The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-20
Notes, Queries, Etc.


notice in your paper you wish for expe-
rience with South Carolina phosphate
rock in raw condition. l used one
ton last year, and could not see it did a
particle of good" Our friend will add
greatly to the favor he does us in send
ing this note if he will kindly send
detailed account of his trial. stating
whether the ground rock was used alone,
or in combination with other fertilizing
materials, how it was applied, and upon
what crops, with any other points that
may occur to him. The agricultural
public are seriously interested in this
question, and it is very strange that we
have hardly any record of tests in the
use of raw rock in this country. In
England there have been both favor
able and unfavorable reports.
This rainy day (May s. we have been
laying out series of experiments with
the rock, having procured quantity of
I" floats " for that purpose. This form
of the rock is an almost impalpable
powder, and we noticed in opening it
that next the bag, and for an inch or
two inward, it had a bright brick-dust
tint, while in the middle it was brown
ish. This seems to indicate the pres
ence of considerable oxide of iron,
which has changed, by contact with the
air, from black to red oxide. With
part of it we have made a complete
fertilizer, by mixing with seventy-fve
pounds of the rock one and one-half
bushels of pure sifted hardwood ashes
from our own stoves, and twenty pounds
of sulphate of ammonia. We shall test
it upon potatoes and corn against bone
and ashes, and against complete SUI
perphosphate, while on another patch
we shall test the floats alone against
plain superphosphate made of the same
material, and against fine bone ash.
We propose to make lands of eight
rows each, and take sections embracing
two rods each, for each form of fer
tilizer. This will give bands or stripes
across the field, which ought to show
distinctly in the growth of the crop
whatever differences occur, while, be-
ing marked by stakes, these stripes can
be easily harvested separately, and the
yield of each at maturity ascertained.
One experiment, or series of expert
ments, cannot be expected to give con-
elusive results, but this will make a be-
ginning in very important study, for
if we can get fertilizer as powerful
and enduring as bone dust for half its
price the saving to the country will be
immense.
As we have closed g The Household :"
department against male correspond
ents, we shall have to give here card
from L. E. j. questioning some Of the
culinary science of one of the women
folks. He says: " In The Household, ;
April 20, Mrs. A. W., recommends
cooking the sugar with apple-sauce and
rhubarb-sauce. / understand that the
secretary of the Vermont Board of Ag-
riculture teaches that by cooking sugar
with acid fruit the cane sugar changes
to grape sugar (glucose) and thereby
diminishes its sweetening power about
two.ffths. This being so, for the most
economic sweetening the sugar should
be added after the sauce is cooked"
REMARKS. We do not know DR.. Cut
ting's views on this subject, but some
ten years ago we called Professor Col
lier's attention to the matter, and he
took it up with interest, having sauces
made both ways and analyzing them.
He reported that it was even so, and
that there was a considerable loss from
this inversion of the sugar by the ac-
ton of the acid juices of the fruit in
the process of cooking. Nevertheless
such is the power of female conserva.
tism that no change has ensued in the
culinary processes of our own house
hold in consequence of this scientific
proclamation. We believe that Prof
fessor Collier was entirely correct as tt
the inversion of the sugar, but perhaps
the women may not be much out of thu
way, either. We have noticed that es
sence of peppermint, made with two
ounces of oil of peppermint to gallon
of alcohol, tasted as strong of pepper
mint as the pure oil. We have als'
noticed that glucose syrup on cake
tasted as sweet as sugar syrup, wher
freely used. Women claim there is al
advantage in cooking the sugar until
thoroughly penetrates the fruit, and tn
gain from this may equal, to the pa
ate, the loss caused by the inversion c
the sugar How is it, ladies of " Th
Household"
A. A. o., Montpelier, VT, says
81 saw piece in your departmer
awhile ago in reference to the Chimes
Multiplier Onion decaying. / hay
raised them every year since l receive
them from you some eight years ag
and thev have never decaVed at all