1 891 
833 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
acre—a difference of 20 bushels against the use of additional 
nitrate. 
Let us now compare the nitrate of soda with the nitrate 
of potash. Nitrate of soda contains about 16 per cent, of 
nitrogen; nitrate of potash (saltpeter), about 13 per cent 
of nitrogen and 46 per cent of potash. It is evident that if 
more potash is needed than the potato fertilizer furnishes, 
nitrate of potash should increase the yield more than the 
nitrate of soda. 
No. 11 —880 pounds Mapes. 
55 pounds nitrate potash. 285.99 
(Note.— Additional nitrate potash was not tried with 440 pounds of the 
Mapes). 
No. 12.-880 pounds Mapes. 
110 pounds nitrate potash. 285.99 
No. 13.—880 poun s Mapes. 
220 pounds nitrate potash. 359.33 
No. 14.—880 pounds MapeR. 
440 pounds nitrate potash. 366.66 
(Note.— SS0 pounds of nitrate of soda was the highest added). 
No. 17.—1 320 pounds Mapes. 
110 pounds nitrate potash. 278.66 
Here we have an average of 315.52 bushels to the acre 
where nitrate of potash was used, instead of 275 66 bushels 
where nitrate soda was used, a difference in favor of 
nitrate potash over nitrate of sjda of about 39 bushels per 
acre, and a d fference in favor of additional nitrate of 
potash over the Mapes alone of about 19 bushels per acre. 
In No. 19, 110 pounds of sulphate of potash was added to 
1,320 pounds of the Mapes alone, the yield being 331.82 
bushels to the acre, or an Increase over nitrate of potash 
of about 16 bushels to the acre, and over nitrate of soda 
of about 56 bushels. 
VINK GROWTH. 
On June 14 the condition of the vines was estimated by 
three persons, 10 denoting maximum and 1 minimum 
vigor. The object of these estimates is, as It has been in 
past years, to show in how far such condition of the vines 
corresponds with the yield of tubers. It will be seen to 
correspond closely: 
1 .. 
-.5% 
No. 6.. 
..3 
No. 11.. 
.. 6 % 
No. 16 
2 .. 
..6 
7.. 
,.6X 
12.. 
..7 
17 
3.. 
..6^ 
8.. 
■AX 
13.. 
..8% 
18 
4.. 
..7% 
9.. 
..7 
]4 . 
• 9 % 
19 
5.. 
..7 
10.. 
..8 
15.. 
■AX 
As the above is but the first of a series of five sets of 
experiments upon this subject, the interested reader will 
see the necessity of preserving this number of The 
R. N. Y. that he may compare the results of the experi¬ 
ments, which will appear in quick succession during the 
next two months. 
Such a comparison will help to make consistent what in 
the above exhibit may seem contradictory or absurd. 
MEETING OF THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY. 
R. N.-Y. Short-Hand Report. 
(.Continued.) 
Prof. C. E. Bessey of Nebraska read a paper on the pro¬ 
cesses of fertilization, crossing and hybridization of plants. 
In nature the crossing was all done by insects, he said. 
“ The time will come when the fruit man will carefully 
select the parents for his new fruits, also the grower of 
new plants.” The best process of pollination was care¬ 
fully described. “ The operation is not difficult, It simply 
requires care and must be done at the right time. Collect 
the desired pollen; apply it with a fine hair brush to the 
flowers selected for crossing. Then cover with fine netting 
to exclude insects, the stamens having been clipped out 
very carefully. The stamens are mature when the pollen 
drops, and the pistils are mature when the drop of moisture 
comes upon them.” A few experiments were suggested. 
Secretary Brackett had found the netting insufficient to 
exclude insects and for the first two weeks he uses paper 
bags, one or two-pound size, and then follows with the 
netting. 
Secretary Rusk, of the Agricultural Department, gave 
the society the official government greeting. He said: ‘‘I 
did not expect to make any remarks, but came over to 
greet you and bid you good cheer. The Department is 
trying to do all it can in its feeble way in this branch of 
its labor and we want you to assist us. You represent the 
finest, most interesting and perhaps the most neglected in¬ 
terest pertaining to our bureau. We need more means in 
this work. If you will help us to secure larger appropria¬ 
tions we will try to spend the money and do our best to 
make it valuable.” 
Prof. E. S. Goff, of Wisconsin, then read a paper on 
“ Fruit districts geologically and climatically considered.” 
He said many varieties were entirely local, being confined 
to very narrow limits of territory. “A knowledge of these 
varying influences and districts is of great importance to 
those engaged in growing fruit. You can’t have success 
in unfavorable localities. Climate does not always depend 
upon latitude. Generally the more distant from the 
equator the more profitable is thecultureof fruits adapted 
to the climate.” Mr. Phelps objected to the comparison of 
Florida localities made by the essayist, and asked if he 
knew where the best oranges grew. Mr. Goff had not 
heard the supremacy of the Indian River fruit disputed. 
But this brought Mr. Adams to his feet with a warm pro¬ 
test. Mr. Haie said there were little spots here and there 
specially suited to certain fruits and it was the growers’ 
businees to hunt them up. 
‘‘Recent advances in dealing with insects affecting 
fruits,” was the title of an interesting paper read by Prof. 
Riley. “ The plum curcuiio hibernates In the beetle state 
in the woods, emerges quite early in spring, betore the 
leaves come out. It feeds upon the tender shoots and young 
fruit. The amount it needs is very slight. The female 
makes the familiar crescent mark on the young fruit. The 
larva feeds upon the fruit too and bores into it. The 
arsenical sprays are not so satisfactory for this insect as 
for the codling moth. Recent experiments confirm this. A 
certain portion of the beetles are destroyed and perhaps It 
pays to spray, but jarring is better or as good at least. 
There is no such necessity for spraying as in the case of 
the apple. The foliage of the plum and especially the 
peach is more badly affected than is that of the apple. 
When the Bordeaux Mixture is used with the other the 
injury is less. It is safer to use them together. But the 
combination of an Insecticide with a fungicide is not 
desirable as a general thing. It has proved no great gain, 
for though effectual as an insecticide it is not so good as a 
fungicide. It is all right for the stone fruits, but not for 
apples, as it fails to reach the scab. Black knot has ap¬ 
peared less on trees so treated. It is the experience of 
fruitmen that it is valuable after all, even more so perhaps 
than our scientific experiments. Together they should be 
very valuable indeed. 
Forty five new insects injurious to fruits have been dis¬ 
covered since last year. Among these is an apple maggot, 
which has proved injurious in the East. It develops in 
the fruit in barrels and bins, the eggs being Inserted 
through the skin. The female lays from 300 to 400 eggs. 
No remedy has been found as jet. It came from abroad. 
A new two winged fly peculiar to the subtropical region 
may prove injurious to peaches in Georgia and the South ; 
another danger is threatened by the Japanese peach fruit 
worm, allied to the codling worm. It comes in June and 
August, the eggs being deposited on the apex of the fruit. 
It destroys 90 per cent of the peaches in Japan. The truth 
is fruit growing has come to be a business requiring con¬ 
siderable knowledge, scientific knowledge in fact.” Mr. 
Engle asked about the apple curcuiio, which caused 
gnarly fruit. Prof. Riley said it belonged to the same 
family, but differed from the plum species; it was a long¬ 
snouted beetle with four humps on Its back. It bores a 
round hole in the apple. ‘‘There is a vast number of these 
curculios,” he said. Mr. Williams spoke of much damage 
from the pear midge in New Jersey. Prof. Riley said it 
had been unusually prevalent this year. ‘‘It is probably 
an imported insect, which we have not yet learned to 
manage.” He warned growers in California and other 
seaboard Stales against the introduction of foreign insects 
even as destroyers of insect pests here. A great mistake 
might easily be made, and such work should be intrusted 
only to scientific gentlemen who should act in the most 
careful manner. H. H. 
(To be continued ) 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
(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 oolumns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Temperature and Care for Chicks. 
E. M. S., New York. —What is the simplest way of rais¬ 
ing chicks which have been hatched in an incubator, and 
what is the proper temperature to sustain and protect 
them from cold weather ? 
Ans.— The simplest way to raise such chicks Is in a good 
brooder, of which a great number are manufactured. A 
home-made brooder often does good work. The chief requis¬ 
ites are an even temperature somewhere near 100 degrees at 
first, the heat beiDg gradually reduced as the chicks grow 
older and feather; and dry quarters with a plentiful supply 
of pure air. A cover under which they can hover, but 
without corners in which they might crowd, must be pro¬ 
vided. They must never become chilled. The most ap¬ 
proved brooders now supply heat from above as well as 
below. The air is conducted in a tube against the cover 
whence it is diffused over the chickens. Experience is ab¬ 
solutely essential to success on a large scale. We have 
known of a small number of chickens being kept in a bas¬ 
ket around the kitchen stove, wrapped up in a woolen 
blanket at nigbt, and eventually making lusty fowls, but 
the number of those willing to take such pains is limited. 
Bones, Tobacco and Tan-Bark Ashes. 
S. W., Philipsburg, Pa.— 1. I can get bones for the 
hauling, six miles avvay, and can get them ground for $8 
per ton. Will it pay me to haul them? 2. I can get the 
refuse tobacco at a cigar factory for nothing. Will it pay 
me to get it and how shall I use it ? 3. Tan-bark ashes, 
four miles distant, cost me $1 per ton; will it pay me to 
buy them ? I am a market gardener. 
Ans. 1. Yes, get every bone you can load on your 
wagon at that price. It ought not to cost you over $2.50 
per ton for hauling those bones, and that with the cost of 
grinding will make the total price under $Ll per ton, 
while you would be obliged to pay about $35 for the 
ground bone if bought in the regular market. The value 
of the bone will depend much upon the way it is ground. 
The finer it is, the better. For example, in bone ground 
so fine that it will pass through a sieve with a mesh 1-25 
of an inch, the nitrogen is worth 16>£ cents a pound and 
the phosphoric acid seven cents ; when so coarse that it will 
not pass through a mesh of 1-6 of an inch, the nitrogen is con¬ 
sidered worth only 8% cents, and the phosphoric acid four 
cents. Experience alone will show you how much bone to 
use on your land. The Pennsylvania State Experiment 
Station is in your county. It will pay you to go there and 
consult Drs. Armsby and Frear about the use of ground 
bone. 2. The tobacco refuse for the hauling is a better 
“ find ” even than the bone. Similar refuse in Connecticut 
was sold at $8.50 to $10 per ton, and contained fertilizing 
matters worth from $13 to $14. Tne tobacco is rich in pot¬ 
ash, and in that way would make a fine supplement to 
the bones, which contain no potash. The tobacco has other 
good qualities, being an insecticide. When scattered 
about melons and other vines it nas proved useful in re¬ 
pelling squash bugs and other insects, besides serving as a 
fertilizer and a mulch. 3. Average tannery ashes from 
spmt tan are worth from $2 25 to $2.50 per ton, and are 
valuable for their lime, though they contain a little potash 
and phosphoric acid. We should not touch them if we 
could get plenty of the bones and tobacco refuse. 
Dorset Horned Sheep. 
D. E. T., Mosherville, Mich .—What is a short descrip¬ 
tion of the Dorset Horned sheep, and where can they be 
obtained ? 
Ans.—T he Dorset is a horned sheep which has been 
bred for a long time in the south of England, chit fly in 
Dorset and Somersetshire. The improved Dorset of to¬ 
day is larger than the original sheep—this improvement 
being due to better care and feeding and more careful se¬ 
lection for breeding. The Dorsets are somewhat smaller 
than the Down sheep. They are straight and deep in the 
body with ribs well arched, broad loins and necks well set. 
The shoulder Is full without being coarse, and the hind 
legs are full and well let down to the shanks. The horns 
are long and thin and curl down before the eyes. The 
face is white and rather long and thlD. The fleece is close 
and heavy, yielding six to eight pounds of white, soft, 
combing wool. In this country, the Dorsets are useful 
chiefly for breeding to common ewes for producing spring 
lambs. The breed is very prolific and will produce a 
greater proportion of twins and triplets than any other. 
The limbs are usually strong and hearty, and with good 
care will grow rapidly. Mr. J. S. Woodward, who is about 
the largest grower of lambs in the country, prefers the 
D jrsets to all other breeds for his business. He says that 
the market prejudice in favor of black-faced lambs will 
not keep the Dorset grades out, as their good shape and 
the quality of their flesh will also recommend them. 
Woodward & Jacques, Lockport, N. Y., or T. S. Cooper, 
Coopersburg, Pa., sell Dorsets. 
Best Dog to Kill Rats and Minks. 
S. A. D., Edwardsvllle, III .—What is the best breed of 
dogs for rats and minks? This part of Madison County 
is seriously invaded with minks. In our township not a 
family has escaped loss except a few who had dogs. One 
old lady lost 78 fowls in one to three nights. I know the 
Scotch terrier, if of a good strain, can’t be beat; but I have 
been told the fox terrier is a better poultry dog. Very 
many of us would like to hear what others have to say 
about the best ratter and mink dog and where it can be 
bought ? 
Ans. —Let us have information from all who have tried 
these dogs. One of our neighbors has a little Scotch ter¬ 
rier that is better than any cat for catching rats, mice or 
muskrats. It hunts them and follows them up with great 
patience and cunning. As to any great difference between 
different strains or families of these dogs we do not know 
what it amounts to and would gladly be told. We have 
had no personal experience with fox terriers. They are 
highly spoken of for intelligence, strength and bravery. 
Two firms in this city that make a business of ridding 
houses and other buildings of rats breed fox terriers ex¬ 
clusively. We hope our readers will help us in this 
matter. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Roads and Highways.— Several Subscribers.—The De¬ 
partment of State at Washington sends a large volume of 
nearly 600 pages giving a full description of the way streets 
and highways are built and kept In order by European 
countries. 
Butter Accumulator.— S. B. O., Newark, N. J.—This 
machine is now being made and will be on the market in 
about 30 days. Experiments with it have thus far proved 
very successful. 
Fruit on Overflowed Land— R. C. H., Nebraska.—The 
cranberry is the only fruit that we know of, that will en¬ 
dure overflowing with water, and this must be so planted 
that the water can be drawn off at certain seasons. It is 
time and money wasted to attempt to grow any other 
kind of fruit on such land as you describe, which is fre¬ 
quently submerged by overflows from the neighboring 
river. 
Fall Grafting Grape Vines— T. T. Lyon, Van Buren 
County, Mich.—I have never attempted the grafting of 
grape vines in the fall; and would scarcely hope to succeed 
in the open ground, in this latitude, unless the vines were 
so covered or protected as to escape freezing during the 
winter. I have succeeded in root grafting during the win¬ 
ter, and starting the plants by means of a cold-frame in 
early spring; also by grafting in the usual manner, in 
spring, and earthing up the grafts. 
Scabby Potato Skins in Manure for Potato Land.— 
W. A. S., North Woodbury, Conn.—It is The R. N.-Y.’s 
belief that the skin of scabby potatoes mixed with manure 
will not have the slightest effect to cause scab in subse¬ 
quent crops grown on the ground to which the manure has 
been applied. 
Injections of Blood.— C. D. L., Bergen County, N. J.— 
Every few months we read new reports of proposed ex¬ 
periments to cure or prevent animal diseases by Injections 
of the blood of other animals. The goat has been selected 
in most of these experiments, and we believe goat’s blood 
has been used in cattle for the prevention of tuberculosis, 
abortion and other diseases. We have seen no record of 
actual results that proved the value of such treatment. 
This extract from the Medical Review indicates the ex¬ 
tent to which this practice may be carried: “ Various 
attempts have been made by Richet and Verneuil to con 
fer immunity from tuberculosis upon human beings by 
Injection of the blood of immune animals, or animals that 
they believed to be immune, such as dogs and goats. Fol 
lowing upon these lines, Dr. Bordier now proposes to 
transfuse the blood of indigenous negroes into uuaccll 
mated white persons going to the tropics, as a means of 
prophylaxis against yellow fever.” 
