4 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
* 
r eJa were filled with the apples just as they 
came from the tree, without sortiog. The re¬ 
maining apples were carefully sorted into two 
grades, three barrels being'‘No. 1,” and one 
barrel “No. 2.” This fruit was shipped to a 
well-known commission house in New York 
City. The returns were as follows: 
T hreo barrels T ° m pk.n S C°. King Apple*, No. 1, 
Hv <"».()’,•••. ••••••••«••»•••«.••••••( , , &10 50 
0l '° V. a „ r . r(il Tompkins Co. King Apples,''No.'2, 
av .... 300 
r ZZ iSF*i s .7,?,“ p k 1 n « Co - King Apples; un'- 
gk aaea, at fo.OD........ o 00 
We see from these figures that the ungraded 
apples, though three-fourths of them were of 
the same quality as those gradod aud marked 
No. 1, sold for the same price as the poorest 
one-fourth, which were marked “No. 2," caus¬ 
ing no inconsiderable loss. 
After determining into what grades the apples 
shall be sorted, the next operation is packing. 
This should be done by a careful, experienced 
hand. Two courses should be placed in the bot¬ 
tom of the barrel with the stems down ; then 
the apples can be put in more rapidly, yet they 
should not be thrown or carelessly dropped in ; 
but the bauds should reach well down, so that 
none of the fruit is injured. When the barrel 
is one third full, it should be shaken gently— 
again when two-thirds filled, and once more 
when the barrel is even full. Make it a rule, 
inflexible and relentless, that there shall be no 
“ topping off” with large apples, with those of 
poorer quality in the center. See to it also that 
your barrels are of the proper sine and neatly 
made. When the barrels are headed up, they 
should be plainly marked or branded with the 
name of tho variety, the grade, aud either the 
name of tho orchard or the grower, 
Among the questions discussed which, wo 
thiuk, is worthy of continued experimental in¬ 
vestigation, is this: 
What is the best Fertilizer for Fruit Trees, 
taking into acoount economy, health, vigor and 
productiveness of the trees and quality of the 
fruit ? 
QUINCE CULTURE. 
The best conditions under which the quince 
flourishes is discussed at length. Xt has seemed 
strange to us that so useful a fruit, one that is 
so easily grown, should be so seldom seen In 
farmers’ grounds, and where seen, bo utterly 
neglected. We make the following extracts: 
The quince loves a moist but not wet Boil. If 
it is a little clayey it is no disadvantage. 
To salt at the rate of four quarts to the tree ; 
spreading around the tree as far as the roots 
extend, or a little farther is very beneficial. 
Mr. Fowler stated that tho quinces do not do 
well on sandy ground, maiuly because the borer 
works more on light than on moist, heavy soils. 
Mr. Moody stated that the quince flourished 
in Niagara Oounty particularly on strong, heavy 
soils. He instanced the orobard of Dr. Wood¬ 
ward, forty or forty-five years old, which produces 
splendid crops. A temperature ten degrees be¬ 
low zero does not injure tbe quince. 
Mr. Gray, of Orleans, thinks the best quince 
orchard in the country is in cool, moist soil. 
Dr. Sylvester said that the beat manure for 
the quince is swamp muck. 
Ha had seen them do well on the frqzen Green 
Mountains of Vermont. 
A friend had seme quince trees which had 
grown year by year, but never borne j at length 
he told his boys to lull the trees. They accord- 
ingly poured the old brine from tho pork barrels 
around them. The oonsequeuce was they bore 
so abundantly that the trees had to be propped 
up. 
Mr. Geo. Ellwanger said he considered Ilea’s 
Mammoth the best quince iu tho market. It is 
the most delicate aud always commands a good 
price in the market. The Angers’ is a good 
quince in the south or France, where tho summer 
climate mellows it somewhat, but here it does 
not perfect itself. He believed iu cultivating 
the quince to a Bingle standard. 
INSECTS. 
Speaking of Insect Enemies, Mr. Greenman 
remarked respecting the codling moth that, a 
fine soil and climate for fruit avails us nothing 
bo long as we have this enemy among us to prey 
upou tho fruit. He fouud that the larva) of the 
codling moth likod cotton batting better than 
any other material for nesting. He fouud that 
they only moved at night. Removing all the 
worms from the bands at night, they were filled 
again in the morning. But if they were all 
cleared In the morning, they remain clear at 
uight. Tho apple containing the worm falls to 
the ground, aud if the insect is sufficiently 
matured it will crawl up the tree tho first night. 
He placed paper bands around his trees, and 
when protected iu that way, about one apple in 
four was infested with worms. On trees un¬ 
protected, but one apple in six escaped. 
-♦ ♦♦ 
SOLUBLE FLOWER-POTS. 
We have received from Mr. Tuisco Greiner 
of Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y. a paokage of sol¬ 
uble pots for liowers or vegetables. Tkeso pots 
are a compound “ ohiofly of rich gHrdon soil aud 
fresh cow-manure” and any unskilled person, by 
the use of Mr. Greiner's press can make from 
1,200 to 1,500 pots in one day. Then they have 
to be dried 24 hours in the sun or a warm room 
and are ready for use. In place of garden soil 
and cow-manure, muck, yellow loam and any 
kind of dry commercial fertilizer may be added 
according to the requirements of the plants 
to be grown, though the admixture of fresh, 
clean cow-manure always improves their quality. 
For growiug early plants, the pots should be 
filled with flue, rich, loose soil and the seeds 
planted. The pot when once soaked full of 
water acts, it is claimed, somewhat like a 
sponge, supplying the plant with moisture for 
a considerable time. When transplanting time 
comes, the pot containing the plant is placed in 
the ground so that the roots are not dis¬ 
turbed. The moisture of the soil soon dis¬ 
solves the pots, aud the roots imbibe the nour¬ 
ishment contained iu them. Thus tho opera¬ 
tion of transplanting “ is always safe and sure” 
“ Plants may therefore be started earlier and, 
as they are not put back by transplanting, 
gardeners are enabled, by the use of soluble pots, 
to have egg-plants, tomatoes and other vege¬ 
tables come to maturity, or flowers to bloom, 
much earlier than if grown in the old way.” 
The above and much more are claimed by Mr. 
Greiner for the soluble pots. We shall try 
them and in due time give our own estimate of 
their value. 
|luntl Jvcjntccturf, 
COTTAGE. 
L. F. GRAETHER, CIVIL ENGINEER. 
The cuts represent a small, attractive cottage 
Buited for a family of limited means. The plans 
are described as follows, viz.: 
Cellar. —Seven feet in the clear; A, rear- 
entry ; B. passage; C, wash-house, (12 by 14 
ft.) ; D tfe E, cellars; F, uuexcavated space un¬ 
der kitchen. 
First Stokv. —nine feet eight inches in clear ; 
A, piazza (6 by 24 ft.) with front steps; B, hall 
(6 by 18 ft.) with maia stairs to second story ; 
C, parlor (12 by 16 ft.) ; D, diuing-room (13 by 
15 ft.); E, kitchen (12 by 16 ft.) with sink etc., 
and pantry G, (4 by 6 ft.) ; F, rear piazza with 
steps leading to yard. 
Second Story.— Nine feet In clear; E, hall; 
D, bed-room (18 by 15 ft.) ; A, bed-room, (8 by 
12 ft.); B. bed-room (11 by 12 ft.) ; C, olosets: 
E & F, roof8 for piazzas aud the kitohen, etc. 
The expense of erection of such a building 
will (according to finish and locality) range from 
$1500 00 to $1700.00. 
Jam topics. 
JOTTINGS AT KIRBY HOMESTEAD. 
OOL. F. D. CUBTI8. 
The young pear trees are full of sprouts and 
suckers which must be out off without delay, 
as they rob the tree of a great deal of sap. 
When trees are grafted above the ground, that 
is uot in the root, they are more liable to throw 
out these suckers than when grafted below the 
surface of the earth. The sprouts come out 
from the old stock. Some of our treeB have 
a dozen started, and if they are not rubbed off, 
they will spoil the tree, as they keep the sap 
from rising higher to supply the rest of the tree. 
The trees which have been set two years, have 
limbs growing right towards the sky, which, if 
left alone, will make Bach tall tops that it will 
be difficult to reach the fruit, aud, besides, it 
will be more liable to blow off; so these limbs 
must be cut down at least half of their bight. 
Our grandmothers used to whitewash their trees 
as they thonght it healthy for them. They 
were right. We are going to mix fine sulphur 
with the lime—a half pound of sulphur to two 
quarts of lime—and smear every tree with the 
mixture. It will kill or keep away (?) all of the 
insects and do so much to prevent blight. The 
leaves of some trees are now punctured and 
curling np on account of the depredatious of 
the insects. The sulphur aud lime wash mil 
stop this trouble. [We think Col. Curtis is mis¬ 
taken in this.— Eds.] Au old whitewash brnsh is 
just the thing to do the work. It is a medern 
notion that whitewash is bad for trees as it stops 
up the pores. Trees don’t breathe through 
their skins but they do breathe through their 
leaves, and they may throw off moisture. Some 
say they do not, but we think they do, as all 
green and wet things will give off moistnro if 
the air surrounding them is dryer than they 
are. We left a pail in the garden yesterday, 
aud to-day it has become so dry that it leaks. 
It has given out the moisture iu the staves aud 
shruuken up just so much. When the sun 
shines hot, moisture rises from a green troe, 
jsst as it did from the empty pail, and the paint 
did not preveut it, nor will whitewash keep a 
tree from emitting moisture. This is the reason 
why newly-set trees should be mulched to keep 
the ground damp at the roots so the supply of 
moisture will not fail. The root must feed the 
top. 
We have been planting some of the dipper 
gourd seed. These gourds grow with a handle, 
and when ripe, they may be sawed in two and 
make handy dippers, or vessels to hold water 
for many uses. They become very hard and 
are tough and strong. Iu some of the old couu- 
tries they are used almost altogether for drink¬ 
ing vessels, and in the kitchen. If we succeed, 
the Rural shall havo all the surplus seed and a 
dipper too. 
The sod was thick and tough in the baby’s 
nut grove, so it has been planted with potatoes. 
The potatoes were dropped on the sod—right in 
tbe grass, and then oat straw was spread on top 
of them a foot thick. We. are waiting now for 
the potatoes to come np, aud congratulating 
ourselves that there will be no necessity for 
hoeing that crop, and that at the same time the 
grass will all be killed aud the trees do much 
better. If a tuft of grass shows itself, a fork- 
full of straw is put on the lop of it and tram¬ 
pled down. 
Where hens or other poultry are confined in a 
small yard, it should be dug over frequently. 
The fresh earth is healthy and at the same time 
the surface of the grouud which becomes pu¬ 
trid, by being turned under is thoroughly de¬ 
odorized by tho aotion of the earth. This re¬ 
minds us how commou it is to have water-closets 
in the country so constructed that they become 
pestilential. Usnally, a pit is dug in the grouud 
near the house, and this is left for years with 
its accumulation of filth and corruption, poison¬ 
ing the air and the water veins, and often creat¬ 
ing fevers and causing death. We knew of a 
closet of this sort under a part of the dwelling, 
which we are sure killed two wives of the owner, 
and has made the third one a feeble woman, 
undermining her naturally good health. The 
husband who prides himself in having every¬ 
thing handy, would be dead too, but he is out- 
of-doors so much that tbe malarial poisou is 
counteracted by the abundance of fresh air. 
Every privy in tho country should be ou the top 
of the ground, aud tho contents in warm weather 
be kept covered with earth or plaster. As soon 
as a wheelbarrow load accumulates, it should be 
taken away. The indifference of sensible people 
to this important thing is astonishing. Many an 
infant and child is laid away in the grave be¬ 
cause of foul privies. 
The gapes have begun with the oldest chick¬ 
ens. Every one has these spasms, and before we 
knew it one was dead. Wo are trying the 
experiment of making them inhale tobacco 
smoke. They are put into a basket and covered 
up, and the tobacco iB set to burning in an old 
kettle underneath. The chickens are left iu the 
basket aud carefully watched until they appear 
dumb, when they are taken out. They soon 
revive and tho spasms are lessened. We hope 
to core them by a few trials. 
SOWING GRAIN. 
The sowing season is past, but there are some 
points which came up this spring which I would 
like to see discussed a little more. One was the 
amount uf seed to be sown per acre. Most of 
the farmers hereabout sow oue and three-quarter 
bnsuels of wheat or three bnaliels of oats per 
acre ; and I used to thiuk that it was better to 
use two bushels of wheat, but a near neighbor, 
one of our best farmers, I always noticed had 
“No. 1" wheat, while most of us had to sell ours 
as “ No. 2.” Last summer he and I were talking 
on the subject and he said that the reason bis 
wheat ranked higher than ours lay in the fact 
that his was sown thinner, and as it stood 
thinner the grain filled out better; and as the 
difference between “l” and “2 ’ wheat ia that 
one must be plump while the other may be 
shrunken, his argument seems good. In 1875 
he raised forty-two bushels per acre, sowing five 
pecks of seed, and his crops are always good. 
In talking of this matter with a number of 
farmers, one day. the amount to be sown on rich 
and poor land was spoken of, and while two 
agreed with me that rich land needed less seed 
than poor, the other five thought that the 
reverse was true. Now, I claim that if your lafld 
iB rich, your grain will stool out and you need 
less seed. I read not long siuce of a stool of rye 
containing 109 heads, the produot of one kernel. 
It grew in a field of winter wheat where 
the wheat had killed out. Henry Cole¬ 
man, of England, counted 95 heads from oue 
kernel of wheat, and says : " I sent out my drill 
to an eight-acre field with seven bushels of 
wheat to be sown; by a mistake in setting the 
drill my man fouud. when he had sown half the 
field, that he had sowed but two pecks per acre; 
not wishing to bring back part of the seed and let 
me know of his mistake, ho set the drill to sow 
five pecks of seed per acre and tv fished the 
piece. I did not know of the error but noticed 
that part looked very thin; but at harvest the 
thin part yielded best and the man confessed 
his mistake.” 
A well developed head contains, ou the 
average, 40 graios; I have counted 63 iu a head. 
If we sow one bushel per acre, and oaoh grain 
produces oue head—if it grows it can’t do less— 
we shall have 40 bushels to the acre. The 
average iu our State is about 13 bushels. 
