1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
257 
PLUMS IN THE MIDDLE WEST. 
Part I. 
The Damson type of plums Is not of 
value or successful In soil of the character 
that is found in South Dakota, Low tem¬ 
perature will ultimately wipe out all plums 
of the Damson type, and this is generally 
true of the Domestica type, as well as of 
Japan and hybrid plums in that class. 
These fruits all have been under test as 
far back as 20 to .15 years along the 
river bluffs districts from Council Bluffs 
to north of Sioux City, Iowa. The Dam¬ 
son is not so well grown nor as much at 
home on the open prairies west and north 
as in the bluffs districts. On prairie soils 
they will have to be grown in thickets and 
in a protected locality away from the di¬ 
rect sweep of north winds, and unless they 
have a soil covering annually, or mulch¬ 
ing, the rule is they will root-kill outright, 
and this Is especially so if worked on My- 
rcbalan, which is not adapted to the soil 
and climate. The type of plums doing well 
and entirely successful is the Americana. 
As the De Soto, Wyant, Forest Garden, 
Stoddard, Wolf, Weaver and Hawkeye are 
of this type, they are best, and in case 
anyone wishes to experiment with seeds 
there is no better basis to work on than to 
use seeds of the Wyant, De Soto and 
Weaver. These can be drilled in a long 
row and let grow about four years, and 
then they, like parents, will be loaded with 
fruit. They can be tested and the Inferior 
fruits weeded out of rows. Tt is possible 
by drilling a peck of seeds or a gallon to 
secure the basis of a fine plum orchard 
and reset in orchards later or graft wild- 
lings with best varieties. This class of 
plums originated all over Iowa, southwest 
Wisconsin and southern Minnesota, and 
there are good native plums of Americana 
t.^-pe indigenous to grove strips along 
sireams In north Nebraska. These as they 
are found northward into South Dakota 
and parts of North Dakota are dwarf 
Rrowers, and some wildllngs are very fine¬ 
ly flavored and good. Many western nur¬ 
series have types of these plums in stock 
and selected, and they are fine fruit, bear¬ 
ing regularly and nearly yearly. 
Possibly as unfortunate a thing as could 
have occurred is the wide sale and whole¬ 
sale recommendations of oUt-of-latitude 
fruits for the Northwest. Take as an ex¬ 
ample the widespread planting and recom¬ 
mendation of Japan plums and hybrids 
that possibly are good for California con¬ 
ditions, that are nearly as much under 
control as a greenhouse, when coupled 
with irrigation. But to give such varieties 
western conditions find induce western 
planters to plant California nursery stock 
is a large loss and widespread mistake, as 
many have found. As an illustration of 
this we know one planter who has kept 
succe.ssional planting of the Japan plums 
and hybrids of that class for 18 years, 
yearly adding to them as they are intro¬ 
duced. Being very favorably located he 
has had the most ardent hopes and expec¬ 
tations. All his time has been utterly 
wasted. He started with Burbank, Abund¬ 
ance and Ogon. kept his experiment 
grounds filled right along with them all 
up to the very latest Introduced “scientifi¬ 
cally bred” fruit, and they are about all 
as worthless as they can be. This is not 
local experience. We placed a test of .18 
varieties of this class on our grounds. Our 
location is exceedingly favorable, very 
high ground, nearly the highest elevation 
in Iowa, and 80 feet above the river bed 
of our local stream. 
We planted Japans and Japan hybrids 
and “bred” plums on two different farms, 
some in protected south hillsides and some 
or. hilltops, some on eastern slopes. These 
are most favorable locations. We did not 
stop with this to make a test; in each case 
where testing a new sort we would use 10 
to 20 of the variety, setting a part our¬ 
selves and distributing the remainder 
among planting enthusiasts in our county, 
thus making the test a scattered one. 
Some of them w'ere placed on river bot¬ 
toms and some on slopes, some on elevated 
parts of other places in this county, and 
this test has been going on for 12 years. 
They have a variable behavior and some 
Winters have wiped out whole plantings 
root and branch. Others have borne fruit 
and lived a few years, and rarely can any 
of the fruit be saved because of its being 
subject to rot. Other years, when trees 
went through, all bloom is destroyed by 
frost. Many trees will not bear at all, not 
setting any bloom, only making wood. 
One year in which there was no rain from 
May 16 to September, and desert condi¬ 
tions prevailed (no moisture or dew for 
three months), about a half of a crop of 
Hurbank ripened and escaped the rot, that 
is of such a nature that no spraying wdll 
yet prevent it in this section. These were 
saved by their being in a peculiar location 
that saved them from the severity of a 
very severe test Winter. All this while the 
Americana class of plums of the typo 
mentioned hify/’ fruited regularly. 
Jowg. yy. If, pOMBEEaBR, 
NOTES ON BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 
After considerable study and experi¬ 
menting I have settled upon the follow¬ 
ing formula as the standard for Bor¬ 
deaux for most purposes: Four pounds 
copper sulphate, five pounds fresh lime 
and 40 gallons water. For cherry, peach 
(in foliage) and Japan plums one-half 
of this strength. To prepare it we slake 
a barrel of fresh lime in a tight box 
about three feet wide, five feet long and 
a foot deep, which is level, so that when 
the lime is in putty form it will be the 
same depth in all parts of the box. By 
knowing how many pounds are in the 
barrel it is easy to calculate how large 
a slice is necessary in order to secure 
any number of pounds. This is kept 
moist and used as wanted by taking out 
the required amount and dissolving in a 
tub made of a half barrel. Only the 
soluble portions are used, and all is 
strained into our spraying tank, which 
holds 250 gallons. This is filled three- 
fourths full, and then the water contain¬ 
ing the copper sulphate is added. The 
latter is prepared by putting the re¬ 
quired amount (25 pounds in this case) 
into a coffee sack and suspending in top 
of a barrel of water, where it will dis¬ 
solve in three or four hours. Remember 
that this mixture is for fungous trou¬ 
bles, and if you wish to destroy insects 
you must add to it poison in some form. 
Apple trees do not bloom in the order of 
their ripening, as the Spy and Rail’s 
Genet are two of the latest bloomers. It 
would be better to make the first spray¬ 
ing after blooming at two different 
times, if there is a great diversity in 
time of dropping of petals of different 
varieties, but ordinarily this is not done. 
Stop spraying when every leaf is wet, 
hut .iust before it begins to drip. This is 
perfection; come near to it as you can. 
Trees from 10 to 15 years of age vary 
so much in size that it is impossible to 
give a very accurate estimate of the 
amount required to cover them. The 
nearest estimate I could make would be 
about two or three gallons per tree. 
Much depends on the pump and nozzle 
also. A fine nozzle and forcible pump, 
which applies the mixture in a fine mist, 
will not require so much material and 
will do a better job than an outfit which 
applies spray in coarser form. Where 
the orchard has been well cared for in 
the past, and where thorough work is 
done, I find that one spraying just before 
blossoms open followed by another im¬ 
mediately upon fall of same, and another 
for the second brood of Codling moths 
about the middle of July in this lati¬ 
tude is sufficient unless too much rainy 
weather occurs. For the application just 
before blossoming we use Bordeaux and 
arsenite of soda. For the second and 
third we use the same and in addition 
add three pounds of arsenate of lead or 
Disparene per 300 gallons. Arsenate of 
lead sticks to foliage very tenaciously. 
Its use and the late spraying have en¬ 
abled us to overcome the ravages of the 
moth very effectively. The first spray¬ 
ing is for scab and canker worm, the 
second for the same and also the Codling 
moth, and the last is for the moth and 
scab. W. W. FARNSWORTH. 
Sec’y Ohio Hort’i Society. 
ABMSTRONQ * McEELVT 
Pittsburgh. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN 
Pittsburgh. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS 
Pittsburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR ] 
> Cincinnati. 
ECKSTEIN ) 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN( 
JEWETT 
ULSTER 
UNION 
SOUTHERN 
SHIPMAN . 
COLLIER 
MISSOURI 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN 
New York. 
Chicago. 
iSt. Louis. 
JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS CO 
Philadelphia. 
MORLEY 
Cleveland. 
SALEM 
Salem, Mass. 
CORNELL 
BulTalo. 
KENTUCKY 
Louisville. 
SE Pure White Leach and 
Pure Linseed Oil and you 
will know exactly what you 
are getting—absolutely the best 
and most economical paint in 
existence. Employ a responsi¬ 
ble, practical painter to apply it 
and the result will be satis¬ 
factory. 
If interested in paint or painting, address 
Natio7ial Lead Co., lOO William Street, New York. 
BROAD TIRES 
make good roads and save draft. 
There’s long service in the modern 
Electric Metal Wheels, 
wlthstraightorstaggered oval steel 
spokes. No tires to set, no break 
downs. Fitany wagon. Make a new 
wagon outof your old gears. Write 
for free catalogue. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Boi88, Quincy, III, 
An International Exhibition 
of Machinery and Implements for Dairy 
Industries Is to be held at Palermo, in the City of 
Buenos Ayres, Argentine Uepublic, from the 15th to 
the 23d of September, 1903. under the management of 
the Argentine Uural Society. American Manufac¬ 
turers are invited to concur with their exhibits. For 
further information and programmes please address 
K. A. de TOIiKDO, Argentine Consul-General, 
124 Produce Exchange, New York. 
CLIMAX ENSILAGE and FODDER CUTTERS 
“The Complete Machine.” 
Wind delivery. No more trouble with carrier.s. The 
CLIMAX can be set up, ready for work, at a 35-foot 
silo, in 20 minutes. Takes less power to operate than 
any other make. The CLIM.\X is guaranteed to ele¬ 
vate any fodder in any conditionH—we make no excep¬ 
tion. Eight years of success bear out our statements. 
Don’t put off getting your machine until the season is 
on. Write us for information and get our catalogue— 
it’s free. 
THEWARSAW-WILKINSON CO., 
WARSAW, N. Y. 
SEE THE SEED DROP 
In plain sight of the operator. 
MATTHEWS IMPROVED 
NEW UNIVERSAL 
Hand Seedars and Cultivators. 
Used by the most successful garden¬ 
ers. They do perfect work. Save time 
andmoney. Open furrow,drop seed, 
cover any desired depth, also mark 
Latest and best Cultivat- 
Best material 
bent handles. 
MARKET 
^^BILUNGS^*^ Planter and Fertilizer 
Is the latest, and It drops . f®'’ corn, 
at twelve different beans, peas, 
itaaces. ^ beet"seed. 
If you want them* 
we furnish Marker and {Trip 
Attachment for rowing botn 
ways. Send for 1903 
Catalogue of Labor Sav* 
Ing Spoclaitloa—FREE. 
Street, boston, Massachusetts. 
RODERICK LEAN Implements 
Famous for 
good work. A 
cent spent for 
a postal requesting illustrated catalogue will save you dollars in the 
purchase of Spike-tooth, Spring-tooth 
and Disc Harrows or Land Roll- 
Don'tbuv until vou learn 
■why the RODERICK LEAN 
are superior to any other. 
RODERICK LEAN MFC.CO.,Mansfield,O. 
TWO CROP ESSENTIALS 
^ are cultivation and keeping down weeds. 
More important than deep cultivation is 
keeping the surface stirred, breaking the 
crust due to rains, and allowing the light, 
air, moisture and warmth to penetrate 
quickly to the roots of the growing plant. 
For doing just these things the ideal imple¬ 
ment is the 
|A IT venm M IT Adjustable Weeder 
l\E h I I mm EL andShallow Cultivator. 
It kills the weeds at first showing, the top soil is pulverized and kept mellow, the plant 
roots are not disturbed and the moist soil is not brought up to dry in the sun. Adjustable 
in width. Narrows to 30 inches, widens to 754 feet. Strong, runs steady, no cumbersome 
shafts. Furnished either with round teeth or with flat to suit different soils, as we are 
licensed by the Hallock Weeder Company to use their famous flat teeth. Weeder booklet 
mailed free. We also make 10 styles Corn Planters, 12 styles Cultivators. 20 styles Corn Shel- 
lers, hand and power, Harrows, Field Rollers, Feed Cutters, etc. Write for catalogue C. 
KEYSTONE FARM MACHINE CO., 1547 N. Beaver St., York, Pa. 
\THE riRSTANDOHlY CONCERN JNINE VORID »£0CC£SSrUllY 
I iHTROliUlX A COMPLETE LIME O' POTATO IHPtBfENK 
1j' Everystageo/Potato Culture 
' >• property handled/romCuH’in^ the 
■ \ 5eed to Assortini^ the mbers 
5eed to Assorting the Tubers 
mrRE6T/NG AND ATTRACTIVE CATALOGUE 
MA/LED EREE.^ 
rais, ffOIATO . 
; .SPRAYERS,' "' - ■- ■ ;■ . • ilSl 
DIGGERS^^n® SORTERS, 
COTTON.A5PARAGU6,GRAPE and TOMATO SPRAYERS. 
Jjm'femMfa.Co.,McKsm,Mcju.-- > 
