284 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
April  30 
The  Bailey  Sweet  Apple. 
The  note  on  page  211  of  The  R.  N.-Y.  concerning 
the  apparent  discrepancy  between  Downing  and 
Thomas  in  their  descriptions  of  the  Bailey  Sweet, 
brings  out  a  point  that  deserves  more  than  passing 
notice. 
From  the  general  similarity  of  the  descriptions,  it  is 
evident  that  both  refer  to  the  same  variety  so  that  the 
discrepancy  concerning  the  stem  is  due  either  to  a  dif¬ 
ference  in  the  meaning  of  the  terms  used  in  describing 
the  length  of  the  stem  or  to  an  actual  variation  in  the 
length  of  the  stems  of  the  specimens  on  which  their 
descriptions  were  based.  Neither  Downing  nor  Thomas 
defines  his  standard  of  measurement  with  regard  to 
the  stem.  The  latter  almost  invariably  states  the 
length  in  inches,  which,  though  accurate  enough  in  a 
description  of  a  single  specimen,  would  be  misleading 
if  used  as  referring  to  the  variety  in  general,  unless 
based  on  measurements  of  a  great  number  of  speci¬ 
mens.  Downing  uses  the  words  “long,”  “medium” 
and  “short,”  without  defining  them.  These  may  refer 
to  actual  length  of  stems  or  to  stem  length  as  com¬ 
pared  with  the  total  length  of  fruit. 
Warder  describes  the  Bailey  Sweet  as  having  its 
“stem  long”  and  defines  the  terms  “  long,”  “medium” 
and  “  short”  as  referring  to  “  their  projection  beyond 
or  concealment  within  the  cavity,  being  called 
‘  medium  ’  when  they  simply  reach  the  contour  of  the 
outline.” 
Wc  need  for  purposes  of  popular  description  of  fruits, 
a  glossary  of  defined  terms,  that  shall  have  the  same 
meaning  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  appointment 
of  a  committee  of  horticulture  to  consider  and  report 
on  this  subject  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Association 
of  Agricultural  Colleges  was  a  move  in  the  right  direc¬ 
tion,  and  their  report  will  doubtless  do  much  to  sim¬ 
plify  and  unify  our  work  in  this  particular. 
Now,  a  word  as  to  the  relative  importance  of  stem 
length  as  a  fixed  characteristic  in  describing  the  varie¬ 
ties  of  the  apple.  I  think  a  comparison  of  standard 
varieties  grown  in  different  sections  of  the  country 
will  convince  any  one  that  this  is  subject  to  great 
variation  and  should  be  given  but  little  weight  in 
identifying  a  variety  if  opposed  to  an  agreement  of 
the  general  form,  depth  and  character  of  basin,  depth, 
form  and  coloring  of  cavity,  color,  texture  and  flavor 
of  flesh,  core  formation  and  seeds. 
All  our  principal  fruits  are  now  grown  over  such  a 
wide  area  and  under  such  diverse  conditions  of  soil 
and  climate  that  a  local  description  will  not  cover  the 
variations  found  in  any  variety.  We  need  general 
descriptions  based  on  the  most  constant  characteristics, 
that  will  hold  for  the  entire  country,  with  variations 
and  exceptions  noted  for  the  localities  in  which  they 
occur.  As  an  instance,  let  me  cite  the  Baldwin  apple, 
the  descriptions  of  which  in  Downing,  Thomas  and 
Warder  agree  in  the  main,  except  as  regards  the 
“eye.”  Downing  describes  it  as  “  closed,”  while  War¬ 
der  refers  to  it  as  “  large  and  open  from  the  shortness 
of  the  calyx.”  Both  are  right.  Downing  wrote  for 
eastern  New  York,  and  most  specimens  from  that 
section  and  further  north  show  the  calyx  segments 
converging  and  the  eye  closed.  Warder  wrote  for  Ohio 
and  the  “open  eye”  in  southern  and  western  grown 
Baldwins  attests  the  accuracy  of  his  observation.  Even 
within  the  bounds  of  a  single  State  both  forms  appear. 
Specimens  of  Baldwin  received  this  winter  from  south¬ 
western  Michigan  almost  invariably  show  the  eye 
open,  while  from  Ludington,  100  miles  further  north, 
the  Baldwin  eye  is  closed.  What  is  true  of  the  Baldwin 
is  true  of  all  of  our  apples  and  pears,  and  to  a  less 
extent  of  the  stone  fruits.  Descriptions,  to  be  of  value, 
should  always  include  the  name  of  the  locality  where 
the  specimens  were  grown,  and  the  same  fact  should  be 
noted  in  sending  specimens  for  identification. 
The  National  Division  of  Pomology  is  devoting  spec¬ 
ial  .attention  to  climatic  variations  in  our  standard 
fruits,  and,  as  many  readers  of  The  It.  N.-Y.  are  aware, 
is  preparing  an  exhibit  of  models  to  illustrate  this 
important  and  interesting  feature  at  the  World’s  Fair. 
Specimens  of  well-known  varieties  are  solicited  from 
fruit  growers  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  on  appli¬ 
cation  to  Prof.  H.  E.  Van  Deman,  Chief  of  Division  of 
Pomology,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington, 
1).  C.,  mailing  boxes  and  franks  will  be  sent  so  that 
specimens  can  be  forwarded  without  expense  to  the 
sender,  who  can  thus  very  materially  aid  in  the  work. 
Assis’t  Pomologist,  Washington,  1).  C.  w.  A.  TAYLOR. 
How  We  Get  Maii,. — We  live  in  the  country  three  or 
four  miles  from  a  railroad  station,  and  10  miles  from  a 
market  town.  The  mail  is  carried  by  stage  from  this 
market  town  to  a  country  post-ofiice  about  midway 
between  our  house  and  the  town  and  from  there  1o 
another  post-office  about  a  mile  beyond  us.  Our  mail 
comes  to  the  office  about  midway  between  us  and  the 
market  town  and  on  paying  the  carrier  $1  per  year  he 
stops  at  our  box  and  takes  and  leaves  our  mail  three 
times  per  week.  So  for  a  dollar  we  have  ‘  ‘  free  delivery.  ” 
[Every  query  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the 
writer  to  Insure  attention.  Before  asking  a  question,  please  see  If  It  Is 
not  answered  In  our  advertising  columns.  Ask  only  a  few  questions 
at  one  time.  Put  questions  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper.] 
Cultivating  Raspberries  and  Black¬ 
berries. 
QUESTIONS. 
1.  When  should  we  cultivate  raspberries  and  blackberries  ? 
2.  Do  you  prefer  shallow  or  deep  cultivation  ? 
3.  When  should  the  suckers  of  red  raspberries  be  destroyed  ? 
1.  As  raspberries  and  blackberries  start  growth  upon 
the  first  approach  of  warm  weather,  they  should  be 
cultivated  very  early  and  continually  at  intervals  of 
every  few  days  up  to  and  during  their  picking  season. 
By  continually  stirring  the  ground,  they  suffer  less 
from  the  heavy  drain  on  them  in  maturing  their  crop 
and  the  severe  drought  which  is  likely  to  occur  at  that 
time,  and  the  fruit  is  larger  and  finer  than  when  not 
cultivated.  2.  The  first  cultivation  should  be  by  the 
plow  run  shallowly,  after  which  a  cultivator  will  be 
sufficient.  3.  Cultivation  should  be  discontinued  after 
the  crop  is  gathered,  in  order  that  the  canes  may  stop 
growing  and  ripen  up  ;  if  cultivated  late,  a  late  growth 
will  be  stimulated  and  the  canes  will  be  immature  and 
more  liable  to  winter-kill.  Early  in  spring  all  surplus 
plants  should  be  destroyed  as  weeds,  as  they  come  up, 
so  that  the  whole  strength  will  go  into  those  that  are 
to  remain  for  fruiting.  WM.  PABRY. 
Here  in  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  I  cultivate  my  black¬ 
berries  and  raspberries  in  early  spring  up  to  bloom¬ 
ing  time  and  then  quit  entirely  until  after  the  fruit 
crop  is  off;  after  which  a  thorough  cleaning  out  is 
given  and  cultivation  is  continued  until  September, 
closing  in  ample  time  to  stop  the  growth  of  wood,  so 
that  it  will  mature  before  the  frosts  of  winter.  I  pre¬ 
fer  shallow  cultivation  for  this  reason,  that  any  deep 
cultivation  breaks  the  roots  and  causes  a  greater  num¬ 
ber  of  sprouts  and  suckers  to  spring  up,  of  which  all 
surplus  ones  should  be  treated  as  weeds  and  cut  off 
with  a  sharp  hoe  when  they  make  their  first  appear¬ 
ance  above  ground.  J.  h.  hat.k. 
1.  Here  in  Lucas  County,  O.,  we  begin  cultivating 
raspberries  and  blackberries  as  early  in  spring  as  the 
ground  is  in  good  condition  to  work,  and  cultivate 
often  enough  to  keep  the  ground  mellow  and  free 
from  weeds.  We  usually  give  raspberries  a  thorough 
working  immediately  after  the  fruiting  season,  having 
first  removed  the  dead  canes,  partly  to  put  the  soil  in 
good  condition  to  grow  plants,  and  then  we  cease  cul¬ 
tivation.  If  the  blackberry  canes  are  making  a  weak 
growth,  we  do  not  cultivate  after  fruiting.  If  they 
are  feeble,  we  give  one  thorough  working  as  soon  as 
the  fruit  is  gathered,  and  then  stop  to  prevent  late 
fall  growth  and  consequent  winter-killing.  2.  Shallow 
by  all  means  on  my  sandy  loam  soil — say  two  inches. 
3.  Suckers  in  the  row  in  excess  of  the  numbers  wanted 
for  next  season’s  fruiting  are  virtually  weeds  and 
should  be  treated  as  such.  The  sooner  they  are  cut 
the  better.  We  avoid  having  many  between  the  rows 
by  shallow  culture.  The  Planet,  Jr.,  with  sweeps  is 
excellent  for  cutting  suckers  between  the  rows  and 
for  shallow,  level  culture.  w.  w.  FARN£vr  rth. 
I.  I  believe  in  cultivating  raspberries  and  blackber¬ 
ries  often  enough  to  keep  the  ground  loose  and  free 
from  weeds  from  early  spring  until  the  fruit  is  picked, 
or  later;  but  never  when  the  ground  is  wet.  Yet  one 
must  sometimes  stop,  because  the  canes  may  be  so 
loaded  and  bending  with  fruit  that  by  cultivation  too 
many  berries  will  be  brushed  off  or  soiled.  We  cannot 
foretell  the  weather,  but  it  is  very  necessary  after 
heavy  rains  to  mellow  the  soil  just  before  the  dry 
spell — before  the  ground  gets  hard  and  lumpy.  I  still 
hold  that  here,  in  Sangamon  County,  Ill.,  ground 
plowed  just  before  a  heavy  rain  runs  together,  is 
tough  and  sticky,  and  is  damaged  by  plowing.  2.  I 
think  shallow  cultivation  the  best — an  inch  deep  in  the 
row  with  a  hoe,  and  from  two  to  three  inches  between 
the  rows  with  a  plow,  cultivator  or  harrow.  3.  Suck¬ 
ers,  except  the  strongest  left  for  fruiting,  should  be 
treated  as  weeds  and  disposed  of  at  each  cultivation 
so  as  to  give  a  chance  for  those  left  to  develop  and 
become  stocky.  benj.  buckman. 
Chemicals  and  Clover  Without  Corn. 
CAN  I  AFFORD  TO  FAY  TARIFF  ON  NITROGEN? 
J.  A.  M.,  Hermanville,  Prince  Edward  Island. — I  have 
read  with  very  great  interest  “  Chemicals  and  Clover  ’» 
and  fully  agree  with  every  single  word.  I  have  been 
working  myself  to  that  line  of  opinion  for  some  time, 
while  I  have  been  losing  faith  in  stable  manure.  The 
longer  I  use  and  depend  on  yard  manure  the  less  I 
think  of  it.  It  does  not  fill  the  bill.  I  have  never  used 
commercial  fertilizers  on  this  farm.  Beginning  their 
use  therefore  will  be  an  experiment.  I  am  met  by 
the  excessive  Canadian  duty  and  long  freight  in  using 
two  high-class  fertilizers— the  Mapes  and  Stock- 
bridge.  At  present  prices  the  Mapes  manure  will  cost 
me  over  $50  per  ton,  and  $38 — the  cost  of  1.500  pounds — 
is  quite  a  heavy  investment  in  an  acre,  while  I  do  not 
know  whether  I  can  ever  get  back  my  money.  An¬ 
other  circumstance  is  against  me.  The  book  says  that 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  in  a  rotation  with  chemicals 
that  a  crop  of  corn  should  enter  into  the  rotation,  and 
that  that  crop  should  receive  all  the  farm  manure. 
Now,  we  do  not  raise  any  corn  in  this  province.  I  can¬ 
not,  therefore,  take  advantage  of  this  “  great  scavenger 
crop  of  the  farm.”  I  grow  potatoes,  wheat,  barley 
and  oats.  While  it  may  be  necessary  to  precede  the 
potato  crop  by  a  crop  of  corn  in  chemical  farming, 
many  of  the  best  potato  growers  recommend  a  clover 
sod  as  the  best  preparation  for  potatoes,  notably  Mr. 
Terry  of  Ohio,  and  many  others.  Would  it  not  answer, 
then,  for  me  to  apply  the  fertilizer  directly  to  the  pota¬ 
toes  on  a  clover  sod  ?  We  grow  spring  wheat  here 
entirely.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  use  two-thirds  of 
the  fertilizer  on  the  potatoes  and  the  rest  on  the  wheat 
the  following  spring  ?  I  could  adopt  the  five-year 
rotation,  using  oats  instead  of  corn  ;  but  where  shall  I 
apply  the  stable  manure  ?  The  oats  will  not  need  it. 
Why  not  spread  it  on  the  young  clover  after  the  wheat 
is  cut  ?  While  there  is  a  tariff  on  complete  fertilizers 
there  is  none  on  the  separate  chemical  s  like  phosphates, 
sulphate  of  potash,  etc.  I  might  buy  them  and  do  my 
own  mixing,  thus  saving  the  import  duty. 
Ans. — We  have  here  a  case  where  exact  advice  can¬ 
not  be  given.  Nothing  but  exhaustive  experiment 
will  give  the  desired  information.  The  system  of 
farming  described  in  “Chemicals  and  Clover”  is  a 
special  one  and  applies,  as  a  whole,  only  to  localities 
where  the  circumstances  are  all  favorable  for  markets, 
crops,  etc.  The  corn  crop  is  an  essential  part  of  the 
rotation,  because  of  its  great  value  as  a  consumer  of 
stable  manure  and  the  excellent  condition  in  wjiieli  it 
leaves  the  soil.  It  is  possible,  however,  to  make  up  a 
chemical  rotation  without  it.  Prince  Edward  Island 
is  a  long  way  from  New  Jersey,  and  the  same  system 
of  farming  cannot  be  followed  in  both  places.  Your 
potatoes — the  money  crop — will  sell  for  25  to  30  per 
cent  less  than  the  price  Mr.  Lewis  obtains,  while  your 
fertilizer  will  cost  15  to  20  per  cent  more  by  reason  of 
the  tariff  and  freight. 
The  question  is,  can  you  afford  to  import  nitrogen  as 
a  part  of  a  complete  fertilizer  ?  Your  soil  is  the  only 
expert  that  can  answer  that  question.  It  is  more  than 
likely  that  it  will  pay  you  better  to  depend  upon  your 
clover  crop  for  the  nitrogen,  and  apply  to  your  pota¬ 
toes  a  mixture  of  phosphate  or  superphosphate  and 
some  form  of  potash.  Modern  agricultural  teaching 
goes  to  show  that  nitrogen  is  an  expensive  and  risky 
element  for  farmers  to  buy  unless  they  are  situated 
where  they  can  obtain  the  highest  prices  for  their 
crops.  Mr.  Lewis  can  afford  to  buy  nitrogen.  Because 
he  can,  it  does  not  follow  that  you  can.  It  may  be  bet¬ 
ter  economy  to  trust  to  clover  or  other  legumes  to  col¬ 
lect  all  or  nearly  all  the  nitrogen,  and  supply  only  the 
potash  and  phosphoric  acid.  We  do  not  say  that  you 
will  thus  obtain  as  large  crops  as  you  would  by  using 
a  complete  fertilizer,  but  the  chances  are  that  they 
will  cost  you  less  per  bushel. 
To  obtain  the  best  results  you  should  put  nearly  all 
the  chemicals  on  the  potatoes  and  also  use  the  clover 
sod  as  near  that  crop  as  possible.  The  following 
rotation  is  suggested.  Wheat  seeded  to  clover,  pota¬ 
toes,  oats,  barley.  The  potatoes  will  thus  be  planted 
on  the  clover  sod,  with  fertilizers  in  the  drill.  Where 
shall  the  stable  manure  be  put  ?  Now  we  see  how 
important  the  corn  plant  is.  The  Cranbury  farmers 
would  put  the  manure  on  the  sod  in  summer  and  plow 
the  whole  thing  under  in  the  following  spring  for 
corn.  You  have  no  corn  and  your  clover  is  to  gather 
most  of  your  nitrogen  ;  it  should  therefore  be  made  as 
strong  as  possible  and  it  will  make  better  use  of  the 
stable  manure  than  any  other  crop  in  your  rotation. 
You  can  do  either  of  two  things — use  all  the  stable 
manure  on  the  wheat  at  the  time  of  preparing  the  soil 
— seeding  to  clover  at  the  time — or  apply  it  to  the 
clover  after  the  wheat  harvest.  In  the  first  place  you 
benefit  the  wheat  and  the  clover.  In  the  second  place 
you  give  the  clover  the  full  benefit  and,  of  course,  get 
a  heavier  clover  sod  and  consequently  more  nitrogen. 
It  will  be  harder  work  to  haul  the  manure  in  early 
spring  for  the  wheat  because  the  ground  is  soft  and 
work  of  all  kinds  is  pressing.  Hauling  it  in  summer, 
after  harvest,  will  interfere  least  with  other  farm 
work.  Plow  the  clover  early  in  spring  and  work  the 
sod  up  thoroughly.  Then  use  on  your  potatoes  chem¬ 
icals  in  the  drill. 
Wiiat  Chemicals  Shall  I  Use  ? — To  answer  this 
problem  buy  at  least  one  ton  of  a  high-grade  complete 
potato  fertilizer  and  use  it  on  three  acres  of  the  clover 
sod — 400  pounds  on  one  acre,  000  on  another  and  1,000 
on  another.  This  will  give  you  a  standard  for  com¬ 
parison.  Then  make  mixtures  of  sulphate  of  potash 
and  bone  superphosphate  or  phosphate  that  will  supply 
everything  but  the  nitrogen  there  is  in  the  complete 
