1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
489 
I once had a newly cleared piece of low land into 
which the bulrushes began to grow, and which was 
thought little of for two seasons as it was in pasture. 
Noticing that these were making considerable growth, 
I concluded to see whether I could get rid of them 
without too much expense. I run my subsoil plow 
through the piece about 1 to 1)4 foot apart the way 
the water naturally runs, and about H) to 12 inches 
deep. Soon 1 began to see the bulrushes droop and 
a dose of the same the following year made the work 
complete. For 15 years, there have been no bul¬ 
rushes, but an abundance of good pasture. This plow 
was so arranged that it left only the mark of the 
shank through the sod, and the grass was much im¬ 
proved. H. A. W. 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. 
THE HOGS HARVEST THE RYE 
EYE-BBKD PORK BEATS A THRASHER. 
Reasons for a New Practice. 
I like everything about the rye crop till it comes to 
harvesting it for grain. Then—excuse me ! On my 
clay soil, it does not pay to cut and thrash the crop. 
The land needs the humus that the great bulk of 
straw will give if left to decay on the ground. Fall 
and winter pasture may be had from rye in abundance 
if it be sown and started early. If sown in corn at 
the last plowing or a little later, there is risk from 
loss on account of drought ; but it often pays to take 
the risk. I once sowed it the middle of August on 
wheat stubble broken and prepared as soon as pos¬ 
sible after harvest ; I sowed clover seed at the same 
time, and secured an excellent stand ; the rye protec¬ 
tion carried it safely over winter. 
I would not undertake to cut it for hay, for it would 
need to be cut at a stage at which the stock will not 
eat it if they can get any other food. It was formerly 
the custom on this farm, to harvest a seed supply, 
and, when thrashing, to hold the top of the sheaf in 
the cylinder till the grain was beaten out ; then save 
the sheaf intact, store in the mow, and use by cutting 
short for chop feed. For this purpose, it had the 
advantage of other straw—wheat or oats. It was 
always bright, or could be kept so with so much less 
care than the others. My plan to make the most of it 
and not harvest a straw, is as follows : If the weather 
is favorable, I sow early in the corn before cutting. 
If not, I sow after the corn is in shock, in which case 
I do not expect much winter pasture, or such a vol¬ 
ume. of spring pasture as I would from early fall sow¬ 
ing. The more care taken in seeding, the better the 
crop I expect. 
Rye has one advantage over wheat—it may be sown 
much later with full assurance that it will make a 
crop. I have sown it in November, and secured a 
good crop. [We once sowed it on election day in New 
Jersey. Eds.] 
Care should be taken when spring pastured, not to 
injure the land by tramping it when too wet. The 
number of animals on it should be such as to make 
even cropping, otherwise they are likely to cut it 
short in spots and keep it short, as they relish most 
the fresh growth. Pasturing should cease at jointing 
time. 
I find rye the best crop in which to start clover, and 
the spring grazing with other stock than sheep, does 
the clover no injury. Rye does not make as dense a 
growth close to the ground as other small grains, 
giving the clover a better chance. As soon as the rye 
is ripe and has ceased to draw moisture from the soil, 
the clover will make a very rapid growth. 
When the rye is ripe and begins to fall, I turn on 
the hogs—pigs, brood sows, everything in the hog 
line. The better the clover in the rye, the better I 
expect the hogs to thrive. I let the hogs harvest the 
rye, and purchase the needed seed elsewhere, of some 
one that thinks the ODly way to save rye is to cut and 
put it through a thrashing machine. Heards kill no 
pigs or hogs for me, but it must be remembered that 
they should have grass or slop while eating it—par¬ 
ticularly the pigs. For stock hogs, 8 to 10 months 
old, rye harvesting is a most excellent preparation for 
a green corn finish. Soon after the hogs go on the 
rye, there will be a growth of volunteer rye which 
makes an excellent dessert for them. The straw and 
volunteer growth give the young clover or other grass 
the best protection against a severe winter. The 
stock will work on the rye till the straw gets too 
hard, when they will leave it and turn their attention 
to the clover—returning again to the rye as soon as it 
begins to fill. 
I now have a field of rye that the pigs will go on in 
a few days, and as soon as the clover has made a good 
growth 1 shall turn on the sheep and lambs, expect¬ 
ing them to consume a part of the rye. The latter 
plan is a new departure with me, but I know no rea¬ 
son why it should not succeed. john m. jamison. 
Ross County, Ohio. 
[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 
Timber Planting in Burned Slashings. 
E. N. II., McKean County, Pa. —The forest tires have burned 
over thousands of acres in this county, mostly hemlock slashings, 
and the burn has been a good one. I have charge of several hun¬ 
dred acres of such land, but have not the means to clear it for 
pasture, and some is too rocky. I thought of planting it to chest¬ 
nut, oak and hickory. Has any of The R. N.-Y. readers tried 
such an experiment, and when should the nuts be planted ? 
ANSWERED BY IT. M. ENGEL. 
I have not had sufficient experience to give positive 
answers to all of E. N. II.’s questions. The question 
of how to re-forest the vast tracts which have been 
laid bare by fires and the woodman’s ax, has often 
been on my mind. That it can be accomplished, and 
be it great benefit to the country, I have no doubt. 
Not to go far amiss, geology and botany must be con¬ 
sulted in order to select varieties of timber adapted 
to the soils we wish to plant. Were I to attempt re- 
foresting, I would plant light, porous soil with chest¬ 
nut or Yellow locust, or both. If the soil were rich, 
I would plant in this order : Black walnut, Tulip pop¬ 
lar, Yellow locust, hickory, oak. I would not plant 
the seeds direct, as they might be smothered by 
weeds and other rubbish. I would grow the trees 
in nursery rows (not too thick) two to three years 
before planting permanently. I have had some ex¬ 
perience with Yellow locust which is quite satisfac¬ 
tory. To make a success, nuts must be gathered, 
kept fresh and laid in light earth, or, better, in leaf 
mold or rotten stumps or logs, and kept from getting 
too dry or too wet. They will be sprouted nicely by 
the time the ground will be in order for planting the 
following spring. Locust seeds are gathered in 
autumn and kept dry until spring. At seed planting 
time, pour hot water over the seeds ; after about 24 
hours pour off the water and keep the seeds waffm and 
moist several days, when they will begin to sprout. 
I hope that this important question will be agitated 
further, so as to bring about practical results. 
More “Frostproof Strawberries.” 
C. <S'., North Syracuse, N. Y .—I have found a frostproof straw¬ 
berry. We have picked 120 boxes to-day (.Tune 24) from 500 
plants for the first picking of the Atlantic. I have sent The it. 
N.-Y. a box by mail. 
Ans. —The berries, which were each wrapped in 
cotton, reached us safely in good condition, and were 
duly sampled by a number of different persons in the 
office. The unanimous verdict was that the quality 
was excellent. The berries were sweet, although the 
flavor was not so high, perhaps, as of some of the 
more acid berries. Shape and color were both good 
for a market berry. It is certainly, judging from the 
specimens received, a promising variety, and worthy 
of extended trial. The R. N.-Y. would like to test the 
plants on its trial grounds. 
Eldorado Blackberry; Columbian Raspberry. 
C. II. II., Benton Harbor, Mich. —In The It. N.-Y. of .Tune 15, 
among Ruralisms, mention is made of Columbian and Loudon 
raspberries and the Eldorado blackberry as standing the severe 
weather of last winter. Will you give descriptions of these ber¬ 
ries, both fruit and vine? Will they do well on sandy land if well 
fertilized with barnyard manure and Crimson clover ? We are 
troubled with an insect of some kind which bores into the black¬ 
berry canes, forming knots on the canes which kill them; the 
Wilson blackberry suffers most severely. 
Ans. —The Eldorado is a new and most promising 
blackberry. VVe cannot speak of it from experience, 
because this is the first season of its fruiting at the 
Rural Grounds. It is claimed that it is about the 
hardiest variety known. The quality is fine, berries 
large, canes very productive. The Columbian is a 
new, dark-red raspberry, much like the Shaffer, but 
thought to be superior in vigor, productiveness, qual¬ 
ity and hardiness. We do not subscribe to these dif¬ 
ferences, as yet, further than to say that there is good 
testimony that it is hardier than the Shaffer. The 
Loudon is like the Cuthbert in general appearance ; 
berries firmer—canes hardier. We presume the 
“knots” are caused by one of the gall insects (l)ias- 
trophus nebulosus). Burning the cane as soon as 
noticed is the remedy. 
What Ails the Plum ? 
II. S., Banbury, Conn. —What is the matter with my plum tree? 
It is a Lombard, seven years old, and every year since it lias borne 
most of the plums rot before they ripen. 
Ans. —The curculio, probably. The only sure rem¬ 
edy is to jar the trees early every morning, beginning 
after the fruit sets. The insect falls upon a sheet 
spread below. Many orchardists are using Paris- 
green—one ounce to about 13 gallons of water, be¬ 
ginning to spray as soon as the petals fall, and con¬ 
tinuing for about three weeks, once each week or 10 
days. But there is a difference of opinion as to its 
efficacy. 
Root-pruning an Apple Tree. 
(}. It. B., Los Gatos, Cal. —1. When and how shall I root-prune a 
vigorous growing apple tree, which persistently refuses to bear, 
or even to blossom, though old enough to do so some years ago ? 
This year, for the first time, it had one bunch of four blossoms. 
2. My gooseberries and currants are stung by some insect that 
makes them ripen prematurely and spoils them. What is the 
remedy ? 
Ans. — 1 . In the fall or spring or, for that matter, 
during the summer. Dig a trench around the tree, 
and sever the roots. Just where to dig the trench 
we may not say, since we do not know the size of the 
tree. 2 . We can think only of the gooseberry fruit- 
worm. The moth lays an egg upon the gooseberry or 
currant, which changes to a worm that eats the sub¬ 
stance of the berry. But the berries injured in this 
way are so conspicuous that hand-picking would be 
the easiest remedy. 
Magnolias from Seeds. 
W. IF. II., New Hope, Pa .— THE R. N.-Y., June 22, page 427, recom¬ 
mends the growing of magnolias from seed. Where may such 
seed be obtained ? Is the beautiful Magnolia grandlflora among 
tlie varieties named ? We don’t know its botanical name, and can 
find no mention of it or of any magnolia seed in some half dozen 
catalogues consulted. 
Ans. —Magnolia grandifiora is the beautiful ever¬ 
green Southern species, not hardy north of North 
Carolina. Yes, this was included. We do not know 
of any other seedsmen that offer magnolia seeds ex¬ 
cept J. M. Thorburn & Co., of this city. Magnolia 
grandifiora is described in all the botanies and books 
of ornamental trees and shrubs. 
The Use of Potash. 
II. A. If., Medina, 0 .— How does S. H. Derby of Delaware apply 
his potash? Is it muriate or sulphate of potash ? Does he sow 
it broadcast or drill it with a grain drill ? 
Ans. —Mr. Derby uses muriate of potash, because 
he finds by figuring, that actual potash costs less per 
pound in that form than in kainit. The way to figure 
on it is to take the price of muriate and divide by 
1,000 which is the average amount of actual potash in 
a ton. Then divide the price of kainit by 250, and you 
will have for comparison the cost of a pound of potash 
in each form. In most cases, the muriate is cheaper] 
Mr. Derby usually broadcasts the potash, because he 
sows it after the clover—during the fall and winter. 
If applied before the clover is sown, it could be put 
in with the g-rain drill. 
Wild Flowers on Moist Soil. 
F. N. S., Plymouth, Mass.— 1. I own a very small peat swamp 
full of springs. On one side, is a high, stony hill, cool and moist, 
covered with trees and ferns. I am a lover of wild flowers, and 
have quantities of forget-me-nots and some others. Can azaleas 
and rhododendrons (our native ones), sabbatlas, gentians and 
mountain laurel be raised successfully from seed on such land ? 
The plants are far above my means. 2. Where can I get reliable 
seed ? Are there other wild flowers that can be raised from seed, 
and are they to grow in sun or shade ? I want quick growers, so 
that if I am spared a few years more, I can enjoy them, and, if 
not, have something beautiful to leave behind. 
Ans. — 1 . Rhododendrons and azaleas are easily raised 
from seed. These seeds may be sown in finely-pre¬ 
pared beds out-of-doors, which, if protected from 
heavy rains and the like, will answer fairly well. It 
is better, however, to sow them in pans or pots under 
shelter. Seedlings are of very slow growth, the one 
discouraging thing about raising them. The same 
may be said as to the treatment of the laurel or Calico 
bush (Kalmia latifolia). The variety of sabbatia best 
adapted to such a position, is S. chloroides. S. angu- 
laris will stand shade, but not much moisture. The 
Soap-wort gentian (Gentiana sapouaria) would suc¬ 
ceed, and it is the only kind that we know of that 
would succeed under the conditions given. 2. We find 
rhododendron, azalea and Kalmia seeds in the cata¬ 
logue of Thorburn & Co. (New York), and in that only. 
3. Hibiscus moscheutos (Marsh hibiscus) will bloom 
the second year from seed. The Rose of Sharon de¬ 
lights in a moist situation, and is there far hardier 
than if grown in high, dry land. It, too, if well 
grown, will bloom the second year, ltea Virginica, 
Hall’s honeysuckle, Deutzias, weigelas, philadelphus, 
all bloom early. The following hardy perennials will 
stand moisture and shade pretty well : Day lilies, 
aquilegia, Canterbury bells, irises, Lobelia cardinalis 
and L. syphilitica, lychnis, Sweet Williams, phlox, 
coreopsis. 
A Tough Potato Problem. 
W. II. It., Springfield, Mo .— From the two eyes of Carman No. t 
that I received from The Rural, I raised last year 27 potatoes 
from seven hills. They were, to all appearances, sound and well 
developed, kept through the winter all right, and were planted 
this spring late in April after all danger from frost was over. I 
have plowed and hoed them, and And that only about one-fourth 
of them came up. I dug up several pieces, and found that they 
had not sprouted, but were still perfectly sound which shows good 
keeping qualities. Some of the first sprouts set out early last 
year, made good-sized potatoes, but it became so very dry that 
the last sprouts were unproductive. This was my first experience 
in setting sprouts for white potatoes, and it looks as though it’s a 
little uncertain. If we had had plenty of x ain, they would prob- 
ably have developed all the eyeand all would have come up this 
spring. If any one else has had such experience with potatoes, 
will they tell us about it ? 
Ans. —Except the seed tubers were frost-bitten, we 
cannot explain it. 
