^he RURAL NEW-YORKER 
407 
Soil Fertility Notes 
Improving Poor Soil 
We have had at least 50 questions 
thus far this year asking how to improve 
poor land at a reasonable price, so that 
it may be used for growing corn or po¬ 
tatoes in 1018. If one has an abund¬ 
ance of capital, he can plow such land 
and start at once by using from $30 to 
$40 worth of fertilizer or manure. With 
a reasonable season a fair crop can be 
grown on almost any land if the own¬ 
er is ready to spend money for plant 
food. Most people would rather take 
a year for improving the soil at less 
cost. Such soils are usually deficient in 
lime and organic matter, and the year 
should be employed in stuffing the soil 
if possible with manurial crops. Many 
plans can be followed out, but pi-obably 
in most cases the best crop to start with 
in a Northern latitude will be oats and 
tion—and it gets it—while many look 
nil Sweet clover as a poor relation of 
Alfalfa that has done a good deal of 
humping for itself, and that can prob¬ 
ably do a good deal more, including do¬ 
ing without inoculation. So it can 
when left to itself and allowed to take 
its own time; but when we rob it of 
its bacteria and demand a full crop 
right away, it sulks. 
Doubtless a common reason for the 
neglect to inoculate Sweet clover seed 
lies in the fact that to many it is 
something new and therefore difficult. 
Really, it is at once the simplest and 
most profitable of all the things done in 
connection with the crop, even when the 
bacteria is purchased in the form of 
pure cultures, to be had under various 
proprietary names. Exception should 
be made as to the plan, so freely recom- 
contain remarks about “The Post Office Club,” or the “ Sitters” at the country store, 
recently photographed just such a typical gathering at a country store as is shown 
above. There have been many caricatures or fancy pictures, but this shows the real thing. 
Canada peas. We should plow the land 
and put on two tons of ground lime¬ 
stone, or one ton of burnt lime to the 
acre. 4'hen work in five pecks of Can¬ 
ada jieas about four inches deep. Then 
use three bushels of oats to the acre, 
either drilling or working them under 
with a harrow. It will usually pay to 
imt on 300 lbs. of acid phosphate per 
acre, when seeding to the oat.s and peas. 
The latter part of .Tune the oats and 
peas should be plowed und<‘i\ and the 
ground well rolled and jmckcd. We 
should then, as soon as possible, seed 
two busbels of buckwheat, half a bushel 
of rye. per acre, and,a seeding of clover. 
In Northern New Jer.sey, or in that 
latitude,-Alsike clover would prove most 
.sati.sfactory. South of that ixdnt, and In 
many other favored localities. Crimson 
clover Avould pay. We should use 10 
lbs. of Crimson or about 3 lbs. of Al- 
sike Seed per acre. The buckwheat will 
grow until frost, then it will be killed 
and fall to the ground. The rye and 
clover will grow up through it and make 
a steady growth through the Fall and 
early Winter. Some of the clover will 
be killed out during Wintei’, but the 
rest will start with the rye in the Spring, 
and this can be jilowed under for corn, 
Iiotatoes or any crop de.sired. These 
gri'cn crops plowed into the .s<.)il will 
give it a good filling with organic mat¬ 
ter, and if chemicals can be used with 
it the soil will produce, with a favor¬ 
able season, fair yields of almost any 
farm crops in 1018. There are other 
combinations of manurial crops which 
might be used. This is a simple mix- 
tun', and has given good satisfaction 
with U.S. The main object is to crowd 
as much organic matter as possible into 
the soil, and use enough lime to over¬ 
come the acid condition and help the 
soil mechanically. 
Inoculating Sweet Clover 
Rricks without straw was quite as 
hoiieful a proposition as is Sweet clover 
without inoculation. The Department 
of Agriculture .(Bulletin No. 485) says 
that lack of inoculation will doubtless 
account for most of the failures with 
Sweet clover. Everybody knows that 
Alfalfa, to prosper, must have inocula- 
mended, of spreading about 3()0 pounds 
per acre of Sweet clover or Alfalfa soil 
over the land to be seeded. Properly 
done, this is a very expensive process, 
unless it happens that the soil can be 
spread from a fertilizer box on the drill ' 
that sows the Sweet clover. 
My principal purpo.se now is to call 
attention to a method of inoculation for 
Sweet clover that was announced two 
or three years ago by the Illinois Col- j 
lege of Agriculture. This is from their j 
circular: 
“Inoculation is just as essential for , 
Sweet clover as for Alfalfa, and unless 
applied, one need not expect good re¬ 
sults. The best method of inoculating It 
is to u.se about one pint of glue solu¬ 
tion to one bushel of seed. This is made 
by dissolving six ounces of carpenter’s 
g'ue to one gallon of water. Spread the 
seed out on a canvas, sprinkle on the 
glue solution, mix the seed thoroughly 
until all are well covered with the solu¬ 
tion, then sprinkle on one (piart per 
bushel of well sifted inoculated dirt. 
Care should^ be taken not to let the sun 
strike the dirt or the .seed after inocula¬ 
tion. 
This simple plan appeals to me as 
the best thing of the sort that I have 
ever seen. Recently I wrote the Illinois 
College of Agriculture a.S'king if they 
still advised this method. Under date of 
February 17, they replied that they 
knew of nothing that would lead them 
to change their recommendation with 
reference to the glue method for the in¬ 
oculation of legumes, adding that it is 
being used very extensively by the peo¬ 
ple of Illinois. OATUS c. .siriTH. 
Columbia County, N. Y. 
Lime and Manure 
We are often asked if it is desirable to 
put lime and manure of various kinds to¬ 
gether on top of the ground. For in¬ 
stance many people _ spread well-rotted 
stable manure or chicken manure over 
their lawn. Then they want to know if 
it would be wise to put lime on top of 
this manure and let it work down into 
the .soil. Wc would not advise such a 
])lan. One action of lime upon manure 
or other organic matter is to set free 
ammonia. This pas.ses off in the form 
of a gas and is lost. When ground lime¬ 
stone is used there would be very little 
if any loss of this kind, but with most 
forms of lime the loss would be consider¬ 
able if the lime and the manure were 
luit together in Spring. A safe rule is 
More Success for Your Geirden 
ft 
Garden success is largely a matter of seeds. 
Unknown seeds may or may not succeed. They are a gamble. 
Seeds known to descend from families with traits of quality and 
abundance will almost certainly produce quality in abundance. 
FeRRY’S Seeds 
are seeds with I^nown pedigree. We k^ow the histories of their 
forebears for many plant-generations back. Each crop each 
year is tested in the great Ferry trial gardens to see if the family 
traits are there, the strains pure, the type up to standard. 
The Ferry label meems: The seeds represented inside this 
packet have been tested and found worthy of the name “Ferry.” 
The Ferry Seed Annual is free for ihe asking. It contains 
a selection of fine receipts for cooking vegetables. 
Ferry’s Seeds are sold by dealers everywhere 
D. M. FERRY & CO., Detroit, Mich. 
(and Windsor, Ontario) 
Hoffman’s Seed Oats 
Unstained — not sprouted — 'jOund—white— 
W3igh 44 to 48 lbs, per measured bushel—un¬ 
dipped. The grains here shown are the fa¬ 
mous “Shadeland Climax”—a tree oats—have 
yielded 100 bushels per acre—the mostattrac- 
tive oats shown at San Francisco Exposition 
—you never saw nicer oats. ‘‘Shadeland Cli¬ 
max” are early—rust-resistant—do not lodge. 
Other oats varieties, both of the “tree” and 
“side” type—all heavy yielders. 
Hoffman’s 1917 Farm Seed Catalog 
offers seed for every farm crop and tells how 
to grow them. Specializes in Alfalfa. Soy- 
Beans, Field Peas, Seed Potatoes, Clovers 
and Seed Com, for silage and cribbing. 
Hoffman’s Catalog is sent free with oats and 
other samples if you mention this paper. 
A. H. HOFFMAN, Inc. 
Landlsville, Lancaster County, Pa. 
GARDEN 
FIELD ^ 
FLOWER 
SEEDS 
are bright, clean and plump—the result 
of over 60 years’ seed-growing experience. 
Just to get acquainted, we make this 
1917 Economy Offer 
One full-sized packet each of Prizehead Lettuce, 
Kosy Gera Radish, Detroit Beet, Tall Nastur¬ 
tiums and California Mixed Sweet Peas % 
—6 packets—a regular 26c value, only VL 
Free Farm and Garden Guide 
Will help you to reduce “the high cost of liv¬ 
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in garden and field. Send now for 
this handsome 80 page book. 
The Page-Philipps Seed Co. 
Box f30 Toledo, Ohio 
Guaranteed Genuine 
• Everlasting A 1 T "IT 
Cjnmm Alialia 
Produces plants with large branching roots which 
resist winter conditions. Leafier, out-yields other 
varieties and is of better feeding.value. Booklet, 
“ How I Discovered The Grimm Alfalfa,” and 
sample free. Will also send testimonials from 
patrons in your localitv. 
A. B. Lyman, Grimm Alfalfa Introducer 
Alfalfadale Farm, Excelsior, Minn. 
A postal card 
brings prices 
and samples. Find 
out about our Alfalfa, 
Clover, Timothy and Com 
Seeds before buying. 
Highest quality guaranteed i 
low prices. Send postal today 1 
STOECKER SEED CO. 
Dept. 2 Peoria, Illinois 
ing. 
aed at ^ 
"ji 
Late Pasture 
This Fall 
Have you plenty of it? If 
not, .plant Sweet Clovert 
“The best pasture plan, 
in America today.” 
CLOVKRIJCA DIRECT TO YOU. WE PAY THE FREIGHT. 
CLOVERLEA SEED CO. of iVbriA Dakota 
Kinderhook, N. Y. 
Send for up-to-date treatise 
on Stveet Clover by Datus 
c\J^ Smith, of Clover lea Farm, 
Order Now 
CARFF’S 
5000 Bushels extra 
selected and sure 
to grow. Finest 
quality. 20 leading 
C F IT varieties. Highest 
yielders. Best shov, 
ftj corn. Wonderful ensi- 
lagecorn. Also seed oats, 
barley, alfalfa, timothy. Samples on 
request. 1200 acres. Write for catalog. 
W. N. SCABFF & SONS, New Carlisle, 0. 
iLD SEEDS 
Our seeds are selected and cleaned to 
beWEEDLESS and free from dead grains. 
They will go much farther than ordinary 
field seeds, nearly always adding enough to 
the crop to pay for themselves. Samples and 
catalog inc]udtng‘‘HowtoKuow (lood Seeds'*free. 
Write today. 0.jU,8COTT ft SONS CO., 40 iUaIn St.,MarysvUle.O. 
_ FOTTLElj, FISKE, RAWSON CO. _ 
QlPlPnC OF THE HIGHEST GRADE 
^ ^ O for the MARKET GARDENER 
We cannot say more for the SEEDS only “The Highest Grade.” 
Our Seed Annual is made up for the buyer who wants “The Highest 
Grade Seeds.” Let us mail you one and you be the judge. 
It is useful as a reference even if you do not buy. Just mail us a postal, 
we’ll do the rest. 
Fottler, Fiske, Rawson Co. FaL\'i™®sTuare Boston 
