634 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 6, 192i, 
to the fraction of a second. Can we afford to be 
without this convenience? A good set, costing no 
more than a good phonograph, brings this wonderful 
free service in our homes, and no records to buy. 
WORSHIP BY WIRELESS.—Then last, but not 
least, we have the church service brought to us. I 
do not dote on churches myself, but cannot help but 
like to listen in at some distant church services and 
music that would please the most disinterested. A 
few weeks ago the Sunday evening program at 
Newark grew tiresome, so I turned the knobs to 
their proper position to get Pittsburg. I heard an 
organ, and thought, "Gee, this is swell!” It was 
not many minutes before I found that I was inside 
the Emory Episcopal Church on Shady Avenue, 
Pittsburg, Pa. The choir was a wonder, and the 
sermon as good. I never cared for sermons, but 
found this interesting. I heard the service all 
through, and the real service, not one manufactured 
before the horn at the broadcasting station, but the 
horn was inside this church, and is every Sunday 
evening, as well as services from other churches dur¬ 
ing the morning and afternoon. This was interest¬ 
ing, and a new one, so Palm Sunday I tuned in 
Pittsburg at 7:25 p, m. so as to be early, and heard 
the chimes of the church ringing, which lasted about 
to minutes. Just as the last peal was dying out. the 
organ and a host of violins started playing “The 
Palms.” Wasn't this worth the price of the set? I 
thought it was. You can hear every word and sound, 
even to the echo, just the same as if you were there 
in person. 
SIMPLICITY OF OPERATION—The radio¬ 
phone is as simple to operate as rhe house 'phone, a 
little experimenting in turning the knobs being re¬ 
quired at first to find their various positions for the 
different stations, and one precaution must betaken: 
that is. to be careful and not light up the tubes too 
brightly, or their life may be greatly shortened. 
Aside from the tubes and batteries, which should 
last for years, the set will be as efficient after gen¬ 
erations as when new, unless wilfully abused. It is 
something that, once bought, will not. as the auto, 
have to be bought again so my advice is, when you 
buy. get a good one and there will be no regrets. 
FIRST COST—A set of the better type, with two 
stages of amplification, will cost around $250. com¬ 
plete. They are advertised for about $150, but the 
necessary accessories, such as tubes, 'phones, storage 
and "B” battery, ground switch, aerial wire and 
insulators and loud-speaking horn. etc., brings it up 
to this figure. Sets for much less will bring this 
service to you, but much is sacrificed. They will not 
have the “pep” to operate a horn and amuse the 
rest of the family and friends, nor will they have as 
far-reaching range as the better kind. My set has 
three steps, or stages, of amplification, which would 
cost around $300 if I had not built it myself, sav¬ 
ing about $100. but I do not often use the third 
step, though it is nice to have handy when music 
comes in weak. I have had a set of the poorer kinds 
for the past is years, this amateur experience being 
valuable in “rolling my own" when it became neces¬ 
sary to have a regular set. 
EFFICIENT APPLIANCES.—In closing I may 
say that the tuning part of the set is most impor¬ 
tant. for the ideas of various manufacturers to save 
paying the royalty on the efficient types of tuners, 
are usually poor, and interfering stations cannot be 
tuned out with These makeshifts, resulting in a com¬ 
bination of jazz, opera, speech, or just plain noise. 
You will need what is known as a short wave regen¬ 
erative set. which tunes very sharp, and is far su- 
] erior to the honeycomb coil, which may be also 
used with fair results for this work. This short 
wave set has two vario-meters and a vario-cuupler, 
and may be purchased at a wide range of prices, de¬ 
pending on the material used and workmanship; 
also the amount of nerve the various manufacturers 
have in asking tlieir price. However, there is little 
difference in the results, regardless of the price, it 
is well to hear some of the different sets in operation 
at the dealer’s before buying. john r. purcell. 
New Yorfi. 
A Poultry House of Concrete Plaster 
and Wire Fencing 
T HE c-ut, Fig. 273, shows a poultry house built 
for Mrs. L. B. Mc-Dermid of Michigan that is 
something of a novelty because of its method of 
construction. The plan and dimensions are those 
of a Cornell publication, hut the walls, instead of 
wood, are built of concrete plaster over poultry net¬ 
ting and wire fencing. 
This house is 20x24 ft. in size, with a 4-ft. exten¬ 
sion for feed room. The floor is of concrete, being 
raised about 1 ft. above the ground level by a filling 
of stones and dirt, and having a layer of tarred felt¬ 
ing imbedded about 2 in. below (be surface to stop 
any penetration of moisture from below. A 6-in. 
wall encloses and becomes part of the floor. A 2x6- 
in. sill is laid 1 in. within the outer edge of the wall, 
so that the plaster, which is about 1 in. in thickness, 
is flush with the outer face of (lie wall; 2x4 studs 
are spaced 28 in. apart, for convenience in setting 
windows, and the 2x0 rafters are supported at their 
centers by a 4xG beam running the length of the 
house. The front of the building is S ft. and the 
rear 5 ft. in height. 
After bracing the corner posts, poultry netting 
was stretched tightly over the outside of the studs 
and stapled in place. Light-weight fencing might 
have been used. This poultry netting served as 
backing for building paper, which was laid over it. 
It was stretched very tightly, so that it would not 
sag when troweled against. Over the building paper 
wire fencing was stretched and stapled, to serve as 
Poultrii-house of Concrete anil Wire Fencing. F>U- 273 
reinforcement for the concrete plaster that was to 
he troweled against the building paper with its wire 
backing. 
The plaster, which was about 1 in. in thickness, 
was made of two parts Portland cement, one part 
wood pulp plaster and nine parts fine sharp sand. 
The wood pulp plaster was used to cause the mor¬ 
tar to spread easily and adhere readily. A second, 
or finishing, coat was used, and this was made from 
three parts Portland cement and six parts sand. 
This was put on before the first coat had become 
entirely dry. 
Two of the windows are shown dropped back at 
their tops for ventilation, and what appear to he 
slatted blinds filling in the spaces between the win¬ 
dows are Cornell wind bafflers. Mrs. McPermid says 
that, the building is warm in the Winter and entirely 
satisfactory in every respect. The walls are. of 
course, airtight upon all sides but the front, and the 
expense of building is said to have been less than 
would have been the ease if lumber had been used. 
m. fi. t>. 
Rapidly Growing Trees for Shade 
I wish to plant 25 or 30 rapid growing trees along 
the street and about our buildings. I was considering 
the Carolina poplar. However, I am advised to set 
Balm of Gilead instead. I do not know this tree, and 
can find no complete or satisfactory description <>l’ it. 
Perhaps you can help me. I wish to set about 50-rod 
street line; also around buildings. 1 know maples and 
elms are finest, but I uish a tree that will come on fast 
and yet make a respectable appearance. w. e. k. 
Skaneateles, N. Y. 
RAPIDLY growing tree, which will grow under 
the somewhat rigorous conditions of these 
Northeastern States and meet satisfactorily all the 
requirements of the property owner and his neigh¬ 
bors. the forester, aild. lust of all. the mill man. is 
yet to be discovered. By rapidly growing one means 
such a tree as the Carolina poplar, which under fair 
conditions will grow from four to six feet in. height 
and from half an inch to an inch in diameter each 
year. In 10 years one can expect a very praise¬ 
worthy shade tree—as far as size is concerned. But 
there are so many drawback to the poplar that it 
is in comparatively small favor. In fact, many cities 
and villages have ordinances whic-li forbid anybody 
from planting it. 
The use of either Carolina poplar (Populus del- 
rtoides) or Balm of Gilead (Populus balsamifera) 
on country places should depend upon local circum¬ 
stances. The principal reason for discouraging the 
planting of any of the poplars is because of the 
vigorous system of surface roots. Walks and road¬ 
ways are often badly uphoaved. foundations to build¬ 
ings are often cracked, and water pipes ruined. The 
roots have a most disastrous tendency to find an 
entrance into the slightest crevice in a drain tile or 
water pipe. Once a single root gains entrance into 
the water pipe, the opportunity is enlarged upon 
and there later develops a mass of rootlets which 
eventually block the passageway. 
In the Spring each of these trees produces an 
abundance of seeds, which arc borne out by the wind 
on wings of cottony white fibers. This accounts 
for the common name of cottonwood. The buds of 
each of the trees are resinous and shiny, hut those of 
the Balm uf Gilead are particularly sticky, and 
with a balsam-like odor. The leaves of the Balm 
of Gilead are distinctly heart-shaped, from three to 
five inches long, alternate on the twig, and with a 
stem usually not so long as is the blade of the leaf. 
The Carolina poplar has a leaf much more triangular 
in shape, hence its scientific name, deltoides , or like 
a delta. The size is not noticeably different, but the 
stem is usually longer than the leaf blade. Each of 
these trees is native in New York State. The Balm 
of Gilead is capable of growing to a larger size, but 
on the whole it offers little or no advantage over the 
ordinary Carolina poplar. Specimens of either tree 
can usually be secured from any nurseryman, or 
can be propagated by means of cuttings. 
There are probably places throughout this country 
where the poplars are more desirable than any other 
tree for shade purposes. I have seen them growing 
magnificently along the irrigation ditches of the 
Southwest, where scarcely any other tree could have 
withstood the combination of intense Summer heat, 
the dry atmosphere, and the more or less constant 
wetting from the ditch. I have seen them growing 
under trying conditions in the cities where the soft 
coal smoke and dust would ruin the leaves of more 
tender species. The glossy, varnished surface of 
the poplar leaves is capable of withstanding such 
treatment, and the trees pro§per. But under favor¬ 
able climatic conditions of the country districts of 
New York State there are so many more desirable 
trees that it seems very short-sighted to put in any 
number of either Carolina poplar or Balm of Gilead. 
Two of our best trees for street and lawn planting 
have been mentioned by the inquirer. What is more 
stately than an avenue of American elms, with the 
branches rising and forming high overhead an arch 
of truly Gothic lines? The maple lacks something 
of the sublimity of the elm, but. there is a sturdy 
strength about its close-cropped head that lends dig¬ 
nity to its surroundings. And they are not such 
slow-growing trees. Ten years will make a very 
respectable little shade tree, although, of course. 
30 years does better. A hundred years later that 
tree will still be there, a monument to the man who 
planted it. while the poplar will he old and breaking 
down at 30 years. To he sure, there are insects 
that sometimes injure the elm and maple, hut that 
is also true of the poplars. A little of the same 
treatment that one naturally expects to give to fruit 
trees will help to keep the shade trees healthy. 
Other trees which are worth considering in the 
vicinity of Skaneateles are the red oak. the pin 
oak. basswood, and white ash. The oaks are re¬ 
markably free from insect injury, and are very long- 
lived. Individual specimens of hickory and horse 
chestnut are often very pleasing, but because of the 
nuts and early falling leaves they are not at all sat¬ 
isfactory for planting along a roadway or street. 
g. h. c. 
A Big Sunflower 
T HE big egg contest seems to have been won by 
Mr. Clayton of New Jersey. The egg lie sent 
us, pictured on page 522. seems to be the limit of a 
hen’s production. It is quite surprising how many of 
these big eggs were laid by Red bens. It has been 
generally taken for granted that the Leghorns pro¬ 
duce tlie largest eggs, but the Reds have surely 
beaten them. We have had several letters from peo¬ 
ple who want to know how to prevent their hens 
from laying these monsters. We do not know how 
to do that without, stopping the egg production eu- 
tirelyi 
But. the big egg question having been settled, now 
comes the big sunflower stalks. Fifty years ago 
there was a popular song. 
"I feel just as happy as a big sunflower 
That stands right still in the breezes.” 
►Somehow the sunflower is a favorite plant for 
gardeners to brag about. The picture shown at Fig. 
274 seems to make a record. This plant stood' 13 ft. 
10 in. high. Can you beat it? It was grown by a 
It. N.-Y. subscriber, Mr. A. G. Bookwalter, of Hutch- 
ess Co.. N. V. The two children, who are evidently 
as “happy as a big sunflower," are Edwina and 
Lewis Bookwalter. 
Ltttt.e chicks like earthworms, and there is much 
poetry about eating them. The truth is that these 
worms may convey gapeworms to the little chicks. They 
are better without worms! 
A KECE.NT mortgage sale in Orange Co.. N. Y., re¬ 
vealed two unusual terms in the original deed. One is 
that no intoxicating liquors shall be sold on the prem¬ 
ises. and no building of less than $1,000 value shall be 
erected. 
