702 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 24, 
fi^uralisms * 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Work of the Orchard Oriole. —Pig. 
310, page 699, well shows the characteristic 
punctures in ripening fruits of the Orchard 
oriole and other sharp-billed birds. The 
photograph was made 24 hours after the 
injuries, so that drying of the edges has 
caused the wounds to appear larger than 
when first made. There were 27 punc¬ 
tures in the peach and a less number in 
the plums. A single prick of course, ut¬ 
terly spoils the fruit for market purposes, 
and also for home use unless quickly gath¬ 
ered. There is absolutely no doubt as to the 
nature of the injury. A brood, five in num¬ 
ber, of immature Orchard orioles invaded 
the Rural Grounds and were carefully 
watched during a 15-minutes’ progress 
through the trial orchard. They were not 
interfered with, but were followed so 
closely, that they probably did not devote 
as much time to jabbing fruits as they 
might otherwise. The punctures were 
made with amazing rapidity, apparently 
for the purpose of getting minute drops of 
moisture from the fruits. An oriole would 
alight on a twig, make a few quick strikes 
with his bill and pass on, often to be re¬ 
placed by another bird which would at 
once pierce the same fruit. About 100 
speciments were thus injured in a few 
minutes on the only three trees carrying 
ripe fruits at the time. When not pecking 
fruits the orioles appeared to be searching 
for insects, but were not observed to cap¬ 
ture any. It is easily seen that birds hav¬ 
ing the playful habit of puncturing choice 
ripe fruits are not desirable residents of the 
orchard, and may do more damage in mid¬ 
summer than they can repay by insect 
hunting during the nesting season. 
Robins Again Attack Grapes. —Almost 
with the first show of color on such early 
black grapes as Manito, Moore’s Early and 
Campbell the robins began their attacks, 
stripping vine after vine before the berries 
were edible. About a dozen birds have 
camped about these early vines, seldom 
leaving the immediate vicinity even an 
hour at a time. As other varieties color 
experience warns us that this bird plague 
will increase. We have given up the idea 
of getting any palatably ripened black 
grapes, as the clusters are stripped as 
they color. Red and light kinds have not 
been troubled, but we cannot be sure this 
immunity will continue. Black and purple 
grapes are more pleasing to the eye, and 
usually more sprightly in quality than the 
light sorts, and we do not like to dispense 
with them. Roadside and wild fruits are 
now over, and we may expect a vigorous 
onslaught on our fruit gardens. Out 
southern friends, who very properly re¬ 
gard the migratory robin as a choice Win¬ 
ter game bird, should be pleased with the 
great increase of this voracious fruit eater 
under our northern protective laws. 
Grape Seedlings. —With the possible 
exception of the strawberry more seedlings 
of grapes appear to be grown in this coun¬ 
try than of any other fruit. The complete 
failure of the Vitis vinifera or Syrian 
grape varieties, exclusively grown in Old 
World countries, in the Eastern and Middle 
States, early directed attention to our na¬ 
tive species, and persistent attempts have 
since been made to bring these crude 
wildlings up to the foreign standard, or 
finally to surpass it. The Syrian grape has 
the advantage of thousands of years of 
skillful cultivation, highly improved vari¬ 
eties being grown in the time of the earli¬ 
est Pharaohs, but the progress made in 
three-quarters of a century in developing 
cur native kinds is most gratifying. So 
much remains to be done that keen interest 
in grape breeding is likely to be felt for a 
long time. Best results are had as a rule 
where there is a slight infusion of Vinifera 
blood, as in Concord, Delaware and Ca¬ 
tawba seedlings and their descendants, but 
it must be very dilute if the plant is to re¬ 
tain sufficient vigor for general culture. 
Some encouraging results have come, 
however, where seeds of apparently pure 
natives have been used. Seeds should be 
saved from perfect specimens of the se¬ 
lected variety. They should be washed 
clean and stored in any safe dry place until 
wanted. They retain their germinating 
power several months under ordinary con¬ 
ditions, but grow more quickly if planted 
while comparatively fresh. 
Care of the Seedlings. —If a green¬ 
house is at hand they may be planted in 
pots or boxes of light soil, providing 
very free drainage, as they are in¬ 
clined to damp off if too wet. Early 
December seems about the best time 
to start the seeds, as they are able 
to gain considerable strength before 
Spring. When large enough to handle 
they can be potted off in three-inch pots, 
which should be large enough to hold them 
until planted out, or spaced about four 
inches apart in boxes. They should have a 
warm and sunny position through the 
Winter and be watered with especial care 
or growth will be checked. Grapes love 
warmth when growing and should not be 
planted out until near the first of June. 
If set about two feet by four and a stake 
provided the second year for each vine, 
they may remain until of fruiting age, but 
the usual plan is to plant a foot or more 
apart in rows and transfer later to the 
usual trellis for fruiting. The latter is 
probably the best way, as it gives better 
development to the young vines. Unless 
the soil is rich it is well to apply freely 
stable manure or ground bone and wood 
ashes, and work them well into the soil 
by frequent cultivation. 
Planting Seeds in the Open. —If no 
glass structure is available the seeds 
should be mixed with moist sand as soon 
as washed from the pulp and buried in 
some safe place in the garden until Spring, 
protecting them from mice with a covering 
of wire netting. Plant in early May in 
drills a foot apart, placing the seeds about 
two inches apart and cover an inch deep. 
The soil should be made very rich and 
deeply worked before planting to give the 
young plants a vigorous start, as the grow¬ 
ing season of grape seedlings, the first 
year, is not very long. The plants may 
need shade at first if the weather is hot, 
and should be freely watered when at all 
dry. They should be trained on small 
stakes as growth progresses, and should be 
covered the first Winter to prevent heaving. 
Grape seedlings bear in from three to six 
years from germination, and should be 
large enough to propagate, if deemed 
worthy, in one or two years more. Many 
will be infertile and few equal their parent 
in useful characters, but occasionally a 
really good one is produced. The quest 
for a model American grape is fascinating, 
and not likely to be neglected while there 
is room for such great improvement. 
W. V. F. 
CULTIVATION OF POTATOES FROM 
SEED . 
A. S., Howell, Mich .—How are potato 
seed-balls cultivated? 
In raising potatoes from seed balls 
the balls are gathered after the potato 
tops die down, cut open, the seed scraped 
out and washed and dried, just as one 
saves tomato seeds. In early Spring the 
seeds are thinly sown in pots or boxes in 
a hotbed or Winter garden, just like to¬ 
mato or cabbage seeds. When the little 
seedings have made two or three pairs 
of leaves they are transplanted in small 
pots or boxes, setting them about two 
inches apart each way. When the 
weather becomes warm enough outside 
the plants are hardened by exposure to the 
open air for several days, then trans¬ 
planted to the garden, setting them in rich 
soil in rows three feet apart, and the 
plants about one foot apart in a row. 
After that the culture is just like that 
of other potatoes, that is, they must be 
frequently hoed and kept clean of weeds. 
In the Fall, when the tops die down, they 
are dug and the small potatoes, which 
may range from the size of a pea to that 
of a walnut, are saved like other seed 
potatoes, except that it is well to keep 
the tubers from each plant separate. In 
the Spring these little tubers should be 
planted in the usual way at the same dis¬ 
tance that ordinary potatoes are planted, 
and cultivated in the same manner. This 
year they should produce full-sized tubers 
and one should be able to judge of their 
probable value. The poor sorts may be 
discarded, and the better ones planted for 
two or three succeeding years, until the 
grower has fully made up his mind which 
is the best to save, and the others can then 
be disposed of, as there are already too 
many varieties of potatoes in cultivation. 
Seeds of Box Elder and Catalpa. 
II. D. B. South Haven, Mich ,—How can 
seeds of box elder and Catalpa lie best saved 
and propagated? About bow long will it 
take such seeds to grow trees to height of 
four feet, with fair care and conditions in 
southwest Michigan? 
Ans. —Seeds of box elder and the vari¬ 
ous species of Catalpa should be collected 
as soon as ripe, and stratified, or placed 
in boxes in layers of moist sand, and kept 
over Winter in some cool place where 
they will not dry out. Seeds may be 
sown outside as soon as the ground can be 
safely worke'd, sowing in drills two or 
three feet apart, and covering not over 
one inch deep, thoroughly firming the 
soil over them. They should have clean 
cultivation for a year or two, and be thin¬ 
ned out after coming up until they stand 
five or six inches apart. In good soil in 
your locality they should reach the 
height of four feet by the end of the sec¬ 
ond year at least. 
Rose Buds Blasting. 
J. F. D. Farm School, N. C .—What is the 
cause of the rose buds submitted blasting? 
Is there is a remedy for it? There are a 
number of varieties represented here, among 
these buds. Those of the American Beauty 
blasted most. The bushes of this rose stand 
in a sunny exposure, and are not crowded, 
while some of the others are a little crowded, 
and some of them do not have the morning 
sun. 
Ans. —The blasting of the rose bud is 
a very common occurrence. Almost all 
double outdoor varieties are subject to it. 
The trouble comes from various causes, 
but is always associated with defective 
root action, and generally with cold, 
cloudy weather. About the only thing to 
do is to cut off the blasted buds, and wait 
for new ones to form; meanwhile give 
the bushes good cultivation and fertiliza¬ 
tion, and try to keep them in as vigorous 
health as possible. It is quite common to 
have a crop of beautiful roses succeed one 
of blasted buds, when these details are at¬ 
tended to. There is no cure except to 
keep the bushes in the best possible condi¬ 
tion. 
Baldwin and GMaldwin 
Easiest Running, 
Fastest. 
Self 
Feeding 
Safe 
Built to 
Last 
Ensilage Gutters, 
Machines approach perfection in both cutting 
and elevating. Adjust for four lengths cut. 
Side or straight away delivery. All sizes for all 
powers. Write for catalogue. 
THE BELCHER & TAYLOR A. T. CO., 
Box 76, Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply aud 
"a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
Potash Fills the 
Grain Sacks 
Potash is a necessary nourish¬ 
ment for grain and all other crops. 
Write to-day for our valuable 
books on “Fertilization”—full of 
information that every farmer should 
possess—sent free to applicants. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS 
93 Nassau Street New York 
CANADA HARDWOOD ASHES 
Do you want to seed down a Held to grass this year? 
Or do you want to grow a big crop of Rye or Fall 
Wheat ? Then use the Joynt Brand of Bure lln- 
leached Hardwood Ashes, and use one to two 
tons to the acre “ according to the condition of 
the soli' before seeding, and you are sure to getlarge 
returns for your money. Write for delivered prices 
and information and address, 
JOHN JOYNT, Lucknow, Ontario, Canada. 
Reference—Dominion Bank, Wlngham, Ont. 
BORDEAUX MIXTURE V c R ° A N T c E E D N .i 
To 1 gal add 49 gallons of waterand ready for spraying 
CONYKNIb NT and EFFECTIVE. Costonlv$l 
MONEY ORDER, REGISTERED LETTER or CHECK 
SMEDET CHEMICAL COMPANY, 
8. E. Cor. 11th and Master Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. 
CIDER 
PRESSES. 
Investigate the • 1 Monarch'* 
Hydraulio Press before 
buying. Special Con¬ 
struction, Added Con¬ 
veniences, Maximum 
Capacity and Results. 
Catalogue free. 
MONARCH MACHINERY COMPANY, 
41 Gortlandt Street, New York. 
ORCHARD PROFIT 
I depends upon working all the 
ww fruit into a salable 
cider for instance. If 
pure It sells readily at a prolit. 
The best is produced by a 
HYDRAULIC CI 5 E 8 ? SS 
Made in varying sizes, hand 
power. Catalogue free. 
HYDRAULIC PRESS MFC. 
39 Cortlandt St., New 
Lei Us Send You ^ 
Our Book. 
about good wheels and good wagons that will save 
you a lot of work and make you a lot of money—the 
ELECTRIC STEEL WHEELS 
-and the- 
ELECTRIC HANDY WAGON. 
By every test, they are thebest. Morethanoneand 
a quarter millions sold. 6pokea united to the 
hub. Can’t work loose. A set of our wheels will 
make your old wagon new. catalogue free. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO.,Box 88, Quincy. Ills. 
THE HESSLER IS THE BEST. 
Price, $1 each. 
Brass locks with 
chain, 35c. each. 
Discount Dozen 
Lots. Simple.our- 
able, economical. 
Round, Strong, 
Heavy. 
Lowest In price, 
ru , mu highest In quali- 
Girculam YgT ^ ty. A sample best 
sent Free |g|g ] evidence. Reap- 
Rural Mm boa. f{ft? J 8°rd% 
promptly shipped. We sell direct to the farmer. 
souv enirbutton mailed freeon application' 
TT "" nr "" ) Factory No. 8, Syracuse, N. Y. 
H. E. HESSLER CO. 
PEERLESS'SCALES, $29.00 fEM and .stock 
“PEERLESS” ia a 6-ton Compound Beam, Wagon and Stock Scale. Its 
material and workmanship is of the best obtainable, and each Scale is guaran¬ 
teed for 6 years. This la not an inferior Scale and in order to con¬ 
vince, will send It on 30 days’trial. Send for our catalogue. Addres* 
PEERLESS SCALE COMPANY, 
Milwaukee and Ft. Scott Aves. Dept, z, Kansas City, 
Inexpensive, Durable, Attractive 
Farm Houses, barns and a l other buildings can be 
erected of our Hollow Building Blocks, either FLAIN 
or HOCK FACE, at a less cost than of brick. 
Also used for foundations. 
Prices and catalogue furnished upon request.- 
NATIONAL FIREPROOFING CO., Room pj|,^y^^^ t ‘ r ’ p 1{ v uildluS ' 
