Editors Letter- Box. 191 



W. B. C., Duncannon, Penn. — Which is the cheapest and best of the ma- 

 nures named below, considering the prices annexed ? — barnyard manure at four 

 dollars a cord, bone-dust at fifty dollars per ton, lime at twenty cents per 

 bushel. What season is it best to apply bone-dust ? How, and in what quantity 

 per acre ? How often should the application be repeated ? — The barnyard 

 manure is undoubtedly the cheapest. It should, however, if it is to be used for 

 grapes, be allowed to lie over at least a whole year, and become thoroughly decom- 

 posed : it may then be applied in moderate quantities. Should apply bone-dust 

 in the spring, and plough or cultivate it in lightly. We have used of ground 

 bone, which works slower than the bone-rt'^j-/, at the rate of a thousand pounds 

 to the acre ; but we should not advise using more than five or si.x hundred 

 pounds of the dust. Lime does well on some soils, and may be used to some 

 extent. We can give no definite rule about the application of special manures 

 to vineyards that will apply in all cases. If you see that the vines need some 

 fertilizer, apply it ; always avoiding coarse, unfermented manures. 



T. J. P., Goshen, O. — I have a number of Vicar-of-Winkfield pear-trees, 

 : both standards and dwarfs, two years planted, of good size and vigorous growth 

 that I wish to change to some more desirable sort. Can it be done successfully 

 by cutting off the entire top, and grafting into the stem .-' It is too much of a job 

 to graft all the branches. I have the Beurre Clairgeau on quince-roots ; but the 

 trees do not appear to do well. The fruit is all that could be desired. Will 

 the variety thrive well when double-worked ? — We do not advise cutting off the 

 entire top of your trees at once, unless they are quite small. If the branches 

 are of any considerable size, cut oflf and graft enough of them, so that, when the 

 grafts grow, they will form a symmetrical head. Small branches may be splice- 

 grafted very neatly. It seems to us not too much of a job ; for what is worth doing 

 at all is worth doing well. The Beurre Clairgeau will thrive well when double- 

 worked on some strong-growing sort. Generally there is no difiiculty in growing 

 this sort ; but the fruit is not always of good quality. 



C. G., Philadelphia. — At page 277, vol. i., C. C. Miller mentions the fact 

 that the birds strip the black-cap raspberries from the bush, and will not touch 

 the golden-cap growing beside them. May I state a little of my experience .' 

 During a recent fortnight's absence of self and wife from our country-home, the 

 pantry or store-room was invaded by rats. The parchment and paper top of 

 every pot and tumbler of raspberry-preserves was gnawed off, those vessels 

 upset, the black-cap raspberries more or less eaten up, and the red Antwerps 

 apparently not diminished in weight or bulk : the former seem to have been 

 devoured with avidity and great rejoicing (to judge by the marks af the rat-paws 

 and sirup on the wall), while the red were abandoned with contempt. 



C. — Is there a demand for cucumbers at this season of the year ? Is it diffi- 

 cult, and does it pay, to raise them ? — There is some demand for them from the 

 best hotels in the large cities. It is rather diflicult to grow good ones. It will 

 pay well when you are successful in getting a crop. — See a recent number of the 

 Journal for an article on the subject. 



