1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
577 
starvation and thirst. The elm and maple were able 
to throw out rootlets, and a few of them grew into 
trees. The poplar (cottonwood of the West) grew 
readily. Some of the apple, pear and native plum 
cuttings succeeded. 
All this only goes to show that environment has 
much to do with the success or failure of all that 
grows, that there are constitutional differences in 
plants, and that we should study carefully into the 
nature of both. We learn much by blundering experi¬ 
ence, and more by observation ; but if we can acquire 
knowledge by looking into the experience of others, 
we are that much ahead. The reason the pear cut¬ 
tings of L. W. failed to grow, is because they were 
not able to form roots before the nourishment in 
them was gone. The surroundings were not right for 
the peculiarities of their constitution. Sometimes 
the seasons are not suitable, or the treatment may 
be wrong, but the probability is that the soil and 
climate were unsuitable. 
What Ailed the Blackberries ? 
What is wrong with my Snyder and Taylor blackberries ? A 
year ago, there was a tine crop, but I had to cut and trim at a 
great rate before we could get through them to pick. So, last 
Spring, I worked them over in February, taking out all the old 
canes and shortening in the bearing wood, widening the spaces 
between the rows, and when the ground was in condition, plow¬ 
ing four or live inches deep, cultivating and keeping down the 
sprouts between the rows. I thought that was right, but there 
were very few blossoms and less fruit. Other patches nearby set 
full of fruit. I broke roots but not the deep ones. It has been so 
hot and dry here for the last six weeks that the new and old canes 
are turned to a yellowish brown, and what few berries are set 
are drying up. J - H - 
Indiana. 
It is quite probable that the bushes were trimmed 
back too severely, and a large proportion of the fruit 
buds cut away. The proper way to head back black¬ 
berry and raspberry bushes, too, is in the growing 
season, beginning when the canes are only a foot or 
two high ; by topping them as the season progresses, 
they may be headed back by pinching or clipping, 
and thus make stocky bushes, and avoid the necessity 
of severe Winter pruning. The fruit buds will then 
be sufficiently abundant. It may be that the rows 
were not far enough apart to give room enough to cul¬ 
tivate without pruning back the bushes to an in¬ 
jurious degree. Rows seven or eight feet apart are 
close enough. The plowing and cultivating should be 
shallow, not over three inches, as the feeding roots 
run nearer the surface than we think. Thorough 
and frequent shallow cultivation will keep the moist¬ 
ure in the ground and prevent the drying up of the 
fruit at ripening time, unless in the most protracted 
droughts. If a liberal mulch of coarse manure or 
some such thing be put about the roots of the bushes 
in the row in Winter, it would help greatly in dry 
weather. 
New Varieties of Cherries. 
So far as I know, all seedling cherry trees bear either sour, red 
or else black, sweet fruit. Will seedlings from all varieties of 
sweet cherries bear black fruit, and seedlings of all varieties of 
sour cherries bear sour, red fruit? How are new improved varie¬ 
ties of cherries obtained ? a. o. o. 
New Jersey. 
So far as I know, all of the sour cherries are either 
red or very dark purple, some of them becoming al¬ 
most black when ripe. The sour varieties are classi¬ 
fied into the Amarelle and Morellos. The Amarelle 
type is characterized by a pale red color, a generally 
flattened shape, and juice that is not stained with 
red. The name is of Latin origin, meaning bitter. 
The Morello type has dark red fruits from roundish 
to heart shape, and reddish juice. The word Morello 
is of Italian origin and means blackish. All of the 
seedlings of both these types are variable within cer¬ 
tain limits, being of some shade of red, and sour in 
variable degrees. All of them are soft-fleshed and ex¬ 
ceedingly juicy. The sweet cherries are divided into 
four types, Mazzards, Hearts or Leans, Bigarreaus 
and Dukes. They vary in color from whitish yellow 
to pink, red, mottled red and yellow, and black. In 
shape they are roundish or heart-shaped. Their flesh 
is firm, and varies in flavor from tart to sweet. The 
juice is whitish, pink or red, according to the color of 
the fruit. The trees are strong and rapid growers, 
with stout branches and large leaves. The Mazzards 
are abundantly represented by the seedlings which 
are found in the eastern States, and called Black- 
hearts, Sweethearts, etc. They often make gigantic 
trees, some that I have seen being fully three feet in 
diameter of trunk and bearing 40 or more bushels of 
fruit. Many of these chance seedlings bear small, 
black, bitterish-sweet fruit, but some bear cherries of 
fair size, good quality and light color. The Hearts 
or Leans have quite large fruit that is more inclined 
to be soft-fleshed and decidedly heart-shaped than any 
of the others. The flavor is sweet or very mild sub¬ 
acid. The Bigarreaus are large, hard-fleshed and of 
light reddish yellow, blushed or mottled appearance. 
The Dukes are much the same as the Hearts, except 
that the flavor of the fruit is tart and subacid, but 
much less so than any of the true sour cherries, and 
some would classify them as sweet in comparison with 
the latter. All new varieties of cherries, as with 
other fruits, are originated by planting seeds or by 
finding seedlings that have come up by chance. 
Treatment for Pear Blight. 
I have a Maiden’s Blush apple tree affected with Pear blight, 
and fear that the disease has extended to other trees near it, 
as I notice leaves among the branches that are turning black. 
How can I eradicate it? Were it a pear tree, I should give it 
up, but until now, I have never seen .an apple tree attacked. As 
fast as a diseased twig appears, I have cut it out, though others 
soon appear diseased, and if not cu<t out, will soon be dead. My 
trees are wonderfully thrifty, very large for the age, and have 
been pushed into bearing. w. j. p. 
Washington County, Ark. 
The germs of the disease are propagated in the 
affected tree and transmitted through the air to 
others. The means to use against the malady is to 
destroy the sources of infection. This requires the 
cutting out of the diseased branches. Some scientists 
say that, after the branches are cut off, the germs die 
in them, and there is no danger of infection from 
them ; but burning would be absolutely safe, and it is 
convenient to be rid of the brush in any case ; so I say, 
burn them. The disease is liable to extend a foot or 
more back of where there is any show of it in the 
growing season, and it is necessary to cut back 
severely to insuregetting all the germs. It is logically 
true that, if all the Pear blight were eradicated from 
any given vicinity, there would be none of that 
disease there until it had been again introduced ; just 
as in cases of measles, smallpox, yellow fever, etc. As 
the Pear blight affects all of the pome family, includ¬ 
ing the pear, apple, quince, red haw, and juneberry, 
it may be kept from one year to another in any of 
these, and one cannot be too vigilant in the matter. 
Even one old haw tree may be the source of infection 
for the orchards of the whole neighborhood. It is 
just as in case of the black-knot in the plum, wild 
cherry, etc. When every one watches for and destroys 
the first appearance of this pear and apple blight, 
just as is done to kill the generally harmless and 
mouse-catching snakes, we shall have none of it. In 
the dormant stage in Winter this disease may be found 
in the partly dead branches where the Fall overtook 
it in its destructive work. Tools that are used in cut¬ 
ting out this blight should be frequently wiped off 
with a rag saturated in carbolic acid to kill the germs 
that may be on them, thus preventing the carrying 
of them from a diseased to a healthy tree or branch. 
Training the Fay Currant. 
I have 30 Ifay currant bushes planted across my garden, In 
three rows, 10 in each row. They will not stand up erect, but 
lie almost flat on the ground, also throw out an extraordinary 
lot of sprouts. How can I st.ake or trellis these bushes, so as to 
keep them off the ground ? Also, should I cut away a large por¬ 
tion of the old wood which fruited this season, and let the young 
canes grow in their places ? I also have a lot of Industry goose¬ 
berry bushes which have been planted four years, and were two 
years old when planted, which have not had a dozen berries on 
so far. They, also, throw out from 20 to 40 young shoots each 
season, although I prune out well each Spring. What is wrong 
that bushes do not bear, and how can I keep them from throwing 
out so many young shoots ? Currant bushes which are planted 
alongside of the gooseberry, bear well every year. 
West Virginia. J. T. e. 
The peculiar fault of the Fay currant is a drooping 
habit of the bushes. Staking will assist in keeping 
them in an upright position, but proper training 
should be the chief dependence. All varieties of the 
currant are better trained by the renewal system than 
the tree form, and Fay is not an exception ; but it 
must be managed very wisely to keep the branches 
off the ground, especially when loaded with fruit. 
Three or four new shoots should be allowed to grow 
up from the base each year, and only that many. 
When they are about six inches high, they should be 
pinched back, thus forcing out laterals. These may 
be pinched back before they have grown long, which 
will make stocky bushes that will hold fruit spurs 
after the second year. If they are allowed to grow 
tall the first year, they will make high heads and 
tall stocks, which are sure to fall over when they bear 
and are likely to do so the first year, as J. T. E. 
says his do, because of their peculiar sprawling habit. 
Whether old or young, the taller they are the more 
top-heavy. When the bearing stocks become old 
and unprofitable, they should be cut away year by 
year, and the younger ones given their room. This 
is the renewal system, but it is renewing with stocky 
bushes instead of tall, limber switches. It would be 
a detriment rather than a benefit to cut away all of 
the older canes at once and depend upon the last 
year’s growth for fruit; because the latter will not 
bear. They must have one more year in which to 
form fruit spurs. 
In regard to the treatment of the Industry goose¬ 
berry bushes, J. T. E. probably uses the knife too 
freely, and thereby induces too much wood growth. 
Let them bear on the old wood and they will spend 
their vigor in that way instead of in making new 
shoots. 
Protection for a Water Tank. 
D. B. O., Baldwinsville, AT. Y.— Wo are considering building a 
tank of galvanized iron in a hay barn, the water to be run in 
from the roof. What is the best way to make the tank frost¬ 
proof so that the water will not freeze in Winter? What is the 
best way to draw the water as needed in Winter, by connecting 
pipe and faucet, and not have the water freeze in the pipe ? 
A ns. —There is no better protection for the water 
tank than a covering of hay or straw. As you are to 
locate it in the hay barn, you can easily arrange it so 
that a jacket or covering of hay can be put around it. 
Make a wood cover for the tank, letting the inflow 
pipe pass through a hole in the cover, and put suffi¬ 
cient straw or hay over and around the tank to pro¬ 
tect it. Hay may be kept in place around the tank by a 
wood frame, or held in place by means of wire or 
rope. The outflow pipe should be protected by wrap¬ 
ping it with felt similar to that used by plumbers in 
protecting steam pipes. i.. A. c. 
Painting a Barn Roof. 
O. IF. 3., East Branch , Pa.—I wish to paint my barn roof. The 
barn is 46 x 61 feet, gambrel roof, shingles laid 4*4 inches to the 
weather. The roof has been on 18 years. I think of using coal 
tar. Is there anything better for the purpose, as cheap ? If not, 
what shall I put with the coal tar to give it body, and how much 
naphtha shall I add to a-barrel of 50 gallons to thin it, as I wish 
to spread it with some sort of paint brush ? 
Ans. —Little good can be done by painting a roof 
which has been in place for 18 years. If paint be put 
on now, it will not prevent moisture from working 
under the courses, and the roof is likely to be injured 
more than it will be benefited. Tf a roof is to be 
painted, it should be done as the courses are laid, or 
the shingles should be dipped in paint before putting 
them on. After 18 years, paint can do but little 
good. i.. A c. 
Tarred Paper in the Silo. 
C. E. 8., Mineral Point, O.—I have a silo that I have used three 
years, and at the openings, I use tarred roofing felt such as used 
by slaters. The ensilage eats this felt almost entirely up, lets 
the air in and spoils the feed. Is there a kind of building or roof¬ 
ing felt that will not be affected, remain whole and keep air out ? 
Ans. —To stop the space around the silo openings, 
use common tarred paper over the edges of the door, 
and then crowd the door in place. To insure the ex¬ 
clusion of all air, have a pail of common coal tar at 
hand, and with a paint brush cover over the cracks 
around the door with coal tar. Common gunny sacks 
may be used around the doors if the coal tar be daubed 
on freely. We have practiced this method repeatedly, 
and always with good results. l. a. c. 
A Short Talk on Bitter Cream. 
II. IF., Clinton, 111. —1.1 have found that, when cream is scalded 
and kept cold so it will not sour, it will turn very bitter. What is 
the cause of it ? 2. Is bitter cream as wholesome as sour cream ? 
Ans. —1. Bitter cream is caused by a germ, which is 
not killed at the scalding temperature, and which is 
active at a low temperature. The lactic-acid germ 
which causes milk to sour, is destroyed at the scald¬ 
ing temperature, and then when the milk is kept cold, 
the germ cannot again develop; thus we may have a 
bitter milk or cream without its being sour. 2. Bitter 
cream is not so wholesome as sour cream. When milk 
or cream is not heated high enough to destroy the 
lactic-acid germ, its action may either prevent the 
development of the germ causing the bitter taste, or 
mask its effect so that it will not be noticed. II. W. 
may have better results if he does not heat his milk 
quite so high. L. A. 
Seeding to Clover and Cow Peas. 
A. J. If.. Cedar Falls, la .—I am plowing up a pa,tch of 15 acres 
of raspberries to plant to potatoes next season. Would it be .ad¬ 
visable to sow it to Crimson clover or cow peas this Fall to plow 
under in Spring? Would it pay? The ground is reasonably 
fertile. a. j. n. 
Ans. —It is now too late to sow cow peas; the 
first frost will kill them to the ground, and they 
will not make growth enough to pay. Crimson 
clover, if sown while the ground is reasonably moist, 
ought to make a fair growth. When it is sown for 
the first time, it does not sometimes do as well as sub¬ 
sequent seedings. You might give a light seeding of 
rye, say three pecks to the acre, with the clover. This 
will give you some green material in the Spring, 
even if the clover die out. Our experience is that a 
thin seeding of rye helps carry the clover through 
the Winter, provided there is moisture enough in the 
Fall for both crops. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Vines on Trees.— D. P. M., Freehold, N. J.—Your large button¬ 
wood tree, the trunk and limbs of which are almost covered with 
a rank growth of ivy, will be injured by the vine. All vines of 
this kind, which cling closely to the branches, retard the growth 
and interfere with the exposure to the sun and air. 
I.lme anti Subsoiling.—C. W. S., Cohocton, N. Y.— On your 
heavy clay soil which you wish to seed to clover next Spring, we 
would use the subsoil plow this Fall, following the turning plow 
and going as deep as a good team can haul the plow. In the 
Spring, we would plow the ground and broadcast lime on the 
furrows, barrowing it well into the upper surface of the soil. 
Seedling Potatoes.—A. J. K., Stevens Point, Wis.—We have ex¬ 
plained many times the process of raising seedling potato plants. 
Mr Carman’s New Potato Culture devotes considerable space to 
this matter, and we advise you to buy a copy of it; the retail 
price is 40 cents. You have seed of the Sir Walter Raleigh, but 
it is not at all sure that plants grown from this seed will be 
superior to their parent. In fact not one seed in a thousand 
would be likely to show any great improvement. 
