1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
IOI 
where, notwithstanding that it blights rather easily. 
Anjou is a late Fall variety in Pennsylvania that is 
generally well liked. For Winter, none of which I 
know is better than Lawrence and Malines. Abuse 
seems to help the Kieffer along. It is condemned 
right and left because of its poor quality, and in most 
cases, justly so ; but when grown in the southern 
States, it is not so bad. But that it is the business 
pear of America to-day we must acknowledge. It 
grows, bears and sells. It may be nearing its day of 
decadence, but it is being planted by the million, and 
we shall know before long. n. K. v. n. 
Budding or Grafting Apple Sprouts. 
G. M. II., N. Ferrisburg, Vt. In reading the article on Chestnut 
Culture on Sprout Land, page 785, I got an idea that I would like 
to get advice about. I have <[uite a number of unprofitable Rus¬ 
set apple trees; why not cut them down and bud or graft the 
sprouts when one year old, selecting the most promising one at 
each stump ? The trees are poor ones to graft, as they grow with 
poor crotches. 
Ans. —It would be practicable to cut back the branches 
of large apple trees, and bud the branches with other 
and more profitable kinds, but it would be better to 
graft the branches, and then bud the sprouts on such 
stubs as failed to have live grafts on them in the late 
Summer. By this means, about one year more would 
be saved than if the buds were depended upon en¬ 
tirely. If the trees are of large bearing size, I can¬ 
not sec why the crotches would not be as bad after 
the sprouts were budded as if the branches were 
grafted. ir. k. v. d. 
Strange Behavior of Fruits. 
./. M. It.. Cornwall, N. Y. —1. For the past two years, my rasp¬ 
berry and blackcap plants have sent up new stalks of a much 
smaller size and less vigorous appearance. Does this indicate a 
lack of nitrogen in the soil ? I let weeds grow late In the season 
on part of the patch, in order to note their vitality. The weeds 
were fine, robust specimens. This bothers me. What is the best 
form of nitrogen t > apply early next spring in order to get the 
effects of the application as soon as possible? 2. On part of the 
same ground, I have blackberry plants of immense size, so far as 
wood goes. For three years past, they have been covered with 
berries which have failed to develop. They don’t drop, but just 
hang on the stalk, and turn from green to pale brown, and wait 
for frost. Would you tear them up or doctor them, and if the 
latter, how ? 
Ans.— l. The lack of vigorous growth of the rasp¬ 
berry canes would seem to indicate a lack of nitrogen 
in the soil ; but it might come from the checking of 
their vitality by some disease or from old age. I would 
spread stable manure along the rows, at least in a 
small way as a trial. This will mulch them, thus 
helping to retain the moisture in the soil, and if the 
manure be of good average quality, it will add con¬ 
siderable nitrogen to the soil. I have often done this 
with good results. If nitrogen be applied the coming 
season in chemical form, I would use nitrate of soda, 
and would make one application of about 100 pounds 
per acre when cultivation is begun, and the same 
amount about two months later. The weeds may have 
been able to lay hold of some manure that the rasp¬ 
berries could not, or, they were of a more rugged 
nature. 2. It would seem to me that the blackberries 
were starved for water in the soil. Why they should 
set well and start to grow and then stop, I cannot tell, 
unless this is the trouble. Cultivation of the soil in 
a most thorough manner to conserve the water in the 
soil, or mulching along the rows, ought to act benefi¬ 
cially. The latter part of the season may have been 
unusually dry. If well fed and well cultivated, there 
ought to be no difficulty in perfecting the fruit in an 
ordinary season. n. e. v. d. 
How Thin to Thin Peaches. 
P. L. ]}., Dresden. 0. —Mr. J. H. Hale, among other of our best 
authorities on peach culture, in thinning peaches, f ays to leave 
none closer than four to six inches apart. We thinned our last 
crop to, at least, six inches, but the trees were much too full, the 
crop bending the limbs badly, and breaking some. Mr. Hale also 
says that rarely should more than 600 peaches be left on any 
tree. I suppose that he means on trees set 13x13 feet. But a tree 
of ours 13 feet high and the same in diameter, after allowing for 
the cutting back in spring, and after removing all weak branches, 
would have, at least, 1,200 peaches on it, allowing one for every 
six inches of the remaining last year’s growth. How can Mr. 
Hale and other good authorities leave their peaches as near as 
six inches apart, and have no more than 600 on a tree of that 
size; for, to decrease the number to 600 by pruning, would neces¬ 
sitate the removal of, at least three-fourths of last year's growth, 
either by cutting back or by thinning out good, strong branches, 
either of which, in my opinion, would be an injury to the tree, and 
influence it to excessive wood growth, rather than the production 
of good fruit ? The last year’s growth is strong and healthy, but 
not excessive. What thinning we have done has paid us well, 
but it seems to me that six inches apart and 600 to the tree of the 
size mentioned, will not go together, that it is too thick, and 
that a foot is much nearer the right distance. 
Ans.—I do not know that I made the absolute state¬ 
ment that there should be no more than (500 peaches 
on any tree of any size or age. I was speaking in a 
general way of those grown under my method, planted 
13 x 13 feet apart, which means, of course, very close 
annual pruning, and a tree of only moderate-sized 
head. No question but that trees planted at much 
greater distances, or entirely by themselves, would be 
large and strong enough to produce a considerably 
greater number than those, even though thoroughly 
thinned. But as my largest peaches, under best 
methods of culture, run 75 or 80 to the bushel, 000 to 
the tree give a yield of 14 to 16 half-bushel baskets of 
the highest-grade stock. This ought to be satisfac¬ 
tory to most any one, even though peaches have to be 
farther apart than six inches to bring about this 
result. j. ir. hale. 
Let the Rutter Pear Alone. 
8. D., Oak Hill, N. Y .— Would you advise planting the Rutter 
pear for a commercial orchard in this section? Is it better than 
Kieffer ? 
Ans.— No, let the Rutter pear alone. It is very poor 
in quality, and does not sell well. It belongs to that 
class of pears that have made a show of becoming 
popular, and have been tested and found wanting. 
How Corn Ears If ary. 
W. B.. Troupsburg, N. Y. In husking my eight-rowed flint corn, 
I found one stalk with two ears, one with eight rows, the other 
with ten. How can this be ? 
Ans.— We have often found ears upon the same stalk 
varying as above stated. It is rarely, for example, 
instead of being the rule, that two ears on the Ches¬ 
ter County Mammoth or Blount’s Prolific will have 
the same number of rows. In fact, we do not know 
of any variety in which the number of rows to the 
ear is always the same. 
Apples and Strawberries. 
C ../., Elberon, N. J. I. My land is yellow sand, streaked here 
and there with black, lying alongside a creek which, three or four 
times a year, overflows for a day or so. I wish to plant to apples 
for market. What are the best three varieties ? 2. What are the 
merits of fall and spring planting of strawberries for market? 
Would it be preferable to plant an acre in the Fall, push for two 
years for market, and then turn under? By so doing, I think I 
would get all there is in the plants. 
Ans. —1. We would select Baldwin, Ben Davis, and 
Maiden’s Blush. 2. Our preference is for Spring plant¬ 
ing. Fall planting, usually, gives little or no crop 
during the next season, whereas Spring-set plants 
give a full crop during the next season. 
Mulching Asparagus with Manure. 
If. C. C. if., Milford, Conn. Will it pay to provide a Winter 
mulch of manure for asparagus beds, either for protection or as 
a fertilizer? Would it not be a necessity for beds set out last 
Spring ? 
Ans. —Mulching is unquestionably an advantage, 
but large gi’owers do not think it pays. They do not 
question the value of the practice, but say that it is 
too expensive for them, when several acres of aspara¬ 
gus are grown. Apart from the expense, it is recom¬ 
mended ; one mulching may be given in the Fall, and 
another early in the Spring, before cutting begins. 
Deep planting and frequent cultivation are the mar¬ 
ket-gardener’s substitutes for the mulch. 
A Quartette of Strawberries. 
C. 8. L., North, Germantown. N. Y. What do you know of the 
Glen Mary, Clyde, Brandywine, and Carrie strawberries? 
Ans. —The Carrie has imperfect flowers, vigorous 
vines, and is productive. Berries broadly conical, 
quite regular. .I line 11 is the height of its season at 
the Rural Grounds. The berries are quite firm and of 
medium quality. Its chief failing is that its berries 
are not well held up. The Clyde has a perfect flower, 
vigorous vines, berries from large to largest ; fair 
quality. For so large a berry, it is of excellent shape; 
medium red color, fairly firm. Height of season, June 
10. Glen Mary has perfect flowers ; the berries are of 
the largest size, varying in shape from Sharpless to 
heart-shape, often with white tips. It ripens through 
a long season. Quality very good. The peduncles are 
not very strong. The Brandywine has a perfect 
flower, the berry of large size and fine quality, quite 
firm and of good shape. Foliage is thrifty, the vine 
prolific. Season medium to late. 
The Best Packing for Apple Grafts. 
A. It., Itaglesville, hid.—I am setting about 55,000 apple grafts 
to be planted next Spring. I have been troubled heretofore with 
a mold that ruins the grafts. What is the best material to use in 
packing—sand or sawdust? 
Ans. —I have never found anything better than saw¬ 
dust, made from our domestic timber. It should be 
made from newly-cut timber, as old, dry sawdust 
would not keep the roots damp enough. Use a box 
10 to 12 inches deep, standing it up against something, 
and lay on sawdust on the bottom end of the box. 
Then lay on a layer of grafts, cover this with saw¬ 
dust, then another layer of grafts (not more than two 
deep in each layer) and sawdust, and so on until the 
box is full, leaving the tops of the scions just out of 
the sawdust. Lay the box down on its bottom in the 
cellar, when put away. One box may be piled above 
the other, providing no grafts project above the top of 
the box. We have never found grafts injured thus 
treated. It is best to keep the cellar dark and cool. 
Connecticut. kdwin hoyt. 
Tomatoes Under Glass. 
I. A. T., New Castle, Pa. — Does it pay, near a good market, to 
raise tomatoes under glass for the winter market ? If so, what 
kinds, and how are they grown ? We have cheap fuel and an ex¬ 
cellent market—a manufacturing town of 25,000 people—and no 
one raises tomatoes for winter use. 
Ans. —It certainly pays to grow tomatoes under 
glass where there is a good market. Around Phila¬ 
delphia, it is said that February and March give the 
best returns for these tomatoes; the consumer is 
hardly ready for them earlier. Stone is a favorite 
variety ; a smooth fruit is needed. Seed is sown abou 1 - 
October 1, in flats with abundant drainage, and thinned 
out or potted into 2 %-inch pots. If they begin to grow 
crowded before ready to plant out, shift again into a 
larger pot. Keep them in a house whose night tem¬ 
perature ranges from 55 to (50 degrees, Keep them 
growing right along, with no chance of a check. They 
may be planted in the bench the latter part of Novem¬ 
ber. If growing Chrysanthemums, they can go into 
the bench when the Chrysanthemums are removed ; if 
not, the bencli might first yield a crop of radishes. 
Never pinch out the top, only lateral shoots ; branch¬ 
ing is not wanted. The flowers must be fertilized every 
day, a eamel’s-hair brush or bit of Ageratum flower 
being used. Fruit sets best in sunny weather. As 
the season advances, fertilization is aided by various 
small flies or, in a limited degree, by bees, but the bees 
are not much attracted by tomatoes. 
How to Disinfect Pruning Instruments. 
IV. If., Vineland, N. J. —I feci satisfied that yellows has been 
carried by trimming in my peach orchard; I would like to know 
what to use to disinfect the cutter after using on each tree. 
Ans. —Several different substances may be used for 
disinfecting pruning instruments; probably the best 
material, all things considered, is a strong solution of 
carbolic acid. Carbolic acid may be obtained at any 
drug store, and the best form is the crystalline acid. 
If the acid is shaken up in a bottle with water, a. sat¬ 
urated solution can be made which contains about five 
per cent of acid. In using this carbolic-acid water, it 
is desirable that a sponge or piece of cloth should be 
fastened inside the bucket or vessel used, and the 
knife should be wiped against the sponge or cloth, 
which is saturated with the solution. A solution of 
ordinary chloride of lime is a good material for dis¬ 
infecting, about two to three percent being the proper 
strength to use. Corrosive sublimate (mercuric chlor¬ 
ide) is a powerful disinfectant, and could be used for 
this purpose. A solution containing one-tenth of one 
per cent would be amply strong. There are corrosive 
sublimate tablets for sale at drug stores, each tablet 
containing the proper amount for a quart of water. 
In this form, they are very convenient to use. As to 
the possibility of communicating Beach yellows from 
one tree to another by pruning instruments, I think 
that very conclusive evidence would be necessary to 
prove this fact. Dr. Erwin F. Smith (see bulletin No. 
1 , Division Vegetable Pathology) has found, in the 
course of his extensive experiments, that Peach yel¬ 
lows can be reproduced by budding, but when the 
buds fail to unite with the stock, the disease is not 
communicated. This seems to be very strong nega¬ 
tive evidence that mere contact of the diseased ma¬ 
terial is not sufficient for inoculation, m. b. waitk. 
Assistant Pathologist U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. 
Cow With a Broken Tail. 
C. K. 8., Mineral Point, 0. What is wrong with my cow? In 
October, 1897, she became stupid for several days, and lost her 
cud, but seemed to have good appetite. In a week’s time, she 
seemed all right again, but from that time on, she has lost the 
use of her tail, and has no control of it. Can anything be done 
for her ? 
Ans. —The symptoms indicate a fracture of the croup 
or root of the tail, causing paralysis of the tail. The 
fracture may have resulted from the cows’ kicking 
each other in heat, or from a severe blow to the croup. 
There is, probably, no treatment that will now benefit 
the cow. If the paralysis continue, I would advise 
fattening for beef at the earliest opportunity, f. l. k. 
A Lame Colt; Mare With Corns. 
B. C. A., Auburn, Me. —1. I have an eight-months-old colt that is 
lame in both hind legs. When he walks he can’t move them. 
They seem to come out of joint at the stifle, but when he has been 
walking five or six minutes, he can trot and walk as though noth¬ 
ing was the matter with him. But he is just as bad when he has 
been standing over night. 2. I have, also, a 12-year-old mare 
that goes lame on her forward feet in dry, frosty weather. Her 
hoofs crack on each side of the frog, and they are open and dry. 
Ans. —1. The trouble is, probably, caused by partial 
dislocations of the patella or knee-cap, due to a relaxed 
condition of the ligaments binding it to the joint. 
Rub ammonia liniment well over both joints (equal 
parts of aqua ammonia and sweet oil well shaken to¬ 
gether). If not blistered by the first application, 
repeat in one week. The blister may be repeated two 
or three times, if necessary, at intervals of three to 
four weeks. To improve the general tone of the 
system, give one of the following powders in the feed 
twice daily: powdered nux vomica and sulphate of 
iron, of each one ounce ; gentian, six ounces ; mix, and 
make into 24 powders. 2. The heels are, evidently, 
dry and contracted, and it is quite likely that there 
are corns. If the heels are too long, as is commonly 
the case, have them cut down to the proper height. 
Then examine for corns, and if found, rasp down the 
affected heel so as to remove all pressure from the 
shoe when shod. Apply a warm flaxseed or bran 
poultice to boJi feet, and renew the poultice night 
and morning for two days, then remove the poultice, 
wash clean, dry, and apply a hot tar dressing to the 
hoof wall and sole. Repeat the tar dressing once or 
twice a week. It would be better to leave the shoes 
off for a month or two, if it is not necessary to use the 
mare, and when shod, apply bar shoes. f. l. k, 
