July 16 
494 * THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NETTIE STRAWBERRY. Fig. 222. See Rukalibms, Page 498. 
as Dot to spread, and the paint and oil harden and 
form a protecting- coat over the wound. 
3. Decidedly ; for years we will see very little of it, 
and then it will he very plentiful for a year, more or 
less. I have never seen any good results in the pre¬ 
venting of black-knot by spraying. We spray for 
shot-hole fungus, but in order not to injure the foliage, 
which is very sensitive, we have the Bordeaux so 
weak tna'L i doubt its efficacy as a preventive of knot. 
Of course, it can do no good as a cure, after the tree is 
attacked. Nothing but heroic treatment with saw 
and knife will then suffice. 
4. If to spray at all for black-knot, it would be but 
once a year, and then in late Winter or early Spring, 
just about the time the Winter spores are being scat¬ 
tered. The Bordeaux could then be used much stronger 
with safety, and then is, doubtless, the time when 
most of the dissemination takes place. 
5. Lombard far beyond all others, but Hudson River 
Purple Egg is pretty bad. 
6. Washington, Richland, Fellenberg, Bradshaw or 
Niagara and Grand Duke are exempt in the order 
named. 
7. In a year when black-knot is very prevalent, it is 
almost impossible to save Lombard trees, as I have 
seen them when every twig almost would develop a 
knot; but ordinarily, by watching the orchard and 
cutting off and out all knots as soon as shown, and 
burning them, and where the knots show on large 
limbs or the body by the application as in the answer 
to No. 2, there is no trouble in saving an orchard. I 
have saved single trees where half the body had to be 
removed to take the knot away. If one uses only half¬ 
way care, and lets the knots get well established, not 
only in the plum trees, but in all the sour cherries 
along the fences, he will have a hard fight and no 
mistake ; but if he will meet the trouble on its first 
appearance, and be constantly on the watch, destroy¬ 
ing every knot on its first appearance, there is an 
easy task before the plum grower if he sets only the 
kinds most immune. Really the black-knot is a bless¬ 
ing to the vigilant man. j. s. woodward. 
Niagara County, N. Y. 
Mr. S. D. Willard’s Opinion. 
Since I have been growing plums for a quarter 
century, I have never seen the time when we have 
been absolutely free from the black-knot. It is a 
singular fact that often there are seasons when very 
little is seen of it; then again a season comes when it 
appears in a more virulent form. This is entirely un¬ 
explainable to me, but the facts are the same, and so 
far as my observation and experience extend, are in¬ 
disputable. I have not noticed it as being worse this 
year than last. My plan is to cut out every evidence 
of the knot that is discernible, promptly, following the 
strings from it down several inches, as it will be ob¬ 
served that it is traceable some distance below or 
above where the knot itself appears. I have often 
used linseed oil after having applied the knife thor¬ 
oughly. Where it is possible, however, I prefer to 
cut off the whole limb where there is any evidence of 
its being affected. I should have no confidence in 
spraying with Bordeaux Mixture as a preventive, 
although possibly, this might answer this purpose. 
In those varieties most subject to the knot in the 
European sorts, I have found the Damsons, Hudson 
River Purple Egg, Lombard and Reine Claude de 
Bavay. Of those varieties least subject to it, I have 
found Yellow Egg, Bradshaw, Field, Grand Duke, 
Arch Duke, Monarch and Diamond ; it has rarely 
shown itself in my orchard upon these varieties. I 
cannot say how badly a tree must be infested with 
knot to be incurable, as I have never allowed, upon 
my premises, any trees to get in this condition. If 
however, I had trees infested as I have seen them on 
the grounds of others, where the limbs become thor¬ 
oughly covered, or the body itself, with the knot, I 
would dig and burn them. One other point, this dis¬ 
ease is known to be spread by its spores, carried about 
by the wind; hence w r hile I may protect myself ab¬ 
solutely from my own trees, it is not so easy for me to 
protect myself from the carelessness of some of my 
neighbors who will not take any pains to destroy it 
or hold it in check, except as required by the existing 
State law. s. d. willard. 
Ontario County, N. Y. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
The Wkedkr on Beans. —C. II. Bid well, of Medina, 
N. Y., says that he would use a weeder across the 
rows of beans once before they are well sprouted ; 
then he would wait until the beans dropped off the 
leaf, and then use the weeder again. There has been 
some controversy as to whether the weeder could be 
used among growing beans. Mr. Dibble, in a recent 
interview, opposed the practice. Mr. Bidwell says, 
however, that it is a good thing to use the weeder be¬ 
fore the beans are really out of the ground, and not 
afterward until the beans have dropped off ; then the 
weeder can be used again, after which the cultivator 
should be kept going. 
Tub Cost of a Hen. —A writer in a California paper 
has an interesting article on the raising of poultry as 
conducted in that State. I n figuring the cost of keep¬ 
ing a hen one year, he estimates that she will eat 73 
pounds of wheat. Our own experiments show that 
this is nearly correct. One day with another, during 
the year, a hen will thrive on an average of three 
ounces of wheat per day. With a large range in 
Summer and an opportunity to pick up Crimson clover 
or rape, we think the average would be even less than 
this. The writer referred to estimates that a good 
REBA STRAWBERRY. Fig. 223. See Ruralisms, Page 498. 
hen ought to lay 12 dozen eggs per annum. We be¬ 
lieve that 10 dozen eggs per year is a large record for 
the average hen. In fact, with only 100 eggs per 
year, and an average price of 15 cents per dozen, the 
100-egg hen will pay a fair profit, even though fed 
entirely upon wheat. When we take advantage of 
the many food substitutes that will reduce the cost of 
keeping the hen. the profit will be greater. The way 
in which these figures are likely to fail, however, is 
the fact that the cost of replenishing the laying stock 
is likely to be greater than most beginners believe. 
Cow Peas in Tennessee. —A reader in Tennessee 
gives a good illustration of the possibilities of farm¬ 
ing in that climate, provided the proper crops are 
used. He has just cut a crop of oats for hay. Now 
the land is to be plowed and fertilized at the rate of 
200 pounds of acid phosphate and 100 pounds of 
muriate of potash per acre, and sown to cow peas. 
Another piece of sod ground, badly run out, will be 
plowed, fertilized in the same way, and also sown to 
cow peas. By September 1, the crop can be either 
cut for hay or plowed under ; in either case, leaving 
the ground in good condition for seeding to grass, 
wheat or rye, or Winter oats for Fall pasture. Thus 
by making use of the hot Summer months, the cow 
peas will add greatly to the fertility of the soil, pre¬ 
venting the growth of weeds, and fitting the land for 
another crop to hold it during the Winter. 
Traveling Ensilage Cutters. —In certain parts 
of the West, thrashers have bought ensilage cutters 
of large size, with which they travel from farm 
to farm in much the same way that they do with 
their thrashers. They cut ensilage into the silo, or 
they come during the Winter and cut the corn fodder, 
and leave it in the mow. While in theory this appears 
like a good way to do business, there seem to be ob¬ 
jections to it. The work is generally rushed through 
with all possible haste, as the operator is anxious to 
get to the next farm where the farmer is waiting for 
him. In filling a silo, such haste is not desirable ; in 
fact, the ensilage ought to settle slowly in order to 
give best results. Farmers who have three or more 
silos, frequently fill one partially, then start another, 
and then go back to the first, and so on. In cutting 
dry fodder, the traveling machine must be pushed to 
its utmost capacity in order to make the job pay. A 
single day’s cutting at full speed, will be reasonably 
sure to heat, and a portion of it will spoil. If the 
same amount of fodder were divided into three or 
four cuttings, a much larger proportion of it would 
be saved, and almost all of it would be better relished 
by the stock. Experience with these traveling cutters 
seems to indicate that, where a man has a reasonable 
amount of fodder to be cut, it is the best economy 
for him to own his own machine. 
Changes in Dakota. —A reader in North Dakota 
says that, 12 years ago, the bundle carrier on the grain 
binder was introduced in this section. It has since 
come into general use, and dispenses with the work 
of one man to each harvester, as it takes two men to 
shock after one binder, if no carrier is used. This 
man says that, one year with another, he has best 
success in hauling the wheat right from the machine 
to the elevator, and selling at once. He says that he 
has put 75-cent wheat in a farm granary, and after 
holding two years, sold for 50 cents. He believes that 
harvesting, in his part of Dakota, will in a few years 
undergo a decided change. He thinks the Russian 
thistle and the hot, dry winds, will drive farmers to 
stock raising and wool growing. The Golden North¬ 
west will be less a section of golden grain, and more 
the home of golden butter and yellow cheese. 
Giving Up Meat. —“ There is no rheumatism in my 
joints,” said a hearty and well-preserved man of 65, 
last week, as he kicked his legs about to show how 
well the joints were oiled. “ Two years ago, I was full 
of aches and pains, rheumatism and similar troubles. 
I made up my mind that most of these troubles were 
due to eating too much meat, and my wife and I have 
stopped eating meat almost entirely, and have also 
stopped drinking tea and coffee, and we never felt 
better in our lives. For breakfast, we eat plenty of 
oat meal or barley with milk and cream, and all the 
good fruit we want. I doubt whether we average two 
ounces of meat per day through the entire year. We 
find apples about the best fruit we can eat, while 
asparagus, green peas and lettuce are the most health¬ 
ful vegetables. The only trouble about this change 
of diet is that I did not begin early enough. If I had 
stopped eating meat 10 years ago, I would have been 
a good deal younger man than I am to-day. There is 
no question about the fact that most men eat too much 
meat. After their teeth get poor so that they cannot 
chew the meat properly, the trouble is worse than it 
was before. Eat fruit and vegetables, and live long, 
and be happy ! ” 
Tomato Plants from Cuttings. —On page 368, Mr. 
Fred Grundy told of a friend who roots cuttings from 
the best tomato plants. In resnonse to various ques¬ 
tions, Mr. Grundy gives the following particulars: 
If branches of a tomato vine are laid on the ground 
and covered with an inch or so of moist soil, they will 
root readily, when they may be transferred to three 
or four-inch pots. Or cuttings may be taken from 
the vines, set in the same-sized pots, kept in a grow¬ 
ing temperature, and only a very small per cent will 
fail to grow. After the plants are well established in 
the pots, they should be placed in a well-lighted room, 
or sunny window, and watered just often enough to 
prevent wilting. Last Winter, we kept a plant in an 
ordinary living room where the temperature varied 
from 40 to 90, and it came through in good condition. 
The plants should be short and stocky when taken 
in, and may be kept so by pinching off the tips of the 
branches. In pinching back, we found it best to nip 
off the tips just beyond the first leaf, allowing that to 
STAR STRAWBERRY. Fig. 224, SpeJRuralisms, Page 499. 
