1889 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
8i9 
This will greatly help to prevent the spread 
of the disease. There is no other cure for it. 
Morris County, N. J. 
FROM C. A. CONOVER. 
In raising peach trees nay opinion is that 
the best natural pits that can be selected 
by good reliable parties, no matter whether 
they are from Tennessee or Western Penn¬ 
sylvania or North Carolina, are what all 
nurserymen should use, as they will produce 
trees healthier, longer-lived and free from 
yellows. Seedlings raised from pits taken 
from amhealthy trees will, in my opinion, 
not produce healthy trees. Whenever a 
tree begins to show signs of yellows it 
ought to be cut down or pulled up. At 
different times where a tree has been at¬ 
tacked by the yellows and left to stand, I 
have seen that in a short time the four or 
five trees nearest to it became affected with 
the same disease. Another way to take 
good care of an orchard is to plow it lightly 
so as not to disturb the roots and then cul¬ 
tivate it as often as needed to keep it clean 
and free from grass and weeds. We in 
this section think that the yellows often 
comes from neglect, from failure to take 
proper care of the trees. I don’t think it 
advisable to plant a nursery on the same 
ground from which trees have been just 
taken, or to plant an orchard on the same 
field on which old trees have been cut 
down ; I think doing this is a good way to 
produce the yellows. 
Hunterdon County, N. J. 
FROM CASPER HILLER & SON. 
We believe that the bud of a peach in¬ 
fected with the yellows, inserted in a heal¬ 
thy seedling, will carry the disease with it; 
also that the seed of an infected peach 
would produce a diseased seedling. We 
also think it a fact that a young orchard 
planted on the site of one that had died out 
with the yellows, will, in a few years, die 
out from the same disease. In many lo¬ 
calities where peaches formerly flourished, 
new plantings, no matter where the seed 
may have come from, cannot be kept healthy 
to bearing size. It will not do to attri¬ 
bute this to impoverished soil. We can 
apply potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen, 
lime, magnesia, etc., in any quantity, but 
it would all be to no purpose. We plant 
Tennessee seeds because they are likely to 
be more healthy than the average home¬ 
grown seeds. The seedlings planted in 
clean soil, and budded with healthy buds, 
can be grown into fine trees, but in this 
section they finally develop the yellows 
and in the course of 10 or 12 years they are 
worn out. 
Lancaster County, Pa. 
FROM ASHER HIGGINS. 
I have been in the nursery business for 
20 years. I procure my pits from southern 
Tennessee. They are a great deal smaller 
and will produce a larger number of trees 
from the bushel than any other seeds that I 
can get. The trees raised from such seeds 
hardly ever show any signs of the yellows 
and are much better for planting in or¬ 
chards than trees raised from inoculated 
pits. A bushel of good seed will make 
4,000 trees. 
Hunterdon County, N. J. 
from i. c. WOOD. 
We first started in about 20 years ago 
with natural seed procured from high 
grounds in Tennessee. Since that time we 
have procured our seed from parties who 
can be relied upon to furnish seed from nat¬ 
ural seedlings. A little experience will aid 
one in distinguishing at a glance seeds from 
worked or budded trees from those from 
natural seedlings. My experience has been 
that trees grown from healthy seeds where 
the buds have been selected from healthy 
stock, will remain healthy until worn out 
by over-croping, lack of proper nourish¬ 
ment, excess of moisture or some other 
cause which impairs their vigor and event¬ 
ually breaks up their constitution so that 
old age and early decline are hastened. 
Four-fifths of the peach trees set in this 
section 20 years ago are now gone because 
healthy trees became diseased, or because 
trees were raised from diseased pits, or be¬ 
cause proper attention was not given the 
trees after they had been set out. It is 
very true that many trees have perished 
because they were planted in unsuitable 
soil owing to its being flat and underlaid 
with clay, consequently too retentive of 
water, a thing which the peach will not 
stand so far north as the Hudson Valley. 
The longevity of a peach tree raised from 
diseased pits depends on the stage of 
the disease at the time the seed was 
gathered, and the condition of the tree 
when it was set out and the treatment it 
received afterwards. I have known trees 
to show unmistakable signs ot the yellows 
two or three years after they had been set 
out and to pass entirely away without 
ever showing a flower. Others struggle 
along for half a dozen or more years and 
produce some diseased fruit: but show a 
weak growth from the start. In fact, any 
trees that continue healthy for 10 years 
may, with proper attention, be kept for 20. 
How can we do this ? First, use healthy 
seed only; second, select healthy buds from 
trees known to be healthy. Select for the 
FITZWATER PEAR. 
From Nature. Fig. 297. See p. 8 1 8. 
orchard a good, dry, warm soil. One year 
before setting the trees have the ground 
well plowed and harrowed; set the 
trees not closer than 15 feet each way— 
20 is still better. Plant to corn or potatoes 
for the first three years, leaving plenty of 
space on either side of the trees for breath¬ 
ing room. Thin out the weaker branches 
every season and shorten in the stronger 
ones one-third each season. Sow around 
each tree each season ammoniated bone or 
some special prepared peach tree fertilizer, 
commencing with half a pound and increas¬ 
ing to five pounds. After three years, 
grow no crops whatever in the orchard. 
Sow the fertilizer any time during April 
or May. Keep the cultivator or, what is 
better, the spring-tooth harrow going, say, 
three or four times during one season, com¬ 
mencing as early in spring as the ground is 
dry enough and, last but not least, thin the 
fruit. There is no one branch of the suc¬ 
cessful growing of the peach that will add 
so much to the value of this product and 
the health and longevity of the tree 
as this last process. In half of our 
trees the apparent foundation of the 
disease was laid by neglect of this 
precaution, over-cropping and insufficient 
nutriment. Thin thoroughly. Any handy 
man can earn from $3 to $5 per day in the 
thinning of fruit, and the operation will 
tend to keep the trees in a far healthier 
condition and add 10 years to their longev¬ 
ity. There is in this neighborhood an old 
orchard set out 20 years ago. Most of the 
trees are apparently in as healthy a con¬ 
dition as when set, and they bore a good 
crop of fruit the past season. Eight years 
ago the orchard was considered about used 
up. The trees had been allowed to stand 
in the sod for about four years ; the leaves 
had become yellow and dropped early ; the 
trees had grown but little for several 
years, and had borne quantities of small 
fruit. The orchard was plowed and fertil¬ 
ized and the sod was subdued; the trees 
took on new life and made a fair growth 
each season; the leaves became dark and 
large, and they hang well into the fall. 
The fruit is as large and luscious as it was 
a dozen years ago. I attribute the vigor¬ 
ous old age and continued health of these 
trees in great part to the fact that they 
were good healthy seedlings—in fact, if the 
stocks and buds had not been good and 
healthy these trees would have been dead 
long ago—still trees often die young even 
though they possessed perfect health on 
the start, because they have been neglected 
or some of their wants have not been sup¬ 
plied. 
Fishkill, N. Y. 
would use fertilizer in the spring, if 'neces¬ 
sary, to aid in bringing the crop out. It 
should be applied broadcast, say, at the 
rate of 400 to 600 pounds per acre. I would 
use the fertilizer alone in setting out the 
plants, but prefer not to use it all at one 
time. I would apply, say, 500 pounds broad¬ 
cast and harrow it in, and 500 pounds at 
the first or second hoeing, and 500 pounds 
more about July or August to stock and 
crown up the plants for fruiting. All 
should be applied broadcast, and worked 
into the soil. It should be put on when the 
foliage is dry, as it may bum. I use a high- 
grade complete fertilizer with very good 
results. Every one should be the best 
judge of the quality of his own soil, and 
fertilize accordingly. If it is poor, make it 
rich ; if rich, keep it so. An application of 
yard or stable manure in the late fall or 
early winter will prove very beneficial for 
the following crop. 
Port Monmouth, N. J. 
FROM CHAS. J. MAJORY. 
1. In my light soil superphosphate would 
serve me no desirable purpose. I am 
obliged to use a complete fertilizer rich in 
potash. 2. I have never used nitrate of 
soda, sulphate of ammonia, or muriate of 
potash alone. Sulphate of potash and fine 
ground bone have given me very profitable 
returns on strawberries and raspberries. 
3. I would apply ashes to strawberries in 
the soring as early as the ground could be 
worked. This is for New Jersey where I 
mulch strawberries for field crops. Were I 
in Maine I do not know whether I would 
need to mulch, and, if not, I would proba¬ 
bly not work the berries in spring. In that 
case I would apply ashes in the fall. 4-5. 
My idea, based upon my own experience 
solely, is that stable manure at any ordi¬ 
nary price cannot be used on berries with 
profit as compared with a good complete 
fertilizer. I should use stable manure as 
heavily as possible on an old strawberry or 
other field to be plowed for corn, and fol¬ 
low with a complete fertilizer for some 
root crop, and then use potash and bone or 
a complete fertilizer rich in potash exclus¬ 
ively for berries. 6. Mapes Light Soil 
Fertilizer is excellent. A ton per acre may 
be applied when setting the plants. After¬ 
ward liberal quantities of Fruit and Vine 
Manure or potash and bone should be used. 
Ocean County, N. J. 
FROM A. W. WILLIAMS. 
1. Plants that have fruited one season, 
need more stimulating than those newly 
set, from the fact that the year’s fruiting 
has almost completely exhausted from the 
soil the elements necessary to produce a 
crop; for this reason I consider no fertilizer 
too stimulating for strawberries, the Cres¬ 
cent included. 
2. I have had no experience in the use of 
nitrate of soda or of sulphate of ammonia 
by themselves. Muriate of potash I have 
used to some extent on peach trees and 
grape-vines, and taking into consideration 
the fact that the trees and vines treated by 
it yielded fine fruit, and produced a satis¬ 
factory and well ripened growth, I deem 
it one of the best fertilizers for a grower of 
fruits, when it is applied alternately with 
barn-yard manure or ground bone (pure), 
either of which is rich in phosphoric acid. 
3. I would apply ashes (unleached) to 
strawberries in the fall only, if I wished re¬ 
sults the following summer, as the action 
of frost tends to dissolve and disintegrate 
those ingredients which are naturally in¬ 
soluble, and which without such action, 
would be many months in dissolving. 
4. Barn-yard manure is indispensable to 
the successful grower of strawberries, and 
when it can be bought for $4 per cord, I 
think that if it is used liberally no other 
fertilizer would be beneficial, unless it 
might be some form of potash applied in 
the fall or early in the spring, in the latter 
case, before foliage starts. If applied later 
it should be brushed from the leaves with 
a broom. 5. After applying stable manure 
at the rate of 10 cords per acre, I would 
use no other fertilizer in setting new plants. 
In case the plants have fruited one year, it 
would be beneficial|to use either sulphate 
or muriate of potash to increase the fruit¬ 
ing power of the plants, and to develop the 
fruit. It should be spread over the rows 
only late in the fall or very early in the 
spring. 6. Living, as I do, where stable 
manure cannot be obtained for much less 
than $5.50 per cord at the car, I use the 
Mapes Fruit and Vine Complete Manure 
liberally, believing it to contain all the ele¬ 
ments necessary to the growth and fruit¬ 
age of trees and vines. In applying it to 
vineyards and peach orchards I use about 
600 pounds per acre, broadcasted and culti¬ 
vated into the soil. It was my custom to 
apply it in the spring as early as practica- 
FITZWATER PEAR. 
Half Section. Fig. 298. See p. 8 1 8. 
ference in cost of stable manure and fertil¬ 
izers, depends on the distance from which 
they have to be hauled and on hand hire, for 
fertilizers can be handled at much less out¬ 
lay in time and labor. After applying 10 
cords of manure on fairly good land broad¬ 
cast, I would not use any fertilizer while 
setting the plants, unless it be raw ground 
bone broadcast ove the row. Yes. I 
Chemical Fertilizers 
ON 
STRAWBERRIES. 
ANSWERS FROM LARGE GROWERS. 
The following questions were sent us by 
a subscriber in Maine. The answers are 
from well-known growers who are largely 
interested in the business : 
1. Is superphosphate too stimulating 
for newly-set plants or for plants that have 
fruited one season ? Is this true of the 
Crescent ? 
2. What is the It. N.-Y.’s opinion of nit¬ 
rate of soda ? of sulphate of ammonia ? of 
muriate of potash ? of ground raw bone ? 
3. How and when should ashes be ap¬ 
plied to strawberries ? 
4. When stable manure can be bought at 
the barn for $4 a cord, can fertilizers be 
used with profit in strawberry growing ? 
5. After applying stable manure at the 
rate of 10 cords per acre, would it be advis¬ 
able to use fertilizers in setting new plants 
or on plants that have fruited one season ? 
If so, should they be applied broadcast or 
in hills, and in what amount ? 
6. If fertilizers are used alone, what 
kinds would be best; what amount should 
be applied per acre ? 
FROM J. S. CARTER. 
I never grew the Crescent Strawberry 
and I would work carefully with muriate 
of potash. I tried it some years ago with 
fine bone, and it roasted the plants badly. 
Had it been worked in the soil some time 
before the plants were set out, it might 
have proved satisfactory. I have no fears 
of pure raw ground bone. It is a good base 
to work on, being slow and lasting in its 
effects. I would apply ashes broadcast in 
the spring at the time of setting the plants. 
I consider them safe for all crops; but they 
have a great tendency to bring in White 
Clover, which means failure with the sets 
the second year. I have used coal ashes 
in various ways without seeing the least 
benefit from them as a fertilizer. The dif- 
