The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
A Talk About Weed-killers 
T HERE are many questions this season about the 
use of “weed-killers.” These killers are chem¬ 
icals which destroy vegetation on walks or roads and 
thus save labor in cultivation. Salt, used in suffi¬ 
cient quantity, will kill out most green growth, but 
it will be necessary to use 10 tons or more to the 
acre in order to do an effective job. Of course, this 
quantity of salt will unfit the land for producing 
another crop for several years. The railroads of the 
country generally use one of the commercial weed¬ 
killers, or a solution of arsenite of soda. Mineral 
oils will kill out most weeds, but people generally 
object to their use. A solution of carbolic acid is 
frequently used, but most of the commercial weed¬ 
killers depend on a solution of arsenite of soda. 
The Department of Agriculture gives the following 
formula for preparing this poison: 
Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), 2 lbs., or high- 
grade concentrated lye, 8 lbs.; white arsenic (arsenic 
trioxide) 4 lbs.; water, to make one gallon. 
Mix the caustic soda or lye with the white arsenic in 
a wooden, earthenware or graniteware receptacle. Add 
the water slowly. In about 30 seconds the 
solution will begin to boil violently, when 
it should be stirred vigorously with a 
wooden paddle. The heat generated by 
the chemical reaction is usually sufficient 
to cause all the arsenic to dissolve, and 
the mixture to become a gray, syrupy 
liquid. In case some of the arsenic re¬ 
mains in suspension, however, it will 1 m* 
necessary to heat the solution until the 
arsenic disappears. After the solution is 
cool, add enough water to replace that 
lost by evaporation. 
To use this, dissolve one gallon of the 
mixture in 50 gallons of water, or smaller 
quantities in the same proportion. Un¬ 
der average conditions? there will be re¬ 
quired about GOO gallons of this solution 
for one acre. Thus, one gallon, properly 
diluted, will cover a space of about 60x60 
ft. The best results are obtained on a 
cloudy or humid day, if possible about 12 
hours before a rain. The treatment does 
not give such good results in hot, dry 
weather. On a small scale, the poison 
can be applied from the sprinkling can or 
a garden hose and nozzle. Where work 
is required on roads or paths, the sprink¬ 
ling can will probably be best. 
nut fat for butterfat in the manufacture of many 
dairy products. Principal among these products 
have been evaporated and condensed milk and 
cream, ©ocoanut oleo and adulterated ice creams, 
resulting from the use of these products in its manu¬ 
facture. 
The milk producer, the manufacturer of pure dairy 
products, the social service workers, and all agen¬ 
cies that believe there is no substitute for milk fat 
in the rations of our children, must get acquainted 
with the extent of this growing menace to the dairy 
industry, and then bring pressure to bear to see to it 
that the proper kind of legislation is enacted to 
control it. They must not only get this legislation, 
but stand behind it and help enforce it. The Market 
Reporter gives the accompanying table to show how 
the year’s supply of milk for 1920 was used. 
Thus the year’s average consumption of liquid milk 
was 43 gallons, or 172 quarts for each man, woman 
and child during the year 1920. We see the small 
amount used in making oleomargarine—and what it 
would mean to the dairy industry if honest butter 
923 
both ways with a "wide cultivator, and stir the soil 
well. The seed is then scattered in by hand, usually 
a mixture of Red-top and Timothy. This is scat- 
ti red evenly over the whole field and worked in by 
dragging a light cultivator or a bundle of brush one 
way through the field. That smooths down the 
surface of the ground and covers the grass seed. In 
order to make a complete seeding the farmer then 
goes through with an iron rake and scratches in the 
seed falling on the ground between the hills of corn. 
This levels off the land and covers the seed. In a 
season of moderate rainfall this grass seed will start 
and make a good growth during the Summer and 
Fall. In a dry season it is not so likely to succeed 
and there would probably be a poor stand of grass. 
In following out this plan the corn ts cut as close to 
the ground as possible, and me shocks are taken off 
the ground early so as to give the grass seed ev'ery 
chance to develop. In the Spring the stubble is 
crushed down level by running a heavy roller along 
the rows of corn while the ground is frozen. This 
makes less interference with the mower knife. 
Seeding of this sort requires consider¬ 
able care and labor, and it is not likely 
to succeed unless there is plenty of 
moisture in the soil. Some New Eng¬ 
land farmers are very expert at this 
work, and can obtain about as good a 
stand of grass as they can when seeded 
in the ordinary way. 
Fig. 376. The basket in the center shows the result of again crossing the two 
hybrid types at either side. All three lots came from 12 hills each. 
All who use this must understand 
that they are handling a powerful 
poison, and they must take every pre¬ 
caution. Re careful not to breathe in 
any of the dust or vapor, and do not 
swallow any of the material by putting 
the fingers in the mouth. When using 
the stuff, it is better to wear leather 
gloves having long wrists. Of course 
poisons of this sort must never be 
used where children or animals can 
ever reach them. The cans and other 
utensils used in handling them must 
be thoroughly washed out. This poison 
has a brackish or salty taste, and ani¬ 
mals frequently lick it up, if they can 
get to it. We always hesitate to give 
advice about the use of these poisons. 
It would seem as if sensible people 
would learn to be careful about their 
use. Yet we have known Intelligent 
people to take such chances in handling 
them that it is enough to frighten one 
who looks on from the outside. On 
garden paths and brick walks we pre¬ 
fer to use brine as a weed-killer, preferably 
while hot. 
IllM .‘a .. 
The Rights of Road Contractors 
Will you explain the rights of road 
contractors in regard to excavations in 
constructing highway? A road is being 
built in front of my farm. The contrac¬ 
tor claims he has the right to take soil 
anywhere between the three-rod limit 
(the road being a three-rod road). He 
uses the privilege by taking it indis¬ 
criminately. When trees are missing he 
digs back to the fence, spoiling the places 
for replanting, instead of taking soil nil 
along within the ditch line. At some 
places there is soil to spare and can be 
hauled to other sections. I objected to 
the county engineer. lie acknowledged 
it was an unnecessary damage, but said 
he was powerless, as the State law per¬ 
mits it. There are other farmers on 
this same road who have been damaged, 
and on other road jobs also. I was sur¬ 
prised that the county could let a con¬ 
tract ir. such a way that a contractor 
could at will cause such unnecessary 
disfigurement and damage to a man’s 
property. If such is the case that the 
contractors have these rights the law 
should be amended without delay. The 
county engineer or his assistant said 
their office would be pleased if such pro¬ 
visions were made, as they have lots of 
complaints for just such jobs. a. d. r. 
Erie Co., N. Y. 
u 
Fig. 377. A field of corn in which every plant is uniformly productive is the 
ideal which double-crossed corn closely approaches. 
applied were made and eaten in place of the quantity of oleo. 
I 
Cocoanut Oil and Adulterated Milk 
I have been told that milk is being adulterated with 
cocoanut oil for certain uses, but I have not noticed 
anything in The R. N.-Y. about it. If this is a fact I 
should be interested in an article giving the facts. There 
must be more than one “nigger in the fence” when 
these big companies can put over the stunts that they 
do, such as standardizing milk, using milk powder dur¬ 
ing short season, etc., while the milk producer has to 
“walk turkey” and has a hard job to make both ends 
meet. H. is. B. 
Connecticut. 
T is not probable that cocoanut fat is being used 
in the fluid milk industry. It is, however, being 
used to replace butterfat in all of the other dairy 
products, such as butter, cheese, ice cream, con¬ 
densed milk and evaporated milk and cream. It is 
this technical adulteration of dairy products that is 
menacing the dairy industry today and threatening 
to undermine the health of the rising generations. 
About a quarter of a century ago vast areas of 
cocoanut trees were set out in the Philippines and 
East Indian-Islands. As a result there is at present 
a drug on the market in the form of copra, or dried 
cocoanut kernels. We also know that at times 
skim-milk is a surplus product. The relatively high 
prices paid in the last year or so for butterfat and 
the comparative cheapness of skim-milk and cocoa- 
nut oil has resulted in the substitution of the cocoa- 
Per 
per 
Total whole cent of 
Total whole 
cent of 
Product. 
milk used. 
total 
milk used. 
total 
Pounds 
milk. 
Pounds 
milk. 
Creamery butter... 
18,135,117,000 
20.226 
18,375,000,000 
20.404 
Farm butter. 
14,175,000,000 
15.810 
14,385,000,000 
15.973 
Cheese (all kinds). 
3,024,310,000 
4.042 
4,200,000,000 
4.664 
Condensed and evap- 
orated milk. 
3,945,038,000 
4.400 
4,813,000,000 
5.344 
Powdered milk.... 
82,672,000 
.092 
72,000,000 
.080 
Powdered cream... 
5.871,000 
.007 
12,000,000 
.013 
Malted milk. 
43,373,000 
.048 
40,000,000 
.045 
Sterilized m i 1 k 
(canned) . 
5,023,000 
.006 
4,500,000 
.005 
Oleomargarine (all 
kinds) . 
24,256,000 
.027 
87,000,000 
.097 
Milk chocolate.... 
60,000,000 
.067 
Ice *cream, gals.... 
3,575,000.000 
3.987 
3,450,000,000 
3.831 
Total milk used 
in manufacturing 43,676,260.000 
48.712 
40,439,000,000 
50.456 
Ho hold purposes.. 
39,090,000,000 
43.599 
38,619,000,000 
42.882 
Fed to calves. 
4.202,000,000 
4.687 
3,500,000.000 
3.886 
AVaste, loss, etc... 
2.689,000,000 
3.000 
2,500,000,000 
2.770 
Grand total. 
. 89,658,000,000 
100.000 
90,057,500,00 100.000 
Seeding to Grass in Corn 
Can I seed down this Fall a field that 
corn at present? It is on a sidehill. 
Spencer, Mass. 
I have in field 
C. P. L. 
I 
N some parts of New England the farmers are 
quite successful in seeding to grass in the corn¬ 
field. The corn should be planted in hills if you 
expect much success with this plan. The usual plan 
is to wait until what would naturally be the last 
cultivation of the corn. Then go through, if possible, 
NT)ER the laws of New York a 
contractor holding a contract with 
the State for the improvement of a 
highway may move earth from one 
section of the road to another where 
called for and specifie*l in the plans 
and specifications, but he has no right 
to go outside of the highway limits 
except where express provisions and 
authority are provided therefor. 
The law in the State is well settled 
that there can be no recovery by an 
abutting property owner for damages occasioned by 
a change in grade in the improvement of a public 
highway, the theory of the law being that highways 
are improved for the benefit of all users of the 
highway and that if an abutting property owner is 
damaged by a change in grade that this damage is 
offset by the benefit he derives by the improvement 
of the highway. 
In all contracts with this department for the 
improvement of highways we have an engineer con¬ 
tinually on the job to observe the progress of the 
Avork being done under the contract, and these 
engineers are instructed by us to see that the con¬ 
tractor does no unnecessary damage to the property 
of abutting owners. It is the desire of this depart¬ 
ment to cause as little damage as possible to owners 
of abutting property, and where a cut or fill is 
necessary in order properly to complete the improve¬ 
ment, a contractor is required to respect the rights 
of such abutting owners and to perform his work in 
a way which will result in little damage. 
I cannot determine from the letter whether the 
work to which be refers is being conducted under 
the authority of this department or whether it is a 
local improvement. If it is the latter, I believe 
arrangements can be made to compel the contractor 
to conduct his work in such a way that only slight 
damage will be done to his property, if any. 
State Commission of Highways. j. c. finch. 
