1900 
THE RURAL 
new-yorker: 
593 
Mixing Ashes, Bone and Nitrate. 
A. T. T., New York.— Can wood ashes, un¬ 
leached, safely be mixed with nitrate of 
soda and pure bone in making a fertilizer 
for wheat, provided the article is used very 
soon after mixing? I intend it to be fine 
enough to go through a drill. 
Ans. —It would be safe enough to mix 
the ashes—that is, little if any nitrogen 
will be lost. It will be hard to make a 
perfect mixture, as the ashes are too 
fine and powdery. We would rather 
broadcast the ashes and drill the nitrate 
and do- . 
Trouble with Mulberry Trees. 
G. E. B., Crossville, Tenn.— Several years 
ago I set out some native mulberry trees. 
Two of the number bear nothing but male 
flowers, so I cut them down. The others 
have always borne an abundance of fruit, 
but this Spring there seems to be more 
male blossoms on all that are left than 
female. I wish to know whether eventu¬ 
ally they will bear nothing but male 
flowers? When they first began to bear 
they bore no male blossoms at all. 
Ans. —Tne mulberry is very uncertain, 
being partly dioecious—that is, many 
specimens bear staminate or pistillate 
flowers almost exclusively, as the case 
may be. The age of our correspondent’s 
trees may have something to do with the 
matter, and they may settle down to 
good bearing again in time. If not they 
may be grafted to good, productive var¬ 
ieties. 
More About Sweet Clover. 
E. N. G., Blair’s Corners, Pa.— Peter Hen¬ 
derson & Co., of New York, quote Bokhara 
clover (Melilotus alba) seed at $18 per 
bushel. Is it the same as White melilot or 
Sweet clover, that T. J. B., of Whiteford, 
Md., asks about In The R. N.-Y. of July 
7? How much seed should be sown per 
acre, and should it be sown with oats? 
Ans. —The terms “Sweet clover,” 
“White melilot” and “Melilotus alba” 
all apply to the same plant, most com¬ 
monly known as Sweet clover. We have 
tried feeding this material to cows, and 
they would not eat it green. We have 
cured it and packed it away in the hay 
mow to see whether cows would eat it. 
in Winter, and they would not eat it. 
Yet we are told that cows learn to eat 
it. They would probably have to be 
starved to it in the first place. If sown, 
about four quarts of seed should be used 
per acre. It may be sown with oats, 
but not more than 1^ bushel of oats 
should be sown per acre. We cannot at 
the present time recommend Sweet 
clover for general farm sowing. There 
is danger that it may be so persistent as 
to become a noxious weed. If sown on 
the farm it should be confined to a 
small area, and should be sown as an 
experiment. l. a. c. 
How to Cure Onions. 
F. G., N. Yakima, Wash.— Can you tell me 
how onions are cured to keep for Spring 
market? 
Red and yellow onions should be 
pulled when the tops begin to lap and 
are still slightly green, so they lie read¬ 
ily, when they are made into round 
piles. White onions must be pulled 
green; part of the crop must be sacri¬ 
ficed in order to secure that color which 
is necessary to bring the first price. 
Red and yellow varieties can be safely 
left in these round piles until the mid¬ 
dle of September, when they should be 
well cured; they are then opened for a 
day or two before carting to slatted bins 
in the barn. Plenty of air should be 
given. Many of our largest growers 
have onion barns where they keep a 
fire in Winter; but we have banked our 
onions well on approach of severe 
weather, and have never had any 
trouble in keeping them for the Spring 
market; in fact we think that they are 
less liable to sprout than where a fire is 
kept. We cart our onions as wanted in 
the Winter to a basement cellar, where 
they are prepared for market. 
Connecticut. josepii adams. 
White onions are pulled two and three 
rows together, tops laid straight, with 
the bottoms all one way, and before 
night are piled up on a slat frame, made 
perhaps of old barrel staves holding 
about one-half barrel, with the tops on 
the outside. A bag or paper cover three 
feet square is put on the top, held in 
place by a hoop and weight. The onions 
lie there until cured, and are then put 
in barn as other onions, only not as 
thick on the floor. Red and yellow are 
sometimes piled up but generally are 
pulled and thrown in streaks of 12 rows, 
which lie until cured (unless it rains a 
good deal; then they have to be raked 
over carefully), they must be bone dry, 
though sometimes a top that is a little 
moist or slippery inside will do no hurt. 
They are spread on floors iu barn made 
as follows: A lot of blocks 6x6 inches 
and 20 inches long, are placed about four 
feet apart, with 3x4 wall strips laid on 
top; filled with onions about as high as 
blocks, and then laid on slats 5 inches 
wide and one inch apart, with more 
blocks directly over the others, and so 
on as hign as desired. Be sure to have 
a solid bottom, as there is a great 
weight. The building should be tight 
for cold weather, but have several ven¬ 
tilating doors on each side, to keep as 
cool as possible. When the thermome¬ 
ter gets below 20 degrees we generally 
start a little fire; more danger of being 
too warm than cold. a. h. t. 
Grubs Attacking Strawberries. 
I). B. B., Dormansville, N. Y .—One of your 
correspondents asked recently whether it 
will be safe to plant strawberries on a 
piece of land that has been in cultivation 
for two years. H. E. Van Deman answers, 
and says in substance that it will. I set 
strawberries on fresh-turned sod 12 years 
ago and the grubs did them no harm. I 
picked one crop; the next year seeded, 
mowed hay one year, then turned over 
and set to strawberries again, when the 
grubs almost destroyed them; but I reset 
the next Spring, and it was the same. It 
has been in constant, clean cultivation ever 
since, and a year ago last Spring I set 
again to strawberries, when the bed was 
over half destroyed by the grub. I have 
two other pieces which have been in culti¬ 
vation constantly for 10 years with early 
potatoes and strawberries, and the grubs 
have almost ruined them some years, and 
hurt them badly every year; and are there 
still. I hate to dispute such authority as 
Mr. Van Deman, but I am giving actual ex¬ 
perience. I raise the finest berries that 
grow in Albany County, and I have origi¬ 
nated the best strawberry that ever grew, 
but I do not know the best way to get it 
before the public so as to give me any¬ 
thing for my trouble. It has not been 
named yet, for certain. I would like to 
send it out a year from next Spring. I 
have tested it for four or five years, and 
it proves to be away ahead of anything I 
ever raised. My only object in writing 
this is to combat the prevailing idea that 
the strawberry grub can be eradicated 
from the soil in two years, for it cannot be 
done in 10 on some soils. 
Ans.—T his is just the kind of experi¬ 
ence we like to draw out. Experiences 
differ. They differed within three years 
with D. B. B.—the grubs first doing no 
harm and then destroying the straw¬ 
berry plants at the second setting. It 
was all owing to the absence of tne 
White grub from one piece of sod, or 
their destruction by some unknown 
means in the first case and their pres¬ 
ence and vigor in the other. Why it 
should be so I will not attempt to ex¬ 
plain. We do know that the May beetle 
usually lays its eggs in sod, and especi¬ 
ally that which is being pastured, and 
that the grubs, when hatched, live and 
feed upon such roots as suit it, for two 
full years, and then emerge in the form 
of May beetles. We also know by ex¬ 
perience that if we cultivate the land 
for two years in some crop that is not 
attractive to the beetle as a place for 
the deposit of its eggs it is likely to r.a 
the soil of the insect in all its forms. 
It may not always do so, but that is the 
usual fact. The second time that piece 
of land was in sod it undoubtedly got 
a good crop of eggs from the beetles. 
It is known that eggs of this insect are 
often laid in strawberry patches, this 
furnishing suitable laying ground; and 
when they are plowed under and re¬ 
planted to strawberries there is likeli¬ 
hood of the old trouble recurring. Some 
other crops that we now do not suspect 
may have the same tendency. Potatoes, 
corn and other crops which require 
clean cultivation we think do not per¬ 
mit the propagation or continuation of 
the White grub in any considerable 
numbers. This principle is correct, ac¬ 
cording to abundant testimony, but that 
there are exceptions to its working out 
always as we think it should, there is 
no reason to disbelieve or wonder at. 
The new seedling strawberry may be 
tested by a few of the experiment sta¬ 
tions and then named and sold direct 
to the public or sold to some responsible 
nurseryman on the royalty plan. It 
will pay the introducer only about two 
seasons in the sale of plants at ad¬ 
vanced figures. Strawberry plants are 
so quickly and rapidly increased that a 
variety is soon in everyone’s hands. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Directed Efforts. —Had E. C. G. 
read the article on page 494 carefully he 
would see that I did not estimate the 
cost of growing oats and peas alike. A 
garden like the one acre should grow 
18 tons. I obtained that amount on 
farm land. Our beets are sold before 
we begin for $5 per ton (cash and 
weighing) on the car at home station. 
The cause of the failure of the Rome fac¬ 
tory was out-of-date machinery and dis¬ 
sensions among stockholders. But it 
was directed efforts instead of misdi¬ 
rected ones that I started to write about. 
Why so much backache? A friend who 
has 12^ acres has 100 per cent stand 
with only four days’ hand work per acre. 
Run your weeder over them twice be¬ 
fore they come up and twice after. Cut 
out when in first leaf with a hoe—and 
there is no more hard work than with 
other small vegetables. One should not 
expect to grow them as easily as corn. 
Prepare by fitting the land the year be¬ 
fore. It pays to prepare; to make a 
well directed effort beforehand. 
c. e. chapman. 
Chickens and Strawberry Beetles. 
— I saw in the August 4 issue of The R. 
N.-Y. that W. R., of Pennsylvania, 
wishes to get rid of a new strawberry 
pest. As I have been growing straw¬ 
berry plants and fruit by the acre for 
almost 50 years, some sugestion of mine 
may be of value to W. R. Althougn I 
never had the insect that troubles him, 
I have had others which, I presume, 
were as hard to get rid of, although I 
tried many remedies before I was suc¬ 
cessful. After trying various poisons 
to get rid of a small beetle that eats 
the foliage so that it looks as though it 
had received a charge of small shot, I 
have found that a brood of small chick¬ 
ens will eat everything in this line of 
insects where poison of various kinds 
had no effect. By increasing the 
strength of the poison, the plants were 
killed, but the beetles were as plenti¬ 
ful as before. Twenty-five chickens 
will soon clean one-fourth of an acre. 
I should cut the plants with a mowing 
machine, and when dry, burn over the 
bed; then put on the chickens. Keep 
the mother hen in a coop and let the 
chickens run. s. h. w. 
Weston, Mass. 
ARMSTRONG & McKELVY 
Pittsburgh. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN 
Pittsburgh. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS 
Pittsburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR ) 
} Cincinnati. 
ECKSTEIN 1 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN [ 
JEWETT 
ULSTER 
UNION 
SOUTHERN 
SHIPMAN 
COLLIER 
MISSOURI 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN 
New York. 
Chicago. 
iSt. Louis. 
JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS CO 
Philadelphia. 
MORLEY 
Cleveland. 
SALEM 
Salem, Mass. 
CORNELL 
Buffalo. 
KENTUCKY 
Louisville. 
l'ART right. In painting, the first 
or priming coat is important. It 
is the foundation. It is a mistake 
to think anything is good enough 
for it. If a mixture of Zinc, Barytes, etc., 
is used the paint will surely crack and peel. 
The only safe paint for priming is Pure 
White Lead. It combines with the oil, form¬ 
ing a tough, elastic coat that penetrates and 
will adhere to the surface. The brands in 
the margin are genuine. 
E!DCC For c °l° rs use National Lead Company's Pure White 
I llElt Lead Tinting Colors. Any shade desired is readily 
obtained. Pamphlet giving full information and show¬ 
ing samples of Colors, also pamphlet entitled “ Uncle Sam’s Ex¬ 
perience With Paints ” forwarded upon application. 
National Lead Co ., 100 William Street , New York. 
EVERY DAY 
IN THE YEAR. 
will pay $125 for a twine 
IW IIA m MwM KL Mm binder or a corn binder, 
M m m m m machines that can only 
be used a few days in the entire 
year, and think nothing of it. 
THE KEMP 
Manure 
Spreader 
costs much less than that, and 
can be used successfully every 
__ day In the year. It will earn 
the interest on the money every day it is used. Spreads all kinds of fine and coarse manure, 
wood ashes, lime, salt, etc. Spreads broadcast or drills in the row. Splendid new catalogue 
free. Tells all about it KEMP A BURPEE MFG. OO., Box 38, Syracuse. M. Y. 
E 
VAPORATINC FRUIT 
Complete rigs for gilt-edge work and big protits. 
AMERICAN MANUFACTURING CO., 
Box 407, Waynesboro, Pa. 
59th ANNUAL FAIR 
OF THE 
Dutchess County— 
Agricultural Society, 
TO BE HELD AT THE 
Hudson River Driving Park, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 
SEPT. 11, 12, 13 and 14, 1900. 
Grand Show of Live Stock and Novel 
Attractions each Day. 
A profitable occasion to all who attend. Excursion 
rates of all railroads. Electric cars to the Grounds. 
We guarantee a Big Fair. Competition Open to All. 
Everybody Invited. 
ADMISSION. 
Single Tickets. 35 Cents. 
Children Under 12 Years. 15 Cents. 
Admission to the Grand Stand ... 25 Cents. 
Carriages admitted free. Positively no return checks. 
For Premium List and other information address 
the Secretary, .1. M. BOOTH, 
42 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
R W. RIVES, President, New Hamburgh, N. Y. 
Different sizes and prices. Illustrated Catalogue free. 
THE BLYM YKK IRON WORKS 4JO., Cincinnati, O. 
THE BEST SCOOP FORK 
for handling potatoes, beets and all * 
vegetables with the greatest ease, 
and without bruising or cut-^N 
ting, is the famous ▼ 
DIAMOND 
SCOOP FORK. 
Oval tines with fiat 
points made of one, 
piece of solid steel. ’ 
► Catalogue free. 
Ashtabula Tool Co., A 
Ashtabula, 
♦ 
♦ 
How to Drain Land Profitably. 
On every farm there Is probably some land 
that could be made more productive by under- 
drainage. Properly drained land can always 
be worked earlier, and more profitably. The 
best and most 
economical way 
to drain is ex¬ 
plained In the 
book, “Benefits of Drainage and How to Drain,” 
which is sent free by 
JOHN H. JACKSON, Third Ave., Albany, N. Y. 
