524 
T1IE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 9, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
| Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to in 
sure attention. Before asking a question, 
please see whether it is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few 
questions at one time. Put questions on a 
separate piece of paper. 1 
An Old Asparagus Bed. 
A. G. M., Farmer, N. Y .—In what manner 
may an old asparagus bed be renewed? In 
starting a new asparagus bed, when should 
the roots be set ? How deep and far apart, 
how fertilized, how covered, and how cared 
for? 
Ans. —If the asparagus bed has run out 
from a lack of fertility, I would advise a 
liberal dressing of well-rotted manure 
at the last cutting, followed by a thor¬ 
ough harrowing, with a spring-tooth har¬ 
row or horse cultivator, continuing the 
cultivation between the rows as long as 
possible during the season, always culti¬ 
vating shallow. In the Fall the bed 
should again he covered with manure 
after the tops are cut. If, on the other 
hand, the bed in question has become foul 
with weeds, Quack grass, etc., I know of 
no remedy except plowing with a view 
to destroying the bed. It perhaps can be 
best accomplished by cutting several times 
during the Summer, then turning upside 
down with a plow, thus exposing the 
roots, which have been weakened by the 
frequent cutting. On the whole it will 
not pay to put much labor or expense on 
an old worn-out asparagus bed. Better 
set a new bed. 
When starting a new bed, select a good 
rich sandy loam, plow deep as early in the 
Spring as the ground can be worked. 
After a thorough harrowing mark out 
rows four feet apart, following the marks 
with a hiller or double-mold plow, thus 
making a trench from 8 to 10 inches 
deep. Two-year-old plants should be 
used if one does not mind the extra ex¬ 
pense. The plants are then set 18 inches 
apart in the bottom of trenches, with 
toots well spread out, covering the crown 
with about three inches of soil. An ap¬ 
plication of well-rotted manure or high- 
grade fertilizer at the first cultivation will 
be very beneficial. The ground should be 
frequently cultivated, filling the trenches 
gradually, so that by the end of the sea¬ 
son the ground will be level. At the ap¬ 
proach of cold weather the bed should 
be well mulched with manure, to be left 
until early Spring, to be plowed under as 
early as the ground will work in good 
condition, using a plow than can be 
arranged to plow three inches deep, oi 
more. The soil should then be well 
harrowed with a harrow that does not 
cut over three inches deep. An applica¬ 
tion of nitrate of soda at this time will 
help push things along. If large white 
asparagus is wanted, the rows should be 
ridged up six or eight inches high ovei 
the plants, the asparagus always being 
cut under ground, the ridges to be leveled 
down after the last cutting. As a rule 
very little cutting should be done the first 
year. In that event it will not be neces¬ 
sary to ridge until the second year. One 
of the most troublesome weeds we have in 
an asparag us seed is the self-sown aspara¬ 
gus plants that come from the seed which 
is allowed to ripen and drop to the 
ground. Thus much time will be saved 
if we cut out all stems that have berries 
on when green, not allowing any to ripen. 
The above directions are for garden cul¬ 
ture ; for field culture the rows should be 
at least six feet apart. J. J. 
Water Supply from Spring. 
J. L. P., Bedford, N. Y .—What is the best 
and cheapest way to get water from a 
Spring Into a barn and house? The build¬ 
ings are about 150 feet apart, and are about 
on a level. The Spring is about 10 feet lower 
than the uuildings. How would a hydraulic 
ram work, and what size pipe would be 
necessary to furnish water for a family of 
four persons and 15 head of stock? About 
what would the outfit cost? 
Ans.—A hydraulic ram would certainly 
be the best means of getting this water 
to the buildings, provided the spring has 
a sufficiently strong flow and three or 
four feet of fall can be had near for oper¬ 
ating the ram. In this case a ram will 
raise about one gallon of water to every 
five that escapes, and J. L. P. can measure 
the flow of the spring and estimate if he 
can get sufficient water by this means to 
supply the house and barn. If he thinks 
of installing a ram a dealer in those 
machines will gladly visit the grounds, 
make a survey, and give him all the par¬ 
ticulars. Nearness to buildings will make 
the cost comparatively low, about $10 for 
pipe, and for ram about $75. Next to a 
ram, a windmill would probably be the 
best thing. Whatever means is employed 
to raise the water, I would suggest that 
J. L. P. place a galvanized iron tank in 
cellar of house and a cistern at the barn 
in preference to tanks up in the buildings, 
which make water hot in Summer and 
are always a trouble about freezing in 
Winter. The force that would raise water 
to an elevated tank would force it into the 
cellar tank, so that the air pressure will 
take it to any part of the house. G. D. 
Raising Onion Sets. 
R. F. D., Farmington, Conn .—I would like 
to raise my own onion sets this Summer for 
next year, and would you tell me how do do 
It? I have tried It now for several years, 
but always fail. 
Ans. —It is quite easy to raise your own 
onion sets. The seed should be sown on 
quite poor soil, lightly spaded or forked 
out, in drills about 18 inches apart, sow¬ 
ing the seed thickly in a row about an 
inch wide. Cover about half an inch 
deep. The only care necessary is to keep 
the little onions thoroughly clean of 
weeds and grass. The idea is to sow the 
seed thickly on very poor ground so that 
the seeds will crowd together and not 
grow large. For this reason we do not 
cultivate them beyond keeping them clean 
of weeds and grass. When the tops die 
down they should be lifted, thoroughly 
dried in the shade, and stored in some 
safe place where they will freeze hard 
during the Winter. 
Snails in the Garden. 
L. A., Schellsburg, Pa .—Is there any 
means of ridding a garden of snails? They 
are a terrible pest here, disfiguring our vege¬ 
tables and flowers. 
Ans.— The best treatment is occasion¬ 
ally to sift air-slaked lime about the places 
they infest, renewing it as often as it is 
washed away by rains. They also dislike 
tobacco dust very much, and a few appli¬ 
cations of this handy insecticide will do 
much to drive them away, and it is a 
valuable fertilizer for the plants as well. 
They may be materially reduced in num¬ 
ber by hunting for them with a lantern 
when they come out to feed at night, and 
crushing them when found. It is well to 
use free applications of lime around the 
edges of boards and walks, and to clear 
out all decayed boards and lumber around 
the place. As a general thing they breed 
under boards and stones. They may be 
often routed by freely dusting air-slaked 
lime in these places. 
Blue Grass: Red Clover and Alfalfa. 
A. B. E., Delmar, Del .—What time of the 
year should I sow Blue grass seed, and what 
quantity to the acre? Is It hard to break up 
wuen you get tired of it? Does Alfalfa 
mixed with Red Clover make better hay than 
Red clover by Itself? 
Ans. —Blue grass seed may be sown 
any time the ground is fit to work. It 
is well to have the ground thoroughly 
broken up and prepared, if possible, be¬ 
fore sowing grass seeds as fine as this. 
The proper quantity is from three to four 
bushels, of 14 pounds each, per acre. It 
should be carefully sown and well har¬ 
rowed in with a fine-tooth harrow. There 
is no difficulty in getting rid of Blue grass 
sod when tired of it. It may be simply 
turned under the ground and cultivated 
in the usual manner. It is not an aggres¬ 
sive grass, and is not inclined to hold 
on when badly treated. Red clover hay 
well cured is in every way superior to 
Alfalfa, as the leaves hold on better and 
retain a large amount of nutriment. Al¬ 
falfa leaves shatter badly during the cur¬ 
ing stage, and are largely lost before stor¬ 
ing. Alfalfa and clover do not thrive 
together. The clover makes its best 
growth when young, and Alfalfa after 
several years. The latter will kill out the 
clover if it succeeds at all, and take pos¬ 
session of the ground. Each variety is 
better grown by itself. 
Hardy Roses for Ohio. 
F. II. II., Lexington, O .—Will you tell me 
the names of 12 of the most desirable Hardy 
Perpetual roses? I would like them ranging 
through the different colors. In our latitude 
Helen Gould Is hardy during ordinary Win¬ 
ters. We were much pleased with the Ram¬ 
bler. It is growing nicely. 
Ans.— The list of hardy roses below 
is about the best that can be made for 
general use. Individual tastes diffei 
greatly in regard to color, etc., but the 
roses mentioned will be found among the 
most reliable and useful: 
Frau Karl Druschki, white; Paul Ney- 
ron, very large, deep pink; General Jac¬ 
queminot, brilliant crimson; Rodocan- 
achi, silvery pink; Gloire Lyonnaise, 
white, tinted yellow; Magna Charta, 
bright pink; Ulrich Brunner, cherry red; 
Prince Camille de Rohan, dark red; Mme. 
Gabriel Luizet, light pink; Soleil d’Or, 
yellow and red; Fisher Holmes, dark 
scarlet; Marshall P. Wilder, deep car¬ 
mine. _ _ 
Canada Thistles. —About 29 years ago I 
bought a farm that was badly seeded with 
Canada thistles. One lot of 12 acres I left 
until In full bloom. I then wrapped the 
horses’ legs with bags and rolled the thistles 
(he same way I wished to plow. I plowed 
the field and kept working on top until Sep¬ 
tember, when it was sown to wheat and gave 
a yield of 45 bushels to the acre. There has 
never been any thistle since. I would prefer 
a good, big crop of Canada thistle to plow 
under to a crop of clover. G. b. n. 
Clarkson. N. Y. 
inni C DADDCI Q —Buy now and save money. 
AriLt. uHnnCLo. Rout. Giiu^. M-dinn.N v. 
VOUNG UNMARRIED MAN desires position as 
* assistant manager or foreman on farm. An agri¬ 
cultural school graduate. Practical experience with 
fruit and poultry. Address “ P. S.,” care R. N.-Y. 
IMPRO 
VED 
LARGE YORKSHIRES; 
all ages, from imported stock, 
at modest prices. W.H. Fisher, 
Snnhr Rui Idtnsr. r-olntuhns. O. 
. ANGUS & HOLSTEIN CATTLE 
R Registered and grades all ages aud sexes, 
1 and of champion blood for the beef and milk 
I strains and at moderate prices. Also Nursery 
1 stock of all descriptions. 
1 MYER d; SON 
a BridgeviUe, Delaware. 
YOU CAN SAVE FROT 
BY BUYING OUR 
pak“KNODIG” Pend ' mm 
-If NATIONAL wma 
[ ’sv as J 
/I $30 TO $50 
Our Latest Patlern 
Pitless Scale. 
_No Pit to Dig. 
8 Inches Over 
^§1®^ All. Steel 
NATIONAL 
Dept. Z. n 
*9% 
PITLESi 
KAN 
f. ramo# 
Write for free 
Cati logne. 
$ SCALE CO. 
fSAS CITY. MO. 
A SILENT PILOT. 
Nothing helps so much in the enjoyment 
of your vacation than a good map. It shows 
you the streams and lakes you can fish, the 
mountains you can climb, the places of inter¬ 
est you can visit and the roads you can wheel 
or tramp. The Lackawanna Railroad has 
just issued a set of colored maps on a large 
scale, showing the territory reached by its 
lines in New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl¬ 
vania. These maps give every highway, post- 
office, trolley line and railroad and are so 
bound that they can be conveniently carried 
in the pocket. They are invaluable to auto¬ 
mobile tourists and travelers and should be 
owned by every one who wishes to be informed 
on the geography of these three States. The 
entire set in a neat cover may be had by send¬ 
ing 10 cents in stamps to T. W. Lee, General 
Passenger Agent, Lackawanna Railroad, New 
York City. 
The edition is limited. Write to-day. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
Seeds for Summer 
and Fall Planting 
Vetches. Millet, Crimson Clover. Cow Peas, &c. 
Write for prices; also ask for a copy of our Mid¬ 
summer Catalogue of Strawberry Plants. 
HF.N’Y A DREER, Philadelphia, Pa. 
PECAN TREES AND, NUTS 
seedling trpes,(1.2 &3 
years old.i TheG. M. Bacon Pecan Co. ilnc.T Dewitt.Ga 
shows in NATURAL COLORS and 
accurately describes 216 varieties of 
' fruit. Send for our liberal terms of distri- 
r tuition tr> nlanters.— Stark Bro’s, Louisiana,Mo. 
rnq P *| C —Ginseng Garden and Fruit Farm, 
lUn OHLE.I Selling Ginseng Cheap. Write 
Chestnut Grove Ginseng Farm, Marion, N. Y. 
rnn Oil C —Crimson Clover Seed, $4 per bushel. 
lUn CALL Cow Peas,$1.75 and$2perbubhel; Seed 
Sweet Potatoes, i 1 per bushel. 
J. E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
TncTPn GARDENrvKM QPPn 
i Co I CUand floweruClU 
Agricultural Implements, and Poultry Supplies. 
Send for Catalogue. 
VOTTNG A TTAT.STEAD. 2 and 4 Grand St Trnv NT V. 
PCI CDY PLANTS. Very stocky, with large 
w LLCil 1 roots. From imported seed. Golden 
Self Blanching, White Plume, Giant Pascal, Golden 
Heart, $1.25 per 1000 ; 80c. per 500. r 
PADDAflC PLANTS, $1 perl,000; 70o. per 
vADDAUC 600: $7.5010,000. Strong plants. 
Danish Ballhead.Surehead. AllSeasons, Stone Mason, 
Flat, Dutch. F. W. RO n HKI,TiR. Drawer3. Chester,N.J 
CELERY PLANTS FOR SALE. 
Write for Prices. 
CHITTKNA NGO CELKKY CO., CANASTOTA, N. Y- 
CELERY AND CABBAGE PLANTS 
For Sale.—Leading varieties, carefully packed with 
moss in baskets. F. O. B. here. Write for prices. 
Cash with order. Plants ready about June 15th. 
WOODLAND FARM, Canastota, Madison Co., N.l 
CHOICE CELERY iSS CABBAGE 
PLANTS, only »1 per 1,000. All good sorts ready 
July. SLAYMAKER & SON, Dover. Del 
3 ot1ed Strawberry Plants w n yand'o»e 8 “ 
1.4 r» J A VT AT.TOn k Hill. N. Y. 
POTTED STRAWBERRY PLANTS. iiSZ 
T C KKV1TT. Atheula, N. J 
next June, if planted this Summer. 
DREER’S 
Mid-Summer Catalogue 
offers a choice line of these; also Celery, 
Cabbage, Cauliflower and other season¬ 
able plants. Write for copy, FREE. 
HENRY A. DREER, 714 Chestnut St., Phila., Pa. 
LARGE LUSCIOUS STRAWBERRIES IN 1905. 
From our STRONG POT GROWN PLANTS offered in our Summer Catalogue. A full crop of fruit 
ten months after plants are set out. Plant now, we have the best varieties for market » nd home 
use. We have in five-inch pots, now ready for planting and late bloom, all the best hardy Roses, 
Honeysuckle and Clematis; also Boston and English Ivy. A full line of selected FRUITS and 
ORNAMENTALS for Autumn planting. Stock first class. Prices reasonable. 
I A iinOO A DC PADnCMIAlP and the beautifying and enriching of the Home ground our leading 
LAPUJubAlL UAnUCnmU specialty. We will be pleased to call ard see you on this matter, or 
call at our Nurseries and see our stoe k. Our Catalogue mailed free. Write for it to-day. 
T. j DWYER db CO , COTIIMWA3 j3j, 3NT. Y. 
SAFETY FRUIT PICKER 
The Latest and Best FRUIT Better Fruit for the Market 
PICKER on the market Better Prices for the Pro- 
No Bruising of Fr it. 
No Breaking of Branches. 
No Danger to Life or Limb. 
Order one by Mall at once, to 
ducer. 
Cheap In Price and Simple in 
Construction. 
insure delivery in time for crop. 
Price, $2.50. 
LIVE AGENTS WANTED. * NONE OTHERS NEED APPLY. 
Pat. Granted. YOU HAVE WAITED LONG. HERE IT IS. 
Address, SAFETY FRUIT PICKER CO., Rochester, N. Y. 
