5903 
869 
EVERYBODy^S GARDEN. 
Burning Purttlitv. —During and sub¬ 
sequent to the falling of the leaves the 
whole village and country roadsides 
were a mass of leaves, and, of course, 
lecame a nuisance in many placrs. Night 
jfter night the village was aglow with 
the bonfires, and I argued that thereby 
was a serious loss of fertility. Doubt¬ 
less in the leaves themselves there is 
little direct fertility, but in some way 
they improve soil conditions. My own 
experience is that they amply repay the 
expense of gathering for many purposes, 
and I was sufficiently covetous to wish 
that I had all the leaves in sight safely 
stored on my premises. But while stacks 
of them were burned in the streets and 
thus totally lost, we succeeded in gather¬ 
ing some and with no land for growing 
wheat or oat straw, they are very ac¬ 
ceptable for bedding. I believe it pays 
better than buying straw at current 
prices here. I also find many other use.s 
for them, and expect to turn some of 
them to good account in mulching the 
strawberry beds. Using them alone for 
this purpose 1 find them rather frisky 
and liable to be blown away. Holding 
them in place with brush or poles, in 
some cases is practical, but w'hen con¬ 
venient a better plan is to mix them 
with coarser litter. Thus they work in 
as a filler to good advantage and supply 
the shortage of other litter. Thus far I 
have used considerable quantities (and 
all the time wishing for more) in the 
horse stables. From thence they go di¬ 
rectly to the hogpens, where they get 
pretty thoroughly stirred up and mixed 
in with the manure, and when all finds 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
and lavish amounts of manure, the crop 
will be profitable. But it would hardly 
be safe to set so high a mark as the 
above figures indicate. The average 
value, we believe, is $73 to $100 per acre. 
While this is below even a conservative 
estimate it is, no doubt, far nearer the 
actual realizations of ordinary mortals 
than the figures first given. The culture 
of the crop is not especially difficult, but 
for the squash, as most other crops, the 
very best of soil and cultural conditions 
are none too good. In later years it 
seems extremely difficult to get a thor¬ 
oughly good strain of the Green Hub¬ 
bard. Several times I have bought espe¬ 
cially fine specimens hoping to find 
something out of the ordinary, but each 
time the test of cooking has proved dis¬ 
appointing. I recently bought one (a 
23-pounder) at three cents per pound, of 
exceptionally fine appearance, but the 
table qualities were far inferior to the 
Hubbard of years ago. I have a fine 
quality of the red variety but do not be¬ 
lieve they will hold up to the green as 
a cropper. For market variety I prefer 
the latter, but think the table qualities 
of the red are superior. J. E. morse. 
Michigan. _ 
Seedling Apple Trees. 
J. C. //., New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.—Will 
seedling apple trees be likely to bear a-< 
soon with proper care as an ordinary 
grafted one? 
A NS. —No, seedling apple trees will be 
more tardy in coming into bearing than 
almost every kind that is usually bought 
from the nurseries. Besides, the fruit 
will be of greatly variable and for the 
and Windsor, and of sour ones the 
Richmond and English Morello are well 
tried and dependable. Two of the best 
blackberries for that region are Snyder 
and Aawam. Of red raspberries the 
Loudon and Cardinal are good, and of 
the black ones Kansas and Conrath are 
among the best. Red Dutch and White 
Grape are good currants. ii. e. v. d. 
Insect and Fungus Queries; Cutting Gladiolus. 
TF. R., TJrhana, O. —1. Is there any prac¬ 
tical method of preventing or destroying 
the damping-off fungus in small hotbeds? 
2. How near the ground should the Gladio • 
lus spike be cut for best results to the 
bulb? 3. We have a small patch that is 
always badly infested with cutworms. One 
said that if a cannon were shot across this 
])atch it would burst every cutworm in it. 
Is this true? We sometimes see mangled 
cutworms after a heavy' thunderstorm. It 
would be interesting to hear what our 
scientific men have to say about this. 
Ans. —5. The damping-off fungus Is 
best controlled by free ventilation and 
the admission of all possible sunlight. 
It is always most rampant under close, 
stuffy and dark conditions. It may be 
largely prevented by sterilizing the soil 
before the seed is sown by exposure to 
a baking heat or to the influence of live 
steam. The soil may also be watered 
before sowing with a solution of one-half 
ounce copper sulphate to the gallon of 
water, to be followed in a few hours by 
a good soaking of clear water to wash 
out the copper after it has acted on the 
fungus spores. In addition to thorough 
ventilation the spread of the mycelium 
after infection may be hindered by sift¬ 
ing dry warm sand among the little 
plants, first allowing the soil to get as 
dry as the plants will bear. 2. The fewer 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
■ ‘a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
most part inferior quality and size. An 
its way to the garden grounds we fully orchard of seedlings w'ould be very un- leaves cut with the Gladiolus flower 
expect returns. Another use for tvhich 
they have thus far proved very satisfac¬ 
tory was covering the celery. Narrow 
trenches w'ere dug to less depth than the 
height of the bunches, which w'ere set 
i.a and well covered with the leaves. 
A.fter this a covering of earth sufficient 
to turn the water was put on, and I have 
never had celery keep in finer condition. 
"We are also using them in the cellar in 
place of sand for storing beets and pars- 
.r.ips. They are said to be better than 
either sand or soil for this purpose, and 
1 am testing their qualities. Later on I 
Lope to know by experience whether 
they are good or otherwise. 
Tomato .L, ic e. —On page S23 the Hope 
Farm man answers some queries regard¬ 
ing the juice of tomato vines as a pre¬ 
ventive of some kinds of vine pests. 
TYith no thought of improving upon the 
answer, a bit of personal experience 
might be of use to some. Years ago I 
read that tomato vines and leaves steep¬ 
ed in water to a strong solution was a 
certain preventive of Potato bugs and 
Cabbage worms. Maybe I have never 
used it sufficiently strong or in large 
enough quantities, but I have boiled it 
pretty low and used it freely enough 
thoroughly to wet the vines and plants, 
yet wdth no effect whatever. The state¬ 
ment as to its powers w'as unqualified, 
and thinking I had “struck it rich,” I 
have at one time and another tried it 
pretty faithfully, but the bugs an 1 
worms went on increasing. Possibly it 
may be effective for some insects, and 
if so is a cheap and easily-applied pre- 
xentive. But I fear that Potato bugs 
and Cabbage worms are not so easily 
got rid of. 
Fortunes in Squashes. —I recently 
read some very glowing accounts or ex¬ 
periences in squash growing, and if I 
could convince myself that the figures 
W'ere reliable, I should devote most of 
my ground to that line of work. How¬ 
ever, my own experience with w'hat in¬ 
desirable and unprofitable, n. e. v. d. 
Grape and Pear Cuitings;Wine-making. 
C. »8f. Leavenworlh. Ttid.—I. Give me best 
method of growing or rooting hard wood 
grape cutting.s. 2. How can T root IC.effer 
pear cuttings? 3. Ttow can t make a eom- 
nn'i'cial grape wine and what is l)est liook 
on this subject? 
Ans. —I. Grape cuttings are made from 
well-ripened wood by cutting them into 
sections about eight inches long, having 
a bud close to the butt end and one about 
an inch below the top. They must be 
made before the buds start in the Spring 
but much earlier is better, and mid-Win¬ 
ter is a very good time. They must be 
kept damp and cool, and I like to bury 
them under a mulch in the open ground. 
When Spring comes they should be set 
in mellow soil and packed firmly, with 
the top bud barely above the ground. 
Good tillage should then be given them 
during the entire grow'ing season. 2. 
Kieffer pear cuttings do not root readily, 
and the best way to propagate this tree 
is by budding on good pear stocks. 3. 
Grape wine should only be made accord¬ 
ing to weli-devised plans, and the best 
book to give the needed information is 
“Grapes and Wine Making,” by George 
Husmann. It can be had through The 
R. N.-Y, office; price $1.50. ii. e. v. d. 
Fruit List for Illinois. 
lielvidcre. III.—Is the following list of 
fiuits desirable in this locality in north 
central Illinois, or could you name some 
better varieties? I intend to plant an or¬ 
e-hard for home u.se, and sell surplus on 
the home market. Apples: Oldenburg, 
Yellow' Transparent, Sw'eet Bough, Fam- 
euse (Snow'), Red Astrachan, Tolman 
Sweet, Wealthy, Wagener, York Imperial. 
McIntosh, Pound Sweet, .lacobs Sweet, 
Korthern Spy. Northw'estern Greening. I 
would like the names of the best four 
pears, four plums; two sweet and two sour 
cherries, tw'o blackberries, tw'o black and 
two red raspberries and two currants. 
An.s. —All of the varieties mentioned 
are reasonably hardy in northern Illi¬ 
nois, except it be the Sweet Bough, 
w'hich is rather w’eakly in tree. The list 
spike the better the chances of getting 
strong bulbs. There is a demand for 
long-stemmed spikes, fostered more by 
dealers than actual flow'er buyers, that 
if gratified is ruin to Gladiolus stocks. 
At least three or four leaves should be 
loft to nourish the bulb. By using a 
sharp thin knife and cutting downward 
at the base of the selected leaf a fair 
length of stem may be secured without 
too great sacrifice of foliage. 3. The 
cannon method of killing cutworms may 
or may not be effective, but It is hardly 
practicable for a farmer to keep a 12-inch 
modern gun for the purpose. As the 
blast from some of the big naval guns 
ha.s torn up the steel deck of the armored 
vessel over which they were fired, it is 
likely it might demoralize nearby cut¬ 
worms. Cutworms may be greatly re¬ 
duced in numbers by poisoning with 
bran, molasses, Paris-green and chopped 
clover or cabbage leaves, well mixed to 
gether and molded into balls. This 
method is most effective if freely used on 
the bare soil before the crop is planted. 
Jl'rite for names of 
gents who make 
from $200 
The $300 a 
J best 
lights in the 
world; cost less 
than poor lights, 
xoo candle po' 
for less than %c. per 
I hour. No smoke. 
I grease, no smell. Sent 
trial; satisfaction guaranteed. 
Special offer to first from eac 
I postoffice. Write today for full 
I information. SUPERIOR MF 6 . CO., 
218 Second St., Aft N Arbor. Mich 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTORE 
AND TMC Leading agricultuoau'experi- 
MEN.-T': STATIONS USE AND RECOMMEND 
S P. Fl CARBOUINEUM. 
THEoGREAT WOOD PRESERVER. 
' ron ciMCULAfi wmiti to 
BRUNO'GROSeHE & CO., 108 Greenwich St.,-New. York. 
....EMPIRE 
“KINQ 
, or ORCHARD MONARCH! 
PERFECT ADITATORS with Automatic Brush I 
I for alnnioE .trftift.r* No leather or rubber All etjlea of Sprfty | 
Pumps. Book free. **Nolwindled feelluglfToause our pumps." 
Field Force Pump Co. 2 11 th St. Elmira, I 
DAlAf CilpC—Send two-cent stamp forroliable 
iIHWV rullv prices on Raw Furs and Ginseni;. 
No curiosity seekers answered. LEMUEL BLAt;K, 
Exporter and Healer in Raw Furs and Ginseng,Hight8- 
town, N. J., Lock Box 48. Reference: First National 
Bank of Higtitstown. 
Rubber Goods Repaired. 
Coats, Boots, Rubbers, Blankets, Soles, Heels, and 
Patches. You can do It. Outfit, 25c. Agents wanted. 
CONNECTICUT RUBBER CO., Hartford, Conn, 
S CIENTIFIC grinding MILLS grind Com 
In tho ear, or Grain In any form. Strong, exact, 
reliable. Catalogue D mailed free. 
FOOS MFG. CO., Springfield. Ohio. 
I 
r ALIFORNIA FOR_25<y 
IwJ'All about the land of auuAHUie, fruits and flowers. 
Itesourccs and lomanue. IUuh. Maj;. 1 yr trial, 26c. 
The Western Empire, 75 Times Block, Los Angeles 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine. 
For Grinding, Shelling, Fodder Cutting, 
Threshing, Pumping, Sawing, etc. 
ISTATIONARIES, PORTABLES, SAWING 
.AND PUMPING OUTFITS, ETC- 
Bend for Illust’d Catalog & TesOmonlala 
Stato Your Powaa Maadam 
CHARTER GAS ENGINE C 0 .| Boi 26 STERLING. ILL 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
Three Horse Power, $100 
Five Horse Power, 8150 
Saws wood; cuts feed. Does all 
kinds of farm work Runs spray 
pump. Catalogue free. 
PALMER BROS., 
Cos Cob, Conn. 
Wl 
IRE FENCE stock fence 29c per rod. 
Bend for price list and F KEE catalogue of Wire 
Fence and full line of Fence Supplies. 
W. U. MASON & CO.. Box Leeaburg, Ohio. 
Wind-breaks Again.—A wind-break built 
on the west side of tlie road to a height of 
eight to 10 feet at about where the fence 
line w’ould come, or preferably on the road¬ 
side of the fence, it is believed w'ould over¬ 
come the trouble referred to on page 837. 
'Phis fence or wind-break could be put up 
each Winter, but meanwhile if a double 
row of Norway spruce or some equally 
good evergreen were planted just back or 
west of the wind-break, in a few' years 
they would serve to take the place of the 
wind-break. In order to get early results 
from the trees prepare the ground well be¬ 
fore sotting them and set them not more 
than four or five feet apart in the row. A 
single row may answer the purpose. When 
a double row is set, alternate the trees so 
as to leave no openings through the plant¬ 
ing. Often nurserymen have over-grown 
spruce trees from six to nine feet in height, 
and if one is close by they can bo pur¬ 
chased at a low price and answer nicely 
for the purpose. Trees of this size, how'- 
ever, do not stand shipment w'ell and are 
expensive to pack and ship if they come 
from a distance. F. w. rane. 
New Hampshire. 
THE FIVE BOTTOM V^IRES 
in Page Hog Fences are only three inches apart. 
That’s closer, and catches small pigs. 
PAGE AVOVKN WIRE FENCE CO., Adrian, Midi. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
UNION LOCK Poultry 
Fencing 
has been fully tested 
aud found superior 
to all others. 
Has Fine Mesh at 
Bottom for Small 
thicks. 
This feature adds greatly to the value of the 
fence, and places it in a class bX, . 
Every I'art Stretche.H Perfectly , 
does not sag between posts, and will fit uneven 
ground without cutting. 
UNION LOCK poultry FENCING 
is made at mills In Connecticut, Illinois and Call- 
fornla. We pay freight, and allow ^ days free 
trial Send for FREE catalogue of harm. Lawn 
and Poultry Fencing Do It to-day. 
CASE BROS., COLCHESTER, CONN. 
JXJJST OXJT 
BEST.^1 
.CHEAPEST 
Write for copy lUustra- 
oureighth annual catalogue 
ting and describing theFrost heavy weight farm fence, 
containing twice the strength, and three times the 
lasting qualities Of the woven wire fabric Agents 
wanted to sell our fence, coiled spring wire and steel 
gates TUE B'UOST WIUB FENCE CO ,Cleveland,O 
vestigation I have been able to make, in- given will also make quite a good suc- 
clines me to take the reports with a cession from early until late. Four of 
large grain of salt. The estimates, I the best pears would be Tyson, Seckel, 
think, were made on the basis of 1’/^ to Bartlett and Lawrence. Of plums, the 
three cents per pound, and the cash re- native kinds would be the most success- 
turns $1,000 per acre, filiere is no doubt ful, and Wyant. Stoddard, Ocheeda and 
that with a thoroughly good strain of Hawkeye are all good ones. Two If so, use The South Side Third Barrel California Apple Box 
seed of the Hubbard, well adapted soil good sweet cherries are May Duke 
DO YOU SHIP APPLES? 
If so, use The South Side Third Barrel California Apple Box. Send for prices, 
530UTH SIDE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, PETERSBURG, VA, 
