1010 . 
NITRATE OF SODA FOR PRIVET HEDGE. 
D. II., (No Address ).—Would it be ad¬ 
visable to apply nitrate of soda to Cali¬ 
fornia privet hedge to make it grow tall 
rapidly? I have a fence that I would like 
to grow into a wind-break as quickly as 
possible. If soda is not advisable what 
would be the best commercial fertilizer? 
Also state what quantity to use. 
Ans. —One of the largest growers of 
privet in the United States tells me that 
he uses a brand of fertilizer, the guar¬ 
anteed analysis of which is 3-6-10, but 
any brand of good potato fertilizer that 
grades up to the above would be just as 
good. This fertilizer should be supple¬ 
mented by a heavy coat of well-rotted 
stable manure covering the ground at 
least three inches deep and two feet 
wide on each side of hedge. Apply early 
this Spring and dig it lightly in the 
ground. To every 100 feet of hedge 
apply about 25 pounds of the fertilizer. 
After growth starts 10 pounds of nitrate 
of soda could be applied and lightly 
raked or hoed in will help wonderfully. 
If rain soaks the ground or privet be 
irrigated after the application of the 
nitrate the same amount can be applied 
at intervals of two or three weeks up 
to the middle of July. Nitrate of soda 
acts quickly and what the plant does 
not use at once is lost. Small and fre¬ 
quent applications would be better than 
one heavy application. e. s. black. 
THE RURAL IT E W-YORKER 
-415 
PRIZE CROP OF STRAWBERRIES. 
F. T. II., McKeesport, Pa .—I want to ask 
“Hope Farm man” or Mr. Kevitt to give 
me some advice. That article in The R. 
N.-Y. last Summer about 40,000 or 50,000 
quarts of strawberries per acre put me in 
notion of trying to equal it on one-eighth of 
an acre and I want to start right. My 
ground is good garden soil. I have un- 
limiled quantities of manure, same of water, 
drilled well that I cannot pump dry with 
gas engine, and t me after work to keep 
in perfect conuition. I think I can make 
conditions perfect. Mr. Kevitt uses only 
Glen Mary plants, but I understand they 
are rather w,ak in pollen. A local grower 
tells me he never plants them alone, and in 
previous experience I have found that even 
with perfect varieties if one would mix them 
larger yields could be obtained, but Mr. 
Kevitt ought to know by this time. The 
Hope Farm man advises not to plant as 
close as Mr. Kevitt. I had thought of 
planting in beds of four rows 15x15 with 
30-inch spaces between beds. I would pre¬ 
fer only one variety, but will do anything 
to get the greatest yield. Doubtless many 
other readers are thinking of planting after 
this system and you will bo doing all a 
favor by all the information you can. I 
know personally three others near me who 
are going to try the plan this Spring. 
Kevitt Gives an Opinion. 
Enormous crops of strawberries may 
be grown under my system of culture 
where irrigation can be applied. The 
varieties most likely to do best grown 
under my system are Glen Mary, Almo, 
Marshall, Stevens, Gandy, Climax, Joe, 
Sample, Bederwood and Chesapeake. 
The Glen Mary grown in this way is 
a success in every way. Some growers 
claim the Glen Mary needs a variety 
that contains more fertilizing powder 
to fertilize. My observation with Glen 
Mary shows it seems to do equally as 
well if you plant an entire acre, going 
to show that Glen Mary contains enough 
pollen to fertilize properly each berry. 
If one wishes to extend the berry sea¬ 
son it would be well to get some late 
perfect-flowering variety. In this way 
you will be sure to secure results, if in 
doubt. Where irrigation with sufficient 
quantities of water can be applied the 
yield should be enormous. Each plant 
under these conditions will mature the 
entire crop. The berries toward the 
end of the season will mature to full 
size. The yield will prove to be a per¬ 
fect success, and will pay well on the 
investment. With plenty of moisture 
there are larger berries and more of 
them, as each berry that grows on the 
stem will mature. The simplest and 
most economical plan is the open fur¬ 
row ; that is, the path between each bed. 
The furrow should be filled with water 
from end to end. That this may be done 
they must be level throughout their ex¬ 
tent. After the water has been applied 
in any case and the soil has come into 
condition to permit of it, a careful and 
thorough cultivation of the surface must 
be given. In the case of most soils this 
is imperative in order to prevent bak¬ 
ing, that is, a hardening and drying by 
sun’s heat, also to prevent undue evap¬ 
oration, which a finely pulverized condi¬ 
tion of the soil holds well in check. 
Such cultivation also keeps the ground 
clean of weeds, which otherwise grow 
rapidly on irrigated soils. 
T. C. KEVITT. 
From the Hope Farm Man. 
I have become convinced that it pays 
me better to set the plants farther apart. 
I shall plant two feet each way, culti¬ 
vate in both directions, and end the sea¬ 
son with a hill or clump of berries about 
15 inches in diameter. The berries 
must have sunshine to do well. When 
planted thickly in narrow beds and 
given high culture the inside rows are 
shaded, and cannot mature their fruit. 
A combination of such varieties as Mar¬ 
shall, Chesapeake and Gandy will give 
a long picking season. Stevens is a 
heavy yielder, but the quality is poor 
and would not go well in market with 
Marshall. The latter is a fancy berry, 
but not a heavy yielder. I think well 
of Chesapeake. I have had no experi¬ 
ence with irrigation. In theory this 
ought to settle the problem, yet I have 
known cases where it nearly ruined the 
crop. The soil became dry and the 
water was turned on—soaking the 
ground. Then there came a long, 
steady rain, apd more than half the 
crop rotted. In arid regions where 
there is no rainfall to speak of, irriga¬ 
tion is an ideal way of watering crops. 
In humid regions it often requires great 
judgment to prevent damage from too 
much water. If I had unlimited man¬ 
ure and water I would thoroughly tile- 
drain the soil and fill it with manure. 
Set plants two feet apart and give them 
perfect culture the first season. In 
Fall pile the manure heavily between 
plants and lightly over them. In Spring- 
rake the cover from the plants. In 
late May, if the season was dry, I would 
open shallow furrows alon? the rows 
and soak the soil thoroughly. Then 
smooth down the manure to serve as a 
thick mulch and let the plants alone ex¬ 
cept to hand-pull large weeds. 
HOPE FARM MAN. 
Polypus; Thrush. 
1. I have a filly coming three years old 
that has developed a hard bony substance 
which seems to be in both nostrils about 
four inches above the opening. It does not 
seem to cut her wind or in tiny way bother 
her. Can you tell me what it is and how 
to remove it? 2. Can you give me a quick 
cure for the thrush? h. d. t. 
Indiana. 
1. The tumors (polypus) described can 
only be removed by an operation to be 
performed by a qualified veterinarian. The 
operation is indicated if the tumors have 
narrow necks ; otherwise it may be impos¬ 
sible to remove them by cutting, and iodine 
applications will have to be used. 2. For 
thrush cleanse out the cleft of frog and on 
each side of it and cut away all loose, 
rotten or under-run horn of frog or sole 
then pack crevices full of calomel and 
cover with oakum. Stand horse on abso¬ 
lutely clean, dry floor and repeat the treat¬ 
ment once daily until cured. a. s. a, 
DAILY 
OUTPUT 
17,500 
BBLS. 
YEARLY 
OUTPUT 
OVER 
6,000,000 
ALPHA 
PORTLAND CEMENT 
is absolutely the best that can be made 
for all farm work. Largely used by 
U. S. Government and in State, Munici¬ 
pal and Railroad work—a reputation of 
20 years behind it. Ask your dealer for 
ALPHA 
Send for Booklet and learn why it is the best. 
ALPHA PORTLAND CEMENT CO., 
ADDRESS 
2 Center Square, EASTON, PA. 
“34 Potatoes to the Bushel, weighing 61 lbs.” 
“ I am sending a sample bushel of potatoes weighing 61 lbs., and made up 
of 34 in number, to your agents from whom I bought your fertilizer. The 
yield is about 300 bushels per acre, and the point is they were grown from a 
poor seeding on an abandoned farm. I used one ton of Swift’s Potato Grower per 
acre and am greatly pleased with Swift’s Animal Fertilizers.” 
Oct. 26 , 1909 . FAXON BROWN, North Adams, Mass. 
“ Not a Rotten Potato in the Whole Field.” 
“ While the season was very dry this past year, your Swift’s Special Potato Fertilizer 
did the work. It was so dry that some of my neighbors advised ploughing in the crop 
July Ist > but I kept on cultivating and spraying it just the same, and had a yield of 
nearly 300 bushels per acre of large smooth potatoes with very few small ones, and there 
was not a rotten potato in the whole field. I applied three tons on a little more than 
three acres of land and used no other manure on ground that was badly worn out ” 
Dec. 3 , 1909 . GEORGE A. MURCH, Old Orchard, Maine. 
.... . See local agents or send for prices. Our terms are easy and our prices right. 
Swift’s Lowell Fertilizer Co. Agric Poun r a y ass? aDd ‘ " ' ” 
A handy booklet of useful information Sent Free. 
isy and our prices right. 
40 North Market St., Boston. 
LESS WORK 
Drawn by two medium horses. 
Will cut 28 by 30 acres or double* 
cut 15 acres in a day. 
Will move 15,000 tons of earth 
one foot in a day. 
Runs true in line of draft and keeps the 
surface true. All other Disk Harrows 
have to run in the half lap. 
Has Improved reinforced main frame, and 
improved standards. 
Don’t be deceived by poor imita¬ 
tions or infringements. ft. 
There’s only one original “Cutaway” Ilf 
and it’s Clark’s. 
Saves time. Saves labor. 
Saves money. 
BIG CROPS 
Crops increased 25°/o to 50°/o. 
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Takes place of Plow and Harrow. 
Jointed Pole takes all the weight off tbo 
horses’ necks. No Tongue Truck Needed. 
We make 120 sizes and styles of Disk Tools. 
Every machine fully warranted. 
Thousands in use and giving satisfaction. 
If your dealer won’t supply you, we will. 
Send to-day for Free Booklet. 
Cutaway Harrow Co. 
839 Main Street 
HIGGANUM, CONN. 
CLARK’S 
Original “Cutaway’ 
TWiCE THE WORK-HALF THE LABOR 
The Patented, Light Running Excelsior Hand Cultivator does 
work of four men, and runs 50 per cent easier and does 100 per cent bet¬ 
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EXCELSIOR HAND CULTIVATORS 
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The Excelsior is build of steel and malleable iron. Several styles with 
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THE EXCELSIOR GARDEN TOOL CO. 1206 Cherry St. Erie, Pa. 
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