1900 
769 
Pasturing Cow Peas. 
II. A. M., Mechanicsburg, Pa. —Would you 
recommend pasturing of cow peas? It oc¬ 
curs to me that it might be well to grow 
them, as I understand they make a thick 
and heavy growth, covering the ground 18 
to 24 inches, and then to turn sheep, hogs 
and cows in on them and pasture them 
off, thus in the long run getting the ma- 
nurial as well as the feeding value out of 
them. 
Ans. —Yes, pasturing cow peas is good 
practice where the fences are tight. 
Hogs will make best use of them, sheep 
next. By pasturing in this way you ob¬ 
tain about all the manurial value, but 
lose some of the bulk. On light, open 
soils we like to plow the vines under 
without pasturing. 
Frost in Potato Cellars. 
Several Readers.—Vie hear of pits or cel¬ 
lars in the Northwest where potatoes are 
stored for Winter. It is said that frost 
forms in the walls of these pits and below 
the potatoes. Does not this ruin the 
tubers? 
Ans. —I do not know of any instance 
where potatoes are stored under condi¬ 
tions where it is expected that the tu¬ 
bers will actually freeze. Root cellars 
are often constructed beneath the sur¬ 
face or as semi-subsurface rooms, and 
potatoes and other vegetables are stored 
in them under conditions where frost 
forms on the walls and ceiling, and 
where the temperature in the cellar may 
be as low as 30 degrees, but provision 
is usually made to prevent the vege¬ 
tables from coming in direct contact 
with the walls, and under these condi¬ 
tions a low temperature may be main¬ 
tained and freezing actually occur on 
the walls without the tubers themselves 
being frozen. The building must be 
sufficiently frostproof to maintain a tem¬ 
perature not lower than 30 degrees, but 
the walls themselves might be several 
degrees below this at times and not in¬ 
jure the potatoes. [Prof.] f. h. king. 
Fruit Planting m Idaho. 
II. V., Hailey, Idaho.—I wish to ask your 
advice in regard to the selection of fruit 
trees and the best soil in which to plant 
them. 1 have a mountain on my place, part¬ 
ly lime, porphyry, and a yellowish sand¬ 
stone; the level land is loam on a solid 
clay subsoil. Our elevation is 5,350 feet; 
the climate is cool during Summer, frosts 
sometimes extend to the forepart of June, 
and appear in the middle of September. 
Cherries, the sour kind, succeed; also 
apples, pears, prunes, plums and the ber¬ 
ries, too, but I do not know the names 
of the varieties of the former four that 
are most suitable for this climate. We 
have plenty of snow generally; the cold is 
from 15 to 25, sometimes 30 to 35 degrees 
below zero, the latter not often. Can you 
give me the names of the kinds to plant, 
and which State it might be best to buy 
from? My idea in regard to purchase was 
to get trees from Iowa and Nebraska, but 
I shall be guided by your advice. 
Ans. —It would seem to me that the 
loamy soil ought to be good for almost 
any fruit. A good guide to follow as to 
fertility is the behavior of ordinary farm 
crops on the land proposed to be set to 
fruits or other land of like character 
close by. Any land that produces good 
wheat, oats, etc., will do the same with 
fruit, if other conditions are right. The 
climate is a little cold for some kinds of 
apples, pears and plums, but, no doubt, 
most varieties will do well there. Fruit 
of high quality and most beautiful ap¬ 
pearance can be grown in that region. 
The air is so pure in those high altitudes 
that very few, if any, fungus diseases 
can flourish there. I have seen many 
varieties of nearly all our ordinary fruits 
that were grown in several sections of 
Idaho, and other similar western States 
and Territories, and never saw nicer or 
better-flavored specimens of the same 
varieties. Spring planting would cer¬ 
tainly be preferable where the Winters 
are so cold. A good list of apples to 
plant in that section would be: Yellow 
Transparent, Early Harvest, Fanny, 
Lowell, Jefferis, Gravenstein, Hubbards- 
ton, Grimes, Jonathan, Stayman, Mis¬ 
souri, York Imperial and Ben Davis. Of 
pears, Tyson, Howell, Flemish Beauty, 
Bartlett, Seckel, Sheldon, Bose and Law¬ 
rence are among the very best in qual¬ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKERJ 
ity and in other respects. As to plums, 
the native American kinds are the most 
hardy, but not of so good quality, espe¬ 
cially for cooking, as the European and 
Japan types. However, Hawkeye, Stod¬ 
dard, Wyant and Ocheeda are among 
the best. Of Japan kinds the Abund¬ 
ance, Burbank and Wickson are excel¬ 
lent. Of the Europeans, Clyman, Brad¬ 
shaw, Imperial and Reine Claude are 
good. If any of the true prunes are 
planted, Agen (which is also called 
French and Petite in the West), and 
Fellenberg are among the most popu¬ 
lar. Of the sour cherries Richmond, 
Montmorency and English Morello are 
best. All these lists are arranged in or¬ 
der of ripening. Every variety named 
has been tested in the Western States. 
There are many good nurseries in all 
the States beyond the Mississippi, and 
the idea of getting trees for Idaho from 
Nebraska or Iowa is good. There are 
many such as are thoroughly reliable in 
both of those States. Their advertise¬ 
ments appear in the rural papers. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
King Raspberry. Cumberland Blackcaps. 
,J. H. B., Makanda, III.— What do you know 
of the King red raspberry? Who is the 
originator, and where could one get some 
of the plants? I am interested in a new 
variety of blackcap called Cumberland. 
Do you know anything of it? Where was 
it originated, and by whom? 
Ans. —The King raspberry originated 
with M. T. Thompson, of Rio Vista, Va., 
which is one of the suburbs of Rich¬ 
mond. I once made a special trip there 
to see this variety in fruiting season, 
and was very much pleased with it. It 
is very early, of large size, good, bright 
red color, and the quality is good. The 
habit of the bush is strong and sturdy, 
the leaves being large, thick and 
healthy. In other places where it has 
been tried it seems to prove very desir¬ 
able; in one case in Ohio where it was 
tested by all the old and new kinds, it 
was superior to any of the very early 
ones. It is worthy of general trial. 
Cumberland is a seedling grown by Da¬ 
vid Miller, of Camp Hill, Pa. It is very 
large in berry and the color and flavor 
are both very good. The bush has 
proven to be very productive and 
healthy. Cumberland is to-day, after 
considerable trial, about at the head of 
the list of blackcap raspberries. Plants 
of both these berries may be procured 
of almost any of the nurserymen. 
II. E. VAN DEMAN. 
A Robe Out of Beef Hide. 
R. a., Medusa, N. Y.— Can you tell me what 
I can put on a beef hide to soften it and 
make it pliable like a buffalo robe, after it 
has been tanned with alum and salt? What 
do tanners use for softening hides? 
Ans. —Those who are familiar with 
the process seem to consider it as a 
trade secret. We have, however, suc¬ 
ceeded in obtaining from one old tan¬ 
ner of experience the following direc¬ 
tions: Purchase 25 pounds of Sicilian 
sumach bark and put it in a barrel. Pour 
upon this bark boiling water until the 
barrel is half full. The hide to be tan¬ 
ned should be soaked for a half a day in 
warm water previous to putting it in 
the sumach bath. Then put the hide 
directly from the warm water into the 
sumach bath and frequently stir the 
hide around. Let remain in this bath 
for two or three days, and then take out 
and stretch over a pole to dry. When 
about half dry stretch it and work out 
all wrinkles. The tanning of a hide to 
produce the results you desire is a diffi¬ 
cult and somewhat expensive matter. 
The Sicilian sumach costs about $150 
per ton, and after having purchased the 
required material for doing the work 
you have no guaranty of success. Your 
better plan would be to send the hide to 
some man who makes a business of do¬ 
ing such work. He can do it cheaper 
and better than it can be done at home. 
l. a. c. 
An exchange says that where common 
sense reigns, a household can be happy 
without transforming itself into a circus; 
and can maintain discipline without rend¬ 
ing the skies with the wails of whipped 
children. 
KILLING FLIES; BIRDS. 
Some time ago in The R. N.-Y. the 
question of killing flies by a spray of 
coal oil was discussed. According to 
my experience flies may be killed in this 
way, but it takes a heavy and repeated 
spray to do it. The simple enveloping 
of a swarm of flies in a fog of coal oil 
does not have half as much effect on the 
flies as one would suppose; in fact, a fly 
must be pretty well drenched in order 
to make him do as he ought to—“go off 
and die.” I have often tried to reduce 
the number of the so-called "cider flies” 
in the same way, and with even less 
success. A cider fly will sail through a 
heavy fog of coal oil and come out on 
the other side apparently as happy and 
mean as ever. We have destroyed many 
colonies of wood wasps by dashing on 
them a pint of coal oil, but when a mist 
sprayer is used there seems to be little 
if any benefit. Wood wasps, honey-bees, 
and birds have been the cause here of 
the loss of any tons of grapes. There 
are many birds one is obliged by the law 
of self-defence to kill. Sparrows, the 
Grape oriole and several other kinds of 
birds must not have the full liberty of 
the vineyard if we wish to market table 
grapes. Blue jays and squirrels will 
carry off bushels of chestnuts and pecans 
here if allowed to do so. A plentiful 
supply of food nearly always brings 
eaters after awhile, and any law that 
prevents one from defending his life or 
property should be and probably is un¬ 
constitutional. If a man wishes to har¬ 
bor a set of savage dogs to terrify 
thieves, or hawks, minks or skunks to 
keep down the mice, or sparrows for 
their companionable ways, or squir¬ 
rels and blue jays, because of their 
beauty and attractive antics, it is enough 
at least to let him do so, without ob¬ 
liging his neighbor to protect them also. 
Illinois. b. b. 
REMARKS ON PLANTS. 
I rise to remark that there are some 
funny people in this broad land of gen¬ 
eral intelligence. One man has planted 
the Ruby Queen in a cold-frame hotbed, 
and given it, as he supposed, good care, 
and it has grown about nine inches, and 
then asks whether anybody has obtained 
a greater growth. Mine was planted 
outdoors, where it got the sun from 
morning till about 4 P. M., and has put 
out three branches, one eight feet long, 
one seven and the third about three feet, 
and is considered a healthy youngster. 
Another man has seen and raised many 
Bartlett pear trees, and never yet has 
seen one that has borne a barrel of 
pears! It is time he saw many which 
I can show him in Niagara County. 1 
can show him two that bear in my yard 
two to three barrels each every year. 
Fruit of all kinds is very cheap. Why? 
Because much is raised, and the major¬ 
ity are too anxious to put everything on 
the market in an effort to fool the buyer 
with culls and cheat Billy Berkshire out 
of the share that belongs to him, and 
that is economy. Others are picking up 
every pin they see, and that is eco¬ 
nomy, while others are taking in a dol¬ 
lar on the time wasted by the others 
practicing what is supposed to be eco¬ 
nomy. The first have sold culls and 
spoiled, to their market, and wonder 
why their business does not pay. The 
others have saved a few pins at the ex¬ 
pense of time enough, properly em¬ 
ployed, to have bought pins enough for 
an army a lifetime. A little knowledge 
is proven to be dangerous, where a thor¬ 
ough education is not only safe but 
profitable. The man who continues to 
do things just as his good father did, in 
this time of progress, can be seen in the 
dim distance with a powerful spyglass 
by those ahead in the band wagon. At 
present, but soon, if his methods are not 
changed, he will be out of sight alto¬ 
gether, and there will be no mark left 
on anything to show that he has lived. 
Fruit raising, cultivating shrubs and 
plants feel quickly and respond beauti¬ 
fully to the new and advanced intelli¬ 
gence that is abroad at cheap rates, and 
it pays to study, observe and practice. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. s. t. Murray. 
The Cause of Many 
Sudden Deaths. 
There is a disease prevailing in this 
country most dangerous because so decep- 
..tive. Many sudden 
deaths are caused by 
it — heart disease, 
pneumonia, heart 
failure or apoplexy 
are often the result 
of kidney disease, if 
kidney trouble is al¬ 
lowed to advance the 
kidney -p o iso ned 
blood will attack the 
vital organs or the 
kidneys themselves break down and waste 
away cell by cell. 
Bladder troubles most always result from 
a derangement of the kidneys and a cure is 
obtained quickest by a proper treatment of 
the kidneys. If you are feeling badly you 
can make no mistake by taking Dr. Kilmer’s 
Swamp=Root, the great kidney, liver and 
bladder remedy. 
It corrects inability to hold urine and scald¬ 
ing pain in passing it, and overcomes that 
unpleasant necessity of being compelled to 
go often during the day, and to get up many 
times during the night. The mild and the 
extraordinary effect of Swamp-Root is soon 
realized. It stands the highest for its won¬ 
derful cures of the most distressing cases. 
Swamp-Root is pleasant to take and sold 
by all druggists in fifty-cent and one-dollar 
sized bottles. You may 
have a sample bottle of , 
this wonderful new dis- [ 
covery and a book that 
tells all about it, both Home of Swamp-Root, 
sent free by mail. Address Dr. Kilmer & Co. 
Binghamton, N. Y. When writing mention 
reading this generous offer in this paper. 
LEGGETT’S aSSf WHALE-OIL SOAP, 
FOR SPRAYING TREES. 
Destroys San Jos6 Scale, etc. Guaranteea Best 
Quality. Write for Prices. 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 301 Pearl St., New York. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
USED 
Any Place 
Ity Any One 
For Any Purpose 
Stationaries, Portables, Engines 
anil Pumps, Holsters 
State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
THE MIETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines 
Cheapest and Safest 
Power known. For 
Pumping water, grinding 
corn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, and all power 
purposes. Send for Catalog. 
A. MIETZ, 
128 Mott Street, New York 
^UtUnY MAtl” gasoline engine 
TiMIiU I ITS Kn works a walking beam pump 
jack, grinds, shells, cats teed, separates 
cream, churns, outshone, etc. Easy to 
disconnect and put on belt. Engine 
1 Va actual h . p. Easy to learn, easy 
to operate, most economical. Gasoline 
supply tank. Engine and al I, on one 
base. Send for our illustrate d catalog. 
WEBSTER MAN'I PICTURING CO. 
10* 1 W. 15th St., Chicago, Ill. 
Y. office 38 Dey St.. N. Y. City. 
SCIENTIFIC 
GRINDING MILLS 
fit every requirement for every class of farming | 
and feeding. This one is a power and grinder I 
combined. We have others, various sizes, both | 
sweep and power. Ail are fast and easy grinders. 
Crush and grind ear corn and all small grams, in¬ 
cluding Jliilo Maize and Knflir Corn. Send for our | 
catalogue it before you buy a mill. 
THE FOOS MANFG. CO., SPRINGFIELD, OHIO. 
STEEL 
ROONNG' 
THE ONLY 
TOOLS YOU 
NEED. 
\\ 
5000 Squares 
BRAND NEW STEEL ROOFING 
Bought at Receivers Sales, sheets either flat, 
corrugated or “ V ” crimped. g |2 
Price per square of 10 x 10 feet S) | m f Q 
or 100 square feet. y , - 
No other tool than a hatchet or hammer is re¬ 
quired to lay this roofing. Wo furnish FREE 
with each order sufficient paint to cover, and 
nails to lay it. Write fur Free Catalogue No. 6" 
of general merchandise bought by us at 
SHERIFF’S and RECEIVER'S SALES. 
"Our Prleesare ON B' HALF of others.” 
CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKING CO. 
West 35th and Iron Ms, - Chicago. 
