthony 
Fence holds firmly. No broken knots—no slack 
wires. 
Antttony Fence as an Investment 
is as much an improvement to your place as a good barn. It is an investment—not 
an expense—in the long run. 
The labor of erecting a good fence is no more than that of a poor one and the 
posts cost even less, as they may be set further apart. Why not get the most value for 
your money by erecting Anffiony Fence —the tough steel woven wire fence with the 
smallest, tightest, most compact knot ever made. See the front view and back view of knot 
shown here. 
Write today for a hand sample of this wonderful fence FREE. 
Anthony Fence Co. 
NO KINK IN THE 
LINE WIRE INSIDE 
THE KNOT 
SEE THAT CURVE 
IN THE STAY WIRE 
ONLY 7 
Satisfy yourself, 
10 Michigan Street 
TECUMSEH, MICH. 
