266 
April 14 
Questions About Apples. 
I have ordered 50 trees to set out on one 
acre, which I think will be plenty. But 
as I have been reading up lately I think 1 
have made a mistake as to variety and 
location. I had selected a plot in one end 
of a lot, a gravelly loam sloping towards 
a wood on the east, well drained, natu¬ 
rally. When I read of apples ripening too 
early, I note that the difficulty in keeping 
apples during late Fall seems to be in their 
getting too ripe before being picked. This 
cannot be helped, as they would all be off 
the tree if left too long, and if picked too 
soon would never keep without cold storage. 
Concerning varieties, the 42 trees I intended 
setting on the acre were as follows: 28 
Ben Davis, 14 Rhode Island Greenings. I 
find on investigation that the Ben Davis 
does not do well in this section of coun¬ 
try; whether it is lack of care or selection 
of ground or both, I am unable to say. 
The Greenings I think I will plant, but 
Ben Davis I am a little doubtful about. I 
would like more of a variety. I want 
from three to five varieties in this acre, all 
Winter kinds. I am in favor of the York 
Imperial, of which I hear good reports. I 
intend setting peach trees between the 
apple, and that is one reason I dislike to 
change the plot to one that is heavier. 
I have a variety of land, from sandy to a 
very fine gravelly loam; and a light loam 
to a moderate clay loam. Some of it is 
gravelly with small stones the size of the 
fist down to gravel plentifully mixed with 
good dark loam. Then I have some pretty 
stony land where I should like to put the 
trees, but it is farther from the house than 
I would like. Would you advise setting 
on the first-named plot, or one heavier but 
with no natural drainage, lying compara¬ 
tively flat? Would the York Imperial, 
Jonathan, Grimes Golden and some other 
good kinds fill the bill for me, or should I 
reserve a few Ben Davis for trial? 
Parsippany, N. J. m. j. h. 
As to the plan of setting the apple 
and peach trees on the same piece of 
ground, I would positively object. They 
do not work well together. The peach 
trees usually grow very fast, and are 
likely to rob the apple trees to some ex¬ 
tent. There are some growers who prac¬ 
tice the plan and like it, but I have tried 
it, and do not like it. The peach trees 
need different cultivation, to some ex¬ 
tent, and they are very sensitive to some 
of the spray mixtures that are necessary 
to be applied to apple trees, and may be 
injured more or less by the poison fall¬ 
ing on them. Put the peach trees on the 
lighter land and the apple trees on that 
which is heavier. Both of them will do 
better on land that is naturally well 
drained. 
My plan would be to set some of 
the apple trees 40 feet apart, and to re¬ 
main permanently; and use the others 
as fillers, to he cut out when their room 
would be needed. This would requii*e 
about 32 permanent trees per acre, if the 
hexagonal plan of setting is used, which 
I prefer, or 27 if the square plan is 
followed. These may be half Rhode 
Island Greening and the rest divided be¬ 
tween York Imperial, Grimes and Jona¬ 
than, which are all very good kinds for 
New Jersey, although the two latter are 
not so late keepers as the others. As 
to Ben Davis, it seems to be fighting 
its own battles and fighting its way 
northward, too, against the protests of 
many of our fruit men. I have not 
favored it for the north. Only this Win¬ 
ter I saw large and beautiful samples of 
it grown near Lake Ontario, and several 
of the growers were delighted with its 
behavior there, and were going to plant 
more of the trees. This seems to me too 
far north for it to reach its proper de¬ 
velopment, and I have not advised its 
planting there, nor am I willing to do 
so now, more than to try a few trees. 
Anu yet, there are strong advocates of 
it among the growers of Nova Scotia 
and Prince Edward Island, which it 
seems to me, is not a fit climate for this 
variety. In northern New Jersey Ben 
Davis may be grown with profit, and I 
would advise the planting of it as a filler 
between the permanent trees for two 
reasons. First, to use as a stock on 
which to bud or graft the Wagener, 
which is one of the earliest-bearing and 
best of the red Winter apples. I would 
top-work half of the fillers with it. The 
other half I would leave to bear Ben 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER] 
Davis apples, unless I should desire to 
top-work some of them in the future. 
Learning to Graft. 
A. II. H., Maryland.—1 have never done 
any grafting. Do you think that I could 
make 80 per cent live by being careful and 
following the advice given in March 3 R. 
N.-Y, or would I best get an expert? 
Ans. —Hire the expert and go to 
school to him. Watch him carefully and 
work along with him. That article was 
about as clear and simple as it could 
be, yet it could only start you right. 
There are many things that cannot be 
communicated through printer’s ink. 
You should actually see the work done 
in a first-class manner. 
Oyster Shells and Cement. 
J. F., Gannon, Del.—Would cementing on 
oyster shells make a good floor for a 
stable? We have no stone in this part of 
the country. 
Ans. —The oyster shells would not be 
satisfactory for cementing on. A much 
better floor would be made by cementing 
directly upon the ground without the 
oyster shells. If gravel can be secured 
a grout floor may be made which will 
give good satisfaction. Possibly broken 
pieces of brick can be obtained. If so 
they may be worked in. Oyster shells 
will certainly be unsatisfactory for use 
in a cement hoor. L. a. c. 
Kerosene in Whitewash. 
C. B. A. (No Address )—How much kero¬ 
sene to one gallon of whitewash can I use 
to whitewash apple trees, to destroy Oys¬ 
ter-shell bark-lice? 
I doubt if you can satisfactorily mix 
kerosene with whitewash, and you 
would get better results against the 
scales if you used the kerosene alone as 
an emulsion with soap, or in a Kerowater 
pump. I should prefer to wai; until 
about May 15, when the young lice are 
hatching, and then drench the bark with 
a solution of whale oil soap (one pound 
in five gallons of water) or a kerowater 
spray (10 per cent of kerosene). It is 
a very difficult matter to reach the Oys¬ 
ter-shell bark-louse when the tree is 
dormant and the insect is in the egg- 
stage, well protected under the scales. 
M. V. S. 
Hydrocyanic Acid Gas and Food. 
A. A. H. t Du Boi8, III.—Will hydrocyanic 
acid gas affect fruits and vegetables stored 
in buildings being fumigated, so as to be 
poisonous? I am bothered with rats and 
mice, and am thinking of trying to get rid 
of them by this method. 
Ans. —Hydrocyanic gas has no injur¬ 
ious or deleterious effects upon fruits 
and vegetables in store. There is not 
the least danger of poisoning fruits and 
vegetables, by fumigating with this gas. 
In California, the fumigation of a large 
orange orchard almost always takes 
place while the fruit is on the tree, and 
in many instances large cargoes of 
oranges have been fumigated with this 
gas for the destruction of insects. 
Where there would be no bad effects 
upon the edibles contained in the build¬ 
ing, I can not say what the effect would 
be, provided the rats and mice were 
killed 'in the building or in some place 
where it would b: impossible to get them 
out after death. In the Spring or Sum¬ 
mer, no doubt, the decomposition of 
dead animals would prove very annoy¬ 
ing, but I am of the opinion that it 
would be no worse than instances where 
these pests have been destroyed Dy 
means of Rough on Rats. If 'it were 
possible, by any means, to lay a decoy 
and trap the rats and mice together by 
enticing them into some inclosure, and 
afterwards shut off their means of es¬ 
cape, there would be no difficulty what¬ 
ever, as they could be easily carried out 
and buried. 
Prof. Van Deman takes exception to the 
Mammoth Black Twig apple picture on 
page 162, and also reminds us that it is not 
a Tennessee variety, as stated in a cata¬ 
logue review on page 177. He is right. 
The picture is pretty well spread out, but 
while it is much larger than the average, 
there is little doubt that selected specimens 
of either the Paragon or Black Twig will 
equal it. Both of these closely allied va¬ 
rieties are seedlings of the Winesap, which 
is a very popular red Winter apple all 
through the South. The Paragon origi¬ 
nated in Tennessee, and the Black Twig in 
Arkansas, and each has been quite largely 
planted in their respective localities. They 
were supposed to be identical until the 
Experiment Station at Knoxville, Tenn., 
traced up their origin. The Paragon is 
claimed to be the larger and better apple 
in Tennessee, while the Arkansans prefer 
the product of their own State. 
We frequently receive questions from 
readers as to the methods of growing and 
handling broom corn. Just now this seems 
to be a crop that offers attractions to 
many farmers. A. B. Katkamier, of Farm¬ 
ington, N. Y., issues what he called The 
Broom Trade Directory and Growers’ 
Guide. This tells all about how to raise 
and handle broom corn and how to make 
brooms; also a directory of people who are 
interested in broom corn. His price for 
the book is 50 cents, and we can supply It 
at that figure. 
BOYS 
We Set You Up in Business 
We want boys for Agents 
in every town, to sell 
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Address 
The Curtis Publishing Company 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
DISTRIBUTES 
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time. Any width. For 
bush, vine, plant or 
tree. Throws powder 
clear or with plaster. 
Weighs four pounds 
complete. Price, ft. 
Circular free. 
A. &T.R. HOPPER, 
Highland, N. Y. 
Our readers will do well to write to 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 300 Pearl Street, New York, 
and get price of the best Whale-Oil Soap made, 
Anchor Brand, for spraying trees Also, have full 
line of Hand Sprayers. 
Sood Saves Its Cost. 
A 12-Year 
Old Boy 
can do more and better work, either 
In the field or garden, with th 
HAND CULTIVATOR 
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Plow*, hoes, cultivate* —astride or between row*. If no agent 
ta yonr town send 11.35 foi sample delivered and term* to agent*. 
Ulrich Mfg.Co.,20Rlvei St.,Rock Falls,III. 
FAPM VVWV 18 to 24 cents per rod. Built without 
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BUCHANAN FENCE CO., Box 258, Smlthville, O 
If Would Look Better! 
More homelike, if your lawn were neatly fenced. This 
HARTMAN STEEL ROD LAWN FENCE , 
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1,000 SAMPLES FREE 
of our new Success fence ratohet 
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Clr. free. W. H. MASON A CO., Box 67, LeeBburg. O. 
M. M. 8. POULTRY 
Half cost of Netting; 
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Cemetery Fences. Freight paid. y~V~/~\~7~V 
KANSAS STEEL A WIRE WORKS Kansa* City, mo 
FENCER 
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“ OLD GRIMES IS DEAD,” 
but If he used Page Fence, it is standing yet. 
I’AGE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., AIIKIAN,MICH. 
For Rural Mail Delivery 
We furnish a heavy steel box on a steel post, 
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As we supply, under contract, all the mail box 
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BOND STEEL. POST CO., Adrian, Mich. 
f 
YOUR WIRE FENCE 
COSTS TOO MUCH. " 
Investigate our method of us¬ 
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at intervals by stays that posi¬ 
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More fence for less money, put 
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T fence supplies at wholesale, 
\ Crimped and Spiral Pickets, 
Lawn Fences & Farm Gates 
Cyclone Fence Co 
Holly, Mich. 
Branches— Cleveland, O. 
1 1 ■ Waukegan, 111. 
1 
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but the hog hasn’t been bred that will tear up or break through the 
ELLWOOD WOVEN FENCE. 
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catalogue, etc., to 
AMERICAN STEEL & WIRE CO., Chicago or New York. 
