9oo 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
December 30 
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 Long Island Orchard. 
I wish to set an orchard on a plot 100x300 
feet. I would like to set to cherries, 
quinces, early, medium, and Winter apples 
and pears. Mention the best growers, 
fine-flavored and best-paying varieties for 
Amityville, L. I. How many of each, and 
how far apart should they be set? e. p. 
Jamaica, L. I. 
On a small place that is only 100x300 
feet, there would be room for three rows, 
one each of apple, pear, and cherry 
providing that they were about 30 feet 
apart, and there would be 10 trees iu 
each row, at the same distance. Quince 
trees need not be more than half that 
distance, nor would there need to be 
many of them. In a small family or¬ 
chard one Orange quince, one Meech, one 
Rea, and one Champion would be suffi ¬ 
cient. These would occupy the space if 
two other ^trees, leaving eight trees in 
one row, and these I would have cherry 
trees as .follows: One Richmond, one 
Montmorency, one English Morello, one 
Hortense, one May Duke, one Mercer, 
one Tartarian, and one Windsor. The 
next row may be of apple trees as fol¬ 
lows: One Summer Rose, one Fanny, 
one Primate, one Jefferis, one Grimes, 
two Jonathan and two York Imperial. 
The last row may be of pears. In the 
10 places for trees I would set standards; 
that is, those on pear roots, and as fol¬ 
lows: Two Bartlett, two Sheldon, two 
Hovey and two Lawrence. Between 
these 10 trees I would set as many more, 
but of dwarf pears, which will only 
make small trees, and come into bearing 
earlier than the standards. These I 
would choose as follows: One Tyson, one 
Clapp, one Seckel, one Howell, one 
Louise Bonne, one Boussock, one Anjou 
and one Angouleme. These lists will 
make quite a succession of family fruits, 
so far as these four kinds are concerned, 
and any surplus may be sold wherever 
good fruits are appreciated. 
Grafting Seedlings; Piece-Root Grafts. 
1. I have about 100 seedlings. Can I graft 
them without taking up? If so, when 
would be the best time to do it? How long 
should the scions be, and should they be 
cut from the extremity of the limbs? 2 . 
Describe the piece-root process; where the 
piece-root is used, what is the length of 
the pieces? Is a piece-root as good as a 
whole root? Are the trees as hardy and 
long-lived? r. c. s. 
Warsaw, Mo. 
Although it is not stated by R. C. 3. 
what kind of seedlings he has or how 
old they are, it is probable they are one 
or two-year-old apple seedlings. If so, 
they can be grafted just as they stand, 
and if they are in rows, so that they may 
be conveniently cultivated, they shouli 
make good trees within one year, or 
when the grafts are two years old, at 
most. The time to do the grafting is 
about April 1, if the seedlings are to 
stand where they are until ready to sec 
as grafted trees into orchard form. The 
scions to be used should be cut at once, 
and from the ends of the strongest- 
growing branches on the trees to be 
propagated. They should be packed in 
damp sawdust, in a cool place, or buried 
in the ground. The length of the scion 
as cut from the tree may be a few inches, 
or two or three feet, according to the 
thriftiness of the tree and the conveni¬ 
ence of the person who stores them. 
2. Piece-root grafts of apple are made 
5 
for 
$4 
Send us a club of four subscriptions with 
$4; and we will advance your own sub¬ 
scription one year free. New yearly sub¬ 
scribers to Tue R. N.-Y. will now get the 
paper from the time subscription is 
received until January 1, 1001. Get up 
a club. 
by cutting one or two-year-old seedlings 
into pieces about three inches long and 
grafting on them scions about six inches 
long. This is done indoors in Winter, 
and the grafts are set out in nursery 
form in the early Spring. If good, 
strong roots are used and the pieces are 
not too short, good trees can be grown 
in this way. Millions of good trees are 
thus grown. Whole roots, as they are 
bought for grafting, do not make so good 
trees as a five or six-inch cut of the top 
part. There have been several carefully 
conducted experiments made that clearly 
proved this fact, and among them, one 
of my own with over 2,000 whole-root 
seedlings in Kansas. The lower part of 
the long root fails to develop, and the 
upper part starts out roots, which are 
the main dependence of the tree. In 
some cases I found the lower part of the 
root dead and rotten at four years from 
setting in the nursery row, when I dug 
up a part of them. Where a five or six- 
inch upper cut was used the roots were 
all healthy, and the whole tree vigorous. 
This is the way the so-called whole-root 
trees are made, so I was told by some of 
those who grow and sell them, and they 
are good trees. Such trees are as hardy 
and long-lived as any that are grown 
by other means; at least, this is the 
opinion of many such famous apple or- 
chardists as Judge Wellhouse, of Kan¬ 
sas, and others with whom I have talked 
recently. 
Various Fruit Questions. 
1. Does re-grafting top-grafted fruit trees 
generally do well? 2. Will dry coal ashes 
spread under bearing plum trees help kill 
spores of plum rot? 3. What is the best 
big red gooseberry for general cultivation? 
4. Is the famous new Giant red currant 
worthy? 5. Please name one worthy new 
apple grown from crossbred seeds. 6 . Who 
has tested the native crab apple for iron¬ 
clad roots in the cold northwest? As an 
old-timer, I believe it has been sadly neg¬ 
lected and should be henceforth gladly de¬ 
veloped for roots, exquisite flowers and 
possible seed-furnishing choice hardy Win¬ 
ter apples. F. K. p. 
Delavan, Wis. 
1. Regrafting top-grafted trees might 
be as successful as the first grafting, pro¬ 
vided the trees were healthy throughout.. 
It is often the case that top-grafting is 
done in such a bungling manner that ths 
wounds never heal over well, and 
wherever this is so the next set of grafts 
would be less likely to succeed than the 
first. I think that this kind of double 
top-grafting is very seldom done, but I 
would not fear to do it if the first 
wounds made were well healed over. 
2. Coal ashes have almost no caustic 
effect on the soil or upon anything, and 
I doubt very much that they would 
check, in any degree, the spread of 
Plum rot or any other of the fungus 
diseases, by applying them to the soil 
under the trees. All the good they could 
be expected to do in this regard, so far 
as I can see, would be to smother the 
spores that might be in old plums lying 
on the ground, over which it was heav¬ 
ily coated. 
3. Industry is the best red gooseberry 
of large size; but being of the European 
type it is somewhat more subject to 
fungous diseases than our native kinds, 
such as Pale Red, Houghton, and Smith. 
4. I do not know the Giant currant. 
If others do, I would be glad to learn 
what they know of it. 
5. Patten Greening is an apple of good 
points that was grown from crossbred 
seeds; although it is only of special 
value in the extreme north, where hardy 
trees are a necessity. Wealthy is said 
to be a crossbred seedling apple. But 
the number of well authenticated cross¬ 
bred apples is very small. That line of 
work is hardly begun with the apple, 
pear and peach. Of plums we have sev¬ 
eral; especially those of Burbank’s orig¬ 
ination. Of crossbred grapes we have 
quite a long list, and several very good 
ones among them. 
6. The native American crab apple of 
the North has been but little tested as 
a stock for the apple, so far as I am 
aware. It is surely very hardy, and 
would endure the coldest Winters of the 
Upper Mississippi valley. But there 
might be an objection to it in its slower 
growth than most of our apples; which 
would, perhaps, in many cases, make a 
poor union at the point of graftage. The 
flowers are indeed sweet-scented and 
showy; some of the varieties bear fruit 
which readily keeps all Winter; and 
there are reasons for believing that the 
time will come when valuable things 
will be developed from it. 
(Continued on next page ) 
** A Little Spark May 
Make Much WorkA * 
The Utile " sparks" of bad blood lurking 
in the system should be quenched ‘with 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla, America’s great blood 
purifier. It purifies, vitalizes and enriches 
the blood of both sexes and all ages. Cures 
scrofula, salt rheum, dyspepsia, catarrh. 
60,000 Apple Trees 
■ * 1“ 60 choice varieties 
80,000 Stan’d Pear Trees 
50,000 Plum Trees and 
75,000 Dwarf Pear Trees 
In extra large, medium and small sires, at a 
great bargain. Our leading specially is 
RED CROSS CURRANT 
Bay direct and save half your money. We 
sell everything for the orchard, garden and 
nark. Send toeiay for onr New Fruit and I 
Ornamental Catalogue KKKE. 
Green’s Nursery Co., Rochester,N.Y. 
Best Fruits for Profit 
and home use are accurately described, giving 
characteristics and habits of eacli variety in our 
1900 Catalogue. Fruit Trees, Plants and Orna¬ 
mentals. Write us about your needs and your con¬ 
ditions. Advice and catalogue will be sent free. 
T. ,J. DWYER A SON, Box 1, CORNWALL, N.Y. 
Do You Grow Strawberry Plants for 
the Trade ? Then you should use THE COM¬ 
BINATION LABELING AND TYING BANDS 
The greatest invention of the age for nurserymen. 
Send stamp for samples and full particulars. 
1. E. BKVER, Keithsburg, Ill. 
my m otoesssK! 
hv x vy• I ILj 
List free. 
C HOICE Vegetables 
will always find a ready 
market—but only that farmer 
can raise them who has studied 
the great secret how to ob¬ 
tain both quality and quantity 
by the judicious use of well- 
balanced fertilizers. No fertil¬ 
izer for Vegetables can produce 
a large yield unless it contains 
at least 8% Potash. Send for 
our books, which furnish full 
information. We send them 
free of charge. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
<}3 Nassau St., New York. 
Jadoo Fibre and Jadoo Liquid 
Will give you Harly Crops and Large Crops 
of Vegetable* or Fruit. Bend for Catalogues 
and be eonvlnoed of the merits of these 
new Fertilizers. 
THU AMERICAN JADOO CO., 
815 Fairmount Avenue. Philadelphia, Pa. 
lAss seeDI 
’.Sown nil Clovere, Alfnlfn, Timothy, Rod Top. *11 C.raaa | 
Seeds, Flax, &t. Special hopper for wheat and oata. Sow* SO 
to 40 acres per day in wet, dry or windy wenther. Puis on 
just exact amount of seed desired—don't waste any. Weighs 
' only 40 lbs. I-ast indefinitely. Price list and catalogue free. 
o. k. Thompson a sons, Vp-nunti. Mich. 
How to Drain Land Profitably 
On every farm there is probably some land 
that could be made more productive by under- 
drainage. Properly drained land can always 
be worked earlier, and more profitably. The 
best and most 
economical way 
to drain is ex¬ 
plained in the 
book, “Benefits of Drainage and How to Drain,” 
which is sent free by 
JOHN H. JACKSON, Third Ave., Albany, N. Y. 
AVinfer Work.—Farmers and others, you can make 
some cash and get your own Trees and Plants free. 
(Write us for particulars). New catalogue and terms 
free. Est. 186'J. Sweet Nurs. Co., B. 1505, Dansville.N.Y 
your t Chestnut Trees 
A few grafts put in your seedling chestnut tree will make It pay big I name price and kinds In catalogue 
Free. Full line nursery stock. ARTHUR «J. COLLINS, Moorestown, Burlington Co., N. J. 
Choicest Fruit and Ornamental Trees. 
Shrubs, Plants, Bulbs, Seeds. 40 Acres Hardy Roses. 44 Greenhouses 
of Palms, Everblooming Roses, Ficus, Ferns, Etc. Correspondence 
solicited. Catalogue Free. 
the STORRS & HARRISON CO» f Painesville, O. 
Apple 
Senator, 
best by Test— 74 YEARS. Largest 
I k K amuul sale. High quality— not 
■ ELEgO high price. Finest sorts. AVe nun 
m> * *• 4 million Apple trees, whole-root 
graft 5 million—l-and 2-yr. Other Trees, Vines, etc., in 
proportion. 1100 acres Nursery \l/_ DAV rDrirNT 
43,000 acres Orchards. Fruit Book free. I /\ I I I\L.IOIl I 
box and pack free, ask no money till SAFE arrival,—guarantee Satisfaction 
' traveling salesmen 
'LOUISIANA, M0, 
Dansville, N. Y. 
Stark, Mo., etc. 
Firmest and Latest Strawberry ever produced ; 
large ami productive ; perfect blossom. 
We are introducers of this grand new berry. Write 
for catalogue, and send 10 cents for six months’ sub¬ 
scription to Farmer’s Fruit Farmer. Address 
L.J. FARMER, b 2 °o x PULASKI, N.Y. 
Opinions of Experts: 
“lam simply delighted with them. If in so un¬ 
favorable a year as this you can produce a full crop 
up to the middle of July, you are entitled to a for¬ 
tune.”- Dk. IIexamer, Editor Am. Agriculturist. 
“Some specimens of the berry came to hand still 
in good condition considering the time of year and 
the period they were away from the vines.”— 
WiLMKR Atkinson, Editor Farm Journal. 
“It is good for a late berry, firm, etc.”—C. A. Green. 
See The R. N.-Y., July 22, for H. W. Coelingwood’s 
opinion._ 
