1406 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 27, 1919 
Farmers 
Are W o r k i n g, 
S TERILIZE SEED BEDS.—Tobacco growers have 
found sterilization of their seed beds to be a 
practical method of combating weed growth and 
fungous diseases common to all plants grown in 
frames. All plants transplanted on the farm must 
be vigorous, and the growth in the field, especially 
in the early stages, is largely dependent upon the 
character of seedlings used. As the young plants 
in the bed are liable to be injured, it is necessary to 
protect them from parasitic and other enemies, which 
may injure and retard their growth, or even kill 
them. Sterilization has been found successful in 
combating various kinds of plant-rot diseases, as 
well as killing hibernating insects. The seed beds are 
sterilized with steam in the Fall because of the 
many disadvantages experienced in the Spring, due to 
rain and snow and frozen ground. The seed-bed soil 
can be put in excellent condition in the Fall when 
the land is dry and before the air temperature is low 
enough to freeze. 
EQUIPMENT NECESSARY.—The equipment re¬ 
quired for steam sterilization of seed beds consists of 
the following: A portable boiler of 20 horsepower, or 
larger capacity: heavy %-inch pipe to carry steam 
to bed; heavy canvas or burlap, 216 feet square; a 
steaming pan to cover an area of about 72 square 
feet; attachments for the steaming pan, consisting 
of four ring bolts six inches long, with 3-inch rings; 
four bars or ax handles; felt packing two inches 
wide, sufficient in length to extend around the pan, 
the same length of 4-incli hoop iron or of 2-inch 
angle iron; one %-incli nipple six or se"\en inches 
long, threaded on both ends; two %-incli gaskets; 
two %-incli nuts or threaded washers. In the per¬ 
manent seed bed the pan should be of such width 
as to fit snugly within the sides of the 
frame, and its length vary according to 
requirements. A pan having an area 
of 72 square feet is sufficient for a 
20 to 25 horsepower boiler. On a bed 
six feet wide the bed should be 12 feet 
long. With the bed tightly covered, 
steam is applied for 30 minutes at 
between 75 and 100 pounds pressure, 
which means a top-surface temperature 
of 212 degrees. By placing a potato 
four inches deep in the middle of the 
bed the test of sterilization would be 
when the potato has been thoroughly 
cooked. By cutting a hole, padding it 
with felt, a thermometer can be used. 
Sterilization so improves the soil condi¬ 
tions that less fertilizer is needed than 
on unsterilized ground. All fertilizer, 
etc., used should be thoroughly steril¬ 
ized, as this might carry germs or in¬ 
sect diseases. Cover the bed tightly 
and keep covered until used the follow¬ 
ing Spring. 
PORTABLE BRUSH BURNER.—A 
flood River, Oregon, fruit grower has 
devised a valuable method of burning 
pruned limbs and brush from his trees. 
This consists of a large sheet iron frame, 
as shown in the illustration, Fig. 43S, 
placed on an ordinary wagon. The 
brush is piled into this, fire started, 
and as the team hauls the wagon 
through the orchard the brush is 
burned. This is a useful labor-saving 
device which removes all chance of 
injury to the trees, and which may be 
made on any fruit farm out of some 
old pieces of metal roofing or pans at 
small cost. By placing pipes along the 
sides, and fitting the pan into this rack, 
a fireproof outfit is easily made. 
LOADING CANE BY POWER.— 
Sugar planters are using a unique and 
useful machine to displace a large army 
of mules and men. This consists of a 
machine equipped with a gasoline en¬ 
gine, suitable grabs and hoists to pick 
up the cane from the small heaps into 
which the cutters have dropped it. and 
swing it over, to be tripped off into the 
wagon box. The wagons are equipped 
with slings to unload the cane at the 
mill or railway by the use of power 
hoists, doing the work much more 
quickly and effectively than by hand 
power. A fair idea of how the device works may be 
had from Fig. 437. earle w. gage. 
Wood Ashes as a Fertilizer 
HIE value of wood ashes as a fertilizer, on some 
soils at least, presumably because of its potash 
content, is strikingly shown in the picture, Fig. 435. 
T 
The corn shown was grown on the farm of D. II. 
Smith & Son, St. Lawrence County. N. Y. The soil 
of this particular field is sandy, and was given a 
rather heavy application of stable manure, which 
was plowed under. The experimental application of 
wood ashes, came about through the fact that a 
schoolhouse is located in one corner of the field, and 
during the Winter months the ashes from the wood- 
burning stove used for heating were carried out and 
thrown upon the field. Soon after planting a dif¬ 
ference was noted in the appearance of the corn, 
and by late Summer the corn receiving the ashes 
had reached a height, as shown by the picture, of 
about 12 feet, while the corn in the same rows, but 
just outside the wood ashes zone, was shorter by 
three or four feet, had not the same number of ears 
set and was not so far advanced in maturity. The 
lesson is evident. Save your wood ashes; they have 
value. R. h. s. 
R. N.-Y.—The average unleached ashes will carry 
about five per cent of potash, a little less than two 
per cent of phosphoric acid and about 30 per cent of 
lime. We do not believe any living chemist can 
make any artificial mixture of potash, phosphorus 
and lime that will give the results of an equal 
quantity of plant food in natural ashes. Why this 
is we do not know, but there is very little pure 
natural wood ashes ever sold as fertilizer. 
Effect of Wood Ashes on Corn. Fig. .'/So 
Sterilizing the Soil icith Portable Steam Roller. Fig. Jj36 
Poicer Loader for Sugar Cane. Fig. .’j37 
Portable Brush Burner in an Oregon Orchard. Fig. Jj38 
A Lean-to Greenhouse 
1. Can Professor Massey advise concerning a plan 
for a small greenhouse for Talbot County, Md. ? A 
two-story building, running east and and west, is desired 
to be used as the north side of proposed greenhouse. 
The question is this: Can I get sufficient light from 
front only for growing vegetable plants? My plan con¬ 
templates a concrete floor and concrete 
about. 1 ft. high. If the plan is not prac¬ 
tical what would you advise? 2. This is 
heavy clay soil (white oak). Can you 
tell me what is the cause of the soil turn¬ 
ing a greenish color? I assume it is due 
to continued turning under of corn crops 
and have tested for acidity, but litmus 
paper fails to indicate acidity, m. p. l. 
1. A lean-to little greenhouse in th * 
position you indicate is perfectly feasible, 
for I am using just such a one with the 
exception that mine of necessity faces 
east, it being on the east end of my office, 
and a door opens directly into it. I built 
a brick wall four feet high to bring it 
on level with the office floor. There is 
perpendicular glass on the east front 
above the brick wall, and the sloping roof 
is of course glass. The south end is also 
glass. The north end is weatherboarded 
outside and ceiled inside tight. It. is 
heated by a little hot-water boiler in the 
cellar under the office, the flow pipe com¬ 
ing up right beside my desk and the ex¬ 
pansion tank stands in the corner of the 
office and is the highest point of the little 
system, the entire heating of the green¬ 
house being done on the down grade, a 
return coil of nine lines of 2-inch piping 
hanging on the rear wall under the plant, 
table. Each line is 0 ft. long, as the 
little lean-to is only 10 ft. long. The 
little boiler is simply a cylinder 11 inches 
high and 10 inches wide, with a stove 
top above and an ash pit below ; it con¬ 
sumes a single hod of coal in 24 hours 
and maintains a night temperature of 60 
deg. at ordinary outside weather, without 
a thought of it after bedtime till morn¬ 
ing. You will need one or more ven¬ 
tilators in the roof, and it would be best 
to make the east end glass and the west 
end tight. Perpendicular glass on the 
south front above the bench will be good, 
but not essential. To heat it you will 
need one of these little tank heaters like 
mine. 
2. I know that white oak soil, or pipe 
clay, as seme call it, and I know that, 
heavy as it seems, it is more sand than 
clay. The fine quicksand has with it a 
white clay that makes it bake very hard 
when dry. The greenish color is caused 
by the growth of algre in moist weather, 
and. of course, the addition of the organic 
matter in stable manure darkens the soil. 
This organic decay, or humus as we call 
it, is the great lack of that soil. Well 
drained and built up with manure and 
legume growth it is as fine wheat soil 
as is found anywhere. Talbot County 
still holds the record wheat crop of 64 14 
bushels an acre, made by the late Mat¬ 
thew Goldsborough. w. F. hassey. 
