The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Using Phosphate with Manure 
Would there be any danger in using 16 
per cent superphosphate on a truck farm 
making a specialty of spinach, lettuce, 
radishes, onions, etc*.? The farm has 
been worked in truck crops about 45 
years, and is covered every year with an 
average of 75 to 100 tons of manure per 
acre. Onion tops fall down before their 
time. Lost year averaged five tons of 
lime to acre, limed and plowed and limed 
again as it needed it. and showed good 
results. Manure was formerly all from 
horses, but last four years changed to 
cow manure. Ground is in finest condi¬ 
tion that can he found, but I am afraid 
to use 16 per cent superphosphate for 
fear the lettuce and spinach will run to 
seed. I intend to broadcast this fertilizer 
if it is safe to use on these crops. 
Maspeth. N. Y. w. e. 
If I had a patch of ground covered 
each year with from 75 to 100 tons of i 
barnyard manure to the acre I should be 
afraid not to use plenty of 16 per cent \ 
phosphate, because barnyard manure is 
such a lopsided plant feeder that l would 
consider the results I was securing would 
not be proportionate to the amount ex¬ 
pended. We have been believing for 
years that the best vegetable fertilizers 
were those analyzing four or five per 
cent nitrogen and not lessi than six or 
eight per cent, of both phosphorus and 
potash. My favorite commercial fertil¬ 
izer on my soil has been a 3—0—6. Now 
if either of these formulas is anywhere 
near correct, then a ton or more of 16 
per cent would not be any too much to 
apply to balance up the barnyard manure, 
because phosphorus is the one element of 
plant food which is woefully deficient in 
this fertilizer. I do not believe that the 
application of a 16 per cent would have ! 
any tendency to make the plants run to 
seed. I do not believe that phosphorus 
has a tendency to make the plant want 
to run to seed, but I believe it does give 
the individual seeds more plumpness and 
vitality. I would rather think that plants 
imperfectly supplied with moisture or 
plant food or supplied with an unbalanced 
plant food would more quickly show the 
tendency to run to seed. 
I believe that seed forming is more a 
matter of age than of growth. A rapidly 
growing plant has no time to bother with 
seed production. Tts energies are devoted 
to growing, and it sticks to the job until 
it has perfected its growth, and then 
makes seed, if it has the age. A stunted, 
poorly fed plant seems to say : “My life 
is to be made short, and T must reproduce 
and help perpetuate the species.” and at 
once it runs to seed, spending its energies 
in plant reproduction rather than in 
healthy growth. 
I would use the 16 per cent, and lots 
of it. provided it was well distributed 
through the soil, because I have found 
that when phosphate is imperfectly dis¬ 
tributed. and much of it. comes in contact 
with the small rootlets, it. will kill the 
rootlets, stunting the plant, causing it to 
run to seed, and then we lay the blame 
on the fertilizer for this action of the I 
plant. 
1 notice W. E. uses cow manure, and 
in this connection would tell of an ex¬ 
perience I had some years ago with this 
plant food. A dairyman near my place 
had a lot of cow manure for sale, and I 
purchased 18 large two-horse loads of it. 
and applied it to a half acre of land in a 
field of two acres which T was going to 
set to tomatoes. The manure was well 
> 
harrowed in and the entire field planted 
at the same time, a 3—0—6 fertilizer be¬ 
ing applied to all the plants, those on the 
manured portion receiving the same 
amount as the others. The entire field 
received the same treatment all through 
the season up to picking time. I ex¬ 
pected results from the cow manured por¬ 
tion. but when pickings were made there 
was not one more pound of tomatoes 
picked from the manured patch than from 
any other equal area in the entire field. 
I mentioned this fact to some of my 
brother gardeners, who were more favor¬ 
able to barnyard manure than I, and 
they on° and all said. “You just wait 
until next year, and then you will see 
something.” I waited. The next year 
the same field was again planted with 
tomatoes, and absolutely no difference 
was observable in the yield, although the 
vines on the manured portion were 
slightly larger in leaf growth and per¬ 
haps a little darker in color. I never 
could explain the reason for these nega¬ 
tive results except from the fact that I 
(Continued on page 321) 
319 
timkens MEAN - MORE BETTER FARMING - by power 
During a period of more than twenty years, 
57,000,000 Timken Tapered Roller Bearings have 
been manufactured on an unchanged principle. 
Because of their simplicity of design— 
ease of installation— 
compactness of mounting— 
interesting part in the development of More and 
Better Farming By Power. 
While watching 57,000,000 Timken Tapered 
Roller Bearings at work we have learned much 
about the application of power to the farm. A 
descriptive analysis of this valuable information 
has been got out in a booklet, a copy of which 
should be in the hands of every farmer in America. 
unparalleled performance— 
uniformity of quality— 
ability to carry radial loads, thrust loads, and 
all possible combination loads— 
and their adjustability for the wear that must 
follow all motion, Timken Tapered Roller Bear¬ 
ings are playing an important and intensely 
A postcard from you, addressed to Department R, 
will bring your copy. 
When you write for the booklet it will be of 
great help if you will give the size of your farm 
and its present motor equipment. 
The Timken Roller Bearing Co, Canton, Ohio 
Timken Tapered Roller Bearings for Tractors, Farm Implements, Trucks, 
Passenger Cars, Machinery, Trailers, and Industrial Appliances 
Send for free booklet on “More and Better Farming By Power” 
ROLLER BEARINGS 
LATEST OUT 
‘‘Log and Tree Saw. 
TsTOW von'ean get the latest WITTE Arm 
" L1 Swing, Lever Controlled, Force Feed 
Log Saw for sawing up logs any Bize. 
Moves like a wheelbarrow—goes any 
whore—saws up-hill, down-hill or on level. 
Cuts much faster than former rigs. Oper¬ 
ated b y a hig h power, frost-proof 
WITTE 4-Cycle Engine 
Costs only 25 to50 cents a day to oper¬ 
ate. Double the powerneeded for saw 
ing logs or trees. Perfectly balanced 
rig. Can be used for belt work. 
New WITTE Tree Saw 
At low cost additional 
__tional you can 
now get the new WITTE Tree 
Saw Equipment — changes Log 
Saw to Tree Saw. Saws down 
trees any size. 
Send for Log and Tree 
Saw Catalog, 
Quick 
CSnange 
From 
Log to 
Tree 
Saw 
For this Complete Log Saw 
F. O. B. Kansas City, No. 
From Pittsburgh,Pa., add$6.80 
Don’t buy any Log Saw, Tree 
Saw or Buzz Saw Outfit until 
you have seen the new WITTE. 
Lowest priced Guaranteed rig on 
the market. Cuts much faster than for¬ 
mer rigs. On tests we cut 2-ft. log in 90 
seconds. Tree saw cuts’em close to the 
ground. Goes anywhere. We are making 
a special advertising price NOW—So write 
at once for complete description of this 
wonderful outfit FI 
BRANCH BUZZ SAW $23.50. 
WITTE Englnfe Works 
1895 Oakland Ave., Kansas City. Mo. 
1895 Empire Bldg., Pitsburgh, Pa. 
i 
Write for Book 
Today 
FARM WAGONS 
High or low wheels—steel or wood—wide 
or narrow tires. Steel or wood wheels to fit any 
running gear. Wagon parts of all kinds. Write 
today for free catalog illustrated in colors. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL COo 48 Elm Street, Quincy. IIL 
igHBKKBBnHii 
U.S. 
An 
ufiSS 
he 
ie 
Guaranteed to wear 
G months. Made by 
Kndicott - Johnson 
Co. of p I 1 a h 1 e 
Chrome Leather. 
Broad Solid oak 
Leather Heels. 
Double Thick Soles. 
I>irt and Water 
Proof, Bellows 
Tongue. Size 
fi'/j to 12. 
. - 
mk 
Guarantee 
You must be entire- 
satisfied or we will 
refund your money. 
PAY THE POSTMAN 
Send no money with order. Merely send 
your name, address and size wanted. YTur 
shoes will be sent by return mail. Pay 
postman $4.45 and postage when shoes 
arrive. 
Civilian Army & Navy Shoe Co, 
Pept. II 45 W. 34th St., New York 
