354 



THE GENEbEE FARMER. 



Inquiries and Answers. 



Culture of Dwahf Pear and Apple Trees. — (0. 

 Hutchinson.) There is no work published treating ex- 

 clusively on this subject. You will find much useful in- 

 formation on the matter in the back numbers of the Eural 

 Amiual and HvrticuUural Directory. We will send you 

 the whole series of five numbers (185G-7-S-Sland '60) pre- 

 paid, by mail, on receipt of one dollar. 



Grafting Grape Vines. — I wish to know if grapes can 

 be grafted from one vine to another that does not bear 

 fiuit, the time of year, and the process of grafting. In- 

 formation in relation to it will confer a favor to a fruit- 

 grower. — Z. K., Jenkiius, Luzerne Co., Pa. 



Apples and Grapes from Seed. — Can you or any of the 

 readers of the Farmer inform me whether the seed of the 

 apple will produce the same kind of fruit as the apple 

 from which it was taken. Also, whether the grape will 

 grow well from the seed ; and if so, when is tne proper 

 time to plant them. — J. H. L., Meachville, Pa. 



The varieties of neither Apples nor Grapes can be re- 

 produced from seed. 



Wagon Axle. — I believe " J. H. A." is right so far as 

 he goes, his answer being in substance the same as 1 have 

 received from several wagon makers, carriage makers, 

 and blacksmiths, to whom I have spoken upon the sub- 

 ject. But there is yet a-question which I have never got 

 satisfiictorily answered : that is, how much gather do the 

 wheels require so as just to counteract the united influ- 

 ences of the dip of the axle and its taper? Also, will 

 some of your correspondents please tel! me how to dress 

 sheep skins ? — W. J., Eastwood, Va. 



Preparing Ground. — Will some of your correspondents 

 give the best mode of fixing and preparing the ground 

 for the growth of strawberries. Also, j\'hat kind of soil 

 is the best adapted for them, and the best kinds of man- 

 ure to be used. Also, the best way to prepare the ground 

 for rhubarb, the kind of manure used, the proper distance 

 it should be planted, the average amount taken per year 

 from an aci'e of each, the expense of tending and gather- 

 ing, with the net proceeds ot both strawberries and rhu- 

 barb.— W. A. B., Annapolis, K J. 



Potato Bugs. — In the last number of the Farmer, I 

 notice, " A Subscriber, Ky.," wishes to know about the 

 potato bug. They have troubled us more or less for the 

 lust ten years — sometimes almost destroying the crops. 

 We have tried, with good success, sprinkling ashes and 

 air-slacked lime upon the vines, while the dew was on. 

 They will leave those, and commence eating in other 

 ]>iaces. They frequently come in such numbers as to eat 

 all the leaves in one or two days, and at a time when the 

 leaves are most needed, taking eight or ten rows at a 

 time. Anything that will scatter them in different parts 

 of the field, and then follow them with the ashes, will pre- 

 vent them from killing the vines and destroying the crop. 

 — Samuel B. Turner, Quincy, III. 



I!\rren Grape Vine.- — I wish to ask you a question, 

 and should be pleased to receive an answer to it. I have 

 a fiue growing grape vine standing at the east end of my 

 house, some branches of which have grown a dozen feet 

 or more this year. It has blossomed full three or four 

 years, but never has had a grape on it. It is called by 

 some a male vine. Now, can anything be done to or with 

 it, to bring it into bearing V — A. P., Portage, Liv. Co., 



It is a feature of the vine in its wild state, often to pro- 

 duce all staminate flowers on some plants, and all pistil- 

 late on others ; and cultivated vines in some cases exhibit 

 this trait, of which the vine in question is no doubt an 

 example. The best remedy is to dig up the vine and des- 

 troy it, and substitute in its place some of the valuable 

 new varieties which can now be procured. 



Trapping Foxes and Coons. — Will some of your many 

 correspondents give me the best manner of baiting and 

 trapping foxes and coons, as they are rather destructive 

 in this country. — J. B. D., Marion, Pa. 



Canadian Horses. — I am anxious to obtain some infor- 

 mation respecting the " Canadian Horse," spoken of in 

 " Youatt on the JHorse," with Spooner's notes, and a brief 

 notice of " Breeds in the United States," b}' IL S. Ran- 

 dall ; see page 29 of this book. This breed is also spoken 

 of in the letter of Edward Harris, beginning at page 30 

 of same work. Jlr. Harris states, in his letter, his opin- 

 ion that the "Percheron blood still exists in Canada, in 

 all its purity." I am curious to know the present condi- 

 tion ot this breed, in what portions of Canada it is found 

 in its greatest perfection, the average size of the horses, 

 their shajje, their good and their bad qualities, and their 

 present value. My attention has been called to this sub- 

 ject, partly from reading the work I speak of, and part- 

 ly from the fact that, within the last few years, a number 

 of so-called " Canadian Horses" have been brought hero. 

 Some were merely ponies, sprightly and active, but too 

 small and coarse for the fanc)' or the use of one needing 

 a horse. There have been two or three, however, that 

 were fine animals ; showing considerable blood, v;ith 

 good size and action, and, as "iar as I know, great docility, 

 with sufiicient spirit. Will some of your Canada corres- 

 pondents favor your readers with a communication on 

 the subject? — H. Safford, KatcJiitoclies, La. 



What is the Be.st Wat to Use Straw? — I am a resi- 

 dent of what is called " The Mining Region," yet we have 

 an excellent farming country. I wish to state a few facts, 

 and ask a few questions. Our main crops here are Spring 

 wheat, oats and corn. Our farming is done in a very 

 Slovenish manner, from necessity. Crops of small grain 

 are cut and put into " the shock" nearly as fast as cut, 

 and when cutting is done, there are thousands of acres 

 standing out when stacking commences. The grain is 

 subsequently threshed from the stack, and "rail pens" 

 are built, corked and lined with straw, and the nice clean 

 wheat, fit for market, is poured upon the straw, and when 

 the pen IS full it is then covered with straw to protect it 

 from storm. Many scatter their straw around by draw- 

 ing it from the machine with horse and rope, and then 

 burn it. I yet inherit so much of the "Eastern supersti- 

 tion " that I think it will pay to spare a spot hu-ge enough 

 for straw pile, until it decomposes and forms a manure. 

 I have some seven straw piles on my farm, from twenty 

 to fifty tons each, some of three years standing, and now 

 the question is, how can our straw be made available in 

 the shortest time, and to the greatest advantage? If you, 

 or some of your numerous correspondents, will answer 

 the above inquiiy, you will confer a favor on many who 

 are, and I trust soon will become, patrons of the Genesee 

 Farmer. — S. A. Davis, La Fayette Co., Wis. 



Grafting Grape Vines. — Have any of the correspond- 

 ents of the Farmer tried the method of grafting grape 

 vines described by Francis A. Baller, in the February 

 number of the present volume ; if so, I should be glad to 

 learn whether they have succeeded or not. I tried it 

 upon some three year old Isabella vines, which were 

 pruned down nearly to the ground last fall. I was care- 

 ful to follow the directions closely, yet none of the grafts 

 have lived. The buds soon swelled, and appeared to be 

 on the point of pushing out shoots, but I could not in- 

 duce them to do anything more, although I had put a wire 

 ligature just above each bud, and was also careful to rnb 

 otl'*all shoots that pushed out either above or below the 

 inserted buds ; but it was of no use, they remained a? 

 they were a long time, and finallj' died. I was much disap- 

 pointed at the result, for the grafts were Peluioares, and I 

 hoped to obtain some fine vines. Can Mr. Baller, or 

 any one else, tell me why they failed? I have also tried 

 grafting into the roots, as is usually advised, and the 

 scions grew from two to four inches, and then died. 1 

 also wish to inquire if there is any better grape for win- 

 ter kfeping than the Diana? Is it as £;ood a keeper as 

 t\iQ Clinton P Are the leaves of the Clinton smootli on 

 the under side like the Delaware and the Taylor, or are 

 they downy, like most other native varieties. — Bbn. 

 Hadad, Esh-ix. Co., Mass. 



The leaves of the Clinton are 

 side, not downy. 



siaooth on the under 



