866 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 30 
pARMER 5’ CtU J3 
DISCUSSIONS 
entire summer, and insures that humid, 
cool condition of soil so needed by as¬ 
paragus during the hot days of the early 
autumn. For the next season’s cutting, 
we have thus prepared a soft, porous 
soil of dark color that invites the sud, 
and insures laigc returns very early in 
the season. 
Does Asparagus Need Salt? 
H. F. H., Lexington, Kv.—I n a recent 
issue of The It N.-Y. I find this saying, 
suggestive of further discussion. In the 
spring of 1807, were begun the first ex¬ 
periments and observations to settle con¬ 
clusively in the mind of the writer, this 
question. These observations were made 
on marked sections of a bed five feet 
wide with three rows of plants—the con¬ 
ventional form in the South. The bed 
was some 200 feet long. Salt was ap¬ 
plied in the spring and fall in varying 
quantities for several years and the re¬ 
sults were carefully noted. 
Two theories in support of the use of 
salt are currently held. One is that salt 
will kill the weeds, and the other is that 
the plant is naturally a salt marsh plant 
and requires the application of it to sat¬ 
isfy a natural requirement. To discuss 
the former is idle, for why not use salt 
for the same purpose on any other plant 
that will endure its application. At best 
it is a lazy way to kill weeds, and how 
much salt per acre is required to kill 
them? A layer a fourth inch deep over 
the entire surface lets many weeds flour¬ 
ish with unimpaired vigor. 
Mr. Thomas Meehan first, I think, 
called attention to the fact that in the 
distribution of the flora of any locality, 
trees and plants were found in given 
surroundings and soils, not by choice, 
but by tolerance. The willow is found 
in the marsh, not from any repugnance 
to dry land, but because the stronger 
oak, wa^ut, ash, etc., here have suprem¬ 
acy, but perish in the water. Asparagus 
tolerates salt, but after long and varied 
experiments I have never observed any 
advantage whatever in its use. On the 
contrary, salt is a positive injury and 
detriment. 
The salted section of every bed that 
has come under my observation, fur¬ 
nishes less cutting early in the season, 
than the contiguous ones without salt, 
for the reason that salt renders the scil 
cold and clammy. I think this fact is 
an original observation, but if any of 
your readers will apply salt in consider¬ 
able quantity for several years to any 
given part of their beds, they will find 
that even the application of large quanti¬ 
ties of humus will not keep the soil in 
that loose, friable condition so necessary 
to this plant. We have waste salt each 
year. One of my near friends with large 
plantings has many barrels, but we are 
satisfied that it is a positive injury on 
our clay loam, and use it otherwise than 
on asparagus. It is time that this theory 
of the use of salt on asparagus were ex¬ 
ploded. 
In the manuring of asparagus, I think 
the common practice is at fault. Ap- 
pl ed in the fall, it cannot be utilized by 
the plant until after the cutting season 
is over and the leaves appear, say in 
June or July. Up to this time the man¬ 
ure has leached and dissipated without 
any advantage whatever. The better 
practice, I think, is to use the last made 
manure that cannot be hauled out, the 
fields being then planted, and apply it 
to the beds on the day we discontinue 
cutting them. Our own practice is to 
save the rough, stocky and undesirable 
manure and litter of the late spring, 
mixed with waste straw, hemp shives 
and such like, for this purpose. On the 
day of the last cuttings, the ground is 
loosened with a cultivator, and then 
fully covered with the material described, 
using the more strawy part last. This 
manure, when the leaves will soon be 
at hand to elaborate material gathered 
by the. roots, mulches the ground so 
thoroughly with the added shade, that 
hardly a weed will appear during the 
Be sure and read that announcement 
on the editorial page about the potatoes ! 
Items of interest, criticisms, or corre¬ 
spondence of any kind intended for, or sug¬ 
gested by, this column, should he addressed to 
llurallsms. 
Wk like to hear people say that they 
“do not know” when asked a question 
regarding which they have no positive in¬ 
formation. We sent the inquiry to a 
numberof scientists “what causes hollow 
heart i'; potatoes?” The answers with 
which they kindly furnished us appeared 
week before last. While all, save one, 
admitted that they “did not know,” they 
guessed that the cause might be this, that 
and the other. We are going to ask our 
readers to pardon Ruralisms for making 
a guess as to the cause. Dr. Sturgis, of 
the Connecticut Station, says that he 
doubts that large tubers are oftener 
hollow-hearted than small ones. In this 
we think he is wrong. The writer of 
these notes has cut several barrels of 
potatoes for seed each year for upwards 
of 15 years, and he has had a fair oppor¬ 
tunity of judging whether or not large 
tubers are oftener cr less often hollow- 
hearted than small tubers. He does not 
recall any instar ce of the hollow heart 
in small, comparatively fair, or medium¬ 
sized potatoes. The hollow heart occurs 
chiefly in large tubers, and, as a rule, 
rather than as an exception, in very 
large specimens of late varieties. Now 
for our guess as to the cause. The potato 
will average 70 per cent of water. If the 
season be favorable; that is, if the grow¬ 
ing plant and forming tuber be supplied 
with all the water needed, there is no in¬ 
terruption to growth, and the tissues of 
the potato are well filled with water and 
solid content. But usually there is a 
check to growth of longer or shorter 
duration. The tuber does not get the 
water and food essential to a continuous 
growth. What is the consequence ? The 
soil about the tuber becomes dry and a 
certain amount of shrinkage occurs. The 
“heart” of the potato is furthest from 
the skin, which being firmer than the 
flesh, serves to support—to hold together 
—the flesh nearest to it. The “heart” of 
the tuber is furthest from the supporting 
skin ; it is the oldest and least vigorous 
portion. When, therefore, shrinkage 
occurs, where would the break naturally 
occur? Manifestly in just that weaker 
portion—the furthest from the support¬ 
ing skin and soil which perhaps gives 
additional support to the outer portions. 
There is no evidence, we are told, of any 
fungous growth in the hollow heart. The 
walls are merely dried out and callused 
by exposure to the air which exists in 
the body of the tuber. That early tubers 
are less frequently affected with hollow 
heart gives some evidence of the plausi¬ 
bility of this “guess.” Another bit of 
partial evidence is that hollow heart is, 
as we have observed time and time again, 
more prevalent in seasons of droughts 
than in seasons when growth goes on 
progressively and uninterruptedly. 
Nevertheless, we say to our readers, 
“do not plant hollow-hearted seed.” 
Why ? We do not know. We have evi- 
FRUIT TREES. 
If you are in need of first-class nursery 
stock of any kind, and wish to buy at 
bottom prices, write to Call’s Nurseries, 
Perry, O., for Price List. They deal 
direct with the farmers, furaish only the 
best of stock, and guarantee satisfac¬ 
tion.— Adv. 
dence that the disability—so to call it— 
may be lessened by planting sound seed. 
We know that some tubers have a greater 
solid content than others. By selecting 
such seed which is more solid and less 
liable to shrink, we may reduce the tend¬ 
ency to hollow heart. That is the only 
explanation that occurs to us. 
In the Canadian vegetable exhibit of 
the World’s Fair, was a squash weighing 
365 pounds, which naturally attracted 
much attention. Mr. Wm. Warnock, of 
Goderich, Ont., explains how it was 
raised, in the Canadian Horticulturist. 
He prepared for each hill a compost of 
two barrow loads of hen manure and 
four of good soil, mixed well together. 
This was the first of April This was 
forked over in a week or so, and about 
the first of May he added four barrow 
loads of well-rotted manure, keeping it 
under shelter. He dug his hills seven feet 
in diameter and six inches deep, mixing 
the best of the soil with the above com¬ 
post. The hills were about six inches 
above the level of the soil and about 10 
feet in diameter. When the seed started, 
he thinned out to one plant. When the 
vine had grown three or four feet, he 
mulched the soil to a distance of 10 feet 
from the roots on all sides with horse 
manure three inches deep. He kept the 
hills well watered, and pegged down 
each vine as it ran so that it took root at 
every joint. 
As soon as there was a good specimen, 
he pinched out all others, nipped the 
ends of the vines, and destroyed all blos¬ 
soms. That is the way the mammoth 
squash was raised. 
We would remind our readers that 
there is no better time than right now to 
answer the following questions : What 
ornamental trees and shrubs shall I plant 
next spring ? What fruit trees, grape 
vines, and small fruits in general? What 
are the best varieties of seeds, roots and 
tubers to purchase for the garden and 
the farm ? What fertilizers would prove 
the most economical for the garden, field 
and orchard ? What new implements 
may I purchase that will so aid my work 
as to pay for themselves “ over and over 
again?” What may I avoid? is also a 
pertinent inquiry. As aids to answering 
such questions—upon which success or 
failure may largely depend—the latest 
books may be read, the institutes at¬ 
tended, the thriftiest farmers and fruit 
growers, hither and yon, consulted, and 
the files of the trustiest farm and garden 
papers carefully examined. 
In guidance of this sort we cannot be too 
careful as to the authorities we consult. 
A limited experience is a dangerous source 
to rely upon. So, too, is the go off-half- 
cocked, loud-mouthed, know-it-all enthu¬ 
siast. People who have met with un¬ 
usual success in their occupation are often 
the most conservative. They hesitate to 
(Continued on next page.) 
IN writing to advertiser* please always mention 
Thi Rural. 
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In the form of a running 
•ore on my ankle, four 
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I then commenced taking 
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using Hood’s Olive Oint¬ 
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