104 k. 
shows how good 30 or 35 loads per acre looks. The 
orchard is on very poor land, besides having been 
badly neglected. The piles by the side of the trees 
are to he spread in furrows opened last Fall. The 
piles between the rows we intend to inoculate with 
manure, then spread later for potatoes, but it does 
business whether treated or not. It simply takes 
longer, and the tree will need it from year to year. 
Why he in a hurry to ge f rid of it? The use of cable 
and carrier makes pili easy and saves labor over 
hauling out to pile, I. c. R. 
Planting Florida Strawberries 
Part II. 
DROPPING THE PLANTS.—The man who is to 
drop them takes a box of plants and a pail partly 
filled with water, places these half a dozen paces or 
so from Ihe end of the bed in the path, sets the box 
on end. takes out what plants he can hold and con¬ 
trol with one hand, dips the roots afresh, and comes 
back to drop them. IP' instructions are to drop 
each plant on the cross Ark. to the left of the row 
mark, with the top p- • d the right of the planter. 
By the time his ha ; >l is out he is close to his 
supply which he moves forward again, and proceeds 
as before. The dropper started. I put on ray glove, 
take up my trowel, and here goes to keep up with 
him : but don’t expect too much while I am explain¬ 
ing. 1 get down on my padded right knee close to 
the first plants, and Ihe knee between the two rows 
to be planted, the body being balanced by the left 
foot resting squarely on the ground. The trowel is 
grasped dagger-fashion, that is. thumb up and blade 
down. Say we are planting from south to north. 
With the trowel in the gloved right band, poised 
for the thrust, with the left I pick up the southeast 
plant of the lirst four, grasping it just over the bulb 
with thumb and first two fingers. The other two 
fingers are tightly closed. These serve as a depth 
gauge. The trowel descends at a slight angle from 
the perpendicular toward myself, striking the check 
mark, and just as tin* force of the stroke is spent 
there is a slight, quick movement of the hand, back¬ 
ward. thus breaking the resistance of the soil over 
flic point of the trowel, and instantly Ihe trowel is 
brought forward and upward: meantime the left 
hand on the instant whisks the roots of the plant 
like a whiplash behind and under the trowel in such 
exact time that the falling particles of soil escaping 
from the sides of the rising trowel cany the root- 
tips to the bottom of the cavity: a fraction of a 
second too late the cavity tills, the opportunity is 
lost, and another trial is necessary. The right hand 
grasping the trowel keeps right on in its upward 
course to the height of a foot or so. turns, flashing 
the point of the trowel outward and upward, and is 
plunged down, knuckle of the forefinger leading, 
firming the soil over the roots of the plant by the 
blow. 
Whew ! < )nly one plant set. but we will do better. 
Here goes the northeast plant, same movement: lean 
back a trifle and here goes the southwest plant, ditto; 
now the northwest plant the same: but with it goes 
the first move for position to plant the next four. 
This consist of moving the left foot forward IS in. 
We begin again with the southeast plant, move¬ 
ment same, except that instead of simply striking 
the plant into place the weight of the body is thrown 
on the right hand as it is thrust down to firm the 
plant, and with a bri k move the right knee Is ad¬ 
vanced is in. to a position about 6 in. short of the 
cross mark of the newly-set plant. Those are the 
details: let's go. Northeast, southwest, northwest 
and step left foot, southeast and move right knee. 
We are off—tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap. the 
thrust of the trowel and the settling blow go rhyth¬ 
mically on to the end of (he row: in fast work, 
in exactly the same time as “grandfather’s clock” 
ticks off the seconds. That is. one plant set every 
two seconds. 
CAUTION.—Now f< a few explanations and cau¬ 
tions. The plants are dipped just before dropping, 
chiefly to add weight to the fibrous roots, and thus 
aid in whisking them into place. Strawberry plants 
are very exacting as to depth in setting. Fibrous 
roots must be covered, the crown bud must be fully 
exposed, so grasping the plant and gauging its depth 
are important details. The beginner in this method 
of setting is always disposed to plunge the trowel 
into the soil, then pull the handle forward and at- 
fempt to insert the plant behind the trowel before 
the implement is being withdrawn, and the result is 
a complete failure. The important knack is to raise 
the body of the soil in the howl of the trowel upward 
and toward the planter, whisk the roots into place 
the instant the opening is large enough, and con¬ 
tinue the raising of the trowel hand in such a way 
as to allow the soil to fall back on the roots. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
PRACTICE NEEDED.—Plainly the method is 
not difficult to learn, though certainly practice is 
required to secure speed and precision. Some years 
ago I taught the art to a number of men. both white 
and colored, and some of them developed a full 
mastery of it in a very short time. The method is 
adapted to row crops set at greater distances. When 
plants are not over 30 in. apart in the row they may 
he set at a rate of speed almost equal to what is 
possible in close work. In row work the forward 
movement is attained by throwing the weight of the 
body on the right arm while firming each plant and, 
of course, drawing up the right knee, working from 
the left side of the row rather than astride it. I 
have used the method for years with all sorts of 
truck crops, and consider it superior in every way 
to the common method of planting with a dibble. 
The method is perfectly adapted for watering, and 
if water is used or not the depressions are filled 
later, usually by Ihe use of a wheel hoe. but if there 
are any obstructions the work can he done nearly as 
fast by a pushing movement with the back of a 
common garden hoe. 
A SPEED TEST.—Does some one rise to remark 
that the statement relative to fast work being in 
time with the swing of the pendulum of grand¬ 
father's clock seems like a continuation of the fairy 
story with variations? When I received the com¬ 
munication quoted in the beginning of this article 
I was planting under very favorable conditions; soil 
just right as to moisture, friable and clear of ob¬ 
structions: plants of good size, but not with over 
long or over massive roots, so I tried some speed 
A Pennsylvania Silo. Fig. 41. (See Next Page) 
tests. The first was a double row containing 400 
plants; time required 13% minutes. The next day 
I tried the same test on a bed containing 1.030 
plants; time required 34 minutes; the last showing 
exactly and the first almost a rate of 1,800 
plants per hour, or one plant every two seconds. 
On three different tests I tried the fastest stroke 
compatible with complete rhythm and precision, the 
most efficient movement at my command; in each 
case it was almost exactly 400 plants set without 
pause or interruption in 15 minutes, or at the rate 
of 1.600 plants per hour. However, I do not think 
that in any one day this year I set over 10.000 
plants; probably the maximum was just a little 
under that, but from 8.000 to 9,000, including inter¬ 
ruptions, was common. 
WATER AND COMPOST.—After the plants are 
set a man follows with the compost, placing a hand¬ 
ful to each plant in the depression made by the 
settling stroke, and he is followed by another who 
pours a half pint of water over the compost. It 
may he well to remark that that amount of water 
would not be sufficient under more trying climatic 
conditions. Some time after the water has been 
applied an earth mulch is formed by the use of a 
wheel hoe equipped with a pair of three-tooth rake 
attachments. The completed work, including the 
digging and cleaning of plants, is at the average 
rate of about 1.200 plants per man per 10-hour day. 
DIGGING AND CLEANING requires very nearly 
one-half of the time. That is largely because the 
nature of the work is such that speed cannot be 
secured by setting the pace. It could be secured by 
“piece work.” but that is not possible, as I do not 
like to have plants dug far in advance, not even over 
night. In all work, and especially in hand work, a 
sludy of economy of movement almost invariably 
greatly increases efficiency. Efficiency studies and stop 
watch tests on movement have received much favor- 
January 22, 1921 
able attention in many factories for years. Agri¬ 
cultural lines could profit by the example. From a 
financial standpoint, practical magazine articles on 
industrial efficiency have been some of the most 
profitable reading I have ever done. I am aware 
that this article is apparently heavily ballasted with 
egotism, and that the typesetter of an earlier day 
probably could not have handled it for lack of I’s; 
but no doubt the very fear of the charge of egotism 
has done as much as anything to hinder the spread of 
practical information. n. l. hartman. 
Florida. 
Substituting Chemicals for Cows 
We have a good farm here that cuts 100 tons of hay, 
mostly on medium low land, but not meadow. This year 
we cut 75 tons of hay and 50 tons silage. We can sell 
all our hay in bales for $30 a ton here on the farm. The 
sale of milk here is limited, and only profitable for two 
months in the Summer. The remainder of the year’s 
income goes to help, with not much return for the feed 
stored up for Winter. The writer is not able to continue 
heavy manual labor, having been in an office for 20 
years, and the doctor advises a change from continual 
year ’round work of this nature. This is the question : 
To keep this farm in hay, how much stable manure per 
acre is required? If rye is plowed under every three to 
four years for organic matter, and fertilizer used, what 
would be the condition? Again, if clover can be grown, 
would you plow the second cut under, or the first, no 
manure used? Clover grows in many places on the farm. 
Which is the better way. to maintain good hay land 
without the cows, or perhaps retain six cows and. of 
course, the two ,vork horses ? We have been carrying 
out over 200 double loads of barn dressing each year. 
Nantucket, Mass. w. t. s. 
ERE is a case such as was recently discussed, 
where, all things considered, the use of chem¬ 
icals will bo more profitable than dairying. Hun¬ 
dreds of Eastern farms have been changed from live 
stock to hay production with good profit. You can 
keep up the fertility of hay farms by using chemicals 
entirely, though it is always desirable to use some 
stable manure if you can get it. In theory the sod 
of the grass land when plowed under should keep 
the land well supplied with organic matter, but sta¬ 
ble manure contains certain bacteria which act to 
break this organic matter up freely. Therefore it 
seems better to use a small amount of manure if pos¬ 
sible on the sod when plowing it under. 
If your estimate of the amount of plant food re¬ 
moved in ,100 tons of hay is correct, it will be com¬ 
paratively easy to supply it in chemicals. One ton 
of mixed clover and Timothy hay, according to 
Henry's tables, contains 27 lbs. of nitrogen, nearly 
10 lbs. of phosphoric acid and 3S lbs. of potash. This 
would make the total larger than you figure. 
The chemicals usually handled for this purpose are 
nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia for the 
nitrogen, acid phosphate for the phosphorus, and 
muriate of potash for the potash. On the average, 
nitrate contains 16 per cent of nitrogen and sulphate 
of ammonia 20 per cent. That is. in 100 lbs. of nitrate 
you supply 16 lbs. of nitrogen and in 100 lbs. of sul¬ 
phate 20 lbs. To make up the 2,000 lbs. sent off in 
your hay you will need a little over 6% tons of 
nitrate or five tons of sulphate. A standard brand 
of acid phosphate will contain 16 lbs. of phosphoric 
acid in each 100 lbs. To supply the 800 lbs., there¬ 
fore. you will need a little over two tons of acid 
phosphate. Muriate of potash carries about 50 per 
cent of potash, so that one ton of muriate will supply 
what you need of that element. We have found that 
it pays to use both nitrate and sulphate of ammonia 
on grass. They are both quickly available, but they 
differ somewhat in their power to give up plant food, 
and we think it pays to use a mixture of two-thirds 
nitrate and one-third sulphate to make up the needed 
nitrogen. 
You will find, however, that you cannot figure ex¬ 
actly on supplying only what the hay removes from 
the soil. Some of this plant food may be washed 
away, and some may not be at once available. It 
will therefore pay you to use at least 25 per cent 
more of plant food than your hay takes away. A 
surplus is always better than a deficit. This is par¬ 
ticularly true of phosphoric acid. That is likely to 
be more slowly available than either the potash or 
the nitrogen, and common practice is to use more of 
it than of either of the other elements. Most fertil¬ 
izers supposed to be fitted especially for grass land 
contain twice as much phosphoric acid as of potash. 
For such a proposition we should use five tons of 
nitrate of soda, two tons of sulphate "of ammonia, at 
least seven tons of acid phosphate and two tons of 
muriate of potash. It would probably be good econ¬ 
omy to use 10 tons of acid phosphate in place of 
seven. That would make 16 to 19 tons of chemicals 
for probably 50 to 60 acres. You can use these chem¬ 
icals either mixed or separately, as you prefer; or 
buy one of the ready-mixed brands designed for 
grass and grain. 
It will also pay to use lime once in four or five 
years, as the meadows are plowed up for reseeding. 
(Continued on page 105) 
