THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
69 
be 2x10 plank, lying flat, for girts. Begin at the 
bottom and place the first 18 inches above the sill, the 
second, 20 inches higher, increasing as you go up, two 
inches. This may be done, as the higher up in the 
silo the less the pressure. After the girts are in, 
board with planed boards on each side two thicknesses, 
with waterproof paper between the boards. Be sure 
that you break joints when putting on the second 
layer of boards, as it is strictly necessary that the silo 
should be air-tight. • 6. Not necessarily ; build as high 
as you will need to fill, or as high as the plates of the 
barn. I have put silos in barns the size above men' 
tioned, and for the outside walls I used 2x10 plank for 
girts, cutting between the posts of the barn and pxxt- 
ting the girts out to the boards on the barn. Double 
board inside with planed boards with paper between 
the boards. The only objection to a rectangular silo 
of the capacity of these, is the corners. Pains must be 
taken in filling to keep the corners well tramped. Silos 
outside of barns, I build octagonal. I can build them 
stronger and at less cost. The girts will be shorter 
and narrower. I put on a gable roof. c. M. busk. 
Broome County, N. Y. 
What Corn for Connecticut ? 
C. M. N., Watertown, Conn. —What variety of field corn would 
The R. N.-Y. recommend for central and northern Connecticut ? 
Where can seed probably be found ? 
Ans.— If a flint is preferred, the Longfellow will 
probably give as good satisfaction as any we know. 
If a dent, we would try Pride of the North or, what is 
claimed to be a decided improvement upon it, Waterloo 
Extra Early dent. The latter is offered by W. Atlee 
Burpee & Co. ; the others by any seedsman. A report 
of The R. N.-Y.’s trial of the Waterloo was made in 
The It. N.-Y. of January 12, 1895, page 19. 
A Katydid that Did No Mischief. 
A. C. L., Blooming Grove, Ind. —I send a short piece of grape 
vine with something attached. What are they and what damage, 
if any, do they do ? 
A NS. —In the upper part of Fig. 24 is shown, natural 
size, the piece of grape vine sent by A. C. L. The 
curious, elongate-oval, fiat, brown, over-lapping 
objects, are the eggs of an insect. They are among 
the largest of insect eggs, and were doubtless laid by 
the same kind of an insect as that I have represented 
resting on a leaf in the figure, natural size. It is the 
true Katydid (Cyrtophyllus concavus), the one whose 
song suggested the popular name. The song of the 
the Katydids is known to every lover of Nature that 
lives in the country, but the insects themselves are 
much less familiar. Only the careful and patient 
observer succeeds in tracing the well-known and oft- 
repeated ‘'Katydid, Katydid,” or “ Katy-she-did” to 
its source. The successful ones are rewarded by the 
sight of a beautiful insect. The Katydids, of which 
there are in the United States at least a dozen differ¬ 
ent kinds, are large, green grasshoppers with broad, 
leaf-like wing covers and long, delicate antennae or 
“ feelers.” They differ from the meadow grasshoppers 
in that they live in trees. They are protected from 
observation by the color and shape of their wing 
covers, which resemble the leaves of trees. Although 
they feed upon the foliage of the trees which they 
inhabit, it is rare that they are sufficiently abundant 
to be of economic importance They are sometimes 
injurious in Florida, where they infest orange trees. 
M. Y. SLINGERLAND. 
Do Sprayed Apples Live Longer ? 
A. L. J., Canada.— Wliat effect does spraying have on the keep¬ 
ing quality of apples ? 
Ans. —In Bulletin No. 60 of the Cornell Experiment 
Station, Mr. Lodeman has shown that in some cases 
several applications of the Bordeaux Mixture increased 
the size of the sprayed apples. This was especially 
noticeable in the case of Fall Pippins and Maiden’s 
Blush. lie also concludes from his experiments that 
“the use of fungicides may intensify the color of 
apples.” But few can now doubt that apple scab and 
the Codling moth, the two worst enemies of the apple 
grower, can be greatly checked by the use of fungi¬ 
cides and insecticides. Thus with a larger, better 
colored, healthier apple as a result of spraying, can 
we not reasonably expect such an apple to keep longer 
after it is picked, than a stunted, diseased one ? Mr. 
Lodeman x*ecords an experiment in the bulletin refer¬ 
red to, from which he concludes that “the keeping 
qualities of Fall Pippin and Maiden’s Blush apples, 
were apparently greatly augmented by the applica¬ 
tions of Bordeaux Mixture, which were made to re¬ 
duce injury from scab.” Doubtless other horticul¬ 
turists have recorded similar, or, perhaps, adverse, 
experiments, but I do not now remember to have seen 
any others. It seems to me safe to conclude that 
proper applications of fungicides and insecticides, will 
affect the keeping quality of apples, and increase 
rather than decrease it. A healthy apple cannot help 
keeping longer than a diseased one, under the same 
conditions. m. y. s. 
A Strawberry Insect Pest. 
P. M., Afton , Mo. —For a number of years, in the months of 
April and May, a blaek, shiny bug, about one-eighth of an inch 
long, ruins my newly set strawberry plants. Sometimes as many 
as three or four of these bugs are found sticking in the heart of 
the plant. When it is nice, warm, sunshiny weather, they may be 
seen flying over the patch. I manure heavily with old, rotten 
stable manure, sometimes in the fall, sometimes during the winter 
before planting. What remedy would you suggest for the destruc¬ 
tion of this pest ? Would it not be advisable to dijx the plants in 
Paris-green water before planting ? 
Ans. —We guess that this insect is the Strawberry 
weevil—Anthonomous musculus. It attacks the buds 
and blossoms, even before the blossoms have opened. 
The best remedy so far suggested, is hellebore. Use 
an ounce of white hellebore to two gallons of water, 
and spray the vines. The Paris-green remedy you 
mention would be of no value. 
A Tree Agent's Inverted Cuttings. 
J. M. If., Sycamore, Ind .—In fruit propagation, what is meant 
by inverted cuttings ? An agent is working this territory, selling 
plants at fancy prices on claims of vast superiority from having 
been grown by this process. Although the term is somewhat 
familiar, I fail to find it used in any work I have on the propaga¬ 
tion of plants. It strikes me that the process is none other than 
that of layering, and the term a misleading one. 
Ans. —This “inverted cuttings” theory for selling 
stock, is new to me. If, however, there is anything that 
a tree agent will not get up to help him to make sales, 
I do not know it. All I know of “inverted cuttings” is 
that we usually tie our cuttings in bunches of about 50, 
and even the lower end ; then put them down in the 
earth, bottom end up, and cover with three or four 
inches of soil. This causes them to callous over some, 
and they are more liable to live. I do not think they 
make any better plants than those raised without cal¬ 
lousing, only we are more liable to get a larger per 
cent of the cuttings to take root. A cutting, of course, 
could not be planted out bottom end up ; it is only in 
this process of callousing before planting out that the 
inverting comes in. Many times these cuttings are 
put in cold frames, and a sash is put over them. The 
earth is kept moist, and the heat on the soil and 
butt ends of the invei'ted cuttings causes them to cal¬ 
lous ahead of the spx’outs at the top end which ai - e 
farthest from the heat. Many times small l'oots will 
start out before the cuttings are planted out. This 
makes the cutting make a better growth than if noth¬ 
ing of the kind was done. . EDWIN HOYT. 
Lost Value of An Old Bank Note. 
C. E. G., Lisbon, Mich .—I have a $10 bank note issued by the State 
Bank of Trenton, N. J., May 10, 1822. The signatures of the presi¬ 
dent and cashier are plain; in fact, all the printing and writing 
are perfectly legible and the bill is in every way in a good state of 
preservation except that in two folds it is partly worn in two. 
Would it be redeemable for its face value ? Or has it more value 
on accounnt of its age ? Where would I be able to sell it, provided 
I so desired ? 
Ans. —The State Treasurer of New Jersey sends xis 
this l'eply. The next question is, who has l'eeeived 
this value, and where has it gone? “The State 
Bank of Trenton, N. J., has be,;n out of existence for 
about 40 yeai*s, and the $10 note has no value historic¬ 
ally or otherwise.” geo. b. swain. 
The Light and Potato Sprouts. 
J. Q., Smitliport, Pa .—Does the light have anything to do with 
causing potatoes to turn yellow after being put in the cellar, or is 
it the wind alone that, is accountable for it ? 
Ans. —Yes, indeed, the light has all to do with it. 
Keep them in the dark until you wish them to sprout— 
in the spring. 
Too Fat to Lay ; No Exercise—No Eggs. 
A. II., GallupvUle, xV. 7 .—About four weeks ago, I fed my hens, 
through mistake, a considerable quantity of salt meat, enough 
undoubtedly to have killed them, if given at one time. They were 
laying at the time, but have not laid since. They are fat (not 
overfat) and in good condition. I killed one a short time ago, and 
found in the egg sack, a number of partly formed eggs that looked 
as though they would have been laid in a few days ; but one was 
a soft, shapeless mass, and looked as though it had been churned. 
There were some smaller eggs in the same condition. Is this con¬ 
dition due to the action of the salt ? If so, will they ever recover ? 
Would you suggest a remedy, or would I better kill them for mar¬ 
ket? I am feeding a mash scalded, but not sloppy, composed of 
bran, one part ; oats, one part; buckwheat, one part, ground, in 
the morning. Oats and buckwheat at noon, and ear corn at 
night. They have lime in the form of crushed oyster shells, and 
clover hay, ground meat and crushed bone, skim-milk and vege¬ 
tables—turnips, carrots, cabbage and beets. 
Ans. —Salt is very injurious, as the hens cannot take 
on sufficient water to counteract its influence as rap¬ 
idly as the salt draws the water from the body. The 
cause of the hens not laying, however, is due to over¬ 
feeding. There may be a large number of embryo 
eggs, but the fat obstructs the generative organs, and 
they will not develop. Your variety of food is excel¬ 
lent. but the hens need exei’cise. The remedy for 
such hens is to scatter a gill of millet seed in litter, 
and make them scratch al l day for it, giving only a 
meal at nig'ht, consisting of a pound of lean meat for 
20 hens, for two weeks, then feed a variety again, but 
of less amount. p. n. Jacobs. 
Setting a Small Lot to Fruits. 
W. A. K., Franklin, Pa .—I have a lot, 100 by 150 feet, which I 
wish to set to plum trees. 1. Which are the best varieties for 
northwest Pennsylvania? 2. IIow far apart should they be set? 
3. Will raspberries do well between the rows which will run south¬ 
east and northwest! 4. When will be the best time to set them, in 
the spring or fall ? The held is in sod now. Would it be best to 
break it up and plant potatoes, and put the trees in this fall ? 
Ans. —1 and 2. About 15 feet apart. We would 
select Jefferson, Lombard, Prince’s Yellow Gage, and 
try some of the Japans—Abundance and Burbank for 
example. 3. Yes, if not planted too close. 4. Yes, 
we would bx-eak it up and raise potatoes before setting 
the raspberries in the fall. 
URPEE'S 
FARM ANNUAL for 1895 
“The Tending American Seed Catalogue." 
A handsome book ot 174 pages with many new features 
for 1895 —hundreds of illustrations, pictures painted from 
nature—it tells all about the BEST SEEDS that grow, including rare novelties that cannot be had 
elsewhere. Any seed planter is welcome to a copy FREE. .Send your address lo<luy on a postal. 
W. ATLEE BURPEE &, CO..Seed Growers, PHILADELPHIA. 
FRUIT and ORNAMENTAL 
Shrubs, Grapes, Small Fruits. 
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FOR SPRING PLANTING. Largest and choicest Collectums in America. 
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Beautifully Illustrated with Hundreds of Cuts. 
2^“ VVe Mail it FREE. JgJ) 
J.M.THORBURN &Co.l5 JOHN ST.NewYork 
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TEbTED 
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THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., Box 22 Painesville, 0. 
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POMONA NURSERIES, - - - WM PARRY, Parry N J. 
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I ASPARAQUS fKS.S. R J£SI 
= m - m ATM.' MITT* SlPITPT A TTITTW = 
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We have all kinds of stock to be found in a First-class Nursery. 
§ JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., Village Nurseries, HICHTSTOWN, N. J. I 
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