818 
May 10, 1919 
HOPE FARM NOTES 
There may be one man in Bergen Co., 
N. *J., who is well satisfied with the 
weather tonight. I cannot think of more 
than one. That man is A. J. De Voe, the 
weather prophet. A month or so ago he 
stated that we would have a “blizzard” 
on April 28. A little later there appeared 
a light somewhat like a cross in tin* sky 
and De Voe changed his date to April 2(5. 
“Everybody” smiled and went on planning 
for an early Spring. Some of the men 
who are paid good salaries for studying 
the weather laughed at the prophet and 
said no human being could tell anything 
about it so far ahead. I saw people in 
New York buying tomato and other ten¬ 
der plants, evidently planting them in 
gardens. Our fruit trees paid less atten¬ 
tion to De Voe than people did to the old 
prophets in Bible times. They went 
right, ahead. The peaches and cherries 
burst into bloom, the crab apples opened 
their flowers and the other apples began 
to show the pink. 
***** 
On April 24 we had a heavy rain. 
This ended about noon and the sun came 
out.. Bate in the afternoon I remember 
thinking as I walked through the warm 
air that we were now safely booked for 
the largest fruit crop in all our history. 
We had just given our order for dust, and 
it did seem as if nothing could stop us 
from realizing on the long years of work 
and waiting. At ,11 oelock that night I 
found a fierce wind blowiug from the 
north and I knew the moment its teeth 
bit through my coat that De Voe’s "bliz¬ 
zard” was coming. For two days the 
winds blew at (50 miles an hour or more, 
with the mercury at times down to nearly 
20°. There were occasional flurries of 
snow and for two mornings the ice in the 
puddles and buckets was half an inch 
thick. This kept tip for 48 hours, and 
tonight, tin 1 wind is still roaring and there 
is a film of ice on the water. 
***** 
We have built: a big. roaring open tire, 
and before it the family has been holding 
a sort of ehuvus. It does not seem pos¬ 
sible that any of the peaches or cherries 
can be left alive. The Carman peaches 
have a wide-open flower and they were 
fully exposed. It can only be through 
some sort, of miracle that peaches of that 
sort can survive. Yet I have'seen, in- 
my day, several things which seemed to 
me truly miraculous. I have opened- a 
few buds of .1. II. Hale and Elberta, and 
found the little peach at the base of- the 
flower fully formed. That fruit may got 
through. I shall think so until that little 
fruit turns bliick and dries up! Most of 
the apples were showing the pink end of 
the bud. but the flowers were not open. 
It was cold enough at times to freeze the 
entire bud. but the high wind "kept (hem 
moving, and some of the buds may have 
escaped. Some " varieties like Northern 
Spy and Wolf Biver are very slow to 
open up, and they are undoubtedly safe. 
The Marshall strawberries had not 
opened their flowers, and they look safe. 
No one can tell fully for a week, but I 
have no doubt that fearful damage has 
been done in some localities. 1 know of 
some cases where men have put all they 
had into a peach crop. Bast, year they 
had no fruit, but they raised the money 
and fertilized and cultivated up to the 
limit. Up to within three days it was a 
sure TOO to 1 chance that the crop would 
pay all their debts and give them a good 
surplus. Now this belated and untimely 
blast ends the performance! I realize 
what a total loss of the fruit crop this 
year will mean to us. but I shall not give 
it, up until I have to admit that it has 
gone. 
* * * * * 
But how can a man like De Voe tell 
about these things in advance? The Gov¬ 
ernment weather service men, with all 
their experience and equipment, will not 
attempt it. Of course, it is true that in 
former years De Voe has made as poor 
guesses as any of us, but when he says 
there is some sort of disturbance coming 
at a certain time, something usually hap¬ 
pens around that time. IIow does he do 
it? He seems incapable of telling others 
how to work out his system, but after 
this last experience 'I know many people 
who will -take his statements seriously. 
Muny years) ago the people would have 
vented their wrath upon the prophet. In 
.New England, supposed to have been the 
most intelligent part of the country, a 
good many so-called “witches” were ex¬ 
ecuted. Not oiie of them was ever burned 
alive, as has' been stated, but they were 
hanged. But in that day it was certainly 
dangerous t<> possess a little knowledge 
or to la* a good gnesser. For if you fore¬ 
told what was likely to happen and it 
came in the shape of a calamity, you were 
held responsible for i(. De Voe seems to 
be good gnesser. lie did not quite 
strike a “blizzard.” but who cares for the 
name when it wiped out the crop? 
***** 
Is there no remedy for such an attack? 
Every year we hear of using fires or 
“smudge pots” to keep up the heat. In 
stlil weather or in some protected valley 
I think they would help, but on our steep 
hills with the wind blowing a mile a 
minute, heating would be out of the ques¬ 
tion. Wind-breaks would probably help, 
but when this fierce gale suddenly 
pounced upon our blooms and tender 
foliage there was nothing to do but face 
the situation with the best possible grace. 
Science is doing some wonderful things 
lb* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
with light. A short time ago the boys 
ran in telling me the searchlights were 
going. Twenty miles away as the crow 
flies the great warships are grouped in 
the river at New York. Each night they 
seem to go through the drill of defending 
themselves from an attack. Powerful 
searchlights are used, and the light is 
aimed at the clouds and swung around in 
all directions. We could see these power¬ 
ful lights playing all over the sky and all 
over Northern New Jersey. Time and 
again they flashed over us so clearly that 
we could see how the leaves on the crab- 
apple trees have been blasted by the cold. 
Had the light been held steadily on our 
house I think it would have been strong 
enough to enable one to read—and 20 
miles away at that! Quite likely the 
future will see some device for concen¬ 
trating and throwing waves of heat. In 
one of II. G. Wells’ books we are told 
how certain citizens from Mars reached 
the earth and upset, -things generally. As 
weapons they carried small box-like con¬ 
trivances -which generated a fearful heat 
and threw it out as light comes from a 
searchlight. The coming fruitgrower 
may have some such device to warm up 
his orchard, so that even De Voe with 
his best blizzard will have no chance. 
***** 
That may be for the next century, but 
it does us no good tonight as we realize 
what the cold is doing to our buds. How¬ 
ever. the tire is bright and, happily, the 
children cannot fully realize what this 
freeze is going to mean. Draw up to the 
fire and have an apple. It will be a Ben 
Davis. I know, but let us be content, for 
there may be no McIntosh or Baldwins 
when this wind goes down and the sun 
comes out once more. I could tell some 
strange stories of how frosted people 
came to life, for I have seen actual cold 
on the plains and in Northern Michigan, 
and also in Florida. Our folks have been 
frozen out several times in that sunny 
State, but the orange trees grow up 
from the stump and get into business 
once more if you give them a chance. 
Our sweet corn and potatoes are not 
hurt and we shall go right on planting. 
If the apples are killed—what a crop we 
shall have next year! If any of them 
get through—what a price they will 
bring! Those who Imre lost their entire 
peach crop have our fullest sympathy. I 
know what it means to be knocked down 
when you are carrying all your eggs to 
market in one basket. You can hardly 
scrape up enough for an omelet. Yes, 
yes! It sounds like a bad situation out¬ 
side, but we are all safe and warm here— 
from little ltose up to Aunt Eleanor. 
So draw up to the tire and have a Ben 
Davis. That’s our best offering tonight, 
but trouble makes even a humble offering 
shine. One hopeful individual has writ¬ 
ten me that: this blizzard will kill off the 
aphis, anyway. I advise him not to be 
too sure of that. I think the aphis could 
freeze solid and then come to life happier 
than ever! jf. w c. 
Fertilizer Value of Leather Dust 
What is the value of tin* dust from the 
electric shoe repairing machines? Is 
there anything in the tanning of leather 
to hurt the plants? What plants can 
this dust be used on? I can get any 
amount of this dust in Philadelphia. Pa. 
In what proportion can it be used sa f e!v? 
D'rexel Hill, Pa, ti. e. i». 
The average analysis of leather scrap¬ 
ings and dust is as follows: 
Moisture .7.7-8 per cent 
Nitrogen .5.(58 per cent 
Two analyses of this product also show 
an average of two-tenths of one per cent 
of potash and phosphoric acid present. 
Probably most of th\> dust would come 
from the heavy, thick leather used in 
soling shoes. Although analysis shows 
raw leather to contain a relatively high 
percentage of nitrogen, yet both labora¬ 
tory and vegetation tests show this nitro¬ 
gen to be practically unavailable as plant 
food. This fact is so generally recog¬ 
nized that most State laws for the regu¬ 
lation of the trade in commercial fer¬ 
tilizers oblige any manufacturer using 
raw untreated leather to furnish any part 
of the nitrogen in a brand of fertilizer 
to so state the fact in a conspicuous man- 
mu' on the label containing the guarantee. 
The use of dust and waste from raw 
leather cannot, therefore, be advised, not 
because it contains anything injurious to 
plant growth, but because it contains no 
fertilizing value. The trimmings of 
leather used in the manufacture of gloves, 
etc., is utilized by fertilizers in making 
what is called a base goods mixture, 
which consists in acidulating the product 
with the addition of heat. A very high 
grade ammoniate results, having an avail¬ 
ability comparing favorably with the 
high-grade animal tankages. 
II. D. HASKINS. 
Massachusetts Agricultural College. 
“Kicking about a few millinery bills? 
Why, I could have married Wombat, who 
is now a millionaire. But 1 didn’t.” 
“That’s one big reason why he’s a mil¬ 
lionaire.”—Louisville Courier-Journal. 
Postum First Found Favor 
In the Small Communities 
/ 
then in the cities, then in the nation’s great 
metropolitan centers, until today it is de¬ 
manded everywhere, and sold everywhere, 
as America’s greatest health drink for table 
use. You can get from your grocer 
The Original 
POSTUM CEREAL 
Boil it just like coffee — 15 minutes after 
boiling begins. 
It doubles the enjoyment of the meal with 
its rich, invigorating flavor; and, unlike cof¬ 
fee, it never upsets nerves, stomach or heart. 
Children as well as grown folks can drink 
Postum freely. 
<• 
There’s a Reason” 
Two Sizes, usually sold at 15c and 25c. 
You CanTake Hills onffidh 
Without A Knock 
If you will keep your motor free from carbon. That 
knocking in your engine—the difficulty you have climbing 
hills—poor pick-up—lack of power—noisy motor—pre-ig¬ 
nition—in fact 80% of your engine trouble is caused by 
carbon. Clean it out with 
insM 
and your engine will run like it 'did the first 500 miles— 
quietly and full of “pep”. And your gasoline consump¬ 
tion will drop 12% to 25%, 
You Can Do It Yourself 
For 65c—five minutes’ time—no labor—and without lay¬ 
ing up the car, you,' yourself, can remove all carbon de¬ 
posits.' No mechanical experience required. 
If you will use Johnson’s Carbon Remover every 500 miles, 
giving carbon no chance to accumulate, you will automatically eli¬ 
minate most valve trouble and your engine will always be clean and 
sweet. 
For Tractors—Gas Engines 
Johnson’s Carbon Remover v/ill also remove carbon from 
the motor of your tractor, giving it greater power and enabling it to 
work more satisfactorily and economically. It will make your 
tractor 100% efficient. 
MwJOHNSON^ 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a 
quick reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
