483 
7bt RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
* 
Lime and Potato Scab 
On page 218 I notice the question of 
liming potato ground has been raised 
again, and it seems to me that in treat¬ 
ing this question they always get the 
cart before the horse, since it is not 
the cause of potato scab, it only promotes 
scab where the seed is scabby, and the 
sensible thing to do is to go after the 
cause and remove it by disinfecting the 
seed. All the evidence I have ever seen 
tends to show that the potato crop is 
benefited by lime, except where the seed 
is infected, and the farmer who persists 
in growing potatoes, where clover will not 
grow, for lack of lime, will surely come 
to grief. The farmers at Caribou, Maine, 
mentioned in the article spoken of, are 
on the right.track, if they will take care 
to have their seed disinfected and free 
from scab, and then not make their appli¬ 
cations too heavy. It is not necessary 
to supply the full amount of the lime 
requirement to get a stand of clover. I 
have known very acid soil to produce 
clover with an application of only 600 to 
SCO pounds of hydrated lime, and on 
testing the soil it still showed acid. It 
would seem from this that if potato 
growers would use just enough lime to 
grow clover, and have their seed free 
from scab, they could keep up their soil 
and grow clean potatoes. It is a well- 
known fact that fertilizers and manure 
will not produce their .best results where 
lime is lacking, and this applies to pota¬ 
toes as well as other crops. Soil investi¬ 
gators now. seem to be working on the 
plan of finding out how much lime a cer¬ 
tain soil needs to neutralize it. and then 
recommending that amount, but in prac¬ 
tice for the last 10 or 12 years, small 
amounts applied often, have been giving 
excellent results, and farmers would do 
well to follow this practice, especially 
where liming is new to them. 
JOHN S. STITT. 
Mr. Stitt overlooks one important 
thing. Not only does the seed carry the 
scab germs, but they are also found in 
the soil. There would not be much use 
in treating the seed for scab and then 
planting in soil filled with the germs— 
and using lime. If it were only a ques¬ 
tion of scabby seed the problem would 
be easy, but the scabby land complicates 
it. We know of a farm in New Jersey 
where a five-year rotation was followed. 
Thus each field went into potatoes every 
five years, and it was the custom to lime 
each field immediately after the potatoes 
were dug. The soil of one field was so 
filled with scab germs that the crop was 
close to a failure whenever potatoes 
reached that field 4r«ji!the rotation. Even 
when the seed pieces were treated the 
disease appeared. In most of the potato 
growing sections there is more or less of 
this scabby soil and no matter how the 
seed is handled the disease will appear if 
lime is used. It is very desirable to use 
lime when clover will not thrive without 
it, though much the same effect can be 
obtained with Alsike clover or Soy beans. 
As for using lime directly on potatoes, 
we believe it is dangerous advice and we 
do not give it. Those who try it will 
regret it. We are told that rather coarse 
limestone will not cause trouble from 
scab, but if we were to use lime at all 
we should want it to sweeten the soil. 
Cut-back Apple Trees 
Will trees that have been girdled by 
animals and cut back to ground produce 
anything but wild fruit? In your opin¬ 
ion, would it pay even for cider apples to 
plant such little trees? I am looking for 
just such small trees to plant on a rough 
piece of hillside land that was recently 
cleared of dead chestnut, where the in¬ 
vestment and risk is not so much. I will 
be satisfied if I get apples for making vin¬ 
egar from them. s. F. 
Mohntou, Pa. 
This refers to an offer made by a nur¬ 
seryman to sell “cut-back” trees at a low 
figure. ITis story is that the rabbits gird- 1 
h>d the trees at the snow line and that 
the following Spring they were cut back 
to the ground and made a uew growth this 
year. If they were cut back to a point 
above the bud, these trees will be true to 
variety and will make a fair showing 
when planted. We have over 100 such 
“cut-backs” iu our orchard and they are 
Upon the efficiency with which the 
seed bed is prepared depends the size 
of the harvest. 
And upon the size of the harvest 
depends the entire compensation of 
the farm owner—his reward for all 
his months of labor in plowing, disk¬ 
ing, seeding, cultivating, reaping, to 
say nothing of his money investment 
in land, implements, seed, etc. 
The only answer to the entire year’s 
effort is—bushels. 
The best preparation, as a matter of course, 
depends upon using the best farm implements. 
Farm owners using Oliver Tractor Imple¬ 
ments get the greatest possible yield per acre. 
A single, actual instance—one out of thou¬ 
sands of similar cases—may be cited. 
In the fall of 1917, J. B. Grinnell, Secretary 
of the Nebraska Farmers’ Congress, plowed 
twenty acres of dry hard ground for winter 
wheat with Oliver plows. This is what he 
says in regard to their performance:— 
“This field of wheat made an average of 
35 bushels per acre. Neighboring fields, turned 
with other plows, averaged only from 15 to 
25 bushels. When I saw this large yield I 
was convinced beyond a doubt of Oliver's 
superiority. The Oliver plows had paid for 
themselves several times over on this one 
crop of wheat.” 
Thousands of other farm owners—all Oliver 
users—have had the same results from Oliver 
tools. Oliver plowed lands give farm owners 
their answer in bushels—more bushels per acre. 
Oliver Chilled Plow Works 
“Oliver Plowed Fields 
Bring Greatest Yields*' 
South Bend, Indiana 
of good size and shape. We would not 
buy them from choice, and would rather 
pay more money for straight, young 
trees, but they will grow into good shape. 
Of course, if they are cut back below the 
hud they will be mere seedlings. But it is 
a uew idea to raise apples for cider! 
Increasing Value of Sheep Manure 
In regard to the article on page 163, 
T find a good way to enrich sheep manure 
when the sheep are iu pasture during 
the Summer months is to put two or three 
pigs in the sheep pen. We did that, and 
1 think it helps the manure very much. 
P. K. 
DO YOU 
HEED 
FARM 
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THE JEWISH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
176 Second Avenue 
N. Y. Citj 
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You will lose money by shearing with hand 
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