THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
blitter feeds on account of the strong flavor imparted. 
They are more kroiity than bad ensilage, and if much 
of either is fed, the butter will score low. besides, 
the price is too high ; a ton is too much for the 
water, which is about 90 percent in both cabbage and 
pumpkins, so that the former cost four or flve times 
as much as the latter. i.kkoy whitford. 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and addres.s of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separ.ite 
piece of paper.] 
SOME FACTS ABOUT “WINTER OATS.” 
I would like some information about winter oats—conditions 
under which they thrive, etc. Will they succeed in northwestern 
Pennsylvania ? I know nothing about them, and was not even 
aware that such a variety e.visted until I read about it in Thk R. 
N.-Y. Each number contains something new. a. w. s. 
Albion, Pa. 
How They Behave in Delaware. 
Only during the past three years, have winter oats 
been grown to any extent in the southern two coun¬ 
ties of this State, and they have given such excellent 
satisfaction that there has been quite a demand for 
the seed in all three counties. 'I'he ordinary oats have 
not been a profitable crop to grow in this section for 
a number of years ; but the winter oats appear to be 
specially adapted to this soil and climate. The yield 
the past season averaged about 40 bushels of very 
plump and heavy oats per acre, with a heavy growth 
of clean, bright straw. These oats thrive hei’e under 
the .same conditions as does winter wheat. The prepa¬ 
ration of the land, the quantity of seed used, and the 
time of seeding, are the same as for wheat. One farmer 
in Kent County, loaned his grain drill to a neighbor 
to sow winter oats. Afterwards, in sowing his own 
winter wheat, he neglected to remove the few oats 
that remained in the drill, and for a short distance 
oats were sown instead of wheat. At harvest time, 
the oats were so much better than the wheat, that he 
was sorry that oats had not been used for seed in.stead 
of wheat upon the entire field. It is possible that 
winter oats will not succeed as far north as A. W. S. 
resides, and 1 would advise a trial of a small amount 
at first. Thirteen varieties of so-called winter oats 
were sown in the fall of 188(5, at the Geneva, N. Y., 
Experiment Station, but none survived the winter. 
Delaware Ex. Station. m. h. Beckwith. 
Highly Praised for Tennessee, 
I have been highly pleased with the manner The II. 
N.-Y. has investigated Crimson clover and with its 
advice to its readers further north to try this new for¬ 
age plant. There is another plant which it seems to 
me deserves to be brought to the notice of the farmers 
everywhere. That plant is Winter oats. In this 
region, they are fully as valuable as Crim.son clover as 
a forage plant, although, of course, not as a fertilizer. 
Sown in August, they furnish the best of grazing from 
October to the latter part of April and then yield far 
more bushels than spring oats do. Last year, 1 sowed 
mine September 20 to 21 ; dry weather prevented the 
preparation of the land sooner, except a few which 
were sowed in standing corn. I pastured these oats 
close up to April IG, and they bid fair to thrash 30 
bushels' per acre ; this without fertilizer. The freeze 
March 25, damaged all wheat in this region fully 50 
per ceat, and some more ; yet these oats came through 
in tine shape, and I fully believe that, with an equal 
chance, they will stand any weather that winter 
wheat v/ill. They do here at least. If they will 
endure the Northern winters (as I believe they will), 
they will surely be a blessing to the farmers there, as 
they would be occupying their land when it would 
otherwise be idle in winter ; would be growing every 
warm day, and in the spring when so often wet 
weather prevents seeding, they would be coming right 
ahead and would be out of the way of the drought 
which so often hurts or ruins spring oats. 
Loudon County, Tenn. E. i.. giffin. 
Grapes, Strawberries, Etc. 
T. W. S., HammmUm, N. J. —1. Did The U. N.-Y. or 
its readers ever hear of or see a black gi-ape named 
Ontario ? The bunch is like Moore’s Diamond, but the 
berries are the largest I ever saw, one-half as lai’ge 
again as Concord. 2. I am trying to tind how Michel’s 
Early strawberry will do in hill culture. I am trying 
eight hills of this and Victor Hugo. Michel’s Early 
stooled four to five crowns, while Victor Hugo set six 
to eight crowns. What kinds do best in hill, and does 
it pay ? 3. What is the description and color of the 
moth that lays the eggs of the Squash-vine borer ? 4. 
What time should soup beans be planted at the latest, 
to ripen before frost? 5. Why don’t some of the readers 
of The Rukae talk about Kattir corn ? How eaidy 
must it be planted to ripen up well ? It is the prettiest 
plant I can think of ; I like it better than Jerusalem 
corn. 
Ans.— 1. Ontario is properly Union Village, which 
originated among the Shakers of Union Village. It 
ripens late and has never become popular. 2. What 
say our readers ? 3. The moth is about one-half inch 
long, with an orange-colored body ornamented by 
several blaek spots upon the back, and having olive- 
brown front wings, and transparent hind ones. 4. 
We don’t know what you mean by soup beans. 5. The 
R. N.-Y. has had considerable to say at one time and 
another about this plant. The seed must be planted 
as soon as the ground is warm in spring. 
An Opinion of the Timbrell Strawberry. 
G. W. B., ClutrleMown, Tnd .—Will The R. N.-Y. tell 
us of the Timbrell strawberry—its habit of growth, 
productiveness, quality, etc. ? I have spent some 
money on this plant, and now see a report from the 
Ohio Station that it is no good. 
Ans. —The plant is vigorous, and remarkably pro¬ 
ductive. The berry is large, of a peculiar angular 
sha^ie ; the color is a mottled crimson. The ([uality 
may be ranked as “best.” Most of our reports agree 
with the above estimate. Several condemn it as 
worthless. Hut there is no variety of strawberry or 
any other fruit that succeeds everywhere. 
A Berry to PoHenize the Timbrell Strawberry. 
Adrum, Mich. —I am trying some of the newer 
strawberries in a small way, such as Marshall, Tim¬ 
brell, Dew, Greenville, Hilton’s Gem, and Shuckless. 
1 raised 23 finely-rooted layer plants this fall from one 
spring-set Marshall plant for which I paid 25 cents. I 
raised also 54 plants from one Timbrell. Can The 
R. N.-Y. recommend a good late pollenizer for 'I'im- 
brell ? 1 have planted with mine, (hindy and Belle, 
or “No 51 ,” a new variety, said to be quite late and 
productive, which was sent to me on trial by M. Craw¬ 
ford. 
Ans. —Barker Earle is just what you want. 
Give Up the Old Orchard, 
E,, Bartlesville, (). —I have an apple orchard, some 45 
years planted ; the trees are 32 feet apart each way. 
Some are dead, others bear poor fruit, and some not 
any. How shall I renew it? How get rid of the 
stumps—dig them out, blow them out or iiurn them 
out? Will it likely pay to top-graft trees of that age? 
If I replant, should the young trees be put where the 
old ones now stand ? 
Ans. —We would advise our friend to give up that 
orchard, remove the trees and cultivate clover and 
hoed crops for at least four years. It cannot, in our 
opinion, be profitably renewed at present. No, it will 
not pay to top-graft. No, do not replant where the 
old ones now stand. Plant just as far from the old 
trees as possible. We will ask our readers to tell 
how they would get rid of the stumps. 
The Lawver Apple, 
A. J. B., Petersbury, III, —I recently received a dozen 
apple trees, not my own selection, labeled Lawver. 
In some of the catalogues, the name is given Lawyer. 
Which is correct ? Is the variety identical with Dela¬ 
ware Red Winter, as claimed by some ? Is it a valu¬ 
able variety ? 1 have read somewhere that it is not 
productive, and if such is the case, I wish to graft the 
trees with some other variety. 
Ans. —Lawver is the correct name. We know of no 
Delaware Red Winter. The Lawver is a large, showy 
apple, of fair quality only. The tree is productive. 
There are many better winter apples. 
Something About White Geraniums. 
A. W., Putnamville, Vt. —Some time ago, I saw an 
inquiry in The R. N.-Y. for a white-leaved geranium, 
and the answer was that there was no such, but that 
the Happy Thought came nearest to it. Permit me 
to say that there is a geranium, Ereak of Nature, that 
comes nearer being white, as the middles of the leaves, 
as well as the leaf stalks, are white, and often whole 
branches are entirely so. Another geranium. Madam 
Salleroi, almost always has some white branches. In 
this geranium, the center of the leaf is green and the 
margin white. There is also an ivy-leaved geranium 
which sometimes has white branches. So does Moun¬ 
tain of Snow, but for foliage. Madam Salleroi sur¬ 
passes them all. 
Ans. —Our friend is quite right. So, too, is The R. 
N.-Y. There is no such thing as a white-foliaged 
geranium (pelai’gonium); there never will be. White 
sfioots are common. Hut these white shoots, when 
cut from the mother plant, which always bears a con¬ 
siderable proportion of green leaves, or partly green 
leaves, will die. It has not any blood, so to say. 
While a part of the mother plant, it lives as a para¬ 
729 
site ; it lives upon the gi*een portions of the mother 
plant, but gives nothing back. 
Blood and Bone and Ashes. 
II. Z. S., Terra vllta, W. Va. —Would it be worth 
while to buy commercial manures other than bone 
and blood when I have plenty of wood ashes ? 
Ans. —No, you have a “complete fertilizer” in these 
substances. Do not attempt to mix them, and use 
Iilenty of the ashes. 
When to Use Corrosive Sublimate. 
C. N. G., Bedford, O. —I have tried the corrosive sub¬ 
limate solution for the “ scab ” on potatoes, and am 
more than satisfied with "t. 1 took the scabbiest seed 
I had to experiment with. I would plant a i*ow of 
treated seed, and then a row of untreated. In the 
treated rows, there was not one unmarketable potato, 
while in the untreated rows, almost half of them were 
unmarketable. I want to treat all my seed tor next 
year, and 1 want to know if 1 can treat it this winter 
instead of waiting till spring ? Will it injui*e the po¬ 
tato to be outside of tlie ground so long after treat¬ 
ment ? 
Ans. —We think it will make no difference. 
Sunburned Potatoes for Seed. 
,f. F. B., Strabane, Oat. —Are sunburned potatoes just 
as good for seed as those not so burned ? 
Ans. —Yes, fully as good in every way, if tliey can 
be preserved as well. Sunburned potatoes are liable 
to sprout earlier than others. 
To Put a Head on Cauliflower in Winter. 
II. G. W., Elm Grave, W. Va. —How can I put away 
cauliflower plants that have not yet headed, to keep 
for winter till they form heads? I have neither a 
large cellar nor a greenhouse. I have tried to bury 
them the same as cabbage, only with the roots down 
in the earth and covered with soil ; but they nearly 
all rotted. 
Ans. —Dig a pit of the recpiired size, 2}4 feet deej) ; 
commence at one end with the plants, set as closely 
as they can be placed, and cover the roots with earth. 
Cover with boards or sashes to keep out the rain. If 
the plants show the bud in the least, they will de¬ 
velop perfect heads before spring. Of course the 
frame will need to be lower on one side than the 
other, to carry off the rains, and the boards should fit 
closely. In case of severe cold, say, where the tem¬ 
perature falls below 15 degrees, some mats or straw 
should be thrown over the cover. They will keep 
and head up through the winter splendidly, if set in 
the ground in a piece of woods, and covered with 
leaves to the depth of six inches ; keep the leaves 
from blowing away by some brush. c. E. aei.en. 
How to Handle Liquid Manure. 
A. IF., Greeley, Pa. —I have built a liquid manure 
tank this summer, and now 1 need a pump and a large 
barrel (not too large for one horse) to cart it on the 
meadow. Where can I get such a iiump and barrel ? 
The pump should take out the thick sediment without 
clogging, and should be cheap. 
Ans. —We have had the best experts in this line 
looking for such a pump for more than two years, and 
they can not tind one. Large steam pumps will do 
the work, but they are too expensive. We absorb 
most of the liquids. What is not absorbed passes 
through a thick bed of shavings, and then through a 
brass screen before it runs into the cistern. We pump 
it into the sprinkler with a common brass-lined pump. 
We use a brass-lined pump because the other kinds 
soon rust, and then will not work. We use a Stude- 
baker sprinkler for distributing the liquid manure. 
This is the only kind we could tind that would not 
clog. 
1 do not favor this method of handling manure, and 
the arrangement I have, just spoken of, is the only 
thing in our Ellerslie barn that is not satisfactory. 
The pipes carrying the liquid manure to the cistern 
are always getting clogged, and it requires too much 
labor to pump tbe manure out of the'cistern. The 
plan I would recommend is this : 1 would make the 
gutters behind the cows with a very slight gi-ade—not 
over one inch in 100 feet run. I would then keep the 
gutters well tilled with a good absorbent, shavings, 
sawdust, chafl; or cut straw. Any of the.se will absorb 
nearly the whole of the urine, and will retain it so 
that the ammonia does not escape and taint the air. 
Our cattle are kept in the stable most of the time, and 
we find it necessary to remove this material from the 
gutters once a week. For the small amount of urine 
that will not be absorbed in the gutters, I would con¬ 
tinue the gutters to the outside of the barn, and have 
it empty into a .shallow tank. 1 would half till this 
tank with absorbents, and as fast as they became 
saturated, haul them to the field. The gutter leading 
from the cows to the outside tank should have a hinged 
cover so that it may easily be cleaned and washed. 
Ellerslie Stock Farm. ii. m. cottkele. 
