©CT IS 
■ 
with too little vitality to endure the winter. 
All this is due to the same cause. Apple scab 
and green mold are induced by moist, hot 
weather. Some kinds are more liable to lie 
attacked than others. Fameuse and Tallman 
Sweet seem specially subject to it.. Nearly all 
the crabs have been very badly spoiled by 
the scab, especially in the leaves. Some vari¬ 
eties have a thicker protective coating over 
the surface of the leaf than others. Those 
are not so badly attacked. It is also found on 
the fruit, giving gloss and brilliancy, and a 
sort of bronze coloring to the foliage late in 
autumn. Pears are also subject to scab. He 
regards the disease as contagious, and had 
demonstrated this for himself, and he advised 
fruit-growers to dig out all affected trees and 
take care of the rest. He had thus reduced 
his orchard oue half, but. he bestowed the same 
amount of care upon this portion as he gave 
the whole before. More good fruit can be 
grown from 50 trees in this way than from 
100 in the usual way. Spraying with kero¬ 
sene emulsion was suggested by Prof. Budd, 
but in his case it was not a remedy. The fun¬ 
gus attacks the trees and fruit early in the 
seasou. He advised planting varieties nor 
subject to the disease, and rejecting all others 
His paper was more suggestive than anythin 
else, and he was unable to answer questions 
definitely. He added, to the credit of the 
drought throughout the West this year, that 
it had greatly lesseued the scab evil. 
Mr. E. 8. G ^tf then read the result of his 
experiments with hyposulphite of soda for 
scab—one pound to 10 gallons of water. Ho 
had tried it on the common Siberian Crab, 
which was badly affected, spraying one-half 
t he tree only. He got. beneficial results to 
some extent, getting mature fruit from that 
side of the tree. I >ut not a decent specimen 
from the other. This was in 1880. This sea¬ 
son be experimented with similar results. He 
sprayed the tree five times; over half the fruit 
was of finest quality. The remedy was bene¬ 
ficial in every case. In large orchards it would 
pay, especially where the trees wore sprayed 
for the codling-moth. This salt could easily 
be added to the arsenical solution. Soda is 
not poisonous, dissolves in water readily, is 
not offensive and costs only about six cents 
per pound and even less in large quantities. 
Sulphate of copper, he said, injured the foli¬ 
age materially, especially at the second appli¬ 
cation. Mr. Campbell had used it upon grapes 
without injury, but supposed bis solution was 
weaker. He thought the formula sent out by 
the Department of Agriculture was much too 
strong. H. n 
(To be continued .) 
AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR. 
T. T. LYON. 
Ample grounds ; the fruit display; lack of 
co-operation between the State agricultural 
and horticultural societies; proposed ar¬ 
boretum. 
The Iowa State Fair opened on Friday, 
September second, to continue till Saturday 
the tenth. The fail 1 is permanently located at 
Des Moines where it is understood that aril pie 
grounds have been purchased by the State, 
and devoted to this purpose. Perinauent, at- 
traetive-lookiug buildings have been erected, 
located upon the more elevated portion of the 
ground. A more level tract is devoted to a 
race-course with the inevitable grand stand, 
and the other conveniences for showing the 
speed of horses; which, judging from the pub¬ 
lished programme, is intended to be the lead¬ 
ing feature of the exhibition, the afternoon 
of each day, from Monday to Friday, being 
devoted to this purpose. I, however, add 
with pleasure that gambling and the sale of 
intoxicants are, by a rule of the society, ex¬ 
cluded from the grounds. 
Horticultural Hall is occupied by fruits 
upou one side only. A liue exhibit of Russian 
apples from A. G. Tuttle, of Bamboo, Wis¬ 
consin, is a prominent feature of this display 
and seems to attract a good deal of attention. 
The greater portion of the fruit, however, 
comes from Southern Iowa—a region in which 
many of the older Eastern varieties are at 
least partially successful, and which is pro¬ 
ducing more or less fruit even in the present 
unfavorable year. Two-thirds, or possibly 
three-fourths of the space in this hall,(which 
is a large one)is devoted to plants aud cut 
flowers, of both of which there are extensive 
and creditable displays. 
For some unexplained reason there is no 
co-opera lion between the agricultural and 
horticultural societies of this State; the fram¬ 
ing of the lisLs of horticultural premiums aud 
the management of the exhibits being con¬ 
trolled by the former society, although a 
prominent horticulturist—R. P. Speer—acts as 
assistant-superintendent of the hall. 
The State Horticultural Society has been 
assigned commodious looms iu the new State 
Capitol, now nearly completed, at this city, 
in which they already have partially in place 
an extensive collection of specimens of the iu 
digonous woods of the State, with a large ad¬ 
ditional number obtained by exchange with 
other countries. The wax casts of the fruits 
grown in the State, which attracted so much 
attention at the Centennial Exposition at Phil¬ 
adelphia in 1876, are also here, together with 
other interesting articles. 
Meetings of the Horticultural Society were 
called, at these rooms, for Wednesday and 
Thursday of fair week. The session of Wed¬ 
nesday forenoon was devoted to the consider 
ation of a proposal that the Horticultural 
Society should accept the charge of a portion 
of the fair grounds, with the purpose to plant 
an arboretum thereon. The proposition was 
discussed somewhat at length during the fore¬ 
noon. when the society adjourned to the fair 
grounds, to devote the afternoon to an ex¬ 
amination of the location and the considera¬ 
tion of the matter upon the premises. I was 
compelled to leave before the subject had re¬ 
ceived full consideration aud a conclusion had 
been reached. If, however, an arboretum, iu 
the full aud proper sense of the word, is con¬ 
templated it would seem to lie a very grave 
undertaking for any such society to enter 
upou, unless some adequate moneyed power, 
or tile State itself, shall back the enterprise 
with the very considerable fund which an 
undertaking of this character must necessarily 
consume. 
If, however, as may fairly bo suspected, the 
thought is rather to plant a few acres of the 
ground as a park, it might bo made to inure 
to the advantage of both societies if Horti¬ 
cultural Hall, aud the exhibits to be annually 
made therein, were placed in the hands of the 
Horticultural Society, the adjacent grounds 
planted under their supervision, aud their 
knowledge, experience and taste in their 
chosen specialty, applied to the perfecting 
and developing of that department and the 
surroundings of their hall. 
THE ESSEX COUNTY FAIR, N. J. 
(RURAL SPKCIAL REPORT.) 
The Third Annual Fair of the Essex County 
Agricultural Association was held at the Park 
Rink, Orange, N. J., on the 27, 28, 20 and 30th 
of September, 1887. 
The first thing that met the eye of the visitor 
was an exhibit, of fancy goods made by the 
iumates of the County Insane Asylum. Be¬ 
yond this was a lino of lied quilts, lambre¬ 
quins, tidies, aprons, etc. On one side was a 
collection of apples, (lowers, etc., and on the 
otiier were grapes, preserves, aud vegetables. 
The exhibition of grapes by Messrs. E. & 
J. C. Williams, was remarkably line. A 
basket of Niagaras which was honored by the 
first prize, was one of the finest collections of 
this popular grape we have ever seen. Some 
individual bunches of remarkable size ami 
uniformity were also shown. Mr. C. C. Corby 
also made a fine exhibit of grapes. Iu the 
vegetable department the palm for the 
largest pumpkin wont to the County Peni¬ 
tentiary. One weighed 150 pounds; the other 
114 pounds. Two pumpkins were exhibited 
that grew with two others upon one vine; 
they weighed 101 and 72 pounds respectively. 
The display of squashes, beets, etc., was very 
creditable to the county. Altogether it was 
an exhibit worthy of a much larger patron¬ 
age thau it received, aud it is evidently an 
earnest, of better tbiugs to come. One excel¬ 
lent feature was the entire absence of liquor, 
games of chauce, or side-shows of any kind. 
Among the flowers, a fine collection of 
dahlias and begouias and marigolds, chiefly 
seedlings, exhibited by S. H Spaulding, at¬ 
tracted much attention. Several beau iful 
collections of cut, and wild flowers were ex¬ 
hibited. Some very handsome gladioli were 
also on the tables. H. J. McCall made a fine 
exhibit of palms and hot-house plants. a. 
HANDLING CORN-STALKS FOR FOD¬ 
DER. 
PROFESSOR O. K. MORROW. 
I am not surprised to learn that some West¬ 
ern readers of the Rural say it is impossible 
to get the help needed to cut aud shock 
large quantities of corn fodder. For years 
past. I have felt that the greatest boon that 
could come to the agriculture of the Central 
West, in the lino of agricultural machinery, 
would be a thoroughly satisfactory corn husk¬ 
ing machine, and that perhaps next to this in 
value would be a satisfactory machine for 
cutting corn fodder. As yet I have seen nei¬ 
ther of these. A recently invented machine 
gives fair promise so far as the corn husking 
is concerned—but it does the work after the 
stalks have been cut and taken to it. Seif- 
raking reapers, or those with a “ dropping ” 
attachment, have been used with passable suc¬ 
cess in cutting the stalks, and I am well con¬ 
vinced machines could be constructed some¬ 
thing like reapers, which would rapidly and 
cheaply cut the stalks and.leave them in bun¬ 
dles. To attempt to bind these bundles is a 
much more difficult matter. 
While there is some truth in the statement 
as to the difficulty of having the t orn cut: and 
shocked by ordinary band means, it is also true 
that the difficulty seems larger than it really 
is. In many parts of the West, farmers are 
not accustomed to the work, aud overestimate 
its cost. Ordinarily I believe there need be no 
greater difficulty in getting sufficient help to 
cut a reasonable quantity of the corn than is 
found in getting help for haying and the 
small grain harvest. One man cau cut, shock 
aud tie au acre a day, and the season is not a 
very short one, especially if different varieties 
of corn ripening nt different times are 
grown. There are parts of the West in which 
more corn is grown than could be fed to the 
stock in the neighborhood, hut certainly it 
would be wise to cut a portion of the fields. 
The severe drought which has prevailed over 
much of the West has caused a great increase 
in the acreage of corn cut this fall. I hope 
the practice may continue even when we 
have favorable seasons, oven though the fod¬ 
der from the large-stalked varieties commonly 
grown in Centra) Illinois, t or instance, is not so 
good for feeding as that from the smaller varie¬ 
ties. Some good farmers strongly recommend 
the practice of “ topping” the corn. By this 
practice the best part ofthe stalks is saved and 
the labor of cutting aud after handling it is 
much reduced. 
University of Illinois. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Lasting Fertility ok Charcoal Pits.— 
My grandfather was one of the first settlers 
on thus island, and, like all pioneers, he had 
to be more or less his own mechanic, and 
among other work he did his own blacksmith- 
ing and burned his own charcoal. The spot 
of ground where he burned the charcoal was. 
when the farm was divided, on my father's 
side of the liue. The field iu which this spot 
is, is a gravelly clay—not stiff—overlaying 
limestone rock and is a naturally strong soil. 
Siuce my remembrance it has not been 
manured of toner than once in three or four 
years or more, but has been cropped in some 
way, grain, corn, liay or pasture, every year, 
and this spot where the charcoal was burned— 
and none has been burned there for at least 
70 years—produces uow as if it was heavily 
manured every year, while the rest of the 
field produces only as much as such a soil 
would when not often manured. I do not 
know what the soil got from the smoke of the 
burning wood that keeps it so rich. It cannot 
be potash or phosphoric acid, as these sub¬ 
stances are not dispelled by burning. I do 
know that this spot of ground where charcoal 
used to be burned has for 70 years retained 
its virgin fertility while all around it the soil 
is no more fertile than any similar soil that has 
not received frequent applications of manure. 
Grand Isle, Vt. J. t. macomher. 
R. N.-Y.—We know of several of these old 
coal pits that give similar results. The vege¬ 
table growth on these spots is always stronger 
than that on the surrounding field. Charcoal, 
being almost pure carbon, has no direct mau- 
urial value. It is frequently applied to heavy 
soils to “lighten” them or render them more 
friable. It is probably of some value indi¬ 
rectly in converting the inert nitrogen of the 
soil into ammonia. It is oue of the best ab¬ 
sorbents of foul gases. This fact is recog¬ 
nized in disinfection and in medical practice. 
An interesting experiment in proof of this 
al sorbtive power may be conducted by bury¬ 
ing the carcass of a small nuitnnl iu powdered 
charcoal. But little, if any offensive smell 
will be given off and yet the carcass will be 
entirely decomposed, and the charcoal, mixed 
with soil, will slowly decompose and yield up 
its fertility, year after year, like wool-waste. 
Doubtless the charcoal left from these old pits 
absorbed vast quantities of valuable gases. 
Worked into the ground it slowly yields up its 
fertility besides rendering the soil itself more 
capable of Supporting plant, life. There must 
too have been potash aud phosphorie acid left 
from the fires. 
The Proper Place for a Farm Dog is 
at home, not following the team or wagon on 
its various trip to the neighboring villages, 
for then when he Is wanted perhaps, he is 
playing with some of the worthless dogs that 
are always prowling around. A good dog is 
a valuable adjunct to the farm, as he will 
save his owner a good many weary steps, and 
tramps have no love for a dog that shows a 
good set of tooth properly bared for business. 
But a dog that plays with all the dogs that 
run, will soon learn to run off too, aud when 
wanted is away, aud perhaps, iu mischief. 
My plan for keeping my dog at home, and 
also for keeping off the worthless cure is a 
success?. I chain him up, a young shepherd, 
nights, aud theu I take a steel trap—a com¬ 
mon rat trap if t.ho spring is good, will do— 
fasten it with a strong chain, and set it just 
outside the limits of my dog, so he enu uot 
possibly get into it. I have already captured 
two dogs They get a “ first-class lickin’” 
after which l take their foot out. of the trap, 
aud let them go, and they don’t come back 
rightawav either. The plan works well und 
suits me. m. n. c. g. 
Orange Co., N. Y. 
Reform the Fairs.—Is the good resulting 
from the gathering of farmers to renew old 
acquaintances, examine new implements and 
see new varieties of vegetables or fruits, equal 
to the harm done by the racing aud minor 
forms of gambling and the liquor drinking, at 
the average loenl fair' This is the question 
which thousands of farmers arc asking them¬ 
selves as they return from the fair grounds. 
If the net results of your local fairs area 
loss in money, intelligence, aud morality, 
then abandon it altogether, or what is far 
better, regenerate it. It does no good to go 
borne and grumble because you have been 
swindled by a fakir, or your sou lias been led 
to indulge too freely in beer, or your favorite 
horse has been jockicd out of a race. The 
average local fair represents the sentiment of 
the community iu which it is held and you 
can do much toward influencing public opin¬ 
ion. As a rule, beer isnot sold, or horse rac¬ 
ing made a prominent feature at fairs where 
patrons do uot care for such things. 
H. c. J. 
Scales on the Farm.— A good pair of 
scales pay well on the farm. It isn’t every¬ 
body that can afford a pair of big platform 
scales—not everybody has work enough for 
them—but any farmer can find a place for 
scales weighing up to 200 pounds. The most 
economical way to feed cattle is to feed by 
the pound aud not by the “forkful” or meas¬ 
ure. With a little weighing we can soon find 
what a “forkful” of hay weighs. Silage will 
bo fed this winter by many who never fed it 
before. It won’t pay to feed it by the bucket 
or scoopful. We ought to know bow much a 
bucketful weighs before we begin feeding it. 
Auother thing to learn is how to sow lime or 
other fertilizers evenly. How much of a 
layer will 2(1 bushels or 40 bushels, or 1,000 
pounds to the acre, make? The way I settle 
this matter is to lay off a space of ground 
33x33 feet, or one-fortieth of au acre. A 
bushel of lima evenly scattered over this will 
give me the rate for 40 bushels to an acre; 
one-half a bushel the rate of 20 bushels, and so 
on. Taking 20 pounds of fertilizer I get the 
rate of 800 per acre, and so on for larger or 
smaller quantities. It is quite a help. 
Washington Co., N. Y. s. m. l. 
I have trained grape-vines over the porch 
at the back of my house. The foliage is green 
and fresh through the summer aud the shade 
is perfect. The fruit is very bandy for the 
table. I never saw auy purely ornamental 
vine that I would put in the place of my 
grape-vines. h. d. m. 
Mercer Co., N. J. 
Lessons from the Drought.— What will 
be the final result of this year’s drought 
With some it will make no difference after the 
present year. But with the intelligent, think¬ 
ing farmer it will be different. It will teach 
us that something must be done to alter the 
old routine of farm work. We find that land 
that lias been worked for fid years does not 
withstand the dry weather as it did when our 
fathers first broke it up. We also find that a 
shoi tageofany certain crop in our section does 
not materially affect the market price even 
in our own vicinity, as it did in the early 
days. In bygone years farmers would say, 
“A short crop means higher prices, less work 
aud the usual income.” But the settling up of 
the West and increased railroad facilities 
have done away with this to a great extent, 
and something must be done to bring up the 
average. We must do all we can to over¬ 
come the drought aud make still more good 
} T ears. Wo want more knowledge of im¬ 
proved methods of farming. We must study 
the experience of others, uud to do this wo 
will have to depend a great deal on the agri¬ 
cultural press. This, with common sense and 
energy will do it. We must give up the gross¬ 
ly mistaken idea that our land here in the 
West is inexhaustible, and we must take up 
the improved methods of our Eastern co- 
workers although it goes against our grain to 
do it. Our motto should be less land, more 
thoroughness and thinking. w. d. h. 
Rockford, Ill. 
B. B., ou page 611, asks for au implement 
that will cultivate between blackberry and 
raspberry rows in an effectual manner. I 
would suggest a “bog-cutter,” made by Mr. 
