1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
76i 
has begun to dry, another wetting of 10 to 15 pounds 
to the square foot should be applied. The application 
of water to the interior of the silo as it is being 
filled, is undesirable. The application of the water 
to the surface of the silo after the filling has been 
completed, has for its sole object the closing up of the 
air spaces in the top layer of ensilage, this forming 
an impervious cover which excludes in a high degee 
the air from above. If water enough be applied so 
that the very surface layer which decays, does not 
become dry, then this close mat constitutes one of the 
best and cheapest covers which can be provided for 
ensilage. f. h. king. 
Wisconsin Experiment Station. 
What Causes Loss in Clover. 
Clover should be cut just when the blossoms are 
beginning to turn, in order to get the largest amount 
of food value from it. Some consider that to succeed 
best in preserving it, it should be cut after the dew 
is entirely off the plant. It may then be run into a 
silo, either whole or cut, as desired. I would prefer 
to cut it, although not necessarily fine, but it will 
pack better if cut. I consider that it will be better to 
add water according to the way it is heating. If the 
temperature is running up very high, I would add 
considerable water.- After filling the silo it will be well 
to place a layer of cut straw over the surface of the 
clover, and then pour on enough water to soak the 
straw thoroughly, and down into the ensilage some¬ 
what. It will be well to keep the edges of the silo 
tramped somewhat, in order to have a uniform set¬ 
tling. 
I believe that one thing which causes the loss with 
clover ensilage is that clover is a rather nitrogenous 
plant, and often heats in the silo to a high degree, 
which causes the passing off of a large amount of 
moisture, and so produces the process of fire-fanging, 
much the same as occurs in a pile of horse manure; at 
least, that has been my experience in ensiloing it. If 
sufficient water be used upon it, the heat is reduced 
and the ensilage is preserved. It will be necessary for 
the person filling the silo to watch pretty carefully, 
and if the temperature rise above 135 degrees, to 
keep water well poured on the surface. I do not 
think that any injurious results will arise from the 
application of water. We have added water very 
freely to our corn ensilage here, and have received 
no results other than beneficial ones. 
Indiana Station. c. s. plumb. 
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PRUNING AND FEEDING A PLUM ORCHARD. 
J. C. W., Alpena, Mich.—I send photographs of specimen trees 
in our plum orchard of 4,000 trees. We have grown no crop in 
the orchard, and kept it well cultivated with plow and spring- 
tooth hai-row. My object in sending you the photos is to show the 
condition and growth of the trees, and their situation. The soil 
on the west side is sand with a red clay subsoil 12 to 22 inches be¬ 
low the surface; the middle is a rich loam with the same kind of 
subsoil, only nearer the surface. The east side is of the same 
character, but not quite so rich, and the clay is only about 8 to 12 
inches below the surface, with some hardhead stones in it, also a 
little shale here and there. At the south side, about the middle of 
the field, is a beaver meadow of about five acres, which is now 
being ditched with three open ditches about four feet wide at the 
top, and three feet deep. The muck, as dug out of the ditches, is 
put about our Fay’s Prolific currant bushes, and about the plum 
trees on the west side. The questions I would like to ask are 
these : How much should these trees be pruned, and when ? We 
also wish to give them a liberal supply of fertilizer; what per¬ 
centage of phosphate and potash should it contain, and from 
what source or in what form ? How should it be applied, and how 
much to a tree ? Can we get enough nitrogen out of the muck ? 
If so, about how much should be applied to a tree ? Would lime 
be of any benefit if added to the muck before applying to the trees? 
Some Advice About Pruning. 
Two typical trees as shown in the photographs, are 
pictured at Fig. 241. These pictures were submitted 
to a number of experts, and some of the comments 
follow : 
I would have preferred to branch plum trees of the 
habit illustrated, even lower. Taken as they are, I 
would aim to continue their present conical form; and, 
since the tendency is sure to be to make the more 
vigorous growth at the top, I would cut back the vig¬ 
orous central shoots more severely, and the side 
branches more lightly, cutting away or thinning the 
weaxer ones if too numerous. No inflexible rule can 
be laid down for this work, since, in each case, the 
amount of cutting must depend largely upon the 
vigor of the tree and also, in a great measure, upon 
the natural habit of the variety. Growing trees can¬ 
not be successfully kept in a strait-jacket. 
Michigan. T. T. LYON. 
I would say, cut off the top branches severely, and 
side branches not so much ; trim so as to grow them 
in width more than in height. I don’t like a tall plum 
tree. I would trim in the fall, as soon as they are 
bare of leaves, or early in spring. I have four-year- 
old plum trees that are models, according to my judg¬ 
ment, admired by all who see them, and the above is 
how they are pruned. N. OHMER. 
Ohio. 
My own plan of handling such trees would be first 
to cut out all the crowding branches, so as to leave a 
well-opened head, and after this shorten in the new 
growth from one-third to one-half, as would best 
serve to balance the trees. Possibly the two or three 
larger limbs in the central tops, I would shorten in 
even more than this; but too much shortening in of 
young, vigorous growing trees, tends to cause them 
to throw out too many side branches, and make a 
thicker head than ever before. However, I am satis¬ 
fied that the Japan plum trees, at least, will always 
require considerable shortening in. j. h. hale. 
Connecticut. 
I have drawn a line over the tops of the plum trees 
indicating about how I would trim them if they were 
mine.—[See Fig. 242 for Wees cut as Mr. Willard sug¬ 
gests.—R. N.-Y.] I would round the tops off, putting 
them into a symmetrical shape. I find this fault very 
prevalent throughout the country. The most difficult 
thing to educate the people up to, is the idea of the 
proper use of the knife at the proper time. The wood 
of the plum has nothing like the tension that the pear 
or apple has ; hence, we often find trees breaking 
down in seasons of an excessive crop. My method is 
to cut our trees in annually during the early stages of 
growth, taking off about one-half of the previous 
year’s growth every winter. By this means, the tree 
is kept thick to the wood, stiff and short, so as to 
carry any crop with safety that may be likely to set 
upon it. There is a further advantage, which is the 
thinning of the fruit upon the tree by this method. 
After the trees become old, by continued cropping the 
growth of wood that is made is very slight; hence, 
there should be then a corresponding reduction in the 
amount of wood taken off by this method of pruning. 
The distance apart at which the trees are planted in 
this instance, is entirely adequate in my opinion. 
New York. s. u. will aril 
What About Feeding With Muck ? 
The standard mixture of chemicals for fruit trees, 
is three parts fine ground bone and one part muriate 
of potash. In the majority of cases, where fertilizers 
are used at all, it is hard to beat that formula when 
cost is fairly considered. In some places, wood ashes 
are so cheap that potash costs less in them than in 
muriate. In Delaware and Maryland, fruit growers 
use more of the dissolved phosphate rock, and less 
bone. They are able to do this because they grow 
large crops of Crimson clover and cow peas, which 
supply the needed nitrogen. Can muck take the place 
of bone to supply the needed nitrogen ? We do not 
think so. The sample of muck sent appears to be of 
good quality, but you should send a sample of it to 
the experiment station at Lansing, Mich., for analysis 
before estimating its value. As a rule, the nitrogen 
in raw muck is inert and of little immediate value as 
plant food. Still, light soils are often greatly helped 
by the use of heavy dressings of muck. This is due 
not so much to the addition of plant food, as to 
changes in the color and texture of the soil. The 
black muck darkens the soil and makes it more reten¬ 
tive of heat and gives organic matter which adds to its 
water-holding power. Our advice would be to use the 
muck without much regard to the nitrogen it con¬ 
tains, and use 500 pounds or more per acre of the mix¬ 
ture of bone and muriate. If good wood ashes can be 
obtained at $8 per ton, they may be substituted for 
the muriate—using two parts ashes to one of bone. 
A Selection of Small Fruits. 
11. 8. J.,, Stella, 0 .—I wish to plant 100 blackcap raspberries, 100 
red raspberries, and 100 blackberries. What would be The R. 
N.-Y.’s choice of varieties for family use ? I am a little south of 
the 39th parallel. I have Bubach, Haverland and Gandy straw¬ 
berries. I would like about three more varieties, one extra early. 
What would be your choice for sandy soil, northern slope ? I wish 
to plant 30 peach trees, mostly white-fleshed freestones, medium 
and late varieties, one or two of the latest. Which would you 
select for family use and to sell in a home market which requires 
the largest size ? 
Ans. —Hilborn and Kansas blackcaps ; Loudon and 
Columbian red raspberries. For blackberries, we 
would try the new Eldorado, which originated in 
Preble County, Ohio. It has not fruited with us yet, 
but it is highly praised for quality, vigor and hardi¬ 
ness by those who profess to know. Maxwell is an 
early blackberry, for which the highest claims are 
made. Erie bears a berry as large as the Lawton, the 
variety being hardier. Snyder and Taylor are among 
the hardiest, but the fruit is undei’sized. If Kitta- 
tinny thrives in your part of Ohio, we would suggest 
it. For strawberries, we would name Beder Wood, 
Rio and Shuster’s Gem. Peaches: Morris White, 
Mountain Rose, Nectarine peach, Oldmixon Free and 
Ward’s Late. 
Potted Strawberry Plants. 
N. B., Medford , Wis .—I have read in some horticultural books 
and papers about propagating strawberry plants from cuttings, 
and storing late potted plants over winter to set in the spring, 
but they do not give the methods, or even hint at how it is done ? 
Can The R. N.-Y. throw any light on the subject? 
Ans. —In The R. N.-Y. of September 3, 1887, a 
method of potting strawberry runners in a shaded 
bed, was illustrated and described. The runners, 
many of which had begun to form roots, were taken 
from the parent plant, each was planted in a small 
plot, and all were plunged m a bed of soil so arranged 
as to be shaded from the sun until the plants were 
well rooted. Here they were watered freely until 
well grown. Plants potted in the field are held over 
by simply leaving them in the soil where they gi*ew, 
until spring, when they are taken up. We fail to see 
any particular advantage in these. 
Waterproofing Muslin. 
G. M. A., Tamaroa, III. —How can I make heavy, unbleached 
muslin waterproof, for stack covers ? 
Ans. —Thoroughly saturating it with linseed oil, is 
perhaps as good a method as-any ; but there is danger 
of spontaneous combustion from the use of this, it is 
said. Heavy canvas is excellent for such purposes, 
and needs no prepai-ation. 
How to Empty the Silo. 
W. T. T., Zeb, N. 0 .—What is the best plan of feeding ensilage 
from a silo 10x20 feet ? I am feeding now 14 head of cattle. In 
feeding it last winter, it spoiled some as we were using it. 
Ans. —The idea is to give the least possible exposure 
to the air. Take out one feed at a time, taking enough 
off the entire surface to give what you need. Better 
use a shovel than a fork for this purpose, as the latter 
will loosen or stir up the mass too much. 
Books on Cranberry Culture. 
F. W. W., Rochester, N. Y .—Is there a book published treating 
on cranberry culture ? If so, where may it be obtained ? 
Ans. —Cranberry Culture, by White, illustrated and 
bound in cloth $1.25, or Cape Cod Cranberries, by 
Webb, paper 40 cents, are both good, and will be sent 
postpaid from this office on receipt of price. 
To Learn the Buttermaker's Trade. 
A. 8., Corning, N. Y.—l have read that there is a good chance 
for a young man to get work at good wages at butter and cheese¬ 
making. I am a farmer’s son, and would like to learn some 
trade. Where would be the best place for me to learn, and what 
would it cost ? 
Ans. —Yes, there are good chances in creameries or 
on large farms for expert buttermakers. We advise 
you to take the short course in dairying at Cornell 
University this winter. That will give you some of 
the scientific principles of good dairying, and then 
you can work in a creamery and leaim more of the 
Xiractical side of it. That is a good way for a farmer’s 
son to pass the winter. Write to Prof. I. P. Roberts, 
Ithaca, N. Y,, for full particulars. 
Eight Dollars sure, with chances for $50, awaits 
any man or woman, boy or girl, who spends some of his 
spare time on our November contest. See page 702. 
