36 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
January 10, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of tho writer to insure 
attention. Before 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 scparato piece of paper.] 
Mixing Lime and Manure. 
Will you inform us what the result 
will be if, when loading a manure spread¬ 
er with manure, a layer of manure and 
then a layer of burnt lime is loaded on 
the spreader and spread on a meadow at 
the rate of seven loads to the acre? I 
have tried wood ashejs and they give great 
results. K. J. L. 
Hannibal, N. Y. 
We have never mixed lime with manure 
in the way mentioned, as such a mixture 
will’ liberate a considerable part of the 
nitrogen in the manure in the form of 
ammonia gas. This is also true of un¬ 
leached ashes, because of the lime car¬ 
ried in the ashes. In case, however, a 
soil were deficient in potash, the applica¬ 
tion of ashes by the re-enforcing of the 
manure with that element might do 
enough good in that way to overcome the 
loss of nitrogen, but in such a case kainit 
would be the re-enforcing material indi¬ 
cated and not ashes. On the majority of 
soils, however, the deficient element is not 
potash but phosphorus, because of the 
fact that our system of agriculture has 
resulted in a steady depletion of our soils 
in this element, through the carrying off 
of phosphorus in the grains, in animal 
bones and in milk, and we are finding 
that manures re-enforced with phosphor¬ 
us are producing a very much greater 
effect than those re-enforced with potash, 
for all Ohio soils with which we are ac¬ 
quainted, and probably the same holds 
good with respect to New York soils. 
The logical thing to do is to re-enforce 
the manure, under such conditions as 
your correspondent describes, with acid 
phosphate. Of course, if the manure 
were immediately plowed under, the lime 
might be an advantage, but if spread on 
the surface the addition of lime would 
undoubtedly cause a waste of ammonia. 
Ohio Exp. Station, ciias. E. tiiobne. 
Apples for Wisconsin. 
Two years ago we lost 75 apple trees, 
so I am thinking about replanting in 
Spring. So many men have been here 
to sell trees that I do not know where to 
buy. One says buy Wisconsin stock, an¬ 
other says New York stock, for it is 
healthier. A nursery about 25 miles 
away says theirs are the only ones to 
buy, as they use what they call a whole- 
root graft, which should not rot or blight. 
What would you recommend for us here 
in Southeastern Wisconsin, and what 
varieties do you think best to plant? 
Kansasville, Wis. j. c. 
Wisconsin-grown apple trees are cer¬ 
tainly all right for planting in Wisconsin 
if thrifty, well grown, true to name and 
free from scale and root gall. So are 
trees from New York, Missouri, Alabama, 
Indiana or any other State if they come 
up to these specifications. It is a mat¬ 
ter of very slight importance where the 
tree is grown, but of the highest import¬ 
ance how it is grown. Runty, stunted 
trees or trees infested with root-gall are 
absolutely worthless and should never be 
accepted from the nurseryman, nor 
planted. While State lines should not 
cut much figure in business transactions, 
we rather like to buy from Wisconsin 
firms even though we know that they buy 
three-fourths or more of their trees out¬ 
side the State, mostly from Indiana, New 
York and Iowa. The best apple tree for 
Wisconsin is a well-grown two-year-old, 
about three-quarter inch in diameter at 
base of trunk, four to six feet “over all” 
with three or four branches. This should 
be a “piece-root” grafted tree. The Wis¬ 
consin nurseryman who used the old 
“whole-root” argument is either very ig¬ 
norant or a deliberate swindler. In Wis¬ 
consin, where root-killing is sometimes a 
serious factor we want trees on their 
own roots as soon as possible, and this 
is best accomplished by using a short 
piece root graft. It is quite possible to 
buy good apple trees in Wisconsin from 
reliable nurserymen. 
The black soils of Racine County, are 
not well adapted to apple raising, and 
nothing more than a home orchard should 
be attempted, but on the clay ridges near 
Lake Michigan almost any kind may be 
grown that will thrive elsewhere in the 
United States or Canada. The selection 
of kinds will depend entirely on the needs 
of the planter. If for home use only a 
succession such' as Tetofsky, Duchess, 
Wealthy, Fameuse, McIntosh, Tolman, 
Northwestern, Windsor, Salome and Spy. 
For market, plant only three or four 
kinds, preferably Wealthy, McMahan, 
Fameuse or McIntosh and Wolf River, 
the last named a splendid baking apple 
and a good seller. There is only one 
McIntosh, and it grows to perfection in 
Wisconsin. fbedcrick cranefield. 
A Home for the Hired Man. 
Much complaint is heard nowadays 
about the inability of the farmer to se¬ 
cure and retain competent help, but the 
real reason for this condition is seldom 
touched upon. The average young man 
capable of filling satisfactorily the posi¬ 
tion of helper on a farm has much the 
same ambition that his employer once 
had, principal among which is the desire 
to have a home of his own. As a single 
man he has none, but must live under 
objectionable conditions in his employer’s 
house. If he is working with the object 
of sometime owning a house he soon tires 
of these conditions and goes where he 
thinks he will in a shorter time be able 
to marry and live in his own house, or at 
least a rented house, which he can call 
a home of his own. The lure of the city 
has the effect of leading him on, but 
he drifts in time entirely away from all 
thought of the life and independence of a 
farmer until youth and perhaps middle 
age is passed, and he finds himself again 
longing for the farm that has passed out 
of his reach. When the farm owners 
wake up to the advantage of providing a 
house for the hired man and his wife and 
children, there will be less complaint of 
scarcity of good farm labor. F. M. 
Delaware Co., Pa. 
It. N.-Y.—Some farmers are already 
“awake” and provide all reasonable fix¬ 
tures, yet they cannot always obtain de¬ 
sirable help. 
Cement Floor for Barnyard. 
I am debating whether it would pay to 
put a concrete floor on our barnyard 
(75x45 feet). I have a manure spreader 
and haul manure out whenever I can, but 
manure accumulates for several months 
during haymaking and harvest, and dur¬ 
ing seeding and corn cutting and husk¬ 
ing. I know this is a big contract, but 
thought to gather the materials needed 
during spare time, have plenty of stones 
to bring to proper grade (grade can be 
considerably improved). I can get coal 
ashes (soft coal) and gravel for hauling, 
for very little cost. Then when I can ar¬ 
range some way to get along without 
using barnyard (it is directly in front of 
bank barn 7Gx5G) I plan to get help 
and cement and do tho work. Would it 
pay? It would be a manure pit and I 
could drain liquid manure direct from 
stables into it. j. o. 
Pennsylvania. 
It will depend somewhat upon the slope 
of the yard and the character of the 
soil. If the soil is a hard clay which 
can be scraped into dish shape and then 
pounded down hard, there will not be 
much loss from leaching. On a lighter, 
open soil this loss would be considerable. 
We think this concrete bottom would 
surely pay. 
“Strawberry Plants That Grow” 
indue!itnr tlie eest of the fall-bearers. Also 
RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, CURRANT and GRAPE 
PLANTS ill assortment. CATALOG FREE. 
C. £. WHITTEN, Box 11, Bridgman, Mich. 
FRUIT 
NONE^BETTER PLANTS 
For over thirty years KNIGHT’S PLANTS havo 
been making big money for our customers. This 
season we are oderinf? a prize of 
$1G>J.OO IN GOLD FREE 
for tho most productive strawberry patch. Thia 
contest is fully explained in our KNIGHT'S 
BOOK ON SMALL FRUITS. It’s FUEL. Wrilo 
for a cony today before supply is exhausted. 
DAVID KNIGHT & SBox 310, Sawyer, Mich. 
A Farmer’s Garden 
'iiiiii iiiiiiiuiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiii tiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiim 
Helps his wife to plan her table in busy times. Saves work 5 
and worry, saves buying so much meat, gives betier satis- s 
faction to the help. A good garden will be almost impossi- z 
ble in your busy life without proper tools. They cost little s 
and save much hard work. z 
WHEEL HOES 
AND DRILLS 
IRON ACE 
will sow, cultivate, ridge, furrow, etc., better than you can 
with old-fashioned tools and ten times quicker. A woman, 
boy or girl can do it. Can plant closer and work these hand 
tools while the horses rest. 38 combinations 
from which to choose at $2.50 to $12. One 
combined tool will do all of the work. 
Ask your idealer to show them and 
write us for booklet, “Gardening 
With Modern Tools’* and “Iron 
Farm and Garden News” 
both free. 
BATEMAN 
M’F’G CO. 
Bo* 1022 
Gronloch, N. J. 
11111111111111111111111110 
You take no chances when 
buying Eherle’s seeds, bulbs 
or plants. They are absohitcly 
., ~1. reliable. Cannot fail 
xjgrfr fresh and reliable. _ 
MB to thrive under fair condition ?. 
4 Our large and varied stock con¬ 
tains every variety worth growing. 
Eberle’s 1914 Seed Annual— Free 
This well-illustrated book tells you all 
shout our choice seeds, bulbs and 
plants. Brimful of helpful information 
about planting and cultivating. 
Get your free copy—today. 
FREDERICK W. EDERLE. 
116 South Pearl St", Albany, NLY. ^ 
Clean and hardy—germination andpurity 
guaranteed. Our choice home grown 
CLOVER, TOOTHY and ALFALFA 
and all other grass and field seeds are the best 
it is possible to secure. We will send Abso* 
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Alfalfa Guide, full of valuable information 
about this profitable plant. Don’t buy until 
you have seen our samples. Write to 
N. WERTHEIMER & SONS 
Dept. K Ligonier, Indiana. 
WE PAYTHE FREIGHT 
^ ^» , i ^rv , » T > , m>v / Yv rrv v Y > % i , y v 
FORD'S OLD VIRGINIA 
ENSILAGE CORN 
All l h A I h A i » I X X A. A l X A 
Solves the feeding problem—one of onr customers 
filleda 70-ton silo from 2% acres. Sto Iks grow 12 to 
15 foet, often weigh C lbs. or over, and produce two 
ears each. Matures well, and is tho greatest milk- 
producer of all corns. 
Our farm seeds are carefully selected and 
tested. Send now for our free Catalogue of Farm 
and Garden Seeds. 
FORD SEED CO., Box 24, RAVENNA, OHIO 
SEEDS 
“AS SURE AS SUNSHINE 
Market Gardeners Specialties 
Send at once for catalogue 
O H. DICKINSON 
243 Worthington St., Springfield, Mass. 
i 
t 
5000 bushel cr< 
1012 T o s t e <1 an 
sure to grow. Fine 
_ _ _ _ quality. 201eadir 
vF p varioties. Also Sot 
—^ —— —— —— Oats, Barley, Gra 
C^^IQN Seed, Potatoes, et 
—— —— - Snmples on appliei 
tion. 1100 acres. Bo sure to gi 
new catalog. Write toda 
W.x. Scarif. Box 67,New Carlisle, < 
WT9 1 « Garden 4 ^ • •9 
Vick sGuide 
FOR 1914 IS READY 
Contains valuable, practical 
information on planting, cul¬ 
tivating, etc.—just what you 
need to know about the garden. 
Several splendid new varieties. 
ForG5years the leadingauthority 
on Vegetable, Flower and Farm 
Seeds, Plants and Bulbs. This 
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JAMES VICK’S SONS. Rochester,N.Y. 
21 Stone Street The Flower City 
SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL EDITION 
DREER'S 
GARDEN BGDK 
- 1914 — 
E ach year dreer’s 
GARDEN BOOK becomes 
more valuable and indis¬ 
pensable to gardeners and 
flower-lovers, whether they are 
amateurs or professionals. 
DREER’S GARDEN BOOK for 
1914 contains cultural articles 
written by experts, as well as 
authoritative information about the 
growing of every flower, plant or 
vegetable. And every dependable 
old standby, as well as all the 
novelties worth growing, are listed. 
Among this year’s specialties will 
be particularly fine strains of Asters, 
Snapdragons, Dahlias, etc. 
It tells what to plant, and when 
and how to plant and care for your 
garden. It describes the tools, 
insecticides and fungicides to use. 
DREER'S GARDEN BOOK 
contains hundreds of photographic 
illustrations besides duotone and 
colored plates. 
Mailed free to you if you mention 
this publication. 
HENRY A.DREER / 14 s ‘ 
\ h i ) a d g I p K \ a y 
Sweet Clover 
Feeds Stock and Land 
Best: of All 
As a fertilizer of wornout or sandy soil. 
Sweet Clover is absolutely unequalled. Don't 
take all the goodness out of the land without 
putting anything back. Sow Sweet Clover on 
worn out farms. Greatest fertilizer known. 
Will inoculate land for alfalfa perfectly. 
Cattle pastured on Sweet Clover will fatten as It 
fed on specially prepared food. Sownln theorchurd 
between trees. It loosens the soli and promotes 
growth. Ploughed under,SweetCIover will Increase 
your crops from 50 to 100 per cent. 
Write for prices on Street Clover, 
Alfalfa and Sand Vetch 
Griswold Seed Co., 227 S. 10th SI., Lincoln, Neb. 
CLOVERS 
ALFALFA 
250 bushels of Medium Red 
Clover—98% pure, recleamd 
and tested. No foul weeds. 
Hardy northern grown Alfalfa 
seed, 99hj% pure Buy now and 
save money. Write to-day. 
L. C. BROWN, La Grange, Illinois 
PURE FIELD SEEDS 
Clover. Timothy, Alsike, Alfalfa and all kinds of 
PURE FIELD Seeds direct from producer to consumer; 
free from noxious weeds. Ask for snmples. 
A. C, HOYT & CO., - Fostoria, Ohio 
20 , 000,000 
STRAWBERRY 
pi ANTS strictl * 
* L/VX1 * O Thoroughbred 
20th Century Catalog FREE. 
TELLS EVERYTHING 
110 varieties to select from. 
Prices low for quality Plants. 
Townsend, Salisbury, Md. Dept. 25 
Strawberry Plants for $1 per 1,000 
etc. Quality guaranteed the equal of any. All va¬ 
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ALLJiGAN MJUSFKY, Allegan, Michigan 
S TRAWBERRY PLANTS-Vigorous Northern stock, *1,65 
per 1,0110. A most valuable illustrated catalog free. 
Mayer's Plant Nursery, Merrill, Mich. Bohemian Nurseryman 
strawberry Plants 
Guaranteed as good as grows at $1.00 per 
1000 and up. Catalogue FREE. 
ALLEN BROTHERS, R, 10, Paw Paw, Mich. 
In Strawberries 
Yes, sir, theres hip ition<^ In 
■ IfJfA them If you start with the right 
\kind of plants—the sure grow kind. 
Baldwin Plants 
are all large and healthy. They are northern 
grown, havo heavy roots and aro fully guaranteed. 
Read Our Guarantee 
All plants aro guaranteed to bo first-class and truo 
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This same guarnntco applies to our Raspberry, 
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0. A. D. BALDWIN, R. R. 15, Bridgman, Mich. 
PEACH TREES 
500,000 Pouches, 5 to 6 feet, 9c ; 4 to 5 feet, 7c ; 3 to 4 
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save disappointment. Catalogue FREE to everybody. 
SHEERIN’S WHOLESALE NURSERIES. 48 Seward Street, Dansville, N. Y. 
free 1 
Write For ALLEN’S 1914 BERRY BOOK, 
Every fruit grower, gardener and farmer who reads this paper should get a copy of 1 
book. Describes Allen’s truo-to-name varieties and gives valuable information on 
How to Grow Big Luscious Strawberries. 
Hundreds of standard varieties of carefully grown Strawberries, Blackberries, Rasp¬ 
berries and other small fruits for every soil and climate. Tor 29 years Allen's plants j 
have l>een leaders. All plants shipped from carefully selected fresh stock and packed 
arrive in good condition. ^ ’ tc today for THE 1914 BEERY BOOK. £ 
W. F. ALLEN 72 Market Street Salisbury, Md.. 
