THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
8o7 
the color between what has been under and what 
has been above the surface, that under ground being 
usually paler ; the sap in the latter contains more col¬ 
oring matter. Besides, there is nearly always a per¬ 
ceptible swelling just where the main stem toiiches 
the surface. Throw the top .soil on one side of the 
hole, and the subsoil on the other ; then, when the 
hole is considered sufficiently capacious, throw enough 
of the top soil (well pulverized) back into the hole to 
form a cone, place the tree thereon with the roots 
spread out and down around the cone, having pre¬ 
viously pruned all broken or torn fibers with an \inder 
cut. Then throw in enoiigh top soil to well cover the 
roots, grasp the main stem of tree, and gently, but 
firmly, shake it up and down, so that the fine soil will 
get thoroughly in among the fibers, and the roots will 
naturally fall into their proper position. Throw in 
more top soil, and tread firmly, after which throw in 
the subsoil, loosely, with a slight hill towards the 
main stem. Above all, never tread, pack or harden 
the immediate surface, the object being to permit the 
fall rains and sun to penetrate the ground, and Nature 
will do the rest. 
When planting, set trees with a good incline towards 
the point from which prevailing winds blow—in Ken¬ 
tucky, southwest. Prune young trees closely, cutting 
the branches, say, two or three inches from the main 
stem ; cut from the top side to a bud pointing out, leav¬ 
ing the branches, if anything, longer to the windward 
side ; cut clean, slanting and as close as possible (with¬ 
out injury) to the bud desired to form the future 
branch. It will be noticed, after growth, that the 
branches on the windward side 
of the tree, are more or less curved 
upward and inward, or from the 
wind, while those to the leeward 
are likely to grow out and down. 
Consequently (the object being 
to promote symmetry, as well 
as strength and balance) all 
branches growing upward and 
inward, should be pruned on top 
to a bud pointing out or down, 
and those on the leeward side 
generally under to a bud pointing 
up and in. Should it be necessary 
to remove a large branch, v\ hich 
should be avoided if possible, 
use a fine-tooth saw, saw up, 
afterwards smooth the cut with 
a sharp chisel, and paint the 
wound, to heal it and prevent 
splitting or cracking. 
In all cases, but especially for 
fruit, keep the center of the tree 
open, to admit the sun and air, 
the two best preventives of disease 
and rot, and the greatest media 
for ripening and developing fruit. 
Peaches, apricots and similar 
fruits, require vigorous thinning 
out of all weak branches, leaving 
only healthy, strong, one-year-old 
branches, shortened about one- 
third, for fruit bearing. Plums 
and cherries don’t like pruning after they have 
commenced bearing, as they are very liable to 
gum and rot. Simply keep all rotten, broken or 
ingrowing crossing branches removed. Immedi¬ 
ately after the fall of the leaf, is the best time for 
pruning, provided the frosts are not severe. This 
gives time for wounds to heal. In spring it is gener¬ 
ally too late, in this climate, to prune, as the sap be¬ 
gins to rise, and bleeding almost invariably ensues. 
See that your tools are in first-cla.ss condition, prune 
carefully and regularly, use common sense and dis¬ 
crimination, and you are bound to succeed. 
Lyndon, Ky. _ G. n. c. ellis. 
/S THERE ANY - BLOOD ” IN A POTATO ? 
In the fall of 1893, an exceptionally vigorous hill, 
grown from one seed piece of the R. N.-Y. No. 2 po¬ 
tato, was found to contain nine fair-sized, perfectly- 
formed tubers, while the field in general gave from 
three to six per hill. In hills giving three or four 
tubers, they were very large. Three of the smaller 
tubers from the first hill were planted last spring in 
three hills of two pieces each. On either side, three 
hills were planted as above with the best seed of simi¬ 
lar size that could be selected from my bin of seed po¬ 
tatoes, all being given the same treatment as my main 
crop grown alongside. When dug, the rows and hills 
were kept separate for compari.son, row No. 2 being 
grown from seed from the selected hill. In row No. 
2, the three hills were very nearly alike, one being 
slightly better than the others. One hill of No. 1 
seemed to be fully as good as the best hill of No. 2, 
while the others were perceptibly poorer. No. 3 did 
not differ greatly, though judged to be less than No. 
2. To make assurance doubly sure, each row was 
weighed, with the following result : No. 1, three 
hills, 11 pounds ; No. 2, three hills, 1^)4 poiinds ; No. 
3, three hills, 9% pounds—ora difference of over 49 
per cent in favor of “ blood ” over the average of the 
other six hills. 
One field was planted in hills of one seed piece each. 
Acting upon the hint given above, I selected my .seed 
for next year in the field, ehoosing hills having as 
neaidy as possible, the characteristics of the hill se¬ 
lected in 1893. Home of the hills, .selected by the ap¬ 
pearance of the tops, had five or .six very large, perfect 
tubers, but were rejected in favor of those having an 
equal weight of smaller but eqiaally perfect Uibers, 
because : (a) The variety under high culture and fav¬ 
orable conditions, grows too large ; (h) as heavy a 
yield is obtained ; (c) they are large enoiigh, never hol¬ 
low, and are in appearance satisfactory to the most 
exacting buyer. 
In the New Potato Culture is a quotation from the 
late Peter Henderson, in which appears the state¬ 
ment, “ The chances are all against any permanent 
improvement being made by such selections.” 
The experiment will be continued next year, com¬ 
paring the productivene.ss of seedfi’om row No. 2 with 
that selected this fall and that taken as usual. It is 
hoped that this will aid in determining the perma¬ 
nency of the impi’ovement, and also decide whether it 
will pay to make such selection from year to year. If 
Peter Henderson is right, that the difference is due to 
“specially favorable conditions,” to “being highly 
fertiliz(Hl,”etc., it is evident that we should give especial 
care each year to what we wish to use for seed the next. 
It is impossible to secure a uniform yield per hill, 
or one nearly so, if but one seed piece is put in a hill. 
With two or more pieces, uniformity is more nearly 
accomplished. Pei-haps the variation is due to the 
different parts of the potato, as the stem or seed 
ends, or it may be owing to seed from “specially 
favored ” hills. It is certain that a type can be fixed 
by selection ; why not productiveness as well ? 
Bradford County, Pa. G. A. parcell. 
CATCH CROPS AND HOW TO USE THEM. 
While it is not desirable at all times, and under all 
circumstances, to grow two crops on the land at the 
same time ; yet we find it quite remunerative and also 
beneficial to the land, if done on economical principles. 
The first thing to be considered, is whether the land 
is sufficiently strong to carry the second crop, with¬ 
out injuring the permanent crop. If so, go ahead ! 
If not, and the land is doing all it can to maintain the 
present crop, we would advise constant cultivation in¬ 
stead of a catch crop. The conditions mitst be observed 
closely, and the best judgment of the operator brought 
in to decide which is the best. We have a vineyard of 
two acres, two years old. Last spring, after we had 
it cultivated three times, we sent our foreman out 
with the corn drill, with instructions to drill one row 
of corn between each two rows of grapes, which are 
eight feet apart, applying 250 pounds of finely ground 
bone per acre. Although the corn was planted just 
before the two weeks rain in May, it came up and 
started nicely. Then the drought set in, and we had 
no more rain until after the corn was cut and fed. 
The variety was HtowelPs Evergreen. We used all we 
wanted for family use, and sold $15 worth of the best, 
cut the remaining corn and fodder, beginning Septem¬ 
ber 1, run it through the feed cutter, a wagon-load at 
a time, cut it in inch lengths and fed it to 11 horses 
and cows. They ate everything, stalks and all, and it 
lasted 20 days. We returned the manure to the vine¬ 
yard October 1. 
After tlie corn had been cut, we took the single 
shovel plow with two hoi-ses, and plowed out the 
stubbles ; then cultivated it tlioroughly the opposite 
way and sowed to rye, which we will plow under in 
the spring. We are aware that The R. N.-Y. does not 
think much of rye to plow under ; yet we never found 
anything to take its place, with the same results in 
the .same time on our heavy clay loam. If it does not 
gather as much niti'ogen from the air as clover, it 
stores up the available plant food in the soil, ami 
holds it in readiness, so that when it is turned under, 
it is ready to be taken up by the standing crop. It 
makes the soil lighter, a condition so much needed in 
clay soils. We are trying Crimson clover this year, to 
take the place of the rye, but fear that it will not 
from present appearance. t. ». c. * son. 
Holliday's Cove, W. Va. 
MICHELS EARLY BERRIES THAT GOT ANGRY. 
GROWING FRUIT ON POOR SOU.. 
On page 729, T. W. H. says, “I am trying to find how 
Michel’s Early strawberry will do in hill culture. I 
am trying eight hills of this and Victor Hugo.” T. 
W. S. is fortunate in not having more than eight 
plants of Michel’s Early confined to hill culture, 
to which it is not adapted. Neither are any varieties 
that are great runners ; they 
should be grown in narrow, 
matted rows, and not be allowed 
to mat too thickly. Those of 
the cla.ss of Bubach, Wilson> 
Barker Earle, etc., that refuse to 
throw out runners freely, are 
more adapted to hill culture. 
By nipping the runners a few 
times as they appear, they seem 
to get discouraged and begin 
forming crowns or stools. This 
method of culture is practiced 
more where land is limited and 
high priced, and fancy berries 
are the main object. 
Home years ago, I started to 
grow some fine berries. Earline.ss 
being of great importance, I 
selected Michel’s Early as the va¬ 
riety. In this I would get the 
desired earliness, but it lacked in 
size and fine appearance. Ho I 
reasoned that by growing them 
in stools, I could overcome this 
deficiency. I succeeded in con¬ 
fining them to stools, but it was 
a ta.sk not soon forgotten. It 
was necessary to nip the runners 
twice a week at times. Nature 
made great struggles to have her 
course. I think that the plants 
went into winter quarters in 
a great rage, for no sooner had they awakened 
from their winter’s rest than they began to throw 
out runners in great numbers, and by picking 
time, the whole surface was covered with plants. 
The vines were a success, large and vigorous, but they 
forgot to form fruit buds. The berries were a success 
as a failure—few and far between, small but early. 
Weeds took pos.ses.sion of the patch after picking. 
The following spring, the rubbish was removed and 
chemicals applied ; the young plants gave a good 
yield of nice berries that sold for high prices. 
Home years ago I read a report describing Michel’s 
Early ; it was written by a “ professor.” He said that 
it is of no account at all ; it can’t be forced to produce 
40 bushels per acre, and what berries there are, 
are poor, worthless ti’ash. He even said that the 
man who humbugged the public with so worthless a 
thing, deserved punishment. This year, on an old 
patch, on land that would not produce 10 bushels of 
wheat per acre, it yielded for me at the rate of 124 
bushels per acre of choice berries ? When I say choice, 
I do not mean as large as hens’ eggs, but in marketing 
my third picking, I took with me a few quarts of Cres¬ 
cents and Warfields of my neighbor’s first picking. 
They were hard to sell at 12 cents per quart, while 
Michel’s Early sold readily at 1(5 cents. When my 
Michel’s Early were all marketed, and Crescent was 
at its best, the latter was a drug at four to five cents 
per quart. At two cents for picking, it will take .seven 
quarts of four-cent berries to equal one quart at 16 
cents. 
Now the point that I want to come to, is that of 
growing the Michel’s Early to perfection. My first 
experience with this berry taught me that an excess 
of nitrogen was not desirable ; that on such land it 
INHIDE A COLORADO POTATO DUGOJT. Fig. 218. 
