7o4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 
Farmers' Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure atten¬ 
tion. 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.] 
Van Deman’s Fruit Notes. 
ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
A Succession of Pears. 
What varieties of pears would you set 
out to get a good succession for commercial 
purposes—local market? I intend to set 
dwarf pears. Would you advise setting be¬ 
low the union so as to get larger trees— 
half dwarf? If so, at what distances 
would you set the trees? F. e. k. 
Troy, N. Y. 
A very good plan would be to set the 
dwarf pear trees 12x12 feet, and deep, 
as suggested, that pear roots may form 
above the Quince stock in due time, 
thus making thrifty trees in years to 
come. By this plan, the trees may be 
made to bear early, as dwarfs should do, 
and then renew their vigor as the pear 
roots develop, instead of failing. For 
central New York, a good list for the 
local market would be Tyson, Clapp, 
Flemish, Bartlett, Sheldon, Angouleme, 
Bose and Lawrence. These are arranged 
in order of bipening, and would furnish 
a succession from almost the earliest to 
the latest. 
Grafting on Old Apple Trees. 
In The R. N.-Y. of September 10, 1898, Mr. 
S. D. Willard, for whose opinion I have 
great respect, told what he would do with 
large trees in grafting them. My trees are 
quite large seedlings, and I propose to cut 
out, say one-third of the branches this sea¬ 
son, and let the sprouts grow a year, then 
graft and cut out one-third more. When 
should such pruning take place? Six or 
eight feet from the ground the limbs are 
rough-barked, and from six to eight inches 
in diameter; but there are some small, 
clean-barked side branches from one to 
three inches through, which come out 
lower down. Will it do to graft these, and 
cut off the large branch? I notice on my 
new farm a few Fameuse trees loaded with 
fine, large red apples, free from scab. 
Would it be advisable to graft largely to 
this variety for the Boston market? f. h. 
Vermont. 
Ans. —It is now too late to cut back 
the trees to induce a growth of smaller 
branches upon which to set grafts the 
following season. The period of growth 
is over. This may be done any time 
the coming Winter or early next Spring. 
But the greatest care should be exercised 
'in doing such work, lest large, ugly and 
dangerous wounds be made. Indeed, it 
is scarcely safe to do it at all, for large 
cuts do not heal readily, and stubs or 
very large scars are liable to rot and 
make permanent deformities in the tree. 
My plan is to cut and graft a little 
higher, where the branches are not over 
two inches, or a very little more, in 
diameter. Such stumps will heal over 
entirely within two years, at most, if 
properly treated. This is what I would 
do, and not cut large branches. 
Fameuse is one of the good and hand¬ 
some apples, and sells well, but it is 
very subject to scab, although it may 
not be badly affected this year on the 
trees mentioned. I would not graft of it, 
but of Hubbardston, Sutton and Arctic. 
They are all handsome and good. 
Apples for New York City Trade. 
I propose to plant about 4acres to ap¬ 
ples and pears with reference to the New 
York City trade, the apples to be Winter 
varieties. Which varieties and what num¬ 
ber of each should I set out? a. s. c. 
Montville, N. J. 
It would seem to me wise to set 
the greater proportion to apples, per¬ 
haps four acres, leaving but half an 
acre for pears. The apple rows I would 
have two rods apart, east and west, and 
one rod north and south. This will 
make 80 trees per acre, or 320 in all. 
Half of these I would have of some va¬ 
riety that should remain as permanent 
trees, and the other half of early-bear¬ 
ing kinds that would be cut out when 
their room was needed by the others. 
These two classes should be planted al¬ 
ternately, so that the permanent trees 
would stand two rods apart each way. 
For permanent trees, I would select as 
follows: York Imperial, Hubbardston, 
Jonathan and Grimes Golden, and in 
equal proportions. For fillers, Yellow 
Transparent, Wealthy, Wagener and 
Missouri. The latter will all bear very 
early. Yellow Transparent is a very 
early-ripening fruit, but sells well. 
Wealthy is a Fall variety, and the other 
two are Winter apples. 
As to pears, I would set standards the 
same distance apart as the permanent 
apple trees, and fill up between them 
with dwarfs. This is a little wide apart 
for pear trees, but if they are planted 
the same distances as the apple trees, 
there will he no extra bother in culti¬ 
vation. For standards, among the best 
varieties are Sheldon, Flemish, Bartlett 
and Lawrence; and for dwarfs, Angou¬ 
leme, Louise Bonne and Tyson, An¬ 
gouleme being the main dependence, 
and should constitute half the number, 
and the other two one-fourth each. 
What Fertilizer in the South. 
R. A., Clear Lake, Ark .—What fertilizer 
should be used with wheat on sandy soil in 
the Mississippi bottoms in Arkansas? 
Ans. —The buying of fertilizer depends 
somewhat upon locality, for various sub¬ 
stances may be cheaper in one place 
than in another. For example, in the 
West, blood, bone or tankage from the 
slaughterhouses may be the cheapest 
form in which to buy organic nitrogen, 
while in the South, cotton-seed meal 
will, probably, be cheaper. In New 
Jersey, a simple mixture for wheat on 
sandy soil could be made by using 
one part by weight of muriate of potash, 
four parts by weight of dissolved phos¬ 
phate rock, one part of ground bone, 
and one part of nitrate of soda. It 
might be just as cheap to buy one of 
the ready-mixed brands of grain fer¬ 
tilizer. In Arkansas, a cheaper mixture 
could be made by using cotton-seed meal 
in the place of nitrate of soda. Most of 
the southern fertilizers are too low in 
potash and nitrogen. A mixture of 700 
pounds cotton-seed meal, 1,100 pounds 
of dissolved phosphate rock, and 200 
pounds of muriate of potash ought to 
give good results for wheat on such 
soil. 
Propagating the Columbian Raspberry. 
L. 11. R., North Middletown, Ivy.—I have 
some Columbian raspberries. I wish to 
know how to propagate them. I know it 
is done from tips, but how? 
Ans. —J. T. Thompson, the originator 
of the Columbian, handles the plants in 
the following manner: “The Columbian 
does not ‘sucker,’ and to produce new 
plants, bend down the new canes and 
bury the tips three or four inches in 
the ground, nearly perpendicular; this 
is done between August 20 and Septem¬ 
ber 5, and substantially covers the first 
season’s management. I leave the field 
in this condition through the Winter. 
The second year, in early Spring, I dig 
the tip plants, preparing the best for 
market, and the rest are reset for trans¬ 
plants; I trim the bushes two or three 
feet high, the lateral branches about 10 
inches from the main stem. At this 
time, fertilizers can be applied broad¬ 
cast. Give thorough cultivation to 
within a few days of fruiting time, fol¬ 
low with straw mulch at the rate of 
about two tons per acre.” 
Treatment for Cow Peas. 
E. II. B., Boonton, N. J.—I have a lot of 
cow peas planted for fertilizing purposes, 
for corn and potatoes in the Spring. How 
can I use them to the best advantage— 
plow them under this Fall while green, or 
let them lie on the ground for a cover this 
Winter and plow them under in the Spring? 
How much potash and dissolved S. C. rock 
shall I apply to the acre to make a com¬ 
plete fertilizer? 
Ans. —In our experience, we have 
found it best to let the cow peas lie on 
the ground during the Fall and Winter, 
and plow them under in the Spring, It 
will pay you to go in now and pick a 
number of bushels of the seed. Do this 
at once, before the Fall rains begin. As 
a fertilizer for potatoes, following the 
cow peas, a mixture of one part by 
weight of muriate of potash, four parts 
of dissolved phosphate rock, and one 
part of nitrate of soda, will give you 
fair results, although we would add a 
little more of the nitrate. Less nitrate 
would be required for corn. We have 
found that the cow peas will produce, 
without extra nitrogen, a better crop of 
corn, than of potatoes. We would al¬ 
ways advise the use of nitrate of soda 
when potatoes are grown after cow 
peas. 
Correspondence Course in Agriculture. 
J. R. J., Carmel, Ind .—Is there any school 
that offers a diploma for home study in the 
agricultural courses? If so, do you think it 
would be advisable for several young men 
in a neighborhood to take such a course, 
and have regular tifnes for meeting to re¬ 
cite or discuss an assigned lesson? By do¬ 
ing this, they would have an opportunity 
to discuss the various subjects pertaining 
to farm work; also make some progress by 
taking the home study work of a college. 
Ans. —Your own agricultural college 
at Lafayette does not conduct a cor¬ 
respondence course of instruction. The 
Michigan Agricultural College has such 
a course, and full particulars may be 
obtained from Prof. C. B. Smith, Agri¬ 
cultural College Post Office, Michigan. 
A number of other colleges have simi¬ 
lar courses, and they are usually well 
patronized by farmers’ boys. The plan 
you propose is an excellent one. 
Washington (State) is in sympathy with 
the East on the Potato-bug question. How¬ 
ever, we have troubles of our own—they are 
not Potato bugs. This State could produce 
potatoes for the entire country if there 
were the demand. It is a natural country 
for potatoes, also the strawberry. During 
August we have had showers during the 
entire month (something unusual), and 
many plantings of potatoes have vines 
nearly as large as a man’s finger. We also 
grow 25 to 40 bushels of wheat per acre, and 
do not put the ground in nearly as good 
condition as farmers throughout the East. 
Addy, Wash. h. g. 
For the land’s sake—use Bowker’s 
Fertilizer.— Adv. 
Winter Crops 
perish when they lack nourish¬ 
ment. Liberal fertilization 
insures the vigor necessary to 
resist winter killing. 
3 otash 
Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen 
in well-balanced proportions, 
are what they need. 
Send for our books telling all abou 
composition of fertilizers best adapted 
for all crops. They cost you nothing. 
GERHAN KALI WORKS, 
73 Nassau Street, New York. 
Jadoo Fibre and Jadoo Liquid 
Will give you Early Crops and Large Crops 
of Vegetables or Fruit. Bend for Catalogues 
and be convinced of the merits of these 
new Fertilizers. 
THE AMERICAN JADOO CO., 
815 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia. Pa. 
Seed Wheat cent. Send at once. Outyielded 
31 kinds at Experiment Station, just reported 1899. 
64 pounds per boshel Ba'd. red, white chaff. Ten 
acres averaged over 40 bushels. Price. $2 a bushel; 
five bushels. 88.50. Write this day. S. J. SMITH 
POTATO FARM, Manchester, N. Y. 
| O NEW YORK STRAWBERRY PLANTS by 
I dZ. mail for 81. T. C KKVITT, Athenia, N. Y. 
Al 
Strawberry Plants—12 Gladstone. 25 Sample for 
|1 by mail. P. SPEER, Passaic, N. J. 
J apan Plums—Old and New.—One each Red 
June, Burbank, Wickson, Apple, Abundance, 
Hale. October Purple. Chaleo. No. 1 size for 12. 
THE ROGERS NURSERIES, Dansville.N. Y. 
TREES 
at Wholesale prices. Apple, Plum and 
Pears, $6 per 100; Peach, 3c. Cat. Free 
Reliance Nursery, Box 10, Geneva, N. Y, 
The President Wilder Currant 
and other choice new fruits can be had at 
bottom prices of the subscriber. Send 
for descriptive list and prices to „ 
S. D. WILLARD, Geneva, N. Y. 
FALL PLANTING. 
Our CATALOGUE tells all about the Trees, Plants and Vines that can be planted with safety in the 
Fall, and explains why you should plant at this season. It will be mailed Free. Send your address 
T. J. DWYER & SON, Box 1, Cornwall, N Y. 
Hard At It 
now, and we are ready any time to help you. 
Abundant rains, easy digging, an early start, 
prompt shipment and good stock, that’s what makes your order a SUCCESS, 
_and with our fresh, well-ripened, hardy, northern-grown trees, we can help 
you make your Fall-planting a success. Don’t wait for us to write to you, but send to-day wbeie you 
get full value in trees for your money to 
THE ROGERS NURSERIES, TREE BREEDERS, DANSVILLE, N. Y. 
PEACH 
Grant! lot of trees, free from borers, scale, aphis, yellows, 
etc. Large stock of Pear, Plum, Apple, Cherry, Quince, 
etc. Immense supply of Sr all Fruits. Headquarters for 
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Bulbs. 
40 acres Hardy Ro«e«. 44 Greenhouses filled wltb Palms, Ficus, Ferns, Pandauus, 
Roses, etc. Correspondence solicited. Catalogue and Price List free. 
The STORRS & HARRISON CO., Painesville, O. 
The October Purple Plum. 
Luther Burbank’s latest and best production. We are 
the introducers and can furnish first-class stock at lowest 
prices. We have 500 acres in nursery stock—shade trees, 
fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs and small fruit plants, in 
fact anything you can ask for. Catalogue, with colored plate 
picture of October Purple Plum, free. Write to-day. 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS CO., Box 10, New Canaan, Conn. 
APPLE TREES M 
Let Us Price Your List for 
Apple, Pear, Plum, Cherry, 
Peach or Quince Trees. 
HEADQUARTERS FOR 
LOUDON RED RASPBERRY 
and RED CROSS CURRANT. 
New Catalogue of ornamental trees, etc., will soon 
be ready. 
Large Fruit Catalogue now ready. 
GREEN’S NURSERY CO., 
ROCHESTER, IN- YT. 
