660 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Juno 18, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be.accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore 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.] 
COVER CROP FOR MICHIGAN. 
On page 587 G. D. asks for the best 
thing to sow at last cultivation of po¬ 
tatoes or corn for cover crops. In the 
past I have sown rye, Crimson clover, 
Cow-horn turnips, cow peas, and Soy 
beans, but have now discarded all for 
vetch; Hairy or Winter vetch I think it 
is called. I think it is safe to call it the 
best fertilizing plant ever used in the 
Michigan fruit belt. Sow 30 pounds per 
acre at last cultivation of corn, melons, 
tomatoes, etc. You can sow on oat or 
early potato ground by preparing the 
soil. Vetch may be sown as late as No¬ 
vember and will make a fair growth in 
the Spring, but for best results, sow in 
July or August. The first sowing is 
usually not as good as later ones, pre¬ 
sumably because the later sowings have 
the needed bacteria. So far it has suc¬ 
cessfully withstood Summer heat and 
drought and Winter cold, while analyses 
from our experiment station show that 
in fertilizing value, it is worth more 
than clover. L. \v. ruth. 
Berrian Co., Mich. 
Saving Frozen Potato Plants. 
R. S. B., West Virginia .—What bas been 
your experience with potatoes bitten down 
by frost? Will they come on again and 
make anything like a crop, or is it better 
to plow them out and re-plant? 
Ans. —It will depend upon the size of 
the plants when they are first frost¬ 
bitten. If five or six inches high it 
would hardly pay to try to save them. 
If they are frozen when just breaking 
through the soil they can be saved by 
cultivating between the rows and then 
throwing the loose earth up over the 
row. By covering the little plants two 
or three inches deep in this way they 
will make a new start and grow. 
Homemade Fertilizer Spreader. 
E. G. N., Torrington, Conn .—I wish to 
make a fertilizer spreader. I have two 
wheels 30 inches in diameter and would 
like a spread of six feet. Can any of your 
readers tell me what size holes and how 
many to spread about 300 pounds per acre, 
also to spread 1,000 pounds of lime per 
acre. J should use one horse to draw it. 
Ans. — A lime distributor made as we 
have described would do the work re¬ 
quired without any trouble. You should 
have 10 holes two inches long and one 
inch wide, placed 5 l / 2 or 6 inches apart 
in the bottom of the hopper. Also have 
a movable false bottom containing holes 
corresponding to those in the bottom of 
the hopper, arranged so it will slide 
two inches back and forth toward either 
wheel. When the false bottom is pushed 
to the extreme right the holes are all 
open and when it is pushed to the ex¬ 
treme left they are all closed, so the 
amount of lime or fertilizer to be sown 
can be regulated exactly by simply mov¬ 
ing the false bottom opening or closing 
the holes as the case may require. A 
larger opening is required if the lime or 
fertilizer is damp than is required for 
dry material, so no rule can be given. 
Each machine must be set to suit the 
material it is to sow. c. s. G. 
Rhubarb Stalks, Run to Seed. 
J. C. P., Webster, N. Y .—Can you tell me 
what causes our rhubarb roots to run up 
to seed so quickly? Two years ago we pur- 
chasod quite a number of new roots and 
had them carefully set out and the ground 
made rich with barnyard manure. Each 
Spring early they have been fertilized and 
a box or barrel placed over some of the 
roots to hasten their growth, but each year 
they run to seed before we can get any 
large enough for pies or sauce. We have 
pulled out and cut off the seed stalk, but 
it does no good. A new one comes in its 
place in a few days. 
Ans.—I can see no reason why rhu¬ 
barb should run to seed so quickly as 
that described by J. C. P. without pro¬ 
ducing eatable stalks, provided the 
roots or sets were obtained by the divi¬ 
sion of roots from some reliable vari- 
ties, Victoria or Linnaeus preferred. I 
would not advise planting rhubarb roots 
without knowing what sort of stuff you 
are growing. It is a common practice 
of late years to raise sets or roots from 
the seed. This method rarely gives sat¬ 
isfaction, as the plants will not come true 
when propagated in this way. It is the 
same as with strawberry seed or peach 
pits. You never know what you are 
going to get, except perhaps disappoint¬ 
ment, and there is no doubt the inquirer 
is growing some of this wild stuff, grown 
from promiscuous seed and thrown on 
the market. I would advise procuring 
a few roots or clumps from some one 
who has a good variety, and divide to 
three or four eyes to the hill. Plant 
on rich soil and there is no doubt that 
you will have plenty of rhubarb. 
T. M. WHITE. 
Harrowing Fertilizer In. 
T. II., PeeksJcUl, N. Y .—I am glad to 
note that you are going to try the Spring 
rye with a late sowing. Do you use com¬ 
mercial fertilizer? Take my advice, and 
give the ground at least six harrowings 
after you sow the fertilizer. It should be 
well incorporated with the soil. I inclose 
a small envelope which contains the 
amount of fertilizer there would be in a 
square foot, supposing you are cultivating 
six inches deep. This is what would be 
in the top inch if thoroughly distributed. 
Suppose this all dumped in one corner of 
the square foot, what would the poor rye 
in the other corner do for food? 
Ans.—Y ou can imagine the size of 
this “dose” of fertilizer—when you 
realize that an acre of soil one foot 
deep weighs about 4,000,000 pounds. If 
you use 400 pounds of fertilizer per 
acre and have it perfectly distributed 
there would be about one-eighth of an 
ounce of the fertilizer on top of each 
foot of soil, and one can imagine the 
tiny amounts of nitrogen, potash and 
phosphoric acid this would furnish. 
Thorough harrowing is needed, but not 
so much to distribute the fertilizer. 
The roots of the. rye run everywhere. 
They often extend for several feet, and 
would have no difficulty in getting all 
over the foot of surface. Put a soft 
bone in the ground several feet from 
a clump of rye, a hill of corn or a tree. 
At an equal distance in another direc¬ 
tion put a chunk of phosphate rock, or 
even a handful of “floats,” and see 
where the roots go to. They will 
choose the most available plant food— 
and get it. The harrowing kills weeds, 
puts the soil in good mechanical condi¬ 
tion and lets in sun and air, besides 
helping to hold moisture. 
Tomato Disease. 
O. II. B., Hattiesburg, Miss .—What is 
the matter with my tomato vines? About 
the first of April 1 set out 125 plants in 
my garden. They started off to growing 
nicely. In about 10 days I noticed the 
foliage on some of the plants began to 
wither and the plant withered all over. 
In a few days it died. Others withered 
and died until now I have not more than 
a half dozen alive, and they will die. They 
are two feet high with fruit three-quarters 
of an inch in diameter. I sowed Ferry’s 
Early Michigan; soil, nice sandy loam, no 
fertilizer except last year. It is dry 
weather, but I have seen it as dry in the 
Spring before this. Have you any idea 
what causes it? I have split open several 
of the stalky; find them rather dark color. 
Ans. —The disease appears to be Fu- 
sarium wilt, though there is also a bac¬ 
terial wilt which closely resembles it. 
The symptoms of the disease are a grad¬ 
ual wilting and dying of the plants, us¬ 
ually in the later stage of their devel¬ 
opment. There is a browning of -the 
woody portions of the stems, and the 
vessels become filled with fungous 
threads, which shut off the water supply. 
This infection appears to come entirely 
from the soil; Prof. Orton of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture says that in 
some localities the cultivation of a to¬ 
mato crop appears to leave the soil in¬ 
fected, so that a crop planted the next 
year is injured or destroyed. The fun¬ 
gus does not appear to remain long in 
the soil, and it was found in Florida 
that a rotation of crops which brings to¬ 
matoes on the ground once in three 
years will prevent loss from Fusarium 
wilt. We advise such a rotation to the 
inquirer. 
Disking Clover for Wheat Seeding. 
R. L. (Ao Address ).—I have a field of 
clover with a heavy stand which I wish to 
plow under for wheat seeding. Should I 
dfsk this clover before plowing it under? 
Plowing a clover sod to seed to wheat 
is seldom done in our locality unless 
change of rotation causes one to do so. 
It is very difficult to get the soil firm 
enough to make a good seed bed for 
wheat, when turning a stiff clover sod. 
If you "would plow the clover early in 
August and harrow frequently till time 
to seed to wheat, I believe you would 
be able to get a firm seed bed. But if 
you wish to plow late in the season, you 
would better disk the clover before plow¬ 
ing. Your sod will not be as stiff and 
when plowed will compact more read¬ 
ily when harrowing. j. ALDUS herr. 
Lancaster Co., Pa. 
I can see no benefit in disking a clover 
field before plowing down for wheat. 
If the entire crop is to be plowed under 
a chain should be used on plow to drag 
the clover under. On our dairy farm 
we feed the clover to’cows and return 
manure to the soil, thereby reaping 
double profits. Our best crop of wheat 
was raised on clover sod. w. t. suter. 
Northumberland Co., Pa. 
Com In an Orchard. 
ft. D. G., Warren, Mass. —As I am very 
much interested in your cost of crops can 
you help me out on the following? I am 
putting about 10 acres into peach and apple 
orchards (apples for permanent and peaches 
for fillers) and am going to grow corn 
between the trees, for, say two years. How 
shall I apportion the cost of each crop? 
The fertilizer 1 am charging to the corn 
as I am putting on a corn fertilizer, but 
the the breaking of the land, harrowing 
nnd cultivation is what I am after. If 
I was doing inis all for myself 1 could 
credit the orchard with the profit on Ihe 
corn if any, but I am not. I am putting 
in the orchard for another person, and am 
to receive half the net profit and the corn 
as my pay for this year, the contract to 
end with the disposal of the crop. Would 
it be fair to charge the breaking, barrowing 
and cultivating all to the corn? If not, 
what proportion would be a fair charge? 
Ans. —On our own farm we should 
charge the cost of all plowing, cultivat¬ 
ing and fertilizing to the orchard, and 
credit it with the value of the corn crop. 
In the case mentioned where the items 
are separate we should charge half the 
plowing and cultivating and one-third of 
the fertilizer to the orchard, and the re¬ 
mainder to the corn. This balance with 
the labor of cutting and husking will 
make the cost of the corn crop in such 
a case. 
WRITE FOR 
Q UOTATIONS 
We have a complete list 
of commercial varieties 
of first grade apple trees for 
sale at popular prices. 
€j[ Agents wanted to handle our line of 
nursery stock. . .. 
STONE & WELLINGTON, 
TORONTO, -:- Ontario. 
flflfl LATE CABBAGE PLANTS— Also Celery Plants 
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Let your orders come. DAVID RODWAY, Hartly, Del. 
ANTED AGENTS TO SELL FARMERS' ACCOUNT BOOK. 
Quick Seller, Big Inducements, Exclusive Terri¬ 
tory. Address L. L. SYPHEKS, Fort Wayne, Ind. 
FOR SALE-100,000 CABBAGE PLANTS 
SUREHEAD and DANISH BALL-HEAD ready July 1st at 
$1.00 per 1000. M. N. BORGO, Vineland, N. J. 
A GOOD RELIABLE INOCULATING CULTURE FOR STARTING 
A N E W ALF ALFA FIELD IS 
NITRAGIN 
Tested by Prof. Lippmann. 
1 Acre $2,00—5 Acres S8.50. Write for particulars. 
Internationa] Nitragin Co., MILWAUKEE, WIS. 
Freight 
“BRECO” Prepaid 
Rubber Don t ,hink 
Roofing 
of using 
any kind of 
you test sample of old reliable 
Guaranteed "BRECO.” Why pay 
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BOOK AMO SAMPLE 
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shows testi- 
m o n i a 1 s of 
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Write today. 
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Roofing Dept. 11. Cincinnati. 0. 
Free 
Wtsiarn boundary line 
Minn., Iowa, Missouri, 
north of south line of 
Tenn., 100 lbs. or mors. 
35-lb. Roll o | oe 
1- Ply 
45-lb. Roll j qe 
2- Ply 1*”* 
55-lb. Roll qoc 
3- Ply a5±2 
Each Roll 108 Sq. Feet 
Genasco 
Ready Roofing 
made of real Trinidad Lake asphalt this way: 
Cross-section, Genasco Smooth-surface Roofing 
I Trinidad Lake Asphalt 
Asphalt-saturated Wool Felt 
■ Trinidad Lake Asphalt 
Look for the trademark and ask your dealer 
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for the Kant-leak Kleet—the fastening that 
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samples and the Good Roof Guide Book. 
THE BARBER ASPHALT 
/ PAVING COMPANY 
Largest producers of asphalt, and largest 
manufacturers of ready roofing in the world. 
PHILADELPHIA 
New York / San Francisco Chicago 
THIS DIGGER WON’T 
DISAPPOINT 
becanseitisnotanexperiment. We 
worked fory ears perfecting itbefore 
putting on market. We determined it 
ehouldsustainthesame high reputa¬ 
tion other J ron Age Tools nave 
made, and it has. Last year it re¬ 
placed many other makes. 
Special features are 
Light draft, durability 
free from costly re¬ 
pairs; adapted" to 
varying con 
d it ions. 
Tree Catalog. 
BATEMAN MFC. CO., Box 102 0. 
GRENLOCH, N. J. 
POTATO DIGGER 
Does perfect work. Fully 
guaranteed. Write for illustrated 
catalogue of Diggers, Pickers and Sorters. 
THE HOOVER MFC. CO., Box No. 56, Avery, Ohio. 
Transfer points—Buffalo, N. Y.; Detroit, Mich, j St. Paul, 
Minn.; Marshalltown, la.; Idaho Palls, Id.; Portland, 
Ore.; Spokane, Wash.; Winnipeg, Man.; Hamilton, 
Ont.; Fond du Lac, M is. 
DELAWARE IS THE STATE 
OF HAPPY HOMES 
Enjoy¬ 
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comfort¬ 
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. , , . ing, gen¬ 
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most of the summer. Famous for fruit; good 
for general farming. Land values are increas¬ 
ing, but are still low for the advantages 
enjoyed. For information address 
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, Dover, Delaware. 
PEACH TREES 
FALL I9IO SPRING 1911 
We are prepared to quote prices and enter 
orders now for just what you want of our 
own grown trees. Don’t be disappointed 
again the coming season but order now. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES 
have been built up by quality trees from a small 
beginning to the largest nursery in America—more 
than 2000 acres devoted to growing trees, plants, 
vines and ornamental stock. Buy of a responsible 
grower and get what you pay for. Address 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, 
Box 421, Berlin, Md. 
FflR QA| f— Charleston Wakefield, Early Sum- 
lUn OHLL mer Cabbage, Earliana, Jewel, 
June Pink, Stone, Beauty and Globe Tomatoes, 1000, 
$0.00. Hothouse grown, transplanted into fiats, 
frame hardened. Fine stock. Knocked out, packed 
securely, safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed. 
F. K. PKCKHAM, Norwich, Conn. 
450,000 Stone Tomato £“ , '2.7S 
throughout June. 750,000 Sweet Potato plants, 
ready May 5th. Pepper, Celery and Cabbage plants 
in their season. Send for price list to-day, 
CALEB BOGGS & SON, Cheswold, Del. 
ONE QUART OF STRAWBERRIES 5°l e a a ^ 
KEVTTT’S SYSTEM. Send for my Mid-Summer 
Catalogue. T. C. KEVITT, AtUenia, N. J. 
CABBAGE PLAHTS-S;"^« 
Plants; catalog free. Glick's Seed Farms, Lancaster, Pa. 
V EGETABLE PLANTS—Cabbage Plants, $1 per 1,000. 
Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes. Peppers and Eggplants, $2 per 
1,000. Cauliflower, $2.50 per 1,000. J. C. SCHMIDT, Bristol, Pa. 
Cow Peas and Crimson Clover 
E. G. PACKARD, Field Seeds Specialist. Dover, Delaware. 
