1394 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
199 
either lor budding or grafting. The seedlings from 
this pear are vigorous, and subject, as yet, to no dis¬ 
ease, being quite as healthy as our best apple seedlings. 
The whole Russian race of pears has a thick, coriaceous 
leaf, approaching to that of the orange in thickness 
and firm glassiness of the epidermal tissues. Planted 
amongst my Russian pears, I have one—the only one out 
of hundreds of seedlings of our old varieties—which is 
as ironclad as the Russians against cold. This tree I 
keep purposely to exhibit the enormous difference in 
their leaf characteristics between our standard pears 
speaks of this as being the best in quality of all the 
Russian pears. At Vilna, Russia, he reports seeing 
perfectly healthy trees of this pear, over 40 years of 
age, loaded with as perfect fruit as he ever saw in any 
country. The Red Bergamotte is of medium size and 
fine quality, and was the pear mainly sold on the 
trains, in September, from Koursk to Warsaw. Ton- 
kavietka grows anywhere in central Russia, and is 
hardier than the Oldenburgh apple. Pound pear is a 
large cooking variety of excellent quality for that use, 
much like our own variety of the same name. Of 
Acid Phosphate, Muriate and Crimson Clover. 
If I were N. S. and desired to secure the greatest 
possible amount of vegetable matter in my soil, in the 
shortest possible time, I would plow the wheat stub¬ 
ble immediately after harvest, apply 500 pounds of 
acid phosphate and 200 pounds of muriate of potash 
per acre, and sow 15 pounds per acre of Crimson clover 
seed, being careful to harrow in the seed. With 
an ordinary season, I would expect a fine growth of 
clover by November, and by next March a soil densely 
packed with clover rootlets. o. h. m. 
of western Europe or their American progeny, and 
the Russian pears. It is an object lesson of great value. 
The 10 years during which I have had these varie¬ 
ties of Russian pears under cultivation—some for 
longer and others for shorter periods, as I could ob¬ 
tain them—have demonstrated that in them we have 
as distinct a race as we find in Russian apples. What 
their origin may be I cannot say ; but it is instructive 
to know that a species of wild pear exists in the Rus¬ 
sian forests, seedlings from which I have growing, and 
which show leaf characteristics similar to the cultivated 
sorts. The fruit is said to be small, and without pulp ; 
Viola, Del. 
Try Crimson Clover After Wheat. 
If the case were mine, I would try Crimson clover, 
sowing about the middle of July. The wheat crop 
should be out of the way by that time. It is import¬ 
ant to get American-grown seed, and the farther north 
the seed was grown, the better. This crop has been 
successfully carried through the winter in a number of 
instances in Connecticut. In fact, I know of no fail¬ 
ures with American-grown seed. Unless the land is 
in very bad shape, nothing but mineral fertilizers 
would be needed to make the clover grow. 
Storrs (Conn.) Ex. Sta’n. [pkof. ] chas. d. woitK.s. 
Let Rye Follow the Wheat. 
I would harvest the wheat as early as possible ; har¬ 
row the stubble so as to make it mellow, then plow 
and sow 2)^ bushels of rye per acre. If this made a 
good growth, I would 
mow it late in the 
- — --] fall, let it lie on the 
^ '^4?- ground and pilow 
V ^ early in the spring. 
^ cabbage is to 
> ' ' " - be set early in spring, 
j I would plow in the 
^ ^ falli so all would be 
W well rotted. I find 
that much green stuff 
^ turned under just be- 
^ setting plants is 
j for them. 
be got into the groand 
under in the fall. 
W' ‘ A. DONALD. 
' Ilorseheads, N. Y. 
Clover and a Strong 
Fertilizer. 
I would advise 
sowing the wheat 
ground thickly as 
soon as possible with 
Red clover seed—say 
six quarts to the 
acre, and give a dress¬ 
ing of 600 to 1,000 
pounds of a good 
complete fertilizer 
that would analyze 6 
to 8 per cent of ni¬ 
trogen, 10 to 12 of 
available phosphoric acid and 9 to 12 of potash, and if 
the land is sandy or light, harrow lightly after sowing 
the seed. After the wheat is cut and removed, if the 
growth should not be as luxuriant as desired apply 
another dressing of same sort of fertilizer. The 
clover would need clipping one or more times during 
the season, not close to the ground, but four to six 
inches high. -r. s. collins. 
New Jersey. _ 
Russian Peak (Pkobably Passovka.) Fig. 64, 
inerenas oeenanim- Russian Peak Bessemianka (Seedless.) Fig. 63. 
mense improvement 
in the pear during 
the past 70 years; and 
I believe that we may look for still greater gains from 
seedlings and crossings of the already good sorts of 
Russia transported to America. From them our old 
stock can be given a more vigorous and healthy char¬ 
acter. While the Russians may be made to gain in 
size, beauty and quality, they certainly cannot be 
improved in vigor, hardinesss or productiveness. 
I will notice briefiy some other Russian pears than 
those above referred to as having fruited in my 
The Farmers’ Club 
[Every query must be aooompanled by the name and address of the 
writer to insure attention. Before asUuK a question please see if it is 
not answered in our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
HOW TO RAISE HUMUS. 
What Green Crops to Prepare for Cabbage ? 
THE QUESTION. 
Habi) to Get Humus.—F ive acres of land, now in wheat, are 
grounds during the past three seasons. All of these 
varieties are growing vigorously, and not one of them 
shows the least lack of ability to endure the coldest 
winters of the coldest section of New England. I say 
“ coldest,” because although northern Maine is very 
cold, with shorter seasons on the parallel of 47 degrees 
than we have on 45 degrees, yet our much greater 
elevation above and distance from the ocean gives us 
quite as low a temperature, and one having quite as 
severe effects upon the vitality of fruit trees. I feel 
quite sure that there is no part of the United States 
which is more unfavorable, in point of winter temper¬ 
ature, for tree fruits than northeastern Vermont. And 
yet, thanks to Russia, this is rapidly becoming a great 
apple-growing country, producing fruit that cannot 
be surpassed for size, color or fiavor. 
The Russian Bergamot pears constitute an apparently 
distinct family. One of them, Bergamotte Sapieganka, 
is reported as rather tender in northern Russia, but it 
is quite hardy here in northern Vermont, Prof. Budd 
designed for early cabbage next year. The sMl Is somewhat deUclent 
In vegetable matter, and stable manure Is oat of the question. The 
proolem Is, hjw to obtain the greatest quantity of vegetable matter 
from the time of harvesting the wheat, to the time of plowing for early 
cabbage. Shall I give a dressing of fertilizer, and seed to clover dur¬ 
ing the month of March, ana give a dressing of manure after harvest, 
to promote the growth of clover? Orshall I apply the fertilizer to the 
wheat and withhold the clover seed, plow right after harvest, and sow 
rye with a good dressing of complete fertilizer? x. s. 
Kingston, Pa. 
Clover and Fertilizer the Strong Team. 
I would give the dressing of fertilizer at once and 
seed to clover; then after harvest, give as liberal a 
dressing of manure as possible. I have very little 
faith in rye. I have plowed down both rye and Tim¬ 
othy, as much as could be turned under, without any 
apparent result. Clover and fertilizers are the strong 
horses with me that carry the heavy load ; in fact, they 
have revolutionized farming and made life easier. 
I might add that if land is hilly, there would be 
less danger from washing with the clover. 
Pennsylvania. w. a. fbeed. 
A Tub for a Silo. 
J. T. F., Rockford, IlL—Would a large tub made 
something like a water tank, say 15 feet in diameter 
by 20 feet high, bound with strong iron bands about 
three feet apart that could be tightened with a bolt 
and set on a solid stone foundation, answer for a silo ? 
Or is it necessary to have double walls for air space ? 
If so, what is the object, and should there be drainage 
at the bottom ? If such a building would make a good 
silo, it could be built for at least half the cost of a 
square one, and the swelling and shrinking of lumber 
would do little harm. Doors might be cut between 
the bands where necessary, and all the repairs needed 
to make everything snug would be to tighten the 
bands. 
An 8.—Two years ago we went 311 through this mat¬ 
ter. Prof. F. II. King, probably the best American 
authority on silo building, says that the tub silo has 
been found unsatisfactory. The shrinkage of the 
