1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7i3 
ing the labor of two men here, while the blower saved 
two or three in the straw shed. We had over 10 acres 
of wheat, most of it heavy, some of it lodged ; they 
were done in less than a day, then gone for a year. It 
cost four cents a bushel for the wheat, the extra men 
10 cents per hour. This is better and cheaper than 
owning a small outfit, taking days to do the dirty 
work, and, most likely, having to hire extra help. 
Chester County, Pa. ben.x. sharpless. 
How to Grow Cranberries. 
W. M. G., Nebraska. —How can I start cranberries ? I have land 
that la wet all the time from springs. I can flood it all at will, but 
cannot drain it on account of the springy nature of the soil, which 
is black muck with gravelly subsoil. The natural products of 
this land are diamond willows, and mint. Grass grows all winter 
at the springs in the water. 
ANSWERED IIY GAYNOR BROS., WISCONSIN. 
It is impossible, in one short article, to tell any one 
“how to start cranberries,” unless one knows the 
exact character of the soil, the surroundings, the cli¬ 
mate (liability to late spring and early fall frosts), and 
the nature of the water supply. We would advise 
W. M. G. to begin about June 20 next, and mow close 
to the ground everything that grows on his proposed 
bog, and continue to mow it as close to the ground as 
possible every two weeks until about-September 20. If 
this doesn’t kill all the foul stuff that his bog pro¬ 
duces, it will make it so sick during the two years 
that follow, that the young cranberry vines, if he put 
them in thick enough, will whip all that survive, 
before the end of the second summer. 
He should next make his bog as nearly level as pos¬ 
sible, and after September 20 and before May 20 of the 
following year, he should cover it with three inches of 
clean sand (clay in the sand is fatal to the cranberry 
vine). If he cannot get this clean sand in the hills close 
by, he might find it cheaper to take it from the bottom 
of his ditches, throw it over a section of the bog, 
return the muck taken from the ditch back into the 
ditch, and then cut another parallel ditch, and do the 
same by another section until the whole is sanded. 
He need not be afraid of gravel intermixed with sand. 
If it is free from clay, it is as good as the clean sand. 
When his bog has been thus prepared, about May 20, 
he may begin planting his vines. If he can get vines 
cheap, he should put on not less than half a ton of 
clean vines to the acre. He cannot put on too many. 
They will have a battle with the foul stuff for the 
possession of the ground, and the more of them, the 
sooner the battle is won. Plant clean vines. They 
will have enough to fight, without his planting ene¬ 
mies among them. The vine should be laid flat on 
the sand, and some part of it (the nearer the butt end 
the better) should be covered with an inch of black 
muck or sand. Not more than a third of the whole 
vine should be so covered. 
After planting, the water may be held three or four 
inches above the surface until the vines begin to bud 
and root. Then it should be allowed to sink slowly 
to two, three, or even six inches below the surface 
during the summer after they are fully rooted. If 
vines are dear or scarce, plant them in rows two 
feet apart, covering the butt ends of the vines as 
above directed. Under this system of planting, he 
must sharpen his hoe, and fight their battle with the 
foul stuff for at least two years, until they have pos¬ 
session of the ground. Once in possession, no weed 
can dislodge them. They should be covered with 
water during the winter, and during the summer the 
water should be kept within 30 inches of the surface. 
For the purposes of growth, vines require nearly as 
much heat as corn. When the water is supplied by 
springs, it should be warmed in a pond before turning 
it on to the vines, as cold water may kill them or, at 
least, cripple their growth. 
Will Salt Kill Grubs and Worms ? 
G. S., Summit Station, N. 7. —In starting ginseng from seed in 
the forest nursery, I am troubled by grubs and worms eating the 
young roots. In taking roots from beds this fall for transplant¬ 
ing, I found the ground full of white grubs, centipedes and other 
worms, and many roots eaten. The seeds were sown in the 
autumn of 1892, producing plants in the spring of 1894, the seed 
requiring 18 months to germinate. My present plan is to keep 
seed one year in condition to promote germination, sow it in the 
fall, and get plants the following spring. How shall I get rid of 
the grubs and worms ? My idea is to cover the ground heavily 
with salt in the spring. Will it do the work ? Will the effects of 
the salt get out of the ground so as not to injure the seed sown 
the following fall ? How much may be used with safety on beds 
4x20 feet each ? Will the same treatment dispose of the white 
grubs in grass ground plowed this fall and salted ? How much 
salt may be applied without injury for a garden next spring ? Is 
there any better plan than this, either for field or forest? Should 
the salt be left on the surface or worked in ? 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
I presume that enough salt could be applied to for¬ 
est soil to kill the grubs, etc.; but I believe that the 
amount required would also kill or badly injure all 
vegetation, even the large trees. We found that it 
required at least six tons of salt per acre to kill wire- 
worms ; but two tons killed grass in a few days, and 
1,000 pounds prevented the germination of about half 
the wheat in our experiments. Doubtless white grubs 
would be more susceptible to salt than wireworms, 
but those with experience tell me that it is not safe 
to apply salt at the rate of over 1,000 pounds per 
acre, even around fruit trees. Prof. Roberts also tells 
me that a ton per acre would be the extreme amount 
that he would dare apply to any soil in the spring or 
fall and expect the soil to be sufficiently freshened up 
by the succeeding fall or spring to allow anything to 
be planted. I find but one record of any careful ex¬ 
periments with salt on white grubs. It was applied 
at the rate of about 2,700 pounds per acre, and “ most 
of the grubs remained uninjured.” A salt solution of 
one ounce to a pint of water did not affect them. Thus, 
it seems to me that there is little chance ot eradicat¬ 
ing the grubs, etc., by the use of salt in practicable 
quantities. The only way to settle the question is to 
try it on a bed or two this fall. Try 1,000 and 2,000 
pounds per acre, or two and four pounds, respectively, 
on each bed 4x20 feet ; also double this dose on a bed 
or two. Spread the salt on the surface ; it will be 
quickly washed in. I know of no application that 
can be made to the soil that will kill the white grubs 
and not injure the vegetation. Hand picking is often 
practicable. Thorough and constant cultivation soon 
discourages them. You cannot starve them out; they 
have been kept for months in clean sand. They are 
a hard pest to combat, and no uniformly successful 
method has yet been suggested. 
Propagating Fig Trees. 
G. H. P., Westminster (No State). —Are fig trees to be budded 
the same as orange trees, before they will bloom ? If so, at what 
time ? I have some good-looking trees, but they do not show any 
signs of blooming, and they are l l / 2 year old. 
Ans. —Fig trees are so readily propagated from 
layers or cuttings, that budding is not necessary ; 
neither would this induce fruitfulness, and, owing to 
the abundant flow of milky sap, budding fig trees is 
seldom successful. The cause of the trees not bear¬ 
ing, may be owing to the variety, as some kinds pro¬ 
duce so little fruit as to be almost barren. But if G. 
H. P. will plant Celestial, Green Ischia, Brown Tur¬ 
key, and Brunswick, he will have no trouble on the 
ground of unfruitfulness, as these varieties usually 
produce fruit here atone year old. p. j. berckmans. 
A Machine for Trimming Strawberry Plants. 
J. S., Mauricetown, N. J .—On page 634, of The R. N.-Y. for Sep¬ 
tember 21, an automatic runner cutter is described. I have about 
154 acre of strawberries in hills 15 inches apart, with two feet 
space between every fourth row. They are Parker Earle, Lida, 
Barry, Jucunda and Meek’s Early, and look very promising. The 
most expense in this method of growing berries, is in keeping the 
runners down. If this tool will do that successfully, I would like 
to know it. 
Ans. —There is no question as to the value of this 
new tool. As first constructed, it was found that, if 
the runners were too long, they would sometimes drag 
behind and be missed by the knives ; but this diffi¬ 
culty has been obviated by placing the fingers so as to 
pass outside of the knives, so that now they cannot 
escape. The fingers are provided with an elastic 
spring, thus making allowance for any unevenness of 
the surface, and still catch all of the runners. To the 
grower of strawberries by the hill system, this tool is 
almost indispensable. Even to those who practice the 
matted row system, it is a valuable acquisition for use 
in the earlier part of the season. Newly set straw¬ 
berry plants will often begin early in the season to 
throw out weak runners which must make weak 
plants. By keeping these down for a time, the parent 
plant will gain sufficient strength to throw out strong 
runners, which will result in a much superior crop of 
berries the following season. Then, again, many of 
our best varieties of strawberries, run so freely that 
if all are allowed to take root, they become so crowded 
that the fruit cannot properly mature, and the result 
is a lot of second-class berries which never bring a 
satisfactory price, and in the glut of the season, can 
hardly be given away. A little experience with these 
varieties, will teach us how long to keep the runners 
off, and still secure a good stand of plants. 
ALLEN R. YALE. 
Feeding Buckwheat to Horses. 
“Subscriber ,” Connecticut. —Buckwheat is not fed to horses 
about here. Is it unsafe to feed it clear ? Would it be safe ground 
with corn, half and half ? 
While we consider buckwheat good for cows, to 
produce milk, our experience in feeding it to horses 
has not been favorable, and we would not recommend 
it for that purpose. smiths & powell. 
It would not be advisable to feed buckwheat ex¬ 
clusively to horses. They do not relish it whole. 
When ground fine, it forms a thick paste which ad¬ 
heres to the horses’ teeth when eaten. If ground 
coarse, the hulls are iikely to irritate the bowels ; yet 
with all of these objections against it, it may be, and 
has been, fed to horses without apparent injury. The 
operations of nature are so kindly, that we may feed 
or eat for a time, without serious trouble, under 
special conditions, foods which are undesirable and 
even slightly poisonous. The analysis of buckwheat 
shows that it is low in ash constituents ; therefore, it 
is not a first-class food for young horses and colts. 
With this exception, it would form a good ration for 
horses at moderate work, so far as its nutritive ratio 
is concerned. Without doubt, it could safely form 
one-third of the grain ration of mature horses, 
although it might produce irritation of the skin if the 
horses perspire freely. The following mixture will 
be safe to start with : one-third oats, one-third corn, 
one-third buckwheat, ground and mixed with damp¬ 
ened hay. I. P. ROBERTS. 
Horses and Crimson Clover Hay. 
P. B„ Kingston, N. J.—l have a fine lot of Crimson clover hay, 
which I Intended to feed to the horses; but after reading the in¬ 
closed clipping, I am afraid to do so. What is The R. N.-Y.’s 
opinion of the matter ? 
Ans. —The clipping referred to read as follows : It 
was supposed to be a report of a meeting of the Middle¬ 
sex Board of Agriculture : 
Prof. Halsted then, in an informal talk, made the startling 
declaration that Crimson clover was dangerous to feed to horses. 
He cited, in proof, that he had witnessed the removal from these 
animals of large balls of matter, as big as lemons, which, when 
examined, were found to be composed of the hulls of clover. The 
horses had died from these conglomerations. 
In reply to our request for further information, Dr. 
Halsted stated that his information was obtained 
from the following note in the Botanical Gazette, 
written by F. V. Covelle : 
Crimson Clover Hair Balls. —These balls measur¬ 
ing two or three inches in diameter, were taken from 
the stomach of a horse whose death they caused. 
They were compact, and much resembled the hair 
balls often found in the stomachs of ruminants, but 
were entirely composed of the small barbs from the 
mature calyx of Crimson clover. 
That reporter stretched his imagination so that it 
broke in stating that Dr. Halsted saw the balls removed. 
As to the other side of the matter, we print this letter 
from one of the most observant farmers in Sussex 
County, Del. : 
I have been feeding Crimson clover hay to both 
horses and cattle all the year around, for the last six 
years or more, and I have never seen any bad effects 
from it yet. If it has injured any horses, it may be 
because cut when too ripe, then a portion of it may 
become indigestible and form into balls in the horse’s 
stomach. I try to cut it just before it is in full 
bloom. C. H. 8ACKETT. 
What to Do With Potato Tops. 
W. T. N., Brooklyn Corner, N. S .— What is the best use to make 
of potato tops ? Some feed them to cows—especially wlieu the 
potatoes are dug green. Would The R. N.-Y. advise that? Others 
haul them into the barnyard for bedding ; others rake them in 
heaps and burn them. 
Ans. —Do not bui’n the tops if you can avoid it. 
Cows or sheep will sometimes eat them, but we do not 
consider them good food for cows. They make good 
bedding—especially if run through a cutter. On our 
own place, we use potato tops, bean vines, corn stalks 
and such matter for mulching strawberries. The 
stalks are used whole, but the vines are cut up. In a 
general way, the idea is to get the vines back into the 
ground without burying them. 
How to Feed Cotton-Seed Hulls. 
A. J. F., Bordeaux, Tenn. —What is the best method ot feeding 
cotton-seed hulls ? A neighbor feeds bran and meal alone, then 
the hulls with about a quart of cotton-seed meal. I think that the 
whole should be mixed and fed together. Which way is best, and 
why ? 
Ans. —Cotton-seed hulls are hard, dry seed coats 
comprising about half the weight of cotton seed as 
brought to market. They are coated with a short, 
fuzzy lint which is almost pure cellulose. The hulls 
are a poorly digestible carbonaceous food nearly the 
equal of wheat straw, however, when well cleaned. 
The hulls from rather immature green seed which are 
taken off early in the season, may be better than hulls 
from seed cleaned later in the season, because parts 
of kernels are left in the hulls. For maintenance 
feeding, the earliest hulls received from the mills may 
be fed alone ; but so poor a food as hulls should be 
combined with some meal to balance the ration. 
Cotton-seed meal is best, as it is the most concentrated 
by-fodder with which to balance the hulls, though 
as the amount of digestible food in a ration of hulls 
when balanced by cotton-seed meal is rather low, ’t 
may often be well to feed some wheat bran, and, pos¬ 
sibly, some corn meal could be used to advantage. 
The best mode of feeding the hulls to have the ration 
consumed in proportions fixed by the feeder as well 
as for the animal to make the best use of the ration, 
is to mix the meal with the hulls. The mixtures of 
cotton-seed hulls and meal made at the oil mills, are 
in the very best form to feed. If they can be put 
under control like the sale of fertilizers, so that 
feeders will be sure to get their money’s worth of 
digestible food, the mixing can be done more cheaply 
at the mill than elsewhere. The mill men can have 
scientifically balanced rations made and sell as many 
“ brands” of feed, or rations of different quality, as 
they can find sale for. But feeders would better do 
their own mixing until there is some guarantee of the 
elements in digestible food. frank e. emery. 
