1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7 
Farmers' Club Discussion. 
Continued. 
Mission of the Honey Bee. 
A. A. L., Burlington, Vt. —Probably 
C. C. M. will need no help to sustain bis 
arffument for the bees, but, thinking that 
the views of one who for many years has 
made beekeeping a minor branch of 
farm work, might have some weight, I 
send my experience. As to the mixing 
of different varieties of the squash, as 
spoken of by L. E. R. L., of Nebraska, 
I have had no trouble of that kind when 
I used reasonable care in planting at 
some distance apart those varieties of 
squashes, pumpkins, melons, etc., from 
which I wished to save seeds and which 
I wished to keep pure. It would be neces¬ 
sary to take this precaution if there were 
no honey bees, as the many varieties of 
wild bees and the wind would do the 
mixing, if the varieties were planted in¬ 
discriminately. In more than 35 years of 
beekeeping on a small scale, it has always 
seemed to me wonderful that these inter¬ 
esting little insects could accomplish so 
much good, with so little annoyance to 
any one. I raise small fruits, and they 
sometimes work on overripe raspberries 
that burst or get the skins broken, but 
we find the wasps much more of a nui¬ 
sance than the honey bees. 
Birds sometimes do us a little mischief, 
yet who would like to live without the 
birds ? Bees may sometimes annoy, but 
the little harm they do when intelligently 
managed is so much more than counter¬ 
balanced by the luxuries they furnish 
that it seems unwise to vote against 
them. I have seen no material harm to 
other farm crops and have had no com¬ 
plaints from my neighbors to that effect, 
so I am led to believe with C. C. M. that 
the mission of the honey bee is to do 
good and not evil. 
Borax Vs. Bugs. 
A. C. W., New York —One ounce of 
pure powdered borax thoroughly mixed 
with two or three times that quantity of 
powdered sugar, and sprinkled along the 
edges of shelves, sinks and places where 
water bugs and roaches congregate, will, 
in three or four days, destroy most of 
them, and a second dose will effectually 
clear them out. This I know from 10 
years’ experience. 
It will not be thought that Tue R. N.- 
Y. takes undue credit when it assumes 
to have been the first to push the Japan 
chestnut to a certain appreciation in this 
country. We were, too, the first paper 
or experiment station to fruit the Para¬ 
gon and make its merits generally kno wn. 
There is room for a higher appreciation. 
It is not half well enough known; not 
half largely enough planted. But it has 
a send off that will surely one day insure 
it the prominence it so well deserves. 
We find there are other named varieties 
which are highly praised, several of 
which we have on trial. 
Mr. Wm. Parry two years ago sent us 
one little tree of Early Reliance about 
18 inches high bearing several burra. It 
was accidentally trodden upon and died in 
consequence. Mr. Parry says that “one- 
year grafts are frequently loaded.” In 
this year’s catalogue he describes Alpha 
as the “earliest known chestnut.” The 
nuts are “four inches around,” and they 
ripen September 10 with him (Parry P. 
O , New Jersey) “without frost.” The 
price is $5 per tree. 
Advance ripens next. “It comes into 
bearing at two to three years of age, and 
a 10-foot tree will bear about two quarts. ” 
These are $2,50 each. 
Parry’s Superb is described in this way: 
“The burrs are literally pacxed one upon 
another along the branches, generally 
with three nuts to each burr, and it is 
the exception to find an imperfect or de¬ 
fective nut, nearly every one being very 
large, two inches across, full and plump, 
bright and free from fuzz. Very valuable 
market sort. Price, one year, mail or 
express, $5 each.” 
The prices of these new kinds are quite 
too high as yet. It is because the supply 
is limited. They will be lower another 
year, no doubt. 
Editoh Rural New-Yorker; 
On page 817, The R. N.-Y. in answer to a question, 
savs: “Chestnuts vary as much from seed as do 
apples or pears.” “ No reputable nurserymen would 
sell seedllntrs.” From my knowledge of seedling 
American Sweet chestnuts for over half a century, 
I cannot agree with the writer on the Hrst proposi¬ 
tion, except merely In the matter of size. 1 claim 
that In quality they are quite uniform, having never 
known a tree that bore fruit cf as Inferior quality as 
the best Spanish I ever tasted. In relation to the 
second proposition. Is not the assertion rather 
broad ? We have been selling them In quantities for 
over a quarter of a century, and within that time 
Tue Rural, by publishing articles illustrated with 
cuts of foliage, llowers and fruit, has aided us In the 
swindle. If such It was. .i. . 1 . harrison. 
We did not for a moment mean to as¬ 
sert that the growing and selling of seed¬ 
ling chestnuts as such was not perfectly 
legitimate and proper. What we meant 
to say—though we failed to say it—was 
that no reputable nursery firm would 
grow chestnuts from seed and sell the 
trees as a named variety. For example, 
we know that Numbo seedlings were 
offered and sold some years ago as the 
Numbo chestnut. We presume that 
nurserymen could better afford to sell 
seedllnqs of the Numbo or seedlings of 
any of the foreign varieties for 25 cents 
each than grafted trees at $1. The so- 
called Spanish and Japan chestnuts, as 
we know from experience, vary greatly 
both in size and quality, and it would be 
a cheat to sell seedlings of the Paragon 
for the Paragon itself. 
A WRITER in American Gardening says 
that the Ginkgo biloba or Salisburia 
adiantifolia (Maiden Uair tree) as a 
street shade tree has been thoroughly 
tested in the City of Washington since 
the inauguration of the parking com¬ 
mission there, some 18 years ago. It is 
one of the few trees that has remained 
free from insect enemies during all that 
time. There are several forms of this 
grand tree, but the common one is much 
the best where shade is required. For 
planting on lawns or along carriage ways 
the pyramidal or fastigiate form is very 
desirable. At a distance it resembles the 
Lambardy Poplar. 
The writer above quoted says that 
there is a variegated variety of the 
Ginkgo of great beauty, but? it is yet 
scarce, the only specimens which he has 
observed being imported. In this he is 
mistaken. The variegated variety is 
offered by the Parsons (Flushing, L, I.) 
for the same price as the species. We 
are told that the variegation is not quite 
constant. 
In writing of these odd and beautiful 
trees it ought always to be stated that 
the female and male flowers are borne on 
different plants. If, then, we would 
have the nuts which are edible, the sexes 
must be planted together or not very far 
apart. 
It has now been definitely stated that 
the new potatoes Carman Nos. 1 and 3 
will be sent to all applicants—the date 
of application to be made known in due 
time. We have great faith in these two 
varieties, mainly on account of the ex¬ 
ceptionally large yields they have given 
at the Raral Grounds and on the land of 
the farmer who is propagating them and 
because they yield fewer small (unmar¬ 
ketable) tubers than any variety which 
we have raised. We would like there¬ 
fore to have them tried everywhere and 
to have their merits or demerits, or both, 
made public as soon as practicable. To 
this end, it is proposed that graded prizes 
—and many of them—be offered for 
the largest and finest yields. But how 
may this best be done in an impartial 
way ? Herein is where we crave enlight¬ 
enment from our friends. We propose 
to send cut a fair-sized tuber to all appli¬ 
cant-subscribers. But they will neces¬ 
sarily vary slightly in weight; they will 
vary as to number of eyes. Again, some 
have facilities for propagating them 
under glass, others not. 
Twice before The R. N.-Y. has offered 
prizes for the largest tubers, or the best 
yields. But the terms of the offer were 
not fair and resulted in much dissatisfac¬ 
tion. For example, all the prizes of the 
first offer went to subscribers of certain 
States where potatoes yield larger crops 
with less manure or fertilizer than they 
do in other States. How can we make a 
grand competition fair and at the same 
time, subserve a useful purpose ? 
Word for Word. 
-Dr T. H. Hoskins: “There are now 
some first-class men in our agricultural 
schools. They have some men who are 
the peers of any teacher, in any school. 
But these men remain there under great 
disadvantages, so long as their colleagues 
are mostly of another stripe—cheap men, 
intriguers, ringsters—men who know 
how to climb sinuously, and to gather 
laurels, if at all, in the manner of the 
politician, rather than of the gentleman 
and scholar.” 
-T. Greiner in Garden and Forest : 
SPRAY 
Stahl’s 
Double AotinR 
\\ Excelsior Spray- 
'»lug Outtlts prevent 
Leaf Blight 4 Wormy 
Fnilt. Insures a heavy^ 
Jleld of all Fruit nnol 
Vegetable crops. Thous¬ 
ands in use. Send 8 ots. for 
oataloitue and full treatise 
on spraying. OircuUxri/ree, 
m.STAHL,Quincy.HI. 
lYPUMPS 
B ■Our <>artlol4l Kiittu-iu'k, 
9 ^OoubJc Kntufrev 
^>1 %nd Lltt£« ull 
fk dlpBT Ba’Ui #«rklA4 sarti. 
- Bt-S I D it(rr«ri, 
IkwftTj k«i«, la 
(^‘9 toiHy ikftt fia sa’J6fiT«d ^ li iba bMk Wriu fvr 
saC df i&atrmti&6BB. W& om aeva /oa oantr 
iniXLO JPCMP C0.« Hi liHatoi Ave., HiO€KPO»T, A.|« 
BECKERT’S SEED ANNUAL 
□F'oxr 1094, 
Is a useful book for those who are interested In 
KiirdeoltiK. Treats of most all that Is worthy In 
Vegetables and Flower Seeds, Spring Ruins, Seed 
Potatoes, etc. Write for It and mention The H. N.-Y. 
“The Frizetaker, introduced in 1880, is 
the best of all onions now in cultivation 
in America. It resembles the imported 
Spanish onion in color and shape, equals 
it in mildness of flavor, and bulbs are 
easily grown to weigh from one to two 
pounds each. I have seen specimens 
weighing five and six pounds.” 
-Emerson: “In the transmission of 
the heavenly waters, every hose fits 
every hydrant.” 
In writing to adyertlsera, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
WM. C. IIECKKKT, Beodainan, Al.e.beny, I’a. 
"fP" P* for Spring Plan ting 
H Pm P*** f We wish to secure the 
m ■ m BH BHi services of a reliable 
Farmer or Fruit Grower in every count v to represent 
us (luilnix this winter. We will give, FKEH!, 26 to UO 
Apple, Pear or Plum 1 roes to any one who will gel 
up a club or secure orders for us In bis section In 
propuilon to amount sold. Uur prices suit the 
limes No better stock grown. Secure a tine orchard 
free. Write lor flill particulars ai.d prices. 
FRED. K. YOUNG Nurseryman, Rochester, N. Y 
dT lANDRETH & SONS 
OLDEST wEiCili^ AMERICA 
have Issued their handsomely Illustrated ,SKKI> 
Catalog^iie for IS1)4. Merchunis. Market Garden¬ 
ers, and Private Families desiring <ioo<l Seetla, 
should send postal for a copy. KKKK to all appli¬ 
cants. Address D. LA'OKKTII <» 80.NS, 
I Seed Farmers and Merchants, Philadelphia, Fa. 
NEW PEACH 
JERSEY PRIDE. 
Largest, handsouiost and 
tlnest Havered Peach in 
cultivation. Originated and for sale only by The 
Newark Nursery, Newark, N. J. Send for particulars. 
rillMBRELL, Greenville, Dayton and other Straw- 
JI- berries. Also Raspberries and Blackberries of 
newer and standard varieties at “ Hard ;TTmeB ” 
prices. Wilte for Catalogue. 
C. B. WHITTEN, Bridgman, Berrien Co., Mich. 
EEDS 
CARDEN 
FLOWER 
and FIELD. 
Seed FotiitocH, Fruit 'I'recN, 
I’laiits and Vinos of tho best Old 
and Now Varieties. Send now for 
OUR NEW CATALOGUE 
Plain, neat, sensible, tnithful.wlth 
honest prices. Free to all. All will 
want Oiir IVew Pure White 
KiirlleNt of It 11 and best. Sweet 
Corn, Extrii Early ‘Vermoiit. 
FRANK FORD &. SON. Ravenna, 0. 
DO YOU WANT WORK? 
POPULAR ERRORS ABOUT PLANTS. 
AGENT 
You can obtain it by acting as our 
Our terms are liberal, our stock 
the largest and onest, our facili¬ 
ties unequaled. Address W. & T. .SMITH CO., 
Geneva Nursery, Established 1840. GENEVA, N. Y. 
will buy our 36 quart berry crate. 
OUwi Complete with baskets for OOC 
T. C. AVIS BASKET CO., Oxford. N. Y. . * 
Price, i#l ; reducetl to 7o cents. 
HY A. A. CROZIKR. 
A collection of errors and superstitions entertained 
by farmers, gardeners and others, together wltn 
b'lef scienlluc refutations. IJIgliiy 1 lerestlng to 
students nd Intelligent readers of the new and at¬ 
tractive In rural literature, and of real value to 
practical cultivators who waul to know the truth 
about tbelr work. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Coiner_Cbambeis and Pearl Streets, New York. 
__/rees, Small Fruits, 
Vines, Roses, Ornamentals. 
All the best new and old varieties. The celebrated 
UDDCI I Strawberry. New Fruits a specialty. 
MDliLLL Buy direct and save one half. Price List//•««.. 
E. W. REID, BRIDGEPORT, OHIO. 
JERRARD’S SEED POTATOES 
are always THE BEST. Grown from pedigree seed In the 
new lands of the cold North-East, they yield Earliest and 
largest crops in every climate. 
JERRflRD’S NORTHERN SEEDS y 
produce earlier vegetables than any other on earth. 
MY NEW ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE MAILED FREE Address 
CEORCE W. P. JERRARD, CARIBOU, MAINE. 
Renders it imperative that a Farmer's acres give him back the largest 
possible returns for the labor he beslozvs upon them. This means labor- 
saving tools, especially such as perform a variety of ^operations that 
when done by hand are slow, tedious, and consequently costly ones. 
The Planet Jr. Combined Hill Dropping and Fertilizer Drill 
is a ^^Compelilion-meeler," and is but one of an interesting family of labor- 
saving, and therefore money-earning, tools. Our latest Catalogue will tell 
you all abotil the whole faznily, azid willgiveany Farmer valuable informa- 
tion in the line of improved methods for cheapening his cost of produclioti. 
IVe send this book FREE to any address. A postal card will bring you a copy. 
S, It. & CO., 1107 Market St., Philadelphia, 
