1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
i69 
for geraniums, so as not to grow too rapidly, but keep 
short and stout. Three or four weeks before the time 
for setting out, we transplant them into cold frames, 
covered with glass sashes, setting them four inches 
apart each way. The sashes are kept rather close for 
a while till they get hold of the soil and then we give 
them all the air we can at proper times, stripping the 
glass off entirely when warm enough, and finally 
leaving it off entirely on warm nights, so as to inure 
them to the outer air. If a severe cold snap comes 
after they are in the frames, we cover the glass with 
mats or old carpets. For several days before setting 
out, they are entirely exposed to the air. Our plants 
thus treated are at planting time about eight inches 
high and with strong, sturdy stems, and come up with 
a mass of earth and roots, requiring a trowel to lift 
them. In planting, we make holes in the hills, pour 
water in them and set the plants in the water, pull 
the dry earth lightly in around them and there is no 
wilting whatever. Plants set here in this way the 
first week in April will bear ripe fruit the first week 
in June, and occasionally a few earlier. But if the 
seed had simply been sown in a bed and the plants 
allowed to grow up crowded and spindling, with long, 
weak stems and small root development, it would take 
them twice as long to fruit as if started with the seed 
outside. The more frequently a tomato plant is trans¬ 
planted before finally setting out, the sooner it will 
fruit. 2. We have tried all sorts of plans for trans¬ 
planting plants. Have kept them to one stem on a 
stake and shortened the laterals. Have spread them 
out with several stalks on a trellis and have pruned in 
various ways, but have always had the heaviest crop 
when the plants were allowed to grow naturally and 
tumble on the ground. In answer to part of the first 
question as to manures, we work in a good shovelful 
of decomposed horse manure in each hill, and top- 
dress around the plants during the season twice with 
nitrate of soda. We do not use hogpen manure. 3. 
If we had our tomatoes where we could irrigate them 
in a dry time, we would do so; but unless one can 
soak the ground all through, watering is useless—ex¬ 
cept the water in the holes at planting. 4. This has 
already been answered. Would set the plants, grown 
as above at mid-corn planting season. We plant early 
corn here in March, but do not set tomatoes until 
April. 5. Tomato plants grown as directed, are set 
just as they grew in the frames. Plants that are so 
long and weak as those your neighbor speaks of would 
better be set as he directs, but I consider such plants 
of no more value than a long cutting. We cultivate 
rather fiat, but pull up a little earth at the last work¬ 
ing. 6. Plants raised by the plan suggested, are so 
stout and tough that cut-worms seldom cut them off. 
On a small scale, if cut-worms are abundant, take tin 
cans, melt off top and bottoms and push them into 
the ground around the stems. The big green larvae of 
the tobacco moth must be looked after and hand 
picked. 7. There is little danger of injury to plants 
in covering if care be used in bending them. If plants 
are short and stiff, mound the soil over them without 
bending. Uncover as soon as the cold spell passes. 8. 
We set plants 4Xx4>^ feet or 4x5. Dwarf Champion 
can be set 3x4 feet. The amount of crop depends 
largely upon the locality and season. In the tomato¬ 
growing sections of Maryland, where I grew them 
largely, it is easy to make 10 tons per acre on good 
land. In this latitude, owing to climatic diflaeulties, 
making the plants short lived I would not contract to 
raise two tons per acre. In Maine, owing to the 
shorter season, the crop would be lighter than in 
Maryland. Experience alone can decide this for each 
locality. 9. One would not risk much in setting 200 
to 300 plants. I use that many annually for family 
supplies. When frost comes one can gather all the 
green tomatoes and wrap each, like oranges, and pack 
in boxes in a frost-proof cellar (not damp) and have 
them ripen very late. I have them in this way for 
slicing up in the middle of January, w. f. massey. 
The Apricot-A Neglected Fruit. 
F. L. M., Fair Haven, N. Y .—Could apricots be grown 
with success and profit in this section, the northern 
part of Cayuga County ? Would you advise a reader 
of The R. N.-Y. to set an orchard of apricots of 100 to 
200 trees with the expectation of good profits ? Please 
state in full in regard to the prospects of apricot cul¬ 
ture? What kinds would The R. N.-Y. recommend? 
Would the Japan varieties prove a success in this sec¬ 
tion’ Would the Japan varieties of plums prove 
hardy enough for this vicinity ? 
Ans.—Y es, we think so. It is a neglected fruit— 
chiefiy, we think, because the curculio is partial to it. 
Unless one is willing to protect the young fruit, as 
with plums, there is little to hope for. There are now 
several Russian apricots offered which are hardier 
than peaches. Prof. Judd’s Shense is a very hardy 
variety, prolific and of good quality. The Harris is of 
large size, fine quality and a perfect freestone. It is 
quite hardy in Geneva, N. Y. The culture of apricots 
is just that of the peach We will obtain more in¬ 
formation from experienced growers. 
Apple Roots and Grafts. 
E. O. G., Ellensburg, Wash.—l. Will The R. N.-Y. de¬ 
fine the terms, a, root graft, b, piece-root graft and c, 
whole-root graft as used in the papers and by nursery¬ 
men ? I see it stated in one catalogue that first and 
second cuts of roots are sometimes called whole-root 
grafts. 2. What are “ own rooted trees”? 3. Are 
there any nurserymen who actually use whole roots 
for apple stocks ? 4. What advantage, if any, has the 
whole root graft over the piece root graft, or vice 
versa ? 5. Does any one particular kind of graft have 
any advantage over the others in any certain climate ? 
If so, what kind is best adapted to the northwest ? 
The above questions are written with particular refer¬ 
ence to the apple. 
Ans. —1. a, A root graft is a scion grafted on to a root, 
usually a one or two-year seedling or a portion of the 
root of a seedling, b, A piece root graft is a scion 
grafted on to a portion of root usually from two to four 
inches long, c, A whole root graft is where the whole 
seedling is used, the scion being inserted at the collar. 
2. An own root tree is a tree raised from seed, by layer, 
or by cutting, dependent entirely on its own roots for 
sustenance. 3. Yes, many nurserymen raise all their 
apple trees by budding, in which case the whole root 
is always used, and some use whole roots in grafting. 
But it is of questionable utility except in the tender 
kinds, as seedling roots would average hardier than 
they, but not near so hardy as the hardy sorts. 4. It 
is considered that whole root grafts, as a rule, throw 
out more fibrous roots, and that piece root grafts throw 
out less numerous but coarser roots. One objection to 
whole root grafts is that the jnnetion is at or so near 
the surface that the scion does not root, the life of the 
tree depending upon the hardiness of the seedling on 
which it is worked. Not one in a thousand is as hardy 
as our hardiest of tested, named sorts. No matter how 
hardy the tree is above ground, if the roots winter- 
kill, the tree is lost. 5. The trees best adapted to the 
prairie regions of the North and Northwest are the 
hardier varieties on their own roots, and as these hardy 
kinds can rarely be rooted from unassisted cuttings, 
piece root grafting is resorted to, using a short piece 
of root and a long graft, planting deep. This may be 
termed an assisted cutting, keeping life in the graft 
until the softening process of the damp earth induces 
it to push out roots of its own. It is readily seen that 
all the surface roots must be the same as the tree it¬ 
self, and as hardy. If any portion of the foreign root 
remain, it is deep down and less liable to be winter- 
killed by freezing as if nearer the surface ; or, should 
it winterkill, there is so little of it that its loss need 
not endanger the life of the tree. 
THE STOBRS A HARRISON CO. 
What Ails the Pear P Gueer Apple. 
J. M. G., {No address). —1. I have a pear tree that 
has always set full of beautiful fruit, but never per¬ 
fects it. It commences to decay at the center, and con¬ 
tinues until the whole pear has rotted to the skin, 
which looks perfect. It has never borne a perfect 
pear. The fruit is about the size of the Bartlett, bell¬ 
shaped and smooth, green skin. Can anything be 
done for it ? 2. Has The R. N.-Y. ever seen the apple 
advertised by .John Lewis Childs ? He claims that the 
apple grows one side sweet, the other side sour. 
Ans, —1. It is doubtless a defect of the variety and 
we doubt if anything you can do will remedy it. 
2. We have heard of this kind of apple for 35 years, 
but we have never eaten one. . We are told that the 
above apple is half sweet—half sour 
Nitro-Glycerine Refuse in Farming’. 
A. E. B., Hopkins, Minn. —Could the refuse from a 
nitro-glycerine factory where from 1,500 to 1,700 
pounds of nitrate of soda is cut with sulphuric acid 
and then washed in 30 barrels of water—one-eighth of 
the nitrate and about the same weight of acid being 
left in the water—be used on market garden crops ? 
The water that is left is strong enough to burn the 
hands or to eat holes in clothing. Would the sulphuric 
acid do more harm than the nitrate would do good ? 
Ans.—A moderate application of the mixture might 
perhaps be beneficial on limestone soil during the 
winter months, but we would not advise any one to try 
it. The oil of vitriol is extremely corrosive, and prob¬ 
ably the damage to clothing and tools would more 
than balance any favorable effect it might have on the 
land. 
What to do with Pine Needles. 
A. K., Elgin, III. —1. Dees it pay to haul pine needles 
on land as a fertilizer ? 2. What per cent of different 
ingredients do they furnish to the soil ? 
Ans.—1. No ; not for a fertilizer alone. 2. A ton of 
the pine needles contains less than 10 pounds of nitro¬ 
gen, two pounds of phosphoric acid and less than a 
pound of potash. These needles (called pine straw) 
are sometimes used at the South as a mulch for straw¬ 
berries. On most crops we would not care to use them 
until they had been used as bedding and well soaked 
in urine or mixed in the manure pile. They contain 
considerable acid which we think should be neutral¬ 
ized in some way before the needles are put on the 
ground. 
How to TJse Cow Peas. 
F. L. B., Brooksville, R.—On page 89, J. H. Hale 
speaks of the value of cow peas as a nitrogen trap. I 
would like to know how they should be handled to be 
of the most value, i. e., should they be left on the 
ground till the folio ving spring, plowed under when 
at full size, or may the fodder be cut and taken off the 
land ? 
Ans.— The peas may be cut and cured for hay or 
hogs may be turned in to pasture them down. If you 
plow them in for green manure do the plowing as late 
in the fall as possible. Read the articles on page 20. 
What to Do With Broom Sedffe. 
C. B., Charlottesville, Va. —In a recent issue The R. 
N.-Y. had a note on the value of Broom sedge as a 
food for cattle, when preserved in a silo. Has it any 
value as hay if cut before it has become old and tough? 
If it has, there are thousands of tons to be had for the 
cutting all around us. 
Ans.— As a rule, Broom sedge begins early in its 
development to send up the hard, woody stems, and at 
the third or forth node to put out the spiny flowers. 
Consequently it is doubtful if Broom sedge could be 
cut early enough to insure it making a palatable hay 
and at the same time giving a sufficient yield to pay 
for harvesting. In some localities the habit of Broom 
sedge may be such as to give considerable growth be¬ 
fore its objectionable characteristics are developed 
and in such cases it would produce a good quality of 
hay. This I know to be true of Andropogon scoparius, 
which is the Broom sedge of many sections. The 
value of both these varieties will be materially in¬ 
creased by ensiloing with corn and thus making it more 
palatable. h, .t. patterson. 
Don’t Use This Cow’s Milk. 
V. T., Moundvllle, Mo. —What ails our cow ? During 
the summer, she had thin, bloody-looking scabs on 
her mostly on the under part of her body. They healed, 
but this winter have broken out again ; the veins in 
front of the udder swelled considerably, and a bloody 
matter oozed out. She has been giving milk a year, 
and never had any trouble with the udder. She eats 
well. Her feed is whole corn twice a day, and all the 
hay and straw she chooses to eat. Is it safe to use her 
milk ? 
Ans.— The cow is either out of condition, or her gen¬ 
eral system is weakened from some cause. Give two 
tablespoonfuls of the following powder on the feed 
night and morning: powdered nux vomica, one-fourth 
pound; powdered gentian root, one-half pound; ni¬ 
trate and chlorate of potash, of each one-fourth 
pound ; sulphate of soda, one pound ; mix. Feed bran 
or other mill feed in connection with the corn, which 
is perhaps too heating for this cow. Sponge the sores 
with a solution of one dram of lead acetate or zinc 
chloride in one pint of water. I would not advise 
using the milk, especially for children, until her con¬ 
dition is improved. f. l. k. 
Pigrs with the Thumps. 
G. C., Schoharie, N. Y .—What is the trouble with 
my pigs ? They are four weeks old, and some weigh 
20 pounds. They grow and do well, but all at once 
begin to pant, and it seems hard for them to breathe, 
and in a day or two they die. Some say it is thick 
neck; others say it is the thumps. 1. What causes 
thick neck ? 2. What is thumps and what is the 
cause ? I have fed the sow wheat middlings mixed 
with water, just enough to keep her from getting 
thin, and she seems to be healthy and all right. 
Ans.—1. We know of no such disease as “thick 
neck ” in pigs. 2. The thumps is usually due to indi¬ 
gestion or over-eating. Change and reduce the feed 
of the young pigs for a few weeks. f. e. k. 
Tumor or a Double Teat. 
M. H., Camden, N. Y. —A choice two-year-old heifer 
has on the left, forward teat a swelling which comes 
out about one-half inch from the bag, and follows 
down the side of the teat within about one-half inch 
from the bottom and sticks out away from it. It is the 
width of a man’s thumb, and as thick as two thumbs 
from the teat. It is a smooth, hard substance, but not 
warty. The bottom of the swelling is larger than the 
top, and it appears dead. Will it be apt to come off of 
its own accord, or will she lose that quarter of her 
bag ? What is it and the cure ? 
Ans.—I cannot tell from the description whether 
the swelling is of the nature of a double teat or a 
tumor growing from the teat. There is probably no 
danger of its injuring that quarter of the udder, how¬ 
ever. If it be a double teat, it will probably be best 
to allow it to remain if it does not interfere with 
milking. If it be a tumor, it can be best removed with 
the knife. I would advise you to call a competent 
veterinary surgeon to examine, and remove it if de¬ 
sirable. F. L. K. 
