5io 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
Aug.  6 
Pull  the  Life  out  of  Thistles. 
G.  G.  G.,  Blairstown,  N.  J. — Eklo, 
on  page  465  of  The  Rural,  laments  his 
inability  to  free  his  land  of  Canada  this¬ 
tles.  If  he  will  continue  to  apply  from 
a  pint  to  a  quart  of  coarse  salt  to  the  cut 
off  roots  that  continue  to  come  up  be¬ 
tween  the  already  salted  spots,  he  will 
eventually  have  no  thistles  growing  on 
that  patch.  Why?  Because  he  will 
have  put  so  much  salt  on  the  land  as 
to  kill  it.  Then,  perhaps,  as  fast  as 
the  ground  “  comes  to  ”  again  the  this¬ 
tles  will  come  through  again  and  appear 
to  relish  the  salted  land  all  the  better  for 
the  salt'ng.  I  know  of  a  patch  that  was 
limed  till  it  looked  like  a  mortar  bed  for 
years,  then,  when  the  land  became  pro¬ 
ductive  again,  it  produced  more  thistles 
than  of  anything  else.  But  there  is  a 
better  way!  With  hands  incased  in  buck¬ 
skin  gloves  pull  every  stalk.  In  three 
or  four  weeks  pull  again.  Repeat  the 
pulling  as  often  as  once  a  month  until 
the  ground  freezes.  Next  year  do  not 
under  any  circumstances  bother  a  single 
stalk  before  July  1 ,  then  pull  again  and 
repeat  the  operation  monthly  until  win¬ 
ter.  The  next  spring  but  very  few  if  any 
will  come  up.  If  there  are  still  a  few, 
keep  your  hands  in  your  pockets  when¬ 
ever  you  go  near  the  patch  until  as  late 
as  July.  I  have  completely  eradicated 
several  patches  of  Canada  thistles  in  this 
way.  If  you  want  to  plow  for  spring 
grain  the  field  in  which  the  thistles  grow 
— don't.  At  any  rate  don’t  plow  near  the 
thistles.  But  if  you  leave  it  until  July 
and  pull  all  the  thistles  and  then  plow 
and  sow  with  buckwheat  or  plow  later 
and  sow  with  winter  grain,  success  will 
not  be  prevented.  By  pulling  you  will 
get  but  six  or  eight  inches  of  root,  but 
that  will  prove  enough.  The  root  of  the 
Canada  thistle  resembles  that  of  the  horse 
sorrel,  wild  potato,  or  milk-weed.  In 
spring  and  early  summer  it  is  full  of  sap 
and  vitality.  By  J  uly  it  begins  to  blossom 
and  then  the  strength  of  the  plant  goes 
to  ripen  seed.  Pulling  at  this  time  takes 
off  nearly  every  stalk  that  would  have 
come  up  that  year,  and  weakens  the 
plant’s  vitality.  Latent  buds  then  de¬ 
velop  and  the  plants  make  another  des¬ 
perate  effort  to  ripen  seed,  but  if  they 
are  pulled  as  fast  as  they  show  above 
ground  it  will  not  be  more  than  three 
years  before  the  entire  vitality  of  each 
and  every  plant  will  be  exhausted  and  it 
must  die.  I  believe  the  same  result 
might  be  obtained  by  plowing  every  two 
weeks  from  July  till  frost. 
To  Destroy  Canada  Thistles. 
•  S.  Miller,  Bluffton,  Mo. — About  30 
years  ago,  on  a  spot  where  I  had  un¬ 
packed  some  trees  and  vines  received 
from  northern  New  York  a  few  years  be¬ 
fore,  a  patch  of  this  weed  had  established 
itself.  My  attention  was  called  to  it  by 
a  visitor  in  passing  by  it.  It  wTas  about 
the  middle  of  May  when  it  was  first  dis¬ 
covered,  and  were  it  not  for  the  man  who 
knew  what  it  was  and  told  me,  it  might 
have  had  time  to  so  spread  as  to  cause 
trouble.  Few  things  on  the  place  looked 
more  flourishing.  Although  I  had  never 
seen  it,  I  had  read  about  it  a  great  deal. 
About  100  square  feet  were  thickly  set 
with  it.  A  sharp  spade  and  the  wheel¬ 
barrow  were  used  in  a  sod  patch,  the  sods 
were  cut  carefully  into  squares,  about 
three  inches  thick,  and  the  whole  bed  was 
covered  with  them,  grass,  side  dow-n. 
They  were  fitted  so  closely  that  no  vegeta¬ 
tion  could  come  up  between  them.  The 
next  spring  only  one  solitary  plant  was 
to  be  seen,  which  received  the  same  treat¬ 
ment,  and  that  was  the  end  of  them. 
Since  then  I  have  seen  none. 
L.  G.  D.,  Kutztown,  Pa. — In  answer 
to  Eklo,  page  465  of  The  R.  N.-Y.,  let  him 
cut  off  the  plants  a  little  below  the  sur¬ 
face  with  a  sharp  hoe  or  other  suitable 
instrument.  Repeat  this  operation  as 
often  as  new  leaves  appear.  One  season's 
treatment  is  usually  sufficient. 
Sweetening'  Bitter  Milk. 
J.  P.  A.,  Tallahassee,  Fea. — The  re¬ 
marks  of  Prof.  Cooke,  Vermont  Experi¬ 
ment  Station  (see  page  430)  on  the  aera¬ 
tion  of  milk,  appear  to  me  misleading. 
He  says:  “Odors  can  be  completely 
driven  out  that  have  been  absorbed  by 
the  milk  after  being  drawn  from  the  cow. 
Odors  that  were  derived  by  the  milk 
through  the  system  of  the  cow  are  not  so 
easily  taken  out.  They  will  be  somewhat 
lessened,  but  can  never  be  wholly  re¬ 
moved.” 
It  I  had  read  that  statement  before  in¬ 
vesting  in  an  aerator,  I  might  have  been 
deterred  from  doing  so,  as  I  was  very 
skeptical  of  its  success,  in  which  case  I 
would  have  incurred  this  season  a  loss 
greater  than  the  price  paid  for  the 
aerator.  After  a  dry  fall,  winter  and 
spring,  the  grass  in  my  pasture  started 
slowly.  When  the  rains  came  in  June,  a 
profuse  growth  of  ragweed  sprang  up 
everywhere,  with  the  result  that  a  swal¬ 
low  of  my  milk  might  have  been  mis¬ 
taken  for  a  dose  of  quinine.  At  the  close 
of  the  milking  of  18  cows,  this  bitter  milk 
was  placed  in  a  can  and  subjected  for  a 
few  minutes  to  the  operation  of  “  Hill’s 
aerator.”  The  milk  was  then  tasted  and 
only  a  trace  of  bitterness  was  perceived. 
Practically  it  was  all  expelled,  as  not  a 
single  customer  noticed  anything  amiss, 
and  no  complaints  were  made.  Customers 
are  always  on  the  lookout  at  this  time  of 
the  year  for  bitter  milk,  as  it  is  frequently 
offered  for  sale  owing  to  cows  being 
turned  on  to  freshly-reaped  oat  fields, 
where  young  ragweed  is  generally  abund¬ 
ant.  Any  bitterness  is  quickly  noticed 
and  the  milk  refused. 
A  Potato  Bug  Enemy. 
P.  B.  C.,  Catonville,  Mn. — About 
four  years  ago  I  noticed  in  the  potato 
field  a  small  greenish  or  bluish  colored 
beetle  with  yellow  head  and  legs,  engaged 
in  the  laudable  work  of  eating  potato 
bugs.  Nothing  more  was  seen  of  him  or 
his  descendants  until  this  year  when  two 
more  were  discovered;  one  I  sent  to  the 
Maryland  Experiment  Station  and  re¬ 
ceived  the  information  that  he  belonged 
to  a  group  called  Bombardier  and  family 
Carabidm.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  would 
be  a  commendable  work  for  some  of  our 
stations  to  propagate  and  distribute  the 
parasite.  What  does  The  R.  N.-Y.  think? 
R.  N.-Y. — We  favor  the  prapagation 
of  anything  that  will  fight  and  destroy 
potato  bugs.  What  have  our  station 
people  to  say  ? 
Briefs. 
Crimson  Clover  in  Rhode  Island. — 
Two  years  ago  Alfred  A.  Reed  planted  an 
acre  on  his  farm  overlooking  a  part  of  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay.  Half  of  the  acre  was  dry 
upland,  heavy  soil,  the  other  half  moist 
upland,  also  heavy  soil.  The  seeding  was 
done  late  in  August,  15  pounds  of  seed  to 
the  acre.  The  seed  was  insufficient,  the 
winter  mild.  The  clover  was  cut  in  the 
following  May,  and  proved  all  that  was 
claimed  for  it — a  great  addition  to  other 
early  soiling  crops,  such  as  winter  and 
spring  rye . 
To  continue  the  experiment,  Mr.  Reed, 
last  August,  seeded  two  acres  with  this 
clover.  The  soil  selected  was  sandy  and 
near  the  salt  water.  After  cutting  a  crop 
of  grass  in  July,  cow  manure  was  spread 
and  plowed  in,  and  twice  harrowed  with 
a  Thomas  smoothing  harrow  to  keep 
down  springing  weeds.  On  August  20 
the  land  was  seeded  with  the  clover,  25 
pounds  of  seed  to  the  acre.  The  seeding 
may  be  reduced  to  20  pounds  to  the  acre. 
The  clover  kept  green  till  January,  when 
severe  cold  weather  caused  it  to  turn 
slightly  brown.  The  winter  was  an  aver¬ 
age  one,  though  with  less  snow  than 
usual,  and  what  fell  remained  on  the 
ground  less  than  a  week . 
The  clover  began  to  grow  about  the 
middle  of  March,  and  grew  rapidly.  So 
states  the  report  in  The  Country  Gentle¬ 
man,  from  which  we  are  condensing.  It 
began  to  bloom  on  May  6.  On  June  4 
the  field  was  a  mass  of  flowers,  Crimson 
Clover  heads  standing  evenly  through¬ 
out  the  field  of  two  acres  about  an  inch 
apart.  It  was  the  most  brilliant  fodder 
field  ever  seen  on  a  farm.  It  is  on  the 
highway,  and  many  persons  stopped  to 
admire  and  pluck  a  handful  of  the  blos¬ 
soms.  The  field  appears  like  a  bit  of 
ftaming  sky  at  twilight . 
The  stalk  was  about  two  feet  four 
inches  long,  yet  comparatively  small  and 
slender,  and  at  that  time  (June  9)  the 
strongest  of  it  was  soft  and  succulent 
without  woody  fiber.  The  small  stalks, 
however,  may  be  due  to  the  excess  of 
seeding.  The  crop  was  then  used  for 
soiling,  and  was  also  fed  to  pigs  and  to 
chickens,  all  eating  it  eagerly.  A  part  of 
the  crop  will  be  used  for  soiling,  a  part 
put  in  the  silo,  and  a  part  cured  to  test 
its  qualities  as  a  dry  fodder  . 
The  crop  offers  several  advantages.  It 
may  be  planted  in  the  fall  after  a  crop  of 
hay,  potatoes,  rye  or  wheat.  It  thrives, 
although  exposed  to  a  temperature  of 
four  degrees  above  zero  for  several  days, 
and  12  degrees  above  zero  for  a  week.  It 
matures  early,  before  the  earliest  grasses 
can  be  cut  and  an  early  summer  crop 
planted.  For  green  manuring,  it  is  a 
crop  both  quickly  and  economically 
raised . 
One  of  the  most  useful  things  a  farmer 
can  have  is  a  barrel  of  crude  petroleum, 
says  Henry  Stewart.  It  is  valuable  for 
many  purposes.  It  is  a  specific  against 
all  kinds  of  insect  vermin,  such  as  poul¬ 
try  lice,  sheep  ticks,  flies  which  annoy 
the  sheep  and  lambs,  and  the  voracious 
stable  flies  that  pester  the  horses  aryl 
cows.  It  is  ft  remedy  for  sprains,  bruises, 
cuts  and  galls  of  all  kinds.  It  is  a  good 
out-door  paint  for  fences  and  buildings, 
and  it  is  dirt  cheap . 
( Continued  on  next  page.) 
In  writing  to  advertisers  please  always  mention 
The  Ritual  Nkw-Yohkkk. 
Hood’s 
Sarsaparilla 
So  promptly  and  effectu¬ 
ally  overcomes  THAT 
tired  feeling, 
as  to  conclusively  prove 
this  medicine  “makes 
the  weak  strong.”  J .  B. 
Emerton,  a  well  known 
BBSKganHMrannu:,  merchant  of  Auburn, 
.  J.  B.  Emerton.  Maine,  had  Oyspepsia 
complicated  with  l.ivcr 
,1  Kidney  troubles.  He  took  MOOO’S 
KSAPARILLA  and  it  gave  relief  and 
at  comfort,  lie  says  :  “  I  t  *»  n  <,od-send 
iny  one  suffering  as  I  did. _ _ _ 
lOOD'S  PILLS  cure  Habitual  Constipation  bv 
AM  V 
As  much 
For  INTERNAL  as  EXTERNAL  use. 
Originated  by  an  Old  Family  Physician  in  1 81 0 
Could  a  Remedy 
^outreal*** 
Have  Survived  for  Eighty  Years  ? 
Dropped  on  Stigar,  Children  Dove  It. 
Every  Traveler  should  have  a  bottle  of  it  in  his  satchel 
THINK  OF  IT. 
In  use  over  40  YEARS  in  one  family. 
Dr.  I.  S.  Johnson  &  Co.— It  Is  sixty  years  since  I  first 
learned  of  vour  Johnson’s  Anodyne  Liniment;  for 
more  than  forty  years  I  have  used  it  in  my  family. 
O.  H.  INGALLS,  Dea.  2d  Baptist  Church,  Bangor,  Me. 
Every  Mother  Anodyne  Liniment  in 
the  house  for  Croup,  Colds,  Sore  Throat,  Catarrh, 
Tonsilitis,  Colic,  Nervous  Headache,  Cuts,  Bruises, 
Cramps,  Pains,  Soreness  in  Body  or  Limbs.  Delays 
may  cost  a  life.  Relieves  Summer  Complaints  like 
magic.  Sold  everywhere.  Price,  35  ots.,  6  bottles,  $2. 
Express  paid.  I,  S.  JOHNSON  &  CO.,  Boston,  Mass. 
For  Harness,  Buggy  Tops,  Saddles,  Fly  Nets 
Traveling  Bags,  Military  Equipments,  Etc. 
Gives  a  beautiful  finish  which  will  not  peel  or 
crack  off,  smut  or  crock  by  handling.  Not  a  varnish 
Used  by  the  U.  S.  Army  and  is  the  standard 
among  manufacturers  and  owners  of  fine  harness 
in  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 
SOLD  BY  ALL  HARNESS  MAKERS. 
Prickly  Comfrey  Plants. 
Good,  strong  roots.  Send  for  price,  stating  quan¬ 
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small  fruit  plants.  Ask  for  catalogue. 
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Box  55,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
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