1910. 
THE DRAFT OF A WAGON. 
F. H. IS., Trot/, Pa .—Do you know if 
there have been any tests made to ascertain 
if a wagon draws easier coupled up short, 
than when the axles are farther anart? 
Ans.—T he draft of wagons is com¬ 
paratively little affected by changing the 
length of the reach or changing the dis¬ 
tance between the fore and hind wheels 
except in so far as it affects the distri¬ 
bution of the load on the wheels. In 
loading an ordinary wagon more than 
half the load should be carried by the 
hind wheels, for three important rea¬ 
sons. 1. Because they are larger and 
will cut into the roadbed or into the 
field less deeply, and the less the wheels 
cut in the more easily the load draws. 
2 . When the wheels track, and espe¬ 
cially in the fields, the front wheels firm 
the ground and in effect build road for 
the hind wheels, and for this reason 
the hind wheels, even were they of the 
same size as the front wheels, would 
carry the same weight with less draft. 
3 . When the axle of the front wheel is 
free to be turned, as in the common 
wagon, the slight inequalities of the 
road tend all of the time to keep the 
tongue vibrating so that there is a 
strong tendency, through this to and fro 
swinging to cut more deeply into the 
road or field and thus increase the draft. 
With a long hayrack and a short reach, 
unless the rack is unduly projected for¬ 
ward, much more than half the load 
might be thrown upon the hind wheels. 
It would even be possible to have the 
reach short enough, with a certain 
length of rack, to bring nearly the whole 
load, or even more than the whole load, 
upon the hind wheels and in such a 
case the load would draw more easily 
if the reach were lengthened. It is es¬ 
pecially important, in loading wagons, 
to have both sides carry equal weights. 
This is even more important than proper 
division of the load between front and 
hind wheels where the hauling is in the 
field and the load is high. In a dry 
pasture we have found by measurement 
the following differences in draft when 
the load was the same but differently 
distributed on the wagon: 
THK KL'KAL 
SOME TROUBLES OF SEEDSMEN. 
NEW-VORKER 
TO© 
Load 
Load 
Load 
Load 
Pounds 
. per ton. 
equal on the four wheels, draft 110.4 
heaviest on one side, draft. 120.0 
heaviest on front wheels, draft 129.3 
heaviest on hind wheels, draft. 101.8 
F. H. KING. 
Fertilizing Value of Rye Straw. 
Will you tell me the plant food or fer¬ 
tilizing value of a ton of rye straw at the 
present rate of chemical fertilizer? That is, 
what price ought I to get for rye straw to 
make it profitable to sell it rather than to 
convert it into manure? H. d. 
Chester, N. J. 
A ton of rye straw contains about eight 
pounds of nitrogen. 15 of potash and five 
of phosphoric acid. This plant food is 
worth a little less than that in a ton of 
stable manure. The straw is tough and 
hard, and does not decay readily. In our 
locality long rye straw sells for about the 
same as hay—$20 to $22 per ton. We 
should sell it at anything like these figures, 
and use the money to buy fertilizer or ma¬ 
nure. 
Weevils in Grain. 
My granary is full of weevils and other 
Insects, and think it should bo cleaned be¬ 
fore new wheat goes in. Shall I fumigate? 
If so, please give directions. D. u. 
Delaware. 
Of course you cannot fumigate the gran¬ 
ary unless you can make it airtight. The 
gas which kills the insects must be con¬ 
fined so that it will penetrate every corner. 
If you can close the granary in this way 
tiie hydrocyanic acid gas will kill the wee¬ 
vils. As often described, the method fol¬ 
lows: This deadly mixture must lie handled 
carefully and the enclosure must be airtight. 
For each 100 cubic foot of space in the 
room use one ounce by weight of cyanide of 
potassium; commercial sulphuric acid, one 
and one-half ounce by measure; and three 
ounces of water by measure. Have the room 
tightly closed and windows arranged so that 
they can be opened from outside. Set the 
vessel of water in the center of room, pour 
the acid slowly into the water. Have the 
cyanide in a piece of paper; drop it in the 
liquid and get out at once before taking 
breath, as one whiff may bo fatal. This gas 
kills all breathing tilings. In case this 
cannot be used we would thoroughly clean 
the granary and when the grain is in the 
bins make them airtight and put a dish of 
bisulphide of carbon on top of the 'grain. 
We all seem to have our troubles in¬ 
cluding the seedsmen. Here are two cases, 
which show what some of them are up 
against. Some years ago, a prominent 
seedsman introduced a new variety of to¬ 
mato. Under test it gave a good account 
of itself, and promised to be a good market 
variety. It was tested by a number of 
people" who praised it highly, and tins 
praise was printed in a perfectly legitimate 
way. On the strength of this praise many 
farmers bought the seed at a high figure, 
expecting to have a profitable Crop. I lie 
plants grew well and everything was en- 
couraging until the fruit began to ripen. 
Then to tile intense disgust of the farmers, 
tin* tomatoes proved the worst mixed lot they 
ever saw. They were practically all colors 
from light yellow to dark red, and a dozen 
different shapes. The farmers in one lo¬ 
cality lost hundreds of dollars, and nat¬ 
urally they felt, indignant. They went 
after the seedsman with no uncertain lan¬ 
guage. Ih* came and inspected the .ciop 
and was convinced it was worthless. At 
first tie thought these gardeners could not 
have used his seed, but they were able to 
puove that they had done so. A thorough 
investigation finally proved that the toma¬ 
to had “gone to pieces". Instead of going 
on improving with selection, it had sported 
back to its ancestors, showing a dozen dif¬ 
ferent types. It was absolutely worthless 
and vet'it had not shown this fault in any 
previous season, it was not the seedsman s 
fault, for up to this time the tomato had 
given evidence of superiority, Act it was 
impossible to convince these farmers that 
tin* seedsman was not responsible for the 
heavy loss which they had sustained. 
In a more recent case a well-known seeds¬ 
man introduced a new variety of tomato. 
It was and is superior. It comes true from 
seed and has been tested long enough to 
prove that it is reliable and worthy, this 
seedsman prepared for a heavy trade, and 
in order to make doubly sure of his ground 
sent stock seed to a number of different 
professional growers so that lie might be 
sure of having a full supply. All went well. 
The tomato came true and tin* seeds proved 
vigorous, lie received several bags of seed 
from one well-known grower. Packets were 
tilled, marked as true to. this variety and 
sent out. Some of this seed was sown early 
in the year to get an early crop, but as 
tin* plants grew it became evident that 
something was wrong. The leaf of the new 
variety was different. It became apparent 
that some of tin* plants from this seed were 
of some old variety, not at all equal to the 
now one. Th6,n* could bo uo (jucstioii about 
the mixed-up seed, and the seedsman began 
to get complaints from various parties. It 
became evident that the grower who produc¬ 
ed the seed for him had made a mistake, 
or intentionally sent him one bag of seed 
of an old variety with an entirely different 
type. The bag was labelled as being of the 
new variety and it was of course impossible 
to tell the seed apart. Now it is likely that 
through this mix-up, which was no fault of 
tile seedsman, a number of gardeners and 
farmers have received the wrong kind ol 
tomato, and when they ripen there will be 
trouble. The seedsman Is absolutely in¬ 
nocent of the matter, and in fact took ex¬ 
tra trouble to have ids seeds prove true. 
We simply give these two incidents to 
show that tin* seedsman may have an extra 
dose of trouble.__ 
DIRECT PRIMARY NOMINATION IN 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
It may interest you to know how the 
direct primary election works out here in 
Pennsylvania. The Twenty-sixth Congres¬ 
sional District, in which 1 live-, is made 
up ol' four counties (Northampton, Monroe 
Carbon and Pike), and it is one of the 
few districts in the State that, under nor 
mal conditions can be depended upon to 
return a solid Democratic majority. There 
are no large cities within its limits, and 
the voters are mainly farmers, quarrymen 
miners and ironworkers. For many years 
it lias been ruled by a political machine 
and a boss who nominated candidates and 
manipulated primaries through committees 
in each of the counties. Now and then 
under the provocation of tyrannical dicta¬ 
tion there have been revolts, and occasion¬ 
ally a three-cornered light has resulted in 
the return of a ltepublican to Congress, 
but, as a rule, the voters submitted quietly 
to their masters and cast their votes as 
they were directed. In order to encourage 
obedience, to subdue the restive, and to 
distribute the pie in a satisfactory man¬ 
ner throughout the district, an ar¬ 
rangement existed by which the nomina¬ 
tion for Member of Congress was given In 
rotation to each county. In this way a 
new man was sent every two years to 
Washington, and the patronage was dis¬ 
tributed where it would do the most good. 
Two years ago, when the direct primary 
law went into effect, it would have been 
Monroe County’s turn, under the old agree¬ 
ment, to nominate a Democratic candidate 
for Congress, and an attempt was 
the machine to induce the voters 
to precedent. Primaries were 
the direction of the machine, 
made by 
to stick 
held under 
and a candi¬ 
date was selected several months before 
tin* date fixed by law for primaries through¬ 
out the district, and it was intended that 
these should ratify the action of the county. 
15ut the scheme did not work. An inde¬ 
pendent candidate appeared on the field and 
began a vigorous educational campaign. 
Before he got through the people were fully 
instructed in the new law, and knew that 
tin* boss and the machine had nothing more 
to say about candidates and primaries. The 
upshot of the contest was that the candi¬ 
date of tin* machine was defeated even in 
his own countv, and his opponent carried 
every county in the district by a handsome 
majority. This year the present incum¬ 
bent offered himself as a candidate for re¬ 
nomination at the primaries, and again the 
machine made an effort to regain some of 
its lost power. A man who had formerly 
served a term as Representative was se¬ 
lected in the most populous county in the 
district and the stronghold of the old ma¬ 
chine. lie received all the support and 
influence that tin* politicians could bring to 
his assistance, and it was said, too, that 
lie had the financial help of one of 'tin* 
most powerful combinations of capitalists 
that tin* country contains. But again the 
machine and their candidate went down be¬ 
fore the popular vote, and for the first 
time in eighteen years the Twenty-sixth 
District will send back its Representative 
to Congress for a second term. No wonder 
the politicians of both parties in New York 
are doing their utmost to prevent the in¬ 
troduction of the direct primary in that 
State. wm. it. FISHER. 
Monroe Co., Penn. 
-tRADc 
M.I.F.C0. 
ZING COATED 
Mab^ 
But are you not really foolish to 
take chances ? Answer for yourself. 
• If the lightning strikes, your home 
goes. And your hopes go with it. 
MAKE 
YOUR 
HOME 
SAFE 
You may now have absolute pro¬ 
tection for your home and family by 
Prof. West Dodd’s system for light¬ 
ning control. 
Prof. Dodd’s Life Work 
has been the control of lightning. 2000 fire 
Insurance companies endorse him. 'I liey 
admit that bis system doesaway with threo- 
fourtbs of their annual losses. They urgo you 
to protect your buildings by tho J) <» fc> 
system of lightning rods, granting 
reduced Insurance rates to induce you 
to do so. 
Write for Free Book. Full of facts. 
Tells all about tho Dodd System, tho 
Dodd Thunderstorm, the Dodd guar¬ 
antee. Why you are safe and 
how you know you aro salo. 
Costs but a penny for a card 
to write. Do it now. 
Dodd & Strufhers 
437 Sixth Avenue. 
Des Moines, Iowa, 
DAILY 
OUTPUT 
17,500 
8BLS. 
YEARLY 
OUTPUT 
OVER 
6 , 000,000 
Zinc Coated Brand 
NAILS 
Will last a life-time 
Read this Evidence of Durability: 
In 1880, Mr. M. P. Harding, of Hranford, Conn., shin¬ 
gled bin store with pine shingles, nailing them WJtn /.im- 
Coated Iron Cut Nails. In July V.m. juxt 29 -Vc.xrs later 
lie reahingled. The nails were as free from rustas on.the 
day thev were driven, although the house stands within 
three-quarters of a mile of the seashore. The cut shows 
some of the nails. , ,. 
We make the same liailR today we made then. 
WHY PUT 10-YKAK X.tlhS IX 80-YKAlt SHINOI 1 E 8 1 
Write to us for Samples and Prices. 
MALLEABLE IRON FITTINGS CO., Branford, Conn. 
DEDERICK’S 
Hay Presses 
Always reliable. Wonderfully durable. 
Highest grade materials and workmanship. 
Latest improvements. Holds record for 
neat work, capacity and speed, even with 
limited power. Presses adapted to every 
kind of baling. Free catalogue describes 
entire line.—Send for it before you buy. 
P. K. DEDERICK’S SONS, G9 Tivoli Sr.. Albaky. N Y. 
-ffEEE/T/S — 
IMPROVED CLARK’S DOUBLE ACTION 
CUTAWAY HARROW 
The most wonderful farm tool over lnvontod. 
Two harrows In ono. Throws the dirt ont, then 
in, leaving tho land level and true. 
A labor saver, a tlmo savor. Needs 
noTonguo Truck. Jointed Pole. 
Beware of imitations and In¬ 
fringements. Send today for 
FREE Booklet. 
CUTAWAY HARROW CO. 
839 Main 8t., 
. Illggauum, Conn. 
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 GO., 
ADDRESS 
2 Center Square, EASTON, PA. 
No Barnds Complete Without a 
PORTER UTTER CARRIER 
Greatest capacity, 
oasiest to operate and 
strongest of litter car¬ 
riers. Carrier wheels 
are roller bearing and 
are swivelled in such 
a manner as to round 
a curve with perfect 
ease. Runs on our 
celebrated “Colum¬ 
bian ” track, which 
can be bent to any 
curve, and will sus¬ 
tain any reasonable 
weight. The hop¬ 
per is held auto¬ 
matically at any 
height and can be tripped at will ol’operator. Send 
for descriptive catalog of carriers, hay tools, etc. 
J. E. PORTER CO., Ottawa, III- 
Don’t Rust Farm Fence 
Extra heavily galvan¬ 
ized. Sold direct to 
farmers at manufactur¬ 
ers’ prices. 30days' freo 
trial. Freight prepaid. 
Also Poultry and Orna¬ 
mental Wire and Iron 
Fences. Catalogue free. 
Write for special offer. 
Tho Ward Ftn«e Co., 
Box 338 Decatur, Ind. 
Martin Fertilizers 
Again in the lead as Crop Producers and enrichers 
of the soil. Manufactured from the by-products 
of our own seven large abattoirs and stockyards, 
they are every pound a fertilizer, containing 
double the value of rock, rock base, leather and 
cheap materials fertilizer. No cheap filler or 
make weight used in our brands. Animal Bone 
fertilizers are the best and cheapest, experience 
having proven their power to Uuild up and enrich 
the soil for the after cro|is. We want responsible 
agents. 
D. B. MARTIN CO., 706 Penn Bldg'., Pittsburg, Pa. 
OUR IS EVA/ TRADE-MARK, 
TRADE-MARK 
^RTILI T&& 
Solely Manufactured by 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO. 
Middletown, Conn. 
8end for Free Almanac telling all about the 
Hubbard “Bone Base” Fertilizers 
The 
“BOSS” POTATO 
DIGGER 
Has nev¬ 
er been 
beaten in 
trials. 
We can 
f u r n isli 
testimo¬ 
nials, on 
r e q uest, 
from all parts 
of tho country. 
Write for eat- 
alog,prices,&c. 
This Ma¬ 
chine is 
not a new 
thing, hut 
has been 
thoroughly tested in all 
kinds of soil, and under all 
conditions, and pronounced 
—as its name implies—tho UO.SS OK 
AI.l. IMGO Elf s, and to-day is in uso 
by the best potato raisers in the coun¬ 
try. It weighs about 500 pounds, and 
is easily handled by TWO IIOKSKS. 
It is so adjusted that the operator can 
dig every row and deliver them on ono 
, side of the field, making them easy to pick up. it 
will dig an uneven surface, and on side hill as well 
I* as on the level, making a complete separation of the 
tubers from the soil and the weeds. It is made 
strong, durable,will do good work on stony ground. 
E. R. ALLEN FOUNDRY CO., Corning, N.Y. 
The Potato Digger nnwrlon 
For Fast. Clean Work is the V If V Bl ■ 
Send for Free Catalogue 
Fast, Clean Work is the 
Simple, strong, always in order. Works in all 
soils, all depths, hillside and level. No cutting 
and none missed. Potatoes always clean, lying 
on top of ground. Works well in heavy tops. 
DOWDEN MFG. COMPANY 
1022 Elm Street, Prairie City, la., U.S»ft. 
