1CY2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November Id, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore asking a qaestion, please see whether it is not 
answered in our advertising columns. Ask only 
a few questions at one time. Put questions on a 
wparate piece of paper.] 
TESTING POTATOES FOR STARCH. 
The U. S. Department of Agriculture 
has issued Farmers’ Bulletin No. 410 on 
potato culls as a source of industrial al¬ 
cohol. This bulletin discusses alcohol 
making more particularly from potatoes. 
The amount of alcohol which can be 
made from potatoes depends upon the 
amount of starch which the tubers con¬ 
tain, just as butter making depends upon 
the butter fat in the milk or cream. 
Consequently in buying potatoes some 
quality test is required, just as in the 
case of selling milk, the Babcock test 
is applied to determine the amount of 
butter fat. The test for potatoes is based 
on a specific gravity. As is known starch 
is heavier than water and will sink to 
TEST FOR POTATO STARCH. Fig. 459. 
nearly related vegetables on the same 
soil. Especially is such rotation desir¬ 
able when the crop the previous year has 
been badly affected. The most destruc¬ 
tive insects that may be checked and 
sometimes controlled by this method are 
the cabbage, onion and radish maggot. 
Their habits of attack and destruction 
are practically the same. Such crop rota¬ 
tions will gradually exterminate the wire- 
worms, white grub and cutworms. Short 
crop rotations will never allow the 
worms of the various beetles to make 
much headway and develop, for there 
is too much disturbance of the soil and 
also changing of food. The soil where 
I grew a very heavy crop of peas the 
past Summer is at this writing covered 
with a dense crop of Red clover seeded 
in August. When this is broadcast with 
manure in December and plowed down 
and left to the action of the frost and 
snow, I shall have no fear in planting it 
in early Spring with onions, cabbage or 
radish. I would rather take my chances 
with an occasional crop of Red or Crim¬ 
son clover for protecting the soil than 
depend altogether on heavy manuring 
each succeeding year. There are onion 
growers who depend on the same soil 
every year for a crop and a great many 
are fairly successful, however continu¬ 
ous cropping in a commercial line will 
not profit much for its owner in the long 
run. It will eventually break down the 
soil and weaken its vitality, leaving it 
without mechanical activity to resist 
blights and insect attacks. Conserva¬ 
tion should be the word, and more at¬ 
tention should be given to growing a 
certain portion of our soil every year to 
clover or other green crops for plowing 
down in the Winter and Spring. 
New Jersey. t. m. white. 
the bottom and the sample starch test 
is based on the distance which the 
starch will fall in a volume of water. 
The instrument at Fig. 459 is used. 
There is a small wire basket attached to a 
special form of hydrometer. This hydro¬ 
meter is gauged so that when the empty 
basket hangs to it it will float at a cer¬ 
tain point at the top of the water. Ex¬ 
actly 10 pounds of the potatoes are 
taken. They are thoroughly washed and 
then dried. If necessary one potato will 
be cut in order to make the exact weight. 
The 10 pounds are put into this wire 
basket and attached to the bottom of the 
hydrometer. The greater the amount of 
starch the lower these potatoes will pull 
the hydrometer into the water, since the 
starch is heavier, and the gauge is 
marked in such a way as to show by the 
depth to which a hydrometer is pulled 
the per cent of starch contained in the 
sample. That is the way testing is done 
and it has answered reasonably well in 
practice. It is said that potatoes aver¬ 
age from 14 to 20 per cent of starch; 
100 pounds of average potatoes contain¬ 
ing 17 per cent of starch will yield about 
1 3-10 gallons of denatured alcohol. 
CROP ROTATIONS FOR ONION MAGGOT. 
The onion maggot and other insects 
that affect the onion crop have been very 
troublesome the last few years, especially 
in some localities. I believe from a 
careful observation that on upland they 
are more troublesome than on low or 
mucky soils that are peculiarly well 
adapted for growing this crop. There 
are several remedies suggested for these 
pests, such as Bordeaux Mixture, kero¬ 
sene emulsion, etc., but it would seem to 
me they cannot be effectively used in a 
practical way. The writer has grown 
onions from sets and seed for more than 
25 years, and I have never been troubled 
to any extent with these destructive in¬ 
sects. I attribute their absence to regu¬ 
larity in crop rotations, which is the 
most valuable of cultural methods for 
preventing all insect attacks as well as 
conserving the fertility of the soil. If 
choice can be had in the vegetable gar¬ 
den, it is very important never to grow 
two successive crops of the same or 
What am oratory, Brudder Jackson?” 
“Brudder Simmins, I will elucidate 
If you says black am white, dat am 
foolish. But if you says black AM white 
an’ bellers like a bull an’ pounds on a 
table wif bofe fists dat am oratory, an’ 
some people will believe you.”—Credit 
Lost. 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
The 
Best 
Insecticide 
for San Jose scale and all scale and 
sucking insects is 
VREELAND’S 
(Concentrated) 
ELECTRO 
Lime-Sulphur Solution 
We guarantee it to contain the maximum per¬ 
centage of soluble sulphur—the active insecticide. 
Gives a clear, cherry-colored liquid, absolutely 
free from sediment. Conforms to State and 
Federal Laws. 
Packed in 50-gal. barrels; 30-oal. half-barrels; 
6-gal. cans. Write ;is if pour dealer 
cannot supply. > 
THE VREELANO CHEMICAL CO. 
32 Church Street 
New York 
SAVE MONEY ON ROOFING 
buys full roll (108 sq. ftJ of strictly high 
|U\I grade rooting, either rubber or flint coatsur- 
BBB w *tb cement and nails complete. 
Most liberal offer ever made on first class 
roofing, better than goods that sell at much higher prices. 
Don't spend a dollar on rooting until you have seen 
$ 
UNITO ASPHALT ROOFING 
You send no money when you order Unito Roofing. 
Satisfaction Guaranteed. Write today for free samples for 
test and comparison and our unparalleled selling plan. 
UNITED FACTORIES CO. Dept. A31 .Cleveland. O. 
CTRAWBERRY PLANTS —All the leading and moneymaking 
O varieties neady to ship now. D. RODWAY, Hartly.Del. 
Save Your Trees 
Now is the time to order your Tree 
Protectors, and Protect your Trees from 
Rabbits and Mice this Winter. S. W. 
Call, Perry, O., will furnish you Pro¬ 
tectors at very low prices. Write for 
Description and Price. 
The Real 
Question 
is not whether plant- 
foods are necessary, 
but how to make 
them pay best. 
They will always pay if you use the right kind, in the right 
amounts, in the right way. 
True conservation means proper return to the soil. 
Ever)’ farmers’ meeting should consider this matter, but get facts — 
not theories. Find out what will give you the best crops consistent 
with keeping up the productiveness of the land. Find out how to 
supplement manures and clover so as to double their effects. 
We will mail you books, free, showing you how to do this, and we will sell you 
the Potash through your dealer, or direct, in any amount from one bag (200 lbs.) up. 
Potash Pays. Write today for books and prices. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, Conti S^l»:c B t ^r;? Md - 
TO BE SURE 
OF A GOOD 
MANURE SPREADER 
LOOK FOR 
THE I HC MARK 
T 
• HERE is one way to be sure of satisfaction in buying 
a manure spreader—one way to be sure of highest 
quality and greatest value. See that the I H C trade 
mark is on the spreader you buy. The proof is the experience of thou¬ 
sands of careful farmers—and the records of I H C spreaders on their 
farms. 
There are many reasons for the efficiency, strength, simplicity, and 
durability of I H C spreaders. First, they are made on the right 
principle—second, of the highest quality materials—third, by master 
workmen,—and fourth, in the best equipped factory for the manufac¬ 
ture of manure spreaders. 
I H C Manure Spreaders 
are built up to a standard—not down to a price. They are made as 
all manure spreaders ought to be made. There is no experimental or 
“freaky” construction in them. They stand up and work perfectly 
month after month and year after year. 
Call on the local I H C dealer and let him show you the many 
IHC advantages. Note the easy adjustment of the feed, enabling 
you to spread just the right amount of man¬ 
ure in just the right places. Note that the 
beater bars are designed to thoroughly pul¬ 
verize every particle of manure. Note the 
wide tires, the roller-bearings, and light- 
draft features. Note all the other IHC 
features. Then remember that you are as¬ 
sured of satisfaction by the IHC repu¬ 
tation. 
You can have a choice of three spread¬ 
ers. Corn King and Kemp 20th Century are 
of the return apron type, and Cloverleaf 
spreaders are of the endless apron style. All 
are made in several sizes ranging from 30 to 
70 bushels capacity. 
If not convenient to see the IHC local 
ealer at once, write direct for catalogues and 
alPother information you desire. 
I H C 
Service Bureau 
The purpose of 
this Bureau is to 
furnish farmers with 
information on bet¬ 
ter farming. If you 
have any worthy 
question concerning 
soils, crops, pests, 
fertilizer, stock, 
etc., write to the 
IHC Service Bu¬ 
reau, and learn what 
our experts and 
others have found 
out concerning those 
subjects. 
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY OF AMERICA 
(Incorporated) 
Chicago USA 
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 yon pay for. Address 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, 
Box 421, Berlin, Md. 
—200,000 Miller and Brandywine Red 
RASPBERRY PLANTS. Grown on 
new ground and free from disease. 
HENRY M. PHILLIPS, Hammonton, N. J. 
PEACH TREES 
FALL I9IO SPRING 1911 
VYe 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. 
JOSEPH H. BLACK, SON & COMPANY 
HIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY 
Peach and Apple Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
right. MYER & SON. Bridgeville, Del. 
CATALPA 
SPECIOSA TREES 
Mine are true to name. Write for free Booklet. 
H. C. BOGEB8, Box jjj Mechanics burg, Ohio 
