124 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 24 
Van Deman’s Fruit Notes. 
ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
The Rolfe Apple. 
Is the Rolfe apple a good commercial 
fruit? Give a true description of it. 
Hotchkiss, Col. w. s. 
The Rolfe apple is a variety which is 
very little known outside of the New 
England States. It has been found to 
do very well in Maryland, but has only 
been tested experimentally there. So 
far as I know, it has not been grown 
largely anywhere, and it would be un¬ 
safe to plant it for commercial purposes 
until after further trial. The fruit is 
large, roundish, conical, yellow, with a 
few crimson stripes, splashes and 
blushes of lighter color. The flesh is 
whitish, sprightly subacid in flavor, the 
quality being very good. How long it 
would keep in Colorado is yet to be 
learned by trial. 
Discouraged Peach Trees. 
1 planted 1,000 poach trees last year, 
which were in very bad condition. The 
bark of the trunk, and of the roots, was 
dried and wrinkled. I planted them and 
did the best I could under the poor condi¬ 
tions. About 225 failed to grow. Will 
those that grew the first Summer grow 
again the next, and be as hearty as 
though they had been fresh-looking when 
planted? J. a. n. 
Kreamer. Pa. 
It is probable that the trees which 
survived the ill treatment before they 
were planted and grew thriftily last 
year, will do so the coming season. The 
germs of life were yet in them, and 
when they once revived and made new 
roots and branches they became estab¬ 
lished in their new home, and if they 
are healthy now there is no apparent 
reason why they will not continue to be 
so. If any show signs of being very 
weakly they should be pulled out and 
ethers put in their places. 
Apples for Indiana. 
1. Wishing to plant a few apple trees, 1 
am at a loss to know what varieties to 
select. There are very few good apples 
raised here, and no one knows the names 
of them. I am going to plant one early, 
one Fall, and two sweet varieties, one 
Fall, one Winter; also six varieties of Win¬ 
ter apples. I thought of planting the fol¬ 
lowing kinds: For early, Yellow Transpar¬ 
ent; sweet, Jacobs and Jersey Sweet; Fall, 
Oldenburg; Winter, Ingram, Grimes Gold¬ 
en, Sutton, York Imperial, Stayman, Jona¬ 
than, and Ben Davis. What do you think 
of the list, and could it be improved? 2. 
I have four persimmon trees, raised from 
seed. They have been bearing fruit four 
years, two having fine fruit. The other 
two bloom, the blossom being pointed and 
very small, but set no fruit. What is the 
cause? 1 tried grafting, but failed. How 
shall I graft, and at what time? 
Monticello, Ind. F. N. H. 
The list given is very good, but might 
be better. All of them are reliable bear¬ 
ers. Jacobs will not probably keep very 
long. Broad well will keep longer, and 
is a very good sweet apple. Bentley is 
also a very good one, and keeps until 
Spring. I would prefer Jefferis to Old¬ 
enburg, because it is of the same season 
and very much better quality. It is also 
a reliable bearer, and very handsome. 
Grimes will not keep late into the Win¬ 
ter in Indiana, but by early gathering 
may be kept until the holidays. It is of the 
highest, quality, and should be in every 
home orchard. Sutton has not been 
sufficiently tested to warrant general 
planting in the West, but may do very 
well there. 
2. The persimmon is often imperfect 
in its flowers, some trees being wholly 
pistillate, others all staminate and oth¬ 
ers being perfect. It is probable that 
the two barren trees have all staminate 
flowers. They may be grafted, although 
with difficulty and not in the ordinary 
way. The scions to be used should be 
cut at once, and put in some very cool, 
damp place, where they will not start 
into growth or dry out until the trees 
have begun to leaf out, and the bark 
will peel easily. Then the grafts may be 
set by the- bark method. 
Fertilizer for Small Fruits. 
I have a few acres in small fruits, set 
out in 1894, an acre each of currants, rasp¬ 
berries, blackberries, gooseberries, grapes, 
and strawberries, on good, reasonably rich 
ground of a black, sandy, loamy nature. 
The crop of 1897 was the best we have had 
of blackberries and raspberries, and since 
then the fruit crop has been light—plenty 
of wood growth, but small yield of fruit. 
The plants are well cared for (trimmed 
and cultivated). I think they need an ap¬ 
plication of some kind of fertilizer, but do 
not know what they need. Will you tell 
me what to use, where it can be got, with 
price and amount per acre? s. d. c. 
Hobart, Ind. 
It would seem from the description 
of the land that it is not deficient in 
humus. If it is, there is nothing better 
than stable manure to put into it. It 
might be well ti try a few rows in this 
way. if it has not been tried. But there 
is probably more need of an application 
of potash and phosphoric acid. A mix¬ 
ture of 200 pounds of muriate of potash 
and 400 pounds of dissolved phosphate 
rock or dissolved bone or boneblack 
should be sown broadcast per acre. Any 
of the bone phosphates should have been 
treated with sulphuric acid to dissolve 
them and make their fertility available, 
oujerwisc they v.iil be exceedingly slow 
in action, because of their univuiable 
condition. Grinding reduces them seme 
what, but sulphuric acid grinds them by 
chemical action still finer. It nay not 
be knowa that phosphate rock and the 
bones of our animals are composed of 
practically the same materials, aim 
there need be no mystery about them 
Pnosphate rock was made of the bones 
of prehistoric animals mixed with a lit¬ 
tle lime and other minerals, which have 
fastened them together. Hence in phos¬ 
phate rock we have the fossil remains 
of giant lizards, sharks, leviathans and 
innumerable other extinct animals, 
while the “ground bone” is the remains 
of the animals that walk the earth in 
this present age. Phosphorus is the one 
valuable element in their structures that 
serves us as a fertilizer for our crops. 
There are vast stores of mineral phos¬ 
phates in the soil, no matter how poor 
it may be, but they are largely in such 
unavailable forms that the plants can¬ 
not appropriate them. The same is 
true of potash. The reason it is profit¬ 
able in many cases is because they arc. 
or should be, in available forms. 
They can be purchased separately, 
that is unmixed, of almost any reliable 
fertilizer dealer, except those in the 
lately-formed trust. This latter con¬ 
cern does not want the farmer to escape 
paying him a big fee for doing the mix¬ 
ing, and for adding salt and other cheap 
materials as well. This mixing fee gen¬ 
erally amounts to from $5 to $15 tier ton 
clear profit. 
{Continued on next page.) 
In Union 
There is Strength. 
tt 
True strength consists in the union, the 
harmonious working together, of every 
part of the human organism. This strength 
can never be obtained if the blood is im¬ 
pure. Hood's Sarsaparilla is the standard 
prescription for purifying the blood. 
Never Disappoints 
Early Vegetables 
need a quick and powerful stimulant— 
something to force growth to the limit. 
The money is in earliness. 
Nitrate of Soda 
fits the case exactly. Apply in small 
quantities during the early growing 
period of the plants. 
It adds color , flavor , crispness and tender¬ 
ness to all vegetables. Would you know more 
about it, send for free text book, “ Food for 
Plants" to John A. Myers, 12-0 John Street, 
New York. Nitrate for sale by fertilizer deal¬ 
ers everywhere. 
Write at once for List of Dealers. 
He Knows^ 
Who Hoes 
/The value of careful planning forth© 
Howinjr. Nowiathetimeto plan. Send 
I for the new 1900 Catalogue of the famous | 
Gregory Seeds 
I—the practical seeds for practical 
growers. Grown, selected and 
i tested by experts. Every ounce of 
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IG0R0US 
! varictios. Write to 
JAMES VICK’S SONS, 
Kochentcr, N, Y. 
for 1900 Garden and Floral Guide. Con¬ 
tains full information of our modern 
method of seed selling in definite quanti¬ 
ties. Describe! man}' new and desirable 
ARIETIES 
50 c, H FREE 
Send me today, your name and address, on a post- ~ 
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See catalogue. 
HARRY H. HAMMOND, 
Seedsman, Box 42. Flfleld, Mich. 
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 
FOR 14 CENTS 
We wish to gain thiB 
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7 C 
h € 
ear 200,000 1 
ence offer 1 
1 Pkg. City Garden Beet, loc 1 
Pkg.Earl’at Emerald CucumberlOc | 
LaOrosse Market Lettuce. 16c , 
16c 
lOo 1 
10c I 
lOo I 
16c 1 
fToo 
Strawberry Melon, 
13 Day Radish, 
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Early Dinner Onion, 
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liant Flower Seeds, 
Worth $1.00, for 14 cents. 
Above 10 PkgB. worth $1.00, we will 
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SALIER S MILLION DOLLAR POTATO 
npou receipt of this notice A 14c. 
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JOHN A. SALZBK SKKO CO., LA CROSSE, WIS. 
OUND 
FORD S S 
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Quality, first consideration. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
CATALOGUE FREE —You need it, no matter how many others 
you already have. 1“ * 
It’s brim full of fi 
s at lowest prices. 
PH F j f]p ant * addresses of 7 men or women who buy 
I Ui 1 Uu seeds, &c., we will send lpkt. each—Advance To¬ 
mato, Breadstone Turnip, Black Diamond Water Melon, Jap. 
Imp. Morning Glory, Allegheny Hollyhock and choicest Sweet 
l’eas. This collection without names 2o cents, 6 for $1.00. 
C am KHa we will send by mail anywhere in U.S.1 nice vine 
rUi wUb each 10 choicest varieties Grapes covering season 
from early to late in time of ripening. For 7 names as above we 
will add to this col, 2 Miller Red Raspberry plants. Mention this 
paper. FO!tl> SEED CO., Dept. liuvennu, O. 
Seeds! Seeds! 
76th Annual Priced Catalogue of 
Vegetable, Farm and Flower Seeds 
Is now ready and mailed free to all applicants. 
BRIDGEMAN’S SEED WAREHOUSE, 
37 East 19th Street, New York City. 
ESTABLISHED 1802 
SEEDS 
Our 1900 Catalogue Is now ready, 
and will be mailed free on applica¬ 
tion. It contains a large assortment 
of Seeds, and more information about 
them and their culture than any 
other Seed Annual published. We 
have been for the past 98 years the 
leading Seed House of America. 
J.M.THORBURN&CO. 
(Late of (5 John Street) 
36 C0RTLANDT STREET. NEW YORK 
i 
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to all who apply for it. It contains every¬ 
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WM. HENRY MAULE, Philadelphia. 
I 
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R.H.SHUMW AY.Rockford.IU. 
ALEXANDER SEED GO. 
AUGUSTA, CA., 
Handle the Highest Quality of Water¬ 
melon Seed. 
Augusta Rattlesnake Watermelon Seed. - 
Pkt., 10c.; ounce, 15c.; pound, $1.25, postpaid. 
Pearl White Kgg Plant Seed.—Pkt., 10c.; 
three for 25c. 
Japanese Imperial Morning Glory.— 
Pkt., 10c.; three for 25c. 
Send us your orders early. 
Illustrated Seed Catalogue sent Free. 
Address 
ALEXANDER SEED CO., 
AUGUSTA, GA. 
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OLMES’ SEEDS. 
H I 
The Beet, None Better, and They Grote. 
Illustrated Catalogue free! Send postal 
TO-DAY. If you are a Market Gardener. 
Send for my Wholesale List. 
HENRY L. HOLMES, Harrisburg, Pa. 
Clover, Timothy, Grass Seeds, Seed Grain, Seed 
Potatoes, at WHOLESALE PRICES to FARMERS. 
Catalogue Free. SIEGEL, The Seedsman, Erie, Pa. 
Kansas 
Standard 
Best 
Novelty Dut. A Money Maker. 
One packet, 25c.; three packets 50c. Specialties: 
w.——— _— Alfalfa, Kaffir Corn, Siberian Millet, Forage Plants 
for arid regious, Onion Seed and Onion Sets. Large stock of tree seeds. Elegant catalog mailed 
free ou application. Write for one NOW. KANSAS SEED HOUSE, F. Barteldes & Co., Lawrence, Kan. 
TDMATU 
SEEDS 
At Wholesale Prices. 
We raise Vegetable Seeds, 
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GRASS SEED for HAY, 
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Gauss miXTIHES SPECIALLY PREPARED TO SDIT ALL CONDITIONS OF SOIL. 
Our AMERICAN FARMERS’ MANUAL for 1900, 32 pages, devoted entirely to Grass 
and other Seeds for the Farm, mailed free on application to those who state where they saw 
this advertisement. Correspondence invited. 
GRASS SEEDS 
PETER HENDERSON & GO, 
-35 & 37- 
CORTLANDT SI. 
NEW YORK. 
