‘I*; RURAL NEW-YORKER 
S49 
i 
Notes and Comments 
Fertilizer Investigations. — Mr. 
Hold, on page OSO, tells us that we have 
been feeding misinformation to the farm¬ 
ers. He gives us some very interesting 
information, and suggests it is time for 
an original investigator to come to the 
help of the farmer and tell him the truth. 
Since Mr. Hold seems to know more about 
these matters than all the experiment sta¬ 
tion investigators, it would seem that he 
is the one to tell us the actual truth. He 
certainly does not agree with the vast 
number of investigators of the soil and 
plant foods. lie tells us that there is in 
the mixture'of ashes and plaster no phos¬ 
phorus. though other chemical authorities 
tell us that hardwood ashes contain 3.5 
per cent of phosphoric acid. He says 
there is sulphuric acid in the mixture, 
when there is not a particle of acid, but a 
neutral salt, the sulphate of calcium. 
Then his original investigations have 
shown him that nitrogen is not essential 
in the soil, for it is very abundant in the 
atmosphere, and plants get it through 
their leaves and not by their roots. This 
is certainly very original. Perhaps Mr. 
Hold can give us an instance of any plant 
using a pure element as food. Nitrogen 
is a gaseous element, mixed but not com¬ 
bined with the oxygen of the air. so that 
we can breathe it without burning up. 
Earnest students of the soil and plant 
food have found that none of our cul¬ 
tivated plants ever use nitrogen until it 
is in the form of a nitrate. If I apply 
nitrate of soda about my growing plants 
I note a very quick improvement in their 
growth. Perhaps Mr. Hold can tell us 
how that nitrate of soda gets broken uo 
so that the nitrogen can get into the air 
to come back through the leaves. Per¬ 
haps he can also tell me why why I do 
not get as immediate results from an ap¬ 
plication of sulphate of ammonia as I 
get from the nitrate, though there is far 
more nitrogen in the sulphate than in the 
nitrate. What prevents the sulphate from 
jumping into the air and getting through 
the leaves? Has Mr. Hold ever, in his 
original investigations, studied the work 
of the bacteria that live ou the roots of 
legumes? -Can he tell us why corn until 
cow peas sown among the plants iu tlie 
field will make more corn than corn with¬ 
out the peas? Corn leaves are larger than 
pea leaves and should be able to get more 
nitrogen than the peas. My garden has 
been dosed with nitrogenous manures, and 
right over the fence is a vacant lot that 
has not been manured like my garden. 
There is just as much nitrogen iu the air 
over that lot as there is over my garden, 
and yet my garden furnishes more nitro¬ 
gen to the plants than that vacant lot 
gives to plants set in it. for it was culti¬ 
vated as a war garden. It has often been 
said that a little knowledge is a danger¬ 
ous thing. We know a little, but Mr. 
Hold seems to know more. You must 
eventually give us the results of your 
original investigations. Why not now? 
Killing Weeds.—A s to chick weed, I 
have already told my practice. I let it go 
all Winter, for it is a Winter-growing 
plant, and blooms and seeds before we 
start the garden. But after turning it 
under iu the Spring it is simply a matter 
of clean cultivation to keep rid of any 
weed iu the garden. The best way I have 
found td get clear of weeds of any sort 
during the growing season in the garden 
is to forbid absolutely any plant growing 
but the crops cultivated. No weed can 
long survive if never allowed to make | 
green leaves above ground. 
Salt and Asparagus. —Salt will cer¬ 
tainly kill weeds and grass iu the aspara¬ 
gus bed and not injure the asparagus. 
Whether it does any good to the as¬ 
paragus is doubtful. My present aspara¬ 
gus bed has never had any salt and yet it 
makes big fat shoots. Asparagus evident¬ 
ly does not dislike salt, for down here all 
along the salt waters of the Chesapeake 
and its estuaries the wild asparagus 
grows right in the sand along highwater 
mark, and though its shoots are not large 
the wild asparagus is excellent eating, and 
many buy it in the Baltimore markets in 
preference to the cultivated. 
w. f. Massey. 
Patience: “She plays the piano with 
a good deal of expression, doesn’t she?” 
Patrice: “Well, she makes awful faces 
when she plays, if that’s what you mean.” 
- Yonkers Statesman. 
How They Praise 
They Compare the New Light Weight Car 
to High Powered , High Priced Automobiles 
Essex Performance 
Essex performance is now talked of so gener¬ 
ally among motorists that you should know 
what they are saying. 
Hundreds of thousands have seen the Essex. 
They have admired its costly car appearance. 
They speak of its completeness in appointment 
and how it differs from other light weight, 
moderate priced cars. 
But they grow enthusiastic over Essex 
performance. A car at its price and of its 
weight was never expected to possess such hill 
climbing and acceleration capacity. The stand¬ 
ard it sets has been known only in the large 
high priced field. 
And in speed and easy riding qualities it also 
matches the cars which sell at two or three 
times its price. 
You hear on every side how steadily it 
holds the road at speeds difficult to maintain 
even with some larger cars. And as for ease 
of riding there seems no standard known 
to motor cars that the Essex does not 
surpass. 
Remember these are not our claims. They 
are the frank and voluntary praise of tens of 
thousands. You can find Essex friends wher¬ 
ever you go. 
We advertise merely to induce you to ask 
about Essex and to arrange to take an early 
ride in it. You will surely become one of its 
friends. Perhaps you will want to own an 
Essex, and if that is so the sooner you learn to 
know it the better. 
Sales alreadv are far in excess of production. 
If you delay you might have to wait a long 
time to get your car. 
The price is SI395 tor a five passenger model 
at Detroit. 
Western Canada's 
“Howl of Plcubf’ / 
OfforsYou HoaRh £ WcaItIi ^ 
&■>. 
V 
7 *. 
Western Canada for 
years has helped to feed 
the world—the same responsi¬ 
bility of production still rests upon her. 
While high prices for Grain, Cattle and Sheep 
are sure to remain, price of land is much below its value. 
Land capable of yielding 20 to 4S bush¬ 
els of wheat to the acre can be had on 
easy terms at from $15 to $30 per 
acre—good grazing land at much less. 
Many farms paid for from a single year’s crop. Raising 
cattle, sheep and hogs brings equal success. The Government 
encourages farming and stock raising. Railway and 
Land Co’s, offer unusual inducements to Home Seek¬ 
ers. Farms may be stocked by loans at moderate interest. 
Western Canada offers low taxation, good markets and ship¬ 
ping; free schools, churches and healthful climate. 
For particulars as to reduced railway rates. location of land, illus¬ 
trated literature, etc., apply to Supt. of Immig., Ottawa. Can., or 
0. G. RUTLEDGE, 301E. Genesee St., Syracuse, N.Y. 
Canadian Government Agent- 
Build your own concrete hog 
troughs, water tanks, barn floors, 
hog bouses, steps, sidewalks, etc., 
and save money. 
ELMCO Handy Concrete Mixer 
This mixer was designed especially for 
farm use, is of convenient size and durably 
made of best quality materials, yet the price 
is within the reach of every farmer. It soon 
pays for itself in savings. Can be tilled from 
one side and dumped from the other. Clutch 
pulley permits throwing in or out at will. 
Operates with 11-2 h. p. gas engine or 
with ELMCO Ford Belt Attachment. 
Send today for name of nearest dealer 
and bis illustrated circular with pictures 
and lull description of this bandy ELMCO 
mixer and other ELMCO money savers. 
E. F. ELMBERC COMPANY 
90 Main St. Parkershurg, law* 
