THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
2 I 
trength of growth from the effects of the commercial 
xertilizer could be seen. Now, when the wheat nearly 
covers the ground, the difference is still very plain. 
I wish, if possible, to grow wheat at a profit by in¬ 
creasing the number of bushels per acre, and I feel 
that it can be done if an application of commercial 
fertilizer rich in phosphoric acid and some potash, will 
balance the farm manures, so that the wheht will not 
lodge. I know of a rich field of bottom land on which 
the owner fears to grow clover in a short rotation on 
account of the wheat lodging. He seldom produces 
over 30 bushels of wheat per acre, but can reach 80 
bushels of corn. There certainly is some way to over¬ 
come this difficulty without impoverishing the land. 
This farmer has never tried commercial manures, be¬ 
lieving that they would be of no benefit, and the 
question remains open as to their effect. I would cer¬ 
tainly give the bag manures a trial to know what effect 
they would have. If my trial of the latter in connec¬ 
tion with barnyard manure is the success that it prom¬ 
ises to be, I shall continue my efforts in that direc¬ 
tion, and probably in time I can reach such high con¬ 
dition in the soil, that when the supplies of manure 
fail at the towns, I can keep the land up and improve 
it by the use of commercial manures without keeping 
the pocketbook empty to pay for them. If I can do 
this, it will do away with a part of the horse stock of 
the farm, and save much heavy labor. 
Ross County, O. JOHN M. jamison. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address 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 separate 
piece of paper.l 
A List of Apple Trees. 
.1. M., Spring Lake, N. Y. —I intend to set an apple 
orchard of five acres on a west side-hill, and set peach 
trees in the rows one way. What varieties and how 
many of each would it be advisable to set, setting 50 
trees to the acre ? 
Ans. —Ten Red Astrachan, 10 Oldenburg, 100 Bald¬ 
win, 10 Golden Russet, 10 Roxbury Russet, 20 Wag- 
ener. 50 Northern Spy, 20 Rhode Island Greening, 20 
King of Tompkins County. 
Are Fruit Wrapping Machines Practical ? 
W. McM ., Water down, Canada. —In The R. N.-Y. of 
Decembers, E. C. Gillett, in his reply to F. W. W., 
advises him to add an orange wrapping machine to 
his outfit, and to put up his fruit in fancy packages. 
I believe that he is right, and that all but the first 
grade should be sent to the evaporator. We have for 
some time been considering the advisability of wrap¬ 
ping our best fruit, and packing in small packages, 
but did not know there was a machine to do it before. 
Where are those machines manufactured, and where 
can one get paper in size suitable for wrapping pears, 
plums and peaches ? 
Ans. —We asked Frank B. Read, corner of Park 
Place and Washington Street, this city, an extensive 
dealer in fruit wrapping paper, about those wrapping 
machines. He says that so far they are not a success, 
and he doesn’t think that they will be. They are in 
use for wrapping oranges and lemons, but require so 
much attention that they are of no advantage. This 
is the testimony of this dealer. If any one has any¬ 
thing reliable to add, we shall be glad to hear it. But 
there is no question about the value of wrapping fancy 
fruit in paper, and putting it up in small, neat pack¬ 
ages. This can be done by hand if machine work is 
not satisfactory. Pears would be especially difficult 
to wrap by machinery. 
Chinese Lilies and Bulb Culture. 
J. G. K., Buckners, Ky. —7. How are Chinese sacred 
lilies propagated ? 2. Does bulb culture pay, and 
what varieties could I grow ? My soil is pretty dry, 
but works easily, and responds readily to applications 
of commercial fertilizers ; it contains no sand. 3. 
What varieties of bulbs are grown in America, and 
what are imported ? 
Ans. —1. The Chinese sacred lily or Joss flower, is a 
strong growing variety of the Polyanthus narcissus 
(N. tazetta) and is propagated commercially by off¬ 
sets, which are freely produced. These are separated 
from the parent bulb during the dormant season, and 
soon re-planted in rich, moist ground. None of the 
varieties of Narcissus tazetta is reliably hardy, except 
in the extreme South, as they have a great tendency 
to start vigorously in the fall and are then easily in¬ 
jured by frost. It requires careful culture and three 
to five years’ time to grow narcissus offsets into com¬ 
mercial blooming bulbs. From their centuries of ex¬ 
perience, the Chinese have evolved methods, unknown 
to us, by which they grow the sacred lilies to an 
enormous size, and a strength never equaled by the 
most skillful bulb cultivators of other parts of the 
world. 
2. Bulb culture undoubtedly pays those who under¬ 
stand the business, but it must be remembered that 
bulbs are not a staple crop, like most farm products. 
The market is limited, more or less capricious, and 
easily overstocked. The problem is not so much to 
grow the bulbs, as to sell them promptly and without 
costly personal solicitation of the dealers. Given, a 
good soil, the climate of Kentucky should favor the 
growth of a considerable variety of bulbous and tub¬ 
erous rooted plants among which cannas, dahlias, 
gladioli, montbretias, pancratiums. tigridias, tuberoses 
and zephyranthes would be likely the most important 
and successful. A soil containing a considerable pro- 
portion of sand is most congenial to bulbs. Chemical 
fertilizers have not as yet been used with much suc¬ 
cess in their culture. Fine, old cow manure has proved 
the most reliable fertilizer for them, but, with many 
varieties, even it must be applied the previous year, 
and some hoed crop then grown on the land in order 
to clean it of the most troublesome weeds. 
3. The bulbs and tubers named above, with the 
addition of callas, caladiums, freesias and some spec¬ 
ies of amaryllis and lilies, are commercially grown in 
this country. Gladioli and tuberoses are produced 
here so plentifully as almost entirely to displace the 
imported article, and are shipped abroad to a consid¬ 
erable extent. The production of the other varieties 
does not yet meet the home demand. What are known 
as Dutch and Cape bulbs, such as hyacinths, tulips, 
narcissi, crocuses, etc., are imported from Holland and 
the British Channel Islands, where their production 
has become an important industry, and lias been 
brought to great perfection. Roman hyacinths come 
chiefly from the south of France, and lilies of the 
valley from Germany. Most varieties of lilies and 
some irises, are imported from Japan. Of late some 
attempts have been made to grow narcissi, tulips, 
Roman hyacinths, etc., in North Carolina and some 
parts of the West, but the commercial success of the 
experiments has not yet been demonstrated. A few 
individuals are successful in growing brodiaes, calo- 
chorti, native lilies and other Rocky Mountain bulbs, 
in northern California. w. van fleet. 
Some Nuts for Michigan. 
./. A., Derby, Mich. —I am desirous of setting out a 
small grove of nuts, and would like The R. N.-Y.’s ad¬ 
vice. The English walnut thrives here ; is there more 
than one variety ? If so, which is the best for early 
bearing, quality ami hardiness? 1 shall set some Para- 
son chestnuts, and would like some pecans. What kind 
are best for this locality ? 
Ans. —There are two varieties of the English wal¬ 
nut, the tall-growing and the dwarf variety ; the 
dwarf variety bears while quite young, and both may 
be recommended in a locality where peaches can be 
grown successfully. We are growing pecans from 
seed, and find them hardy during fine seasons. They 
are from the largest southern seed. Charles Wright, 
Seaford, Del., offers the Stuart, Mexican anti Van 
Deman. Try the Ridgely chestnut. 
More About Japan Plums. 
W. G. R., Syracuse, N. Y. —1. I am much interested 
in Japan plums. I am intending to set more plum 
trees in the spring, and would like to know how they 
are superior to, or they differ from our older kinds. 
2. How may the clematis be propagated ? 
Ans. —1. There are many kinds of older plums just as 
good in quality, and better. But they seem to be 
more liable to disease. The Japan plums come into 
bearing sooner ; are fully as productive and seem, 
thus far, to resist the curculio better. It is, perhaps, 
too early yet to speak positively as to their compara¬ 
tive merits. 2. The clematis is best propagated by 
grafting. Of course the slow process of layering may 
be resorted to. 
Grafting Pears and Apples. 
H. M. G., Plum, Pa. —1. I wish to graft some pears 
that are doing well in this vicinity. Can I graft them 
on apple stocks, set deep, and root above the union ? 
Can I graft them on thorn apple, I mean the wild 
thorn, and make it a success? Or what else can I 
graft on ? 2. Can I graft tame plums on the wild 
stock ? 
Ans. —1. Yes, pears can be grafted on apple stock, 
but the union will be weakly and the scions die in a 
few years. 2. Yes. 
How to Feed Potatoes to Stock. 
J. ./. M ., Cory, Ind. —What is the best way to feed 
potatoes to stock ? What is best to feed with them to 
make a balanced ration ? What is the best stock to 
which to feed them ? 
Ans. —We have printed the analysis of potatoes sev¬ 
eral times. They are of low feeding value for their 
weight and bulk, and supply mostly fat-formers. Ex¬ 
cept in very small quantities, they should never be 
fed raw. They contain a large amount of starch which 
should be cooked before feeding, or it will swell in 
the stomach and cause colic and indigestion. Boiled 
or baked potatoes are excellent for horses, cattle, pigs, 
or poultry. If fed in large quantities, they should be 
mixed with cut hay or straw, as otherwise they form 
a pasty and uncomfortable mass. If we had any 
quantity of potatoes to feed, we would cook them and 
feed to hogs with bran or, if possible, meat and cut 
bone. It is not often that potatoes can be fed to stock 
with profit. 
What About the “ Butter Accumulator. " 
H. S., Edgerton, 0. —Will you tell us about the butter 
accumulator advertised in The R. N.-Y. ? We need 
some kind of hand separator, and think that the accu¬ 
mulator would be just the one, if everything is as 
represented. 
Ans. —We have seen the “ accumulator ” work on 
several occasions, and it always gave good satisfac¬ 
tion. It took practically all the butter fat out of the 
milk and dropped it in a tub in the form of grains 
about the size of wheat. It also works well as a 
separator alone. While it was run by experts at these 
trials, we see no reason why farmers with fair mechani¬ 
cal skill, may not run it as well. Of course, this ma¬ 
chine makes sweet-cream butter only. Its advantage 
is that it not only, like the separator, dispenses with 
the use of all devices for raising cream, but with all 
churning as well. There is no doubt that the whole 
work of taking the butter fat (not cream alone) out of 
milk, is performed at one operation by the “ accumu¬ 
lator.” The butter, however, is not “ ripened ” anti 
may not suit all tastes. 
How to Feed Young Breeding Pigs. 
P. D., Ronlumla/ma, L. I. —1. How shall I feed young 
sows of about eight months so that they will take the 
boar ? I have two sows of this age, but they do not 
come in heat. I feed them with bran, corn meal, 
white bag meal, equal parts, and apples. They look 
very fat. 2. How shall I feed a young boar to get 
him ready for service at about seven months old ? 
Ans. —Your hogs are evidently too fat, and they 
probably also lack exercise. There need be no differ¬ 
ence in the feeding of the sows and boar. Young hogs 
for breeding should receive only enough grain to keep 
them in good growing condition, not fat. They should 
also have plenty of exercise. Turn the sows and boar 
together, and give them the run of a yard or small 
field for exercise. Of course, they should have a com¬ 
fortable bed to which they can go when they wish. 
Reduce the grain ration, especially the meal, feeding 
only enough to keep them growing. In the present 
case, it would be well to reduce the feed, until the 
pigs fall off somewhat in flesh. The milk and soaked 
bran, with a little meal, make an excellent ration for 
pigs, much better than the one you are now feeding. 
F. I.. K. 
Food Founder in a Cow. 
G. G. G., Vail, N. J. —I have a cow that has been 
my pride—the best in my dairy. Last .January, she 
got access to the feed bin anti was foundered badly 
enough to suspend completely the flow of milk for two 
days, after which she gradually increased her flow 
until she gave as much as before and did well the past 
summer. She dropped her calf September 3, but did 
not do as well as she had done before when fresh. 1. 
Did the founder of last winter cause her to give less ? 
November 7, she got too many apples, and was so 
badly foundered that she could not be made to stand 
for a day, and was completely dried up. Now, more 
than a month afterward, she gave but five quarts a 
day when she ought to have given 20 quarts. 2. Is her 
digestion ruined by those two founders ? Will she 
ever amount to anything again ? What would be the 
best management for her ? 
Ans. —1. The founder of last winter may, or may 
not, have been the cause of the shrinkage in her milk. 
If chronic indigestion or other trouble resulted from 
the overdose of grain, it was probably the cause. But 
if the cow entirely recovered from the attack, we 
would have to look elsewhere for the cause. 2. Her 
digestion may have been temporarily impaired by the 
founder, but it is not ruined. The flow of milk is 
liable not to return this season ; but it will probably 
improve next season, if she have no further mishaps. 
You cannot expect her to return to her full capacity, 
however. No change will be necessary in the man¬ 
agement of the cow, further than to avoid future 
similar accidents. If she is not as thrifty as before, 
the following powders will improve her digestion : 
Sulphate of soda and powdered gentian, of each one 
pound ; sulphate of iron and powdered nux vomica, of 
each one-fourth pound ; mix. Give two or thJ’ee 
tablespoonfuls on the feed twice daily. 
F. L. KILBORNE. 
N 
