r,7 Jbhratf « lssii.il l-VI>runr\ 23, ISMffl U S. DEPARTMENT ( >l ACRKTI.TI ki:. BURKAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY Circular No. 22. B. T. G vi.Lim 'AY, Chief of Bureau FARM METHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER IN WESTERN OREGON AND WESTERN WASHINGTON. BYRON HUNTER, \--i-iwi \. ,i:k i in i:ivj . ( )}■•]]( i of K\i:m ManAOEMEN' AASHIN JTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1»0« ■POSITOI BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. Physiologist and Pathologist, and chief of Bureau, Beverly T. Calloway. Physiologist and Pathologist, end Assistant Chief of Bureau, Albert F. Woods. laboratory of Plant Pathology, Erwin I'. Smith, Pathologist in Charge. / ruii Disease Investigations, .Merlon B. Waite, Pathologist in Charge. Investigations in Forest Pathology, H?"en Metcalf, Pathologist in Charge. Cotton ami Truck Diseases and Plant Disease Survey, William A. Orton, Pathologist in Charge. Pathological Collections and Inspection Work, Flora W. Patterson, Mycologist in Charge Plant Life History Investigations, Walter T, Swingle, Physiologist In Charge. Cattun Breeding Investigations, Archibald D. Shamel and Daniel N. Shoemaker. Physl ologists in ( harge. Tobacco Investigations, Archibald D. Shamel, Wightman W. earner, and Ernest 11 Mathewson, in Chai e Corn Investigations, Charles P. Hartley, Physiologist in Charge. Alkali and Drought Resistant Plant Breeding Investigations, Thomas 11. Kearney, Physl ologist in Charge. Soil Bacteriology and Water Purification Investigations, Karl F. Kellerman, Physiolo gist in Charge. Bionomic Investigations of Tropical and Subtropical Plants, Orator F. Cook. I'.i mlsl in Charge. Drug and Poisonous Plant and Tea Culturt Investigations, Rodney II. True, Physiologist in Charge. Physical Laboratory, Lyman .1. Briggs, Physicist in Charge. \\er. almost invariably apply their plaster during March, lint it' 'I..1111I plaster, or gypsum, is a form of lime in combination with sulphuric arid, ii is found as a r<»-l.; like mineral deposit in many widely scattered states from New York to California. Formerly it was extensively used in agriculture as a fertilizer for legumes, especially the clovers, but in recent years and in most places it has been quite generally superseded bj other forms of lim ■ c direct forms of potash fertilizers. Onlj aboul one-third of the weight of gypsum is lime: the remainder is sulphuric acid and water, .lust what the action of land plaster is in the soil or why it is of such benefit to clover and other legumes is not well understood. Its value is believed, however, to be ehieflj due to its indirect effeel in setting free planl f 1 already in the soil, espet lallj potash, to its tendency to make the soil alkaline, and to its flocculat- ing effect in heavy clay soils, bj which the drainage and mechanical condition of such soils are Improved. Ii- beneficial effect on tin- clovers may probably he explained bj the fart thai these crops are preeminently potash feeders and delight in a pervious soil. For n fuller discussion of the action of gypsum, see the revised edition of storer's Agriculture, vol. 1. p. •"••"•1 [Cir. J-] 4 FARM METHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER. applied in the early spring to clover that can not be retarded by pas- turing, the crop grows vigorously and matures for hay early in June. Rains are not infrequent at this season and haymaking is often diffi- cult. For these reasons plaster is sometimes applied the last of April or the first of May, so that the crop will mature a little later. The amount of plaster used varies from 30 to 100 pounds per acre. While some apply as high as 100 pounds per acre, farmers generally agree that from :")0 to 60 pounds is sufficient for a hay crop, provided the plaster is evenly distributed. A heavy application causes a growth of too much straw for a seed crop of clover, and from 30 to 40 pounds is generally considered enough by seed growers. An application of from 30 to 40 pounds of plaster to young clover is very beneficial, as the clover starts better and makes a better stand and a heavier growth in the fall. When clover is sown in the spring with oats or other spring grain, a heavy application of plaster causes the clover to grow too vigorously. Being shaded by the grain, the stems are tall and slender. Under such conditions the hot sun may burn the clover and destroy the stand when the grain is cut. Only light applications of plaster should therefore be made when clover is sown with grain in the spring. With but few exceptions land plaster is distributed by hand in western Washington and western Oregon. It is distributed either from a sack carried by the sower or from a box or hopper in the back end of a wagon. It is very difficult to sow plaster by hand. Too much is usually applied in the middle and not enough on the margins of each strip sown. The wind blows the plaster and it is very difficult to keep from applying it in streaks. If it is distributed evenly the growth of the crop is quite uniform over the Held, but if distributed in streaks the clover also grows in streaks. Where little or no plaster falls, sorrel, grasses, and other weeds often constitute the principal part of the growth. Figure 1 strikingly illustrates the effects of irregular sowing, whether by hand or otherwise. Uniform distribution of the plaster increases the yield of the crop. It is safe to say that clover yields one-half ton more hay to the acre where the plaster is evenly distributed than where the distribution is uneven. Again, the clover comes on vigorously all over the field and holds the weeds in check much better when the plaster is evenly distributed. Sowing plaster by hand is very disagreeable. The sower breathes large quantities of the line dust. It gets into his eyes and all over his person. Few hired men are willing to do the work and (he farmer usually has to do it himself. In the attempt to scatter it evenly the sower usually L r et^ on from one and one-half to two times as much as is necessary. This waste amounts to from l20 to 50 pounds per acre. fCir. 22] I \K.\I METHODS "I APPLYING LAND PLASTEK. The difficulties of sowing land plaster by hand eaii be partially come by mixing ii with two to lour times its bulk of dry soil or ashes. During the past season the writer made a study of farm methods of applying land plaster in the region under discussion. Farmers were found in different localities who have worked oui some very satisfactory devices for thi- purpose. The object of this circular is to describe these implements in order that other farmers may profit by the experience of these men. It is hoped that the descriptions given herewith are sufficiently' clear to enable any farmer who is reason- Fio. 1. Field showing the effect of land plaster on clover. Thi ] inches long on the bottom edg< . ;'> ! inches wide on the back end. and ."> inches wide on the front end. To keep the plaster dry, the box is covered with a light lid. The bow is l'» feet long. The heads of the bow arc three-fourths of an inch thick, 1; inches wide, and I inches long. The bodj of the bow between the heads is three-fourths of an inch square and II feet I niche- long. A §-inch rope is put through the groove in the box and stretched across the heads of the bow, which lies in place mi the rabbeted lip of the bottom. The rope is permanently fastened to one end of the bow. As the rope will stretch, it is neces sai\ to fasten ii to the oilier end in such a way that it may be tight- ened. It may be passed around the head of the bow and tacked temporarily. A better way i- to securely fasten across the end of (he how a piece of iron with a j inch hole in one end. The end of the iron with the hole in it projects beyond the edge of the bow enough to permit the rope to pa-- through the hole. The rope is then tightened and held in place by driving a hardwood wedge into the hole beside it. Figure •_' shows the box attached to the cart. Scantling are bolted to the under side of the -haft-. They rest on the axle and project far enough behind the cart to furnish support for the box. Wedges are placed under the hack of the box to till it forward enough to cause the plaster to slide to the front edge. A L2-inch hoard i- bolted across the scantling between the box ami the wheel- of the cart. Tin- i- to support the lever that moves the how hack and forth. The front edge of the hoard i- raised by mean- of wedges to give the lever it- proper position. The bow i- moved hack and forth by means of a lever that gets ii> impetus from one of the wheels. The lever consists of two piece-. one being about I inches shorter than the other. The two piece- of the lexer are fastened together h\ mean- of a thin, flat piece id' iron. The right-hand margin of the iron plate i- securely fastened with screws to the long piece of the lever where (he latter pa— es OVer I he torting board. I [alf-inch hole- three fourl lis of an inch apart pass through the iron plate, the long piece of the le\cr. and the supporting board. The level is held in position mi the L2-inch hoard upon which it rests by mean- of the pivotal pin and three clamps or guide plates, two on the left side and one on the right side. These guide plate- are shown in figures I and .".. When in position they are fastened with screws to the 12-inch supporting hoard. The guide plate on the ll'ir 22] 8 FARM METHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER. right is about 11 inches long'. It has half-inch holes three-fourths of an inch apart in its left margin, through which the pivotal pin passes. The length of the stroke of the lever is controlled by changing the position of the pivotal pin in these holes. The lowen left- hand corner of the plate is bolted to the lower end of the short piece of the lever. In the upper left-hand cor- ner of the plate of iron is a slot an inch long. This cor- ner of the plate of iron is fastened to the short piece of the lever by means of a thumbscrew that passes through the slot. The upper cuds of the two pieces of the lever have each a V-shaped iron guide attached with screws. Their position and shape are shown in figures i and 5. By means of the thumb- screws just described the guide plates are set just far enough apart to allow the spokes of the wheels to pass between them. Plates of iron are fastened to spokes where the. guide plates rub. to prevent the spokes from being cut oil'. Fig. 4. — The lever of the land-plaster distributer shows in figure - complete as it rests upon the board thai supports it. Three guide plates and a pivotal pin hold die lever in place. Two of Hi ese plates are on the lefl and one on the right. The one. on the right has holes in its left margin through which the pivotal pin passes. On the upper ends of the two pieces of the lever are V-shaped guide plates. When the spokes strike these plates the lever moves back and forth. On the lower end of the lever is an iron that catches into tlio staple on the bow. Fig. •"•. The lever of the land plaster distributer shown In figure 2. The clamps, or guide plates, lie on either side of the lever. The staple, oi socket, into which the iron on the lower end of the lever catches is shown ai the left oi the *vo small guide plates, it is fastened to the bow with screws. The piece of iron that is bolted to the lower end of the lever projects far enough to catch into a socket or staple fastened to the bow. As the spokes of the wheel strike the guide plates the lever is moved I' \ I : M METHODS n|- \|'|'|.\IM, LAND PLASTER. 9 back ami forth. The lever in turn moves the bow. The longer tin' stroke the greater the amount of plaster sown, and vice versa. After (lie rope <>n the bow has been used for some i ime it gets full of plaster and the feed is diminished slightly. A rope will so"« about 100 acres. Ii should then be cleaned or replaced with a new one. From the illustrations of this device for distributing land plaster it will lie -.ecu that ii can lir attached to a buggy or the hind wheels of the running gear of a wagon. It can also be mounted upon a pair of wheels by letting the scantling upon which the box rests extend forward far enough to serve a- shafts. The wheelbarrow grass seeder is one of the best device-- for sowing clover seed. A farmer who needs a plaster distributer will doubtless need a grass seeder also. We would advise those contemplating the construction of this im- plement to gel the wheelbarrow grass seeder first. With it to look at and the descriptions given herewith the construction of a plaster distributer should be a simple matter. In order that this implement may do perfect work, the land plaster should be dry and thoroughly pulverized. Difficulty is sometimes experienced in distributing plaster that is damp and full of lumps and small pieces of uncrushed rock. Putting the plaster through a sieve to remove the lumps and pieces of uncrushed rock materially aids in it- distribution. OLSON'S LAND-PLASTER DISTRIBUTER. Some five years ago Mr. Charles Olson, of Washington County, Oreg., undertook the task of making a satisfactory implement for distributing land plaster. Since then a local smith has constructed several of these implements, and the original has been improved in several particular-. Figure 6 illus trates this distrib- uter. It consistsof a long box, or hop- per, mounted on an old pair of mower wheel-. A large square -haft re- volves in the Kol torn of the box to agitate the plaster. The implement ha- a tongue and i- drawn by two horses. The box is shaped very much like the box of an ordinary grain drill. It is 11 feel lone. Inn can he made any length desired. The bottom of (he box :- l , inche- thick. .">', inches « ide, and 1 1 feet 1<> inches lone-, thus projecting Far enough beyond the end of the box to furnish support [Clr 22 j I i'. U \n Implement for distributing land plaster devised iiy Mr. Charles Olson, .>i Washington County, Oreg. 10 FARM METHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER. Fig. 7.- Bottom view of Olson Land-plaster distributer, show ing the holes in the box through which the plaster p ;ind the attachment of the tongue and its braces to the box The lever for adjusting the feed, carried in straps on the front of the box, is also shown. for the bearings. The front and back pieces of the box are 1} inches thick and 11 inches wide. The lower edges of the side pieces rest on top of the bottom piece. The ends of the box are 1 j indies thick. Each end consists of two pieces. The lower piece is about 1 inch wide and has a half circle cut in the middle of its upper edge. The upper piece ha> a half circle cut in the middle of its lower edge. When the two pieces are put together they form a circular h ole , through which the shaft passes. The end pieces fit the shaft snugly, so that the plaster will not work out. The ends fit in grooves cut in the side pieces. They are held, in place by small iron rods that run across the box. To protect the plaster during showers the box is provided with a lid 13 inches wide. Holes for the plaster to pass through are cut in the bottom of the box. (See fig. T.) These are three-eighths of an inch wide. 2$ inches long, and 3 inches apart. These holes run across the box — that is. the length of the holes is at right angles to the length of the box. On the under side the hole- are about an inch wide. A piece of galvanized iron with holes corresponding to those just de- scribed is placed in the bottom of the box in such a way as to form a curved bottom. (See fig. 8, which shows a cross section of I lie box.) This piece of galvan- ized iron is s inches wide and i- as long as the inside of the box. Its edges are nailed to the sides. Another piece of galvanized iron 10 inches wide, with corresponding feed hole-, lit- snugly over the stationary one fastened in the bottom of (he box. This upper piece of iron is movable Lengthwise of the box. Its edges pass up the sides [Cir. 22] Fig. s. -Cross section of the box of (he land plaster distributer shown in figure 6: 1. bottom ; 2, side-. ; :;. top, or lid; I. square shaft that revolves in the bottom of i he box; •">. stationary sheet of galvanized iron: 6, movable sheet of galvanized iron; 7. cleats that hold the upper sheet of galvanized iron in place, FARM \l I rHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER. II of the box and are covered by cleats. The cleats are narrow strip* of galvanized iron 1! inches wide nailed to the side- of the box. They are bent in the middle to give room for the edg< ■ of the sheet of galvanized iron thej cover. Ii will be seen thai the upper piece of galvanized iron is held in place by the cleats only and can be moved lengthwise in either direction to open or close the le9Q holes. The wheels of Ihe implemenl arc old mower wheels. A large iron shafl run- through the bottom of the box and connects the two wheel-. At the end- thi> shaft is cylindrical, but on the inside it is 1 | inches square. The turning of this square rod in the bottom of the box constantly work-, the plaster out through the i\~vt\ hole- and ps ii from packing in the bottom of the box. In fact, the turning of this square shaft in the bottom of the box is one of the essential features of the implement. It nm-t be perfectly square and be so located that the corner;: will just touch the galvanized iron when it turn-. Another poinl \erv essential to observe in the construction df this implement i- making the hole- in the two piece- of galvanized iron. They niu-t exactly correspond. IT they do not. some of the feed hole- will lie larger than other- ami the plaster will he dis- tributed unevenly. After the hole- have been cut the two piece- of galvanized ir< n are riveted together, put into a vi-e. and the margins of the hole led until they exactly correspond, after which they are taken apart and placed in the feed box, a- already indicated. In the middle of the box. just over the large shaft that revolves, a bar of iron one hall' of an inch square passes aero-- the box. The end- of thi- bar are split, flattened out. and riveted to the top sheet of galvanized iron just below the deal- already described. The split em!- of t he bar arc 7 or 8 inches lone- to give the union strength. .Iu-t o\er the square half-inch bar of iron a flat bar of iron ■_' inches wide with a hole in it- center is bolted aero-- the lop of the box. By run- ning a lexer down through thi- hole and prying on the half-inch bat of iron the upper sheet of gal\ anized iron may he slid either way. thus ope ling or closing the U-n\ hole-. The lever used for this purpose is a (lai piece <>f iron •_' feet long, three-eighths of an inch thick, and 1 inch wide. In the lower end of the lever is a half inch notch thai permits the lever to -lip over the half-inch bar of iron. (See lie-. B and I A- previously stated, the bottom piece of the box projects beyond the end . Upon these projections the bearings for the shaft are bolted. The shaft is round until it passes through the end of the box, and for aboul 2 inches at the middle point : elsewhere ii is square and revolves in the bottom of the box. There is a bearing in the center of the box where the -haft i- made cylindrical, a I. road staple being driven down over the shaft. Thi- staple passes through (he bottom 12 F.YKA! AIKTIIOPS <>!■' APPLYING LAND PLASTER. and an iron plate that is fastened underneath the tongue. It is fastened below with nuts. This center hearing- is necessary to take the " shake " out of the shaft and hold it in place so that it will rub the bottom just right. Tn addition to being bolted to the bottom the tongue has iron braces on either side. To keep the box from spread- ing thef¥ are two iron stirrups that fit on the under side of the box. The stirrups and side braces of the tongue are bolted to the bottom of the box ( fig. T). The wheels of all these implements that have been made have been taken from old mowers. The wheels best suited for the purpose are those provided with ratchet wheels into which pawls or catches drop and cause the shaft to revolve when the implement is moving forward. Only one ratchet wheel is necessary if the implement is driven around the field to be plastered, with the ratchet wheel on the outside. Some means should be provided for raising the catches that drop into the ratchet wheels so thai the shaft will not revolve when going to and from the field. Otherwise it will be necessary to close the feed holes. If wheels with ratchets are not to be had a hole may be drilled through the shaft and the hub of one of the wheels. The shaft will be revolved by putting a pin through this hole. The implement should then be driven around the field with this wheel on the outside, so that the plaster will be sown when turning the corners. When taking the implement from one place to another the pin in the end of the hub can be removed. With the pin out the shaft will not turn, and little or no plaster will be sown. The construction of this distributer costs from s.">:> to $40. The help of a smith is necessary. This is a very efficient implement, and so far as the writer knows fails to work only when the plaster is very damp. When the plaster is in this condition it sticks to the (vi'i\ rod and does not go through evenly. Under these conditions it is necessary to spread the plaster in the sun to dry. Willi this machine it is not necessary to screen lumpy plaster. The lumps are pulverized by the feed rod. [Cir. I'-' I I'm. 9. — Inside view of the box of tin' land-plaster distributer illustrated in figure 6, showing the feed holes, the square rod that revolves in the bottom of the hex. and the posi- tion of the lever when used in slipping Hie upper sheet of' galvanized iron to open or Hose the feed holes. FARM METHODS 01 APPLYING LAND PLASTER. I;; END-GATE SEEDERS. A number oi farmers are using end-gate seeders for sowing land plaster. < >ne of these seeders is easilj attached i«> a wagon, the board to which ii is bolted being the same in width and length as the end gate of the wagon box. It' the plaster is diy and tin- air still, end gate seeders do fairly good work. If the plaster is damp it gives some trouble by packing in the feed hopper. The machine being so high above the ground, ii is difficult to sow the plaster successfully when (lie wind is strong. It is besi i<> drive at right angles to the direction in which the wind is blowing. The worker can then keep himself reasonably free from the dust. Most of the end-gate seeders used for sow ing land plaster have but one fan. Mr. ( '. \l. Widmer, of Benton County. ( >reg., uses a double fan machine w ith a clover-seeder attachment. The seeder is attached to a carl made from the hind wheel- of an old wagon. The coupling i> replaced bj a pole that serves as a tongue. The side pieces of ( he box are 2 inches thick. 12 inches wide, and 6 feet long, and the box projects behind the axle about half its length. It is swung under the axle by means Fig- 10.— A double-fan end-gate seeder attached to the bind i- | ;..... 'Pi wl Is of a wagon. Used by Mr. C. R. Widmer, Benton sin i ups. i in- c,,,,,, iv, ,, fronl end- of the side pieces of the box arc bolted to a 2-by-C-inch scantling that crosses beneath the hounds. A bottom is placed in that portion of the box behind the axle. On the front part of the cart is a -cat for the driver. The hoard to which the seeder is attached forms the end "'ate of the box. When the seeder is mounted on a cart in thi> way the fans that throw the plaster are just 18 inches above the ground, and the effect of the wind on the plaster is much less than when the machine is attached to a wagon box. A cart similar to the one just described l>ut differing in some details is shown in figure 10. This double fan seeder has a force W'Vi], and little trouble is experi I with clogging unless the plaster is damp. When it clogs a light tap on the hopper usually starts the \'vn\ again. The machine has two hoppers, one for grain and the other for clover seed. The Kir. —] 14 FARM METHODS OF APPLYING LAND PLASTER. plaster is sown from the clover-seed hopper. About 35 pounds of plaster can be placed in the hopper at a time. The machine mounted on a cart as described sows a strip 10 feet wide. A marker at the side of the cart indicates the next place to drive. All of these imple- ments do better work if the plaster is put through a sieve to take out the small pieces of uncrushed rock. SUMMARY. (1) Land plaster has been found of great value in increasing the yield of leguminous crops in western Oregon and western Washing- ton. (2) It is very difficult to distribute land plaster evenly by hand. Parts of the field will receive too much plaster and parts will not receive enough. Where there is too much plaster the growth may be so rank that the clover falls before it can be harvested. Where there is not enough plaster the growth is seldom what it should be. It is a conservative estimate to say that clover will yield one-half ton more hay per acre where the plaster is distributed evenly than where it is distributed unevenly. (3) Most men apply more plaster than is necessary when sowing it by hand. An implement that distributes the plaster evenly will usually save 20 to 50 pounds to the acre. (4) Where the plaster is evenly distributed the crop comes on vigorously and quite evenly all over the field and holds the weed-; in check. Sorrel, grasses, and other weeds usually give considerable trouble to clover and alfalfa where no plaster is used or where the distribution is uneven. (5) Sowing plaster by hand is an unpleasant task. Men are scarce who can apply it evenly, and few hired men can be trusted to do it. For these reasons the farmer has to do it himself. A good implement for distributing land plaster makes it possible for anyone to do the work who can drive a team. Farmers have been found in different localities who have worked out some very satisfactory devices for this purpose. Detailed descriptions with drawings are given for three of these devices. Approved : James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C, November 30, 1908. | (Mr. 22] o UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08928 9515