264 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 26 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Quality Improvement from For¬ 
eign Pollen. —It is often asserted, and 
as frequently denied, that congenial for¬ 
eign pollen has a favorable effect on the 
quality as well as on the seed producing 
powers of partially or wholly self-sterile 
fruits. Most strawberry growers think 
that berries borne on pistillate plants 
are to some extent modified by the va¬ 
riety used as a pollenizer. Growers of 
Kieffer pears have claimed to get larger 
and better flavored fruits when the 
blooms were pollenized by Bartlett or 
other good-quality kinds than when ex¬ 
clusively relying on its own pollen. This 
contention is strenuously denied by 
others, who are inclined to place the 
question in the same category as that of 
the influence of stocks on buds or grafts. 
Experience with millions of grafted 
plants and trees shows that the influ¬ 
ence where discernible is that of nutri¬ 
tion only in the vast majority of cases, 
but instances slowly accumulate where 
true graft hybrids—new and generally 
intermediate varieties—occur, and can 
be perpetuated by further grafting or 
budding on acceptable stocks. Such re¬ 
sults are so exceptional that they are 
never taken into consideration in horti¬ 
cultural practice. The causes producing 
them are little known, but the facts are 
worthy of note when they do occur. Pos¬ 
sibly in the future the question of con¬ 
genial pollenizers of partially or wholly 
self-sterile fruit varieties may be work¬ 
ed out, having reference to quality as 
well as quantity of the resulting crop. 
Crossing Improves an Orange. —We 
easily understand how the edible por¬ 
tions of a fruit may be changed or im¬ 
proved in quality as a result of the more 
vigorous fecundation of the seed ovules 
by stimulating pollen from another va¬ 
riety. The increased number or size of 
the seeds may be conceived to spur on 
the vital processes of all the appendages, 
thus altering the character of the result¬ 
ing fruit, but the matter becomes more 
complex when a sterile or seedless fruit 
is changed in quality by foreign pollen, 
yet this may happen in rare instances. 
A Cross-Pollinated Orange. —We 
have for years grown a plant of the 
Otaheite orange, a very dwarf form of 
the common sweet orange, Citrus 
Aurantium, for its decorative fruits, 
which are usually seedless and of the 
most insipid quality imaginable. The 
flavor may be compared to slightly 
sweetened water in which a fragment of 
orange rind has been soaked. Last year 
we carefully emasculated all blooms and 
covered the stigmas with pollen from 
Satsuma or Oonshiu, a fair-quality va¬ 
riety of the Mandarin or kid-glove or¬ 
ange, C. nobilis. The hope was to grow 
from any seeds that might be produced 
a dwarf variety of better flavor than the 
Otaheite. The resulting fruits were dis¬ 
appointing in that they contained no 
perfect seeds, but to our surprise the 
flavor of the pulp was found vastly im¬ 
proved—quite sweet, rich and aromatic 
—better in every way than that of the 
oranges previously ripened by either va¬ 
riety under our conditions. Here seems 
to be a direct result of the favorable ac¬ 
tion of pollen on an edible fruit aside 
from the expected fertilization of the 
seed germs. This phenomenon, which is 
readily seen when cross-breeding colored 
varieties of maize or corn, is called 
xenia, from a rarely used word express¬ 
ing the kindly relations of hospitality 
between host and guest. This is an ob¬ 
scure subject and all facts bearing on it 
should be recorded. 
White Lead for Borers.— R. N.-Y. 
readers have noted Prof. W. B. A1 wood’s 
confident assertion that white lead paint 
is a harmless and efficient preventive of 
borers in fruit trees. Correspondents 
generally fear injury from the applica¬ 
tion of lead and oil to the bark of young 
trees, and experience among fruit grow¬ 
ers with this remedy seems quite lim¬ 
ited. The Professor, however, has been 
testing the material for many years, 
and feels sure of his contention that a 
proper mixture of pure white lead and 
linseed oil only is not injurious and 
quite effectually bars out borers. Ready- 
mixed paints, however, of unknown 
composition, should not be used on 
trees, as they may contain harmful 
chemicals. The writer, on Prof. Al- 
wood’s recommendation in an early bul¬ 
letin of the Virginia Station, tested this 
white lead treatment in a small way on 
young apple, peach and plum trees in 
the Fall of 1891. Borers were noticed in 
the peach trees during the Summer of 
that year, and removed with the knife 
and wire. In September the earth was 
dug away from the collars of several 
trees of each of the fruits mentioned to 
the first roots. After scraping the bark 
clean thick home-mixed white lead and 
oil was thoroughly painted on from the 
roots to four or five inches above the 
soil line, and allowed to dry for a week 
before leveling up the earth. These 
trees were not attacked by borers and 
showed absolutely no bad effects from 
the application during the two ensu¬ 
ing years they were under observation. 
The paint collar ruptured during the 
growing season of 1902, and was 
barely discernible the succeeding Sum¬ 
mer. This cheap and easily applied 
remedy should be cautiously tried in 
every fruit growing locality, that its 
actual value may be fixed. Use only 
good vegetable oil and pure white lead, 
preferably mixed under personal super¬ 
vision. 
Pedigree Plants. —Chas. Black, page 
205, is inclined to deny the appropriate¬ 
ness of the term “pedigree” as applied 
to seedling plants when artificially hy¬ 
bridized. His contention is that a 
chance seedling or hybrid produced by 
natural causes is as much pedigreed as 
one intentionally raised by man. Nature 
does the essential work in either case; 
man is only the agent bringing the 
parents together when an artificial hy¬ 
brid is grown. This is undeniable, but 
as the “pedigree” is solely a matter of 
human record it would seem that any 
given plant with a known record of 
parentage even of a single generation as 
a starting point, is entitled to the desig¬ 
nation of pedigree. Whether pedigree 
is of any value in plants or animals de¬ 
pends entirely on the skill and care with 
which each successive generation of re¬ 
production or propagation is selected. 
That the term is greatly abused by deal¬ 
ers is evident. A plant may be as thor¬ 
oughly bred by the application of time, 
skill and patience as a prize trotting 
horse, but it cannot be done in one, two 
or a dozen generations. It is the work 
of a lifetime to pedigree a plant so that 
it is worth the name. A German fancier 
sends the Rural Grounds some seeds of 
a hardy flowering plant he has been se¬ 
lecting through successive generations 
for 23 years. The result is very striking 
in comparison with the original types, 
but the grower is not yet satisfied, and 
hopes to continue the work as long as 
he lives. This is pedigree work worth 
having, and is vastly different from some 
of the short-winded pedigrees of the 
plants and trees so freely offered in 
some nursery catalogues. The value of 
pedigree in plants, as in live stock, lies 
entirely in the skill and honesty of the 
producer. w. v. f. 
A COUGH 
CONUNDRUM 
When is a cough more 
than a cough ? 
When it’s a settled cold. 
When it hangs on in spite of 
all you can do. Cough mix¬ 
tures won’t cure it because 
they are merely for a cough 
and this is something more. 
Scott’s Emulsion cures the 
cough because it cures the 
something more. It heals 
and repairs the inflamed 
tissues where the cold has 
taken root and prevents its 
coming back. 
We’ll send’you a sample free upon request. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Power Sprayer 
Compressed air does the work. Automatic in operation. Mosteconom- 
cal of power and of liquid, easiest handled, does most effective work. 
Read the report from the State Agricultural Colleee of Iowa 
sent us under date of November 2,1903. 
Covers All Sized Trees 
Gentlemen:—In using your sprayer one man 
drove and handled one extension rod, while the 
thoer looked alter the machine and handled the 
other rod. In spraying on both sides of the 
wagon and between the two rows of trees 
twenty-five years old, thirty-five feet apart, 
with ten to fifteen year old trees between, 
enough power was developed to spray per¬ 
fectly every tree as it was reached. 
“A. T. ERWIN, Acting Professor.** 
Under above conditions 2 men sprayed 12 acres a day. 
Fitted to Any Wagon 
or any size or shape of supply tank. Maintains 
from 100 lbs up according to conditions. Constant driving not neces¬ 
sary. Furnished mounted complete, or not mounted but with attachments to 
fit any wagon requested. Either with or without mechanical agitators os de¬ 
sired. Free booklet describes In detail. Ask for booklet 7. 
WALLACE MACHINERY COMPANY, CHAMPAIGN, ILL . 
Aspinwall 
Potato Machines 
Insure Paying Potato Crops. 
Nearly every country on the Globe has 
witnessed their successful operation. 
Thousands of customers for over a quar¬ 
ter of a century have added enthusiastic 
endorsement. From our extended ex¬ 
perience 
We Know the Grower’s Re¬ 
quirements and Supply 
Them. 
With 
Our 
Machines 
Seed is quickly cut to 
best advantage. Plant¬ 
ing, fertilizing and cov¬ 
ering is accomplished 
at any depth and width 
of row desired, all in one 
operation. (Corn, Pea, 
Bean and Ensilage at¬ 
tachment provided.) 
Digging and Sorting 
are made pleasant and 
agreeable work. 
Send for beautiful il¬ 
lustrated free catalog, 
containing “How and 
When to Spray” tables 
for all crops. 
ASPINWALL MFG. CO., 
Dept K, 27 Sabin St.. 
JACKSON, MICH. 
LKl 
T/i *D £ MP-n*" 
Pivot-Axle 
Sulky 
Cultivator 
is the standard in 
Cultivator values. It 
is high wheeled, light 
draft, adjustable in 
width, perfectly bal¬ 
anced, simply construc¬ 
ted, easily operated. The 
shovels adjust for wide or 
narrow rows, depth and angle. 
Wheels and shovels instantly thrown to right 
or left by foot levers. 
A Perfect Hillside Worker 
The pivot-axle which controls the entire 
machine, enables it to go against the hill 
with a “gather,” that keeps it up and parallel 
with the row. Works equally well on the level 
Four, six or eight beam, pin, spring hoe or 
spring tooth. Accept no cultivator said to be 
“just as good.” Itisn’tmade. Ifyourdealer 
doesn’t handle the KRAUS, write us. 
HIE AKK0X CULTIVATOR CO. Dept. D Akron, 0. 
Disparene kills both broods. Also 
every leaf-eating insedt. Book free 
BOWKER INSECTICIDE CO. 
N. Y., Boston & Cincinnati 
NECESSITIES 
FOR 
THE 
ORCHARD 
SPRAYING SPAR Compressed-Air Spraying 
VA/ LI i I C fill CHAD Apparatus, Fruit Graders 
WHALl'UIL oUAi Chemicals for Spraying, Etc. 
Our catalogue will interest you. 
W. H. OWEN, Port Clinton, Ohio 
“FUNIA 
MM kills Prairie Dogs, 
' ' Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels o f the 
gods grind slow but 
exceedingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop 
“*■“ "Fuma Carbon Bisulphide"a“S“SJ 
R. TAYLOR, Penn Yao, N. Y. 
with 
EDWARD 
A BIG CROP of FRUIT 
and DOLLARS in your pockets if you 
spray your trees and vines with the 
wonderful 
HARDIE SPRAY PUMP 
The Big Growers all recommend “THE 
HARDIE” because it maintains such 
a high pressure and 
WORKS SO EASY. 
Our catalogue tells 
all about spraying. 
It is free, send for it. 
The 
H00K-HARDIE CO. 
#9 Main St. 
HUDSOH, MICH. 
Are 
Up-to-Date 
Handsome Booklet 
Free. Send for it. 
The Goulds Mfg. Co. 
Seneca 
The fluto-Spray 
Is everybody’s sprayer—suits every ! 
job. Brass pump, brass or galvanized i 
iron tank. Compress air on mixture ! 
with a dozen plunger strokes, strap I 
I on back, and spray % acre vines. 
) Great new feature in Auto-Pop at- ! 
| tachment. Controls spray perfectly. 
Saves half the mixture. Nozzle abso- 
' lutelj clexn every time Auto-Pop is worked. 
Only nozzle that can’t clog. We manufacture 
the largest line in America of high grade and [ 
power sprayers. Ask for free catalogue. Writel 
us If you want the agency. 
E. C. BROWN & CO., 
, 2 68 State St., Rochester .N. Y.J 
WITH THE 
EMPIRE KING. 
The only hand pump having a me¬ 
chanical automatic agitator with a 
brush for keeping the suction strainer 
clean. Also the tlarfleld Knapsack and 
Orchard Monarch. Can furnish the New 
Process Li me, which requires no slack¬ 
ing or straining. Valuable book free. No 
“flwlndled feeling” i f you use our pumps. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO.. 
2 llih St., Elmira, N.Y. 
Latest and 
best. All sizes. 
wv . __Throws 9 kinds - 
spray from same nozzle. Agents wanted. 
$20.00 A DAY 
has been made by live agents. Showing it Is 
selling it. First community order (whole¬ 
sale price) gets permanent local agency. 
Write for terms and free circulars. 
ROCHESTER SPRAY POMP CO., 
16 East Avonuo, Rochester, N. Y. 
brings frultsand flowers. We make 
the right appliances. Special adapta¬ 
tion to every need. 
HAND, BUCKET, BARREL KNAP¬ 
SACK and POWER SPRAYERS. 
20 sty lee. W oilier, hoae,»ttaohment8, formulae, 
every epraying accessory. Vr rito for free catalog. 
Tho Doming Co., Salem, O. 
Weatem Amenta, JJenton $ Huhbcll, Chicago. 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
EASILY CONTROLLED 
OUR COMPRESSED-AIR SPRAYER has a 
record of 20 acres a day with one man In orchard. 
No pump. light weight, nothing to break or wear out. 
NOZZLES NEVER CLOG 
PIERCE-LOOP SPRAYER CO.. North East. Pa 
THE PERFECTION SPRAYER 
sprays everything:, trees, potatoes, etc. Furnlsnea 
complete with cartand barrel. Combined hand ana 
horse power. Don’t buy until you get my catalogue 
free. THUS. FKPPJLEK, Box 20, Hightstown,N. J 
