426 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
.Tune 22 
A Mulch for Strawberries. 
M. F. T., Rio Vista, Va. —It’s the same 
old story every year ; with some it’s too 
much trouble and expense. I saw, the 
past season, fine strawberries sold for 
75 cents per crate, and they were hard 
to sell at that, because they were dirty; 
had they been clean, they would have 
sold readily for $2 per crate. Estimating 
the crop at 100 crates per acre, which is 
small enough, we find a loss of $125 per 
acre, just for the sake of saving, say, 
$10 per acre for applying the mulch. 
Besides, by mulching we keep the land 
moist during a drought, and it will be a 
poor year when mulching does not in¬ 
crease the crop 25 bushels per acre. 
Growing strawberries without a mulch 
to keep them clean, I claim, does not pay. 
" Frostproof Strawberries.” 
C. E. Chapman, Tompkins County, N. 
Y.—As 1 can see the “ remains” of what 
would have been $200 worth of straw¬ 
berries, from my window, this question 
naturally interests me. The best and 
most efficient thing 1 have tried, is apply¬ 
ing a heavy mulch of swale hay during 
winter, and leaving it on as long as 1 
dared ; then stirring it, and taking off 
some until the plants could grow through. 
This will prove as destructive as frost 
if left on too thick and too long. The 
plants can be kept back five to ten days 
by this method, and some seasons this 
would save them. Some plants covered 
with quilts, seemed to be injured, both 
by the frost and the covering—but it 
was more than a frost ; it was a freeze. 
A friend covered a small bed two quilts 
deep and they were all killed. Some near 
by were injured but little, although not 
covered at all. I think the age of the 
blossom had something to do with their 
susceptibility. Some covered with ves¬ 
sels which set down close and snug to 
the surface, proved worse than none. 
Covering must admit air. 
Among varieties, the long fruit stalks 
and large blossoms prove fatal. Sharp- 
less are about all ruined. Bubach suf¬ 
fered next. Timbrell and some trial 
seedlings are one-half killed. The Michel’s 
Early, Crescent and Parker Earle set so 
many blossoms that the thinning may 
be a benefit. Of Warfield, hardly any 
were lost. The smaller varieties that 
give a large number of runners, seem to 
stand frost best. I think that the Cres¬ 
cents are developing more buds, and 
with the Michel’s Early, have been in 
blossom three weeks. There are enough 
of both kinds in blossom now, June 1, 
for a fair yield. The very late varieties 
have never proved more than a few days 
later than the early ones, and are not 
Of Interest to Teachers and Their Friends. 
On account of the National Educa¬ 
tional Association Meeting, at Denver, 
Col., July 5-12, exceptionally low rates 
have been made, not only to Denver, 
Colorado Springs, Manitou and Pueblo, 
but to all points of scenic attraction in 
Colorado, Utah, and to Pacific Coast 
points, including Salt Lake, Ogden, Yel¬ 
lowstone National Park, California and 
Alaska. The Chicago and Northwestern 
and Union I’acific Railways, forming the 
Chicago, Union Pacific and Northwestern 
Line, oiler advantages which no other 
route, or combination of routes is able 
to do. With a view' to enhancing the in¬ 
terest of the trip, and reducing it to the 
lowest possible cost, various parties are 
being formed here and there throughout 
the Middle and Eastern States, under 
the management of officially appointed 
Directors, whose object is to secure for 
the teachers and their friends an attract¬ 
ive outing at the lowest cost. For in¬ 
teresting details write to C. W. Bardeen, 
Syracuse, N. Y.; Chas. W. Cole, Supt., 
Albany, N. Y.; R. Tenbroeck, 287 Broad¬ 
way, N. Y.; II. A. Gross, 423 Broadway, 
N. Y.—Adv. 
nearly so productive. I would plant 
varieties with short fruit stalks, of vigor¬ 
ous growth, grow in thick, matted row's, 
and mulch heavily. Where I have these 
conditions, I shall get a good yield in 
spite of the frost. I have never tried 
water, but one grower sprayed a section 
of his bed with warmed w r ater at dusk. 
He drew it in a thrashing machine tank, 
and applied it with a force pump. He 
claims that it was a success. 
More “ Frostproof Strawberries.” 
G. C., Muncie, Ind. —I have tested all 
prominent varieties of strawberries that 
have appeared since Ilovey’s Seedling, 
and have found none so well able to re¬ 
sist frost when flowering, or perfect a 
crop in frosty seasons, as Green Prolific, 
Champion (or Windsor Chief) and Ken¬ 
tucky. Of newer varieties, I find that 
Ilaverland has produced more perfect 
berries this season than any other, which 
greatly surprised me, as 1 have hereto¬ 
fore regarded it, on account of its early 
flowering, as being very susceptible to 
the effects of frost. 
Governing the Tread-Power. 
C. T. S., New t York. —In using the St. 
Albans one-horse tread-power, called the 
Baby, we have the pow’er regulated for 
running the separator. When we wish 
to churn or run the washing machine at 
the same time, by hanging a small weight 
on the end of the brake lever, we in¬ 
crease the speed and power sufficiently 
for the other machine, adding to the 
weight as necessary, to keep up the re¬ 
quired motion. This is much less trouble 
than to regulate the governor every 
time, and makes a steadier motion, which 
is very important. 
“Barns Without Beams.” 
W. L., Ridgeland, N. Y.—If any one 
wishes to build a barn without beams, 
why not build an octagon barn ? The 
roof is supported by eight main rafters, 
to which the purlin plates are fastened 
on the under side by means of bolts. 
This will make a roof that cannot settle, 
and dispenses altogether with tie beams, 
purlin posts, and all interior frame work. 
This plan will also give much more space 
for the amount of material used than 
any other, and will offer less resistance 
to the wind than an oblong barn. To 
be complete, there should be a basement 
stable in which the cattle stand in a cir¬ 
cular row facing toward the center, mak¬ 
ing it more convenient to feed and care 
for them than by any other arrange¬ 
ment. This plan may be made of any 
size to suit the requirements of the 
owner, but the best size for most pur¬ 
poses has each side 20 feet wide, and 
posts 20 feet high. 
" Stone Meal " a Fraud. 
J. F. Sarg, Hkssenhof, Germany.— 
On page 301 of The R. N.-Y., I note an 
allusion to the stone meal discovered ” 
by a so-called German chemist, and the 
lenient manner in which The R. N.-Y. 
wards off the discoverer's pretensions. 1 
wish to put in a word of warning, as we 
have fought this fraud for years. Rust, 
mildew and the potato beetle would 
seem minor calamities when compared 
with the harm worked on the farmer’s 
purse by the insidious wiles of the dis¬ 
coverer of stone meal. Our agricultural 
societies, Masters of Granges, and gov¬ 
ernment offices for chemical analysis, 
have publicly exposed, in word and 
print, the absurdity of the discoverer’s 
claims, and the fraudulent price de¬ 
manded for the stone meal ; yet all these 
efforts combined have not been able to 
stop the sale of this worthless trash to a 
class of small farmers least able to en¬ 
dure being robbed, but who—professing 
a supreme disdain for all serious instruc¬ 
tion—are readily caught by the absurdest 
nonsense if offered in a bombastic style 
flattering their ignorance and prejudice. 
Operations are generally commenced by 
sending out samples which invariably 
have been doctored with a certain amount 
of commercial fertilizers, so as to give a 
fair showing, if analyzed or put to prac¬ 
tical test. The R. N.-Y. will never have 
made a better fight in the interest of 
American farmers, than when it sits 
upon the stone meal crook and crushes 
him, before he can get into shape to do 
much harm. I mail you one of the latest 
warnings emitted by the government 
analytic office at Karlsruhe; from the 
list of stone meal samples analyzed there, 
I shall pick but one to reproduce for the 
benefit of your readers : Mineral ferti¬ 
lizer No. 8 proved to contain twenty- 
three hundredths part of one per cent of 
phosphoric acid, and sixty-three hun¬ 
dredths part of one per cent of potash ; 
it is listed by the manufacturer at $25 a 
ton, while the ascertained value was 30 
cents per ton. 
$U£ccltHnmt£ pUvcrtteinjb 
IN writing to advertisers, please always mention 
Thk Bubal New-yokkkr. 
How is Your Blood ? 
If it is poor and thin and lacking in the 
number and quality of those red corpus¬ 
cles, you are in danger of sickness from 
disease germs and the enervatiug effect of 
warm weather. Purify your blood with 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
The great blood purifier which has 
proved its merit by a record of cures un¬ 
equaled in medical history. With pure, 
rich blood you will be well and strong. 
Do not neglect this important matter, 
but take Hood’s Sarsaparilla now. 
Hrmd’c Exilic are tasteless, mild effective. 
I1UUU » * All druggists. 25c. 
T hree crimson ramblers, 
The greatest Rose novelty offered in years. 
By mail postpaid. Plant now. 
ELLWANGER & BARRY, Mt, Hope Niirsenes, RucRester, N. Y, 
C ABBAGE PLANTS—Extra fine, best varieties. 
600 in basket, $1; 1,000. $1.50; 5.000 and over, $1 per 
1,000. Tillinghast Bros., La Plume, Lack’a Co., I’a. 
Cabbage Plants, 
Celery Plants. 
Well-grown, stocky plants, at very low prices. Write 
for prices on quantities and varieties desired. 
JOS. HARRIS CO., Moreton Farm (P. O.), N. Y. 
CRIMSON 
CLOVER 
THOMAS McKLROY, European 
Seed Commission Merchant. Mercan¬ 
tile Exchange Building. Harrison St., 
N. Y. The largest importer of Crimson 
Clover in the U. S. Write for price. To Dealers Only. 
f tR'MSQN (Hover. 
The Farmers’ New Ally. Special circular free 
SLAYMAKER & SON, Hover, Delaware. 
3 GREATEST THINGS IN AGRICULTURE. 
Crimson Clover, Cow Peas and Winter 
Oats. Send for new descriptive catalogue 
before purchasing seed. A. N. BROWN, Grower 
and Healer, Wyoming, Kent County, Uel. 
PDlMCnW PI nvcn Grow e r and Shipper of 
unllTIOUII U LU V LM Crimson Clover Seed and 
Winter Oats. JOHN UEYD, Felton. Del. 
Crimson Clover Seed has visited my 
farm and knows that my seed is pure and fresh. My 
clover is better than ever this year. 
E. H. BANCROFT, Camden, Del. 
GRIMSON GLOVERU'Ur; “ 
grown Crimson Clover Seed in the United States, 
is JOSEPH E. HOLLAND. Grower and Jobber, Mil¬ 
ford, Del. Write for prices. 
Crimson Clover c 1Z OF 
Place orders NOW for choice pedigree seed of my 
own growing. Guaranteed free from weeds. Ready 
July 1. Market price. Catalogue free. 
E. G. PACKARD, Seed Grower, Dover, Del. 
Leggett’sParis-Green or Powder Gun 
No plaster or water required. From M pound to one 
pound of Green per acre is 
sufficient for potatoes and 
other vegetables. Ten acres 
covered per day. THE GUN 
will distribute evenly any 
quantity you wish. LONG 
TUBES for ORCHARD WORK 
with each Gun. Easier and 
better than spraying. 
Leggett's Fungiruid, a powdered Bordeaux Mixture, 
prevents Blight. Also, Paris-green and Fungiroid 
Compound kills Insects and prevents Blight in one 
operation. Circular on Application, 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 301 Pearl St.. New York. 
WILL KILL THE PESTS. 
W. & B. DOUGLAS, 
MIDDLETOWN CT. 
N. V. CITY. CHICAGO 
Send 
for 
our 
valu¬ 
able 
cata¬ 
logue. 
Free 
ONE-HORSE DOUBLE ROW 
PARIS-GREEN 
AND 
FERTI¬ 
LIZER 
DISTRIBUTOR. Send for Circular. 
Address J. W. SPANGLER, York, Pa. 
New York State Fair, 
SYRACUSE, AUGUST 2G-31, 1895. 
New Buildings. Grounds Improved. Railroad Facil¬ 
ities Unsurpassed. Daily Dairy Institutes. 
Grand Trotting and Bicycle Races. 
Great Attractions. 
$25,000 IN PREMIUMS. 
For Prize List and other information, address 
JAS. B. HOCHARTY, Sec’y, Albany, N. Y. 
Timely Books. 
First Lessons in Agriculture. 
By F. A. Gulley, M. S. This book discusses the 
more important principles which underlie agri¬ 
culture in a plain, simple way. It is just what 
the practical farmer, without a knowledge of 
chemistry or botany needs. Cloth, $1. I I 
Canning and Preserving Fruits and 
Vegetables, and Preparing Fruit 
Pastes and Syrups. 
The experience of practical workers. The best 
methods by which the surplus fruits may well be 
saved for home use and for the large market de¬ 
mand. Hundreds of tested recipes from famous 
preservers. Also a chapter on evaporation of 
fruits. Paper, 20 cents. 
Practical Farm Chemistry 
T. Greiner. This is intended for the prac¬ 
tical farmer who is not a chemist, and is writ¬ 
ten in terms that he can understand, although 
all its statements are based upon true scien¬ 
tific principles. It treats of the raw materials 
of plant food, both organic and mineral; the 
available sources of supply of both manures 
and chemical fertilizers; and gives the prin¬ 
ciples of economical application, as well as 
discussing clover and other plants used as 
fertilizers. It is condensed, yet comprehensive, 
and easily understood. Cloth, $1, postpaid. 
SPRAYING CROPS: Why, 
When and How to Do It —By Prof. Clar¬ 
ence M. Weed. Illustrated. 
This little hook tells in plain, understandable 
English, just what the ordinary farmer and fruit 
grower most needs to know. It describes all the 
insecticides and fungicides used in spraying; all 
the principal appliances used ; tells when to 
spray; what precautions to observe ; describes 
the insects and fungi against which it is neces¬ 
sary to guard; in fact, is a complete, condensed, 
convenient handbook on the whole subject. Price, 
in stiff paper covers, is but 25 cents, postpaid. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets. New York. 
Crimson Clover 
The best pasture crop you could possibly sow.L 
Best for the cattle—Best for the soil. But youH 
must have the best seed. This is one of the special- ■ 
ties for which we are famous. Get prices at once. ■ 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moorestown j N ±! Lg 
A FULL 
CKOt* OF 
STRAWBERRIES 
next Season from our 
Pot-grown Plants. 
2,000,000 Celery Plants. 
1,000,000 Cabbage Plants. 
Plants and Vines of every de¬ 
scription and variety. All grown 
under my own supervision. 
Send for handsome new descriptive summer list, now ready, mailed free. 
T J DWYER. CORNWALL, N. Y. 
LJ11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111II111 M 11 i > 
We have a Fine Stock of all kinds of Trees and Plants. 
I PEACH, PEAR, and PLUM TREES I 
AT LOWEST PRICES FOR BEST STOCK. 
Send for Beautifully Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue. s 
I JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., HICHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY. I 
fillllUllillllllllUlllllllllllllllllllllJIIUllllUIIII'lllllUllllllUllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllIllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllf. 
