1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
CLOVER, COW PEAS AND CHEMICALS. 
A NEW MEMBER OF THE FIRM. 
Experience in Chestnut Culture. 
Part III. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
One of the most interesting things on Mr. Killen’s 
place is the experiment with improved chestnuts. 
The R. N.-Y. has, in former years, told about these 
chestnuts, and printed pictures of several of the best 
of them. Mr. Killen firmly believes in the future of 
this nut. When asked why he considered Delaware 
especially adapted to its culture, he said : 
“ This section has a light sandy soil with a red clay 
subsoil, in which the chestnut grows rapidly. There 
are no forests of native chestnuts here, therefore we 
are less likely to be troubled by insects which are its 
natural enemies.” 
“ When did you start your experiments ? ” 
“ About 12 years ago I planted one bushel of native 
chestnuts (American sweet). A large number of these 
seedling trees were grafted to such varieties as Para¬ 
gon, Ridgely, Numbo and others of the same class.” 
“ Where were these little trees grafted ? ” 
“ Some were grafted in the nursery row, while 
others were first transplanted and afterwards top 
grafted.” 
“ How about the Japan seedlings ? ” 
“ I set my first 10 years ago—a lot of little trees re¬ 
ceived as a premium—and other lots were set later. 
Among the very first were Extra Early, Killen and 
Felton, which have been pictured by The R. N.-Y. I 
have also planted nuts of these varieties, and many of 
these seedlings are bearing this year for the first.” 
“ What have you used as stocks for grafting ? ” 
“ Native seedlings, Ridgely and Paragon. Some of 
these have been left without grafting, and have given 
some fine nuts. Last Spring, we bought 2,500 native 
seedlings from Ohio, to use as stocks for our best 
Japans.” 
“ How did the grafting succeed ? ” 
“ We root-grafted these, but only a few grew prop¬ 
erly. Those that failed can be used the coming Spring 
as stocks, for they sprout up from the root, and make a 
fair growth.” 
“ Do you find it difficult to graft the chestnut ? ” 
“ The past season seems to have been an 1 off year’ 
for grafts. In some years, almost every top-graft 
seems to grow well. I have never had much success 
in budding the chestnut, though I have had a small 
per cent of buds to grow. Still, I see no reason why 
buds should not succeed if the proper conditions are 
met.” 
“ What do you want to obtain in a desirable 
chestnut ?” 
“ For profit, I consider that earliness, size and 
quality are the principal points required. In our 
Extra Early nut, we have these three points combined. 
With us, the first nuts of this variety were bursting 
the burrs on August 31. On September 8, the nuts 
• were showing plainly, three and five fine nuts to the 
burr.” 
“ What about Killen and Felton ? ” 
“ Both are noted for quality, although they are con¬ 
siderably later than the Extra Early. But the Killen 
is a very much larger nut. Specimens of it have been 
measured that were 6X inches in circumference. I 
wish to say, however, that the original tree of 
the Killen is almost dead. Borers seem to have 
killed it, and we have only seven young trees grafted 
from it.” 
“You say that you have used both Japan and native 
seedlings as stocks ? ” 
“ Yes, we have used both as stocks for the Japan 
variety, and can find no material difference in forma¬ 
tion of the union. The American seems to be fully 
equal to the Japan as a stock.” 
“ Of all European types of chestnuts, which do you 
prefer ?” 
“The Paragon surpasses all others in productive¬ 
ness, and is certainly equal in quality to any of that 
type that I have ever tried. A number of Extra 
Early, Japan and Paragon, set last Spring, now have 
burrs, and seem likely to mature their nuts. These 
trees were only about three feet high when set. I 
have had no more trouble in transplanting the chest¬ 
nut than in transplanting the apple or pear.” 
Mr. Killen firmly believes that the time is coming 
when chestnut culture in this country will be a recog¬ 
nized and profitable industry. Naturally, he thinks 
his section is particularly well adapted to this cul¬ 
ture. His hope has been to perfect new varieties that 
will give us increase in size, heavy yield and quality, 
nearly equal to the native set varieties. This is what 
he has been working for, and several of his varieties 
certainly mark a great improvement over the nuts of 
a dozen years ago. 
Mr. Killen is also surrounding his house and farm 
with a remarkable collection of flowers and foliage 
plants. This certainly adds greatly to the appearance 
of the place, and is, also, a very agreeable feature of 
farm life. Mr. Killen says that, ever since he was a 
boy, he has loved flowers and trees, and has always 
been interested in trying to improve them. This 
spirit of improvement shows itself all over the place, 
and his work with these chestnuts seems likely to 
have considerable influence upon forestry and chest¬ 
nut culture. The State Experiment Station at Newark, 
and the Department of Agriculture at Washington, 
have taken great interest in Mr. Killen’s work, and 
every year he conducts experiments in connection 
with State and National authorities. h. w. c. 
NEW YORK COUNTY FAIRS. 
Dutchess County. —The 57th annual fair of the 
Dutchess County Agricultural Society was held at 
Poughkeepsie September 9. The attendance was con¬ 
siderably below the average of previous years, due, it 
is said, to an advance in the price of admission from 
25 to 35 cents, the excessive heat, and the showers on 
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The exhibition of 
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS BEING CONVEYED IN 
ARMY WAGONS TO THE DETENTION CAMP AT 
CAMP WIKOFF. Fig. 304. See Page 005. 
fruits and vegetables was excellent. Frank A. Tabor 
had charge of the special exhibit made by the State 
Experiment Station. It was the same exhibit shown 
at the State Fair, and consisted of 381 varieties of 
fruits, including 145 kinds of apples, 75 of pears, 155 
of grapes, and six of quinces. C. R. C. Masten showed 
160 varieties of fruit. P. M. Sherwood representing 
Ellwanger & Barry, showed 77 varieties of pears; 
among them were the new variety, Dr. Jules Guyot, 
shown here for the first time. Walter F. Tabor 
showed five sorts of pears and some remarkable 
bunches of ungirdled grapes. One bunch of Niagaras 
weighed 18 ounces. The better class of fruit growers 
in the Hudson River Valley say that the reputation of 
this section is being injured by the cutting and ship¬ 
ping of unripe grapes. 
The vegetable exhibit was looked after by W. C. 
Russell, and was of excellent quality and well dis¬ 
played. Several tanks containing trout were in the 
main building, and attracted much attention. It is 
evident that farmers in this section are taking an 
active interest in fish culture. The live stock exhibit 
MEMBERS OF COMPANY G, 71st NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, 
AND LANCER, THE MASCOT OF THEIR SANTIAGO 
CAMPAIGN. Fig. 305. See Page 605. 
included 254 cattle, and a few sheep and swine. Among 
them was a model working dairy shown by A. H. 
Moore, of Moore’s Mills. The famous Guernsey herd 
of non. Levi. P. Morton (Ellerslie Farm) was shown. 
The implement exhibit was confined chiefly to local 
agents of manufacturers. Wm. Young & Son, of 
Hampton Ferry, showed a new combination wagon 
rack, and a new cattle stanchion was shown by Edwin 
Prescott, of Boston. The poultry exhibit was very 
much larger than usual, necessitating the addition of 
two large tents to the poultry building. 
Orange County. —The 58th annual fair of the 
Orange County Agricultural Society was held at Mid¬ 
dletown September 13 to 16. The entries were largely 
in excess of previous years, and a reduction in the 
price of admission from 50 to 25 cents caused a very 
large increase in attendance. This fair may be 
ranked among the best of the county fairs of the Em¬ 
pire State. It is free from objectionable fakirs, and 
is attended chiefly by farmers who take an active in¬ 
terest in the agricultural portion of the exhibition. All 
661 
departments were well filled. The cattle stalls were 
all filled, and as might be expected in a milk-produc¬ 
ing section, the milk breeds predominated. Farmers 
complain bitterly of the milk combine, and say that 
they cannot afford to raise milk for two cents a quart. 
The Middletown State Hospital made a fine exhibit 
of swine. The Hospital raised last year 86,000 pounds 
of pork. The pigs are fed mostly from the wastes 
from the table and kitchen. The poultry tents were 
well filled, and the birds shown were better than the 
average at agricultural fairs. The fruit and vegetable 
tents were well patronized, and the show of both fruit 
and vegetables was highly creditable. Some very 
handsome peaches made the mouths of visitors water, 
and they were in great demand at the close of the 
fair. The show of implements was inferior ; this de¬ 
partment of local fairs seems to be attracting less and 
less attention, the exhibits being confined chiefly to 
local agents of manufacturers. 
AMONG THE MARKETMEN. 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
Muskmelons for the Multitude. —Last week 
developed an unprecedented feature in the musltmelon 
market. Large quantities of these have been coming 
from the West, and the market was pretty well filled. 
A number of car-loads came in toward the end of the 
week that were too ripe to handle. These melons 
which are shipped such long distances, must be picked 
before they are fully ripe, and it requires an expert 
to know just when to pick them to have them in the 
best condition on arrival. Sometimes the experts 
make mistakes. These were started all right, but 
encountered that scorching hot wave on the way, and 
ripened too fast. The result was that the receiver 
abandoned a number of the cars, and they were 
thrown open to whoever wanted the melons. Never 
before did Jersey City revel in muskmelons as then, 
and even the pickaninnies are said to have had all the 
melons they wanted for once. 
X X X 
Shopping for Dinner. —In the city, not all of the 
provisions are bought in the groceries and markets. 
In one of the great department stores, a whole floor 
is devoted to the sale of every kind of supply that is 
needed for the table. All conceivable kinds of grocer¬ 
ies and canned goods are in profusion. Not only can 
one buy every kind of butter and cheese, but milk and 
buttermilk are also for sale. All the kinds of vege¬ 
tables and fruits that one sees in the markets, are 
also offered, and besides these, every kind of meat, 
fish, poultry and game, if in season. Then if one do 
not wish to go to the trouble of cooking, he can buy 
canned chicken, canned turkey, canned roast beef, 
canned soups, canned vegetables, canned fruits of 
almost any kind, canned plum pudding, and various 
other extras. But if he does not like canned goods, 
here he can buy roast beef in any quantity desired, 
boiled ham, and various other kinds of meats by the 
pound, all ready for the table. He can also buy that 
good old New England dish, pork and beans, or 
potato salad, or many other such dishes. He can buy 
bread, cake and pie, and various other similar com¬ 
pounds ; in fact, there is little that one would ordi¬ 
narily put on the table that cannot be purchased here 
on this floor, all ready for eating. It certainly is a 
great convenience ; whether it is more desirable than 
the supply that the average farmer has on hand, is a 
question. Living in restricted quarters, as many peo¬ 
ple in the city do, it certainly must be a great con¬ 
venience, but on the other hand it does not seem much 
like living, as the average farmer knows it. It would 
seem that this method of existence would tend to 
make the average person more or less lazy; still, it is 
an interesting thing to see. f. h. v. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Those advertisements which promise home employment for 
leisure hours for men and women, goods sent by mail and re¬ 
turned by mail, with an assurance that any one can earn $10 a 
week, are usually pretty good things to leave alone. You will 
always find that they want a remittance in advance, and that 
ends your acquaintance with them. 
The Edward W. Walker Carriage Company, Goshen, Ind., has 
sent us a catalogue of its light wagons, which, we think, will 
interest any one who is about to buy a wagon or surrey. This 
company sells direct to the consumer, and by avoiding the mid¬ 
dleman’s profit, is able to sell a wagon first-class in every respect, 
at a comparatively low price. If you are interested, it will 
send a catalogue on application. 
Aside from the advertising value to the manufacturers of the 
trucks, it may be a matter of interest to know that Mr. Rocke¬ 
feller, the Standard Oil magnate, is removing full-grown trees 
from one part of his estate at Poeantico Hills, N. Y., to another. 
As large a portion of roots and earth as possible is moved with 
the tree. The trees are being moved on trucks made by the 
Electric Wheel Company, Quincy, HI. This house also makes 
lowdown wagons and steel wheels to fit any farm w'agon. 
Some time since, we were in the store of Julius Hines & Sons, 
Baltimore, Md., and while waiting the arrival of the proprietor, 
had opportunity to observe the filling of mail orders and pack¬ 
ages of goods. The work was done with great system and despatch. 
While, of course, the quality of goods must with them, as with all 
other houses, vary in proportion to the price, with their large 
trade and facilities for both buying in larger quantities and sell¬ 
ing direct, it would seem that country people ought to have al¬ 
most the advantage in dealing with them that city people have 
in the large department stores. 
