10 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 2, 
Hope Farm Notes 
/ T is unbelievable to me that a busy 
editor could take the time to answer 
my question. L. J. P. 
It is a privilege to think a greenhorn 
like myself can call upon some one ichen 
he is stuck , and in going outside of the 
profession 1 have followed for years I 
do feel like a greenhorn. M. M. w. 
Suppose we take these as a text. Let 
us have a little talk this week about the 
most important thing connected with a 
farm paper—the questions. The policy 
of The R. N.-Y. is very largely based 
upon what our people want to know. Put 
in another way, our aim is to supply the 
needs of our readers. We may learn 
those needs only through clear, written 
questions. A man or woman may talk 
without expressing real conviction, for 
talking is only a pleasant exercise for 
some of us. and means little. When the 
busy farmer or his wife writes out the 
need which lias filled their mind we know 
how to help them, and it also helps us to 
give the right kind of service. During 
the past year we have answered more 
than 25.000 questions. They came from 
high and low, rich and poor, and covered 
the entire range of human life, from the 
purchase of a canary bird to great, shock¬ 
ing family troubles and tragedies. It is 
both a privilege and an asset to us that 
our people feel such confidence in our 
judgment, and make such use of this ser¬ 
vice. Now as a text for what we are get¬ 
ting at take the following: 
Chrome Waste. —It is doubtful if half 
of one per cent, of our readers ever 
heard of this material: 
Will you give me some information as 
to the effect of the waste products from 
the manufacture of chrome used in tan¬ 
ning leather, on vegetation? I have a 
chance to use a quantity of this material 
as filling, and would like to know if it 
would have any effect on trees or shrubs 
if covered with several feet of gravel and 
loam. It is undoubtedly destructive to 
vegetation with which it comes in con¬ 
tact. J. w. B. 
We have been urging our people to 
make use of all fertilizing wastes. Here 
is a man who finds this substance and 
wants to know about it. He does just 
right. We knew nothing about it. but 
had several tanners on the list. They 
could tell nothing, so we went to a man¬ 
ufacturer. He referred us to a chemist 
at Washington and we finally obtain this 
opionion: 
This laboratory has had no direct ex¬ 
perience with this material that would 
enable us to answer this question directly 
or definitely. It is our .opinion, however, 
that if this material, whether from the 
manufacture of chromium salts or the 
residue from the chrome tanning pro¬ 
cess, is first mixed with ground lime, 
which may be burnt lime, slaked lime or 
limestone, to completely neutralize it and 
render insoluble the chromium salts, that 
no injurious effect to vegetation would 
follow its use as a filling material to be 
covered with soil. 
Now you will say: “What of it? This 
does not interest me. I shall never care 
to handle such stuff!” I would like to 
have you remember that this question is 
as important to the man who asked it as 
anything you can think of. It is quite 
likely that you will some day find a lot 
of waste material from some factory 
which can be had for little or nothing. 
There may be great stores of plant food 
in it, or it may be worthless, or even con¬ 
tain materials which would injure your 
soil. If you are wise you will go as this 
man did to find out. We may have to 
trace it down through a dozen sources, 
but we will finally get the answer if it 
is to be obtained. 
“The Next Issue.” —Sometimes peo¬ 
ple ask a question and demand that we 
print it “in the next issue.” These good 
people do not realize how long it takes to 
set up, prepare, print and distribute a 
great paper. The country weekly can 
easily handle this “next issue” problem, 
but the larger papers require 10 days to 
three weeks for issuing ordinary matter. 
Again, most papers have from five to 10 
times as much matter as they can pos¬ 
sibly use, and it is human nature for all 
writers to expect their matter to come 
first. At times this seems like inhuman 
nature to the editor. We overcome this 
by sending copies of answers by mail 
whenever they ai’e important, but you 
will see from the question about the 
leather waste that many things cannot 
be answered offhand. In some cases, at 
least, a dozen letters are necessary be¬ 
fore we can get at the facts. Do not im¬ 
agine that we have some great wonder¬ 
ful “know it all” character sitting here 
ready to answer everything as it comes. 
We have over 1,000 authorities scattered 
all over the country—each an expert in 
his lino—and before we give an answer 
it receives the O. K. of one or more of 
these experts. 
Asking Questions. —I am inclined to 
think that a person shows something of 
character in his questions. Some ramble 
on—not quite clear as to what they want. 
We are pretty good mind readers and can 
generally see what is needed. Others are 
clear, direct and to the point, having evi¬ 
dently thought the subject over with some 
care. Some men will say “some of my 
hens get off in the corner and act dumpy 
—what shall I do?” Now the chances 
are that this man is in greater need of 
help than he who could clearly state all 
the symptoms. We must be prepared to 
give an answer that will cover several 
causes for a “dumpy” condition. The 
clearer the question the better we can 
answer it. Often people come asking 
about things which have been printed a 
dozen times. For example, the grain ra¬ 
tion fed to those hens at the egg contest. 
We have printed that several times, but 
each week half a dozen or more people 
come asking for it. We cheerfully re¬ 
peat it for them, but they lose time and 
a stamp by not keeping track of the 
paper. It is a standard rule with us 
always to reply to letters with good na¬ 
ture, and as helpfully as possible. We 
want the questions, and we will do our 
best to take care of them. 
Straight Reading. —One thing that 
causes extra work and a little trouble is 
the habit of loose or careless reading. 
Let me give you an illustration. Some 
time ago one of our correspondents inter¬ 
viewed a big business man about his ex¬ 
perience with farm managers. The arti¬ 
cle clearly stated that it was an inter¬ 
view and that the man who wrote it 
merely gave the views of the other man. 
Yet letters began to pour in from people 
who wanted to act as farm managers for 
the man who merely reported what the 
other man said. When they came to 
read the article more carefully they saw 
the point at once. In some cases state¬ 
ments have been made in the paper. Some 
man will read them hastily and form a 
wrong idea of what they mean. The 
more he thinks of it the more he puts in 
his own interpretation. Finally he comes 
questioning about it with the meaning all 
twisted. In such cases when we get him 
back to the original article he sees the 
point at once and finds that he was arguing 
not from what we said but from what he 
thought we meant. Then there are al¬ 
ways people who have thought or talked 
much along one particular line. To them 
this -is the most important thing on 
earth, and they are very impatient be¬ 
cause most other people do not agree with 
them. Now and then these men come 
with long essays and challenge us to 
argue with them. In many cases these 
men have few of what we call facts, but 
depend upon the probable development of 
their own opinion for argument. Of 
course, we know that a discussion of 
their theories would not interest three 
per cent, of our readers. If they think 
otherwise it would be well for them to 
start a farm paper of their own and see 
how far they would get. I always try to 
treat such people fairly but life is rather 
short, or perhaps too long to enter upon 
long arguments which from their very 
nature never can got anywhere. But all 
this will show you how useful these sin¬ 
cere and clear questions are to us. We 
want you to tell us just what you want, 
and if it is humanly possible to give good 
advice we will do it. 
Missing Questions. —Now and then 
a question seems to go astray. During 
the busy season we have, day by day, 
more than 1.000 letters pouring into the 
office. We are all human and “mix-ups” 
are quite possible. Questions are some¬ 
times written as a postscript to a busi¬ 
ness letter, or there will be several ques¬ 
tions for different departments all mixed 
up. At one time a man sent us 15 va¬ 
rious questions written on both sides of 
thin paper with a soft lead pencil. We 
had to copy the entire list, and send thes£ 
questions to a lawyer, a dairyman, a gar¬ 
dener, a chemist, a poultry man and one 
to the Post Office Department, at Wash¬ 
ington ! Quite likely out of our 25,000 
questions 30 or 40 have missed connec¬ 
tion in some way. It often happens that 
we group several questions into one an¬ 
swer. The recent article on electrical 
aids in the kitchen answered at least 25 
questions, and the article on septic tanks 
at least as many more. When people 
complain that their questions are not an¬ 
swered they will do well to send a copy 
of it along with the complaint. There 
have been several cases where the origi¬ 
nal question was lost in the mail. Then 
came a complaint, but we had no means 
of knowing what the question was. A 
copy of it would have enabled us to reply 
at once. Of nearly equal value to the 
questions are the suggestions or com¬ 
ments of experience which our readers 
send us. It seems impossible to get any 
statement which needs correction or rein¬ 
forcement by the sharp eyes of our read¬ 
ers. Some one is sure to have just the 
experience needed to make the thing com¬ 
plete, and most of our people wait for 
the full discussion which is sure to fol¬ 
low any statement. I just want to tell 
you that in 1015 we shall welcome, as 
ever, both questions and notes of expe¬ 
rience. Make use of the service we have 
to offer whenever you can. I would like 
to make it 50,000 questions for this year. 
This would enable us to know better 
than ever what you need, and in that 
way better understand the needs of coun¬ 
try people in general. H. w. C. 
Spraying With a Pump. —You ask 
regarding the use of whitewash with a 
pump. It is very satisfactory and easily 
accomplished. We slake the lime and 
apply rather more water than for paint¬ 
ing. Stir thoroughly and strain through 
two thicknesses of wire window screen¬ 
ing ; remove the strainer from the suction 
hose. We use a worn nozzle, which has 
a large hole in the disk, and apply the 
whitewash with the orchard spraying rig 
at a pressure of from 80 to 100 pounds. 
One man sprayed every nook and corner 
of the pouitry-houses in less time than 
he could have done one with a brush. 
The power used is a 1^ horse-power 
gasoline engine. A. b. hall. 
Connecticut. 
Here’s the NewHILLSIDE Sprayer. Likeall Domestic 
Sprayers, the pump, engine and all other parts are 
made In our factory under the supervision of experts. 
DOMESTIC 
^ Sprayers v 
The Hillside Sprayer is complete for any purpose, but 
indispensable for the man with a hillside orchard. 
Tank holds 100 gallons; pump capacity, 600 gallons 
per hour—150 pounds pressure. Our new free book, 
‘‘Important Information About Spraying,” contains 
spray calendars, formulas and other valuable Infor¬ 
mation. Send for your copy today. 
DOMESTIC EN8INE AND PUMP CO. 
Box 503, 
Rbirmorahnrff 
Thorough Paying Spraying 
Use our two-hose, four nozzle “Pomona” 
Sprayer for healthier trees and bipper 
crops. Uniform pressure; non-corrod- 
in*r; outside packed plunders—no 
leather. Fits any barrel. Ask your 
dealer to show you 
3 
60 stylos — hand.barrel and 
power. Guaranteed. Writ® 
1 nearest oflice for book 
“How to Spray." 
^The Goulds Mfsr.Co. i 
Seneca Falls, 
N.y. 
BRANCHES: . 
Atlanta 
Houston 
Chicago 
Boston , 
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kYork t 
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/A 
and Nozzles arc famed for i 
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service. We make all styles , 
and sizes. If you are anxious 
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Our FREE Spraying Guide 
Answers all spraying questions. 
Fully describes the complete line 1 
of the World’s Best” Sprayers. 
Write today. It’s FREE. 
, The Deming Co. Ill Depot St. Salem, 0, ■ 
HOVE TO MARYLAND 
ThcState for Thrifty Farmers. Delightful, healthy 
climate. Good Land, Reasonable prices. Close to big 
markets of large cities of the East. Send for free 
descriptive booklet & map 
STATE BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION. 
62 Hoffman Building, Baltimore, Md. 
E. Frank Coe’s 
Basic Fruit and Legume 
Phosphate 
(Basic Lime Phosphate) 
Key-Plow Brand 
TRADE 
V? _ „ 
Made in the U. S. A. 
Sweetens sour soils, keeps them sweet, and makes them productive. 
Furnishes a large amount of Available Phosphoric Acid: 13 per cent by 
the American Official Method. 
Contains 30 per cent of Lime needed by your Clover, your Alfalfa, your 
Pastures, your Fruit Trees. 
Economizes Labor, since Available Phosphoric Acid and Lime are applied 
at one time. Labor is the most costly item in farm operation. 
The Price Is Low 
But the benefits and profits resulting from its use will remain with you lonQ' 
after the price is forgotten. 
Yeu Ought To Know About It. Write Us and Mention The Rural New-Yorker. 
The Coe-Mortimer Company 
Makers of E. Frank Coe Fertilizers 
The Business Farmers’ Standard For Over Fifty-Five Years 
51 Chambers Street 
New York 
