Vol. LXI. No. 2753. 
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 1, 1902. 
*1 PER YEAR. 
PLANT BREEDING FOR FARM CROPS. 
Interesting Experiment by James Wood. 
One of the most interesting homesteads it has been 
my privilege to visit is that of James Wood, of Mount 
Kisco, N. Y. The farm has been in the Wood family 
for over one hundred years, and has been greatly im¬ 
proved along modern lines. Although the home 
abounds in the comforts and luxuries of life the farm 
seems to be managed on a thoroughly business-like 
plan. Mr. Wood is a man of an inquiring turn of 
mind, and delights in looking into the why as well as 
the how of his farm operations. He is one of the most 
interesting institute speakers, and his large fund of 
information, drawn mainly from experience, adds 
much to the influence he exerts on his hearers. For 
example, Mr. Wood’s experiments and experience in 
the management of pastures is attracting 
considerable attention. Those who have 
heard him discuss pasture improvement at 
institutes would be doubly impressed if 
they could see what he has done on his own 
farm. A worn-out farm of 60 acres was 
added to the Wood farm about 20 years ago. 
The farm was hilly and rocky, kept but a 
few head of stock, and barely provided the 
necessities of life for a small family. Mr. 
Wood decided to use the whole farm as 
pasture, but the feed was scanty and of 
poor quality. As little was known about 
the best grasses for pasturage he laid out a 
series of experimental plots, sowing each 
plot with a distinct kind of grass, as Red- 
top, Kentucky Blue grass. Orchard grass, 
Crested dog’s-tail, and several others, mak¬ 
ing about 12 distinct plots. The interesting 
lesson to-day, after 18 years since the plots 
were seeded, is the permanency of various 
kinds. On some plots the herbage is mixed, 
but often shows but little of the original 
grass which was sown. The most perma¬ 
nent grass of all was the Crested dog’s-tail. 
This grass is not generally known in this 
country, but resembles, slightly, the Couch 
grass. Sutton, in his “Permanent and Tem¬ 
porary Pastures,” says that this grass 
grows in dry hilly pastures throughout 
Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. 
It “thrives in compact soil, and will endure 
conditions under which few other grasses 
can exist.” Sheep are especially fond of it, 
and keep it closely cropped off throughout 
the season. Its best growth is made late 
in the Summer, when most other grasses 
are dormant. Next to the Crested dog’s- 
tail Kentucky Blue grass and Red-top were 
the most persistent kinds. Sheep’s fescue 
made a strong growth, but Timothy, Mea¬ 
dow fescue and Meadow fox-tail had prac¬ 
tically been replaced by other kinds. The 
Orchard-grass plot showed clumps here and there on 
the plot. On an old rocky hill pasture we have sel¬ 
dom seen more feed than Mr. Wood’s rocky hillsides 
were producing. His first work was to plow such 
areas on the top and the lower hillsides as could be 
plowed. The steeper hillsides were too rough to 
plow, and were loosened by dragging the ground over 
several times with a Y harrow. The land was then 
heavily seeded with a large variety of grasses, and a 
heavy turf was gradually formed. To-day the most 
conspicuous grasses are the Red-top, Kentucky Blue 
gi’ass. Crested dog’s-tail. Sheep fescue and Orchard 
grass. The fertility of the pasture is kept up by the 
sheep and by occasional applications of stable manure. 
One of the most interesting parts of the farm visited 
was a 10-acre cornfield. A southern white dent corn 
was obtained on Long Island in 1857, where it had 
been grown for 15 years. Mr. Wood has been breed¬ 
ing this corn ever since, his aim being to reduce the 
height of the stalks and thus to lower the ears. The 
original stalk grew to a height of about 12 feet, and 
the ears were five to six feet from the ground. By 
selecting seed from the shorter stalks, year after year, 
he has reduced the height of about three-fourths of 
his crop to six to seven feet. Now and then a stalk 
was found which showed the characteristics of the 
original type. Four stalks, of the type of the original 
corn, were photographed beside four which represent¬ 
ed about an average of the improved type. The stalks 
of the larger sample were nearly 12 feet high and the 
ears were about five feet from the ground. The other 
sample was not over six feet tall, and the ears about 
two feet fiom the ground. See Fig. 300, page 734. 
EUDBECKIA TRILOBA. Fig. 299. See Ruralisms, Page 738 
Another crop which has been much improved by 
Mr. Wood is a Swede turnip, known by him as the 
Yellow Aberdeen. For the past 40 years his aim has 
been to improve the shape and smoothness of the 
turnip. It has been done by growing seed from the 
smoothest and fairest specimens. Now nearly the 
entire crop shows one type—a smooth turnip, conical 
in shape, with a round instead of a fiat top. Mr. Wood 
considers the latter a most desirable quality in order 
that the turnip may be properly trimmed without too 
much waste. Experience on this farm has shown that 
all opportunity for sprouting must be removed in 
order to have turnips keep well in large piles. This 
means the removal of the roots and a thin slice off 
the tops, to remove the sprouting eyes. If the turnips 
are flat on top too much is removed, c. s. rhelps. 
FRUIT NOTES BY VAN DEMAN. 
Choice Fruits for Nearby Markets. 
For a nearby market we desire to plant quince, pear, 
peach and cherry trees and want a succession of th© 
three last named. Which would be the most profitable 
varieties (we want the best of each) for my location, and 
best time of year to plant each? Is the Missouri Mam¬ 
moth quince better than the Orange? Of above orchard 
fruits, what age tree is best to plant, and which should 
be budded stock? Also for a nearby market, advise me 
as to best and most profitable varieties of currants, 
gooseberries, red and black raspberries, blackberries and 
dewberries, and what time of year should they be plant¬ 
ed? What age of plant should I purchase for best re¬ 
sults? What works would you advise me to study on the 
culture and care of above orchard and small fruits? Ad¬ 
vise on the care and planting of peach seeds—we want to 
grow our own peach trees. G . m . 
Johnstown, Pa. 
In planting fruits for a nearby market, 
I presume from the inquirer’s statements, 
he desires to have such kinds as will please 
his customers after they have eaten them, 
as well as attract their attention before 
buying them. It may take a little talk at 
first to get them to buy such as are not 
very attractive, but when they learn that 
good fruits are always offered they will 
buy regularly. For such a purpose the fol¬ 
lowing list of varieties, arranged in order 
of ripening, will be found to suit the case 
fairly well. Yearling peach trees are the 
best to plant, and those two years old of 
the other orchard fruit. Peaches and cher¬ 
ries are best when budded, but it does not 
matter about the others, whether they are 
budded or grafted. Of pears the Bartlett 
is the best of all for general use, but Bose 
is even better in quality, and if top-worked 
on a thrifty stock it will prove to be a good 
orchard tree. Lawrence is still later and 
also good. There is money in Kieffer, but 
it is poor, except for canning or preserving. 
The Mountain Rose, Carman, Chairs and 
Salway are good peaches. Richmond, Mont¬ 
morency, English Morello and Windsor are 
cherries that will do well in nearly all sec¬ 
tions. The Orange is the most popular 
quince, but Bourgeat and Missouri are also 
good, although not better, so most of those 
who have tried them all say. Wilder, Red 
Cross and White Imperial are excellent 
currants. Of red raspberries Loudon, Cuth- 
bert and Cardinal are about the best, and 
of the blackcaps, Kansas, Eureka and Cum¬ 
berland take the lead. The Minnewaska, 
Eldorado and Snyder are good blackber¬ 
ries. Lucretia is the best dewberry. I 
would set plants that are one year old. 
Spring is the best time of year to set these 
small fruits in most sections of America, 
but this depends somewhat on the severity 
and changeableness of the Winters. Peach seeds 
should be buried in the ground a few inches deep be¬ 
fore freezing weather and taken up and planted in 
nursery rows early in the Spring. 
Early-Bearing Trees. 
I expect to set 600 or S00 trees this Fall, and wish to 
bring them to bearing as quickly as possible. My trees 
will be two years from the graft next Spring. A large 
portion of them are Northern Spy which I intend to 
work over. Is the Sutton a sure thing as a market apple? 
Will it still pay to set Pound Sweets? What are the best 
fillers? Is the Rome Beauty a long-lived tree? l. j. c. 
Memphis, N. Y. 
Northern Spy trees make excellent stocks upon 
which to top-graft other kinds. If the trees that are 
two years old are set next Spring they may be budded 
to the desired varieties next August, or grafted the 
