1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
207 
Farmers’ Club Discussion. 
( Continued .) 
Abuse That Is Praise. 
M. M., Cambridge City, Ind. — I have 
received my usual number of catalogues, 
nearly all those mentioned in a late 
Rural and many others; but one in par¬ 
ticular The Rural ought to have men¬ 
tioned for its “ cussedness ” and worth¬ 
lessness if for nothing else. In it a. 
whole page is devoted to blowing The 
Rural sky-high. Have you any idea 
whose it is? The fellow has tree toma¬ 
toes (seed) this season 8 to 10 feet high, 
which bear fruit 1 % pound in weight on 
an average; also a tree blackberry—very 
new and rare—for which I don’t doubt a 
person has to have a ladder to gather the 
fruit, which average the first year three 
bushels of fine blackberries to the tree! 
Now guess who this benefactor to man¬ 
kind is. He caught me once many years 
ago with some novelties, but I quit 
biting. I am sorry to say that we have 
only too many frauds among the seeds¬ 
men and it cost me much money before I 
found out whom to trust and whose seeds 
I could rely on. There are some honest 
ones but not many, and those other ras¬ 
cals ought to be weeded out as much as 
possible through the efforts of the press. 
R. N.-Y.—Oh, yes, of course, we know 
him. We won’t advertise him to the ex¬ 
tent of naming him here. Abuse from 
such scamps is the same as praise from 
honest men. 
Kerosene for Black Knot. 
J. A. McG., Hillsboro, Ohio. —My next 
door neighbor bad several plum trees 
bearing fine fruit, but all died covered 
with knots; but before dying I had 
secured a few sprouts and had some fine 
young trees, but when they were about 
six feet high knots began to break out 
on the trunks, some six inches long. 
Having filled a small sewing machine 
oil can with coal oil, I gave the knots 
a dose; they stopped growing, but in 
about a month a few more made their 
appearance and some old ones began to 
swell again, but another dose finished 
them. The next year (last summer) a 
few spots appeared, but were treated be¬ 
fore they broke out, and all the trees are 
very thrifty, but scarred where the large 
knots were, as the knots died and fell 
off like loose bark, leaving dead spots 
over which the new bark is growing. It 
was not much trouble to make the ap¬ 
plication, as one was sufficient for all 
but one tree, and three only were made 
to it in two years. If the trees are very 
badly affected, it is better to cut them 
down, they are so unsightly. The oil 
does not seem to have any bad effect on 
the sound part of the tree; but, like all 
other medicine, too much might be in¬ 
jurious, but I’d rather kill it trying to 
save than let the disease have its way. 
Grundy's Farmer Has Good Points. 
J. A. W., Amesbury, Mass. —Although 
the farmer of whom Mr. Grundy speaks 
is not my ideal by any means, there is 
much about him which is commendable. 
His critics have tried to make him look as 
black as possible, yet in many respects 
he is right, and, in my opinion, has the 
best of them thus far. While every one 
should have a nobler purpose than simply 
the making and saving of money, yet it 
is a virtue to be economical enough to 
pay one’s bills and lay up something for 
“a rainy day.” There are many men, 
both in the farming business and out of 
it, who, when they are young, are deter¬ 
mined to have every luxury they want, 
whether able to pay for it or not. A 
mechanic in this town recently said that 
he would furnish his family with all it 
wanted to eat, if, in order to do so, he 
had to run in debt to every grocer and 
milkman in town. Probably he thought 
that statement was an indication that 
he was a very decent man, but what is to 
become of the families of the grocers and 
milkmen ? Is it right to have everything 
one wants to eat if, by doing so, others 
are deprived of what they need ? But, 
supposing a young man is able to pay 
f or all he wants, what assurance has he 
that he will always be able to do it ? In 
case he should become, by accident, dis¬ 
ease or otherwise, incapacitated for 
work, what would it benefit him to think 
of the days when he was able to buy any¬ 
thing he wished ? Is it right to spend 
all of one’s income when young, and run 
the risk of becoming an object of charity 
when old? “ Charity suffereth long;” I 
know, but has a man any right to spend 
his money for beer, cigars and tobacco, 
or even fine clothes and fast horses, and 
in his old age depend for his living on 
those who never indulged in such lux¬ 
uries ? If farmers and others would keep 
an account of their expenditures, they 
would be able to see at the end of the 
year where they could have saved quite 
a large sum of money, and yet not have 
denied themselves many things need¬ 
ful. Now, don’t set me down as a close- 
fisted old “ curbstone broker ” who never 
spends anything, for such is not the case. 
I am young, and spend more for some 
things than some of my neighbors who 
are worth 10 times as much ; but I hope, 
if I live to be an old man, that I shall 
have, enough laid by so that I shall not 
be obliged to expose myself to all kinds 
of weather in order to live from day to 
day. One of the saddest sights in the 
world is an old man dependent on others 
for his daily bread, and, as for me, I had 
rather deny myself of some of the things 
I would really like now than to get into 
such a position later on. 
Paper Pots for Plant Growing. 
J. T. R., Syracuse, N. Y.—The ad¬ 
vice is frequently given to save up all 
the small tin cans that come in our way, 
melt out the bottoms and use the sides 
for thumb pots in which to raise seed¬ 
ling vegetables for transplanting. A 
much simpler and neater pot is made of 
paper, either manilla or even common 
wrapping paper. Prepare a “ flat,” say 
five inches deep, into which scatter an 
inch of clay soil. Make a number of 
square pots which will exactly fill the 
space. For example, if the “ flat” be 12 
inches square, you will need 144 of them 
one inch square. These are easily made 
by wrapping strips of paper, 3x6 inches, 
around a squared stick, a litttle less than 
one inch square. No bottoms will be re¬ 
quired, nor is it necessary to glue the 
sides, as they will hold one another in 
place. Stand these in the flat, sprinkle 
on fine soil till the edges of the paper 
cases are just visible above it, place a 
seed in each, and scatter on a thin layer 
to cover the seed. In transplanting it 
will be all right to put the paper case in 
the ground with the plant, as it will 
soon decay. I have made many of these 
paper pots of various sizes and shapes 
for growing “potted” strawberry plants. 
Questions for Anti-Silverltes. 
W. E. R., New Hamburgh, Pa.—W ill 
the correspondents of The Rural who 
wrote of the free coinage of silver as a 
failure, answer a few questions : First, 
what valid reason had the government 
for demonetizing silver in 1873, when the 
intrinsic value of a silver dollar was 
greater than that of a gold dollar ? 
Second, if it was a national benefit, why 
was the act smuggled through Congress? 
Third, if silver was good enough from 
the start of our government until 1873, 
why is it not good enough now ? Fourth, 
what is money, and can it have two 
values—intrinsic and fiat, and if so, which 
value do we use ? Fifth, is it not a fact 
that the prices of all farm products have 
declined with the depreciation of silver, 
and would not gold have declined in 
value if it had been demonetized in place 
of silver ? 
Aids to Farmers' Happiness. 
W. E. R., Dover, N. H.—Why shouldn’t 
a farmer and his family be as comfort¬ 
able and enjoy life as well as the man 
who lives in the city or village? I think 
he can. He need not be exposed to the 
weather as much as the man in the store 
or shop. He can have a coal fire and 
keep one or more rooms warm all the 
time. At the price of wood and coal in 
most places in New England, it is better 
for the farmer to haul his wood to the 
village and bring back coal. He can 
have plenty of reading matter, as papers 
are cheap, although I think more would 
be taken if farmers could have their 
mail regularly, as many of us live four 
or five miles from the post office, and go 
there only once a week, or even sel- 
domer. I know of nothing that would 
benefit the farmer so much—except, per¬ 
haps, better roads—than free rural pos¬ 
tal delivery, and I do not understand 
why our mail should not be brought to 
(Continued on r*ext page.) 
In writing to advertisers please always mention 
The Rural. 
A TIRED WOMAN, 
just u much u a 
tick and ailing one, 
needs Dr. Pierce’s 
Favorite Prescrip¬ 
tion. That builds up, 
strengthens, and in¬ 
vigorates the entire 
female system. It 
regulates and pro¬ 
motes all the proper 
functions of woman¬ 
hood, improves diges¬ 
tion, enriches the blood, dispels aches and 
pains, melancholy and nervousness, brings 
refreshing sleep, and restores health and 
strength. 
It’s a powerful restorative tonic and sooth¬ 
ing nervine, made especially for woman’s 
needs, and the only guaranteed remedy for 
woman’s weaknesses and ailments. In all 
“female complaints ” and irregularities, if it 
ever fails to benefit or cure, you have your 
money back. 
A great many paedicines “relieve” Ca¬ 
tarrh in the Head. That means that it’s 
driven from the head into the throat and 
lungs. But, by its mild, soothing, cleansing 
and healing properties, Dr. Sago’s Catarrh 
Remedy perfectly and permanently cures. 
PLOW UNDER 
THE WEEDS. 
Cuts the sod, bears down the 
weeds, clears all rubbish and 
obstructions, impossible to clog, lessens the 
draft, makes work easier for both man and 
team, simple, strong and durable. 
The Lambert Plow Colter 
can be attached to any plow. Just the thing 
for plowing under green crops. Guaranteed 
to work on any land, no matter how encum¬ 
bered with weeds, green crop or other litter. 
Once in a neighborhood every one wants it. 
Its low price brings it withiu the reach of 
every one who uses a plow. 
(loiter with Clamp to fit any Plow, 
Colter without Clamp, $£.50 
For particulars address 
Lambert & Young, 
Belfast, Me. 
(latent Allowed July 29, 1892. 
ORDER THROUGH YOUR DEALER 
STANDARD PEARS 
SUPERB TREES—CHOICE VARIETIES. 
An excellent opportunity to plant an orchard at 
a remarkably small outlay. Catalogue EliEE. 
ELLWANGER & BARRY, 
Mt. Hope Nurseries, KOCHESTKIt, N. Y, 
ELLISON 
PEACH 
standB the cold, and bears 
with any peach, barge yellow. 
" tine quality. No. 1 trees 25c. 
each, $10 per 100. Write 
,J. A. Roberts, Malvern, Pa. 
30 other varieties, 2 to 0 cents, all sizes, fresh and 
bright. Not a tree plowed last Fall. 
Trees and Plants. 
Parsons & Sons Co., 
LIMITED, 
Flushing, N. Y. 
SELECTED SPECIMENS OF 
Rhododendrons, 
Japanese Maples, 
American Holly. 
For other Rare Trees and Shrubs see Catalogue. 
fits 
%TA OOUE Tty BULBS ' 
REACH EVERWSTATE,AMONG t He 
BARUEST&BE5T. NOVELTIES IN 
FLOWERS*VEGETABLES . 
C.&. ALLEN, BRATTLEBORO.VT. 
In Plowing Orchards Use 
Syracuse, N. Y., or Auburn, N. Y. 
IDEAL FEED MILL 
Stand Power Combined 
WILL SAVE 
^33 1-3 PERCENT. 
_______ YOUR CRAIN. 
Remember It grinds EAR CtUN and all kinds of 
grain FASTER AND BETTER than any other. Our line 
comprises Everything in the shape of 0RIHDIHQ 
MILLS. Address for catalogue. 
AVAiirn II r*f% aa 
UM Ml./w.f 
PRAYYOURTREES.$|7lE!lS.S5.50 
Makes 3 Complete Brass Machines. Will Spray 10 Acres per Day. 
SOLID 
STEEL 
IFENCE 
The best and most easily crectedTence in use. 
wire. Cut from solid steel plates, better known as 
Expanded MetalJ 
Combines beauty, strength, durability, and economy. Write for' 
Catalogue No. 34 .giving particulars and showing this material^ 
framed in ornamental designs for It.wns.* 
Central Expanded Meta! Co.,531 Wood St..Pittsburgh,Pa* 
wmm mm mm <T% Yes, I have them to sell—APPLE, PEAR, 
L# k mm f PLUM, PEACH. CHERRY, QUINCE, and 
I m. mm mm ■ ORNAMENTAL. Strong- and healthy. 
straw .. pi mm mm mmm ■ mm i grow for .market, 
HASP..,. g-J» M W ^^m ■ AND HENCE PROPAGATE 
BLACK. ■ » r~ i THE MOST PROFITABLE 
goose. mm mm ■ m ■ m ■ tmm mm varieties. 
I have over sixty varieties of f \ A 
in my vineyard, and have selected a few of the best 
kinds to propagate for sale. ^mm ■ "■ ™ 
■“Si ,*" 4 CURRANTS, H KKJ ( “ SHRUBS, XhT ROSES. 
EVERYTHING GROWN OUT DOORS. CATALOGUE FREE. 
G. S. BUTLER, Cromwell, Conn., 
The largest grower of Blackberries and Black Raspberries in New England. 
