THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
QUINCES. 
W. A. F ., Homewood , Pa. —1. What about 
quince culture and how to destroy the borer? 
2. What is the most profitable quince for mar¬ 
ket? 3. How about Meech’s Prolific and the 
Champion? 
A ns.— 1. Quinces are usually allowed to grow 
as they will. Being bynaturea low-growing, 
crookod-branched shrub, the quince assumes a 
most irregular .shape with a half dozen or more 
stems. Instead of this it should when young 
be pruned to a single stem a f >ot or more 
iu bight before the head is permitted to form. 
Borers may be kept out by the use of laths, or 
heavy paper placed around the stem. Set the 
trees from six to eight feet apart in good soil. 
2. The best kinds are the Orange and Rea’s 
Mammoth. 2. Meech’s Prolific is a variety that 
has been cultivated for years in certain places. 
It seems to be a desirable quince. The Cham¬ 
pion is rather late for New York. It is highly 
valued in the South and may thrive and 
ripen well with you. 
Miscellaneous. 
A. P. R., Yorkville, O. —1. For two years 
a small black-and-blue insect has destroyed 
our grape crops. It oats the leaves and blos¬ 
soms as they form. Hand-picking, hellebore 
and tobacco water have doue no good. What 
is it and what should be done? 2. A black 
potato “bug'" eats the blooms of my anemones, 
asters and japonieas; what is it? 3. A small 
insect that hops like a Ilea, destroys the bloom 
of Sweet Alyssum; what is it and how can I 
get rid of the pest? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. A. .1. COOK. 
1. The small dark-blue is the Grape Flea 
Beetle — Haltica ehalyliea. Later the beetle 
lays its eggs on the leaves. These hatch and 
the grabs feed on the leaves, often entirely 
skeletonizing them and so greatly injuring 
the vines. Spraying with London-purple or 
Paris-green—ono even tablespoonful to two 
gallousof water—will destroy either beetles 
or grubs. I also fiud that the grubs can be 
extirpated by use of the kerosene emulsion. 
This I would make as follows: one quart of 
soft-soap is thoroughly mixed with one pint 
of kerosene oil, and diluted by adding one gal¬ 
lon of water. In applying this spray, it is 
best to throw it on with much force. 2. The 
blaek beetles are probably the Black Blister 
Beetles—Lytta atrata. They are easily shak¬ 
en into u pan holding kerosene oil. Or when 
it can lie safely used, London-purple can be 
made serviceable in destroying these slim 
beetles. 8, I presume the hopping insect is 
either a leaf-hopper or some species of thrips. 
Not knowing just what it is, 1 cannot suggest 
any satisfactory way of getting rid of it, but 
would advise the use of the kerosene emulsion. 
Spray it on to the plants and also huhach 
mixed with water—a heaping teaspoonful to 
the gallon. 
.7. IF. O., Cora , Pa .—I have a peach or¬ 
chard planted in 1881, trees 12 feet apart. I 
have worked the ground in potatoes for three 
seasons, using special fertilizers. The trees so 
occupy the space as not to -llow working the 
ground between them. I have thought of 
giving the ground a dressing of bone meal or 
some other fertilizer and seeding to clover. Is 
the plan a good one, or what better would the 
Rurai. suggest? How much fertilizer to the 
acre? 
Ans.—T he plan is good enough. Whatever 
seeded to, such land should not be cropped if 
it is to be continued ns an orchard of any 
kind. Besides the bone we should use potash 
iu some form. Oue bag (300 lbs.) of kaiuit; 
one of bone. 
L. G,, Union Village, N. Y. —1. Is the Ru¬ 
ral Blush Potato the same as the Beauty of 
Hebron? 3. Where can metallic stock labels 
be procured ? 
Ans.—N o, they are about as unlike as two 
potatoes can be. The Late Hebron is of the 
Rose class, and is essentially the same as the 
White Elephant, if not exactly. The Blush is 
of the Peachblow class. The Blush is a splen¬ 
did keeper, a flue yielder and of the first qual¬ 
ity. But it straggles iu the soil and latterly 
many of the large tubersare “hollow-hearted. 
2. From Dana & Co., Lebanon, N. H. 
U. T. P., Brighton, Cam—1. Will Hick¬ 
ory King Corn ripen in Canada? 2. Which is 
the more profitable spring rye and oats, or 
l*eas and oats on a rather low clay loam, and 
which would be the better for stock food? 
Ans,—N o. There is no variety of dent corn, 
80 far as wo know, that can be trusted to rip¬ 
en so far north. Question No. 2 we must sub¬ 
mit to our renders. 
Jl. S., Marlboro, Ohio, —1. An open ditch 
40 rods long, drains 2?> acres; the lower 20 
rods run diagonally across a field; fall three 
inches to the rod. I want to tile the lust 20 
rods; how large should the tile be? 2. Can 
snow be kept like ice iu an ice-house? 8. Will 
a rich saudy creek bottom produce good cab¬ 
bage? 
Ans— l, A three-iuch tile would carry off 
he water if the soil is not too wet. It must, 
of course, be protected at the upper end. 
2. No. 3. Yes if well manured. 
J. If., Lucas Co., O. —Would a mixture of 
a quarter laud plaster, a quarter slaked lime, 
and a half unleached wood ashes be a good 
application to drill with potatoes on a sandy, 
soil? 
Ans. —It may be doubted whether the lime 
or plaster, or both, would have any effect. 
The unleached ashes are first-rate, but our 
friend might well use superphosphate and 
some form of soluble nitrogen with them. 
O'. O. 8,, Auburn, N. F.—Will caustic pot¬ 
ash, used to dissolve bones, injure the crops 
on which the bones are applied? 
Ans. —Caustic potash is the simple potassi¬ 
um oxide, a very caustic suljstanee, because 
of its strong affinity for carbonic acid and 
water. It remains caustic a very short time, 
as it combines with carbonic acid very quick¬ 
ly, and hence would not be caustic when it 
had reduced the bones to a soft condition: its 
causticity would be neutralized in this action 
and it would be simply carbonate of potash, 
and not at all injurious. 
J. H. L., Mich. —In grafting, as described 
in a Brevity on page 172 of the current vol- 
ufne of the Rtm.tr,, should the beveled side of 
the cion be next to the bark or to the wood? 
Ans. —Next the wood. The bark peels 
from the wood just the same as in budding. 
Iu fact it is the same as budd ing, except that 
a cion is used iu the plaee of a bud, 
37, T. .4., Ilnpeville, In. —Has the “New 
Japanese Buckwheat” advertised by Peter 
Henderson & Co., ever been tried at the Ru¬ 
ral Grounds? If so with what results as com¬ 
pared with the common kind? 
Ans. —We have never raised anything but 
the common buckwheat at the Rural Farm, 
aud not much of that. 
S. F. H., Pulaski, Term, —I. When will be 
the proper time to so<v large clover with oats? 
2. Does wheat or rye do well after millet? 3. 
What variety of millet, and how much to the 
acre should be used, in this latitude aud sec¬ 
tion—Western Pennsylvania half way 
between New York and West Virginia' 
Ans.— 1. Immediately after sowing the oats. 
2. Yes. 3. Hungarian Grass. Sow one 
bushel to the acre. , 
J. S., Ingteside , Pa .—L What are a few of 
the best winter or long-keeping apples for this 
section' 2. Would it be profitable to raise 
juneberries. Are they the same as buckle- 
berries? 
Ans.— 1. York Imperial, Smith’s Cider, 
Fallawater, American Golden Russet, Tewks¬ 
bury Winter Blush, 2, No, not profitable. 
The frnit is insipid. They will grow iu any 
fertile soil. The juneberry is a close relative 
of the pear. The huckleberry is widely differ¬ 
ent, belonging to the Heath family. 
J. li. C., Nashville, Tenn. —What is the val¬ 
ue of unleached ashes from a saw-mill, where 
only poplar wood is burned ? 
Ans, —They would be worth for fertilizing 
purposes about £ 15.00 per ton, according to 
Dr. Kedzie’s estimate. The exact value, of 
course, could not be determined without anal, 
yziug a sample. 
J. B. C., Nashville, Tenn. —1. How much 
larger is the Lawson pear than the Doyenne 
d’Ete? 2. Is it earlier or later in ripening? 
3, How does it fall short of the claims put 
forth in its behalf by the introducer? 
Ans. — 1. It is one-half larger at least. 2. 
About the same time. 8. The claims made 
for it are not extravagaut. It colors up finely 
aud herein is its chief merit. It is about the 
size of the Sterling, though scarcely as good 
iu quality. 
D. IF. 3/. —The Acme harrow is the best of 
its kind. “The Rose,” by H. B. Ellwanger, 
is the best book ou roses. All rose lovers 
should have it. Ellwanger & Barry, Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y. 
IF. & C., Argusville , N. F.—You can get 
“double-headed butter firkins suitable for 
keeping butter in brine through the summer,” 
from H. C. Carter, No. 101 Moore Street, New 
York City. 
J. If, Blooming Prairie, Minn. —I want to 
get a good book ou the management of farm 
machinery. Farm machinery, by Thomas is 
worthless for my purpose. 
Ans.—W e do not know of any other simple 
work. Most works are too technical in their 
treatment of the subject. 
IF. C. .4., Medfield, Mass —Where can I get 
cious of Yellow Transparent Apple? 
Ans. —Of Ellwauger & Barry, Rochester, 
N. Y., or of T. H. Hoskins, Newport, Vt. 
J. T. Denver, Col. —What is the size of the 
Early Harvest Blackberry compared with that 
of the Snyder or Lawton ? 
Ans. —It is about the same size, but the 
drupes of the Harvest are smaller aud more 
uniform than those of any other. 
(Continued on next page.) 
pUjMjeltaiwousi 
WILLIAMS & CLARK CO.’S 
HIGH GRADE BONE FERTILIZERS. 
AMM0N1ATED BONE SUPERPHOSPHATE. 
No Fertilizer Sellfog at the Same Price Shows 
as High Valuation, It Leads All Others. 
Potato Fertilizer 
Contains all the Plant Food necessary for a large 
crop of potatoes. 
"Out of some 20 varieties of Potatoes exhibited at the 
■’air of the Farmington Valley Agricultural Society held 
his Fall, sixteen first, premiums were awarded to varieties 
•crown on votir Special Potato Fertilizer. This must show 
It Is superior to the others ” 
S. E. Brown, Cantos Center, Cons. 
FERTILIZERS FOR ALL CROPS. 
SEND FOR CIRCULARS. 
Principal Office, Cotton Exchange Building, N. Y. 
For Salt by Local Jg-tnts, 
v\ Nicely balanced /\JeT\ 
\ \ with ^biffing him- rrs , 
y \dl«e, enabling the l 
iv \\operator to vralkN^x' 
square behind the ylow in 
Great care has 
been Used in perfect¬ 
ing a shape that we could 
guarantee to do good work on 
hillside or level land, and IT-* 
SUCCESS IS V\ ONI*EKI UI.. 
Being as hard ns steel can Ur tem¬ 
pered, it will scour in nil soils. 
Steel AUTOMATIC Cutter and 
Fooi-i.uit-li. Operator need n"t 
take his hand from til® handles to ro- 
verse and latch tUr; plow. 
Bean., Liglu Draft, Eight Weight ami Strong. 
(Box 75 
BELCHER & TAYLOR acricult'rl tool co. CHICOPEE PALLS, MASS. 
Lohdonpurple POTAToIuGS 
Farmers, be wise and SAVE YOUR CROPS by using LONDON PURPLE, 
winch is THE BEST, SAFEST and CHEAPEST poison for killin g Potato 
Burs, t anker Worms, Pear Slugs. Ac., ever used. The leading agricultural 
authorities, colleges, newspapers and Grange masters recommend "London Purple.” 
For sale at oil dealers. Full particulars and circulars Free from sole manufacturers 
HEMINGWAY’S LONDON PURPLE CO. L’TD. 
HIGGANUM M'F'G CORPORATION, 
Sole Manufacturers HIGGANUM, CT. 
Warehouse, No. 38 So. Market Street,!Boston, Mass. 
AGENTS WANTED IN EVERY COUNTY. 
MANUFACTURERS of AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION 
WARRIOR REVERSIBLE DISK HARROW " ‘ 
i 
The only wheel Harrow which can be adjusted at wifi, to throw the soil either to or from the 
centre. The only one h iving a levwler—a valuable addition. The harrow is flexible, having 
independent gangs mot fastened together at the centre', which wifi conform to any uneven 
surface, or can be locked rigid if desired, for hunt lumpy ground. It can he quickly taken apart 
without using tools, for transportation or storage. The angles are set by a lever within easy 
reach of the driver. The scrapers work simultaneously, by means of a foot Lever. It is in 
all respects the very best harrow manufactured, and will give perfect satisfaction 
in everv case. For further information or circulars, address 
THE WARRIOR MOWER CO., Little Falls, N. Y., or 21 S. Market St., Boston, Mas 3 
THE BRADLEY 
“BIG 6” MOWER 
Cuts a swnlh fi feet wide and Is easily handled by an ordinary farm 
team. Double the usual amount of grass can be cut with one team and 
oue man. i hicc years in the market has demonstrated that the Rrad- 
lev N i>. i; is the mo.t economics.! tool ever purchased by the farmer, 
n i' guarantee ’ ie ora ft to be satisfactory to the purchaser on any ordi¬ 
nary level farm. e also make Mowers to cm .Vs ft., A ‘-.j ft.. 4V It. and 
5 ft. t he Briidiey It oa per*. Mowers mid It nkcn are the Best 
in the World, eiend for Clr nlars 
BRANCHES: 
22 College Place, New York. 
32 So. Market St., Boston. 
BRADLEY & CO., 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
