1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
799 
A dozen years or more ago The R. 
N.-Y. started the inquiry : “ Does as¬ 
paragus need salt? Have any compara¬ 
tive experiments been made to deter¬ 
mine the question? Our investigation 
seemed to prove that while there was any 
amount of proof that salt did not hurt 
the asparagus, there was none that it 
benefited it. In view of the fact that 
many still use large quantities upon their 
beds, it would be well to test the matter 
by salting only a portion of the aspara¬ 
gus plot. A comparison of the two por¬ 
tions in a few years would give data for 
a valid conclusion. 
Many years ago it was thought that 
the asparagus plot must be stuffed with 
manure before the plants were set. Then 
“the plot was good for 20 years.” It 
was not considered that plants—the same 
as animals—need but a certain amount 
of food, and that a surplus could not be 
serviceable in any way. TO use a large 
amount of manure in preparing the plot 
is equivalent to locking up an amount of 
money where it draws no interest. It is 
worse than that, for a part of the prin¬ 
cipal is lost. As the surplus manure de¬ 
cays and becomes soluble from season to 
season, a considerable portion leaches 
through the soil and is lost forever to the 
plants. 
J. R Trumpy, the well-known and 
well-prized propagator of the Kissena 
Nurseries, says in our excellent contem¬ 
porary, Gardening, that the Golden Oak 
(Quercus concordia) is the finest yellow¬ 
leaved tree in the nursery grounds, and 
that it holds its color throughout the 
summer and fall. We bought a specimen 
—and from Kissena too—some 15 years 
ago. The leaves are of a delicate green¬ 
ish yellow in spring, but this color 
changes to ordinary green in early sum¬ 
mer and does not reappear in the fall, 
except as a fall growth is made. 
It is generally thought that oaks are 
of slow growth. So, indeed, many are. 
But Concordia is one of many exceptions. 
Its growth is rapid. We placed our speci¬ 
men so as to make it a companion to the 
Purple beech. The oak has been severely 
cut back, however, and is still larger 
than the beech. 
Bumalda is, in our opinion, about the 
finest spiraea in cultivation; finest for its 
round compact form; for its free and 
long-continued bloom. 
Alluding to asparagus again, what 
proof have we, what reason is there for 
setting the sets six inches or more be¬ 
low the surface ? As an experiment we 
set our own plants only three inches be¬ 
low, and we do not see that the shoots 
are smaller or fewer than with deep set¬ 
ting. Another improvement upon the 
old-time way is that the plants are now 
set farther apart. The size and number 
of shoots depend upon the vigor of the 
growth of tops after the cutting season 
closes. They must have light, sunshine 
and air. If plants are crowded they are 
weakened, the same as corn or any other 
plants would be if placed too close to¬ 
gether. Of course the fertility of the 
soil and its natural adaptation to aspara¬ 
gus would determine this distance. With 
favorable conditions we would not plant 
closer than three by four feet, and it is 
our belief that in six or eight years a 
greater distance, say three by six feet, 
would be seen to be real economy. 
F. K. Phoenix asks this pertinent 
question: “Will apple growing probably 
suffer from the great increase in produc¬ 
tion of other fruits ? ” 
He says that an amateur neighbor last 
spring set out 12 plants of the Timbrell 
strawberry on well-manured clay loam, 
lie watered them occasionally through 
the drought, and in the fall had over 600 
strong plants. He knows of no really 
good berry more vigorous. 
The Recumbent apple, shown in quan¬ 
tity by the State of Washington at the 
Columbian Exposition October 16, was 
pointed out to the editor of the Canadian 
Horticulturist by Professor Budd, of 
Ames, Iowa, as one of the most promis¬ 
ing Russian apples for the cold North. 
Mr. W. B. Harlay, of Como, Montana, is 
growing the apple on a large scale for 
commercial purposes. It has been fully 
tested in Minnesota, in northern Iowa, 
and has even been fruited at Winnipeg 
and reported quite hardy there. It is 
hardier than the Duchess, and in quality 
is excellent. Mr. T. T. Lyon, on visiting 
Professor Budd, and eating the apple 
served up in pies and sauce, said of it: 
“I have tasted a good many apples in 
my time, prepared in various ways, but 
this is the richest I have ever tried.” 
So much for its cooking qualities, while 
even as a dessert apple it is passable. 
It is larger than the R. I. Greening, of a 
lighter green and much russeted about 
the stem. Mr. Budd thinks this apple 
will be of great value also in Northern 
Canada. 
The Rural New-Yorker has for many 
years insisted that it does not pay to use 
low-grade fertilizers. But, evidently, 
there is great need of further insistence. 
Let us put it in this familiar way: We 
have the opportunity of buying at our 
nearest railroad station two grades of 
ashes. By analysis we know that one 
lot, the price being $6 per ton, contains 
four per cent of potash, the other eight 
per cent, the price being $13 per ton. 
The cost of cartage is the same in both 
cases. We must cart twice as much of 
the ashes costing $6 per ton as of that 
costing $13, to get the same value. Again 
we must spread twice as much of the 
one as of the other. Which would you 
choose—the $6 or the $13 ashes ? In the 
one case you haul and spread two tons; 
in the other one ton. You get the same 
value in either case, and you pay $1 
more for the one ton than for the two. 
In this case we take no account of either 
the phosphoric acid or the lime in the 
ashes. 
Does not it cost those who mix fertil¬ 
izers—the so-called manufacturers—as 
much to mix, bag, handle and ship a low- 
grade as a high-grade ton of fertilizer? 
Doesn’t it follow that the high-grade 
ton can be sold for a price exactly pro¬ 
portionate to the value of its available 
plant food and yet give a larger profit to 
the wholesale dealer? But does the 
wholesale dealer get more profit? No. 
A study of the analyses of the chief 
stations of the country as presented in 
their bulletins, will show that the per 
cent of profit—as recorded by actual 
plant food—of high-grade fertilizers is 
less than that of low-grades. And the 
difference is often excessive. 
The trouble is that the farmer (the 
purchaser) does not study the case. He 
is told by a plausible agent that his fer¬ 
tilizer at $25 per ton is just as good as a 
well-known brand at twice the amount. 
“ We don’t charge for reputation, you 
know.” 
The farmer takes his chances. He has 
not studied the simple chemistry of fer¬ 
tilizers, and often cannot understand the 
value of printed analyses. Yes, he takes 
his chances, and in almost every instance 
loses by so doing. 
The safety of those who have investi¬ 
gated fertilizer problems, is to buy of the 
best known manufacturers, and to buy 
high-priced goods. 
Again and again, we would impress it 
upon our readers not to buy low-grade, 
cheap fertilizers. 
Do not plant hoHow-hearted potatoes 
for seed. The hollow heart is easily bred 
out. 
Mr. W. F. Bird, of Ann Arbor, Mich., 
writes that he finds the Mills a beautiful 
grape of fine quality, keeping until 
March—the longest of any he has in a 
collection of 80 varieties. But he fears 
that it will prove—like other hybrids— 
unhealthy. 
Mr. Bird would like information as to 
varieties which will keep the longest. 
Vergennes, he says, would answer except 
that the quality is not good enough. We 
would gladly hear from our readers on 
this subject. 
Gleanings in Bee Culture mentions an 
interesting method of obtaining a large 
yield of our No. 2 potatoes. He dug from 
the piece (one-third acre) 116 bushels of 
the finest potatoes he ever saw in his 
life. Some old farmers said that, during 
a dry season, there might be a great 
growth of vines, but there would not be 
any potatoes worth speaking of. Well, 
all the potatoes of this particular crop 
were large and smooth. One great, 
smooth, nice-shaped potato weighed 1 
pound 11 ounces, and there were hun¬ 
dreds of them that weighed over a pound 
each. The ground was heavily manured 
last fall (1892) and sowed to rye. The rye 
was turned under just before a 60-hour 
rain, and this rye kept the soil compara¬ 
tively loose. After the rain was over, as 
soon as the ground was sufficiently dry, 
he worked it up fine, soft and mellow, 
and planted the potatoes. It was so late 
in the season they had long sprouts on, 
and were a good deal wilted; but he cut 
them carefully without breaking many of 
the sprouts, and covered them nicely and 
gave them good cultivation. If it had not 
been for this crop of Rurals, he was ready 
to conclude that his ground was not 
suitable for potatoes, and that he did not 
know how to raise them, even f the 
ground were suitable. 
Abstracts. 
-Harper’s Weekly: “The govern¬ 
ment of New York to-day is an ignorant 
and degraded autocracy.” 
“ Hamilton W. Mabie, of the Outlook 
(Christian Union) when asked how much 
time it pays to spend in reading daily 
newspapers, replied: ‘Just as little as 
possible after getting the news.’ ” 
-Emerson: “The world is upheld by 
the veracity of good men; they make the 
earth wholesome.” 
“ Like can only be known by like.” 
“ All that is yet inanimate will one 
day speak and reason.” 
“ Men who know the same thing are 
not long the best company for each 
other.” 
Wore sold last year In 20 States and 4 Provinces of 
Canada with never a dissatisfied buyer. 
Dibble’s Seed Potatoes. 
Dibble’s Seed Oats. 
Dibble’s Seed Barley. 
Dibble’s Seed Corn. 
Dibble’s Seed Beans. 
Dibble’s Garden Seeds. 
“ Pure, true to name, best quality." 
At lowest possible prices, over 7,000 bushels al¬ 
ready sold to old customers for next spring's piant- 
Wlll be ready eariy In January 
Send name and address fcr 
copy. 
T. J. DWYER, 
Orange County Nurseries, 
CORNWALL, N. Y. 
YOU CAN SELL 
SAP PAIL COVERS 
We make a metal one cheap. 
Curtis Steel Roofing Co 
57 SIGLER STREET, NILES, O. 
SPRAY 
(°0K < R EES- 
Sialil’s ' '■ 
Double Acting N? 
Excelsior Spiny- ~ 
ing Outtits prevent I 
Loaf lllight Hi Worniy ' 
Fruit. Insures a hoavy—Sj; 
vield of all Fruit andl?^ 
Vegetable crops. Thous¬ 
ands in use. Send 6 cts. for 
catalogue and full treatise 
on spraying. Circulars free. 
WM. STAHL, Quincy, III. 
HEEBNERS’T.r"T"l7H( 
With SPEED REGULATOR. 
For 1, a and 3 Horses. « 
If you name Tub Rural Nkw-Yorkbr to our 
advertisers, you may be pretty sure of prompt 
replies and right treatment 
“ Catalogue Ensilage and Dry Fodder Cut¬ 
ter with Orusher. Also Threshers and Gleaners, Feed 
Mills, Corn Shellere, Drag k Circular Saw Machines, etc. 
ILKAdNER SONS, Luusdule, I’u., U. S. A. 
Fertilizers Unprofitable 
I "LOOK UP, 
and not down,” If you’re a suffer¬ 
ing woman. Every one of the 
bodily troubles that come to 
women only has a guaranteed 
cure in Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Pro¬ 
scription. That will bring you 
safe and certain help. 
It’s a powerful general, as well 
as uterine, tonic and nervine, and 
it builds up and invigorates the 
entire female system. It regu¬ 
lates and promotes all the proper 
functions, improves digestion, 
enriches the blood, brings refresh¬ 
ing sleep, and restores health and 
strength. 
For ulcerations, displacements, bearing- 
down sensations, periodical pains, and all 
‘•female complaints” and weaknesses, “Far 
vorite Prescription ” is the only guaranteed 
remedy. If it ever fails to benefit or cure, 
you have your money back. 
Very often on account of a deficiency of Potash. 
Farmers, avoid these and secure paying yields by 
selecting brands containing high percentages of 
Potash, or apply Potash Salts, such as Muriate of 
Potash, Sulphate of Potash and Kalnlt. For In¬ 
formation and pamphlet address 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau St., N. Y. City 
HARRIS’ TREE HEALER 
prevents and heals canker and decay. Unequaled 
for grafting, pruning, borers, etc. Wanted, a store¬ 
keeper as local agent for each town In the farming 
district. GEO. H. HARRIS. 
141 Liberty Street, Long Branch, N. J. 
Livery men and Truckers ! Buy 
them of the grower and save 
Middlemen’s proms Sent sacked 
In large or small quantities. 
L. M. YOUNG, Orient, N. Y. 
In every case of Catarrh that seems 
hopeless, you can depend upon Doctor 
Sage’s Catarrh Remedy for a cure. 
Address 
A NEW ERA IN AMERICAN 
For Descriptive ADA DEC General Fruit Cat- 
List and UnWr EO alogne, address 
T. V. MUNSON, Denison, Texas. 
It’s proprietors are so sure of it that 
they'll pay $500 cash for any incurable 
case. Sold by all druggists. 
THOMPSON’S GRASS 
1 Sows Clover, OPHim 
T S”j , ii-p, A Ptax f r ’m SEEDER 
and all kinds of 
GRASS SEEDS. 
i£0 to AO 
Acres Per Day. 
Weight 40 lbs. 
0. E.THOMPSON&SflNS,W„V,a.-.& 
See our Uuuuer Root Cutter on another page. 
nrrn DflTATnCQ — 125 buBhels Bural New- 
OLLU rUI AIUlu. Yorker No. 2, at 90 cents 
per bushel, from seed sent out by The it. N.-Y. Kept 
pure. R. Lltchard, Canaseraga, Allega y Co., N. Y. 
Pedigree Seed Potatoes I 
Our great specialty. See Ad. Nov. 4. W. S. TEATOR, 
Meadow Brook Farm, Upper Red Hook, N. Y. 
Sows any quantity. 
Evenly, Accurately , 
in wet, dry and 
windy weather. 
Morphine Habit cured In 10 to 
20 days. No pay till cured. 
DR. J STEPHENS, Lebanon, O 
