THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
593 
1891 
are practicing of speaking through the ballot box seems 
especially annoying to politicians and plutocrats. But 
we are not half enough strung up on this form of expres¬ 
sion yet. When we get those vocal organs at high ten¬ 
sion, look out for some noise. JOHN j. dillon. 
Sullivan Co., N. Y. 
[R. N.-Y.—As a matter of information we would like to 
ask Mr. Dillon where the government could have put 
money last fall so that it would have reached general 
business quicker than it did. “The only relief he gets 
come3 from the Sheriff’s hammer 1 ” Do you really mean 
that ?] 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
|Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of the 
•writer to insure attention. Before ashing 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.] 
Second Skimming of Milk. 
M. E. C., New York—It milk is set at night in small 
pans and skimmed the next morning and allowed to stand 
until the next day, and is then skimmed again; what 
kind of butter can be made ? 
Ans. —The manner of skimming has no effect on the 
kina of butter that is made. The quality of the butter 
depends on the management of the cream. It is not at all 
the removal of the cream, but the way in which it is pre¬ 
pared for the churn, upon which the quality of the butter 
depends. The first cream taken will generally make a 
fine quality of butter, but the double skimming is hardly 
practicable on account of the extra labor involved. It is 
quite sufficient to skim the cream at one time, which is at 
the end of 36 hours, and then ripen it in the usual man¬ 
ner. It is then in the best condition for churning, and 
cannot be improved by any change in the manner of skim¬ 
ming. It is not probable that the butter made by the 
double skimming would be any better or worse than that 
made in the usual way, consequently the extra work 
would be a loss of labor. 
Making a Kitchen Sewer, 
J. H. R., Smock, Pa. —How can I construct a sewer to 
carry away the waste water from a kitchen ? What size 
of tile should be used, and how should the air trap be ar¬ 
ranged in the kitchen to shut off foul air ? 
Ans.—I t is always better to have sewer pipes and drains 
too large than too small. For the kitchen sink and the 
washing, an earthen pipe at least three inches in diameter 
should be used, with a lead pipe from the house not less 
than 1)4 inch in diameter. The trap used is an important 
matter, not only for its effectiveness in preventing a back 
flow of air, but for the purpose of cleaning it occasionally 
to remove the grease which will always collect in it, and 
in time prevent its action. Besides this grease, shreds and 
fibers of different kinds will gather in it, and these must 
be removed at intervals. A well-constructed trap is there- 
Fig. 2 1 5. 
fore indispensable. It is made as shown at Fig. 215, and is 
attached to every pipe in the house, the sink, wash basins, 
etc. It has a sewer opening, as siown, which affords 
means for removing obstructions. The trap may be kept 
free from grease by filling it at night with a hot solution 
of concentrated lye, which dissolves the grease, and a 
flushing with hot water in the morning clears out the dis¬ 
solved matter. A trap of the same material as the drain 
pipe is also fitted half way down as an additional security. 
The drain may have its outlet in a convenient place where 
the waste water may be absorbed by some suitable ma¬ 
terial, which should be removed at short intervals. It is 
often the case that a drain like this, while it conveniently 
removes the household wastes, really makes the nuisance 
worse by making a collection of them that is neglected 
under the mistaken belief that, not being seen, they are 
effectually disposed of, and thus the drain may become a 
worse evil than that which it is intended to remove, unless 
this fact is well considered and acted upon. In laying the 
drain, the fall should be as great as may be possible, and 
the outlet should be as far from the dwelling as it can be, 
even if the length of the drain is added to. H. stewart. 
The Peach Tree Borer. 
L. M. W., Covesville, Va. —When and how should peach 
trees be treated to rid them of the little worms which in¬ 
fest the roots? 
Ans.— One of the worst enemies, if not the very worst 
with which the peach contends in America, is the borer— 
ASgeria exitiosa. The moth appears at the Nortfi from 
the middle of July to the last of August. At the South it 
comes much earlier, sometimes as early as May. The fe¬ 
male is much larger than the male and the two differ 
greatly in appearance. Both bear a strong resemblance 
to some of the wasps or hornets. The female has a broad, 
heavy abdomen. The body is of a glossy steel-blue color 
tinged with purple and there is a broad, orange yellow 
band across the abdomen. The four wings are opaque, 
and resemble the body in color, tfieir tips and fringes 
having a purplish tint above and beneath. The hind 
wings are transparent and broadly margined with steel- 
blue. When the wings are expanded, the moth measures 
about an inch and a half across. The male is smaller, 
seldom measuring more than an inch. Its body is steel- 
blue with golden-yellow markings and a glossy, satin-like 
luster, and is much more siender than the female’s. The 
antennae are black and densely fringed on the inner side 
with fine] short hair, a feature which is entirely absent 
in the female. The head and thorax are marked with 
yellow and the abdomen has two slender yellow bands 
above, and a white line on each side of the tuft of hairs at 
its tip. The wings are transparent, the veins, margins and 
fringe being steel-blue, and a steel-blue band extends nearly 
across beyond the middle. The feet and legs are marked 
with yellow and white. 
The eggs are deposited on the bark of the tree near the 
surface of the ground. They are about one-fiftieth of an 
inch long, oval In form, slightly flattened and of a yellow¬ 
ish color. They are deposited singly and are fastened to 
the tree by a gummy secretion and they sometimes have a 
few of the dark blue scales, from the tip of the abdomen of 
the female, adhering to them. When hatched the larva 
works downward in the bark of the root, forming a wind¬ 
ing channel which fills with gum. As it grows larger it 
eats the bark and sap-wood, causing the exudation of 
quantities of gum, which easily betrays its presence to the 
practiced eye. The full-grown larva is over half an inch 
long. The larger larvae rest through the winter, with 
their heads upwards, in smooth, longitudinal grooves, 
while the smaller ones lie in the gum or between it and the 
wood. When about to pass into the pupa state the larva 
crawls to tbe surface of the ground and builds a firm, 
leathery case, about three-quarters of an inch long, oval in 
form and with rounded ends. It is fastened against the 
side of the root, often in a groove gnawed for that purpose, 
with the upper end protruding slightly above the surface. 
The perfect insect emerges in about three weeks. 
I am indebted to Harris’s “Insects Injurious to Vegeta¬ 
tion” for the description of this pest. The borer does not con¬ 
fine his attention to the root of the peach trees, as he is 
sometimes found in the body and even in the branches. 
There is no remedy surer than the knife in the hand of a 
thorough worker. If gum is observed near the root of the 
tree, dig away the soil to the depth of a foot and search 
diligently, not only for the well grown larva, but for his 
wee brothers which may often be found bedded in the 
gum. After all are removed, put a quart or more of un¬ 
leached wood ashes into the hole next the tree, draw the 
earth back and firm it around the stem. This work should 
never be done in the fall, as it exposes the roots to the 
cold, through loosening the earth so much. 
In a series of letters on peach culture in the Farm Jour¬ 
nal, J. H. Hale, of Connecticut, gives the following recipe 
for a wash which he says will keep 90 per cent, of the trees 
on which it is used free from borers. For a 50-gallon cask 
use 25 pounds of caustic potash, three pounds of common 
white arsenic, two gallons of crude carbolic acid, with 
water, lime and clay to make a good thick wash. This is 
applied to the trees at the base with a swab made by 
tying rags at the end of a two-foot stick. Great care is 
taken that the application is thorough. The wash will 
last three or four months, which more than answers as the 
mother moth is not on the wing more than two months. 
A diligent search for existing larvte would be necessary in 
old trees, before applying the wash, as there might be 
enough of the pests in existence to destroy the tree. 
There is no doubt that many trees die every year from 
borers, which are thought to be destroyed by yellows. 
Before condemning any tree it is well to examine its 
roots, for although the leaves of a borer-sick peach tree do 
not look exactly like those which are sick from yellows, 
an unpracticed eye might fail to detect the difference. 
S. A. LITTLE. 
Taking Water from a Stream. 
N. R., Highland, N. Y. —There is a nice stream some 
distance from my house, and between the house and it 
there is a valley. I could tap the stream on the opposite side 
of the valley on a level with the house, or higher or lower. 
A ram would throw the water to the house, or a wind¬ 
mill would pump It, but I have been thinking that If I 
could tap the stream higher than on a level with the 
house, and have the pipe of larger caliber from the head 
to the lowest point in the valley, then of smaller caliber 
from the lowest point to the house, It would force the 
water higher at the house than it was at the entrance into 
the pipes. How much higher on account of the extra 
weight of water descending ? It seems to me that the 
pressure thus exercised should raise the water at the 
house several feet above the original level if the descend¬ 
ing pipe were \)4 Inch in caliber and the ascending one inch. 
Ans. —Our friend is proposing to set a law of nature on 
one side. The water in this case exerts pressure only on 
tbe exact area upon which it presses. If the area of the 
smaller pipe is one inch, or two, as the case may be, the 
water above it will press only on that same area. How¬ 
ever large the upper pipe may be, there will be no more 
pressure on the smaller pipe than that exercised on the 
exact area of it; and of course the water in it will not 
rise any higher than the original source. The only prac¬ 
ticable method of bringing the water would be to lay the 
pipe at such a height above the point of discharge as to 
deliver it at the outlet with sufficient head to overcome 
the friction due to the long course through which it will 
have to pass. This friction would be very great, and for a 
mile in length will require a considerable amount of head, 
varying with the character of the pipe, but no doubt 
larger than can be afforded under the circumstances. But 
it may be possible to fix a pump at the outlet in a dry well 
giving sufficient fall for the water to reach the end of the 
pipe. 
Working for a Country Home. 
H. S. L., Brooklyn.—I notice that The Rural takes an 
Interest in the removal of city people to the country. If 
this is so, kindly advise me. I am a young man of about 23, 
stronger physically than most of my city friends; mar¬ 
ried, and with some experience in the dairy and harvest 
fiel d, but with very little capital to back me. I cannot 
go and hire out on a farm, as I have a wife to support, 
neither can she, although capable, take a servant’s place, 
not h wing been brought up to it. I understand that some 
farmers have tenant houses on their places. Now, what is 
best for me do ? If I buy a farm, how much would I have 
to pay down—say in New England ? And if I hired out 
how could I arrange to be with my wife and yet have her 
independent of others outside of her own household ? 
Ans.—Y es, we do take an interest in trying to locate 
city workers in desirable places in the country where 
they may secure homes of their own. All we ask is that 
the city people should fully realize what they are doing 
and what the change to country life will mean for them. 
After a few years in the country there will be no chance 
for them to come back and try to work into a city place 
again. In these days of fierce crowding the man who lets 
go of even a slender chance will have sore fingers before he 
can catch hold again. We understand just how our friend 
feels. Neither he nor his wife could feel comfortable to 
hire out as ordinary servants. No one can blame them 
for it. There are, as there ought to be, higher grades of ser¬ 
vice where smart and willing women may find farm or 
garden work that requires brains, taste and skill, and 
which they may take up without any loss of self respect. 
The time must come in our American system of farming 
when farm labor will be divided into distinct grades, the 
higher of which will afford abundant opportunity for 
enterprising young men and women. There are farms 
now where our friend and his wife could both find profit¬ 
able employment. The trouble is to find such places. 
There is no satisfactory means of communication between 
the farm and the city worker. If any readers of The 
R. N.-Y. know of places where this young man can start 
his struggle for a home of his own, we shall be glad to put 
them In correspondence with him. He ought to be able to 
get possession of a farm by paying $100 or $150 down. The 
practice of building tenement houses and securing married 
men is growing and is an excellent one. 
Cuthberts Thick; Turners Thin. 
H. H. G., Northville, Term.—On page 122, speaking of 
the culture of small fruits, E, P. Powell says that the 
Cuthbert Raspberries may stand very thickly in the row, 
while the Turners must stand very thinly indeed. Will he 
tell the reason of this difference ? 
Ans.—T he Cuthbert is more a product of improved cul¬ 
ture; it is farther away from the wild berry. Almost any 
wild raspberry if set in hills will bear fairly well; but will 
produce only scattering fruit if set close, or allowed to 
run thickly. But our highbred stock is run to fruit, and 
selected for fruit; is, in fact, the result of a “ survival of 
the fittest,” that “fittest ” always remaining with us pro¬ 
lific fruitage. But the raspberry needs cool, moist ground; 
therefore after one gets a very highbred stock it must be 
mulched to do well. The Cuthbert by being grown close 
shades its own roots and so meets one demand of its 
growth. The Turner is only a sport of the wild berry, 
found by Prof. Turner of Indiana. Perhaps this reply is 
not satisfactory ; perhaps there is another and better 
reason; but the fact remains that one cannot cultivate the 
Turner and Cuthbert alike. E. p. powell. 
Blanching Celery, Etc. 
F. P., Stockport, N. Y. —1. What are the accompanying 
berries ? 2. How should celery be blanched ? All of mine 
that grows green and tough remains so. It will not blanch. 
Ans.— 1. It is a yew—probably Taxus baccata var Cana¬ 
densis. 2. Celery that grows green, stays green. The 
plants should be handled during August or early in Sep¬ 
tember, according to location, that is, earth should be 
drawn up and pressed closely around them by hand to 
force the stalks to grow In an upright position. About 
two weeks later begin banking by digging the soil from 
between the rows and banking it on each side, contin¬ 
uing this as the plants grow. Care must be taken not 
to allow any earth to fall into the hearts of the plants. 
Handle the celery only wnen the stalks are dry, else they 
will rust. The celery will be fit for use in about a month, 
or it may be put in trenches and kept for winter use. 
When Does the Gandy Bloom? 
J. C. F., Richmond, Va. —To my question as to the best 
strawberry for fertilizing the Haverland and Bubach, The 
Rural has just answered, Gandy’s Prize. Is the variety 
commonly called the Gandy meant ? If so, doesn’t it bloom 
too late for the Haverland and Bubach ? 
Ans.—N o, our impression is that Gandy blooms with 
Bubach and Haverland. It blooms for a long time. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Census Reports. —W. E. R., Dover, N. H.—Apply to your 
Representative in Congress or to the Senators from your 
State for the volumes of the census reports. They are not 
yet printed; but your order will be filled when the re¬ 
ports are published, if there is enough to go around. Usu¬ 
ally, however, only a limited number of copies of the com¬ 
plete census is published, and these are generally dis¬ 
tributed to public libraries, newspapers, etc. The cost of 
the work is very great, as it generally embraces 10 or more 
large volumes. A large number of Compendiums of the 
Census is usually published, and it is leas difficult for a 
private party to get one of these. 
Green Cabbage Worms.— J. M. L., Wurtemburgh, N. Y. 
—The green cabbage worm may be killed by means of 
pyrethrum or Buhach water sprayed upon the plants— 
two tabiesDoonfuls to two gallons of water. The kerosene 
emulsion will kill them. The “Silver Beets ” sent out by 
The R. N.-Y. are used for the tops only. 
Transplanting Sugar Maples.— L. D. A., New Era, Mich. 
—Sugar maples may be transplanted in spring or fall, as 
you prefer. The R. N.-Y. prefers spring, all things con¬ 
sidered. Select trees rather small than large—say, not 
over two inches in diameter of trunk three feet above the 
ground. Cut off nearly the entire head, leaving only two 
or three twigs near the top. Yes, cut back when trans¬ 
planted. Dig large holes, use good soil and pound it 
firmly over the roots. Stakes will not be needed. 
The Silver Beet.— J. C. F., Merritt’s Corners, N.Y.—This 
beet will hot “grow roots that may be used on the table.” 
It is grown only tor greens and ornament. The ribs are 
tender and relished by many. Our cows were very fond of 
the tops which made a large and early “ soiling crop.” 
