1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
473 
turned to pasture, and as soon as they were out of the 
stable, all means of ventilation were closed, and the 
stables freely dusted with insect powder. 
The wife was now in earnest; by the way, that Is 
the given name of her husband, and she was not to be 
beaten by the flies. She soon noticed that a good 
many flies got into the stable and on the cows towards 
night, and so she watched to see how they got there. 
She found that they came down the ventilators, so she 
had some frames made to flt them and covered them 
with the wire netting. She now had a dead sure 
thing. The result was a surprise to both herself and 
her husband. Being well ventilated, the stables 
were cool, the cows were comfortable, and almost 
entirely unannoyed by flies. They at once gained in 
milk and butter so as doubly to pay for the expense of 
fixing the stables. 
“And then,” the wife said to me, “it is a great 
satisfaction to see our pets so happy, and to know that 
we have got ahead of those terrible flies.” My friend 
is very proud of his wife, and well he may be ; for 
although he is a shrewd business farmer, she has a 
better head than he. The fact is, many a farmer has 
such a wife, only he doesn’t like to own it. .T. s. w. 
[Kvery query must be aocoiupftnled by tbe name and address of the 
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not answered In our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
TO SAVE YOUNG CLOVER. 
Would It be advisable and protltable to sow a mixture composed of 
MO pounds dissolved South Carolina bone, 600 pounds kalnlt and 800 
pounds plaster on young clover early In the fall, or Immediately after 
the wheat Is cut ? The clover was sown this spring on the wheat. My 
land Is limestone clay, slightly mingled with flint, and la generally 
considered good wheat land In this section. Part of the Held, previous 
to seeding to wheat last fall, was oat stubble, and a part corn stalks. 
The above mixture will cost me about tl3 per ton at my station. What 
quantity per acre would be best? Last season we lost most of our 
young clover from dry weather after the wheat crop was cut, and I 
want to prevent. If possible, a recurrence this season, as we car not 
farm here without clover. J- J- 
Eden Hill Karm, Pa. 
I have had no experience in treating young clover 
in this way, but think the plan worthy a trial. I 
would suggest to J. B. J. to give the wheat, at the 
time of sowing, plenty of phosphoric acid and potash 
in the shape of ground bone and muriate of potash. 
This will stimulate the young clover plant and not 
make the wheat grow too heavy. I have but little 
trouble in getting clover to catch, save when the wheat 
lodges and smothers it. J. h. denisb. 
New .Tersey. 
Don’t See How Fertilizer Would Help. 
It is not necessary to top-dress the young clover 
after harvest in this part of the country. I believe 
that our failures with clover have come from too thick 
seeding of wheat; this causes a dense growth of straw 
which smothers the clover or causes it to make a weak 
growth which is unable to stand the hot sun and 
drought after the wheat is removed. Failure is also 
caused by too thick seeding of Timothy. If drought 
kills J. B. J.’s 'clover, I do not see how the application 
of fertilizer will help it, as the fertilizer will remain 
on the surface unless sufficient rain falls to dissolve it 
and carry it to the roots of the plants. If frequent 
rains occur, the clover will take care of itself, and the 
fertilizer would be more beneficial if applied next 
spring. . c. s. bai.derston. 
Bucks County, Pa. 
To Propagate a New Gooseberry. 
Subscribert Stratford, N. Y .—I have a native seed¬ 
ling gooseberry. 1. IIow can I propagate it most 
rapidly ? 2. How shall I plant the seeds ? 3. Should 
cuttings four inches long be planted entirely under 
the soil, or left partly above ? How much above ? 
How deep ? 
Ans.— 1. Green cuttings would be the most rapid 
way of propagation. Cut off the green shoots when, 
say, three inches long, close to the old wood and plant 
them in a propagating house. The next most rapid 
way of propagation would be by means of one-bud 
cuttings. Leave half an inch of wood above and below 
the bud. Plant these half an inch deep with the bud 
up, in boxes or pots filled with rich loam. Place the 
boxes in a temperature of about 60 degrees, keeping 
them barely moist for a couple of weeks, by which 
time a callus will have formed. They should then be 
placed in a propagating bed where the temperature 
will be about 75 degrees. As soon as well sprouted, 
these cuttings may be placed in small pots and allowed 
to grow until it is time to plant them in the open 
ground. 2. Select the seeds from the largest goose¬ 
berries, and put them in a box of sand. Bury this 
box at once in a shady, northern exposure, where 
they may remain exposed until February. The seeds 
may then be sown under glass, just like tomato seeds. 
They will sprout in two or three weeks. The young 
plants should be pricked out and placed in thumb- 
pots. The first of June, they may be transplanted to 
the open ground, being careful to thump them out 
without breaking the body of the soil. 3. They 
should be planted nearly vertically, leaving only a 
half inch above the soil; then cover with a mulch not 
to be removed until they sprout. 
Seeding: I^and Especially for Meadow. 
A. S , Chautmiqua County, N. Y. —Can a field in a 
good state of fertility, but considerably run out as a 
meadow, be reseeded without an intervening crop ? 
If so, what is the best way to do it ? 
Ans. —I have often broken up an old meadow and, 
after suitable preparation, reseeded and had it make 
an excellent meadow. I mow it as early in the season 
as it will answer, and at once plow, being very careful 
to see that the who’e field is plowed—no “ cut and 
covered ” places should be left in such a field. I follow 
at once with roller and harrow, and then with the 
cultivator. The main thing is to see that every vestige 
of growth is kept down. If necessary, I go over the 
field as often as once a week, having a cultivator with 
very sharp teeth so as to cut off the top of every plant. 
If there be any perennial weeds that escape the cul¬ 
tivator, a man should go over and cut these off with a 
sharp hoe. 
With this thorough and persistent cultivation, by 
the middle of September or first of October, the old 
meadow will be as clean as the best summer fallow ; 
not a weed or spire of grass will be left alive. I now 
seed it, after a rain if possible, first going over with a 
smoothing harrow, with Timothy seed, one peck to 
the acre. After sowing, run over with Breed’s weeder 
if one is at hand ; if not hitch a team to a lot of brush 
and go over the field. In the spring following, quite 
early, sow 10 pounds of Medium clover seed and two 
pounds Alsike per acre. A fine meadow will result. 
If the field has been in meadow a long time, it will 
pay to top-dress just before the last cultivating, with 
well-rotted manure ; or, if this is not available, sow 
from 200 to 500 pounds of some brand of good fertilizer 
and 200 pounds of muriate of potash per acre, I have 
cut 2>^ tons of fine quality of hay per acre from a field 
treated as above, on land that did not give me a half 
ton at the last mowing. An old, run-out meadow will 
be wonderfully improved by giving it a thorough har¬ 
rowing both ways with a sharp 40-tooth harrow, and 
sowing on a peck of Timothy seed to 200 pounds of 
'muriate of potash per acre. Any one who tries this 
plan will wonder the next year where all the clover 
seed came from to grow so much clover. 
J. 8. WOODWARD. 
To Control a Horse’s Tonerue. 
C. A. B., Kelloggsvllle, Ohio .—E H. B., in The R. 
N.-Y. of January 20, gives directions for making an 
addition to a horse’s bit to keep the tongue under the 
bit. Will he describe more minutely the arch to be 
soldered on the bit, the width at the base and its depth, 
and how to adjust it that it may not touch the roof of 
the mouth ? I have a horse that carries his tongue 
over the bit, and have used a “ lolling bit ” (a bit with 
a movable plate on it), which keeps his tongue in his 
mouth, but the plate digs into his lower jaw and so 
crowds his tongue into the back part of the mouth 
and causes him to drule. 
Ans, —C. A. B. should take an ordinary six-inch 
straight bit with a washer on each side to prevent it 
from sliding in the horse’s mouth. Bend a heavy piece 
of steel wire seven inches long in the form of a staple 
with the loop ends about two inches apart. Then bend 
about one-half inch of the ends out at right angles in 
opposite directions. The top of the bit should be 
flattened slightly, and the ends of wire securely 
soldered thereto. Then the wire should be curved 
backward toward the throat, not until it touches the 
tongue, but just enough so that it will not touch the 
roof of the mouth. The horse will not be able to throw 
his tongue over the bit if it is rightly arranged, and 
will soon forget the habit so that a common bit may 
be used. k. h. b. 
Hilling: Potatoes. 
S., E. Syracuse, N. Y, —When should potatoes be 
hilled ? After they are once hilled, do they set 
again if cultivated, or as often as the ground is stirred 
around them ? I have been told that cultivating po¬ 
tatoes until late in the season injures them. 
Ans. — The R. N.-Y. began its advocacy of level cul¬ 
ture for potatoes and corn about 18 years ago, and it 
has not since seen any reason to change. There is no 
reason for hilling potatoes except to kill weeds. 
True it is that potatoes in hills are more easily har¬ 
vested than those in drills, but this is offset by the dif¬ 
ference in yield. Where land is not well drained, we 
have some reason for hilling, but such land is not well 
suited to potato culture. If the vines are to be hilled 
up, the sooner the work is done the better. It is then 
equivalent to planting deeper. Hilling the soil about 
the stems directs the rain from where it is most 
needed to where it is least needed. It is best to culti¬ 
vate shallow until the vines prevent cultivation. 
Are the Larg:est Blackberries Hardv P 
O. H. P., Bethel, Conn. —I wish to plant two acres of 
blackberries this fall. What kinds would The R. N.-Y. 
recommend ? I want something larger than Snyder. 
How are Ancient Briton and Minnewaski ? Are they 
hardy ? 
Ans. —We do not know that a large berry and ex¬ 
treme hardiness are combined in any one variety, 
except it be the Eldorado, which has not as yet fruited 
at the Rural Grounds. The berry of the Ancient Briton 
is too small. The Minnewaski is, with us, hardier 
than the Kittatinny or Wilson Jr. It is claimed that 
Lovett’s Best is as hardy as the Snyder. It is certainly 
perfectly hardy with us, but not as productive as some 
other kinds. Agawam is a berry of the first quality 
and thrives well in Connecticut. The berry is of 
medium size. Try the Erie and Gaynor. 
Clearing: a Stony Farm. 
C. E. W., Albany, N. Y. —I am considering the 
advisability of purchasing a piece of land containing 
10 or 12 acres of sandy soil or sandy loam, sloping 
gently to the South and East, and apparently a very 
desirable spot for a country home. The land is, how¬ 
ever, very stony, stones ranging in size from that of a 
marble to a large cobblestone. Will The Rural 
kindly advise me if there is any better way of clear¬ 
ing the land from stones than by hand picking ? Also 
the approximate cost per acre for clearing. What 
fruits and vegetables are best adapted to such a soil ? 
Ans. —We have heard of cases where Breed’s weeder 
was used as a stone rake by lowering the bar so as to 
stiffen the teeth as much as possible. In New Eng¬ 
land, wooden stone rakes are often used. A Canadian 
reader of The R, N.-Y. once used a rail of railroad 
iron with three horses at each end. This was dragged 
up and down the fields, throwing the stones into 
“windrows” from which they were picked either by 
hand or with wooden shovels. We cannot give the 
cost of clearing such land. With proper cultivation 
and manuring, it should grow any fruits or vegetables 
that succeed in your latitude. 
Black Plantain on a Lawn. 
S., North East, Pa. —How can I eradicate Buckhorn, 
or Black plantain, from my lawn ? What are its 
habits of growth ? If cut off midway up the crown, 
or main root, will it sprout again ? Will it seed if 
the spikes or stalks are kept cut before the seeds 
ripen; that is, if the heads are green and soft when 
cut, will the seed mature, shell and seed ? What is 
the best month to cut the root ? 
Ans. —If the plants are cut below the crown, the 
remaining roots will not sprout. We have found that 
the best way to rid a lawn of this pest, is to pull the 
plants up after a heavy rain. We think that imma¬ 
ture, dried seeds will sprout. 
What Potato Blight Looks Like. 
A. M,, Navarre, 0 .—What does potato blight look 
like when it first starts ? Is there more than one 
blight ? I am told there is a leaf blight and no remedy 
f or^it. Another called the rot blight, and it is said that it 
can be overcome by the Bordeaux Mixture. My potato 
leaves at the points are burnt and dry as powder, and 
at the base of the stalk are of a lightish color, but 
otherwise healthy looking. The weather is against 
our ground, as it is coarse gravel. My Burbanks are 
the worst. My Rural New-Yorkers are much the 
thriftiest. 
Ans —There are two kinds of fungi that cause blight 
known as early and late blight—the latter is the more 
prevalent. In the late blight, the edges of the leaves 
turn to brown and then wither. The fungus also at¬ 
tacks the tubers, causing rot. The Bordeaux Mixture 
will kill the spores. It is safer, however, to apply it 
before the blight appears. The early blight appears 
as dark colored distinct spots on the leaves. These 
increase until the entire leaf is destroyed. Probably 
the Bordeaux Mixture would also prevent this, if the 
spraying were begun early. We have known the flea 
beetle to cause just the appearance of leaf, etc., 
described by our friend. Send for Bulletin No. 22, 
New Hampshire Station (Durham). 
What Ails the Parker Earles P 
W. O. E,, West Chester, Pa. —The Parker Earle straw¬ 
berry, which last year promised so much, was this 
year an entire failure. The leaves turned a brownish 
red, and many of the plants died, the load of fruit 
wilted and was worthless. Other kinds were not 
affected to note. Will The R. N.-Y. give the cause 
and the remedy, if there is any ? 
Ans. —We do not understand this case. Were the 
other varieties growing close to the Parker Earle ? It 
would seem as though it were the work of the grub 
of the May beetle, but they would attack the other 
varieties as well, unless it chanced that the grubs ex¬ 
isted only in the Parker Earle plot. 
PUmts Named .—Subscriber (name lost), London 
Bridge.—The specimen sent to River Edge contained 
two different plants. The grass with creeping culm, 
not in bloom, is Cynodon Dactylon—Bermuda grass. 
The other specimen is a Sedge, Cyperus. 
