544 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
August 11 
Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure atten* 
tion. Before asking a question, please see 
whether it is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one time. 
Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Burning Out Stumps; Setting Out Raspberries 
A. 8. A., Pittsfield, III. —1. I have been told 
that by boring a hole in a stump and fill¬ 
ing it with kerosene or saltpeter it can soon 
be burnt out. I have 25 acres of stumpy 
ground which I set to apple trees. They 
have done well and the stumps have been 
sprouted, but come as bad as ever. They 
were cut In August. 2. I am thinking c£ 
setting several acres in raspberries and 
blackberries as follows: Plow strips three 
feet wide in a well-set clover field, 10 feet 
apart, throwing out a deep furrow and fill¬ 
ing with well-rotted manure; then plant, 
cutting the clover and using it for a mulch. 
Will this work? 
Ans. —1. Never having tried the kero¬ 
sene or saltpeter method of getting rid 
of stumps I am unable to give an opin¬ 
ion for or against it. If anyone has, let 
him say so. But I have little faith in 
either, especially the saltpeter, because 
it is not inflammable, except in chemical 
combination with other materials. 2. 
The plan of plowing strips 10 feet apart 
through a clover field and planting 
them to blackberries and raspberries, 
letting the remaining spaces remain in 
clover, is not what I would advise. The 
clover would not long remain a good 
stand in the field, and it would soon 
have to be ^flowed under. So long as it 
was rank it would give almost no room 
to cultivate next the plants. The un- 
plowed space would draw upon the soil 
moisture of the plowed strip to the det¬ 
riment of the berry bushes. I have 
never seen this plan tried, but I do not 
like the idea. Still, it might do to try 
a few' rows to learn the result. I would 
much rather mark off the rows eight feet 
apart instead of 10, and set the plants 
three feet in the row. Some prefer hills 
five feet apart each way, so as to give 
opportunity to cultivate both ways. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Corn in Orchard. 
J. F. B., Kcwance, Oa.—l. What is your 
idea of planting corn between young peach 
trees? Does it tend to aid or injure them? 
The trees, of course, need all the strength 
they can get from the ground, and corn 
must take a great deal from the coil. z. 
In regard to the peanut, in which I am also 
interested, the soil we have planted to this 
crop is in part light and sandy with a 
dark, red clay subsoil. What fertilizer 
would you advise? In case you used lime 
by itself, how would you distribute it? Can 
it be done the same as with other fertil¬ 
izers? I have been using a guano and 
kainit. The guano consisted chiefly of cot¬ 
ton-seed meal. What is your idea of that 
as a fertilizer for peanuts? 
Ans. —1. Corn is not a good crop to 
put in a young peach orchard, or any 
other orchard, unless the soil is rich. 
Even then there should be no hills 
nearer the trees than about six feet. As 
Georgia is in the peanut section, that 
would be a good crop to put among the 
trees. It will not shade them nor draw 
heavily upon the fertility of the soil, be¬ 
cause it gets nitrogen from the air; and 
the culture that the crop must have is 
just what is needed for the trees. 2. 
The peanut is grown most profitably in 
a light soil, one having sand enough to 
keep it loose and friable, and there 
must be a moderate amount of humus 
and lime enough perfectly to decompose 
the vegetable matter. There should also 
be a fair amount of potash and phos¬ 
phoric acid, but there is danger of get¬ 
ting the soil too rich, thus causing a 
strong growth of tops and almost no 
peas in the pods. This I know from 
experience in growing the peanut for 
home use for many years and in differ¬ 
ent parts of the country. The most im¬ 
portant ingredient to supply to the soil 
is lime. From 20 to 30 bushels per acre 
is sufficient for almost any soil that has 
plenty of humus, and less should be ap¬ 
plied where there is little vegetable mat¬ 
ter present. The finer and yet fresher 
the lime is the more effective it is. Any 
means of scattering it, whether by ma¬ 
chines Or by hand, will do, but the more 
evenly the better. The amount and pro¬ 
portions of manures to be applied will 
depend on the character of the soil. In 
general, cotton-seed meal is good; and 
300 pounds per acre would be sufficient. 
In addition to this 100 pounds of acid 
phosphate and 250 pounds of kainit, or 
50 to 75 pounds of muriate of potash per 
acre will make up a very well-balanced 
fertilizer. There must be humus added 
in some shape. Stable manure will pro¬ 
vide it. A crop of cow peas left on the 
ground and plowed under will also 
do it, and provide nitrogen besides, 
taking the place of cotton-seed meal, 
which is rich in nitrogen. The United 
States Department of Agriculture has a 
valuable bulletin on peanut culture 
which may be had for the asking. 
II. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Weeping Birch and Sycamore 
Mrs. M. P., Ives, Wash. —I have a Cut¬ 
leaved weeping birch that has several seed 
balls on It this year. Can they be propa¬ 
gated by planting this seed? If not, how 
can they be propagated? Can you tell me 
w'here I can get a Sycamore tree? 
Ans. —The Cut-leaved weeping birch 
cannot be relied upon to reproduce itself 
from seeds, though it is worth a trial. 
This birch is usually grafted on common 
birch stocks. The Purple birch, which 
belongs to the same species, often comes 
true from seeds. Sycamore trees can be 
had from most of the nurserymen ad¬ 
vertising in The R. N.-Y. Seeds are of¬ 
fered by J. M. Thorburn & Co., New 
York City. 
A Fertilizer for Wheat. 
L. II. 8., Mont Alto, Pa. —I have been sow¬ 
ing S. C. rock phosphate mostly with my 
w'heat. I take one bag (200 pounds) rock 
and about three-fourths to one bushel wood 
ashes and three-fourths to one bushel hen 
manure, and mix just as fast as I could 
seed. It has given me fair results, but 1 
would like to make it better and more com¬ 
plete. How would it do to mix with the 
above muriate of potash and nitrate of 
soda? Would it be advisable to do so? If 
so, how many pounds of each should be 
added to give best results, and that would 
be safe to sow with the wheat? When 
should muriate of potash be applied to land 
intended for corn, and when should nitrate 
of soda be used? I am an old farmer, 58 
years old, but still anxious to learn. When 
I took the farm of 122 acres I now own, 30 
years ago, as a venture, my first wheat 
crop of 40 acres gave me 168 bushels, but I 
have improved it until my highest yield 
was 1,736 bushels of wheat on 52 acres. 
Ans. —We hesitate to advise a man 
who has increased his wheat yield from 
four to over 33 bushels per acre. We 
assume that you mean dissolved or acid 
rock. In our experience with wood 
ashes we have not been able to mix 
them thoroughly with chemicals. They 
are so dry and powdery that when put 
with coarse or damp materials it is hard 
to get a perfect mixture. They average 
but two pounds of potash to the bushel, 
and tnis amount would be supplied in 
five pounds of muriate of potash. Our 
own plan would be to use the wood ashes 
alone on grass or corn, and substitute 
muriate alone for the wheat. It is 
doubtful whether you are using potash 
enough, though your yield is good. On 
some heavy soils the chief requirement 
seems to be phosphoric acid, which, 
with good clover, keeps up the yield. 
We would advise 20 pounds of muriate 
with the bag of rock—at least, as an 
experiment. We presume that the hen 
manure is dry and hard, and well fined 
before mixing. On our own soil we 
could not expect good wheat by using 
hen manure alone. The more we ob¬ 
serve results from chemicals, the more 
« 
we believe in using nitrate for part of 
the nitrogen. For the young plant for 
starting a quick growth in Spring the 
nitrate is very valuable. We advise mix¬ 
ing with the bag of rock and the bushel 
of hen manure at least 20 pounds of 
muriate and 10 of nitrate of soda. While 
this mixture will cost more than the 
other we believe it will pay both in the 
wheat and in the clover. Both muriate 
and nitrate may be mixed and applied at 
wheat seeding. If the corn is to follow 
a clover sod, Spring plowed, we would 
as soon put the muriate on the clover 
now or at any time during the Fall. It 
makes little difference, though most 
farmers use both potash and nitrate 
after plowing in the Spring. A late ap¬ 
plication of the nitrate does not seem 
to benefit corn as it does potatoes. 
Insects in Potato Stems. 
A. D., So. Holland, III.— Can you give me 
any information in regard to worms in po¬ 
tato stems? What is the cause, and treat¬ 
ment or prevention? Our early potatoes 
are less than half a crop on account of 
worms boring In the stems; nearly every 
stem is infested. 
Ans. —The piece of potato stalk sent 
contained a grub of the Potato-stalk 
weevil (Trichobaris trinotata). The 
adult insect is a small snout beetle, not 
quite as large as the Plum curculio, but 
similarly built. Briefly told, its life- 
story is this: The eggs are laid by the 
beetle in tender portions of the stem, 
and as soon as the grub hatches, it 
mines downward in the tender pith, 
and when nearly full grown, reaches the 
main stem. Here it mines out the whole 
pith down to the root, then mines back 
up the stem nearly to the surface of the 
ground, or a little above, where it gnaws 
a hole in the woody portion out to the 
bark. Here the grub changes to a pupa, 
and later to the adult weevil. The in¬ 
jury is usually noticed in the latter part 
of July, and the beetles begin emerging 
early in August. The insect breeds, 
also, in the stem of Horse nettle and 
several other common weeds. The tun¬ 
neling out of the pith causes the stalk 
soon to wilt, and finally the leaves turn 
brown and die, thus giving the plant 
a “blighted” appearance. The weevil 
passes the Winter under whatever pro¬ 
tective covering it may find, depositing 
its eggs the following season in the po¬ 
tato stalks or in certain weeds. The best 
remedial measure yet suggested to con¬ 
trol this serious pest is to pull and burn 
the vines, roots and all, as soon as they 
are found wilting. If the tops are left 
until it is time to dig the potatoes, many 
of the beetles will have matured and 
escaped, and these will winter over and 
infest the next season’s crop. Even late 
pulling and burning of the vines will 
doubtless destroy many of the insects. 
Keep the field as free of weeds as possi¬ 
ble, and give the vines plenty of food 
and good cultivation. 
M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
Pecan in New York State. 
8. E. M., Babylon, N. Y.— Will the pecan 
pay to grow in New York? The Shell- 
bark hickory does well here, and I thought 
maybe the pecan would, too, as it is of the 
same family. 
Ans. —It would not be my advice to 
undertake pecan growing in New York. 
The trees would probably be hardy 
there, but the growing seasons are not 
long enough to perfect the nuts. I have 
known the native trees in Kansas to 
fail to mature their nuts before hard 
frosts came and ruined them. It would 
be better to endeavor to grow an or¬ 
chard or grove of the choicest kinds of 
the Shellbark hickory. This can be 
done, provided the young trees can be 
successfully grafted, which is difficult, 
but not impossible. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Sow Panay Seed Now. 
Pansies sown in the fall produce incomparably 
thc finest and largest flowers of the brightest col¬ 
ors. Every one should plant a bed. The choicest 
seed is almost given away by A. T. COOK, on 
page 551. 
Beautiful Strawberries in 1901 
We can furnish you with 
pot-grown Strawberry Plants 
that will bear a full crop of 
fruit next year. Celery and 
Cabbage Plants. Full line of 
Fruit and Ornamental Stock. 
Write atonceforourSuimner 
and Autumn catalogue. It 
explains all. Fruit packages 
of all kinds for sale at low 
prices. T. J. DWYER & SON, 
Orange County Nurseries, Box 1, Cornwall, N. Y. 
CAA A no CEEERY PLANTS. Strong 
field grown; six varieties. 
SI per 1.000. Extra strong selected, $1 50 per 1,000 cash, 
WM. S. HERZOG, Morris Plains, N. .1. 
CELERY PLANTS. 
Fine stock of leading 
varieties. Write to¬ 
day for our midsum¬ 
mer catalogue. Henry a. Dreer. Philadelphia. 
CELERY PLANTS 
at 90c. per 1 000. White 
Plume, Pink Plume. Golden 
Heart, Perfection Ueartwell, Perle I.e Grand, and 
barge White Solid Premium Flat Dutch Cabbage 
Plants at 75c. per 1,000. 10,000 Pot-grown Strawberry 
Plants now ready. CAbEB BOUGS. Cheswold, Del. 
Harvest King Seed Wheat. 
Heavy-yielding; red. smooth chair. Yielded 40 bush¬ 
els per acre with me this season. Write for descrip¬ 
tion and prices. 
A. II. HOFFMAN, bandisville, I’a. 
CMS E—500 bushels Delaware-grown 
lUn CRIMSON CbOVKlt SEED. 
JOSEPH K. HObbAND. Milford, Deli 
Primson Clover—now crop.—Tnos. McKi.roy 
^ Mer. Exchange Building, 0 Harrison St., N. Y., is 
now recelvingconslgnmentsof the new crop Crimson 
Clover, choice quality, otlering to the trade only, in 
quantities to suit. Samples on application. 
R1MSON CLOVE 
C ! 
Do not be deceived in buying 
cheap foreign seed. 
We are Headquarters for pure Delaware Seed. 
New crop. Write for prices. 
II. Li. IIOLMLS, Seedsman, Harrisburg, I’a. 
R 
C rimson 
Clover. 
Genuine Delaware Seed, also other seeds for Summer 
sowing. Write for our Midsummer Catalogue. We 
send it Free. Henry A. Dreer, Philadelphia. 
School of Practical 
Agriculture and Horticulture. 
THE SMAbb FARM WEbb TIbLED. 
To teach the art of Fruit Culture, Gardening, 
bandseape Gardening, Dairying and allied subjects, 
Greenhouses and Poultry. 
Course begins in September, and is open to me 
and women for training in practical and scientific 
work. Address GEO. T. l’OWKLL, Director, 
Brlarctitf Manor. Westchester Co.. N.Y 
The Counter Edition of our 
Garden and Farm Manual 
contains besides the very complete line 
of GARDEN AND FLOWER SEEDS a 
Great Variety of GARDEN AND FARM 
TOObS and SPRAYING OUTFITS. Send 
for it. Send also for our Poultry Supply 
Catalogue. 
JOHNSON & STOKES , 2 ' pmLADEbPIlfA r ° 
m 
STAI 
K TREES SUCCEED WHERE 
Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Book Free. Result of 76 years’ experience. 
STARK BROS., Louisiana, Mo.; Dansville, N.Y. 
Trees. Plants. 
We have all kinds of Nursery Stock. 
Catalogue Free. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., 
HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
The Ohio Experiment Station, after a 
seven-years’ comparison of wheat varieties, 
says: “No variety has proved exempt from 
attack by the Hessian fly, but Mealy, Medi¬ 
terranean, Fulcaster and Clawson seem to 
suffer less from the Fall attack of this in¬ 
sect than most other sorts. The Ohio Sta¬ 
tion has never succeeded ,n growing Spring 
wheat.” 
200,000 Peach 
HEADQUARTERS FOR 
YORK IMPERIAL KIEFFER. 
One tree to a carload. 
Business trees at business prices. (They are bear¬ 
ers.) Inducements to Peach buyers, bet us 
quote you on your want list. 
WOODV1KW NURSERIES, Box 100, Uriah, Pa. 
Choicest Fruit and Ornamental Trees. 
Shrubs, Plants, Bulbs, Seeds. 40 Acres Hardy Roses. 44 Greenhouses 
of Palms, Everblooming Roses, Ficus, Ferns, Etc. Correspondence 
solicited. Catalogue Free. 47 Years. 1000 Acres. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., Painesville, O. 
T} _ ^ UlCS I will send, by express or freight, 1 Paragon, 1 Alpha, 1 Parry’s 
* Or Giant, 1 Early Reliance, 1 English Walnut, 1 Japan Walnut 
1 Pecan, 1 Bismarck Apple, 1 Dwarf Rocky Mt. Cherry, worth 58.20. Full line of 
Nursery Stock. Certificate. Arthur j. collins, Moorestown, Burlington Co., N. J 
O ADD A PC UfflDftlG KILLEDBYDUS ™° 
UAddAuC WUnMd HAMMOND SLUG SHOT 
over the plants. Its effectiveness is never denied, its safety is proved by 18 years of annual use. Is retailed 
generally at 25 cents for 5-lb package. Put up in kegs and barrels and SObD BY SEED DKAbEKS. For 
pamphlet address B. HAMMOND, FishkiU-on-Hudsou, N. Y. 
