4i6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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J 
June 14 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer tp in¬ 
sure attention. 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.] 
Crimson Clover Hay. 
D. S., Charlestown, N. II.— Will Crimson 
clover sown in May produce a profitable 
crop of hay the present season and, how 
many tons per acre could one expect on 
good soil well fertilized? Is it easily cured 
and well utilized by stock? 
Ans. —No, Crimson clover will be use¬ 
less if sown in May. It is a cool weath¬ 
er plant, doing its best in Fall or early 
Summer. Hot weather drives it to 
head. If you sow it in May it will only 
make a feeble growth and head out at a 
few inches high, giving no chance to 
cut it for hay. We do not find it a good 
hay crop even when started in the Fall. 
We prefer it for pasture, for green feed¬ 
ing or for green manure. 
Pruning Peach Trees. 
L. P., New Wilmington, Pa. —I have a 
peach orchard four years old that has 
been carefully cultivated and regularly 
pruned until this Spring. I can prune 
only at Spring or Summer vacations, and 
this Spring it was impossible to prune. 
'Will it do to prune severely the middle 
of June and later? Will the new growth 
mature buds for next season? There will 
be no peaches this season. 
Ans. —The middle of June is rather 
late for severe pruning, as much of the 
annual growth is made before that time, 
but something may be done in the way 
of thinning out weak branches, and 
heading back too exuberant shoots, 
without checking the trees severely. 
Buds mature fairly well on new growth 
made as late as August in ordinary sea¬ 
sons, but rainy weather in the Fall 
sometimes continues the new growth 
unduly. 
Sawdust as an Orchard Mulch. 
What are the facts about the use of saw¬ 
dust as a mulch for trees, shrubs or vines? 
Our own experience goes to show that the 
fresh sawdust right from the mill is not a 
safe mulch. After it has rotted well or 
been used as an absorbent this objection 
seems to be removed. Do you know of 
any case where the fresh sawdust has been 
used successfully? Do you advise its use 
before rotting or fermenting? 
I have used both sawdust and green 
shavings direct from the mill as a mulch 
for orchards without injurious results. 
In every case, however, care has been 
used that the sawdust was not in con¬ 
tact with the tree. w. m. munson. 
Maine Exp. Station. 
While I have not definite data showing 
that fresh sawdust is harmful to young 
trees when used as a mulch, and in small 
quantities, 1 am inclined to advise cau¬ 
tion in its use. Where large piles of 
fresh sawdust have stood about old trees 
I have known it to kill them. There is 
a heating and decomposition that takes 
place here that is detrimental. While 
the conditions are somewhat different I 
should think the ill effects equally true 
to some extent where used upon a 
smaller scale. F. w. rank. 
N. H. Exp. Station. 
Boy Wanted for the Farm. 
Reader, Vermont.—I have been looking 
around for a reliable boy, one who is an 
orphan, to live with us and help with the 
chores, etc. I have a pleasant place, and 
I raise berries, fruit and garden truck. 
The boy would be treated like one of the 
family, and this would be a good home 
for the right boy. We own our farm and 
there are only three grown-up people in 
the family. I want a good stout, healthy, 
honest boy about 14 years old. 
Ans. —We have had considerable ex¬ 
perience in such matters. Most cases 
where a boy of that age is taken prove 
disappointing. A boy large enough to 
do much work is likely to have habits 
which make him objectionable. You 
might get some boy from a private fam¬ 
ily who would answer, but to take a boy 
of that age from a public institution 
would be a risky undertaking—provided 
you want to help the boy and put the 
work he may do as of secondary import¬ 
ance. A little child may be taken and 
trained with fair chance of making a 
good citizen of him. We have obtained 
such children from Rev. M. T. Lamb, of 
Trenton, N. J. To take a little orphan 
child from the town and bring it up un¬ 
der good influences on the farm is the 
truest of missionary work. To take a 
large boy as a worker is often quite a 
different thing. 
The Chance in Gladioli Culture. 
C. II., Plainfield, N. J.— I have about four 
acres of sandy soil on the southern boun¬ 
dary of this place nearly half occupied 
by buildings, lawn and poultry runs, and 
have been market gardening in a small 
way on the remainder. For some time 
I have thought of Gladiolus farming as 
more desirable if I could be sure of a 
market, but feared that it was already 
over-crowded. Seeing the article on the 
Gladiolus farm of Arthur Cowee in 
The R. N.-Y., has led me to think there 
might be an opening for the use of the 
new Tritoma Pfitzerii in the same way 
or perhaps Tigridias, or the new Calad- 
ium, “everbloomlng.” Would The R. 
N.-Y. advise undertaking the cultivation 
of any of these for market? If so. which? 
How best find a market for the cut flow¬ 
ers in New York? 
Ans. —The market for the above spe¬ 
cialties in flowering bulbous plants is 
quite limited, and it would be risky to 
invest any considerable amount in the 
undertaking. The blooms of Gladioli 
and Tritomas (Kniphofias) bring so lit¬ 
tle in the city markets that they often 
fail to pay shipping expenses. If a local 
market at fair prices can be worked up 
for the blooms it would greatly help cur¬ 
tail expenses. The bulbs or roots, if of 
good quality, may generally be sold to 
dealers, but the prices received are less 
than one would imagine from their cost 
to retail purchasers. One should begin 
in a small way, and cautiously work up 
a stock, testing the local and city mar¬ 
kets from time to time. 
Cold Storage Advice Wanted. 
A. H., Twinsburg, O.—l am building a 
barn, and wish to use the basement for 
cold storage. The barn is 35x50 feet, base¬ 
ment wall eight feet high, laid double. 
About half of wall is in the bank. I pur¬ 
pose laying another wall against the wall 
outside the bank, with air space between, 
putting refrigerator door in front. The 
joist overhead I purpose ceiling on the 
under side, filling in to top of joist with 
sawdust and laying floor on top double. 
I intend to lay another floor on top of 
this double floor, raised at one side one 
foot, at the other six inches. This floor 
is to be covered with zinc and then filled 
with ice, leaving outlet for drainage and, 
I suppose, ventilation through the lower 
floor for cold air to -get into basement. 
Above the ice will be a scaffold floor and 
storage for hay. The barn is to have 20- 
foot. posts above wall. Can you suggest 
a better plan for making a cheap and 
good storage for fruits and vegetables for 
market? 
Ans. —A. H. is correct so far as storing 
ice above and using the cellar or base¬ 
ment for storage are concerned. He will 
have to provide not less than two dead- 
air spaces to insure insulation sufficient 
to reduce to a temperature of 38 to 40 
degrees. I do not see the need of a saw¬ 
dust filling overhead. The ice will have 
to cover the entire floor above. A cov¬ 
ering of zinc or galvanized iron, serv¬ 
ing as a drip pan, and upon a strong 
floor will suffice. If this storage is for 
private use, it will accommodate a very 
large business. A room 35x50x8 feet 
high is a large room to cool and the ice 
chamber above must be as thoroughly 
insulated, or the ice will soon melt. If 
the insulation is complete I see no rea¬ 
son why hay may not be stored above. 
The windows also should be not less 
than three feet deep; four would be bet¬ 
ter. The question of ventilation must 
not be neglected. Stagnant air, however 
cold, is not productive of satisfactory re¬ 
sults. The openings down from the ice 
chamber must be opposite the passages 
through which the warmer air passes 
upward. One of the dead-air spaces may 
be utilized. Condensation always takes 
place when the air is presented to a cold 
surface. Dry air is absolutely necessary 
for successful storage, hence free rapid 
circulation is essential. My advice 
would be to visit a cold storage plant 
and consult a competent architect, or 
builder of experience. Mistakes are al¬ 
ways expensive. The eye of an observ¬ 
ing man is worth more than advice in 
cold type when constructive knowledge 
is needed. Figure the amount of space 
actually required, and study how essen¬ 
tial are insulation and free circulation. 
Unless you have previous experience, 
get thoroughly impressed with these 
requisites, and you will succeed. Cold 
storage plants are sometimes faulty 
when carefully constructed. One will 
therefore understand the danger of ama¬ 
teur work. h. E. COOK. 
Formalin for Wheat Smut. 
A. /?.. Regina, Canada. —I would like to 
know whether seed wheat can be treated 
with formalin and if so how much should 
be used for 100 bushels? Would you ad¬ 
vise the use of formalin for wheat in pref¬ 
erence to blue vitriol? 
Ans. —Wheat is affected by two kinds 
of smuts, the stinking and the loose 
smut. The life history of the stinking 
smuts (two distinct species are known) 
is quite similar to that of the Oat smut. 
Infection occurs during the first stages 
of growth of the plant, usually previous 
to the fourth day after the seed sprouts, 
and before the first leaf appears. The 
growth of the fungus proceeds with the 
growth of the host, finally causing the 
destruction of the grain, usually every 
kernel in the head, and the substitution 
of a mass of smut spores of an intensely 
disagreeable odor, the presence of a few 
affected heads being sufficient to taint a 
bin of grain. I am unable to state from 
personal experience the effect of the for¬ 
malin treatment for Wheat smut, either 
as to the influence on germination of 
the seed or the smut spores. I would, 
however, treat my seed as recommended 
for Oat smut with the exception of using 
one pint of formalin to 84 gallons of 
water and expect favorable results, de¬ 
pending in this upon the results of ex¬ 
periments conducted by Prof. Bolley, of 
North Dakota. Recent experiments seem 
to show that in some cases at least the 
spores of stinking smut live in the 
ground over Winter and are capable of 
affecting a second crop. This, however, 
needs further investigation. The loose 
smut of wheat is probably less common 
than the stinking smut. It is not known 
that the formalin method is effective in 
checking this disease. 
FREDERIC CRANEFIELD. 
Cuttings of Carolina Poplar. 
J. II. S., Wapalconeta, O.—l. What time 
of the year should Carolina poplar cut¬ 
tings be made? 2. How are Japan wal¬ 
nut trees started? 3. How long does it 
take maple seeds to start after being 
planted? 4. Will mulberries start from 
cuttings? 
Ans.— 1. Wood for propagating Caro¬ 
lina poplars may be cut throughout the 
Winter and early Spring when entirely 
dormant. The cuttings may be tied in 
bundles and buried outside in sand, 
large or butt end up, to promote the 
formation of callus, and planted out 
when the soil can be safely worked. 2. 
Japan walnuts are exclusively grown 
from the nuts, which may generally be 
had from dealers in tree seeds. 3. 
Maples are generally grown from strati¬ 
fied seeds planted in the Spring, though 
seme varieties grow readily if planted 
as soon as ripe. To stratify, gather the 
seeds as soon as they fall and pack in 
layers of moist sand in a well-drained 
box. Keep in a cool place where it will 
not dry out until seeds are sown. 4. 
Mulberries are hard to root from cut¬ 
tings, though it can be done. They are 
grown from seeds which may be sown 
as soon as ripe, or kept until next 
Spring. Special varieties are grafted on 
stocks grown from ordinary seeds. 
Peaches for Texas.— The Elberta 
Is greatly overdone. As Prof. H. G. Powell 
correctly puts it, it is only a second-rate 
peach at best, and before many years it 
is sure to become a drug on the market. 
I am to plant quite extensively in the 
near future, but shall not plant a single 
Elberta, intending to use Queen, which, 
judging from what I have seen of it, bids 
fair to surpass it in every way. It is an 
Elberta seedling crossed with Globe, so 
far as known. Chairs Choice, if of same 
family, ought to be excellent to succeed 
it. Both Juno and Crothers are promising 
late peaches of the newer varieties here. 
Mexia, Tex. j. w. s. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
D WYER’S Summer and Au¬ 
tumn Catalogue (now ready ) 
of Pot-Grown Strawberry Plants, 
Celery, Cabbage, etc. Pot-Grown 
Clematis, Honeysuckle, Ivy, etc. 
A full line of Fruit and Ornamen¬ 
tal Trees Vines and Plants. 
This Catalogue, with beautiful colored plates, 
mailed free—write for it. T. J. DWYER & SON, 
Orange County Nurseries, Box 1, Cornwall, N. Y. 
Prepare for Drouth 
By sowing now for 
GRJEKN FODDER. 
Millet, Crimson Clover, Sugar Cane, 
Kaffir Corn, Sweet Fodder Corn, 
Dwarf Essex Rape. 
Also for Fall and Winter Use. 
Turnip, Mangel Wurzel. write for Prices. 
VAUGHAN’S SEED STORE, 
84 Randolph St., Chicago. 14 Barclay St., N.Y. 
C elery and Cabbage Plants, $1 per 1,000 
rimson Clover Seed, $4 per bushel. 
SLAYMAKER & SON, Dover, Del. 
pPI CTDXX PLANTS, *lperl,000; 70cents 
EL E. T 500; strong, stocky plants, 
grown by irrigation and heavy fertilization; Golden 
Self-Blanching, White Plume and Giant Pascal. 
F. W. ROCHELLE, Chester, N. J. 
Grown on land specially adapt¬ 
ed to them; sown thin, each 
plant is strong, stocky and well rooted. Prices: 
White Plume, 500, 75c.; 1,000,11.25; 5,000, $5. Golden 
Self-Blanching, 500. $1; 1,000,81.50; 5.000. *6.25; Giant 
Paschal and Pink Plume, 500, *1.25; 1,000, *1.75; 5,000, 
*7.50. Circular free. 
WILSON BROS., Tecumseh, Mich. 
1,000,000 Tomato Plantsfor the canner; 
500,000 Late Cabbage and other plants. Catalogue 
free. CALEB BOGGS & SON, Cheswold, Del. 
► — 25 
CABBAGE PLANTS 
Ea. J. Wakefield, Ea. Summer. 
cents per 100 
postpaid. 
By exp.. *1 per 1,000. 
free. 
Y. 
P O a I 500 bushels Early Black Cow 
xJ I Od It? Peas. *2 bu.; 100 bushelsEarly 
Black-eyed Peas. *2 bushel; 500 bushels Delaware- 
grown Crimson Clover Seed. *3 bushel. 
J. E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
/ginseng under cultivation pays better than a gold 
mine. Directions for growing and price of seeds 
& plants free. Royal Ginseng Gardens, LittleYork.N.Y 
CARDERS booked now for new crop Crimson Clover 
seed ready June 15. Popular prices. Seed guar¬ 
anteed. Write JOHN J. ROSA, Milford, Del. 
Vegetable Plants. 
Asparagus—Conover’s Colossal, *3 per 1,000. Cab¬ 
bage—Danish Ballhead. from our imported seed, the 
best Cabbage from October to April or May, *1.25 per 
1,000; Wakefield and Early Summer, *1 per 1,000. 
Celery —White Plume, transplanted, strong, and 
Celeriac, *2 per 1,000. Horseradish Sets—4 to 6-lnch, 
*1.50; 7 to 9-lnch, *3 per 1,000. Tomato—Dwarf 
Champion, Acme, Livingston and others, trans¬ 
planted, very strong, *5 per 1,000 : 65c. per 100. Cash 
with order. Send 5 cents in stamps for sample of 
anyone to be mailed. LDDW1G MOSB.EK. 
8500 Anthony Avenue, South Chicago, Ill. 
Potted Strawberry Plants, July I. 
T. C. KEVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
FRUIT EVAPORATOR irUr 'T.Lr ? 
Circulars free. B. L. Ryder Co.,Box 420, Phila., Pa 
Peach, Apple and 
Pear Buds. 
8end list of wants to be priced. Can furnish in 
large or small quantities. 
J. G. HARRISON & SONS, Berlin, Md. 
Clenwood Nurseries 
Most complete assortment of choice 
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Vines. 
Send for Descriptive Illustrated Catalogue. 
THE WM. H. MOON CO., MORRISVILLE, PA- 
60 miles from New York; 30 miles from Philadelphia. 
In sowing this valuable clover it is important 
that American seed is used. We supply gen¬ 
uine Delaware seed only. Our special circular 
describing uses of Crimson Clover is mailed 
ORIMSON GLOVER 
U free HENRY A. DREER, 714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
The Name on My Trees Means Something 
Trea Braad srs. 
IT DOESN’T ALWAYS ON OTHERS. 
ROGERS ONjTHE HILL. 
DansvillO) N.Y. -i 
