THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
to? 
i&02 
WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICUL¬ 
TURAL SOCIETY. 
Part II. 
Fertility for Fruit Growers.— Dr. 
Jordan, the accomplished director of the 
State Experiment Station at Geneva, al¬ 
ways talks interestingly, and forces his 
audiences to listen with closest attention 
even when he has no particular new points 
to bring out. This time he gave us a talk 
on fertility, in which the so-called essen¬ 
tial plant foods were hardly mentioned, 
showing that the subject, as he says, is 
really a very complex one. The soil may 
contain nitrogen, phosphoric acid and 
potash in greatest abundance, and yet their 
purpose be defeated by other conditions, 
especially by lack of the proper texture 
of the soil, and by lack of water. Trials 
made at the Station showed plants growing- 
in clear sand to be unhappy and miserable, 
while doing very nicely in sand to which 
three per cent of sphagnum moss had been 
added. The favorable result in the latter 
cai.e was brought about simply by change 
of texture in the medium. Water must be 
considered one of the elements of fertility. 
A lack of it is a more serious handicap 
in the production of a crop than any other 
untoward condition. In a good many cases 
the water conditions of the soil are not up 
to the point where the plants can do their 
best. An acre of peach orchard containing, 
say 160 trees, pumps into the atmosphere 
from 2 , 000,000 to 3,000,000 pounds of water in 
the course of a single season; a corn plant 
evaporates 30 pounds, and a sunflower or 
hemp plant 60 pounds in their season. The 
annual precipitation, if from 19 to 36 inches, 
equals the amount of from 4,000,000 to 8 , 000 ,- 
U00 pounds of water per acre. Some of this 
is carried away in the drains; another por¬ 
tion evaporates from the surface, and only 
a part is saved for the plants or evapora¬ 
tion by the foliage. The available water sup¬ 
ply is that which the soil retains for the 
use of plants, and the only way to save 
it is by thorough tillage, which breaks the 
capillarity. It takes from 8 to 20 inches 
of water to support a tree for a year. If 
we start in Spring with saturated soil, 12 
inches of rainfall will be sufficient for the 
remainder of the season, provided that we 
take good care to supply by tillage. Tools 
of tillage for orchard use should go down 
from three to four inches into the soil. In 
some cases two inches might be sufficient. 
Gate Fall plowing has a tendency to in¬ 
crease the water supply for another year. 
Rolling, after seeding, while increasing the 
percentage of germination of the seed, also 
increases the loss of water by evaporation. 
Soon after every rainfall, the soil mulch 
should be restored by cultivation. A cover 
crop during a dry season may steal water 
needed for the fruit crop. Prof. Beach, in 
reply to a query, states that experiments 
have shown a check to growth, whether 
direct by lack of water in early Fall, or in¬ 
directly by the presence of a cover crop, 
to favor the development of fruit buds. 
Some Good Apples.— The opinions of ex¬ 
pert growers concerning the comparative 
value of Rome Beauty, Sutton Beauty and 
liubbardston Nonsuch do not seem to be 
altogether unanimous, except on the point 
that all three are good apples. Mr. Willard 
prefers Sutton Beauty for table use, but 
holds Rome Beauty to be the more reliable 
variety for a crop, one year with another, 
liubbardston, while good and valuable, is 
not equal to it. Mr. Powell prefers Hub- 
bardston for quality, and as a strong pro¬ 
ducer, with the one objection of being not 
high-colored enough for the Boston mar¬ 
ket. Sutton Beauty is line in color, and of 
good quality, almost equal to King, and 
better than Rome Beauty. Mr. Willard 
says Hubbardston grown in New York 
State is usually high-colored. It stood up 
supremely well during the fruit show at 
the Pan-American Exposition. 
Atlantic Strawberry.— Some one asked, 
if the Atlantic is a good berry, why not 
catalogued by nurserymen? Mr. Kel¬ 
logg (Michigan) says the foliage rusts 
badly; does not know that it is grown out¬ 
side of Oswego County, where it is a popu¬ 
lar berry. 
Mulch vs. Cultivation.— The discussions 
provoked by reference to an article appear¬ 
ing in The R. N.-Y. some time ago, only 
served to emphasize the truth that “one 
man’s meat is another man’s poison.” 
Prof. Beach declared that a system of shal¬ 
low surface tillage in good soil is to be pre¬ 
ferred to the Hitchings method of mulch¬ 
ing without cultivation. Mr. Hitchings, 
however, claimed to secure several special 
advantages by his plan. His locality 
usually has heavy rainfall during the fore 
part of the season, followed by a later 
period of dry weather. His soil is a clay 
loam with many stones. By letting grass 
and weeds grow during the earlier season, 
he checks the excessive wood growth, ana 
by mowing and leaving the mowings on the 
ground, he not only saves much of the 
moisture yet in the soil, but also keeps this 
soil in condition to take advantage of the 
small showers that often come during late 
Summer and early Fall 
Orchard Treatment.— Prof. I. P. Roberts 
tells of the action of lime on heavy clay 
soils. Sometimes such soils may be made 
too fine by the thorough cultivation ac¬ 
corded them. In such cases a heavy rain¬ 
fall would bake and seal the surface, and 
give worse conditions than before cultiva¬ 
tion. The application of lime tends to 
render the soil particles flaky, thus making 
them larger, and the soil more open. 
Asked what proportion of their nitrogen 
leguminous cover crops take from the air 
and what proportion from the soil, he says, 
it depends on conditions, and is an open 
problem. 
Injurious Insects in 1901.— Prof. Slinger- 
land's report is especially interesting in so 
far as it holds out the hope that several of 
our insect foes are on the decrease. This 
seems to be the case with the Forest and 
Apple-tree tent-caterpillars, and the canker 
worm. The Hessian fly also seems to have 
reached the climax of its development, and 
will probably appear in greatly lessened 
numbers. The insect enemies of these 
pests are multiplying. In 1901 about one- 
half of the wheat crop of the State was de¬ 
stroyed by the fly. Tne best plan to pre¬ 
vent its ravages is by means of sowing 
trap patches quite early, plowing these up 
for the purpose of destroying the Hessian 
fly already breeding on the wheat plants, 
and then sowing for a crop as late in the 
season as practicable, perhaps at the end 
of September. Prof. Slingerland also tells 
us (what many of us had discovered al¬ 
ready to our sorrow) that the Striped 
cucumber-beetle and the large squash or 
stink bug have been more abundant, and 
their ravages more serious last year than 
ever before. The pumpkin pie and the 
pickle crops have been exceedingly short. 
Unfortunately no new and better remedy 
for these pests has been found than those 
known and practiced for years. To save 
the crops from the attacks of the large 
Black squash-bug handpicking of the old 
bugs and their eggs is the only method that 
offers a way of escape. The Cherry fruit- 
fly or maggot has become a serious danger 
to our cherry industry; there is no im¬ 
mediate prospect of its natural decrease, 
and no remedy for it has yet been discov¬ 
ered. This enemy attacks mostly the sour 
cherries. The Fall web-worm has been 
very destructive at the East; but a fungous 
disease has begun to attack it. t. a. 
NOW IS THE TIME 
Seasons change. We can’t 
change them. We can’t pre¬ 
vent the coming of cold and 
damp airs. 
But we can prevent the sore 
throats, the coughs, colds and 
lung troubles by taking Scott’s 
Emulsion. Nothing does more 
to make the tender throat 
tough. Nothing gives such 
strength to weak lungs. 
Don’t take risks—when it’s 
easy to be safe. Now is the 
season for taking Scott’s 
Emulsion in season. 
We'll send you a little to try, if you like. 
SCOTT & BOW'NE, 409 Pearl street, New York. 
“ Money Back! ” 
No price could induce you to part with 
it if you couldn’t procure another hox. 
Veterinary Pixine 
is indicated for the most complicated 
aggravated, offensive cases of grease 
heel, scratches, mud fever, abscesses, old 
sores, hoof rot, cow-pox and skin diseases 
of months’ or years’ standing. No mat¬ 
ter what the condition or how long 
standing, if Veterinary Pixine fails to 
c ure you can get your money back. 
Its penetrating, absorbing, antiseptic, 
healing power is marvelously effective. 
Its worth and value to owners of horses 
and domestic animals is inestimable. 
I 2-oz. box, 25c. ) At all Druggists and 
PRICK •< 8-oz. box, 50c. > Dealers, or sent 
( 5 pounds, $4. ) prepaid. 
TROY CHEMICAL CO., Troy, N. Y. 
r* , r> ¥ Write for what ex- 
San Jose scale ^tm Mour 
DERRICK OIL COMPANY, Titusville, Pa. Box 52 
I) o o fyhpm/ PLANTS. C. C. NASH 
AUSpUCIly Three Rivers. Mich. 
Strawberry Plants, 116 varieties, in 1,12,100 lots. 
APPLE SUGGESTIONS 
Select the kind of trees that will make 
money for you. Here are some: York Imper¬ 
ial, atrong.hardy, good bearer, good keeper. 
Ben Bavin, the beet market apple grown ; 
highly colored, very popular. Trees hardy 
and productive. Baldwin, Wealthy, I Vincsap, 
Jonathan, and many others, alsopeach^pears.eto., 
described in our new catalog. It’s free. W rite for 1ft. 
Harrison’s Nurseries, Boi 29 Berlin, Md. 
SUCCEED WHERE 
Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Book Fret. Result of 76 years’ experiene* 
SOY BEANS 
Cow Peas, Canada Peas, Clover, 
Vetches, Corn, Barley, Emmer, 
Millet. Rape. Potatoes, etc. EDW. K. EVANS, West 
Branch, Mich. (North Latitude 14 deg. 12 m.) 
POTATOES, 
CORN, 
FIELD SEED. 
SF" Get mv prices before buying elsewhere. Cata¬ 
logue free WRITE TO-DAY. 
SIEGEL, The Seedsman, Erie, Pa. 
Wheeler’s Seeds I Always Reliable 
HIS PRICES ALWAYS REASONABLE. 
Farmers and Truckers trade a specialty. Pure, 
fresh Vegetable and Flower Seeds at lowest prices. 
We are growers of true Southport Globe Onion Seed 
Send for our superb catalogue, free to all. who intend 
to buy seeds. E. E. Wheeler, Box 152, Bridgeport,Conn 
20th Century Novelties in 
PLANTSandiSEEDS 
We’ve some of the best and most striking 
novelties ever sent out. Don’t fail to send for , 
our illustrated catalog. It’s yours for a postal. 
LOUIS P. BUTLER & CO., Keene, N. H. 
S eed Potatoes—Carman No. 3 and Sir Walter Ra¬ 
leigh. Pure, choice seed. L. N. Nelson, Laney.Wls 
POTATOES 
—Selected Seed. Prlce-LlBt Free. 
E. M. MARVIN, Sun, Mioh. 
S EED POTATOES— Wholesale prices on early ship¬ 
ments. Best early and late varieties. Catalogue. 
W. E. 1MES SEED CO., Capac, Mich. 
k —300 varieties. Partridge 
w ______ Wyandottes and S. C. W. 
Leghorns. ’ Circular Free. Address 
H1LER BROTHERS, Box 5, Prattsburg, N. 1. 
Seed Potatoes 
GARDEN SLowaT SEEDS: 
CLOVER AND TIMOTHY, 
BEARDLESS SPRING BARLEY 
We are recleaners of all kinds of Field Seeds i 
and do not mix Medium with Mammoth Red ■ 
1 Clover. Write for Field Seed Price List, also 1902 j 
Seed Catalog mailed free. 
Henry Phillipps Seed and Implement Co., 
115-117 St. Clair Street, Toledo, O. 
Amber Cane Seed 
S ECOND Crop Seed Potatoes—Best seed grown. 
Mature earlier, yield more and finer potatoes than 
any other seed. Choice early varieties. Catalog 
free. Alf. A. Whittington, Marion Sta. Md. 
POTATOES 
Garden and 
Flower Seeds. 
Early and Reliable. Send 
for Catalogue. 
The Geo.W.P.JerrardCo. 
CARIBOU, ME. 
POSITIVELY THE BEST FORAGE PLANT. 
Gives a sweet nutritious forage. Grows and thrives 
in soil so dry that corn would curl up. Can be used 
for pasture, green fodder, silage or hay. Stock eat it 
as a boy eats a stick of candy. During the great 
drought fields of Amber Cane stood green and thrifty 
while around them corn and meadow grasses were 
dead. May be cut twice during the season—broadcast 
or drilled as desired. A small field of Amber Cane 
may be pastured down by sheep or hogs, then if the 
stock is kept out for two weeks it will grow again 
and furnish more pasture. No other plant can take 
Its place for growing sweet fodder and fine pasture. 
Per 100 lbs., $5; 10 lbs., 75c. 
POTATOES. SEED CORN. ONION SETS, ETC. 
Write for Free Catalogue. 
VAUGHAN’S SEED STORE, 
14 Barclay St., N. Y. Box 688 , Chicago. 
LIVINGSTON’S 
2 Brand NewTomatoes 
FOR 1002 
Send for our free annual of TRUE BLUE SEEDS, and read all about them. Our 
new White Celery and many other new and rare Vegetables and Flowers, besides a 
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GRASS SEED for HAY, 
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GRASS SEED for GOLF LINKS, 
GRASS SEED for LAWNS, 
GRASS RIIXTORES SPECIALLY PREPARED TO S01T ALL CONDITIONS OF SOIL. 
Our AMERICAN FARMERS’ MANUAL, for 1902, 32 pages, devoted entirely to Grass 
and o'her Seeds for the Farm, mailed free on application to those who state where they saw 
this advertisement. Correspondence invited. 
GRASS SEEDS 
PETER HENDERSON & CO. 
cortlandTst, 
NEW YORK. 
SEED CORN 
Eighteen Tears Experience in the Seed Cam 
Business as a SPECIALTY, convinces us 
that Farmers prefer to buy their Seed 
Direct from the Grower ; then he knows 
where it is grown ; also that it is not Commission House, or Elevator Corn ; besides he saves the 
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Seed Corn in the past few years than any other Growers, Seed House or Seed Firm in the world. We 
are headquarters for Seed, Oats as well. Write us for our Free Catalog of Seed Corn, Farm and 
Garden Seeds Always address J. R. RATEKIN & SON, Shenandoah, Iowa. 
M Whnlocalo Priooc We **1“ Vegetable Seeds, Seed 
llllUICoalC riluCO. Potatoes, Farm Seeds, etc., on 
our own Farms, and sell them direct to the planter at Whole¬ 
sale Prices. Catalogue free. Please write for it to-day. Don’t 
delay. JOS. HARRIS CO., Moreton Farm, Coldwater, N. Y, 
Isbell’s Seeds &£££££££ 
That's what the trade mark means. It is a guarantee of Highest qviality 
tested seeds and is put on every package of seeds for your protection. 
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best. Write for free illustrated catalog of Farm. Garden and Flower 
SaA/ 1 C WP TY7 Q 7 1 it frPP 
6. M. ISBELL’A CO., 125 WEST PEARL ST., JACKSON, MICH. 
We want 
YOU to try 
DREER’S SEEDS 
rand make the following remarkable offer to introduce them to those 
who are not already acquainted with the most reliable seed sent out 
. urPCTlDI CC Crosby's Beet, White Spine Cucumber, Wonderful Lettuce; 
] VCUL I ADLCO Moss Curled Parsley, Cardinal Radish. Stone Tomato. ' 
Cl flilMCDC Branching Asters, Diadem Pinks, Nasturtium,Large Flowering 
i LU TV kltd l’lilox, Shirley Poppy, Eckford’s Sweet Peas. 
uther collection of six full size packets for 15 ets., or both collections for 85 cents, and 
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| Tracker* should scud for our Special Market Gardener's List." 
HENRY 4. OREER.c.J.'.VPHIUDA., PA. 
