56o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 16 
FARMERS’ CLUR 
[Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to 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.] 
Experience With Josselyn Gooseberry. 
E. £>., Delnmr, N. Y .—I have Josselyn 
gooseberry bushes in fruit for the first 
time. The berries are just beginning to 
ripen. I notice fully half of them are 
burst on one side, with the contents 
oozing out. Is this characteristic of the 
variety ? 
Ans.—O ur experience with the Jos¬ 
selyn gooseberry has been that it is less 
likely to hurst than most other large- 
fruited kinds. This trouble is usually 
the effect of modified sunscald or too 
much moisture near the ripening period. 
Probably both causes are at work in 
your case. As the plants grow older, 
giving more shade to the berries as well 
as excreting moisture more rapidly, 
there will probably be less trouble. 
^ Rat-Proof Grain Stack. 
8., Hico, W. Va .—Can any of your readers 
tell me how to stack grain to prevent rats 
and mice from destroying it during Fall 
and Winter? I have tried ashes in (he 
stack but it failed. I have put hay in the 
bottom but it did no good. I have put up 
a bottom on posts 414 feet high but they 
jumped or climbed and kept up business. 
Now if anyone knows how tell us who do 
not understand it. 
Ans.—'To keep rats and mice from 
stacks of grain a foundation must be 
made for the stacks. Posts should be 
set in the ground or they may be set 
on the ground. These posts should be 
at least 2 y 2 feet in length above the 
surface of the ground. Over the top of 
each post, before the superstructure for 
the stack is built, a tin pan should be 
inverted, or a tin collar may be put 
around the top of each post, the collar 
being not less than one foot wide. Rats 
and mice cannot climb up on tin, and 
they cannot get beyond the tin pan. 
If S. had treated the posts in this way 
he would have solved the problem. 
Upon the top of the prepared posts the 
superstructure for the stack should be 
laid. Care must be taken that no ma¬ 
terial be left lying around or leaning 
against the stack from which the rats 
and mice can jump to the stack. By 
observing these simple directions both 
rats and mice may be kept from grain 
Stacks. L. A. CLINTON. 
Seeding Grass in Maryland. 
L. R. 8., Fairvlew, Md .—What course 
should I pursue to get early pasture the 
coming season, as well as a crop of hay? 
I wish to sow two fields, one for hay, the 
other for pasture. Clover and Timothy is 
a failure here. Even mowed fields that 
were in clover are entirely dead; said to be 
killed by an insect. One of these fields had 
been in wheat, and has a little Timothy on 
it. I thought of sowing this again in Tim¬ 
othy with the expectation of mowing it 
late next season. The other one was 
mowed; on this I would like to sow a seed 
that would make pasture the season 
through. How should I prepare the 
giound? All is good strong land, and has 
been very productive. 
The best results in obtaining good 
stands of grass either for pasturage or 
hay purposes in this State have been 
produced as follows: Plow the land as 
early after harvest as possible and pre¬ 
pare the same so as to get a good, solid, 
yet well pulverized seed bed. In fact, 
give just tne same preparation as is or¬ 
dinarily followed in preparing land for 
seeding to wheat Then seed the grass 
and clover as soon after the middle of 
August as weather conditions will per¬ 
mit. Give the grass a covering with a 
light smoothing harrow or weeder. Seed 
the grass by itself, without any nurse 
crop whatever. For hay purposes use 
clover and Timothy, seeding them at the 
ordinary rate per acre. Seeded in this 
way, good crops of hay are obtained the 
following season. In many parts of the 
State Alsike clover is giving better sat¬ 
isfaction than Red, and it is a common 
practice with many farmers to mix the 
seed of these two varieties. For pastur¬ 
age I would advise the following mix¬ 
ture: Kentucky Blue, 10 pounds; Rhode 
Island Bent, five pounds; Red-top, five 
pounds; Orchard grass, five pounds; 
White clover, five pounds; Alsike clover, 
five pounds; total, 30 pounds. Use these 
quantities per acre. The pasture grasses 
do best on limestone soils, and if the 
land has not already been limed an ap¬ 
plication of lime would be advantageous. 
This will give a fair amount of pastur¬ 
age the first season, but should not be 
used too Hard. it. J. Patterson. 
Md. Exp. Station. 
Fuel for Evaporated Fruits. 
It is claimed that the fruit evaporators 
in Wayne County, N. Y., are much con¬ 
cerned over the high price of coal. They 
are not able to obtain fuel for their evap¬ 
orators. What are the facts? 
Ans. —There is quite a large amount 
of apples in this section but of very poor 
quality. In my opinion we shall not 
have as many barreled apples as many 
think, and if this unprecedented wet 
weather continues much longer our crop 
will be largely evaporating apples and 
chops. The prices on evaporated apples 
for future delivery have advanced, as 
none of our dealers will offer any now 
at any price on account of scarcity of 
coal. The coal strike looks to us no near¬ 
er a settlement than a month ago. While 
some of our evaporator men realized the 
situation some time since, and have se¬ 
cured a partial supply of coal from, local 
stocks, which are now entirely exhaust¬ 
ed, most of them have not waked up to 
the seriousness of the coal situation 
even yet. In my opinion the matter looks 
complicated, and none of us can foretell 
the final outcome. b. j. case. 
Starting Seedling Strawberry Plants. 
8. C. M., Calla, O.— 1. When and how shall 
I sow my strawberry seed of this year’s 
fruit? I have access to a greenhouse if it 
would be any advantage in starting the 
seed to germinate. 2. I shall take up about 
20,000 strawberry plants late this Fall for 
early trade next Spring. Can I dig them 
and trim tops and roots and pack close in 
flats in sand or soil and let remain out¬ 
doors all Winter with a covering of straw? 
Ans. —1. Strawberry seeds are best 
sown at once after washing out of the 
berry, rather thinly in pots or boxes of 
light, rich soil. They need very little 
covering, but are best kept in a moist 
shady place until up. The planting may 
be delayed until convenient, but the 
germinating power is lessened by long 
drying. A greenhouse is little advantage 
in raising seeds in warm weather except 
in protecting the tender seedlings from 
dashing rain. 2. The only safe place 
for a strawberry plant until actual time 
of shipment is in the soil where grown. 
Most attempts to store or heel in plants 
in the manner described result disas¬ 
trously. If the plants survive their vi¬ 
tality is greatly lessened. They can be 
stored in a root cellar in soil, away from 
frosts or cold drying winds, but most 
growers only dig as they wish to ship 
or plant 
Pasture Grasses for West Virginia. 
D. O. 8., Minerstown, W. Va .—What kind 
of grass seeds can be sown on thin ground 
for permanent pasture? How would John¬ 
son grass or Japan clover do? Have any 
of your readers had any experience in 
seeding Mammoth clover and Timothy to¬ 
gether during Fall, if so with what suc¬ 
cess? 
Ans. —Owing probably to the fact that 
West Virginia lands produce naturally 
a good pasture grass—Blue or Spear 
grass—seeding for pastures has been but 
little practiced. Timothy has generally 
been used for this purpose, but it will 
not hold long. Johnson grass is entire¬ 
ly unknown here, and is not mentioned 
among grasses in “Feeds and Feeding,” 
by Henry. From descriptions we would 
think that Japan clover would succeed 
for the purpose in a mixture with Mam¬ 
moth clover and Timothy, and from ob¬ 
servation would recommend Orchard 
grass to go in the mixture pretty heav¬ 
ily. Timothy is generally sown in Fall 
with success. J. l. b. 
Falls, W. Va. 
Short Stories. 
What are the husks of cocoanuts worth 
as a fertilizer? They represent the refuse 
from a factory where “hair mattresses” 
are made. 
Ans. —We are unable to find any an¬ 
alysis of such husks. Prof. Brooks, of 
the Massachusetts College says: “My 
judgment regarding the material is that 
the manurial value must be low, as I 
have no doubt that the material consists 
almost entirely of woody and corky 
tissues neither of which contain any 
considerable amount of the more essen¬ 
tial elements of plant food. If, then, the 
material is in such shape that it cannot 
be used for bedding I hardly think that 
it will pay to handle it, but if sufficiently 
coarse so that it can be used under ani¬ 
mals in stables it must certainly be 
worth 75 cents per load as an absorb¬ 
ent.” 
Leading papers contain wonderful stories 
of a man in Texas who travels about with 
2,000 trained birds in a large cage. When 
the birds are turned loose they destroy all 
the worms in a 20-acre cotton field in short 
order. Is this true, or is it a "fake” like 
the story of the Mississippi monkeys that 
are trained to pick cotton? 
Ans. —I am unacquainted with any 
of the wonderful achievements that are 
claimed for the trained birds of Texas 
that you refer to, and am, therefore, in¬ 
clined to look upon the entire matter 
in the light of a hoax, and class it with 
the “cotton-picking monkeys.” 
Texas Exp. Station, j. h. connell. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
Will produce a full crop of berries 
next June, if planted this Summer. 
DREER’S 
Mid-Summer Catalogue 
offers a choice line of these; also Celery, 
Cabbage, Cauliflower and other season¬ 
able plants. Write for copy, FREE. 
HENRY A. DREER, 714 Chestnut St., Phila., Pa. 
Potted Strawberry Plants, July I. 
T. C. KEVITT, Atbenla. N. J. 
POTTED STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
The choicest and best reliable sorts. Plant now 
and get good cr^p next year. 
■frees, Shrubs, Vines, Small Fro its, 
FOR FALL, PLANTING. 
Finest Varieties for the Country none. 
Send for Catalogue,Lee. 
H. G. Corney, Windsor Nurseries,Red Bank,N.J. 
THE PRESIDENT 
STRAWBERRY 
The Rural New-Yorker calls It ‘ the mott 
promising new variety oj the year." 
It has been carefully tested for four year®, and 
not offered for Bale until fully matured. It has 
been grown in field culture, and marketed in 
large quantities by the side of other leading 
varieties leading them all in the qualities de¬ 
manded in big berries for a critical market. 
Large, Firm, High Colored, Well Flavored. 
POTTED PLANTS FOR SALE! 
Per dozen, S3. Per 60, SIO. 
Per 100, SIS. 
Stock all in originator’s hands. Buyers protected 
THOMAS R. HUNT, Lambertvillt, N.J 
8 end for Circular. Mention this Paper. 
D WYER’S Summer and Au 
tumn Catalogue (now ready) 
of Pot-Grown Strawberry Plants 
Pot Grown Clematis, Honey¬ 
suckle, Ivy, etc. A full line of 
Fruit and Ornamental Trees, 
Vines and Plants. 
This Catalogue, with beautiful colored plates, 
mailed free-write for It. T. J. DWYER A SON 
Orarge County Nurseries. Box 1, Cornwall. N. Y. 
TREE PLANTING IN FALL 
is recommended by horticulturists of highest author 
ity. The soil is always in better condition, the trees 
are dormant and f tart early in Spring, a-d any pos¬ 
sible loss on account of unfavorable weather the fol¬ 
lowing season is prevented by Fall planting Jly 
catalogue is free. MARTIN WAHL, Rochester, N y. 
Fruit & Ornamental, 
Shrubs, Roses, Bulbs 
and Plants. 
Correspondence solio- 
lted.Valnable Catalogue frw. 
49th year. 44 greenhouses. 1000 acres 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., 
Painesville, Ohio. 
Trees, Vines and Plants. 
Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum and Cherry Trees, 
of all the leading varieties, in any quai ity, at very 
low prices Trees, extra fine, free from scale or inseol 
pes's. We offer, by the thousand or carload, a beau 
tiful .otof Peach Trees. Don t mlsa wrltin us for 
{ iriceson them, and fer handsome descrlptl e ’a*n- 
ogue. One dormant bud tree of our new Liston 
peach trailed free to each person answering this 
advertisement- Addi-ss 
THE VILLAGE NURSERIE8, Harnedsvll. , Pa. 
Celery Plants— Giant Pascal, Golden 
Heart. Boston Market and White Plume at SI per 
1,000; 15c. per 100. Caleb Boggs & Son, Cheswold, Del. 
ACI CDY B| HllTC“ not spindling ones 
UU.cn I rLflllld and not raised by irri¬ 
gation method—$1.50 per thousand. CLOVER SEED 
—Choice, clean Crimson or Scarlf t of my own raising. 
$3.50 per bu.: saeks free. J. C. ELLIS, Millsboro, Lei. 
rj T \ Ct} Vf2— 1 Germinated seed ready to plai t 
VJ. this Fall. Full directions for 
growing, and price of seed and plants. FREE 
ROYAL GINSENG GARDENS. Little York. N. Y. 
ClMCENfi We have grown the Plants since 
Ulliacnu 1893. Plants and Seed for Sale. 
LYNDKN GINSENG AND STOCK FARM, 
Silas Timerman & Son. CkckvUle, N. Y. 
Crimson Clover Seed.—New crop now 
ready. R. S. JOHNSTON, Box 4. Stockley, Del. 
QRDEBS hocked now for new crop Crimson Clover 
seed ready June 16 Popular prloes. Seed guar¬ 
anteed. Write JOHN J. ROSA, Milford, Del. 
f m O 0 I *>—500 bushels Early Black Cow 
■ VI OCil v Peas, $2 bn.: 100 bushels Early 
Black-eyed Peas $2 bushel; 500 bushels Delaware- 
grown Crimson Clover Seed 13 50 bushel 
J B. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
Big New Seed Wheats. 
Strong, vigorous new blood; pure, clean, fly-procf; 
Immense ytelders Samples and catalogue No. 45 free 
for the asking. Our choice graded seed will double 
your yield. Maplewood Stock Farm, Maplewood, Mich 
CEED WHEAT—Dawscn Golden Chaff, American 
^ Bronze. Fultz-Mediterranean, Harvest King, 
Rudy. Fulcaste , from heavy yielding Ue’.ds Clean; 
moderate prices. Samples free. Circular shows re¬ 
sults of comparative tests made at experiment sta¬ 
tions. A. H. HOFFMAN, Bamfoid, Pa. 
SEEDS 
-WHEAT—RYE-TIMOTHV, The 
best varieties, carefully selected, per¬ 
fectly clean. Fresh stock, sure to grow 
Lending wheat varieties Mealy and Dawson's Goldin 
Chaff. Other kinds. Poole, Fultz, Ited Cross. Send fo‘ 
circulars and prices O. C. SHEPARD CO., Medina, O 
The New Wheat Invincible. 
Heaviest yielding, most reliable wheat grown. 
Winter protf. tty-proof water-proof. Tall, stiff 
straw, long bald heads filled with bright red gialn 
2.0CU bushels from GO acies. 
Mammoth White Rye. 
Outylelds another kinds. Twelve acres giving 45 
bushels and over two tons of straw per acre. 
Illustrated Catalogue Free 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE, Seed Grower, 
Honeoye Falls, Monroe Co., N. Y. 
n m• am No more them. Sow my 
UlHUn wBIS hardy White, earliest, Yellow 
and Red. 3 kinds. Send for testimonials and prices. 
BEAULIEU. theOnion Specialist, Woodhaven, N.Y. 
\A/UC ATQ tested 29 to38 bushels; W. 
v If lILn 10 Chaff, Jones, -McKinley, 
Bald, Democrat, Reliable Rudy, Tus- 
can, Arcadian, Gold Coin, Mealy. Faltz, 
Red Wonder, Dawson. Description; 
save dollars experimenting. Prices 
Jp-ipSI reasonable. Write at once. SMITH’S 
Wheat Farm, Box A, Manchester, N.Y. 
Choice Seed Wheat. 
The three best-yielding, most hardy, and inseet- 
reslsting varieties yet known. “MEALY.”—Red, 
bald head, velvet chaff. Two bushels, $2.60; 10 bush¬ 
els or more, $1.15 per bushel. “FROSFli.BlTYj’— 
Red, white chaff, and “DAWSON’S GOLDEN 
CHAFF,” white. Two bushels, $2.25; 10 bushels or 
more, $1.05 per bushel; bags free. Samples lor two- 
cent stamp. Terms: Cash with order; Post-Office 
Money-Order Office, Caledonia, N. Y. 
n r MCPHERSON REED CO.. 
MPORTED “MU4K0FF” WINTER SEED WHEAT 
60 Bushels per Acre; Product of our own crop; grown from seed imported by us last 
m near Black Sea In Crimea. Russia. PRICE, *2 per bushel here, bags free. All other leading 
ts of Seed Wheat, both hard and soft, Up r bushel and up. Write for free catalogue, samples 
1 descriptions. Address •>. K. RATEKIN & SON, Shenandoah, Iowa 
■kmmq B| AilTC~ Free from Sca le- New and Choice Varieties. 
Ilbbo Anil rLAnlo Blackberries, Strawberries, Raspberries. 
Our FREE CATALOGUE will save you money. MYER & SON, Brldgeville, Del. 
EYES WANTED on Trees 
We want intelligent business fruit growers to keep tbelr eyes open for tine types of 
leading varieties of Apples, Pears, Plums, Peaches and Cherries. If you have an 
individual tree of any variety er even a single limb, famous for productiveness, 
regular bearing, and superior fruit, write ns about it. Our business proposition 
may aid you to get more trees free. Seedlings not wanted. 
ROGERS ON THE HILL, The Tree Breeders, DANSVILLE, N.Y. 
