864 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
December 27 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[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.] 
Why Celery ts Pithy. 
W. S. R., New Monmouth, N. J .—This year 
I grew quite a quantity of celery. It was 
so pithy I had a hard time to sell it. Can 
you tell the ca.use of it, and how I can 
re medy the trouble? The variety is Golden 
Self-Blanching. 
Ans.—G arden celery as usually culti¬ 
vated is a biennial plant developing a 
fleshy root-stock and thick leaf-stalks 
(the edible parts) in late Fall to supply 
nourishment for next season’s seed crop, 
should the plants live over Winter. It 
is a gross feeder, and thrives best in 
rich heavy soil, with abundant mois¬ 
ture during the growing season. If too 
dry or too wet the root fibers do not de¬ 
velop well, and the consequent starva¬ 
tion of the plant may be expressed by 
hollow pithy stalks. Light sandy soil 
and strawy manures also favor this un¬ 
fortunate condition. A remaining cause 
is poor seed saved from starved and 
flabby plants. It is not easy to assign 
the special causes of the poor quality of 
your crop, but. it is likely that too sandy 
soil and an excessively rainy season had 
something to do with it. Golden Self- 
Blanching is an excellent market va¬ 
riety, and should produce solid stalks 
under fair conditions if the seed is what 
it should be. As a general rule, use 
only thoroughly rotted manures for cel¬ 
ery, and plant when possible on loam or 
clay soils. 
Budding Peach Trees. 
M. 8. II., Spruce Creek, Pa.—Will you give 
me some suggestion how to bud peach 
trees successfully? I have budded in 
August, September and October thte year 
and last year and cannot get but a very 
few buds to take. 
Ans.—W hy peach buds properly set 
should not succeed in the case mention¬ 
ed is more than I can understand. It 
must have been poorly done or the buds 
were not good. It would be a long story 
to tell all the minutiae-of the operation 
of budding, and at this time of year not 
of general interest. The best plan would 
be, for anyone who has tried and failed, 
to get some successful budder to show 
him how he does it, and then try again. 
There is no mystery about it, and any¬ 
one of moderate ability and skill can do 
it. There are books which explain the 
whole matter in detail, and they can be 
supplied from The R. N.-Y. office, such 
as The Nursery Book, by L. H. Bailey, 
price $1. h. e. v. d. 
Borers in Peach Trees. 
J. L. H., Cro88icick8, N. J.—What shall I do 
with my peach trees? In the Spring of 
1901 we planted a lot of selected peach 
seed. They grew well and the following 
August were budded with choice varieties. 
There were over 300 in all, and about nine- 
tenths of the buds took, and this season 
they made a good growth. This Fall we 
noticed that whole handfuls of gum had 
exuded from the little trees at their base. 
Upon closer examination we found borers 
under the bark, and in the gum outside 
we found numbers of small white worms 
not much larger than coarse sewing cotton 
and perhaps three-eighths of an inch in 
length. Will some one tell us what this 
lesser worm is, and also if there is any¬ 
thing I can do to save the trees, as I fear 
they are ruined and worthless? 
Ans.—T he trouble with these peach 
trees probably comes from the borers 
with which they are affected. It may be 
that there is some lack of vigor from 
the soil not being rich enough or in¬ 
sufficient cultivation. It is certain that 
the email worms or larvae that are in 
the gum at base of the trees are in no 
degree injurious. There are several spe¬ 
cies of insects that feed upon or live in 
these exudations, but they do not attack 
the trees. Good culture and a fair state 
of fertility is what they need; with a 
coat of coal tar about the base of each 
tree every Spring. The latter is a good 
and harmless preventive of Peach tree- 
borers, but injurious to apple trees. 
Then dig out, twice each year, any bor¬ 
ers that may get in. h. e. v. d. 
Plums in a Chicken Yard. 
J. B., Fenton, N. Y .—I am going to set out 
about 50 plum trees in our henyard. The 
soil is sandy with sand subsoil; no water 
stands on it unless ground is frozen. There 
is a row of maple trees on the south side 
and also on the west and a row of cherries 
on the north, so it is only exposed on the 
east. I would like to know what varieties 
will do best, and any other information 
that will help. I have never grown plums, 
but peaches on same ground are fairly 
successful. I shall depend on canning fac¬ 
tory for principal market. How far apart 
ought trees to be? Soil is fertile. 
Ans.— The plan of setting plum trees 
in the henyard is all right. It is a case 
of the right thing in the right place. Set 
them one rod apart each way, and con¬ 
sidering that the market is a canning 
factory, set Satsuma, as it is the finest 
canning plum we know, and very pro¬ 
ductive, if a few Burbanks are set to 
fertilize the Satsuma. white & rice. 
What is a “Bloodless Operation"? 
Several Readers .—The R. N.-Y. states that 
Dr. Lorenz, of Austria, performs “blood¬ 
less operations” for the cure of deformi¬ 
ties. Just what is meant by this? 
Ans.— The following statement, taken 
from the New York Sun, will answer the 
question: 
In the early development of a child the 
three bones which are to form the large 
hip bone of one side of the body are not 
united but grow separately, and gradually 
become hardened and unified. When de¬ 
velopment is natural and complete the 
point where these three bones join is in the 
bottom of a cup-shaped cavity, called the 
socket, in which the rounded head of the 
thigh bone is held by strong ligaments. If, 
from any cause, development is interfered 
with, a failure almost always takes place 
where this cup-shaped cavity or socket 
should be. When there is no well-devel¬ 
oped socket to hold the head of the thigh 
in place the strain on the ligaments when 
the child begins to walk is so great that 
they are stretched abnormally, and finally 
there is a. displacement of the head of the 
bone through the insufficient capsule. The 
surgeon has therefore to deal not only 
with a dislocated joint, but an undevel¬ 
oped socket, and the operation is intended 
to bring the head of the bone to the place 
where the depression should be. and to hold 
it well against the softened tissues at the 
proper point until by pressure it forms a 
more or less complete socket. More satis¬ 
factory results are looked for in children 
under five or six years of age than in those 
who are older. 
For the operation the child is made in¬ 
sensible and unconscious by an anaesthetic, 
and is placed upon a firm table, squarely 
upon the back, while the pelvis or hip bones 
of both sides of the body are held im¬ 
movable by the hands of assistants. The 
operator, holding the thigh firmly, bends 
it at the hip and upon the abdomen until 
the thigh bone ^3 about perpendicular to 
the level of the table. It is then carried 
slowly and forcibly outward or away from 
the middle line of the patient’s body, then 
swayed to and fro with gradually increas¬ 
ing force until by stretching or tearing the 
muscles and ligaments at the joint, it is 
carried outward so far that the thigh is 
almost parallel with the surface of the 
operating table. When, by this manoeuvre, 
the muscles and capsule have been suffi¬ 
ciently stretched or torn, the head of the 
bone, which is now near the place where 
the socket should be, may be felt to have 
slipped over the edge of this shallow sau¬ 
cer and into the slight concavity. Failing 
in this, the same movements are repeated, 
the limb being carried still further in the 
various directions above given. When 
finally the head of the bone is felt to have 
passed into the depression for the socket, 
it is carefully held in this position and an 
effort made to deepen the socket by semi- 
rotation of the bone from right to left, 
boring the head of the thigh into and 
deepening the cavity. A plaster of Paris 
encasement is now applied and worn for 
from six to nine months. After a week or 
two, or as soon as the sensitiveness of the 
joint will permit, the patient operated upon 
is encouraged to walk upon the leg of the 
affected side. Although this is called a 
bloodless operation, it is probable that the 
bleeding which takes place beneath the 
skin as a result of the laceration of the 
blood vessels is not less than that which 
occurs when the operation in the hands of 
a competent surgeon is done by direct in¬ 
cision. and the bone replaced with that ex¬ 
actness which vision assures. 
Apple Questions from Maine. 
I. J., Millbrldge, Me .—Is there any method 
of culture which would make Northern 
Spy color well enough for market here? 
Would Spy, Baldwin, Gravenstein and 
King do well grafted on Yellow Bellflower? 
Would Red Astrachan be a good stock to 
graft the above varieties on, or would Ben 
Davis be better? Would not Astrachan 
and Ben Davis color the fruit better than 
Bellflower? Do you think Sutton and Rome 
Beauty would do well here? Would top¬ 
grafting bring Spy and King in bearing 
sooner? 
Ans. —The Spy does not seem to thrive 
in your section of Washington County, 
but careful attention to pruning will 
help in the development of color. It is 
probable that you will find other varie¬ 
ties more satisfactory. D. W. Campbell, 
of Cherryfield, Me., has one of the most 
successful orchards in the vicinity of 
Millbridge, and you will do well to con¬ 
sult him as to varieties adapted to local 
conditions of soil and climate. The va¬ 
rieties named will grow on Bellflower 
stock, though Tolman, Stark or Spy is 
preferable. Astrachan is too short-lived 
to be a good stock, and many complain 
of unsatisfactory unions when Ben Davis 
is used. The latter is, however, quite 
often employed. The influence of stock 
upon the color of fruit is a disputed 
question. In our own practice Spy is re¬ 
garded with much favor as a stock. Sut¬ 
ton is a valuable sort in certain locali¬ 
ties, but I have no means of knowing 
whether it would do well with you. It 
would be well to set a few scions at first 
and test the variety for yourself before 
investing too heavily. Top-grafting is a 
certain means of bringing the varieties 
named into early fruitage. It is import¬ 
ant, however, that scions be selected 
from bearing trees which produce large 
crops of the best quality. The individu¬ 
ality of fruit trees is of the greatest im¬ 
portance and, whether renovating an old 
orchard or starting a new one, it is ad¬ 
visable to make a careful selection of 
scions and top-work. w. M. munson. 
Maine Exp. Station. 
Ai.fai.fa for Hog Pasture.— Our experi¬ 
ence with Alfalfa hay is but very little; 
the only way I myself have come in con¬ 
tact with it is for hog pasture in Spring 
and Summer. For this purpose I believe 
it unexcelled. The greatest trouble here 
is to get a growth started, as the various 
weeds nearly always spoil it the first year. 
The best way I have seen to get it started 
is to plow the ground deep in the early 
Fall and sow; don’t let anything run on 
it if possible until the next Autumn. Mow 
it frequently during the Summer to keep 
down the weeds. A good Alfalfa pasture 
will save many a bushel of corn. For 
brood sows, especially, it beats any bran 
or shorts feed. The pigs are healthier, 
stronger and larger. The sow can be kept 
in good condition without becoming over¬ 
fat. Last Spring and Summer, owing to 
scarceness of corn, many people were 
obliged to let most of their hogs hunt their 
living entirely in the Alfalfa patch, and 
with their brood sows never before in the 
best of years had better result. A farmer 
will, inside of one year, be repaid for the 
expense of the seed, sowing and other 
care he may have to take in starting 
Alfalfa hog pasture. J. m. r. 
Northeast Kansas. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Kentucky Farmers’ Sons 
SHOULD KNOW 
that their State A. & M. College 
at Lexington offers a 
Short Winter Course in Agriculture , 
beginning January 5, and lasting nine weeks. The 
practical side emphasized. Animal Industry, Farm 
Crops, Fruit Growing, Insects and Plant Diseases. 
No Entrance Examination. No Tuition Fees. 
Small Personal Expenses. Write for Circular. 
Prof. C. W. MATHEW’S, Dean, Lexington. Ky. 
SPRAYING 
Ourline of sprayers ano appll. 
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Hand,Krvapsack, Bucket, 
Field, Barrel, and Power 
sprayers.twenty styles. Best nozzles 
made, attachments, formulas, etc. 
Selectthe useful and reliable.Catalog free 
THE DEMING CO., Salem, Ohio. 
ffl ittem agents, lienion ft IJubbell, Chicago,111. 
Get the Best 
A Good Spray Pump earns big 
profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
Is a good pump. As prac¬ 
tical fruit growers we 
were using the com¬ 
mon sprayers in our 
own orchards—found 
their defects and then invented 
Tile Eclipse. Its success 
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You take no chances. We have 
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Barge fully illustrated 
Catalogue and Treatise 
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sstr you will see luxuriant - 
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I GREGORY S 
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1. J. 11. (in-gory A Sob, 
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P otatoes—Bovee, Harvest, Cobbler, Carman,Empire 
State. Ohio, Rose. 85 kinds. C.W. Ford, Fisher, N.Y. 
75000 Peach and 60000 Apple Trees 
Low prices. MARTIN WAHL, Rochester, N. Y. 
Clenwood Nurseries 
Most complete assortment of choice 
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Vines. 
Send for Descriptive Illustrated Catalogue. 
THE WM. H. MOON CO., MORRISVILLK, PA. 
60 miles from New York; 30 miles from Philadelphia. 
TREES! TREES! 
We have a specially fine assortment 
of Apple and Peach Trees. Also a 
full line of Nursery Stock of all kinds. 
Let us send you our catalogue of the 
largest Nursery in New England of 
known reliability for more than 50 years. 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, 
New Canaan, Conn. 
SAN JOSE SCALE . 
And other Insects can be Controlled by Using 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Soap No. 3. 
It also prevents Curl Leaf. Endorsed by Entomolo¬ 
gists. This Soap is a Fertilizer as well as Insecticide. 
50-lb. Kegs, $2.50; 100-lb. Kegs, $4.50; Half-Barrel, 
270 Ids., 3*^c. per lb.; Barrel. 425 lbs., 3J4c. Large 
quantities, Special Rates. Send for Circulars. 
JAMES GOOD, 939 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa 
You Will Find 
Our Fruit Trees, Vines, Shrubs, Roses, 
Palms, etc., perfectly healthy, well- 
grown and true to name. 
Send for Catalogue. 
P. J. BERCKMANS CO. (INC.), 
Fruitland Nurseries, 
Established 1856. AUGUSTA. GA. 
nr BA || TB EEC Fine, stocky, hardy, grown on the bank of Lake 
ruHOn I IlCEO Eriotwo miles from any peach orchards and free 
from borers and all other diseases. Largo stock of Pear, Plum, Apple, 
Cherry, Ktc. Immense supply of small fruits. Headquarters for 
ornamental Trees. Shrubs, Plants, Vines, Bulbs. 
40 Acres Hardy Hose 44 Greenhouses of Palms, Ficus, Ferns, 
Roses, Geraniums, Etc. Mail size postpaid. Direct deal saves money. 
Try us. Valuable Catalogue Free. 49th Year. 1000 Acres. 
THE ST0RRS & HARRISON CO., Painesville. Ohio. 
DREER’S GARDEN CALENDAR for 1903. Catalogue of SEKI>8. 
Plants, Bulbs, etc., Ready early in January and sent free to all who mention this paper. ( on- 
tains 208 pages, 4 colored plates, and hundreds of illustrations. Have your name enrolled now 
fora copy. Address DREER, Philadelphia, Pa. 
TREES 
(LQ -4 APPLE. PEAR, PLUM and PEACH; healthy, true to name 
ILHJ and Fumigated. All kinds of trees and plants at low wholesale 
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FREE 
MY CATALOGUE 
latest and standard varieties. 
An illustrated and Interesting booklet, containing 
full Information about trees and plants. All the 
Send for it. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moores town, N. J. 
