992 
RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
New  England  Notes 
Ancient  Foe  Makes  New  Raids 
WiteliRrOKS,  couchRMss,  Tucker  gt-siss, 
twitcliKrass!  Ry  any  of  its  dozen  local 
names,  it  lias  the  same  Iojir,  white  roots 
mid  coarse,  rank  leaves,  null  New  Eng- 
laml  is  full  of  it  this  year.  Never  was 
there  such  a  season,  it  is  contended,  for 
the  growth  of  this  ancient  pest  of  the 
tillage  crops. 
“The  whole  town  of  T  —  is  like  one 
solid  witchgrass  sod."  said  Ag’l  Sec. 
Wilfrid  Wheeler.  "The  farmers  have 
about  given  tip  trying  to  hoe  their  corn 
and  potatoes,  and  have  gone  to  mowing 
witchgra ss."  It  is  not  so  had  every¬ 
where.  In  a  trip  through  central  New 
England  last  week  the  writer  noticed 
many  fields  that  seemed  to  he  el  ram  not¬ 
withstanding  the  weather.  Down  the 
valley  in  t’onnecticnt,  there  seemed  to 
lie  comparatively  little  witehgrnss,  hut 
farmers  complain  instead  of  the  white 
daisy  which  often  makes  lmy  so  hitter 
that  cows  will  hardly  eat  it,  and  horses, 
although  they  will  eat  it.  do  not  thrive 
on  smh  ditl.  Up  North,  witehgrnss 
shares  with  Orange  liawkweod  its  claims 
as  a  prime  farm  nuisance. 
Veteran  Farmer  11.  A.  Turner  of  llm 
South  .Shore  region  used  to  have  a  plan 
which  he  never  tired  of  recommending 
as  a  sure  CUfe  for  witehgrnss,  If  was 
the  Swede  turnip  crop.  He  would  plow 
and  harrow  the  infested  piece  and  would 
keep  it  harrowed  until  the  grass  laid  been 
thoroughly  Worried  and  its  Spring  enthu¬ 
siasm  well  Riihdlicd.  Then,  as  late  as 
the  crop  would  mature,  lie  would  drill 
in  Hie  turnips  with  some  phosphate.  The 
tillage  and  weeding  at  that  season  he 
said,  would  give  little  more  trouble  than 
on  other  land,  and  it  was  good  night  1<> 
the  witchgrass.  The  point  is  that  mid¬ 
summer  is  the  weak  growing  time  with 
tliis  plant.  After  June,  it  sprouts  and 
grows  slowly,  and  if.  dies  if  not  allowed 
to  make  tops.  Of  course  any  dean,  late 
crop  would  act.  like  turnips,  lmt.  these 
soon  shade  the  ground,  and  they  are  often 
a  very  good  paying  crop  in  themselves, 
f’nhhnges  and  late  idnnted  sweet,  corn  are 
recommended  by  others  for  the  same  gen¬ 
eral  object.  Hut  it  is  doubtful  if  any 
farm  crop  will  do  such  a  thorough  job 
as  Swede  turnips  tended  as  they  should 
be,  Seeding  down  to  pasture  will  do  it. 
The  persistence  of  witehgrnss  is  uadi 
that  il  grows  most  vigorously  where  least, 
wanted.  ft  tights  hard  and  successfully 
against  common  tillage.  Hut  try  to  make 
a  permanent  pasture  of  witchgrass  by 
simply  letting  it.  alone,  and  it  will  dis¬ 
appear,  unable  to  survive  a  hard  sod 
and  close  grazing,  against  such  apparent* 
ly  feeble  rivals  as  White  clover  and  Hlue 
grass. 
Witdigrass  in  n  field  of  corn  or  pota¬ 
toes  is  had  enough.  Fighting  it  some¬ 
times  takes  away  all  the  profit.  Aroos¬ 
took  growers  sometimes  give  up  potato 
raising  in  n  field  where  it  appears.  II. 
is  worse  in  a  strawberry  plantation  or 
in  an  onion  patch,  but  if  is  worst  of  all 
in  a  young  orchard,  and  if  currants  or 
other  permanent  plants  are  among  the 
trees,  there  is  the  positive  limit  of  al¬ 
most  hopeless  conditions  for  clear  tillage. 
About,  tlie  only  way  will  he  to  get  a  lot 
of  marsh  ha.v  and  mulch  the  young  trees, 
using  about  a  ton  to  each  l(M)  trees.  The 
space  between  the  rows  may  he  subdued 
fairly  well  with  plow  and  .harrow,  but 
there  will  be  witdigrass  as  long  ns  the 
orchards  lasts,  and  the  infested  orchard 
ina.v  he  as  durable  as  any,  at.  that.  Only 
it  will  cost  considerably  more  for  tillage. 
When  the  trees  arc  large,  the  witdigrass 
is  not  an  unmixed  evil  It  is  a  cover 
crop  with  a  big  and  it  supplies  more 
vegetable  matter  to  the  soil  than  most 
other  crops.  If  the  space  between  is  bur 
rowed  dean,  even  in  one  direction,  t lie 
large  trees  should  do  well,  Hut  the  wise 
orchardist  will  'keep  it  out  if  he  can. 
An  old  piece  that  has  not  been  plowed  for 
a  very  long  time  is  likely  to  be  free  of 
if.  If  there  is  a  patch  of  it  anywhere 
among  the  young  trees,  every  roof  should 
he  dug,  or  the  patch  covered  with  mulch 
or  rooting  paper,  to  make  sure  that  every 
sign  of  life  is  smothered  out.  Otherwii  >, 
the  roots  will  he  carried  on  the  plow  or 
cultivator,  and  soon  tla-re  will  he  a  doz¬ 
en  patches  instead  of  one.  Manure  from 
feeding  witdigrass  hay  should  never  he 
used  on  pieces  free  of  the  pest.  Next  to 
dragging  the  roots,  that  is  the  most  com¬ 
mon  cuuhc  of  its  spread. 
Fertilizing  New  England  Orchards 
The  Maine  station  seems  to  have 
joined  t  he  list  of  the  doubt  fill  regarding 
the  profit  from  using  fertilizers  in  hear¬ 
ing  apple  orchards.  The  two  years  ex¬ 
periments  hi  llighmooi.  using  ready- 
mixed  goods  and  nitrate,  show  just,  about 
enough  average  gain  in  weight,  of  1  lie 
apple  crop  to  pay  for  the  fertilizers.  The 
difference  compared  with  the  unfertil¬ 
ized  trees  was  too  slight  in  any  respect 
to  he  noticed,  hut  appeared  on  the  scales. 
The  soil  is  described  as  rather  shallow 
wilh  stubborn  subsoil. 
Those  results  so  far  are  nearly  in  line 
with  the  well-known  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  re¬ 
port,  hut  contrast  sharply  with  the  big 
gains  in  both  growth  ami  yield  from  fer¬ 
tilizing  fit  the  Massachusetts  Station 
witli  its  soil  lighter  and  more  porous 
than  the  others.  The  I’ennsylvania  Sta¬ 
tion,  too,  showed  a  yield  two  or  three 
times  larger  from  the  fertilized  trees,  and 
the  difference  in  the  thrift  of  the  two 
sets  of  frees  is  plain  to  he  seen  even  in 
the  photographs. 
The  net  results  of  the  two  opposing 
sets  of  station  results  may  cause  nppl- 
growers  on  heavy  soil,  to  hedge  methods 
a  little;  cautions  perhaps  about  spending 
money  directly  for  the  application  of 
fertilizers  to  hearing  apple  trees,  hut 
raising  crops  between  and  letting  the 
trees  use  what  they  can  get.  of  1  ho  dress¬ 
ings  applied  for  the  Inter-crops,  la 
parts  of  New  England,  squashes  and 
pumpkins  are  favorite  crops  for  old  up 
chords  because  of  their  few  rows,  their 
covering  quality  and  their  early  har¬ 
vest.  Under  average  orchard  conditions 
they  are  expected  at.  least  to  repay  the 
tillage  and  manure,  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  effect  of  the  tillage  shows 
promptly  in  the  vigorous  appearance  of 
the  trees,  and  the  size  and  improved 
texture  of  the  fruit.  Maybe  the  whole 
thing  will  simmer  down  to  the  proposi¬ 
tion  tliut  if  the  soil  has  not  been  made 
rigid,  previously,  or  by  nature,  it.  must 
he  put  in  condition,  and  the  more  open 
the  soil  the  more  quickly  and  thorough¬ 
ly  will  surface  applications  take  effect. 
<•.  B.  C, 
Wearing  Out  of  the  Roads 
Many  of  the  New  England  taxpayers 
are  becoming  restive  over  the  way  in 
which  their  money  is  being  spent  on 
roads  flint  benefit  other  pimple  chiefly. 
Writes  H.  Walker  McKeen,  Urauge  lec¬ 
turer  and  formerly  Agricultural  Uorumis- 
sinner  :  “The  State  money  is  being  spent 
for  through  roach,  often  of  little  use  in 
thi!  towns  through  which  they  pass.  Tour¬ 
ists  from  'other  States  wear  them  out 
with  fast  auto  travel.  But  the  towns 
along  tin-  route  have  to  pay  for  most,  of 
the  maintenance  of  roads  and  bridges. 
The  local  people  and  the  public  suffer  the 
burden  and  receive  little  advantage  from 
the  loads."  The  situation  in  Southern 
New  England  seems  about  like  that.  The 
improved  roads  are  well  known  to  auto* 
inis  and  truck  drivers,  who  pound  over 
them  to  the  limit  night  and  day.  It  costs 
a  lot  of  money  to  build  a  road  that  will 
stand  up  even  fairly  well  under  Hindi 
traffic,  and  the  repair  hills  are  heavy. 
The  law  is  such  that  towns  are  often 
forced  to  make  heavy  appropriations  for 
building  and  repaving  roads  not  much 
used  by  local  people.  Local  roads  that 
are  part  of  the  route  between  important 
centres  are  subject  to  great  abuse. 
Trucks  carrying  the  load  of  a  freight  car 
and  with  double-rim  tires  cut  great  gul¬ 
lies  when  frost  is  coining  out  in  the 
Spring,  and  later  they  wear  holes  in  the 
patent  surfaced  roads  when  softened  by 
Summer  beat,  Tlu-y  strain  weak  bridges 
and  make  horse  travel  precarious.  Many 
of  the  power  vehicles  are  licit  even  owned 
in  the  same  State.  The  result,  of  all  this 
is  an  increase-  of  sentiment  in  favor  of 
equnlizal ion  of  the  road  harden;  either  by 
more*  tax  upon  the  aelual  heavy  use-rs  of 
the  through  highways,  or  to  turn  e>vpr  the 
whole  road  system  to  the  States,  thus 
forci rig  t ho  large  cities  which  supply  so 
much  of  t  lie*  traffic,  to  pay  a  larger  share 
of  the  cost. 
Alfalfa  in  Vermont 
Here  and  there  in  Vermont  Alfalfa  is 
working  in  siiccc** fully-  Uurl  Fletch¬ 
er  of  Shelburne  gives  us  a  statement  of 
his  five  a  e-re-  lie-id  of  Alfalfa  which  was 
cut  on  May  2!Mh  of  this  year.  The  Al¬ 
falfa  stood  "0  inches  high,  and  was  very 
thick  and  eve-n,  and  is  probably  the  he-xt; 
Alfalfa  field  In  that  part  of  Vermont. 
Mr.  Fletcher  says  that  last  year,  when 
ttie-y  Intel  an  exceptionally  long  growing 
Henson,  this  fie-lel  was  cut  five  time's,  and 
yielded  an  overage  of  one-  ton  to  the  acre 
for  each  cutting.  The  first,  cutting  this 
year  was  put  in  the  barn  on  June  fid, 
and  ave-raged  a  little  better  than  two 
tons  to  the-  acre.  This  field  was  originally 
se-e-de-d  on  the-  first  of  August.  There  was 
ne>  nurse-  crop,  hut  Hie-  Alfalfa  seed  wax 
put.  in  alone.  Lime-  was  freely  used,  and 
the  seed  was  inoculated  wilh  commercial 
bae-teriii.  If  Vermont,  farmers  generally 
could  produce  sue-h  crops  as  this  ,nt  least 
one-third  of  their  annua]  grain  bill  would 
hec  wipe-il  out.  Mr.  Fletcher  also  seeds 
rye-  and  vete-h  as  a  cover  crop  at  the  last 
cultivation  of  corn.  Last  year  this  crop 
by  June-  1st  was  fU/fj  feet  high,  re-aely  to 
l><-  turned  tinder  for  corn  en-  Alfalfa  as 
desired.  There-  is  no  question  about,  the 
value  of  lime  and  cover  crops  to  our 
Eastern  Stales,  anel  these  will  lead  to  nil 
increased  use-d  of  Alfalfa. 
Juno  21.  Tim  meadows  are  short  for 
the-  time  of  year.  The  Winter  wheat  and 
grass  was  badly  winter-killed.  Eggs,  20e- 
per  dozen* ;  butter,  20<-,  Peaches  ami 
cherries  only  about  a  half  crop.  There 
are  several  large  commercial  orchards 
in  this  section.  a.  w.  v. 
Antioch,  W.  Va. 
June  21.  Tn  t li Is  locality  the  weather 
has  bi-e-n  quite  we-t,  and  also  cold  for  the 
season,  yet  it  see-ms  that  the  corn  is 
growing  fairly  well  Tin*  farmers  have  it 
pretty  well  cleaned  up,  and  now  ready 
for  harvest.  Hay  never  looked  better; 
some*  have  begun  to  harvest;  so  much 
rain  that  they  do  not  g<-t  much  chance  to 
July  15,  191G. 
ge-i  It  in.  Very  fair  outlook  for  fruit. 
Cows  are  selling  for  $G5  to  corn, 
.85  to  flOc. ;  oats,  <>0  to  <I5e, ;  hay,  $22  to 
$25;  creamery  butter,  "2  to  25c. ;  eggx, 
22.  Calves,  $11  to  $12.50  per  he-ael  ; 
milk.  $1.05  per  100  lbs.,  4.20  tost..  Much 
talk  about  the  low  price  of  milk  and  the* 
farmers  are  early  hoping  for  better  price's 
and  are  going  after  it-  T.  if.  o. 
Oxford,  I’a. 
PROSPERITY  IN’  OA  N'  A  DA  — $000,01)0,000  tn 
new  wen  I  tie  ii  elder]  m  Enormous  ei-ops  and 
low  luxation  quilt-*  farmer*  id  oh.  Wheal:  uve*r- 
ngo,  80. PI  InmlieU  per  lie-re  In  Alberta,  2S.75 
buhlu-lte  per  ni-m  In  Haaknti'liowan,  2H.f><)  bushel* 
per  ae-re  In  Mnult-ibn,  Taxes  average  $24  and 
will  not  evened  fie-r  quarter  Heel  Ion,  ln- 
elndi-H  all  Iujli-u,  no  Inxe-  on  Improvements. 
Tree  ftctioolx  and  full  religions  liberty;  good 
ellnmte,  (let  your  I'arnt  home  from  the-  Cana- 
illan  Pacific  Railway;  20  years  to  pay.  flood 
land  from  $11  to  $30  per  ae-re-;  Irrigated  lands 
from  $33,  and  the  government  guaranU-eH  your 
land  ami  water  IIUi-m.  linlntire,  after  (1rnt  pay¬ 
ment,  extended  over  ninefeert  yearn,  with  lii- 
P-reat  at.  0%;  privilege*  of  paying  In  full  any 
time.  Ilefore-  tliml  payment  beeotnex  dtp-  your 
farm  Should  hove  paid  lor  Itself.  We  will  lend 
you  up  to  $2,000  In  Improvements  In  certain  dls- 
trletee,  with  no  security  other  than  the  land 
Itself.  Particulars  on  re-quest.  Readymade 
fame,  for  sale.  Special  easy  terms.  I, natl  for 
live-stock.  Jo  d edited  districts,  aft'-r  one  year's 
occupation,  under  certain  conditions  we  advance 
cattle,  sheep  amt  hog-  to  farmer-  up  to  a  value 
of  $1,000.  We  want  you;  we  can  afford  to  help 
Buffalo  Markets 
Potatoes  are  high.  The  farmer  gets 
$1.15,  the  wholesale  price  is  $1.40  and 
consumers  pay  above  $1.50.  Then*  will 
he-  no  early  crop  in  western  Ne.-w  York 
and  il  is  feared  that  (lie-  late*  crop  will 
be-  very  short. 
Roan*  are  scarce-,  with  the  coining  e-r->p 
n  problem.  The  farm  price  is  $1.05  for 
red  kidney,  ami  $5.1)0  for  pea  and  me- 
eliitm.  City  wluth-stile-  prices  tire*  $1.00 
for  pen  ami  medium,  with  no  figures  on 
kidney  or  marrow. 
Other  vegetables  are  firm,  <>n  account 
of  the  failure  of  most  id’  the  lue-al  grow¬ 
ers  to  raise  a  crop.  Asparagus  is  $1,25 
to  $2  per  dozen  hunches;  home-grown 
beets,  <X5  cents  per  doZi-ri  bunches;  wax 
beans  $2  per  hamper;  cabbage-  $2  anil  $'..’. H5 
per  small  or  large  crate-;  celery  Is  and  20 
cents  per  doz,  Kalamazoo;  b-ttuee  25 
and  35  cents  per  doz.,  borne  grown; 
home  grown  peas  $2.85  per  Ini.;  radishes 
lx  and  20  cents  per  doz.  hunches;  spin¬ 
ach  50  and  05  cents  per  bu.  Hothouse* 
cucumbers  are  $1  and  $1.75  per  hamper 
and  tomatoes  $1.50  ami  $2.75  pet*  car¬ 
rier. 
The  homo  strawberry  crop  is  just 
coming  in.  It  is  usually  hurt  by  dry 
weather,  but  the  injury  is  now  from 
rain.  Prices  are  5  and  11  cents  per 
quart,  with  consumers  paying  12  and  15 
cents  for  good  fruit.  There  are  some 
southern  raspberries  at  1)  and  11  cents 
ami  huckleberries  at  IS  anel  20  cents  per 
quart. 
Apples  are  scnrci*,  prices  running  as 
high  as  $5  for  best  reel  and  $2.50  anil 
$5  fur  No.  2.  Oniuus  are*  $2.25  for  Tex- 
tis  yellow  per  crate,  $2.75  ami  $2  per 
California  sack. 
Melons  are  plenty  and  good  for  the 
time*  of  the  year,  heiug  $2  and  $2.25  per 
California  crate  anel  40  anil  45  cents 
each  for  watermelons.  The*  cheap  com¬ 
modity  is  still  pine*  tip  pies,  good-sized  ones 
redtiiling  for  5  cents,  the  wholesale  price 
being  $2  and  $3.50  per  crate,  other 
southern  fruits  are  higher,  oranges  be¬ 
ing  $3  and  $1.50  anil  lemons  $2.50  and  $5 
per  crate.  Orapefrnit  is  $2.50  and  $1.50 
per  box, 
Rutter  is  steady  at  32  cents  for  be*st 
creamery,  down  to  27  cents  for  fancy 
crocks  and  22  cents  for  poor  gnuh-s. 
Chrivse  is  17  cents  for  highest  grade  and 
14  cents  for  common.  Trade  is  fair. 
Eggs  are*  firm  at.  21  and  27  cents.  Cool 
wet  weather  helps  e*gg  conditions,  hut 
injures  the  fowls.  Dressed  poultry  is 
11)  and  22  ee-rils  for  fowl,  20  ami  32 
reals  for  broilers,  22  and  23  for  Spring 
iliieks  ami  11)  cents  for  geese,  with  live* 
poultry  3  cents  below  frozen.  Turki*ys 
are  offered  only  frozen,  tit  25  ami  20 
emits.  j.  w.  C. 
Apple  Farms  in  the  Hudson  Valley 
Wo  want,  ambition*  young  unm  to  talui  tin  ncfoiitilTc 
njqilii  rnltnro  in  Rue!  Hook,  tilt)  town  of  bountiful 
applet!.  Splendid  natural  advantages  and  nearness 
to  market*.  Wo  aro  offering  Homo  ox-optional  or¬ 
chard  pronartiivt,  opnortnnltm*  utotico  for  tho  right 
malt.  (Jail  on  ns.  Platt  &  Toulor,  Red  Hook,  N  i. 
140  Acres — 14-Room  House 
water  piped  to  house  and  barn;  only  !i  tnilns  to  tho 
InrgontKiioofufftory  in  tho  world;  bnvnlQjcH;  wagon 
and  tool  hour;*;  him  liomia;  lioglioii-e;  wood  Iioiiko; 
l  i  uit  liability .  H-  mite  to  school ;  lkl  uillem  to  Kail- 
Road  town.  Good  location.  *>I<1  man  will,  it  sold 
at  once*,  take  $1,000  ca*h;  balance),  time. 
Hall's  Farm  A  goncy,  Onego,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y. 
'T'lIE  best  Primer.  Cuts  >/£- inch 
*  dry  branch.  Quick,  clean, 
easy  cut  We  will  send  it  post 
paid  for  one  new  yearly  subscrip¬ 
tion  at  $1,  or  for  club  of  10  ten 
week  trials  at  10  cents  each. 
These  nrttelea  are  not  given  with  n  sub- 
scriptloii  to  Tho  Hural  New-Yorker,  but 
tire  given  to  » tio  agent  a*  n  reward,  In 
place  of  mail,  for  ex  ten-ling  the  subscrip¬ 
tion  llat  of  Tho  Rural  Now-Yorkor. 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER, 
338  WEST  30lh  8T.,  NEW  YORK. 
.••A  BOUT  two  years  ago,”  said  one  160-acre 
farmer,  “while  I  did  not  think  I  really 
needed  an  engine,  I  bought  a  Titan  engine  because  of 
what  some  of  my  neighbors  said.  At  the  time,  I  thought 
I  was  extravagant. 
“But  now,  alter  i’vo  used  it  a  couple  of  years,  I'm  glad  that 
•I  woke  up  finally  to  the  vuluu  of  engine  power  in  handling  tho 
small  jobs  about  my  place,  especially  tho  summer  work,  such  as 
pumping,  grinding,  tool  repairing,  and  running  small  machines. 
When  a  small  engine  lakes  so  many  mean,  tiresome  little  jobs  oif 
a  farmer's  hands,  the  extravagance  consists  xu  going  without  an 
engine/1 
International  Harvester  Mogul  and  Titan  engines  are  of  all 
styles,  all  sizes  from  1  to  50-horse  power,  for  all  purposes.  There 
are  no  better  engines  made,  none  more  economical  to  run,  or  that 
furnish  steadier,  more  dependable  power.  You  cannot  go  wrong 
in  your  choice  of  an  engine  if  you  buy  a  Mogul  or  Titan.  The 
local  dealers  who  handle  these  engines  can  prove  these  state¬ 
ments,  and  show  you  tho  engines,  bee  them,  or  write  us  tor  a 
catalogue. 
International  Harvester  Company  of  America  . 
(Incorporated) 
ill  CHICAGO  USA  (f 
