1892 
333 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
the  ground  is  the  nuisance  they  prove  to  be  when  cut¬ 
ting  the  young  grass. 
Early  in  April,  this  spring  promised  to  be  an  early 
one,  but  the  unseasonably  cold  weather  that  soon  set 
in  and  has  continued  ever  since,  has  rendered  this  the 
latest  spring  we  have  had  for  some  years.  This  is  es¬ 
pecially  noticeable  in  the  matter  of  asparagus.  We 
used  to  get  the  first  dish  of  “grass”  about  April  20-27; 
this  year  I  got  the  first  one  on  the  28th,  and  it  was 
only  a  small  one.  william  falconer. 
Plums  on  Peach  Stocks  and  Peaches  on  Plum. — 
Many  years  ago  I  planted  a  lot  of  Imperial  Gage  plum 
trees  that  were  budded  low  down  on  peach  stocks. 
They  were  set  deep  so  as  to  give  the  plums  a  chance 
to  take  root.  When  they  had  grown  to  six  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  base,  they  were  cut  down  and  the 
stumps  grubbed  out,  as  the  curculio  was  master  of 
the  field.  On  examination  not  a  particle  of  the  orig¬ 
inal  peach  roots  could  be  found.  Wildgoose  Plums 
are  better  worked  on  peach  roots  than  on  plum 
stocks.  They  can  be  readily  grown  as  root  grafts  like 
apples.  Trees  grown  in  this  way,  now  10  years  old  on 
my  place,  have  run  the  plum  roots  out,  and  suckers  of 
genuine  Wildgoose  have  come  up  10  feet  from  the  base 
of  the  tree,  and  had  to  go  under  a  common  wagon 
track  to  do  so.  What  seems  strange  to  me  is  that  our 
native  sorts  appear  to  take  readily  on  the  peach, 
which  seems  to  be  more  out  of  the  family  than  the 
improved  varieties. 
As  to  peaches  budded  on  plums,  I  have  yet  to  make 
the  first  success  in  that  line.  In  the  first  place,  it  is 
difficult  to  get  them  to  take,  and,  next,  no  plum  stock 
I  have  grows  strong  enough  to  support  the  peach, 
though  the  Marianna  may  do  so  ;  but  I  have  not  yet 
tried  it.  This  latter  is  perhaps  the  best  stock  yet 
brought  out  for  the  plum  and  apricot.  It  is  per¬ 
fectly  hardy,  a  very  strong  grower,  and,  best  of  all,  it 
never  suckers :  this  latter  is  a  very  desirable  feature. 
It  grows  from  cuttings  nearly  as  freely  as  the  quince, 
if  put  in  in  the  fall.  From  experience  I  am  satisfied 
that  nearly  all  cuttings  should  be  put  in  at  that  time 
where  they  are  to  grow.  Of  course  the  rows  must  be 
covered  with  some  kind  of  litter  to  prevent  heaving. 
Here,  in  Montgomery  County,  Mo.,  we  have  so  short  a 
spring  that  all  the  work  is  forced  into  a  couple  of 
weeks.  8-  miller. 
[Every  query  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  addrean  of  the 
writer  to  Insure  attention.  Before  asklnu  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.] 
Winning  a  Trade-Mark. 
1.  In  your  experience  In  selling  peaches  and  other  fruits,  what  things 
have  you  found  most  effective  In  convincing  buyers  that  your  goods 
were  first-class  and  uniform  In  quality  1 
2.  Do  colored  baskets  or  boxes  pay  you  ? 
3.  What  Is  a  good  trade-mark  and  how  can  a  fruit  grower  best  back 
It  up '! 
I  am  very  careful  in  packing  the  goods  and  always 
put  as  good  fruit  in  the  bottom  of  the  crates  and 
baskets  as  on  top.  I  know  the  buyers  soon  come  to 
know  a  mark  that  is  all  right  in  that  respect.  I  have 
never  had  a  regular  trade-mark.  My  name  and  that 
of  the  farm  are  on  all  the  crates  and  packages,  and  I 
believe  that  having  the  goods  of  uniform  quality  and 
the  packages  well  filled  will  do  more  toward  selling 
them  than  anything  else,  and  by  following  this  plan 
up  closely  I  get  regular  customers.  Moreover,  im¬ 
provement  everywhere  possible  is  my  motto.  I  have 
never  used  colored  baskets  and  cannot  say  whether 
they  would  pay  or  not.  I  like  plain,  white,  natural 
wood  color  the  best.  A.  K.  bhigden. 
1.  Uniform,  honest  packing,  in  clean  packages,  will 
establish  a  good  reputation  for  any  mark.  2.  I  have 
never  used  colored  packages,  and  doubt  their  value 
unless  by  contrast  they  set  off  the  color  of  the  fruit 
advantageously.  A  covering  of  pink  mosquito  netting 
improves  the  appearance  of  a  basket  of  large  peaches. 
3.  The  shipper’s  name  and  residence  should  appear  on 
all  first-class  fruit  he  ships.  Fruit  of  inferior  quality 
should  be  always  shipped  by  number  or  initials.  Great 
care  is  needed  never  to  allow  a  single  poor  specimen 
to  go  with  good  fruit.  Always  grade  closely,  handle 
carefully,  pack  neatly  and  honestly,  wm.  d.  barns. 
Our  market  for  peaches  here,  in  Michigan,  is  pecu¬ 
liar,  although  Grand  Rapids  is  not  a  large  town;  and 
our  peach  crop  usually  is  very  considerable.  We  mar¬ 
ket  the  crop  on  our  own  streets.  By  skillful  manage¬ 
ment  and  judicious  advertising  we  have  attracted 
buyers  here,  and  the  producers  do  very  little  shipping. 
The  result  is  that  our  peach  crop  is  nearly  all  mar¬ 
keted  in  bushel  baskets.  Neat  baskets  well  filled  with 
uniform  fruit  throughout,  drawn  by  a  good  team  and 
loaded  upon  an  attractive  conveyance,  never  await  a 
purchase  long  at  the  very  top  of  the  market.  It  is  of  Pure  muck  of  good  quality  gives  good  results  when 
the  utmost  importance  that  all  fruit  should  be  re-  spread  directly  on  the  ground  and  plowed  in.  t  adds 
packed  from  the  pickers’  packages,  by  the  grower,  if  somewhat  to  the  warmth  of  soils  by  giving  them  a 
he  is  honest,  and,  if  he  cannot  trust  himself,  he  can  darker  color  and  improves  their  texture  by  adding 
afford  to  pay  well  for  honesty  in  the  person  who  does  humus  or  organic  matter.  It  is  better  to  haul  ami 
it.  The  temptation  to  put  the  poorest  in  the  bottom  spread  such  muck  during  the  fall  and  winter  that  it 
is  too  strong  for  the  majority.  Family  prayers  and  may  be  exposed  to  the  frost  as  much  as  possible.  Muck 
regular  pastoral  visits  seem  ineffectual  in  overcoming  is  also  useful  in  a  compost  heap,  mixed  with  manure 
the  inclination  to  dishonesty  in  this  matter.  But  abso-  or  with  leaves,  stalks,  rich  earth,  etc. 
lute  honesty  is  a  necessity  to  continuous  success  in  A  One-Sided  Fertilizer, 
marketing.  Without  it  a  trade-mark  is  a  hindrance.  A  Q  L  Blooming  Grove,  lnd.— Here  is  a  tab  taken 
With  it  any  designation,  term,  sign  or  number  is  of  0fj.  some  fertilizer  I  have 
value.  A  card  inside  the  package  with  the  guaranty  Soluble  Phos.  Acid,  9.86  p.  c.  bougkt.  whatisTHKR.  N.-Y’s 
is  often  used  by  our  best  growers.  I  am  wholly  op-  ..  ..  opinion  of  it  for  corn  on  clay 
posed  to  any  contrivance  by  way  of  shape  or  color  that  Ammonia  (ii3N)  .33  p.  c.  j,round  with  a  heavy  clay  sub- 
is  calculated  to  deceive  in  connection  with  marketing.  Fotassa  (KjO)  p-  c.  incbried  to  be  a  little  wet 
The  shape  of  the  package  should  show  to  the  buyer  unlegs  where  ditched  ?  It  did  splendidly  on  wheat  last 
about  its  capacity,  hence  the  objection  to  so  many 
sizes.  Tinted  tarleton  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  Ans.— We  should  want  at  least  four  per  «ent  of 
It  may  be  desirable  by  skill  in  planting  to  deceive  nitrogen  and  six  per  cent  of  potash  unless  we  knew 
people  as  to  the  size  of  your  grounds  and  to  take  ad-  that  “the  soil  needed  neither.  It  is  a  “one-sided” 
vantage  of  things  of  beauty  that  adorn  your  neigh-  fertnizer  supplying  phosphoric  acid  only  in  appreci- 
bor’s  premises.  It  may  be  even  permissible  to  allure  able  quantitiea  There  is  no  potash  and  but  little 
a  man  into  church  by  holding  out  inducements  that  oygr  flye  pounds  of  nitrogen  in  a  whole  ton.  On  a 
are  a  little  overdrawn,  but  under  no  circumstances  heayy  cloyer  sod_on  land  containing  plenty  of  potash, 
should  deceit  enter  as  a  factor  in  the  marketing  of  answer,  but  we  should  experiment  with  it 
products  from  a  fruit  or  truck  farm.  The  reaction  is  ^  for  corn  If  -t  gives  an  increased  yield  the  in¬ 
certain  and  disastrous.  ciias.  w.  Garfield.  dication  would  be  that  the  soil  needs  phosphoric  acid. 
Experience  and  observation  lead  me  to  doubt  if  any 
brand  or  trade-mark  on  fruit  packages  has  any  great 
effect  or  influence  with  the  majority  of  customers  in 
determining  their  purchases.  Believing,  however,  that 
such  a  thing  does  have  some  influence  and  ought  to 
have  more,  I  have  ever  kept  this  idea  in  view  in  pre¬ 
paring  my  fruits  for  sale.  The  first  endeavor,  of 
course,  is  to  grow  such  as  are  best  adapted  to  my 
grounds  and  culture  as  well  as  I  can;  then  my  prac¬ 
tice  has  been  to  carefully  assort,  grade  and  pack  so 
that  the  face  shall  be  an  in  dex  of  the  character,  be¬ 
lieving  that  honesty  in  this  matter  is  not  only  the  best 
policy,  but  the  best  principle  also  by  which  to  make 
an  honorable  reputation  for  my  goods. 
In  consigning  my  produce  to  be  sold  by  others,  my 
first-quality  grade  is  branded  and  the  consignee  is  au¬ 
thorized  to  warrant  all  such  to  be  strictly  first-class  of 
its  kind,  and  uniform  throughout.  Hecond-class  goods 
are  generally  unbranded  and  sold  on  their  merits.  1 
have  been  assured  by  merchants  that  they  desired  No. 
1  goods  that  they  could  warrant  without  examination, 
and  that  such  would  pay,  and  in  some  cases  I  have  felt 
convinced  that  they  were  right.  I  suppose  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a  commission  man  who  would  assert 
the  contrary,  but  when  such  a  one  makes  the  same  re¬ 
turns  for  a  No.  2  unbranded  as  for  a  No.  t  branded, 
of  the  same  variety,  I  confess  advice  and  practice  do 
not  seem  to  correspond,  and  there  arises  a  feeling  of 
doubt  as  to  the  real  value  of  a  brand  in  all  cases.  It 
sounds  well  and  looks  logical  to  talk  of  the  value  of  a 
brand  when  it  becomes  known;  but  when  an  equally 
good  or  superior  article  with  an  unknown  brand  is 
sold  far  below  current  prices  of  that  grade,  we  are 
forced  to  the  conviction  that  the  fault  is  not  so  much 
in  the  brand  as  in  the  salesman.  The  simple  fact  that 
a  brand  is  unknown  does  not  seem  a  very  valid  excuse 
for  a  glaring  disparity  in  prices,  provided  the  quality 
and  condition!',  prevail. 
As  to  colored  baskets,  boxes  or  crates,  I  have  no 
fancy  for  them.  My  taste  inclines  to  clean,  unpainted 
baskets  and  packages,  and  I  use  no  others  if  possible. 
I  have  too  much  respect  for  myself,  my  customers  and 
my  berries  to  offer  them  in  old,  moldy,  stained,  and 
weather-beaten  boxes  or  crates  as  is  often  done.  Were 
I  a  purchaser,  such  packages  would  repel  me.  If  un- 
returnable  packages,  etc.,  of  this  sort  were  consigned 
to  the  crematory,  it  would  be  a  blessing  for  the  com¬ 
munity.  I  know  of  no  better  trade-mark  than  the 
grower’s  name,  with  well-grown,  carefully  assorted 
fruit,  honestly  put  up,  in  neat,  clean  packages,  of  full 
capacity,  to  back  it  up.  k.  williams. 
Some  Remarks  About  Muck. 
./.  W.  C.,  Sparrow  Lake,  Ont— What  are  the  forms 
and  values  of  the  plant  foods  in  black  muck,  when 
unmixed  with  earth  or  mineral  deposits,  from  flood 
water  ?  Is  there  any  way  to  render  it  of  value  as  a 
fertilizer  other  than  by  putting  it  through  the  stables 
as  bedding  and  an  absorbent  of  liquids  ? 
Ans. — Muck  varies  more  in  its  composition  than  does 
milk.  The  Babcock  test  has  shown  that  there  is  more 
difference  between  different  samples  of  milk  than 
there  is  between  corn,  oats  or  wheat  An  average  of 
14  analyses  of  muck  at  the  Massachusetts  Station  shows 
the  following  per  cents:  moisture  57%,  nitrogen  1.05, 
phosphoric  acid  .13.  It  is  valuable  chiefly  for  its  nitro¬ 
gen.  In  the  14  samples  mentioned  this  substance 
varied  from  one  quarter  of  one  per  cent  to  2%  per 
cent.  The  only  economical  way  to  use  muck  is  to  use 
it  on  analysis.  Have  a  sample  analyzed  and  know 
what  you  are  doing  before  you  begin  its  use  as  manure. 
What  Ails  the  Blackberries  P 
P.  W. J.,  Pontiac,  Mich.— What  ails  my  Snyder  Black¬ 
berries,  now  four  years  old,  on  sandy-gravelly  soil  ? 
Many  of  them  threw  out  no  new  canes  last  season  and 
are  consequently  now  dead,  roots  and  all.  They  have 
always  borne  immense  crops  of  nice  fruit,  and  seemed 
to  stand  the  drought  better  than  other  sorts  around 
here  on  heavier  land.  Have  they  borne  themselves  to 
death  ?  The  Taylors  have  done  much  better  ;  fewer 
of  them  have  died  out. 
Ans. — The  R.  N.-Y.  is  unable  to  answer  the  ques¬ 
tions.  Abundant  fruitage  in  previous  years  would 
seem  to  indicate  a  fertile  soil  and  therefore  ability  on 
the  part  of  the  roots  to  support  new  canes  as  well  as 
the  fruit  crop  on  the  old  canes.  Perhaps  some  of  our 
readers  have  had  a  similar  experience  and  can  offer  an 
explanation. 
Seed  Balls  on  Asparagus  Plants. 
C.  N.  B.,  Elizabeth,  N.  J.—U  seed  production  is  such 
a  strain  upon  a  plant,  would  it  be  advisable  to  pick  the 
seed  balls  from  asparagus  before  they  mature,  and,  if 
so,  at  what  stage  of  their  growth  should  it  be  done, 
cost  of  labor  not  to  be  taken  into  consideration  ? 
Ans. — The  right  time  would  be  as  soon  as  the  blos¬ 
soms  appear.  The  exhaustive  process  begins  with  the 
very  formation  of  the  berry— in  fact,  with  the  flower 
itself.  It  is  easy  to  determine  a  female  from  a  male 
bush.  The  male  buds  and  flowers  are  twice  the  size 
of  the  females  and  have  only  the  semblance  of  an 
ovary.  The  ovaries  in  the  females  are  prominent  even 
before  the  buds  open. 
When  to  Spray  Potato  Vines. 
W.  K.  S.,  Parkesburg,  Pa.— When  should  one  begin 
to  spray  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture  for  potato  blight, 
and  how  can  one  discover  whether  it  will  be  necessary 
or  not. 
Ans. — We  no  not  think  there  is  any  way  to  deter¬ 
mine  when  to  spray  the  vines.  When  the  signs 
appear  it  is  too  late  to  help  them  much  by  any  appli¬ 
cation.  The  safest  way  is  to  begin  to  spray  when  the 
vines  are  about  six  inches  high  and  again  as  soon  as 
the  potato  beetles  appear  in  force.  Send  to  the  New 
York  Experiment  Station,  Geneva,  N.  Y.,fora  bulletin 
on  the  subject. 
Miscellaneous. 
It.  J.  W.,  Duke  Center,  Pa.— We  have  described  the 
“trench  system”  of  growing  potatoes  hundreds  of 
times.  Get  “  The  New  Potato  Culture,”  price  40  cents, 
Rural  Publishing  Co.,  Times  Building,  New  York. 
E.  D.  II.,  Asheville ,  N.  C. — You  can  obtain  plant- 
bed  cloth  in  any  quantity  from  Peter  Henderson  &■ 
Co.  No  book  that  we  know  of  gives  special  attention 
to  forcing  vegetables  in  greenhouses. 
Sowimj  Millet  Seed— W.  L.  M.  P.,  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y. — About  one  bushel  per  acre  is  the  right  seeding. 
Golden  Millet  is  best  for  your  section  on  sandy, 
loamy  or  gravelly  soils— any  save  very  heavy  clay.  It 
required  about  65  days  to  mature  sufficiently  for  mak¬ 
ing  good  hay,  consequently  should  be  sown  not  later 
than  July  1.  It  must  be  cut  early,  before  it  becomes 
hard  and  woody. 
Several  subscribers. — Read  the  advertisements  of  those 
who  offer  R.  N.-Y.  No.  2  potatoes  for  sale  and  select 
some  one  near  you  where  transportation  charges  will 
be  least. 
J.  P.  E.,  Advance,  Mich. — A  genuine  case  of  heaves 
in  a  horse  cannot  be  permanently  cured,  but  by  good 
care  and  avoiding  dusty  hay  for  feeding,  the  horse  can 
be  helped. 
