THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7ii 
fooled away building warships and in many other 
ways, were expended on building good wagon roads, 
then we would have a nation that would be worthy of 
the name of great. In summer, we have a trail of 
dust for about three to foiir months, and about five to 
seven months, we have a trail of mud that mires a 
horse to his belly, and for miles is almost impassable. 
Why don’t the farmers, then, build good roads ? Yes, 
that is it. Why don’t all the farmers in Douglas 
County, Oregon, sell their farms and give the proceeds 
to the county to build good roads ? Even though they 
did so, they would not build the good roads that this 
county needs. j. o. iikpuukx. 
Douglas County, Oregon. 
R. N.-Y.—The berries reached the office in fair con¬ 
dition. It would seem that this variety of the Ever- 
bearing thrives better than elsewhere. It is worthless 
at the Rural Grounds. 
THE NEW PLUM PEST: THE PLUM SCALE. 
KILL IT NOW OH HK LOST. 
The whole plum industry of western New York, 
especially the great orchards in the vicinity of Lock- 
port, Rochester and Geneva, is now threatened with 
destruction by this new insect pest. I have in prepa¬ 
ration a bulletin treating of this pest in detail, but it 
will not be ready for several weeks. However, as 
many plum growers are already much alarmed for the 
fate of their trees, it seems advisable to give to Tiik 
R. N.-Y. the following information in advance. 
The large brown scales, almost as large as, and 
shaped somewhat like, peas, lurw to be found on the 
undersides of the branches, need cause 
no alarm, for they are only the shells j1 
of last spring’s brood of mothers, and 
have no life in them. It was from these 
large scales that the scarcely visible 
fiat, yellowifsh scales hatched about July 1 j 
1, and at once stationed themselves on — 
the undersides of the leaves where they / 
remained all summer sucking the sap or j I 
life blood of the tree. They grew very //Mm 
slowly, and are now but little larger 
than pins’ heads. Rut like the well- ^ 
known plant lice, they secreted immense 
quantities of “honey dew,” and in this 
substance there grew the same black 
fungus which accompanies the attacks 
of plant lice or the I’ear psylla. As but 
little rain fell during the summer to 
wash off the honey dew, it soon coated 
the leaves, branches and fx'uit, and the 
black fungus accompanied it wherever 
it went. This resulted in blackened 7- 
sticky leaves, branches and fruit. Thus 
the damage done by the pest this sum- 
mer was considerable ; for the growth 
of the tree must have been severely 
checked by the loss of so much of its 
life blood, and by its breathing pores 
being stopped up by this black, sticky 
coating. The fruit also either must be 
washed or sold in a “ mu.ssy ” condition. 
These little scales occurred on the leaves, 
literally by the millions, often hundreds 
on a single leaf, in many orchards. Some fell to the 
ground with the leaves this fall, and will doubtless 
perish, but probably 90 per cent migrated to a place of 
safety on the undersides of the branches near the empty 
shells from which they came in July. This migration 
has just been completed, and the leaves being nearly 
all off, we now have the pest where we can get at it 
much more easily than at any other time. I did not 
dare advise plum growers to spray their orchards 
while in full foliage in July, even though I knew that 
would kill the insect then ; for it would have been im¬ 
possible to hit one-half of them, and there was great 
danger of doing more damage by the spray than the 
insect could do if not disturbed. So we were obliged 
to stand by and let the pest do its damaging work for 
the season. Here would have been a chance to use the 
expensive gas treatment with tents, so commonly used 
in California, and which must come into more general 
use in the East if our scale insects and others keep on 
increasing. 
But now the time has come when we can strike the 
pest such a blow as effectually to check it for some 
time to come. The insect is now in a very tender 
stage, no hard shell has yet foi-med on it, and there is 
no foliage to interfere with the complete soaking of 
the tree from the base of its trunk to the topmost 
twig. Spray with kerosene emulsion. 
To make the emulsion, thoroughly dissolve one-half pound hard 
or soft soap in one gallon of boiling water. While this solution is 
still very hot, add two gallons of kerosene and quickly begin to 
agitate the whole mass through a syringe or force-pump, drawing 
the liquid into the pump and forcing it back into the dish. Con¬ 
tinue this five minutes, or until the whole mass assumes a creamy 
color and consistency which will adhere to the sides of the vessel, 
and not glide off like oil. It may now be readily diluted with cold 
rain water, or the whole mass may be allowed to cool when it has 
a semi-solid form, not unlike loppered milk. This standard emul¬ 
sion, if covered and placed in a cool, dark place, will keep for a 
long time. In making a dilution from this cold emulsion, it is 
necessary to dissolve the amount required in three or four jjarts 
of boiling w.ater, after which cold rain water may be added in the 
required quantities. 
Dihtte this standard emulsion not more than four 
and not less than three times with water. It has been 
demonstrated within the last few days, that this will 
kill every scale it hits. Remember this point, for the 
insect sucks its food and thixs must be hit; the poisons 
would have no effect on it. Continue spraying until 
the emulsion drips from the tree, taking especial pains 
to cover the under sides of the branches where most of 
the scales are now to be found. The number of scales 
killed will thus depend entirely upon how thoroughly 
the spraying is done, that is, how many of the little 
scales are actually hit. 
Begin this destructive work as soon as possible this 
fall while the weather permits one to go about the or¬ 
chard freely. Do not expect to see the scales drop off 
immediately, or in a day or two after spraying. They 
have fastened themselves where they now are to stay 
all winter, and many of them are so well stuck that 
even “ death will not them part.” But most of the 
dead ones will probably ‘ ‘ weather ” off before spring. 
As the little scales will remain where they are until 
spring without changing, or doing more damage, the 
spraying will be just as effective if done at any time 
before the buds open in the spring. But, one spraying 
should be given this fall, when it can be more easily 
done than in mid-winter, and we advise a second spi*ay- 
ing with the same emulsion in the spring before the 
buds swell. It will take two sprayings at least, to hit 
A WHEEL TRUCK FOR FEEDING COWS. Fig. 191. 
the majority of the little scales, however thoroughly 
the work is done. Always bear in mind that most of 
the scales that are not killed this winter, will increase 
in size rapidly in the spring, and each one will become 
a mother which can lay hundreds of eggs from which 
hatch the little scales to continue the destructive work 
of the pest. Spray thoroughly, more thoroughly, the 
most thoroughly that you ever did. For if this pest 
is allowed to begin work in the spring of 189.5, it will 
ruin many of the finest plum orchards in western New 
York. Do not be afraid that the liquid, properly made 
according to directions above, will injure the trees, 
and have confidence that you are killing every scale 
you hit. 
I shall be glad to answer any questions regarding 
this, pest, and especially desire to hear from those who 
have the insect in their orchards, so that I can get a 
more definite idea of its distribution, number of trees 
infested, etc. And will all those who spray as directed, 
please let me know the details of when and how they 
did it; their estimate of the expense per tree, etc. ? I 
shall be glad to visit some of these sprayed orchards in 
the spring to note results. 
Let every plum grower who reads this tell all of his 
neighbors, and then all examine the under sides of the 
branches of the plum trees for the now harmless large, 
brown scales, nearly as large as peas, and when these 
are found, look for the minute, fiat, brown ones often 
thickly (sometimes two or three deep) strewn among 
these large ones. The pest may be readily recognized 
from this brief description, when it is found. If numer¬ 
ous, begin the work of extermination at once. For I 
repeat, that if this scale is not checked this winter, the 
indications are that it will ruin many of the best plum 
orchards. m. v. slingekland. 
Cornell University Experiment Station, 
'' TOUCHY CROPS ” ON THE PACIFIC. 
On page (K).') of The R. N.-Y., is some good advice 
about touchy crops, that is, crops difficult to raise, and 
for that reason, generally neglected. On my little 
farm, I have grown several such crops, and find them 
almost the only profitable ones these dull times. One 
such crop is tomatoes. The nights in this Buget Sound 
region are so cool that tomato culture is successful 
only in the hands of the thoughtful, painstaking gar¬ 
dener. I have been raising tomatoes in increasing 
quantities for three years. In 1892, I began with a 
little experiment plot 34x()() feet ; from this I sold 
.1?l().94 worth of tomatoes, besides what the family 
used. In 189.3, the area having been inci’cased to one- 
eighth of an acre, the sales amounted to i$.57.9(5. The 
crop of 1891 has just been finished, and though this 
has been by far the driest and most unfavorable of the 
three yeai’S, the crop sold for upwards of i|80. A good 
rain in July would easily have inci-eased the crop 3.5 
to 30 per cent. Having but little competition in the 
honle market, the prices ruled fair, while the surplus 
was disposed of at a g-ood figure in the Seattle and 
Olympia markets. Those shipped \vei*e well packed 
and carefully graded, sold well, and created a demand 
which will tax my ability to su^xply. 
As to varieties, I have tested E. Ruby, Dwarf Cham¬ 
pion, Perfection, Ponderosa, etc., and have been forced 
to the conclusion that for me, my own selection of E. 
Ruby is the tomato. It is the earliest I have tested, 
faiidy smooth and of fair quality. I go over the tomato 
patch as soon as the fruits begin to ripen, and pick out 
and mark a few of the plants bearing the most, the 
earliest and best shaped tomatoes. All my seed is 
taken from these iilants. I plant my 
|||'!;’j seed March 1, in fiats two inches deei>, 
j 'll filled with a mixture of two-thirds 
' alluvial, .sandy loam and one-third leaf 
fj mold. For want of a better place, these 
II flats are kept in the kitchen window till 
^ I the plants are ti-ansplanted to the cold 
ijj frame. Transplanting is usually begun 
I about Api-il 1, and finished, doing the 
II //> work at odd times, about April 30. The 
^ 1 transplanting is done partly into old 
^ i cans, partly into flats or boxes containing 
^ i three or four inches of the .same sandy, 
a alluvial soil, with the addition of a little 
«*/ m dust or complete fertilizer, and 
part directly into the .soil of the cold 
frame where the cans and boxes are 
placed at once after transifianting. Here 
t’IdSsP' they remain, watei-ed, ventilated and 
covered from frost till IMay 30, when 
planting in the open ground begins, and 
is finished by June I. The plants are 
' usually about six inches high by this 
time, well hardened, and continue grow- 
ing, after being set out, with scarcely a 
No attempt is made to get large, soft 
plants, as experience shows that such 
plants are much inferior to those of 
slower growth and sterner stuff. No 
fertilizer is used except in the hill, and no 
stable manure is used at all, as I have 
but little of it and find it more useful 
for other purposes. Besides using a good handful of 
fertilizer in the hill, a small handful is sprinkled over 
the plant and around it just after planting, to keep 
away the troublesome flea beetle. This plan never 
fails with me. The plants stand 2}4 feet apart in the 
row, the rows three feet apart. When the iilants 
get so tall as to begin to fall over, a stake three feet 
long is pushed down besitle each one, and the plant is 
tied to it, using one or two strings as required. 
From the time plants are set out in the open ground, 
all side shoots are pinched off as they appear, and 
after two clusters of blo.ssoms appear, all growth 
above them is checked also. Neglect of this one point 
will make a difference of two to four weeks in ripen¬ 
ing, with me. Cultivation once a week, is kept up till 
the crop is well grown. I*art of my patch this year 
was on ground that had grown three consecutive crops 
of tomatoes, and I was troubled less with rot this year 
than ever before, though some of my neighboi’s’ plants 
suffered severely. I attribute this immunity from 
disease to the use of commercial fertilizers and thor¬ 
ough and long-eontinued cultivation among the plants. 
A crop of lettuce, radishes or green bunching onions 
from sets, is usually grown on the land before plant¬ 
ing tomatoes. 
Staking and training to a single vine are very im¬ 
portant if one wishes an extra early crop. This year 
the finst tomatoes sold netted me six cents per pound, 
and four weeks later my first competitor got his crop 
into the market, when tomatoes were selling for 3 or 
2}4 cents per pound. 1 am now so situated that I can 
make a paying specialty of this important crop without 
any fear of glutted markets or too much competition. 
Mason County, Wash. fhank hinns. 
