5o4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 27 
IMPOR TANCE OF “ PLA TTING ” AN ORCHARD. 
“What is the name of that apple tree?” I asked 
recently, of a gentleman who had just set out an or¬ 
chard of 200 trees. The tree in question was tall, and 
peculiarly shaped, resembling somewhat the Sweet 
Paradise. 
“ That—well, I don’t know.” 
“ Did you keep no record of the names of your trees 
when you set them out ? ” 
“Well, I guess the boys kept a record of a dozen or 
so, when they planted ’em ; but they didn’t want to 
lose any time in figuring out the location of every tree, 
and they gave it up before they had hardly started.’’ 
The above conversation actually occui’red, and if the 
reader will take the trouble to ask the same question 
of any ordinary farmer, he will get the same answer 
with variations, from two out of three. There is no 
more important detail in the planting of an orchard 
than an accurate plat of it. The work may be done 
systematically -vith but little extra trouble at the 
time the trees are planted. 
The first thing is to determine the size of the or¬ 
chard. It may be 10 trees square, or it may be 20 
trees long and five wide, or in any other shape ; but 
the trees should be numbered in a book, with a plat 
showing the location of each. The plan below will 
give the reader some idea of how it is done. The book 
account of the trees should read like this : 
Nob. 1 to 10 Sweet Russet. Nos. 31 to 40 Romanite. 
11 to 15 R. I. Greening. 41 to 60 Maiden’s Blusb. 
16 to 20 Fall Rambo. 61 to 80 Ben Davis. 
21 to 30 Rambo. 81 to 100 Rome Beauty. 
The arrangement of the orchard is shown below : 
NORTH. 
91 
90 
71 
70 
51 
50 
31 
30 
11 
10 
92 
89 
72 
69 
52 
40 
32 
29 
12 
9 
93 
88 
78 
68 
53 
48 
33 
28 
13 
8 
94 
87 
74 
67 
54 
47 
34 
27 
14 
7 
95 
86 
75 
66 
55 
46 
35 
26 
15 
6 
96 
85 
76 
65 
56 
45 
36 
25 
16 
5 
97 
84 
77 
64 
57 
44 
37 
34 
17 
4 
98 
83 
78 
63 
58 
43 
38 
23 
18 
3 
99 
82 
79 
62 
59 
42 
39 
22 
19 
2 
100 
81 
80 
61 
60 
41 
40 
21 
20 
1 
SOUTH. 
By this arrangement, should a tree die, no trouble 
will be experienced in determining its name and re¬ 
placing it. And when the fruit is ready for market, 
the market man will not have to invent names for his 
apples. The names selected, however, are not in¬ 
tended as a model orchard. I used them because I 
happened to recall them first, .tames deffenbaugh. 
“SCORE CARDS IN JUDGING FRUITS.” 
At last winter’s meeting of the Western New York 
Horticultural Society, L. Woolverton, Secretary of the 
Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association, spoke of the great 
disparity in the awards of premiums on fruit at fairs, 
where the rating of the values of the varieties has 
been left entirely to judges, some of whom are incom¬ 
petent, and know very little of the comparative merits 
of the varieties placed before them. Even in cases of 
single plates, many of the judges are in a quandary 
as to whether an apple should be classed among the 
fall or winter varieties. In order to secure uniformity 
and fairness in the awards, the first important consid¬ 
eration seems to be the appointment of fruit experts 
who will not award prizes for winter apples to autumn 
varieties, or allow one variety to pass for another be¬ 
cause of their inability to identify them. If three 
expert judges cannot be had, it would be far better 
to engage one expert, throwing upon him the whole 
responsibility, and remunerating him accordingly, as 
is done in judging at our poultry shows. Such a 
judge might also be required to give a list of points 
upon which his judgment is based. 
It is evident that the educational value of our fairs 
depends very largely upon the correctness of the 
judgments given ; and it is exceedingly desirable 
that the work of the judges should be based upon 
some one standard, for even experts will differ with 
regard to the value of the various kinds of fruit, and 
their judgment cannot, therefore, be expected to be 
uniform. The Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association 
have prepared a catalogue of apples (catalogues of 
other fruits will follow) in which the following points 
are considered : Name, season, quality, commercial 
value and total value, divided as follows: 
Commercial value. 
-Quality-. -Market-, Total 
Name. Season. Dessert. Cooking. Home. Foreign, value. 
Alexander.A 0 9 9 10 28 
American Golden 
Russet.W 9 8 8 9 34 
American Summer 
Pearmain.S3 12 0 6 
Score cards for plates cover these points: Form, 
size, color, freedom from blemishes, uniformity, 
quality. The society appointed a committee to inves¬ 
tigate this matter, and no doubt our State society will 
have it brought to their attention. c. e. clark. 
EULALIA GRACILIMA. 
Fio. 159. (See page 507.) 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Another View of Frostproof Strawberries.— 
Since last spring’s frosts, much has been said as to the 
superiority of certain varieties of strawberries with 
regard to their ability to withstand frost. These arti¬ 
cles have been read with 
much interest throughout 
the country, as we are all 
anxious to get varieties 
that will thrive under ad¬ 
verse circumstances ; yet 
I feel that our writers 
have overlooked one very 
important point. It will 
be observed that almost 
every writer names one or 
more varieties that have 
fared better than all others; 
but by comparing them, we 
find that few recommend 
the same varieties ; that is, 
the one nearest frostproof 
for one grower, gets a bad 
report from another locality, and vice versa. My ex¬ 
perience teaches that fruit in different stages of 
maturity is capable of withstanding different degrees 
of temperature. When a strawberry is once formed, 
it is not nearly so 
susceptible to cold as 
when in bloom, and 
I think this one thing 
will, in many- cases, 
account for the differ¬ 
ent views as to which 
are hardiest in regard 
to low temperature. 
As the frost covered 
a large area, it caught 
strawberries in all 
stages of maturity. 
To those in full 
bloom, it did most 
damage, decreasing 
in its effect as the 
bloom or berry was 
developed. 
While it is evident 
that all pistillate 
kinds will withstand 
more cold than the 
perfect blooming 
varieties, also those 
with tall, dense foli¬ 
age that protects the 
bloom, more than 
those with scanty 
foliage, yet none is frostproof in my opinion. Had 
many of the so-called frostproof ones been in a differ¬ 
ent stage, it is more than likely that the result would 
have been quite different. The same thing is ob¬ 
served on the 
peach— while 
its bloom is 
most s u s c e p- 
tible to frost, 
yet when once 
the peach is 
formed, it is 
quite hardy, 
and will stand 
a comparatively 
low tempera¬ 
ture. Gooseber¬ 
ries have been 
killed several 
times while in 
bloom, and 
strawberries 
were wholly un¬ 
injured,as were 
other small 
fruits. Yet this 
season, the 
gooseberries 
were practically exempt from injury, and straw¬ 
berries were an almost total failure. We account 
for this by the fact that the gooseberries were past 
the bloom, and berries were already formed on them. 
So on the whole, it is not safe to depend too much on 
any one variety of strawberry, simply because it was 
apparently frostproof this season, as next year it may 
be just the reverse, should frost catch it in a different 
stage. w. N. s. 
New Carlisle, O. 
RIBBON. Fig. 160. 
EULALIA ZEBRINA. Fig. 161. 
Shingling the Squash Bugs. —A. M. S. inquires 
how to get rid of squash bugs. For some years I have 
had the care of two gardens that are badly infested 
with them. This is my method : I lay down a shingle 
lightly each side of the vine. Do not press it into the 
earth so that the bug cannot get under, or leave it 
high enough for the light to shine under. They prefer 
darkness, and areas sensitive to cool and damp nights 
as an old bachelor. Take up the shingles and look 
under them before sunrise, or after sunset, and I ven¬ 
ture to say that you will find several huddled together 
for warmth. A few days ago, I found 29 under one 
shingle, and think I never found so few as two. 
Conn. _ J. m. R. 
WHAT SAY? 
Steam Washing. —I have steam power for separat¬ 
ing, churning, aerating, pumping and warming water 
for stock, sawing wood, turning grindstone, cutting 
fodder, etc. I wish to do the family washing by live 
steam or engine power, but am at a loss as to the how. 
If The R. N.-Y. or any of its readers can give me light 
upon the subject. I shall be greatly obliged indeed. 
Rochester, Mass. G. w. h. 
R. N. Y.—We have already told of a man who does 
the family washing in an old Davis swing churn. We 
shall be pleased to hear from others. 
What Ails the Cherries? —I have three cherry 
trees, quite well along in years, measuring some 16 
inches in diameter ; two are black Ox-heart, and one 
white—the white one has borne very profusely for the 
past five years, the fruit hanging in strings, and all 
maturing finely. This year seems to be an off year 
with it, although there is some fruit. The black ones 
are thrifty, strong, full-leaved and bright; they 
blossom profusely, but fail to mature fruit at all. 
They both had, probably, one-half bushel last year, 
while the white tree had some five bushels. Can you 
give me any valid reason and practical remedy ? 
Newark, N. J. w. H. G. 
R. N.-Y.—We could only give a guess without see¬ 
ing the trees, and examining the soil. 
HOW OUR POULTRY BUSINESS CAME OUT. 
Last year, I gave an account of our start wifh little 
chickens, and how we brooded them through the cold 
weather. I now wish to tell how they turned out. 
Our chickens were reduced to 300 on May 1, and com¬ 
fortably settled in the henhouse—some in brooders 
and some not needing them. One day we noticed that 
there seemed to be less of them ; so we set a trap and 
soon caught a fine, large rat; but his brothers and 
sisters proved too wise for us, as with all our beguil¬ 
ing we could not catch another, and we never could 
account for 50 of the 300 chicks. We began shipping 
broilers May 26, at SI per pair, and stopped November 
17 when, at six cents per pound, returns only netted 
25 cents a chicken : 
THE RETURNS. 
165 chickens sold.$50.51 
Saved 30 March pullets worth at least. 10.00 
Have on hand 25 more pullets. 6.25 
' Used in family. 6.25 
Total.$73.01 
Estimating the cost of raising a chick to two months 
old, at 10 cents, which would cover the cost of feed 
for those which died, as well as those sold at four and 
six months old, these cost $ 25 , though I think the 
actual cost of all feed bought for them would not be 
more than $18. Some of the 30 pullets began laying 
August 1, so we estimate that their eggs have more 
than paid for all feed since. The eggs laid by the 25 
old hens have more than paid their expenses. We 
hatched about $8 worth of chicks for the neighbors 
last spring, which covered all expenses for brooders, 
kerosene and other material for hatching and raising 
our own. Of course, prices were much lower than the 
preceding year ; so also was feed, but not in the same 
proportion. 
If we could have sold all our chicks at 40 cents 
apiece, they would have brought $100 ; taking out the 
cost of feed, this would have left us $75 for our work 
with the chicks from March 1 to December 24, the last 
time we sold any dressed. Still, taking the $25 from 
the $73.01 leaves $48.01 for our work. Taking the $25 
from the $50.51 actual cash taken in for the chicks, 
would leave only $25.51 for all our trouble. This is 
not as much by $100 as we had hoped to have, had all 
our 548 chicks—or the most of them—lived. Not very 
encouraging figures, are they ? 
I wonder how many women ever estimate the value 
of the feed the chickens eat, in counting the profits 
from them! Whenever a woman tells me, “I sold 
$100 worth of poultry this year,” I think that she 
can’t have counted out the cost of the feed given them, 
as among so many chickens, very few could have lived 
entirely on “ scraps ” or refuse of no value. If we 
had done nothing else, we might have considered last 
year a failure with poultry ; but in connection with 
other dairy and household work, it added to our in¬ 
come, and very greatly to our experience. So we feel 
