1900 
IHE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TESTED AND GUARANTEED SEEDS. 
Since printing the letter from Mr. Burpee, on page 122, 
we have received the following note from a large seed 
firm. The quoted sentences are parts of questions asked 
by The R. N.-Y.: 
The testing of vegetable seeds as to vitality, though 
valuable, is as nothing compared with the quality 
and purity of the stock or variety, and in this neither 
the Department of Agriculture at Washington nor 
the State testing stations at home or abroad can help 
the planter a particle. We do not consider the plan 
of selling vegetable or garden seeds on the basis of 
analysis made by the Government authorities of much 
importance, because very little that is practical can 
be accomplished, but in agricultural seeds, especially 
in clovers and grasses, the Department of Agriculture 
and the State experiment stations can help the farm¬ 
ers greatly, provided they have the right kind of 
men in charge of the work. An expert can tell, in a 
few days, not only what a certain grass or clover 
seed will germinate, but also, by examination of the 
sample he can tell whether it is botanically true, and 
what percentage of foreign substance or impurity 
there is in the kind submitted, all of which the up- 
to-date, fully-equipped seed establishment, both here 
and in Europe, has been doing for many years. No 
man, however expert, can tell one cabbage from an¬ 
other, one turnip from another, or one onion from 
another by examination or analysis of the grain, but 
an expert can easily tell one grass from another, or 
one clover from another, as most of these seeds in the 
dry grain have an individuality Which can readily be 
identified by the naked eye. 
We note that “some of your correspondents think 
they should buy seeds on the same basis 
as fertilizer,” but the two are totally un¬ 
like. fertilizer is a manufactured ar¬ 
ticle, and can be analyzed to a nicety. 
In seeds only grass and clover seeds can 
be analyzed to any similar degree, but 
with vegetable seeds there is no com¬ 
parison whatever. To follow out in a 
practical business way the theories of 
the Agricultural Department and the 
botanists of some of the experiment sta¬ 
tions, the price even of grass and clover 
seed would have to be raised very ma¬ 
terially. We rather think that those 
who are clamoring for guaranteed seeds 
are the very ones who would not buy 
the guaranteed qualities at enhanced 
values, but would continue their pres¬ 
ent method of buying the cheapest and 
taking their chances. As to our being 
willing “to permit the purchaser to base 
his purchase on the result of a fair test 
made by the National or State authori¬ 
ties of a sample taken from our seeds,” 
we should say yes, to such things as 
grasses and clovers, because a compe¬ 
tent expert examining sudh could pro¬ 
tect the planter, but we would say no 
to vegetable and garden seeds in general, because the 
expert cannot give an opinion, except as to germina¬ 
tion, that would protect the planter at all, and he 
would soon be wading beyond his depth. For these 
reasons we think it would be better for the authori¬ 
ties to confine their attention to the examination of 
such things as agricultural seeds, notably clovers and 
grasses, for the present, and in all other kinds of 
seeds we think it better to trust to the reputable 
seedsman, who understands his business. 
FRUITS FOR THE CENTRAL WEST. 
Give a list of the best varieties of apples, plums, cher¬ 
ries, pears, strawberries and blackberries for central Illi¬ 
nois, for home use. c. d. 
Bluffs, Ill. 
What varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries and 
peaches, for home and market, are best adapted to this 
locality? R. p. 
Greenwood, Ind. 
These two inquiries are from the same general 
locality, and doubtless represent the desires of a 
large number of other prospective planters of fruits. 
It would be a very difficult, tedious, and perhaps im¬ 
possible task to give lists of so many classes of fruits 
that would be suitable for both home and market 
use over a large territory. But it may be possible 
approximately to do so, for the main fruit-growing 
regions of our country, which will not include the ex¬ 
treme northern or southern sections. The fact that 
the home orchard and garden should contain some 
varieties that do not prove profitable for market pur¬ 
poses, and that the market will not accept many of 
the most delicious but less attractive kinds, makes 
it exceedingly difficult to make up lists which will be 
acceptable for both uses. However, an attempt will 
be made to do so, with a reasonable degree of ac¬ 
curacy. The varieties in each list will be placed in 
order of ripening. 
Apples:—Summer Hose, Early Harvest, Fanny, 
Lowell, Maiden Blush, Jefferis, Gravenstein, Hub- 
bardston, Grimes, Jonathan, Stayman, York Imperial, 
Ben Davis. Pears:—Tyson, Howell, Clapp, Bartlett, 
Seckel, Sheldon, Hovey, Bose, Lawrence, Kieffer. 
Peaches:—Triumph, Bishop, Mountain Rose, Elberta, 
Oldmixon Free, Walker, Salway, Ringgold. The 
plums will be divided into three classes, because of 
their variation in suitability to the climatic conditions 
that exist. American:—Whitaker, Milton, Wooten, 
Rockford, Stoddard, Ocheeda. Japanese:—Red June, 
Abundance, Burbank, Wickson, Douglas, Hale, Sat- 
suma. European:—Clyman, Lombard, Fellenberg, 
French Damson. 
Cherries are properly divided into at least three 
classes, the Morellos, Dukes and Hearts. The Morel- 
los are all sour in fruit and far the most hardy and 
suitable to the Mississippi Valley. The others are 
suited to the more eastern sections, and to the Pacific 
slope. Morellos:—Dyehouse, Richmond, Montmoren¬ 
cy, Philippe, English Morello (or Wragg). Dukes: — 
May Duke, Late Duke, Hortense, Magniflque. Hearts: 
—Tartarian, Mercer, Napoleon, Windsor. Of quinces 
there are but a few good varieties, among which the 
following are the best of the well-tested kinds:— 
Orange, Missouri, Bourgeat, Meech, Champion. In 
planting grapes it might be interesting to have all 
the colors, therefore they will be divided into three 
classes, so that one or all may be chosen intelligently. 
Black:—Moore, Campbell, Worden, Concord. Red: — 
Delaware, Brighton, Woodruff, Salem. White: — 
Winchell (Green Mountain), Niagara, Diamond. 
Blackberries are variable in hardiness, but the fol¬ 
lowing will rarely be winterkilled in the territory 
mentioned, if they are given good culture: Early 
King, Early Harvest, Agawam, Minnewaska, Taylor, 
Snyder. The raspberries belong to different botanical 
species, and should be divided for convenience. I 
will divide them into three classes, grading them by 
their colors. Black:—Palmer, Conrath, Older, Kan¬ 
sas. Red:—Miller, Columbian, Loudon, Marlboro, 
Cuthbert. Yellow:—Caroline, Golden Queen. Goose¬ 
berries should also be divided into two classes, the 
European kinds being so subject to mildew as to re¬ 
quire spraying with sulphide of potash to insure good 
crops. The native kinds rarely need this treatment. 
American:—Pearl, Smith, Houghton, Champion, Red 
Jacket. European:—Lancashire, Keepsake, Industry, 
Chautauqua. Of the currants there are three colors. 
Red:—Victoria, Fay, Holland, Red Cross, Pomona. 
White:—White Dutch, White Grape, Goudonier. 
Black:—Champion, Crandall, Saunders. The straw¬ 
berries are properly divided into two classes, those 
that are perfect in flower, and will produce fruit with¬ 
out the presence of other varieties near them; and 
those that are imperfect in flower, and must have 
others that are perfect near to pollinize them, or they 
will have little or no fruit. These characteristics will 
the indicated by abbreviations. Michel (per.), Thomp¬ 
son (per.), Crescent (imp.), Bubach (imp.). War- 
field (imp.), Clyde (per.), Brunette (per.), Carrie 
(per.), Belt (per.), Tennessee (per.), Parker Earle 
(per.), Gandy (per.). h. e. van deman. 
Tobacco in the form of a decoction, which can be pre¬ 
pared by using one pound of coarsely-ground tobacco of 
chopped stems or refuse, pouring through it one gallon 
of boiling water, Is very effective in keeping off flea- 
beetles, and is recommended for that purpose on garden 
crops. It is also used in exterminating plant lice, under¬ 
ground insects, as Peach root-louse. Woolly apple-louse. 
Used as a fertilizer, it will add vigor to the plant as 
well as kill the insects. A persistent spraying of scale- 
infested plants at about the season when the insects 
hatch will result eventually in clearing them of scales. 
163 
“SLUDGE” OR PRESSED SEWAGE. 
All the sewage from this city goes to the purification 
works and is there pressed in large presses; the water 
is purified by chemicals and runs away, while this solid 
matter called “sludge” is dumped in a large pile, and 
hauled away by the farmers for fertilizing purposes. Do 
you know anything about its value as compared with cow 
or horse manure? a. b. 
Worcester, Mass. 
I have recently received a letter from a correspond¬ 
ent who had been using this sludge, who reported 
very unsatisfactory results in using it for potatoes, 
the crop being exceedingly scabby. This result is, 
perhaps, to be attributed to the fact that a large 
amount of lime is used in purifying the sewage. 
From what I know of conditions prevailing at Wor¬ 
cester, and of the method of treatment, I conclude 
that the sludge has a comparatively low fertilizer 
value, and that for some crops it may even prove pro¬ 
ductive of injury. The extensive wire industry of the 
Washburn & Moen Company is located in Worcester. 
This company uses an enormous amount of sulphuric 
acid in some of its processes. Some of its vats are 
emptied, I believe, twice daily, and the quantity of 
acid discharged at once is so great as very materially 
to affect the quality of the sewage for some hours 
after. An effort is made to neutralize this acid by a 
liberal use of lime. Now two unfavorable conditions 
may manifest themselves as the results of this pecu¬ 
liarity of the sewage and its treatment. First, the 
amount of acid being very variable at different hours 
of the day, it is not at all unlikely that it may be 
imperfectly neutralized a portion of the time. Most 
of the free acid would undoubtedly remain in the 
effluent water, but the sludge would inevitably con¬ 
tain some, and this might prove in¬ 
jurious. Second, the use of lime in ex¬ 
cess of such amount as might be re¬ 
quired to neutralize the acid (likely to 
occur at times when amount of acid in 
the sewage is small) causes a loss of a 
considerable portion of the nitrogen of 
the sludge, which, under the influence 
of the lime, enters into combination as 
ammonia, and escapes into the air. It 
seems not unlikely that both difficulties 
might be removed by taking the sludge 
promptly away from the works, and 
mixing it thoroughly in a compost with 
muck or loam. By thorough mixture it 
seems likely that the free acid, if pres¬ 
ent, might all be neutralized by being 
brought into contact with the excess of 
lime, which is undoubtedly present in 
some portions of the sludge. The lime, 
entering combination with the acid, 
would no longer tend to cause the 
formation and escape of ammonia. The 
mixture with the earth would also help 
to prevent escape of ammonia. 
Your correspondent should be recom¬ 
mended to try a careful experiment in 
the use of this sludge. Deductions 
based upon the analysis of a single sample would, I 
think, be unsafe, owing to the variation of the qual¬ 
ity of the sewage at different hours of the day, 
and in the quantity of lime used. This Station 
would, however, gladly make a chemical examina¬ 
tion for your correspondent, provided it can be as¬ 
sured that the sample fairly represents a very care¬ 
ful mixture of a large quantity of the sludge. 
Mass. Agricultural College. wm. p. bkooks. 
London purple, when used at the necessary strength, 
often burns foliage severely. If lime is added as di¬ 
rected in the case of Paris-green, it may be safely used. 
It is a fine powder, and remains much better in suspen¬ 
sion than Paris-green. Dry applications are not advised. 
The scientific men are beginning to be a little fright¬ 
ened over the Potato bug. They say it takes more ar¬ 
senic to kill him than it did to kill his ancestors. Some 
of them go so far as to say that by natural selection we 
have produced a breed of bugs that are more or less im¬ 
mune to the effects of arsenic, and that it is not so easy 
to poison them as it was to poison the bugs of 10 or 15 
years ago. The question arises. What poison shall we 
take when arsenic loses its power? 
Lime and Insects.— Lime, which is useful as a contact 
insecticide against soft-bodied insects like slugs or cater¬ 
pillars, should be used dry, and may be either air or 
water-slaked Air-slaked lime should be sifted and dusted 
on as finely and thoroughly as possible. In this condi¬ 
tion it will kill Cabbage worms, the slugs of the Aspara¬ 
gus beetle, many plant lice, and insects of the same gen¬ 
eral character. Water-slaked lime, as the dry hydrate, 
is prepared by adding just enough water to a barrel of 
stone or shell lime to slake and cause it to crumble Into 
a dry powder. This is even more caustic than air-slaked 
lime, and therefore more effective against the insects 
previously mentioned. Lime in this form is of no use 
against hard-shelled insects. As an insecticide, the ap¬ 
plication is rarely recommended. Lime should never be 
added to soap mixtures where the latter is expected to 
kill insects, but where the soap is to be used merely as a 
protective trunk wash, the addition of lime has no bad 
effect. Lime, applied dry to foliage, will protect it frorr\ 
leaf-feeding insects in many cases. 
