36o 
THE KURAL NEW-YORKER. 
June 9 
of Ford’s Late standing just north of an outbuilding, 
that is very full of healthy looking young peaches. 
This single tree is all that has any fruit on, although 
we have about 80 standing unprotected from the warm 
sun of February and March. That is what causes our 
peaches to be killed, as a few warm days at that sea¬ 
son cause the buds to swell and to become so forward 
that the sudden cold waves are almost sure to kill 
them. Ford’s Late is a grand peach—very large, and 
of a beautiful creamy white color; it has proven 
hardier in bud than the Crawfords, Smock, Globe, etc., 
at our place. 
As to native plums, we have whole pockets full; but 
this statement must be qualified by adding that the 
pockets are plum pockets (Taphrina pruni), a disease 
very similar to the peach leaf curl, which affects the 
branches and fruit of these trees as well as the foli¬ 
age. Very few European plums are grown in this 
vicinity at present, on account of the devastation of 
the black knot. A few years ago, hundreds of bushels 
of Damsons were grown in our neighborhood, but this 
variety, being very subject to the black knot, has almost 
become extinct. One cause of such a scourge of this 
disease was that all orchards that were planted were 
set from sprouts or suckers growing from the roots of 
infested trees, so that, besides the millions of spores 
carried by every current of air, the very life blood of 
the young trees was apparently charged with the dis¬ 
ease. T have ventured, since the last of the Damson 
trees have been cut down and burned, to set a young 
orchard of Lombard, Imperial Gage, Bradshaw, etc. 
The trees are making a vigorous growth, and no signs 
of the knot have appeared so far. f. n. batlou. 
Licking County, O. 
Scarlet Clover. 
A REVOLUTION IN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 
A NEW PLANT COMES TO THE KKSCUE. 
[KDITOBIAL COBRE8PONDKNCK.] 
(Concluded.) 
The Clover in Strawberry Culture. 
Some of our newer subscribers have asked how Mr. 
Bancroft gets ensilage into his silo. For their benefit 
we reprint the picture shown at Fig. 98. This round 
silo stands outside—separate from the other buildings. 
It is estimated to hold 265 tons of corn ensilage. The 
corn is brought from the field on a wagon such as is 
shown at Fig. 99, and runs through a powerful cutter 
with a carrier that is raised as the silo is filled. The 
clover is handled in much the same way. They gener¬ 
ally start cutting in the morning and about noon rake 
into windrows and pitch into the low wagon. 
Near Mr. Bancroft’s place is the farm of Slaymaker 
A Son, a firm noted for growing small fruit plants. 
Here we found another use for Scarlet clover—that of 
fitting the soil quickly for small fruits. On his 40-acre 
farm, Mr. S. grows millions of plants. His soil is light 
and it is necessary to have plenty of humus in it. If 
he were forced to depend on Red clover or any 
grasses, he would be forced to hire or buy new land 
and greatly enlarge his acreage. The Scarlet clover 
saves all this because it grows rapidly and produces a 
sod while other plants would be getting ready to start. 
It is easy to sow it between rows of raspberries in the 
late summer and fall. It makes a heavy growth, and 
in the spring may be plowed in so as to give a chance 
for all the cultivation needed. Or, with strawberries, 
a bed may be plowed at once after picking and sown 
to Scarlet clover. The following spring the whole 
thing may be plowed under ready for setting a new 
crop of plants. Thus, by the use of this clover, every 
foot of the farm may be utilized for plant growing 
each year. There is no other plant that would make 
this possible. Mr. Slaymaker uses a good deal of acid 
South Carolina rock and muriate of potash, and also 
buys considerable horse manure from nearby stables. 
The use of horse manure as a mulch for berry plants 
seems well nigh universal, though the straw from the 
clover hullers will answer every purpose. 
Clover Without Live Stock. 
Mr. Bancroft obtains a good deal of the feeding value 
of the clover, and Mr. Slaymaker buys manure. There 
is yet another side to the matter and that is the use of 
clover with chemicals alone. Mr. G. fl. Murray of 
Viola practices the latter plan. On his 200 acres, he 
keeps just enough stock to do the farm work and pro¬ 
vide milk and butter. There are 135 acres in fruits of 
various kinds, and an increasing acreage in asparagus. 
Scarlet clover is used everywhere—among the trees in 
the orchards, in the fruits and vines—every where that 
it will grow. 
One field in particular well illustrated the possibili¬ 
ties of this plant. One year ago it was in strawber¬ 
ries. The fruit was picked and the vines plowed 
under. On this sod, fodder corn was planted, and at 
the last working. Scarlet clover was sowed between 
the rows. The corn was cut and used to feed the 
stock. At the time of my visit, the field was a perfect 
mass of clover. This was to be cut for seed. The 
stubble would then be plowed and potatoes planted 
with half a ton or so of a high-grade fertilizer per 
acre. 
Just think what that means in the way of crop re¬ 
turns from that field in 15 months. One crop each of 
berries, fodder corn, clover seed and potatoes—with 
the ground left in excellent condition for any crop. 
What other crop could possibly have carried through 
that rotation ? 
Mr. Murray uses muriate of potash and dissolved 
bone. He believes that the bone gives him better re¬ 
sults than does the acid rock—enough better to more 
than pay the extra cost. The nitrogen in the bone, 
too, is needed, in addition to the immense quantity 
taken by the clover. Indeed, it will be noticed that 
both Mr. Bancroft and Mr. Slaymaker buy nitrogen in 
addition to what the clover provides. Mr. Bancroft 
obtains it in the form of cotton-seed meal and 
grain which, in the form of manure, go to feed the 
tomatoes and other crops which need extra and soluble 
nitrogen. Mr. Slaymaker obtains nitrogen in the pur¬ 
chased stable manure. Mr. Murray buys little grain 
and no manure—in fact, some of his most productive 
fields have had no manure for 12 years. We can 
understand, therefore, why, in this case, bone should 
give better results than the acid rock. It seems 
evident that in a system of farming that includes 
fruits and vegetables, more or less soluble nitrogen 
may be safely imported. As Mr. Murray says that in 
case a peach tree shows signs of needing nitrogen in 
the spring, it is an easy matter to apply a little nitrate 
of soda to quicken it up. Even in clover farming, a 
little soluble nitrogen may be needed. Mr. Murray 
is a very careful farmer, and pays great attention to 
packing and shipping. Commission men in the city 
tell me that his peaches are about the finest of any 
that come. 
What Advice Can Be Given as to Clover P 
Since the beginning of these articles. The R. N.-Y. 
has been fairly deluged with questions about the 
hardiness of Scarlet clover, and the chances for its 
success in different localities. In these articles, I 
have tried to state only the facts, colored as little as 
possible by my own belief that this plant is destined 
to revolutionize American farming wherever it will 
thrive. Everything I have written about it—and even 
more—is possible on those Delaware farms. We can¬ 
not go on and say that it follows that it will do well 
in more northern sections, because we do not know 
that yet. That is the point to be decided by experi¬ 
ment. Our advice is not to cover the whole farm with 
clover seed to begin with, but to experiment in a 
small way with a few plots or acres here and there— 
sown under different conditions. We may then learn 
just what to do in future. Surely in a matter of this 
kind every progressive farmer can well afford an ex¬ 
periment. H. w. c. 
The following notes from those who have tried the 
clover will be of interest to experimenters : 
I have about two acres of Scarlet clover this year, 
and the beautiful bloom is the wonder of the neighbor¬ 
hood. I sowed it in my peach orchard, expecting it to 
die in winter and le^ave the ground ready for the harrow 
in spring. More than half of it lived through, and the 
result is that I have about half a crop of clover and 
shall have to plow the orchard which I did not wish 
to do. I am cutting the clover for cow fodder and the 
cows think it the very best quality. I noticed that 
where the clover made most growth in autumn—seven 
to nine inches high—it all winterkilled ; the smaller 
plants are the ones now alive. I sowed the seed in 
July, and the sun scorched and killed most of the 
young plants. I think if some barley or oats had been 
sown with it, less would have been sunburnt. If it 
could be treated so as to live through the winter, it 
would be by far the best crop known to me for spring 
feeding cows, as it comes early, and the quality is the 
best. Perhaps if sown late in August with a little bar¬ 
ley, it may survive even Massachusetts winters. 
Norfolk County, Mass. m. morse. 
I am very glad that The R. N.-Y. has taken up the 
subject of Scarlet clover, and is pushing it in its 
usual earnest manner. It is, indeed, a godsend to the 
farmers, and The Rural cannot do a better thing 
than to keep on urging them to “try a little” and 
make its acquaintance. Tell them to do it this 
summer. 
The uncertainty as to how far north it could be 
grown and how much cold it would stand, has 
undoubtedly kept many from trying it. We know, 
however, that it succeeds in New Jersey ; Mr. Hale 
has reported on it from central Connecticut, and I now 
beg to add that I have grown it here at the east end 
of Long Island for the last four years. I do not think 
it has been hurt at all by the cold weather, and our 
thermometer went down to four degrees abov^ zerg 
more than once last winter, 
Owing to the “East Indian Cyclone” of last summer, 
my corn was blown “every which way,” and so twisted 
and mixed that I could not get a horse through the 
rows. I was obliged to take my chances cf a “catch” 
without working the seed in; it, however, came up 
fairly well, and I am now plowing it in preparatory 
to setting a field of tomatoes—which I shall re-seed, as 
you say Mr. Bancroft does with Scarlet clover in 
August. N. H. EHLESTON, .JR. 
Suffolk County, N. Y. 
[Bvery quory muBt b© accompanied by tne name and address of the 
writer to Insure attention. Before asklnR a question please see If It Is 
not answered In our advertlslnd columns. Aek only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper ] 
IS IT CRIMSON OR SCARLET CLOVER? 
WHAT THE AUTHORITIES SAY. 
Will you be kind enouKb to Kive ub an opinion as to the following 
questions: 1. Should we call Trlfollumlncarnatum, Crimson or Scarlet 
clover? 2. Why was the specific name Incarnatum given It ? 
Either Name Correct. 
1. Either name you choose. I see no reason for ex¬ 
cluding either name. No bne has the authority to say 
that one name only is the correct name, and all the 
rest wrong. The flowers vary from Crimson to Scarlet 
or even pale cream color. 2. Why Linnaeus gave this 
specific name “Incarnatum” to this clover, I do not 
know. Very likely because the flowers he described 
were flesh colored, although most that we see are 
Crimson or Scarlet. w. J. beal. 
Why it Should be Crimson. 
1. Bentham & Hooker, British Flora, 110, say "Crim¬ 
son clover.” 2. This was the Trifolium album incar¬ 
natum spicatum of Bauhin, doubtless so called be¬ 
cause the red suggested flesh color to some one in 
contrast to other related clovers; but the color is, of 
course, too deep for flesh color, prof. wm. tbelease. 
Trifolium incarnatum is not in Gray, and in Wood 
there is no common name given. Beal in Grasses of 
North America, gives it as Crimson or Italian clover, 
or French clover. Nicholson in his dictionary gives 
Crimson clover. I do not find that Scarlet is given in 
the books for Trifolium incarnatum. The name in- 
camatum means, as you are well aware, flesh colored. 
BYRON D. HALSTED. 
1. It is my opinion that Trifolium incarnatum should 
be called Crimson rather than Scarlet clover, as the 
plants grown in this section produce blossoms of a 
very decided crimson rather than a scarlet color. 
2. The specific name incarnatum, flesh-colored, was, 
without doubt, given on account of the color of 
the flowers. Linn®us so named it; but either he 
must have meant by “ flesh-colored” the color of raw 
meat, or else our soil and climate have deepened the 
hue. M- H. BECKWITH. 
Usage determines the names of plants as well as of 
other forms of language. This clover is, and has long 
been, commonly known as Crimson clover, and there 
is no necessity for changing it. It would be useless to 
attempt to suit the name to the color of the flowers, be¬ 
cause the color varies from crimson to scarlet, or even 
nearly to cream color. The specific name incarncUum 
(Irifolium incarnatum) really means flesh-colored, as 
it comes from cameus, flesh. It is the same word, 
really, as the English incarnate, Linn®u8 undoubt¬ 
edly applied it to the plant, after the custom of botan¬ 
ists, to indicate the red color of its flowers. The name 
incarnatum cannot be strictly translated into either 
crimson or scarlet, therefore ; but it should be said 
that if Linn® us had meant to call it Scarlet clover he 
would have used Cocclneum. l. h. bailey. 
How to Make a Grape Oross. 
F. L., New Carlisle, Ohio .—I would like to know 
how to cross grapes, and how the pollen should be car¬ 
ried when the vines are far apart. Would two vines 
of different kinds, growing side by side, be sufficient 
to cross, or should the clusters be placed side by side? 
If you have a cross must the seed be planted to learn 
the result? 
Ans. —Crosses may occur between vines growing 
near one another. Some varieties bear imperfect 
flowers, and are absolutely dependent upon pollen 
from other varieties. We have a seedling of this kind. 
Two years ago it was covered with a mosquito net 
very carefully and thoroughly. This was to prevent 
the depredations of the rose-chafer, as we were 
anxious to find out just what the bunches would be if 
thoroughly protected. The result was that the vine 
did not bear at all—not a single grape. In a known 
case of this kind, it would be easy to use the pollen 
from any variety with which a cross was desired so 
