1893 
37 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
after the plant has gone to seed. Hence there is no t 
need of cutting it when in bloom. The second growth 
starts slowly, and like Timothy, is not well adapted for t 
pasture. The grass will grow on almost any rich, arable a 
land, making a fair crop, but it likes moist land. The s 
seeds are small and require more than one year to c 
make strong plants. 
An Orchard of Winter Pears. 
M. B., Chatham, Ontario, Canada.—!. When setting 
out a pear orchard of winter sorts, I wish to set out 
only three varieties that do well as dwarfs. What are 
the qualities of the following : Lawrence, Winter 
Nelis, Beurr^ Easter and Vicar of Winkfield ? Which 
should be planted? 2. Should they be planted deep so 
as to take root from the pear graft. I have a mag¬ 
nificent place for a pear orchard. 3. How far apart 
should dwarfs be planted in strong soil tiled five feet 
deep ? 
Ans.— 1. We should choose Anjou first, and Beurr6 
Easter second. Anjou may easily be kept into winter 
and succeeds very well on quince. Beurr6 Diel is a 
fine early winter or late fall variety. Vicar of Wink- 
field would be excellent for cooking and fair for des¬ 
sert. Glout Morceau, which is of fine quality when 
well grown, succeeds well on quince. Lawrence does 
not; neither does Winter Nelis. 2. We would advise 
planting deep, though in many cases no advantage is 
gained, since the pear often fails to send out roots and 
sometimes the roots start only from one side. 3. Twelve 
feet apart. 
“Fillers” in Chemical Fertilizers. 
E. 1., New Berlin, N. Y. —Do all commercial fertiliz¬ 
ers contain what is called a “filler?” A traveling 
agent for one concern informed me that his people 
used no filler. Next came a man representing 
another competing house who desired me to 
handle their goods. He said they used no filler save 
dried blood and bone and that the rival house used 
large quantities of marl. Next came a representative 
of another. He said his company used a vegetable 
“ filler, ” and that any one who stated that some com¬ 
panies did not use “fillers” well—lied; that it was 
a necessity in order to retain the chemicals. 
Ans.—W e are preparing an article on the making of 
a fertilizer, which will, we think, make this point 
clear. No maker of high-class goods can afford to use 
worthless substances to make weight or bulk. The 
chemist will not allow him any valuation on such 
stuff—all he gets credit for is the nitrogen, potash and 
phosphoric acid. What good will it do him to go to 
the expense of handling and bagging worthless stuff 
that gains him no credit at all ? You will notice that 
those who buy the separate chemicals and mix them 
at home do not use any “ filler” and yet their home- 
mixed goods analyze no better than those of first-class 
manufacturers. These home-made mixtures “retain 
the chemicals” without trouble. Probably some of the 
better class of makers use a little plaster now and then 
to make an even weight, but we doubt if they use any¬ 
thing else. We shall talk about this again. 
Are All Seedlings New Varieties? 
Amateur, New Jersey.—Here is something I don’t see 
through in the seedling potato business. In growing 
new varieties from seeds why do we not duplicate vari¬ 
eties more frequently ? In other words, can we assume 
that e^ery such seedling is a new variety different 
from every other ? If Tom, Dick and Harry should all 
sow seeds from the same variety at about the same 
time, can Tom feel certain that his “new variety” is 
different from Dick’s ? Are not many seedlings exactly 
like their older brothers, grown from the same parent, 
and in general cultivation ? 
Ans.—I t sometimes happens that potato seed will 
reproduce the parent so closely that the seedling tuber, 
vine, flower and habit are essentially the same. But 
this is rare. We recall but one instance. The Late 
Beauty of Hebron and White Elephant are so nearly 
the same that we were unable to tell which was which, 
though plants of each kind were raised side by side. 
The announcement of their essential identity was 
given to our readers about eight or ten years ago. It 
is safe to assume that all seedling potatoes may be dis¬ 
tinguished from one another if a careful comparison be 
made. 
Chapman’s Cheap Potato Crates. 
Several Subscribers.— On page 793 of last year’s issue 
a correspondent speaks of the crates used by C. E. 
Chapman in handling his potato crop. How are they 
made ? 
Ans.—T he slats should be of some tough wood, like 
black ash or basswood, that will not split, splinter or 
break easily. The ends are hard wood ; black ash is 
best, but beech is good. I draw some logs to the mill 
and have the sides cut into slats, and the centers into 
ends, so that there shall be no waste. The slats are 
% of an inch thick, 22 inches long, and 2% wide. The 
ends are 11 inches wide, one foot long, and % of an 
inch thick. At the mill everything is cut ready to be 
nailed. On the work bench, nail some cleats to hold 
the end pieces upright and at proper distances while 1 
they are being nailed. Nail on the side slats first, put ] 
the bottom out even with the outside of the side slat 5 
and put a small nail through the bottom slat into the < 
side slat at the center. Use three slats on the side 
and four on the bottom. Use wire sixes for nailing, i 
and put together while green. They will shrink to 
the nails and hold better. Bore two-inch holes, five 
inches apart on each end, an inch from the top, and 
cut out the intervening wood with a chisel, for handles, 
before nailing together. The half crates are made in 
the same way except that the slats are just half the 
length, 11 inches. When properly made they will 
fit into each other and also fit in the wagon-box, so 
that there will be no loss of room. If there is a dif¬ 
ference in the width of the wagon-boxes a little study 
will show you how to vary the figures so as to get a 
perfect fit with a bushel capacity. They should hold 
a bushel when level full so that the tubers will not be 
bruised when the crates are tiered up. c. e. chapman. 
Japanese Plum and Potato Growing. 
C. A. H., Hudson, Ind.—l. Would The Rurai. New- 
Yorker recommend planting Japanese plums for pro¬ 
fit ? If so, where can I get them, and what varieties ? 
2. In the spring of 1894 I intend to plant six acres of 
potatoes on clover sod which will grow 30 bushels of 
wheat in a good year, now much fertilizer and what 
kind should I use ? 3. I wish to plant next spring for 
seed some early variety—one that matures early and 
yields well, as the drought generally commences about 
the middle of July. What variety shall I get and 
where ? 
Axs.—1. We cannot say as yet. Abundance (Botan) 
has done well at the Rural Grounds. Only a trial on 
your own grounds can answer the question. 2. One 
bag (200 pounds) muriate of potash, three bags (600 
pounds) fine raw-bone flour to the acre. This for a 
minimum quantity. A corresponding quantity of sul¬ 
phate of potash may be used. We have found wood 
ashes (for potash) as used the first season conducive to 
scab. 3. Early Sunrise, Freeman, Beauty of Hebron. 
Of any seedsman dealing in potatoes. 
Corn Planting Questions. 
W. L. K., 1 chula, Miss.—It the land is plowed, how 
is the corn planted, how covered, and where the sur¬ 
face is a dead level, is it not necessary to hill or in 
some way ridge the row so as to carry off water ? 
Ans. —We use a one-horse planter which drops a 
single kernel about 8, 10 or 15 inches as preferred, at 
any desired depth, and covers the seed. There are 
now machines that plant two rows at a time and dis¬ 
tribute fertilizer as well. No, if the land is level and 
well drained, hilling is not desirable for any reason 
whatever. 
Insuring a Crop of Clover. 
H. H. L., Carson City, Mich. —What can I do to insure 
a catch of clover next spring on a sandy land last in 
potatoes ? Clover seed is high, and I am willing to 
pay something for insurance. 
Ans. —A crop of clover may be insured safely if 
every one concerned will be his own insurer. In this 
case, the land may be thoroughly well harrowed, not 
plowed, as the working of the previous crop will have 
brought it into a good condition for the seed. As early 
as the season will permit, the ground should be thor¬ 
oughly worked with the Acme or some other harrow 
that serves as a light plow as well as a harrow. Two 
bushels of oats are then sown and covered by another 
harrowing. Then the clover seed is sown, not less 
than a peck to the acre, if alone, and two-thirds as 
much if Timothy is sown at the same time (eight or 
ten pounds of the latter to the aore.) This seed is then 
perfectly covered not less than one inch in the soil, by 
means, preferably, of a light sloping-tooth harrow, 
crosswise of the former harrowing. This covering of 
the seed, not too deep, and yet deep enough, is the in¬ 
surance. The seed germinates safely, for if a few dry 
days, which so often occur in the spring, happen and 
spoil the “ catch,” no harm is done to the young plants 
i which have their roots in the ground, and not merely 
i qu it, as is and must unavoidably be the case if the 
seed is merely sown on the surface and left to the 
s chances of the season, and they are able to withstand 
the drought, which will inevitably destroy every 
germinated seed lying on the surface by the interven- 
s tion of only a few hours of drying wind or hot sun. 
r As to Cranberry Culture. 
O. R. B., Ricard, N. Y.—I would like information 
» on cranberry culture, the cost of plants, distance to 
» set, etc. 
3 Ans.— Cranberries require special conditions to in- 
1 sure success. Their culture is confined chiefly to two 
> or three regions of country. Southern New Jersey and 
i Cape Cod in Massachusetts furnish the Eastern market 
3 with most of the berries sold. Low, wet grounds, which 
i can be flooded with, or drained of water, whenever 
3 desirable are requisite. The bottom of an old miL 
1 pond furnishes an excellent location. A swamp must 
be cleaned of all bushes, brakes, roots, etc., before 
planting; ditches dug, the surface covered several 
inches deep with sand. Planting is done at any time 
of year excepting winter. Cuttings are used from 
thrifty vines, sometimes cut up in a cutting box, into 
six or eight-inch lengths, and pressed into the sand 
eight or ten inches apart. The cultivation consists 
simply in pulling out the grass and weeds, and in 
flooding the bog when desirable. It usually costs 
several hundred dollars per acre to fit a bog for plant¬ 
ing, so that it is expensive business for the average 
farmer. Cranberry Culture, by White, cloth, illus¬ 
trated, $1.25, and Cape Cod Cranberries, by Webb, 
paper, 50 cents, are both good books on the subject, 
and will be mailed postpaid from this office on receipt 
of price. 
No Help for the Persimmon Tree. 
F. C., Fredei'UMon, O.— I have a persimmon tree 
about eight inches in diameter, 20 feet high, between 
25 and 30 years old, raised from seed. The fruit of the 
original tree was of good size, but that of mine is 
abo\it the size of a small cherry. Would it be advisable 
to graft the tree with some Japanese persimmon ? If 
so, where could I get the grafts ? 
Ans. —There is nothing to be done. Japanese varie¬ 
ties will not prove hardy with you. 
Help Wanted to Kill Sprouts. 
S., Burgettstown, Pa.— Close to our dwelling are sev¬ 
eral tall locust trees whioh are a nuisance, causing 
much trouble, as the leaves clog up the spouting. Is 
there any particular time when they may be cut down, 
without hundreds of sprouts growing up from the 
roots ? 
Ans. —August would be as good a time as any. 
Readers are requested to give their opinions. 
A Bean and Seedling: Apple. 
O. H. S., Lansing, N. Y. —1. I send a sample of seed¬ 
ling apples. The original tree grew up alongside a 
forest tree stump, and is about 55 years old. I have 
fruited it on my own farm for 35 years. The samples 
sent are not as fair as others are in some years. I 
think the fruits from the trees I have propagated are 
finer than those from the original. In 1854 or 1855 I 
sent a sample to James Vick, of Rochester, N. Y. He 
replied through Moore’s Rural New-Yorker that they 
were Baldwins! What does The Rural think of 
them ? 2. What is the name of the inclosed bean ? 
Ans. —1. The two specimens sent differ enough to 
be two different varieties. They are not Baldwins, 
although resembling them somewhat. They are in 
appearance between a Baldwin and a Tompkins County 
King, and the flesh resembles the latter both in tex¬ 
ture and flavor. For eating, and, we should judge, for 
cooking, the variety is a promising one, although the 
specimens sent would indicate that it is not a long 
keeper. 2. “ The inclosed bean ” is the Soja hispida. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Scarlet Clover. —H. V. P., Harwinton, Conn.—This 
clover will mature a crop the first season if sown on 
good land the first week in May, but will not live 
through the winter in central Connecticut. 
Pear Blight. —M. H. McN.—A series of articles on 
pear blight is scarcely necessary. Destroy the blighted 
portions as soon as the blight is discovered. Liberal 
dressings of bone flour and potash may be used to pre¬ 
vent the blight. 
A “ New ” Bean .— L. C. C., address mislaid. — It seems 
to us that the bean sent is a variety of Soja hispida, 
though we have never he&rd of so many growing in a 
cluster. Send a specimen to C. C. Georgeson, Agricul¬ 
tural College, Manhattan, Kansas. 
Pears on Old Quinces. —A. J. W., Portland, N. Y.— 
We should not hope for much success from grafting 
pears on old quince trees. If you cannot make the 
quince trees fruitful and vigorous, it would be better 
to destroy them and plant standards or young pears 
on quinces. Duchess, Anjou, Winkfield, Louise Bonne 
and Diel. 
Dwarf Apples and Pears. —D. R. P., Trumansburg, 
N. Y.—There are two kinds of dwarf apples, those 
worked on Doucain and those on Paradise stock. The 
latter make much smaller trees and bear sooner. The 
best kinds to work on the Paradise stock are Porter, 
Red Astrachan, Baldwin, Northern Spy, Benoni and 
Summer Rose. The best pears on quince are Louise 
Bonne, Vicar of Winkfield, Duchess, Easter Beurr6, 
Glout Morceau and Diel. 
Potato Fertilizer. —C. DeG., Vineland, N. J.—The 
fertilizer which you propose to mix as follows is well 
proportioned for potatoes : 1,200 pounds of Peter 
Cooper’s fine bone giving an analysis of ammonia 1.56, 
phosphoric acid 30.36; 200 pounds of cotton-seed meal, 
analysis, nitrogen 6.48, phosphoric acid 3.47, potash 
1.90; 250 pounds of nitrate of soda, analysis, nitrogen 
15.95; 350 pounds of muriate of potash, analysis, 
potash, 50.00. If potatoes of a fine quality are desired 
t is better to'use the sulphate of potash. 
