914 
B/>e RURAL NEW-YORKER 
well here in the Fall. There probably are a few spe- 
eie.s for which the damage point is below 70 degrees. 
For instance, I have never .succeeded in getting true 
spinach to thrive here at all. while the so-called New 
Zealand spinach is perfectly at home. 
F.EXEFKTAL TEMl'EK.V'l'rRES.—If there is a 
damage point in soil temperature for a given crop, 
what is the most beneficial .‘;oil temperature for that 
crop? Does temperatures alxtve the damage point 
do temporary or ])ermanent damage to the crop? 
What relation is there between the damage ])oint 
and the amount of moisture in the soil? I low much 
of the benefits of cultivation and mulching, for mois¬ 
ture conservation, should really be credited as bene¬ 
fits from soil temperature control? Would it be 
practical and profitable in tlvese days of artificial 
refrigeration to reduce the soil temperature of lim¬ 
ited areas for gardening purposes in tropical and sub¬ 
tropical localities for growing Summer vegetable 
supplies as greenhouses are practical for growing 
Winter vegetable .supplies in the North? 
EAKT.Y PLANT’IND.—Taking the proposition of a 
‘‘damage point" and a “most l)eneficial point” of 
itemperature, this alone presents a wide field of 
thought as to how to prevent the one and approxi¬ 
mate the other. Practical experience has forced the 
temperate clime farmer to secure these conditions 
by early planting. The advanced foliage of the 
early crop .shades the soil in midsummer. In gen¬ 
eral a late crop is a comparative failure, unless it 
is a crop adapted to Fall planting, after Summer 
heat is past. I have heard the remark: ‘‘The wheat 
and grass are beginning to shade the ground so there 
is little further danger from drought” made by 
farmers Avho ought to have known better, as every 
blade added in growth evidently recpiired additional 
moisture for its support, and yet, somehow, the ad¬ 
vanced field that is shaded keeps its advantage in 
spite of drought. 
YIELDS IN lIKilT LATITUDES.—May not the 
main reason for Euroi)e‘s supremacy in yield per 
acre of potatoes and small cereals be that her chief 
producing sections are in so much higher latitudes 
than ours, with couse<iuently lower soil temperatures 
in Summer? The i)benomenal growth of crops 
adapted to such regions, reported from Alaska and 
other fertile far Northern points, even where the 
soil thaws but a few feet in Summer, seems to indi¬ 
cate that for many crops the ideal condition for 
rapid growth is warm air and cold soil. I well re¬ 
member one of the most remarkable developments 
of vegetation I have ever .seen was one Spring 
when Summer weather came suddenly and for once 
<'ontinued early in April. 
SOIL TEMPERATURE DAMAttE.—Is soil tem- 
])erature damage permanent or temporary? The ex¬ 
tent of damage would doubtless be found by exact 
experimentation to increase in severity out of propor¬ 
tion to the increase of temperature above the mini- 
imini damage point. Also such damage would vary 
with dilfereiit species of plants and probably with 
varieties of the same species. It may be well here to 
note that maximum soil temperatures at or near the 
surface may bo much higher and of wider daily 
variation than air temperatures. I have repeatedly 
exposed thermometers to the direct rays of the sun 
on hotest days, both North and South, and the maxi¬ 
mum temperatures in all cases was approximately 
320 degrees. A dry sandy soil at such times will 
register about the same or more in the first inch or 
two, while a moist loam soil under the evaporating 
effects of a bri.sk wind would show about the tem¬ 
perature of the air. 
Florida. n. l. haktmax. 
Why Not Mail Order Farm Produce? 
XTENDING PARCEL POST.—^Yhen the parcel 
l)ost was first put in operatU)n, great re.-^ults 
were expected in the Avay of direct selling by the 
l)roducer to the consumer. ' Undoubtedly a large 
amount of farm produce is thus sold, although exact 
figures or even close estimates cannot be given, but 
it is certainly true that by far the larger proportion 
of dwellers in cities and towns are not benefited by 
the farm-to-consumer parcel post, directly or indi¬ 
rectly. Many country people know from experience 
that it is often convenient and economical to buy 
general merchandise from the large mail order houses 
in the citie.s, and the owner or stock holder of the 
mail order houses know that it* is profitable to sell 
goods in that way. 
A GREAT FARM BUSINESS—.Tudging from the 
35-cent dollar, there would be a good opportunity for 
profit in the establishment of a large mail order 
house out on a fai-m to sell farm pnalucts to con¬ 
sumers in the cities. In order that such a concern 
may succeed it must conform to certain conditions 
that have contributed to the success of the general 
merchandise houses: it must offer the largest pos¬ 
sible variety, it must be prepare<l to take the utmost 
pains to ."satisfy its customers, it must adverti.se, it 
must sell only for cash with the order, and it must 
send price lists free of charge to all who apply and 
to all its customers as often as it may be advisable 
to imblisb new ones, and to lists of city people ob¬ 
tained from telephone directories and other sources. 
Such price lists would be very small and inexpensive 
compared witli general merchandise catalogues, and 
should be published lu'obably once a Aveek, and there 
.should be mailed with them small circulars telling 
at one time of certain AVa.A's to prepare certain vege¬ 
tables, at another time calling attention to some 
particular article, and so on. thus drumming up 
trade. 
A CONCENTRATION OF INDUSTRIES.—In or¬ 
der to give satisfaction and hold customers, the con¬ 
cern should produce and manufacture the largest 
possible A-ariety, in (luantities large enough to fill all 
orders. Hence there must be greenhouses, cold stor¬ 
age, grist mill, pnckle factory, canning factory and 
other accessories. Avhich Avould necessitate the indus¬ 
trialization of that particular farm or group of 
farms. Undoubtedly the best and most efficient Avay 
of conducting such a business avouUI be by means of 
a corporation formed for that juirpose. 
FARM INDUSTRIALIZATION.—In the discussion 
of the matter some months ago in The R. N.-Y., many 
objections Avere brought against the industrialization 
of agriculture, but in this time of Avar many changes 
are being made in various lines of human activity, 
Avhether those concerned object or not. and in the 
general readjustment farming Avill have to take its 
•medicine along Avitb the rest. But it by no means 
folloAvs that the establishment of a few or of many 
indu.rtrialized farm enterjjrises Avould Avipe out all the 
individual farmers; in all probability many of the 
latter will l)e doing business for many years to come. 
Suffolk Go.. N. Y. nAXiEE t. iiixckley. 
Prices for Black Walnut Timber 
L ast Aveek Ave referred to the Government’s need 
of black Avalnut timber, and the fact that people 
Avho luiA^e such timber for sale find it diflicult to 
make price or to figure on the value of their trees. 
We have noAv received documents from the Govern¬ 
ment. and also letters from buyers of this timber. 
It seems that the Government has designated certain 
linns in various parts of the country Avho Avill buy 
tlie Avalnut logs in carload lots, Avhile some of them 
will l)uy the standing Avalnut. The names of these 
purchasers may be obtained by writing to the Forest 
Service of the United State Dei)artment of .Agricul¬ 
ture. There are snmller contractors Avho Avill buy 
Avalnut if desired. .As for prices, one of the dealers 
in Cincinnati Avrites us as folloAvs: 
We believe that it would be safe-for you. in advising 
your readers, that Avalnut logs of prime qualit.v. lengths 
eight to 1() feet, diameter 32 inches and up at the small 
end, Avould be Avorth .$100 per 3.000 feet on stump. 
Avhere the hauling does not exceed eight miles. Of 
course, you undei-stand to do this the <)perator. or pro¬ 
ducer, must have cutting, hauling and loading expenses, 
and that Avould amount to at least $20 to $30 per 1,000 
feet for such Avork. 
The Forest Service also makes the following .state¬ 
ment about the logs: 
Logs are Avanted 12 inches and OA-er in diameter at 
the sm.'ill end. and eight. 10. 12. etc., feet in length. A 
feAV logs doAvn to 10 inches in diameter and six feet in 
length AA'ill be accepted in order to avoid Avasting useful 
parts of the tree. Trees cutting less than a 10-foot log 
34 inches in diameter lose much in scaling, and should 
be cut sparingly, and only to fill out an order. The 
Doyle rule is the one most commonl.v used for scaling 
logs. To find the number of hoard feet by the Doyle 
rule, subtract four inches from the diameter of the small 
end of the log, measured in inches : scpiare one-ciuarter 
of the remainder and multiply the result by the length 
of the log in feet. For example, a log 1(1 inches in diam¬ 
eter at the small end and 30 feet long has 90 board feet. 
Prices for tbe.se logs Avill vary Avidely. They are 
based on the diameter of the log and the cost of 
hauling them to the manufacturing plant. It is 
stated that good clear Avalnut logs of high quality 
have averaged around $so to $90 per 1.000 board feet, 
liigher or loAver. depending on the diameter of the 
log and its location on the stump. Smaller Avalnut 
has been bringing $00 to $s0 iier 1.000 feet. A car¬ 
load of Avalnut logs generally runs from 3.000 to 
5,000 board feet. This Avill mean 18 to 25 of the 
larger logs and 30 to 50 of the smaller ones. It is 
not practical to try to .ship less than carload lots for 
any long distance, and therefore, Avlien a farmer has 
only one or tAvo trees he cannot expect to get as 
large a price as he Avould if he could deliver a full 
carload. . 
Noxious Weeds Used as Flowers 
S OME of our American seedsmen are making the 
mistake of offering plants Avhich have become 
a ](est in certain i)arts of the country as ornamental 
shrubs or flowers. One case of this sort is the 
July 27, 1918 
orange hawkweed, known in many parts of the coun¬ 
try as devil’s paintbrush. It is named Avell, for 
Avhen its characteristic color thickens on ’the pas¬ 
tures, farmers may Avell feel that the evil one him¬ 
self is putting the mark of a curse upon the farm. 
We can find plenty of farms in the northern part of 
the country Avhich have become practically aban¬ 
doned becaiise of the prevalence of this Aveed. It 
becomes a terrible pest Avben neglected, and Avill 
quickly run through an entire neighborhood. One 
of our readers say.s he has been fighting it for 10 
years on his farm in Vermont, using salt and other 
remedies recommended by the experts. He .says it 
Avill take him 10 years more of the most thorough 
Avork to get rid of this pest, and .such a man does 
not take kindly to the thought of .seeing this enemy 
of farming sent out as a floAver. This is the Avay 
he puts it: 
This seed can do as much harm as the Kaiser if it 
once gets a good foothold throughout the United States. 
It is a bitter, poisonous weed; cattle and horses gen¬ 
erally will not eat hay that contains it, and when they 
do they get sick. I have seen acres and acres of land 
orange with the blossoms Avhich go to seed late in .Tune 
like a thistle, and bloAv all over the country. If the 
blossoms are picked before they bloom and laid on the 
ground they will still bloom and go to seed and blow 
around. I haA’e knoAvn personally of a great deal of 
damage done to meadoAvs in Vermont, NeAV Hampshire 
and Canada. In some sections the Avhole po])ulatiou 
Avas ordered to turn out and destroy the pest. M. n. 
It may .seem like a small matter to those Avbo 
plant a feAV .seeds and are pleased Avith this pretty 
fioAver, but they run the risk of spreading the Aveed 
all through localities Avbere there is nuicb pa.sture 
land, and in these times, at lea.st. evei’yone should 
be Avilling to give up the use of a floAver Avhich Avhen 
it mns away from cultivation becomes a pest like 
this liaAvkAveed. Some of the States are to have 
direct hiAvs against the propagation of this plant, 
and self-interest, if nothing else, should lead our 
seedsmen to cut the haAvkAveed out of their cata¬ 
logue, because one Avho has fought this pest hard 
Avill Avork aAvay from any other plants a.ssociated 
with it 
Wood Ashes for Wheat 
Would it bo advisable to sow ashes (wood) in place 
of fertilizer for Avheat? The ashes are in barrels and 
boxes in cellar, and Avould require sifting before being 
soAvn. What Avould be the best method of sifting? 
How many barrels per acre? Would there be any 
danger of burning the Avheat if the soil Avas dry at time 
of seeding? J. L. c. 
('linton Co., Mich. 
HE Avood ashes contain potash. i)ho.sphorus and 
lime. and. so far as these elements of plant 
food go. Avill take the place of the fertilizer. The 
ashes do not contain any nitrogen, and most of the 
fertilizers sold at this time contain no pota.sh, and 
you must consider this difference in substituting the 
ashes. On good soil Avhere a rotation containing 
clover is folloAved. the ashes Avill give good results, 
but on thinner land Avhere clover is not fully used, 
some form of nitrogen Avill be needed. On such land 
as you describe the ashes ought to give good results. 
A dressing of 200 pounds to the acre of an ordinary 
fertilizer is not enough to make a full shoAving on 
Avheat, and you Avill have to use considerably more 
of the ashes in order to obtain result.s. An average 
sample of ash Avill contain about five per cent of 
potash, and someAvhat less than tAVO per cent of 
phosphoric acid. Thus, if you use 200 pounds of a 
fertilizer containing tAvo per cent of nitrogen and 
nine per cent of phosphoric acid, you Avill use for 
each acre 18 itounds of phosphoric acid. The a.shes 
Avill give you only about tAvo pounds of phosphoric 
acid to the hundred, .so that in order to u.se as 
much phosphorus as your 200 pounds of fertilizer 
provide, you Avould have to use SOO or 900 pounds 
of the ashes. Generally speaking, our Eastern 
farmers feel that they must use at least one ton of 
ashes per acre. Avhich. so far as it contains pho.s- 
phorus, represents less than 400 pounds of acid 
I'hosphate. Many farmers make the mistake of 
supposing that 200 or 300 pounds of ashes Avill be 
ample for an acre, but none of our Eastern Avheat 
groAvers Avho have had experience Avould think of 
using less than 300 pounds of acid iffio.sifiiate i)er 
acre. This Avould give them something like 45 
pounds of phosi)horic acid, and it Avould reqAiire at 
least one ton of the a.shes to supply that amount. 
On the great majority of our soils through the Cen¬ 
tral West phosphorus is the element most needed, 
lairticularly in Avheat groAAung. There is little dan¬ 
ger of burning the seed Avith an ordinary applica¬ 
tion of Avood ashes, and probably the quickest Avay 
to sift them Avould be to obtain a fine screen such as 
masons u.se in sifting sand. Put it up at a sharp 
angle and throAA’^ the ashes against it as the masons 
do. In many cases Avhere a small qiiantity of ashes 
are to be used a hand sifter is employed, but this is 
too sloAv to handle large (juantities of the ashes. 
