2i6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 12 
ing, should not lead to the rejection of 
this plant unless it is found to be a 
really acceptable host for the scale, and 
this is not at all likely. 
NOTES FROM THE RURALGROUNDS 
Possibly Too Much Privet. —The 
popularity of California privet for or¬ 
namental hedges in some localities is so 
great that it is likely to blind nursery¬ 
men and planters to the desirability of 
other shrubs just now less called for. 
This species, Ligustrum ovalifolium, a 
native of Japan and not of California, 
succeeds admirably near the Atlantic 
cc«ast., but is only precariously hardy 
north of Boston and in elevated regions 
of the interior. Broadly speaking, this 
privet cannot be counted on to endure 
temperature much below zero unless 
grown on light, well-drained soils. We 
have known it killed to the ground two 
successive Winters in Tennessee when 
planted on clay soil. There were heavy 
losses all over New England two years 
ago, and when the record for the pres¬ 
ent Winter, probably the severest of 
any since California privet has been 
widely planted in this country, is made 
up, we shall doubtless find its area of 
usefulness considerably reduced. For 
formal hedges, where it succeeds, no 
deciduous shrub excels it, but it is a 
hungry feeder, and must have liberal 
applications of fertilizer and repeated 
clippings to maintain in good vigor and 
form. In the Rural Grounds’ vicinity it 
has been for years used to the exclusion 
of other hedge plants with very charm¬ 
ing results. The hundreds of miles of 
close-trimmed hedges about eastern 
seaside resorts make a noticeable fea¬ 
ture in the landscape, but the observer 
sometimes feels that a good thing may 
be overdone and monotony result from 
the too exclusive use of even the most 
admirable local subject. 
San Jose Scale on Privet. —A Penn¬ 
sylvania nursery inspector reported last 
year the finding of the Pernicious scale 
on young California privet in the nur¬ 
sery row. Four or five rows next to a 
block of infested fruit trees were found 
sparsely covered with living scales, the 
infection growing less as the distance 
from the fruit trees increased. This is 
probably the first accredited instance of 
the dreaded orchard pest being found on 
this popular plant. The announcement 
is not pleasant news for those growing 
privet in quantity. Osage Orange and 
the Japan quince are practically thrown 
out of the list, of available hedge plants 
by their liability to scale infection, and 
it would be a misfortune to find privet 
possessing the same weakness, but there 
is nothing to show that this scale can 
maintain itself and breed on plants of 
tbe Oleander family, to which the privet 
belongs. The presence of living young 
or half-grown Pernicious scales on a 
particular species of tree or shrub does 
not imply that it can ever increase on 
that species sufficiently to cause injury 
or become a source of further infection. 
The larval scales are not produced from 
eggs, but are born alive in great num¬ 
bers during the Summer months, and 
for two days are very active, running 
about to find a vacant place on the bark 
of growing plants in which they may 
fix their beaks and spend the remainder 
of their lives secreting the scale-like 
shelter over their bodies as they grow 
in size. They may be carried by birds, 
insects, the wind and other agencies to 
a great variety of soft and hard-wooded 
plants growing nearby, and survive a 
considerable time on uncongenial spe¬ 
cies without being able to propagate 
their -kind. After the scale is fixed it 
can never move again and must perish 
when the portion of the plant to which 
it is attached dies, or starve if the sap 
is not congenial. Thus it has been found 
on young strawberry plants, but cannot 
survive the Winter in such situations. 
Its presence on privet, though disquiet- 
Nifrafe With High-grade Fertilizers. 
C. T. (1 ., Long Island.— In planting early 
potatoes, expecting to grow a second crop, 
would it be advisable to use nitrate of 
soda in connection with 1,500 pounds of a 
high-grade fertilizer to an acre? Tf so, 
how much, and in what way? Does nitrate 
of soda, if used year after year, tend to 
run the soil down? The analysis of the 
fertilizer I use is 4-C-8. 
Ans. —A high-grade fertilizer with 
four per cent of nitrogen ought to con¬ 
tain nitrate enough to start the crop. 
Ask for a guaranteed analysis and see 
by tbe statement made on page (17 how 
much of the nitrogen is from nitrates. 
We would not use nitrate with such a 
dressing of fertilizer unless the crop 
stopped growing and lost its rich green 
color. If needed at all it will be right 
after blooming. The nitrate can be scat¬ 
tered between the rows (150 pounds per 
acre) and cultivated in. Its use will de¬ 
lay the ripening of the crop. If nitrate 
be used alone year after year it will ex¬ 
haust the soil of available potash, and 
phosphoric acid, for the crops will take 
these elements out of the soil. If used 
with phosphoric acid and potash it will 
not “run the soil down” but will be like¬ 
ly to make it sour. 
Tobacco Dust for Corn. 
O. E. S., East Prospect, Pa.—I have bought 
a lot of tobacco dust, and had thought of 
using it on my corn ground. I have given 
the field a coat of stable manure in the 
Fall and thought of using the dust in the 
row. Would the above be equal to a cheap 
grade of phosphate? 
Ans. —Tobacco dust varies in composi¬ 
tion but on the average a ton will con¬ 
tain 40 pounds of nitrogen, 85 of potash 
and 15 of phosphoric acid. The manure 
is comparatively rich in nitrogen but 
very deficient in phosphoric acid. We do 
not consider tobacco dust the best fer¬ 
tilizer to use with manure. A mixture 
of three parts acid phosphate and one 
part muriate would be better. If you 
are raising garden crops or fruit we 
would prefer to use the tobacco dust on 
such crops and use the chemicals on the 
corn. 
Power 
Only 
THE NIAGARA 
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No Pump, Therefore No Pumping 
ITS STRONG POINTS 
Its Simplicity 
Nothiug lo gel out of repair. 
Its Quick Time 
iteady to work !u one minute. 
Its Economy 
Khvch time, labor ami material—enough 
material to pay lor power. 
[ t 8 Ap 
Ih perfect 
perfection for its work. 
Its Weight 
la not burdensome to s team. 
Its Ease of Operation 
Any bright boy can run it. 
Its Kerosene Oil Attachment 
la the only marhlue Ibut will properly 
mix oil and water. 
Its Fine Spray 
it sprays—it does not drench. 
Made by Niagara Gas Sprayer Co., Middleport, N.Y. 
The Auto-Spray 
is everybody’s sprayer—suits every 
job. Brass pump, brass or galvanized 
iron tank. Compress air on mixture 
with a dozen plunder strokes, strap I 
i on back, and spray % acre vines. 
I Great new feature in Auto-Pop at- 
i tachment. Controls spray perfectly. 
Saves half the mixture. Nozzle abso- I 
lutcljr clean rrvrj time Auto-Pop la worked. | 
Only nozzle that can't clog. Wo manufacture i 
the largest lino in America of high grade and , 
power aprayere. Aak for free catalogue. Writ*] 
ua if you want the agency. 
E. C. BROWN & CO., 
f, State St., Rochestor „N. Y.j 
_nt-klo^SPI 
Latest and —-- 
best. All sizes. Throws9 kinds - 
spray from same nozzle. Agents wanted. 
$20.00 A DAY 
has been made by live agents. Showing It !s 
selling it. First community order (whole¬ 
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Write for terms and free circulars. 
ROCHESTER SPRAY PUMP CO. 
16 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y, 
NECESSITIES 
THE ORCHARD 
(Pat. Peb. 5, 1904) 
Compressed-Air Spraying 
Apparatus, Fruit Graders 
Chemicals for Spraying, Kto. 
Our catalogue will interest you. 
W. H. OWEN, Port Clinton, Ohio 
SPRAYING SPAR 
WHALE-OIL SOAP 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
EASILY CONTROLLED 
OCR COMPRESSED-AIR SPRAYER has a 
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No pump, light weight, nothing to break or wear out. 
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PIKRCE-LOOP SPRAYER CO.. North East, Pa 
THE PERFECTION SPRAYER 
sprays everything, trees, potatoes, etc. Furnished 
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free. THOS. PEPPLiER, Box 20, Hightstowu,N. J 
It will Pay Every Farmer to Raise 
Potatoes in 1904; and to Raise them 
on the “Old Reliable” Stockbridge 
THE STOCKBRIDGE IDEA of special fertilizers made for different crops 
oi classes of ciops, and introduced nearly thirty years ago, receives fresh 
support from experiment station workers and practical farmers every year; 
flom tlae hist, because the Stockbridge principle is proving to be founded 
on a scientific basis, and from the latter, because the Stockbridge does roll 
out the potatoes generously at digging time. 
We make no startling or extravagant claims for the Stockbridge. We claim 
no moie foi the Stockbridge Potato Manure than what practical farmers by 
experience have found to be true, namely, that it does contain just the elements 
lequiied by the potato crop under normal conditions for a maximum growth 
of the best quality. 
The Largest Twenty Crops of Potatoes grown in the Great 
Potato Contest conducted forTwo Years by the “American Agri= 
culturist ” were grown on Stockbridge Potato Manure alone 
It will pay you to see our Local Agents , or address 
RflWkFP FERTILIZER COMPANY 
» V rV L. rv 43 Chatham Street, Boston 
