1904. 
9o9 
PAINT ON YOUNG TREES. 
We have not used any paint on apple 
trees, but some growers have used it with 
success, and we hear no complaint from 
it. They claim that it keeps away borers 
and rabbits. We know of no one who 
has used paint as a preventive of sheep 
gnawing trees. j. b. watkins & bro. 
Virginia. 
I have painted young trees with white 
lead, also with zinc white, and in neither 
instance have any ill effects been ob¬ 
served. A dozen or more trees were in¬ 
cluded in each test. The paint was put on 
more than a year ago, but whether it is 
effective in keeping away mice and borers 
I am unable to say. Adjacent trees in the 
same nursery which were not treated have 
as yet escaped injury. As a protection 
from sheep, I should use wire cloth, 
though the paint may be of value. I have 
never used it for that purpose. We know 
that wire cloth is effective both for sheep 
and for mice, and it is not expensive. 
Maine. w. m. munson. 
On page 8 G1 J. M. H. and W. R. want 
to know how to keep rabbits from hurting 
apple trees. The following from the re¬ 
port of the Secretary of Agriculture for 
the year 1892, page 2G8, proved satisfac¬ 
tory in my case: “A piece of closely 
woven wire netting about 12 by 18 inches 
bent around the tree and fastened by a 
wire, makes a sure protection and costs 
about three cents. It will also stop the 
eating of the bark by mice and prevent the 
beetle of the Round-headed borer from 
laying eggs, and will last for several years. 
A bunch of soft material stuck in the top 
will keep it in proper position and allow 
no chafing of the tree.” In my experience 
the wire lasted until the trees were so 
large that the rabbits did not trouble them. 
Colorado. G. d. rider. 
I have never yet got my courage up to 
the point of painting the trunks of young 
trees with lead and oil paint. A coating 
of oil is a dangerous thing. I use lead 
and oil to cover the wounds where large 
limbs have been cut off, and now and then 
a daub of paint hits a limb or part of the 
trunk, and I have often noted a stoppage 
of growth under such spots, especially 
when the paint hits young and tender bark. 
Your Ohio friend who suggests a paint 
of linseed oil, lime and sulphur to keep 
sheep from gnawing trees would better 
use some other liquid than oil. I am 
afraid of it and its action on the bark of 
trees. Why not use the lime-sulphur-salt 
mixture with an excess of salt cooked in 
that will make it stick a long time? 
Connecticut. J. h. hale. 
In answer to J. M. H., who asks for a 
mixture to keep rabbits from apple trees, 
I have kept jack rabbits (which I presume 
is the kind he is troubled with) from small 
orchard very successfully, by simply rub¬ 
bing trees thoroughly with jowls from 
fresh-killed hogs, which smeared the trees 
with a mixture of blood and grease. I 
raised a young orchard very successfully, 
keeping the rabbits off in this way, where 
the rabbits were as thick as fleas in a hog¬ 
pen. But at present prices of woven wire 
fence I am of the opinion that if I had as 
large an orchard as J. M. H., I should in¬ 
close it in a rabbit-proof fence. I think 
the fence the cheaper, as it would require 
two applications of the blood and grease 
to insure their safety through the Winter. 
Washington. e. g. g. 
I have never used lead and oil to pro¬ 
tect trees from mice and rabbits. I 
have heard complaint of it, so have al¬ 
ways used cornstalks tied around trees 
for rabbits, and hunt the borers twice each 
year, which is about the most important 
work in the orchard. I have under my 
care about 8,000 trees, and I keep this up 
every year, and find it pays well to have 
the men on the go all the time. They not 
only save many trees from borers, but 
keep up the orchard in many other ways. 
In regard to sheep, I do not believe it good 
policy to have them or any other stock 
except hogs in orchard, and hogs only 
after fruit is gathered and never until 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
“trees are three years old. On account of 
low heading for spraying and gathering of 
fruit all stock will break and eat back the 
limbs. I use hoc;s and peas with good 
success, but never put hogs in until the 
fruit is out, as they destroy many barrels 
on lower limbs. withers masste. 
Virginia. _ 
CLEARING SCRUB OAK LAND ON 
LONG ISLAND. 
I am thinking of buying a small farm in 
the scrub oak section of Long Island. What 
is the best way to clear it for cultivation, and 
what should it cost? 
In the vicinity of Deer Park I have seen 
small pieces, two or three acres, cleared with 
bush scythe and mattock. On larger pieces 
of land, 15 or 20 acres, they cut the bushes 
or scrubs, burn them and plow out the 
roots with two teams of heavy horses or oxen 
on a large plow made for the purpose. I do 
not know about the cost; would not think 
it would be $75 per acre. One might better 
buy land already cleared. david caiu.l. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
I do not know what it would cost to have 
It stubbed out, but think that it would cost 
at least $50 an acre. The way land is sell¬ 
ing about here I think that $25 an acre is 
all that such land is worth, without there 
was a likelihood of its being wanted for 
building purposes. I have noticed that where 
the forest tires went through the scrub oaks 
in August it killed most of them, and If I 
wanted to clear the land I think I should try 
the plan of burning them over in August or 
September. s. w. 
I should say off-hand that $75 per acre 
would he a large price for such land as 
scrub-oak land about here brings only from 
$5 to $10 per acre. Of course the plot you 
write of is .30 miles nearer Brooklyn, and it 
may be near some large village, which would 
of course increase its value. There are sev¬ 
eral ways in which the land could be cleared, 
as, of course, you know. The cheapest and at 
the same time the way that takes the long¬ 
est is to let the stumps gradually bleed to 
death by cutting off all sprouts in August, ! 
cutting as close to the stump as possible and 
taking a chip out where the sprout started. 
This is a simple and cheap way of clearing 
tlie land, but it will take four or five years 
before it can be plowed easily. I am clear¬ 
ing about two acres of this kind of land 
for a fine road at the present time, and I can 
assure you that the roots will die if cut 
faithfully. The usual price for clearing 
this kind of land with mattock, etc., is about 
$50 per acre. v. m. l. 
Moriches, N. Y. 
It would depend on what purpose the in¬ 
quirer contemplates using said farm for. If 
for poultry (especially ducks), it is best 
if sandy soil; if for agricultural purposes, 
heavy soil is preferable. Therefore, if he 
wants it for a poultry farm, it is economy 
simply to cut down the trees, trim and pile 
brush, and if any underbrush, cut this with 
bush scythe and then burn. The poultry will 
kill the young sprouts as they appear dur¬ 
ing Spring and Summer, and in four years 
it is subdued. If for agricultural purposes, 
get a blasting machine and use dynamite. 
The dynamite cartridges that we use are 
the one-half pound size. Put them about four 
or five feet apart each way. You can fire 
off up to 20 at one charge. It is entirely 
safe. With blasting machine I wo'uld not use 
the fuse. It is by far the cheapest method 
for clearing up land, as two men can do more 
in one day than twenty-five men can do by 
the old method, ax, mattock and shovel. 
Inquirer should get it cleared for $75 an 
acre. e. o. wilcox. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
I have taken out a few scrubs, but never 
cleared acres of them. They are brittle 
stumps; very often can be broken off in short 
chunks by slapping a heavy mattock into 
the center. I wonder if the land is worth 
clearing? Scrub oaks generally grow four to 
eight feet on light sandy land, but I think 
they do not grow much higher than four feet 
on heavy land; $75 an acre ought to be 
enough for clearing it. I should cut the 
brush off and burn it; then a good plow and 
a slow heavy team of horses (oxen would be 
better). The plow would break off and turn 
over a good many. If there was a man along 
with an ax to cut roots too large for the plow 
to break it would help considerable. What 
tlie plow did not take out would stand a 
chance of being shaken up. I have known 
men to plow among stumps or new ground 
for $5 an acre; $(> or $8 ought to be enough 
for scrub land. I have run a Cutaway or¬ 
chard plow over some, but I did not have a 
slow team at the time. A good-sized stump 
might need some dynamite. c. p. 
Yaphank, L. E_ 
Baxter Pearmain apple is an English va¬ 
riety, hardy and productive, of fair size and 
conical shape. It is a long keeper, being of 
the best quality about the first of March. The 
quality is considered very good. The variety 
is not much grown commercially, but is valu¬ 
able for home use. 
Williams’Shaving 
Soap. No other 
so soothing, heal¬ 
ing, refreshing. 
Sold everywhere. Free trial sample 
for 2-cent stamp to pay postage. 
Write for booklet “Howto Shave.” 
The J. B. Williams Co., Glastonbury, Ct. 
HYDRATED LIME 
To mix with KEROSENE. Sure Death to 
SAN JOSE SCALE. For Few Trees or Large 
Orchards. Free circular explains. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moorcstown, N. J. 
WHALE-OIL SOAP 
A positive destroyer of San Jose Scale. 
QDDAYIMP QDAQ Compressed-air Power 
or nAI IHU OrMrli Sprayers, etc. Our cata¬ 
logue, “Necessities for the Orchard” will in¬ 
terest you. W. II. OWEN, Port Clinton, Ohio. 
SALIMENE 
The quality and quantity of the 
crops depend on a sufficiency of 
Potash 
in the soil. Fertilizers which are 
low in Potash will never produce 
satisfactory results. 
Every farmer should be familiar with the 
proper proportions of ingredients that go to 
make the best fertilizers for every kind of 
crop. We have published a series of books, 
containing the latest researches on this all- 
important subject, which we wdl send free 
if you ask. Write now while you think of 
it to the 
GERMAN KALI WORKS 
93 Nassau Street, New York. 
KILLS SAN JOSE SCALE 
Write for circulars and testimonials. 
DRY OR LIQUID FORM. 
Monmouth Chemical Works. Shrewsbury, N. J. 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
and other INSECTS killed by 
GOOD’S 
Caustic Potash Whale-Oil Soap No. 3 
Endorsed by U. S. Dept, of Agrl. and State Experiment 
Stations. Thissoapisa Fertlllzeraswellasanlnsectl- 
oide. 60-lb. kegs.$2.50; 100-lb. kegs,$4.50; half barrel, 
870 lb.,3?icperib; barrel,4251b.,8end for booklet. 
JAMES GOOD, Original Maker, 
039-41 N. Front Street. Philadelphia, Pa. 
ANOTHER 
GOLD MEDAL 
FOR 
RUBEROID 
ROOFING, 
THIS TIME AT THE 
Louisiana Purchase Exposition 
Ruberoid Roofing has received the medal 
of highest award at all the great World’s 
Expositions, including Chicago, Paris, Buf¬ 
falo, Omaba Brussels,Charle ten. St Peters¬ 
burg, Turin. Stettin, Grasse. Dusseldorf, 
Coolgardie, American Institute, New York, 
and elsewhere Send for samples. 
SOLE MANUFACTURERS, 
THE STANDARD PAINT COMPANY, 
lOO William St., New York. 
Portland Cutter 
Only $16.95 
This handsome, stylish and popular cultor 
Is made of guaranteed materials throughout. 
The body is the latest style, 30x34 Inch, 
22-inch back, gives warmth, comfort and ele¬ 
gance in appearance. Gear woods are select 
air seasoned, runners are rock elm, steam 
bent, 1% x % inch. Knees and beams 1% x 
% inch, channel shoes % x 1% inch, braces 
clipped to knees and gears ironed up very 
strong aud secure. Trimming, dark green 
union cloth or whipcord, as preferred; regular 
stuffed cushion and spring back. I’aint— 
body black with fancy moulding, gear and 
shafts Brewster green or carmine neatly 
striped. Complete with shafts and shifting 
bar nicely leathered, carpet In bottom, whip 
socket. Only $16.95. This cutter cannot be 
duplicated by any local dealer for the price. 
We ship it on approval. Send $2.00 to show 
good faith, and we will ship you the cutter. 
If satisfactory, pay freight agent the balance. 
If not exactly as represented, tell him you 
don’t want it and we win pay freight both 
ways and refund your $2.00 by return mail. 
We have other cutters, runners to fit any size 
buggy or spring wagon axle, and a large line 
of bobsleds. Send for our big new catalogue 
of bargains. We sell you everything you need 
at almost factory cost. Cash Supply & Mfg. 
Co., 335 Lawrence Square, Kalamazoo, Mich. 
W E have a splendid proposition to present to Farm 
ers. Stockmen, Grange and Farmer sClubs.and we 
want active agents and Farmers themselves to apply 
for our agencies in every neighborhood. 
THE INTERNATIONAL SILO CO., Jefferson,O. 
STAR 
SNOW PLOW 
I and full line of 
Ic o Tools. 
-Send tor illustrat’d circulars 
? J. S. WOODHOUSE, 
191 Water St., New York. 
The 
Difference 
These two 
shocks of com 
were cut from 
plots of the 
same size. One 
was and the 
other was not 
fertilzed with 
Nitrate of Soda 
(The Standard Fertilizer) 
I want i,ooo farmers growing corn, in all parts of the United States, to 
make this experiment next sea on. I will furnish the necessary Nitrate 
of Soda ABSOLUTELY FPEE, if the farmer will pay transportation 
charges. The increase in corn and fodder will more than pay the cost. 
Farmers who do not make the experiment should send for “ Food for 
Plants” and other valuable bulletins full cf information from Agricul¬ 
tural Experiment Station and field trials. 
They ire FREE to all interested who will send name and address on POST CARD. 
WILLIAM S. MYERS, Room 14 8, 12-16 John Street, NEW YORK. 
