734 
November 1 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
following Spring. Sutton is a reliable market apple, 
and will do for one of the varieties. Pound Sweet 
has an established place in the market, but I believe 
a red apple will usually sell better. Wagener top- 
worked on the Northern Spy trees ougnt to be the 
very thing for fillers. Rome Beauty will be better for 
being top-worked on the same stock; although the 
trees are fairly good, but not especially so -when root- 
grafted in the ordinary way. In the Far West it is 
not so hardy as many other kinds, but I have not seen 
it well tried in the Atlantic States. In southern Ohio, 
where it originated, and in adjacent regions it is 
about as long lived as other apple trees. 
Remedy for Blight in Quince Trees. 
I have two Bourgeat quince trees two and three years 
old. The three-year-old bore about 20 fine quinces this 
year for the first, except one for last year, which was 
fine; now it has twig and body blighted. The blight has 
extended two-thirds around the body. I would like to 
save the tree if any means can be applied. J. s. j. 
Greensboro, Md. 
Quince blight is from the same cause as that on the 
apple and pear, and is equally hard to overcome. It 
is a serious matter to have the body attacked by this 
terrible disease, for if it fully encircles the trunk it 
will all die above that place, and maybe root and 
branch. The blight on the twigs is a much less harm¬ 
ful thing. Nothing can be done now for the diseased 
tree beyond cutting back all branches that show any 
signs of the affection, being very careful to wipe the 
cut end with a rag saturated with carbolic acid or a 
solution of chloride of mercury, to kill all germs that 
the knife or saw may leave. The blighted patch on 
the body may not extend further, but 1 see no way to 
stop it, if it is yet infected with the disease. The 
wound may be assisted in healing by bridge-grafting 
it over next Spring. 
Fruits for New York Market. 
I am located in central New York, altitude 1,600 feet; 
soil fairly heavy clay loam, western slope. I am think¬ 
ing of setting out a small apple orchard, as the farm is 
almost fruitless, although trees a jre healthy and thrifty 
here, but it is a dairy section. For Winter apples I in¬ 
tend to set out Northern Spy and King, both of which 
do well here. Are the above varieties as good as any 
for the New York market? Would you advise the plant¬ 
ing of other varieties unknown to me and not much 
grown here ? If so, what? How late in the Fall may the 
trees be set with safety? I am sending you a pear from 
our only tree, set out many years ago. Can you tell 
me the variety? What are the best pears and plums for 
home use? F - p * 
Preston, N. Y. 
Northern Spy and Tompkins King are both excel¬ 
lent market varieties, and of high quality as well. 
There may be others that would prove more profit¬ 
able, such as Sutton and Rome Beauty, but I would 
plant some of all of them. Northern Spy is late in 
bearing, but it is a standard in the market, and will 
always bring a good price. Tompkins King is rather 
weakly in tree, being more subject to disease than 
most varieties, and the apples fall off too soon, be¬ 
cause of their large size, but no apple sells for more 
money, and if the variety pays in that neighborhood 
I would plant accordingly. Sutton is much like Bald¬ 
win, but is a more dependable bearer and of better 
flavor. Rome Beauty is not commonly grown in New 
York, but is of much promise there. Apple trees may 
be set in central New York any time in the Fall be¬ 
fore the ground begins to freeze. The specimen pear 
sent seems to be Sheldon, but not quite characteristic 
of that variety; which is usually almost as flat as the 
average apple and heavily russeted. The quality is 
excellent. For family use a good list of pears, ar¬ 
ranged in order of ripening, would be; Tyson, Wilder, 
Clapp, Howell, Bartlett, Seckel, Sheldon and Law¬ 
rence. Of plums, for the same purpose and region, 
the Abundance. Burbank, Bradshaw, Fellenberg, 
Grand Duke and Reine Claude will prove valuable. 
TOUGH ON THE BEN DAVIS APPLE . 
Over nine-tenths of the receipts of apples at western 
markets are Ben Davis. On October 11 four boats un¬ 
loaded on our levee 10,000 barrels of apples—three- 
fourths from Illinois, the remainder from Missouri. 
Of these 9,500 barrels were Ben Davis, and railroad 
receipts show a similar record. For years the Ben 
Davis has been a profitable apple from a commercial 
standpoint, and this has led to a heavy run on the 
nurserymen for the trees. This demand rapidly in¬ 
creased, to the exclusion of better sorts, and a large 
number of the best varieties grown had to give way 
to one of the poorest cultivated—an apple hardly fit 
to eat or cook, and yet every market in the entire 
Southwest is now flooded with it. The inevitable re¬ 
sult is that Ben Davis is now selling at figures that 
average only a trifle over half what the better sorts 
are bringing. On the day mentioned, while really 
choice Ben Davis could be had on the levee or rail¬ 
road depots at $1.50 a barrel, we saw a lot of fancy 
Huntsman's Favorite that sold at $3.50 a barrel, and 
another lot, same variety from same shipper, at $3.25 
a barrel. The average sales of this variety were $2.50 
to $2.75; Grimes Golden and Jonathan, $2 to $2.75; 
Rome Beauty and Willow Twig, $2 to $2.50; Winesap, 
Northern Spy, Missouri Pippin, Gano and similar 
sorts about $2. 
A more discouraging future is still in store for the 
Ben Davis, for most of the orders coming in now for 
apples request no more Ben Davis. Even the country 
merchant* who orders only five to 10 barrels almost 
invariably adds: “Don’t send me aim Ben Davis.” Thus 
much lower prices for it seem assured, while the other 
sorts, so much more desirable, will not suffer by the 
general decline because they are wanted by the trade 
everywhere Three-fourths of the receipts are now 
purchased by the speculators for future markets. The 
cost of cold storage (50 cents a barrel for the season) 
is unfortunately as much on this common apple as 
on the finest varieties grown, and when we add the 
two drayages involved (going and coming) we have 
60 cents to add to the low prices prevailing now for 
the best grades of the Ben Davis, $1.50 a barrel, and 
withdrawn from storage we have as first cost $2.10 a 
barrel, a sum many of the speculators declare they 
will not bring. Most of the southern cities, hood¬ 
winked for years by the size and color of the Ben 
Davis, are realizing at last that there are much better 
apples; the consumers arc willing to pay more for 
them, and thus this apple is gradually but surely find¬ 
ing its proper level or value. Nurserymen everywhere 
should prepare for the future through smaller sup¬ 
plies of the much-lauded Ben Davis and far more of 
the better sorts. Ben Davis is doomed, and even for 
BREEDING LOW EARS ON CORN. Fig. 300. See First Page. 
commercial purposes is fast losing caste. The only 
hope in the future for the Ben Davis is in short crops 
or great scarcity of apples, when nothing better can 
be had. f. kiely. 
St. Louis, Mo. 
R. N.-Y.—This is what we have been expecting for 
years. In every other commodity quality at last pre¬ 
vails over mere beauty, so it w r ill surely be with 
apples. Ben Davis men should not be wholly cast 
down, however. They must find other uses for their 
apples. Our artist at Fig. 301 pictures a few possible 
ways of utilizing it! 
A NEWSPAPER “BLUFF” EXPLODED. 
One of my neighbors, a R. N.-Y. readei’, is having 
some trouble with a certain paper about a subscrip¬ 
tion. He subscribed with an agent of the paper about 
five years ago for one year. When the time was out 
the paper continued to come. After a little time he 
told the postmaster he did not want it, and refused 
to take it from the office. The postmaster notified 
the publishers that the paper was not wanted, but 
still it continued to come. He finally wrote them, but 
that made no difference. Bills and paper continued 
to come; then threatening letters, and finally a letter 
from a collection agency saying he would be sued, 
and now he received a notice having something of the 
appearance of a legal form from a lawyer in New 
York. He stated that unless the matter, $4, was paid 
by October 7, he will sue it in New York. The title 
of this notice is “notice preceding suit.” On the back 
of the paper are two lists of costs, dne under $50 and 
the other where the amount is over $50. Can these 
people in New York bring an action in that city for 
this amount, and compel this party to defend there? 
I supposed nothing could be done of that kind for less 
than $50. The man is willing to stand suit, but of 
course does not want to go to New York City to de¬ 
fend it. If there is any law which gives any institu¬ 
tion the right to follow up such contemptible business 
with that mode of collection it is as infamous as the 
practice of the paper. w. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. 
R. N.-Y—This is nothing but a clumsy “bluff”—an 
attempt to scare your friend into paying a bill which 
he does not owe. If the facts are as you state about 
the efforts to stop the paper they cannot make you 
pay for it. We would pay no attention to this notice. 
They cannot bring suit against a subscriber in this 
way, but they reason that some men will be fright¬ 
ened at such a notice and pay the bill rather than be 
hounded again and again. Under some conditions it 
is a perfectly legitimate practice to continue sending 
the paper for a reasonable time after the paid sub¬ 
scription expires. Some publishers have such inti¬ 
mate and confidential relations with their subscribers 
that they feel justified in assuming that all will re¬ 
new. So they continue to send the paper for a rea¬ 
sonable time after the expiration of the subscription, 
but they always stop it when requested to do so. This 
is often a convenience to the subscriber, and most 
publishers receive letters thanking them for continu¬ 
ing the paper. Papers that will resort to the methods 
mentioned above do great injury to reputable jour¬ 
nalism. They make their living by “bluff” and over¬ 
bearing methods—not by honest and legitimate ser¬ 
vice for their readers. The bulk of their “great cir¬ 
culation” is usually composed of just such people as 
the man against whom they have threatened to bring 
this suit. They have barely a corporal’s guard of 
actual subscribers who think enough of the paper to 
pay for it in advance! We trust that no reader of 
The R. N.-Y. will be frightened at any such threat 
of a lawsuit after trying to stop a p aper! 
THE DR. CUMMINGS PEACH. 
H. S. Wiley sent us samples of the peach shown at 
Fig. 302. It is a handsome peach, firm and solid, and 
of excellent quality. It seems worthy of a trial. Mr. 
Wiley writes the following note about its origin: 
“The original and only tree is here at Cayuga village, 
where I live. The stone was planted by Mrs. Cum¬ 
mings, one of my neighbors, five years ago last 
Spring. My attention was first called to it in October, 
1901; I thought then the fruit was the most beautiful 
peach I ever saw. It had the sunshine last year dur¬ 
ing the ripening period which it lacked altogether 
this year. Last year was its second fruiting; it bore 
a little over a bushel. This year it had about 2y 2 
bushels on. It has been dwarfed more or less by a 
large pear tree standing away about 20 feet. It is 
located at the rear of Mr. Cummings’s store and the 
ground about it is covered most of the time with bar¬ 
rels and boxes from the store, which serve as a 
mulch to keep down the grass; they also provide the 
moisture. I named it for the late Dr. Cummings, who 
practiced medicine in this town over 50 years, though 
I think Mrs. Cummings, his daughter-in-law, should 
come in for her share of the honor. I budded this 
Summer about 1,000 of them. Mr. Willard and others 
have pronounced it a peach of excellent quality and 
very handsome appearance. Mrs. Cummings is quite 
sure the pit planted was from an Early Crawford 
peach.” ____ 
STARTING SEEDS OF PLUM AND CHERRY. 
We have not planted peach pits to any great ex¬ 
tent, but have had most excellent success with plum 
and cherry seeds. We grow thousands of native plum 
trees from seed annually. The pits are separated from 
the pulp as soon as the fruit is fully ripe, and before 
decay has commenced, and are immediately mixed 
with a liberal quantity of moist sand and buried out 
doors. Lately we have used a little cellar dug in the 
north slope of a hill, among evergreen trees. The 
seeds are placed in flower pots and covered with pot 
saucers to avoid damage by mice. As early in Spring 
as the ground can be worked the seeds are planted in 
shallow drills and these covered with boards, which 
are allowed to remain until the shoots appear. After 
long experience I am convinced that the most com¬ 
mon cause of failure in planting fruit and tree seeds 
lies in too deep planting. Plum pits covered with two 
inches of our rather heavy soil rarely send shoots to 
the surface, while if covered one-half inch or less, 
they grow readily. By covering lightly and protectin.-. 
from heavy rains and vermin with boards, a good 
stand may be secured. Fruit tree seeds usually germi¬ 
nate very slowly if at all after being allowed to be¬ 
come thoroughly dry. Transfer immediately from 
the fruit to a moist medium. 
Fall planting is open to several objections, the prin¬ 
cipal ones being the danger of loss from vermin, and 
packing and washing of the ground. It is generally 
supposed that the action of frost is essential to rup¬ 
ture the seed-case of such hard-shelled fruits as those 
of the plum and cherry, but I have frequently found 
that plum and cherry pits open readily when kept over 
Winter in moist sand in a mean temperature of o'J 
degrees. Frederic cranefield. 
Wisconsin Experiment Station. 
