172 
THE K.UKAL, NEW-YORKER 
February 7, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of tlio writer to insure 
attention. Beforo asking a question, please sue 
whether it is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one timo. 
Put nnestions on i separate pioco of paper.’ 
Acid Soil for Potatoes. 
Is a sandy soil that is acid suitable for 
potatoes without lime? It is a peach 
orchard planted in 11)112; I wish to plant 
part with strawberries and part potatoes 
to be followed by berries. x. K. 
Detroit, Mich. 
An acid soil is suitable for potatoes, 
and we should plant them without the 
use of lime, as the lime will promote 
the growth of scab. The strawberries 
will also do better on the acid soil. If 
you are to grow strawberries in this 
peach orchard, the plan you speak of is 
better than that of using lime all over 
the soil. 
Manure for Orchard and Potatoes. 
To settle a dispute will you decide 
upon the following: 1. I have an or¬ 
chard 15 years old which I intend to 
manure with strawy horse manure. Which 
is the better tiling to do, and the more 
economical, to place the manure around 
the tree three feet from the trunk and 
as far out as the branches extend so 
thick as to prevent the growth of grass, 
or to spread the same amount of manure 
over the surface of the ground between 
the trees, cut the grass that grows and 
mulch the trees? 2. I usually fertilize 
ray potatoes heavily. What effect would 
it have upon the fertilizer if I should ap¬ 
ply several tons of barnyard manure per 
acre? a. p. m. 
Pennsylvania. 
1. We do not like to settle disputes, 
especially where we do not know all the 
particulars. How much manure to the 
acre will you use? Is the Orchard in a 
strong sod, or is there just a growth of 
thin grass and weeds? It would make 
some difference. If there is a good sod 
we should put the manure out as far as 
the branches extend, cut the growth on 
the rest of the ground and pile it over the 
manure. 2. The manure on the potato 
ground will have little or no effect upon 
the fertilizer. It may help the soil to 
hold moisture, but on the other hand may 
increase the scab. 
Mixing of Chemical Fertilizers. 
What quantities of nitrate of soda, 
muriate of potash and acid phosphate 
respectively should 1 use in order to mix 
a 7-7-7-. a 2-8-10, a C.-S-IO and a 6-10-10 
fertilizer from these chemicals without 
using filler? I should like to know how 
I can use them to mix any grade of fer¬ 
tilizer I wish. -b. A. 
Newman, N. Y. 
The three chemicals you mention give 
average analyses about as follows, with 
others: 
Pounds in 100 
Nitrogen 
Phos. Potash 
Acid 
Nitrate of Soda.... 16 
• • . s 
Acid Phosphate . 
14 
Muriate of Potash . 
50 
Ground Bone . 3 
25 
Sulphate of Ammonia. 20 
• . 
Now if you want a 7-7-7 mixture this 
would mean in one ton 140 pounds each 
of the three elements. This would mean 
875 pounds of nitrate of soda to supply 
the nitrogen, 1.000 of acid phosphate for 
the phosphoric acid, ana 2S0 muriate of 
potash to provide the potash, or 2,155 
pounds in all. If instead of 1,000 pounds 
acid phosphate you use 650 pounds, and 
200 of ground bone, you will have your 
ton without filler. You can figure the 
6-8-10 in the same way. Here you want 
120 pounds nitrogen, 160 pounds phos¬ 
phoric acid and 200 pounds potash in 
your ton. This would require 750 pounds 
nitrate of soda, 1.150 acid phosphate and 
400 muriate, or 2,300 pounds in all. Yet 
this mixture would do it: 700 nitrate, 
300 ground bone, 600 acid phosphate and 
400 muriate. 
Getting Ready for Grafting. 
As (he time approaches for top graft¬ 
ing it is well to be preparing for it. The 
materials for making the wax and proper 
tools for doing the work should all be 
got ready. The scions may be secured 
and stored safely, or at least the va¬ 
rieties to be used should be selected and 
the trees from which the scions are to be 
cut located, so that there may be no mis¬ 
takes or delays about getting them at 
the right time. 
There are different formulas for graft¬ 
ing wax, but a very common and suitable 
one is made from one pound of tallow or 
linseed oil. two pounds or beeswax and 
four pounds of rosin. There may be a 
little greater proportion of rosin if the 
climate or weather at time of grafting 
is quite warm. These materials should 
be molted together and while hot poured 
in a tub of cold water to harden suffi¬ 
ciently to handle with naked hands, and 
work into balls of convenient size. These 
should then be wrapped in greased paper 
and laid by for use. 
A very good wax for applying with a 
brush while warm is made by melting to¬ 
gether eight pounds of rosin, one pound 
of beeswax and one pint of linseed oil, 
adding a little common flour to stiffen it, 
and some put in a little lampblack to 
give it a dark color. Chunks of this 
preparation can be molted in a small can 
as needed, and kept warm by inserting 
in a larger can or bucket of hot water 
while being applied to the grafted stubs 
with a small brush. This prevents the 
grafter from daubing his hands with wax 
while at work, and the waxing can be 
done well and very neatly and quickly. 
The water may be kept warm by a lamp 
under the can. 
A uarrow-bladed pruning saw of the 
butcher saw style is the best kind to use. 
A stout pruning knife often comes handy 
for trimming and cutting off sma^l 
branches. A well tempered and very 
sharp pocket knife is as good as any 
for trimming the scions ready for in¬ 
sertion. Instead of a common knife or 
the big, clumsy grafting knife that is 
often shown as one of the principal tools 
to be used, I use a very plain knife or [ 
splitting tool made from a narrow piece i 
of the best spring steel about seven inches 
long, one-cighth-inch thick and three- | 
quarter-inch wide. One-half the length 
of this piece should be drawn to an edge j 
and carefully tempered and the end I 
tapered as well, to be used in splitting i 
the stock, and two or three holes are to 
be drilled or punched through the other 
end that a handle may be riveted on. 
The tapered end is used as a wedge and 
lever to pry open the split in setting the 
scion. A little dub will serve as a mallet 
to drive in the knife in splitting the 
stumps. A light basket with a wire 
hook attached to carry the tools and 
scions will complete the outfit. 
It is a great convenience to have the 
branches cut off and taken entirely out 
of the M ay before doing the grafting, and 
this can be done at any time from De¬ 
cember until that time comes. But it 
would not be safe to cut down to where 
the scions are to be inserted for fear of 
some injury from severe cold on the fresh 
cut stubs. If a few inches are left so 
the grafter can cut them back to the J 
proper place he can do the work faster 
and without the annoyance of the long 
branches and brush made in cutting them 
off. Good judgment is required in select¬ 
ing the right branches to be grafted, and 
where the cuts should be made on them. 
II. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Hen Manure on Alfalfa. 
We have a two-year-old Alfalfa patch, 
covered with the droppings from the hen¬ 
house last Fall. This year it grew up 
with a great superfluity of stalks. Was 
this due to some chemical in the manure, 
or what is the cause if known? Is there 
any remedy? w. H. M. 
New York. 
The hen manure was strong in nitro¬ 
gen, and this forced the Alfalfa into a 
heavy growth. Nitrogen is the element 
which promotes the growth of stem and 
leaf, or that part of the plant which is 
above ground. It is not good practice to 
use too much nitrogen on Alfalfa or 
clover, for these crops are supposed to 
get most of their nitrogen supply from 
the air. The thing to do when too much 
nitrogen has been applied, is to balance 
it by adding phosphoric acid and potash. 
This you can do by using a mixture 
containing three parts of acid phosphate 
by weight, to one part of muriate of 
potash; 400 pounds of this scattered over 
an acre will give you good results. 
Tankage for Fertilizer. 
I have a lot of tankage from a 
slaughter house. Can you tell me in what 
form to use it? Would it be advisable 
to use it at the present time on rye, as it 
is in the raw state, or would it be better 
to mix with coal ashes, making a com¬ 
post. and let stand until later? 
Watervliet, N. Y. d. a. c. 
You can mix the tankage in the ma¬ 
nure pile and use all together later. A 
good way is to dry it out by dusting 
over it sifted coal ashes or dry dust or 
land plaster. The latter is best. Then 
the dry stuff can be broken up and 
spread like manure. Tankage contains 
nitrogen, but no potash. 
DWARF APPLE TREES 
DWARF PEAR TREES 
DWARF PLUM TREES 
DWARF CHERRY TREES 
DWARF PEACH TREES 
CATALOGUE Fit EE 
Box R The Van Duscn Nurseries 
Geneva, N. Y. W. L. McKAY, Proprietor 
RUIT 
FRUIT TREES 
Are you in need of Fruit, Shade or Or¬ 
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F at half agents’ prices 
We deal direct with you—no agents. Our 
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We pay freight ^fo. 0 ^ 3 of 
If any tree Is not true to name and healthy, 
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Wm. P. Rupert® Son, Box 23, Seneca, N. Y.. 
Hardy English Walnuts 
_ M?Jiaxdy PENNSVI.YANIA 
GROWJS 11JEKS cral'ted on 
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Write for Catalogue. 
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The Nut Tree Specialist 
LANCASTER, PA. 
!2 FruitTrees f>r94f 
l'irst class 2 y r. old, 4 to 5 It., lrusli dug. 1 
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1 Monarch plum; 1 Champion, 1 Crawford. 
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L. W. HALL & CO. Established 1879. 
620 Cutler Bldg., Rochester. N. Y. 
THE DOUGLAS PEAR ON TRIAL 
The best Now Fruit before t.ho public. 
’ *-- -ft ' - 
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Addresss 
T. B. WEST, Maple Bend Nursery 
Lock Box 141 PERRY. OHIO 
GEORGE A. SWEET 
NURSERY COMPANY 
20 atuplc St., Psnsrllle, N. Y. 
We a r o in our trees 
guarantee them healthy, 
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FRUIT 
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Big profits from the>-o practical, proved varieties. 
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SHEERINS’ 
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900,000 four grades—12Vic: 10c: 7c: Ge; 500,000 peach, 8c: Cc: <6£c- 3'-. P - 75 000 
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SHEERIN BROTHERS’ NURSERIES, - 21 Main Street - Dansville, New York 
The ontu persons by the name of Sheerin in the Nursery business in Dansville 
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60 
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Baldwin Apples 
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cherry, grape vines, 
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STARK DELICIOUS 
