bone flour at the rate of not less than 600 
pounds to the acre. We should pi-efer to add 
potash and sow the fertilizer broadcast. The 
bone may be drilled in without injury to the 
seed. The potash would harm it. 
IV. if. .4., Fairport. N. T—t. Do soft coal 
ashes benefit land? 2. Are the Cuthbert aud 
Queen of the Market Raspberries identical? 
3. Where can the Niagara Grape be obtained? 
Ajhs.— 1, Coal ashes have very little fertil¬ 
izing matter in them, yet they ore frequently 
found to be of benefit, perhaps mechanically, 
by making light soils more retentive of mois¬ 
ture and heavy soils more open and porous. 
Soot from soft coal is a very valuable fertil¬ 
izer as it contains about tlu-ee per cent, am¬ 
monia. It should be used carefully', as it is 
too caustic and acid to be used directly' upon 
seed or vegetation. 2. They' are the same. 3. 
It can be obtained at the Niagara Grape Co., 
Loekport. N. Y. . but only on certain conditions, 
which the company will explain at your re¬ 
quest. It is not offered for sale as yet. 
./. D., Dayton, Ohio. —How many pounds oi 
Alfalfa seed for an acre? When should it be 
sown? Does it winter-kill here? 
Ans. —Not less than 30 pounds of seed per 
acre is found best in Kansas where it largely- 
grown. It is sown about April 1st, and about 
Dayton. Ohio, pi'obably a trifle later would be 
better, unless the season is unusually early. 
Whether it will be injured by the Winter in 
your section, experiment alone can decide, so 
that it would be advisable not to plant very 
extensively the first year. It has been success¬ 
fully-grown farther north; but local climate 
has much to do with its hardiness in latitudes 
as far north as yours. It requires a deep, rich, 
well-tilled soil. 
R., Albion, Mich.— 1. Will vines grown from 
the Niagara Grape produce the same variety? 
2. If so, does the rule hold good for other va¬ 
rieties? 3, Are the California Tree Bean and 
the tree liean advertised by a Wisconsin party- 
different sorts, and are they desirable kinds? 
ANS.—1 and 2, Grape seeds will not repro¬ 
duce the parents. Seed-growing is our only 
method of obtaining improved varieties, 
though, perhaps, xxot one in a bundl ed will be 
as good as the parent. 3. We take them to be 
the same. Those who know better will cor¬ 
rect us. We do not think them better than 
the old Refugee. 
P. H. H., StevensviUe, Can .—Who owns 
the Vergennes Grape; the James Vick Straw¬ 
berry, the Early- Victor Grape: and who is the 
owner and principal disseminator of the Old 
Iron-Clad Strawberry ? 
Ans. —The Vergennes Grape was offered for 
sale a couple of y-ears ago in the Rural, by- 
Thomas Calef, Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Greene 
originated it in the town of Vergennes, Vt. S. 
Miller, of Missouri, originated the James Vick; 
but Charles A. Green, Clifton, N. Y., controls 
its sale, John Burr, of Leavenworth, Kan., 
originated the Early Victor Grape. We don't 
know as to the strawberry. 
J. M., Achor, Ohio. —1. Is the Marlboro 
Raspberry for sale? 3. ‘Where can the Crim¬ 
son Beauty- be had? 3. Does it sucker as much 
as the Cutlibert? 4. Where can Shaffer's Col¬ 
ossal be had ? 5. Is the berry firm and the 
vine productive? 
Ans. —1. It is not yet for sale except in very 
large quantities. 3. Crimson Beauty you will 
find in many of the catalogues which we have 
announced. 3. We have not tried it. 4. See 
catalogues or our advertisements. 5. It is 
not very firm. The vine is hardy and vigor¬ 
ous. and we should think it is very productive. 
It was with us last season. 
G. T. K., Zanesville. Ohio .—1. When and 
how ought cuttings of evergreens to be made? 
3. When is the best time to plant berries of 
the Red Cedar and Juniper ? 
Ans.-I. Cuttings of evergreeus should be made 
in the Spring. Take last year's growth, and 
cut off the lower end of the shoot, smoothly 
and obliquely, taking care not to injure the 
bark in setting. 3. In the Spring. How the 
seeds rather thickly in rows from six inches to 
one foot apart. The young seedlings require 
shading, which may be provided by making 
screens of lath, with spaces between as wide 
as the pieces, and suppoi-ted a few inches above 
the surface. 
J. 'IF. K, Denton, Md. —What is Swedish 
clover? The agent who sold me some seed for 
75 cents a poimd says two pounds are enough 
for an acre. 
Ans.—T his is Alsike Clover—Trifolium hy- 
bridum. It Is not, however, considered a hy¬ 
brid. The stems sometimes grow four to five 
feet in length, but fall and the leaves decay- 
towax ds the base of the stems. The stems do 
not take root like white clover. It makes good 
hay aud is valuable for pasture. Its habit is 
not well adapted for meadows. It is valua¬ 
ble for bees. Seed is sold by seedsmen here 
for 35c. to 40c. per pound, and eight to ten 
pounds should be sowed per aero. 
D. B, T., Greenville, Ala. —Which is the best 
incubator? 
Ans.—W e have never ti-ied any, and two of 
our fi-iends who tested the raising of chicks by 
artificial incubation, gave the business up in 
dispair of success, after having lost by it a good 
deal of time, work, temper and money. Both, 
too, were skillfxxl handlers of poultry in the 
oi dinary way. Wo cannot, thei-efore, honestly 
recommend any incubator a.s the best, or even 
as the least imperfect; but we shall he glad to 
record instances of honest success wit h any of 
the different incubators now on the market, 
*4, ./. C., Brandenburg , Montana .—Is the 
Electi’o-voltaic Belt made at Marshall, Mich, 
what is claimed for it ? Where is a trust¬ 
worthy maker of such belts ? 
Ans.—N o. We do not know an electric 
belt that is really as effective as the adver¬ 
tisers claim, aud those made at Mai-shall, 
Mich, (there are more than one of them) are 
overpraised more than othei-s because their 
faults are greater. The most trxistworthy 
maker ol' such devices we know of is the Pxxl- 
vermacher Galvanic Belt Co., Cincixxnati. O. 
W. T,. Brewster, Canada .—What kind of 
soil suits the Russian Mulberry, and how is 
the fruit principally- used? 
Axs.—The Mulberry will thrive well on any 
soil that will produce corn. The berries may¬ 
be eaten fresh, or made into jellies, nine or 
pi-esei-ves. Most of them are black: but some 
are a reddish white, with an aromatic odor 
aud sub-acid sweetish taste. It is grown from 
cuttings which can be had from A. M. Purdy, 
Elmira, N. Y. It is doubtful whether it will 
prove hai dy- so far north as Brewster, Ontario. 
is conridei-ed best for begetting mules? 
Ans.— The Spanish Jacks are the most pop¬ 
ular in the West. Some of the French Poitou 
Jacks were introduced into Mai*yland a few 
yeax-s ago. They axe highly spoken of. The 
Spanish Jacks vary in size, but are generally 
well developed animals in places where the 
breed is cared for, as in Tennessee, Missouri, 
and Kentucky. A good Jack will sell for $500 
or even $1,500 fo an extra-good one. 
C. C. C.. South Westminster, Mass .—I have 
a horse in sound health that wont keep in good 
condition on little wox-k, good care and six 
quax-ts of grain per day; why? 
Ans. —What is the weight of the horse and 
does he get nothing else bey-ond the six 
quarts of grain per day ? Eight quax-ts of oats 
per day with 30 pounds of good hay are not 
too much for a good-sized horse. Probably 
the annual is ti-oubled with worms; aud for 
treatment of this disorder see elsewhere in 
Querist in this issue. 
P. O., Jr., Monona, la .—What bores holes 
in rider-vinegar barrels, and what will pre¬ 
vent it from doing so? 
Ans. —This is the woi'k of a small lxeetle in 
its lai-va state. There are several species which 
bore into wood; Lyctus striatus is the one 
which produces what is known as powder pest 
in wood: other species have destroyed spirit 
aud wine casks in foreign countries and the 
contents have leaked away. The remedy is to 
paint the casks with metallic paint, the brown 
iron-clad paint, as it is sometimes called. 
A. A.R.,Spring Grove, Minn. —1. How is the 
Snowball shi-ub pi-opagated? 3. When should 
root-grafts be planted? 3. Can Irish Juniper 
be propagated from cuttings? 4. Which is the 
hardiest peach tree? 5. Will the Concord 
tln-ive when grafted on the wild grape? fi¬ 
ls the Catalpa Kaeinpfeii hai-dy in Minnesota? 
7. What is the best work for a beginner hi the 
nuisery business? 
Ans— 1. By cuttings or layei-s. 2, In the 
Spi-ing. 3. Yes. 4. Answer latei\ 5. Cer¬ 
tainly. 6. No. 7. Thexe is no best. One 
would need to study several. 
H. G. W., Wheeling. W. Va .— 1. Howshoidd 
the Niagara Grape seed be planted? 3. What 
varieties of strawberries should grow near 
"pistillate” sorts? 3. Does the fertilizing vari¬ 
ety have any effect on the size and quality- of 
the fruit of the fei-tilized sorts? 
Ans.— 1. See page 162, of March 17. 2. It 
does not matter at all. You have only- to see 
that pex-feefc-flowering kinds grow near them 
to furnish pollen. 3, Not so far as is known. 
The effect of the pollen plant shows itself only 
in seedlings. The seedlings naturally partake 
j of the qualities of both parent,*. 
J. S. L., Freeport, HI .—Which is the better 
milk producer, whole oats or com? 
Ans.—T here is a serious waste in feeding 
whole grain to cows. Coni meal ground veiy 
fine is the best of all grain food for cows, but 
the cow’s health and digestion are better in 
most cases, if about a third of other food, as 
ground oats or bran, is given w ith the meal. 
Oats alone ai - e not* a good food for cows. 
H. H. F., Went Cheshire , Conn .—Is thex-e a 
best time to cut bushes ? 
Ans.—I t depends upon the species. Some 
mature their buds one season to bloom the 
next as e. g., the lilac, forsythia, Japan 
quinces, etc. If these were pi nned now they 
would beai no blossoms this year. Othoi's that 
bloom on the new wood may now be pruned, 
as hydrangeas, l-oses, bladder sennas, etc. 
H. K. L , Aral, Vi*.—1. Will peaches, pears, 
plums aud cherries, from seed, grow like the 
parent? 2. What is the best stock on which to 
graft the pear? 3. Will grapes “mix?” 
Ans. —1. No, there will generally be marked 
differences. Peaches sometimes come quite 
tine from seed, but they ai-e never in all re¬ 
spects the same. 2. Seedings from healthy, 
rigorous ti ees. If dwarf pears ai-e wanted, 
the French Quince stock is best. 8. We do not 
know wlxat is meant by this question, perhaps. 
To cross grapes remove the cap aud apply pollen 
to the stigmas of the pistils. No doubt the 
flowers may mix naturally when in bloom. 
F. IV. C., Fast Berkshire , 17.—1. Will not 
Niagara Grape seeds geiurinate more l-eadily- 
if frozen? 2. Where can T get strawberry- 
seed for Spring sowing? 
Ans. — 1. Freezing is thought to quicken the 
genninative powers of such seeds. But for the 
majoiity of our readers, we fear it is rather 
late in the season. 3. You can get strawbei-ry 
seeds of the fancy-fruit dealex-s in all large 
cities. We bought a quai-t, two weeks ago, 
for $1.50. 
,/. McJ. , Kexoanee. Ill, Are wood ashes 
good for potatoes, wheat, oats, grass; on which 
would they- produce the best l-esults, and how 
much should be used per acre? 
Ans. —Ashes are good for any or all; there is 
little choice, but perhaps potatoes will show the 
best results. How much to use depends upon the 
price. Do not fear to use too much—even 50 
bushels to the acre. 
H., Starr area, Pa. —Which is the earlier 
and the better corn for Northern Pa.—the 
WaUshakiun or the Rural Flint ? Would either 
mature hei-e? 
Ans. —We have not raised Waushakuxn. 
It is earlier than the Rural Thoroughbred 
Flint. Either would mature with you and 
have time to spare. 
J. S. Arcadia, Mich. —Is there a ti-uck hay 
press that will press hay in the field after it 
lias been raked into windrows f 
Ans. —Yes; such presses are made by- the 
Higgauum M’f’g Co.; Higganum, Connecti¬ 
cut, and by P. K. Dedei-ick & Co., Albany, 
New Yoi'k. 
“Subscriber," Boston, Mass.— Where can I 
purchase the Poughkeepsie Red Grape and 
the genuine Miner’s Victoria? 
Ans. —The Poughkeepsie Red is not for sale 
except, it may- be, the control of it. Ell wan - 
ger & Bony, of Rochester, N. Y., have the 
Minei-’s Victoria, though they do not make a 
very favorable report of it. 
J. .4. B., East Wilson, A*. F.—Give a plan 
of a home-made dog-power for working a chum i 
Ans. — A very good dog-power is made of a 
lai-ge wheel set flat on an upright spindle slop¬ 
ing a little so that the trend made at the rim 
will slope or rise about three inches t-o the foot. 
By putting gearing or pius on the l-im of the 
wheel the motion nxay be conveyed to the chum. 
J. TV. /?., Barrc, Mass.— Fx-om whom can 
the Florence Grape be obtained, and is it 
woi-thy of cultivation ? It is said to have been 
the first to ripen at the Rural Grounds. 
Ans.—F rom T. S. Hubbard, of Fx-edonia, 
N. Y. The bunches ax-e small; the quality 
about as good as the Coxicoi'd. It is a hardy, 
vigorous vine and is as eaxiy- as wo stated. 
IV. D. F., Hatnmontown , N. J, —How does 
Beraxuda Grass thrive at the Rural Grounds. 
Ans.—A small quautity of it lived thi-ough 
the Winter of 1H82. Can't tell as to the past 
Winter as yet. It makes a furious growth 
during Summer. The leaves are killed by the 
fii-st frost. 
S. S., Ferry, [<nca asks whei-e he can pro¬ 
cure Hall’s Japan Honeysuckle. 
Ans.—O f any- nurseryman whose catalogues 
have been announced.. See Hardy Vines in 
the Catalogues. It is a grand vixie, aud every 
gai-den should find a place for one. 
A. S., Mansfield , Fa.— What lawn-mowei-s 
does the Rural know to be good? 
ANS.—The iron rollers ax e not much used 
unless upon new lawns where the soil needs to 
he compacted. We use all makes. We knmv 
the Philadelphia, Pennsylvaxxia. Buckeye and 
Excelsior to be good. 
D, G., Prospect, Ohio .—Who has Bronze 
Turkeys for sale ? 
Ans. —C. S. Cooper, Schi-aalenburgb, N. J.; 
G. S. Josslyu, Fredonia, N. Y.; T. M. Nelson, 
Chaiubersbux-gh, Pa.; W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 
Philadelphia, Pa.; R. B. Clark, Beloit, Wis. 
L. IV. F., Boonesboro, Md. —Is the Pratt 
Peach a humbug, tmd is it true that it always 
comes tine from seed ? 
Ans. —We ax-e testing it. The statement 
that it always comes true from seed we do not 
believe to be correct. 
IV. E. B ., Stockton, Minn .—Which is the best 
work on botany for a beginner in that study? 
Ans. —Gray’s Manual of Botany is the best 
for the Northern United States. Can be pro¬ 
cured of any book dealer. Pi-ice $2. 
C. B., Helena, N. Y .—Where can I get a 
good galvanic battex-y, and the price 1 
Ans. —L. G. Tillotteou. 5 and 7 Dey Street, 
N. Y. Tbero is a large range of px-ices; we 
can’t give a list here; write for one. 
S, M. L., Ml. Pleasant, Tenn .—Where can 
the Paradise Apple and also eating apples on 
the Paradise stock, be obtained? 
Ans. —From Ellwauger & Bari-y, Rochester, 
N. Y. Send for catalogue for prices. 
N. C., Athol, Mass. —Next to barnyard ma¬ 
nure, what is the best fei-tilizer for beans, to 
be applied in the hill? 
Ans. —io apply in the hill, we should use 
raw fine bone. 
J. W. T., Colorado .—Where can I get the 
Waushakum Coi n? 
Ans. —It has been advertised in the Rural 
by Hiram Sibley & Co., Rochestei-, N. Y. 
M. A., Achor, Ohio .—Is the Palestine 
Wheat u hUmbug? 
Ans. —The Black-bearded Centennial and 
Golden Grain arc Palestine wheats. 
Several Inquirers.— The best information in 
our possession as to the grow tlx of grape-rines 
from seed, was given in the Rural of March 
17, page 102. 
G. W. N., Lake Crystal, Minn .—Where can 
I get Hall's Jupaix Honey suckle? 
Ans.—F i-orn any prominent uui-seryinan? 
G. IV. S., Hebron, Pa. —The White Russian 
Oats are u branch oat, though not so widely 
branching as other white oats. 
E. L. S., Geneva, N. Y. —Yes. Sow it as a 
Spring wheat. 
O. A.—See other answex-s. Aunt Phebe.— 
We must x-efer you to last year’s Rural fox- 
grafting illustrations and instructions. B. K. 
Bliss, 37 Bax-day Street, is headquaxtei-s for 
Rural T. Flint Corn. For Blush Potato, Han 
sell Raspberry, see odvoitising columns. 
J, G', Bennett, Neb., in the Rural of March 
8, 1883, page 184, inquires about the cost of a 
hedge. He can get Osage Hedge plants, two 
years old, for $1 to $1.50 per 1,000, 33 plants 
jxer i-od, six inches apart., or 5,280 per half 
lxiile. Hedge row prepared, two hands can 
set them in ono day; worth about $8. Cost of 
cultivation, on ordinary clean land, about. 
$3 to $4 per y-eai-, for firat two yeai-s, per one- 
half mile. a. b. 
Clydesdale Stallion. Islesmann (395)—See Pace 196—Fig. 158. 
A. &, West over, Md .—Which breed of Jacks 
