1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
HOW PLANTS MAKE BAD NEIGHBORS. 
Among the uppermost problems of modern botany 
is the one which concerns itself with the I'elations that 
plants have with each other. The botanist’s study of 
plant relations teaches the grower of plants several 
new facts, and throws light on some old ones. In na¬ 
ture there are definite associations of plants adapted 
to live together. On the other hand, some plants posi¬ 
tively refuse to be neighbors. It is assumed, of 
course, that all conditions are such that each of the 
unneighborly plants would grow in a particular spot 
if the other were not there. The point is that in a 
plant society there are likes and dislikes among its 
members. It may be that each plant is after the same 
food; or it may be that the exudations of the roots 
of one, such as the gases and acids used to dissolve 
soil particles, may not agree with the other. The 
practical lesson is that in this day of cover crops, 
nurse crops, planting of mixed orchards, growing of 
mixed vegetables, and possibly in the rotation of 
crops, we may in some of these cases get poor com¬ 
binations, because the plants will not associate. The 
potato, for example, in young orchards does not seem 
to bear a proper relationship to the growing trees. 
The peach, an especially delicately organized plant, 
particularly objects to the potato as a near neighbor. 
One can see that there are reasons why the peach may 
not like to eat out of the same dish with a member 
of the deadly Nightshade family. On the other hand, 
the peach with its prussic acid tendencies may not be 
an agreeable neighbor for some other plant. Experi¬ 
ments may show that some cover crops, and we are 
led to suspect that this is true, are not adapted to live 
with all fruit trees; to the contrary, as in the case 
of the legumes, the association may be most congenial. 
Another fact thoroughly established in the study of 
plant relations is that closely-related plants do not 
live peaceably in the same society; in fact, their 
hatreds are most intense. This comes from the neces¬ 
sary struggle for exactly the same food. One or the 
other is bound to be badly worsted. In this we have 
emphasis of a fact which practice well sustains; name¬ 
ly, it is poor orcharding to mix orchard fruits, or to 
grow small fruits in an orchard, or to plant nursery 
stock between rows of fruit trees; for all our common 
fruits belong to the same great botanical family. The 
study of plant relations teaches us other practical les¬ 
sons. Besides, and not the least in importance, it 
gives us a broader insight into the laws of the vege¬ 
table world, and leads us better to understand the 
delicate adjustments in this kingdom. That the 
grower of plants possess such knowledge, is becoming 
more and more essential. u. r. hbduick. 
Michigan Agricultural College. 
HOW TO HAVE HOME PLUMS, 
In my association with our farmers the thought has 
many times come to me: “If that man only knew how 
much pleasure it would give his wife and family he 
would raise some fruit for them.’’ But if the subject 
of fruit is mentioned the answer nearly always is: 
“I can buy it cheaper than bother to grow it,’’ and he 
still keeps on working to buy something for himself 
or family. Why should the average farmer feel that 
he must always buy that which will give himself or 
family pleasure? For in many cases he can produce 
right at home that which will give more health and 
happiness than many times the same effort spent 
earning money to buy something. For the amount 
invested and the care required to produce them, I 
know of nothing that will give the average farmer’s 
family more to be thankful for than a dozen or more 
Japan plums. This plum, which in growth and char¬ 
acteristics is more like the peach than our more com¬ 
mon European varieties, succeeds better upon land 
best adapted to the peach, and can be grown to the 
best advantage upon high and lighter lands, while 
our Europeans prefer the more heavy and moist soils 
of our valleys. For varieties a list can be chosen 
which will practically cover the plum season. For 
first early Red June, a plum of fairly good quality 
when well grown, followed by the Abundance, the 
best all-’round good plum of the Japans; a handsome 
tree and fine fruit. Burbank might be added, but is 
a sprangly grower, and although a heavy yielder is 
quite subject to rot. A good sauce plum, but not 
recommended as an eating fruit, Chabot is one of the 
later varieties and should be in all collections. I am 
well pleased with Wickson; this fine plum is one of 
the largest in size, firmer in flesh than most of the 
Japans that are of good eating quality. On light land 
it has proved an early and abundant bearer. Should 
be headed low, as it is a very upright grower. A good 
plum to have in the family or to sell. Satsuma is a 
very late plum and fine keeper; the best sauce plum 
yet thoroughly tested, and fine eating if thoroughly 
ripe. Red-fleshed, making a high-colored sauce or 
jelly. Planted in the order named they will prac¬ 
tically cover the plum season. For a light-colored 
plum Hale might be added, of good quality, rank 
grower; has not proved equal to the others, and would 
not recommend it for market. I am growing quite a 
number of new varieties, but have not tested thor¬ 
oughly enough to recommend as equal to those men¬ 
tioned. but hope to find something better. 
Those who would eat good plums must thin; noth¬ 
ing adds to the quality of fruits like thorough thin¬ 
ning. If they cannot be thinned by hand, then take a 
round club and strike the branches sharply enough to 
take off two-thirds to three-fotirths of the fruit when 
it hangs in clusters, and not allow more than four or 
five plums to the foot of bearing wood, and three to 
the foot will surprise many a grower with its product. 
Now do not. refuse to set plums because you have no 
spray pump, or cannot bother to make Bordeaux, for 
PUOGllESS AND PRUNING OF THE UOUDON. FlG. 65. 
good plums can be raised without spraying. Trim 
sensibly, pick off any decayed fruit as soon as it ap¬ 
pears. Use a fair share of common sense and you will 
have plums to eat or give away. a. o. .mead. 
Massachusetts. 
HOW TO ^'BREED'^ SEED CORN, 
Among the recent editorial utterances is a little 
chunk of wisdom concerning the necessity of “breed¬ 
ing” seed corn. I would like to suggest that the 
writer go a couple of steps further and tell us how to 
go thiough this little “block” of stock seed, and re¬ 
move the tassels from the barren stalks before the 
pollen from those stalks has got in its work, and then 
suppose while he is shelling this seed corn he should 
c-ome across just one ear that had grains so much 
longer than the grains on any other ear, and propor¬ 
tionately smaller cob, that the possibilities of im¬ 
provement along another line would suggest them¬ 
selves, and he would conclude that two “blocks” would 
be necessary. And then again, just think, possibly 
some young fellow whose blood is surging in his 
veins, and running away with the desire to taste life 
in a distant city, and whose father had wisely called 
his attention to those dormant possibilities right at 
FRUITING ROW, TRI.MMKD AND UNTRl.M.MKD. Fifi. 66. 
home, would realize the opportunities for the forma¬ 
tion of character in a cornfield, and maybe he could 
be induced to attempt something new. 
Pennsylvania. m. ciAuiuMi.VN. 
BREED TO AN IDEAL TYPE.—A clear ideal or 
definite aim is essential in plant breeding as in all 
other experimental work if the results are to have 
any real value. If one wishes to breed corn by selec¬ 
tion he mentally elaborates the type of ear and plant 
best suited to his purpose and constantly selects seeds 
with that end in view, on (*110 principle that usually 
like produces like, with an occasional accentuation of 
desirable qualities. If in the course of a breeding ex¬ 
periment other desirable features are noticed than 
those anticipated it is good practice to start an addi¬ 
tional strain, but in the main one should not easily be 
diverted from the original purpose. Maize or Indian 
corn is very satisfactory to breed, as the individual 
plants are large enough to be easily examined at all, 
163 
stages of growth, and the inherent propensity for 
variation and consequently for improvement under 
judicious selection is strongly marked. The greatest 
difficulty lies in the facility with which the pollen is 
carried by the wind, making it necessary to plant the 
breeding blocks in out-of-the-way places, as far as 
possible from other varieties that may bloom at the 
same time. 
DON’T INBREED TOO CLOSELY.—If we plant all 
the sound grains from a selected ear in an isoiated 
block we may expect to harvest about five or six per 
cent of ears resembling the one planted. More than 
half the stalks will probably bear nubbins or very in¬ 
ferior ears, 15 per cent at least will be barren, and the 
remaining 25 to .30 per cent should have ears ap¬ 
proaching in a considerable degree the desired type. If 
careful inspections of the block are made as the tas¬ 
sels or male blooms develop they may be cut from all 
stalks showing tardy or weak development of the silk 
and incipient ear, before their pollen falls, and thus 
the resulting mature ears in the whole block are sure 
to be pollinated from the best plants, and a start made 
toward building up a tendency toward the desired im¬ 
provement. It must not be forgotten, however, that 
the ears finally selected from such a block are all in- 
bred to the extent of coming from a single plant in 
the first place, which may be termed the grandmother 
of the lot, and that it is better to take the seeds from 
two or three of the new ears nearest the ideal and 
mix them thoroughly rather than plant a similar 
number taken from the most perfect ear. Indian corn 
has been fitted by nature for cross-polliuatiou by tlie 
wide separation of staminate and pistillate blooms 
(tassel and silk respectively), and repeated inbreed¬ 
ing by planting from a single ear each generation is 
certain progressively to weaken the constitution of 
the plants, while a judicious fixture of individuals 
appi’oaching a given type is likely to increase vigor. 
TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE.—Our maize plant 
is remarkably plastic in the hands of an earnest 
breeder, and its possibilities of useful development 
have .scarcely been touched. Well-considered experi¬ 
ments looking toward the production of corn for spe¬ 
cial economic purposes, such as high oil arid high pro¬ 
tein contents for general feeding, high oil with low 
protein for glucose factories, high protein, without 
changing the normal amount of oil, to obtain a bal¬ 
anced ration for fancy beef and for bacon hogs, and 
high protein with low oil for growing cattie and for 
young stock, as well as for increased productiveness 
and adaptability for varying soils, climates and locali¬ 
ties are being made by societies and seed growers in 
the West and doubtless also by enterprising individ¬ 
uals. Mr. Garrahan rightly says, here is an opportu¬ 
nity for ambitious young farmers to engage in an 
enterprise sure to repay in discipline and anticipation 
if not in practical results, all the energy expended. 
Years of time and much patience are often needed to 
fix the desired character, but occasionally results of 
the highest commercial value are quickly gained. 
HOW TO CURE OAT SMUT, 
Are we going to treat our grain to prevent the 
growth of smut this Spring? Last season we treated 
our oats with formalin according to the rule estab¬ 
lished for such; one pound of formalin (10 per cent) 
to 45 gallons of water. The solution was put into 45- 
gallon barrels, filling them aliout half full. The oats 
were put up in gunny sacks and submerged in this 
solution for about 20 minutes, then lifted out and al¬ 
lowed to drain from five to 10 minutes, after which 
they were spread upon the floor to partly dry before 
sowing, which was done from 24 to 36 hours after 
treatment. In the meantime they were shoveled over 
a few times to prevent heating and to facilitate dry¬ 
ing. One-half of a 24-acre field was treated according 
to the foregoing, and the remainder as follows; 
spreading a thin layer on the floor three or four inches 
deep, then sprinkling them thoroughly with a sprink¬ 
ling can filled with the formalin solution, then adding 
another layer and sprinkling as before and so on. The 
object i.s to have them thoroughly soaked with the 
solution. The results obtained from the last method 
appeared to give as good effect as the former, yet I 
believe the first method is the proper one. Care should 
be observed in sowing to see that the proper quantity 
of seed is being sown to the acre. We allowed a half 
bushel per acre more seed in sowing to make up for 
the dampness and swelling of the seed; still it was 
not enough and we had to resow a portion of the field 
to get the required amount of seed per acre. Our field 
of oats was comparatively free from smut heads, only 
a few heads being noticed, and yielded over 60 bushels 
per acre. The seed was dark with smut before treat¬ 
ment, and had been on the increase for the past few 
years. It was an object lesson to see this field of 
grain lying by the side of other fields where the seed 
was not treated, and see from five to 10 per cent of the 
plants bearing worthless smut heads, and the other 
free from such. The formalin cost us 50 cents per 
pound at the drug store; we used two pounds on the 
75 bushels of seed, and had a large quantity of the so- 
lutiun left. Allowing that we increased our crop five 
per cent in yield, which is a low estimate, at present 
prices of oats would amount to $1 per acre or $24 for 
the 24 acres. Does it pay? g. w. k. 
Fort Atkinson, Wis. 
