1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
237 
BARN STORAGE FOR APPLES 
That Proved a Failure. 
Like most other localities, Schoharie 
Co., N. Y., had a big apple crop last 
Fall. While in no sense one of the great 
fruit counties, its apples, grown at high 
altitudes on limestone soil, are said to 
be gaining a reputation for keeping 
qualities and color and for the large per¬ 
centage of Spitzenburgs produced. Ac¬ 
cording to current estimates, the little 
county grew 100,000 barrels of salable 
apples in 1902. Competition was brisk, 
and most of them were contracted for 
on the basis of $1.50 per barrel for all 
desirable varieties, the grower picking 
the apples and putting them in piles un¬ 
der the trees, and the buyer furnishing 
the barrels and grading the fruit, the 
help for doing this being boarded by 
the farmer. Of course with an arrange¬ 
ment of this kind about the only chance 
for friction is on the question of the 
standard of grading. For the first 10 
days everything went smoothly, the 
grading being about like that of other 
years, and from GO to 90 per cent of the 
apples being barreled. Then came the 
scare about the scab and the resulting 
rot, and in a day the standard of grad¬ 
ing was raised above anything that we 
ever dreamed of. Sorters tried to work 
to the “four-spot rule,” any apple show¬ 
ing more than four tiny flecks of scab 
being rejected. This meant that gener¬ 
ally from 90 to 95 per cent of Spitzen¬ 
burgs were thrown out, and in many in¬ 
stances large piles of this fruit, whicn 
at its best probably represents the sum¬ 
mit of quality in apples, wei’e not even 
touched by the sorters. It was a fine 
pile of apples of other kinds where 50 
per cent of them were accepted. Some 
lialdwins went up fairly well, others 
were practically worthless. Of course 
there was hard feeling and high-sound¬ 
ing language on the part of the farmers, 
but the buyers simply declared that they 
purchased only first-class fruit and that 
left very little chance for argument. It 
seemed to us as though it was merely a 
question of selecting the exhibition spe¬ 
cimens. One local wit declared that Mr. 
-, a Philadelphia buyer, was running 
a fruit stand, and wanted no apples that 
would not retail for a nickel each. It is 
worth noting that the old Seek-no-fur¬ 
ther was almost the only apple that put 
up without serious waste. It seems to 
be literally scab-proof. The generally 
handsome hide of Ben Davis was badly 
pockmarked with very black blotches, 
the scab of this apple being particularly 
conspicuous. Spraying was useful, but 
by no means wholly effectual. Our own 
orchard, thoroughly soaked three times 
with Bordeaux, lost heavily, although 
better than most unsprayed. 
Well, we got through with it as we do 
with many other unpleasant occur¬ 
rences. There were some apples to draw 
to the depot. There were apples unlim¬ 
ited for the pigs and cows, and there are 
plenty in the cellars of this section now. 
We fed more than a thousand bushels 
(at a guess) and wishing to try to save 
something from the wreck, took about 
50 barrels of apples that were all right 
except for the fatal scabmarks, and as 
barrels were unattainable and the cold 
storage of this fungus-infected fruit 
seemed at best a dubious proposition, we 
did the oniy thing that looked feasible, 
and put them in an unused barn on a 
deep bed of oat straw, and covered them 
with at least three feet of well-packed 
straw over the top. We were much sur¬ 
prised when zero weather came that 
they froze up solid, and now we are 
shoveling them out, dark and discolored, 
but probably not seriously injured in 
feeding value, and making them into 
pork. If anyone had told me that large 
piles of apples would freeze solid under 
three feet of straw I would have thought 
that he was talking something of which 
he knew nothing, but now I know that 
they will. Storing apples in a straw 
mow when the temperature goes below 
zero is a monumental failure. Still, I 
lost nothing except a good bit of labor. 
How much of the howl against scabby 
apples last Fall was justified by the re¬ 
sults? We know that fruit immature 
when picked shriveled and rotted very 
badly. Holland Pippins and Greenings 
especially went all to pieces in two or 
three weeks after picking. Many were 
paid for at $1.50 per barrel that were lit¬ 
erally worthless. But where the apples 
hung late on the trees and fully matured 
before picking the fungus seemed to 
make very little further progress. The 
experience of the past Fall only confirms 
wiiat I have thought before; that an 
apple must be thoroughly mature before 
picking if it is to keep well. The trou¬ 
ble is that where many are to be gath¬ 
ered some must be taken too soon. Up 
here, a quarter of a mile above sea level, 
even Kings and Greenings should hang 
until October 1, while Spys and Baldwins 
ought to remain until the night when 
the frosts get too hard for their best 
good. JAltED VAN WAGENEN, JB. 
Katfir Corn for Fodder. 
H. A. I-'., Ho. Duxbury, Mass .—Can anyone 
give me any information in regard to cul¬ 
ture of Kaffir corn? Is the fodder good for 
stock after the grain has ripened? Should 
It be planted in drills or broadcast? 
Ans.—W e have grown Kaffir corn for 
several years. It is a sorghum, the 
small seeds growing in a cluster at the 
head of the stalk. In Kansas, Nebraska 
and other sections where drought is se¬ 
vere and hot winds prevail the Kaffir is 
very popular, because it will make a 
fair crop where ordinary corn would dry 
up. With us, on soil that rarely suffers 
severely from drought, our white flint 
corn gives more grain or fodder than 
the Kaffir, and we consider it more pro¬ 
fitable. Except in very dry sections 
where corn will not make a good growth 
we doubt whether Kaffir will pay on 
eastern farms. Where some local va¬ 
riety of corn will make a good growth 
of stalk and grain we would prefer it. 
The exception will be found on some 
light uplands which are naturally very 
dry and deficient in vegetable matter. 
Announcement 
We liave obtained tlie Court’s decree against two 
additional inanufaeturers who have been Infring¬ 
ing our i)atent. The rule of law Is: “Tlie maker, 
seller or user of an Infringing device are all liable 
In damages to the owner of the patent infringed.” 
Tlie Janesville Alachine Co. and the Keystone 
Karin Machine Co. are the only linns licensed to 
use a flat tooth covered by our patent, and we 
11 nail y warn sellers and users of all otlier makes. So 
adminibiy liavethe6i),000“Hallock” Weedersdone 
the work for which they were designed, that one 
maker after another sought to copy it. However, 
by tiie various Courts’ decisions, these makers are 
compelled to abandon the manufacture of a 
Weeder having Hat teeth, and they are now ex- 
lierimenling with other shapes: but it is the flat 
tooth that made the “Ilallock’’ Weeder famous, 
and in view of the manner in which our patent lias 
been sustained, it is dangerous to usean infringing 
tooth. Write for descriptive circulars and prices. 
HALLOCK WEEDER & CULTIVATOR CO., 
Box 805 York, Pa. 
C orn Planting 
and fertilizing go hand in hand. w_ 
You can plant in hills, drills or vi 
checks and put in the ground ail com- 
mercial or home made fertilizers in 
any condition,as wet,lumpy,etc. with 
THE ECLIPSE 
Corn Planter and 
Fertilizer Distributer, 
With Improved Row Marker. 
Adapted as well to Peas, Beans, Beets, etc. 
Hills 6 to 45 inches apart. Distributes 60 to 
450 lbs. fertilizer per acre. Wide and easy 
adjustment. Light draft, weight 150 lbs. 
Easy to handle, a model for accuracy and 
durability. Investigate our Eclipse Two 
Row Two Horse Planter. Agents wanted in 
new territory. Write for circulars and terms. 
BELCHER & TAYLOR A. T. CO., 
Box 75 , Chloopeo Falls, Mass. 
style Iron 
1^ I I I w \SI Send for Catalogue 
Sykes Metal Laik & Roofing Co., 
A Golden Rule 
of Agriculture: 
Be good to your land and your crop 
will be good. Plenty of 
Potash 
in the fertilizer spells quality 
and quantity in the har¬ 
vest. Write us and 
we will send you, 
free, by next mail, 
our money winning 
books. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau Street, 
New York. 
“LOUDEN’S FAMOUS” 
Double Tread Burn Door Hanger runs on aT-rail 
flexibly connected to barn. Warranted to never 
jump the tra<'k. Has tempered steel roller bear¬ 
ings, fits close to building, and will not bind or 
run hard when the door or siding become warped. 
They are without doubt the “ U E S T ON 
EARTH.” We also manufacture a complete line 
of Hay Tool.s Hardware .Specialtie.s, for use in 
field and barn. Write for catalogue. Addres.s 
LOUDEN MACHINERY CO., 
Dept. J. Fairfield, Iowa. 
BEFORE BUYING Send 4 cents postage 
. .. . for illustrated catalog 
A NEW HARNESS description 
and prices to consumer 
King Harness Co., No. 10 Lake St., Owego, N. Y. 
The Old ^ 
Reliable 
Stockbridge Specials. 
T he bowker fertilizer company introduced and have 
manufactured these well-known Fertilizers ever since 1873, on the 
plan originally laid down by Prof. Stockbridge, namely, to feed the 
plant rather than the soil, supplying the plant what it cannot obtain 
Lorn the soil or air in sufficient cjuantity, and in feeding the plant to take 
into consideration its habits and conditions of growth. 
RESULTS HAVE TOLD THE STORY; 
that this is the best plan. It has produced increased crops of superior 
quality which have led thousands of farmers to “ swear by the Stockbridge ” 
as by no other fertilizer, whatever the price. The Stockbridge brands may 
be used with manure but are 
RICH ENOUGH TO BE USED ALONE. 
It ivill certainlv fay you to see our Local Agents, or corresfond ivith us before buying 
your fertilizers this season. 
FERTILIZER COMPANY, 
Boston. New York. Cincinnati. 
BOWKER 
