1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
35 
Killing Peach Borers. —About 25 years ago, I 
commenced to doctor for the peach yellows and 
borers, first by getting the refuse settling from soap 
kettles, digging around each tree down to the spread¬ 
ing roots, and putting a pailful to each one, for a few 
years, with some noticeable benefit. Then I tried 
potash by mixing 20 pounds of potash and six pounds 
of tallow, filling the barrel with water, and filling 
the holes around each tree with this strong soft soap, 
once every two years, checking the yellows, and 
banishing the borers. The next and best experiment 
was with a barrel of coal tar ; I dug around each tree 
September 1, every two years, and put on a heavy 
coat about four to six inches above the surface, and 
to the spreading roots at the bottom, and covering 
the whole with the soil as soon as done to hold it on. 
This I have found successful for the past 10 years, 
without injury to the trees, and I have some of those 
trees now in full bearing set out 25 and 30 years ago ; 
some of them yield 15 to 20 baskets per tree, while 
almost invariably, all the peach trees in the Hudson 
Valley, set out at that time, have long ago disap¬ 
peared. I suppose that it might do to put on this 
coal tar at any time of year, taking care to cover it 
with soil above ground where exposed to the hot sun. 
The reason I use it September 1 is because the borers 
hatch out in summer and commence 
work at that time. w. w. G. 
Newburgh, N. Y. 
Electro-Horticulture. —Incandescent 
electric light is found to exert a marked 
influence over plants under glass. An 
experiment conducted by Mr. F. W. Kane, 
at the West Virginia Experiment Sta¬ 
tion, gives some definite data on this 
subject. E'ght 16-candle power electric 
lights were arranged at the south end of 
the center bed in a greenhouse, the light 
being thrown the entire length of the bed 
by means of a large reflector. The bed 
was 8 x 50 feet, and the light stood three 
feet above it. The plants used were spin¬ 
ach, lettuce, cress and cauliflower. The 
lights were running from 6 p. m. to 11 
p. m. each night, excepting Sunday. No¬ 
vember 8, the cauliflower was trans¬ 
planted ; it was harvested January 10. 
The plants nearest the light grew taller 
than the others, but the heads increased 
in size as they were farther from the 
light. The lettuce showed similar char¬ 
acteristics; the plants near the light grew 
taller, but were lighter in weight than the 
others. The spinach grew taller nearer 
the light, but the leaves were narrower. 
The cress did not show any effect, other 
than, perhaps, an earlier maturity under 
the light. It seems that no definite con¬ 
clusion can be drawn from these experi¬ 
ments, though it would appear that the 
use of the light tends to produce a taller 
but lighter growth. The spindling growth 
is very noticeable in Fig. 25, showing the 
electric-lighted end of the house, an 
especial contrast being shown by the let¬ 
tuce in Fig. 24, at the end farthest from 
the light. _ 
WHAT SAY? 
Prices for Milk? —I would like to 
know from some of your subscribers 
in sections where milk is sold, what 
price they are getting at their railroad stations 
We have had a creamery in successful operation in 
this place for some time, but last year, a milk station 
was put up by the railroad company. The milk sta¬ 
tion is paying 2% cents per quart. subscriber. 
Seneca County, N. Y. 
Do Silos Waste the Corn Kernel?— The maize 
kernel contains the essential oil of modern dairying 
in those sections which are arable in distinction from 
the natural grass areas. Are we wasting the maize 
kernel in the silo ? A successful dairy feeder who 
has no silo, states the question in this way : A well¬ 
eared corn crop which would yield 12 tons for the 
silo, would husk out a bushel of ears to a 25-hill 
shock. This shock would make four bundles of stalks. 
If fed as ensilage, the cow would be given the equiva¬ 
lent of one bundle of stalks, which would make about 
one bushel when put through the cutter. A bushel 
of ensilage equals, therefore, a bundle of stalks and 
four quarts of shelled corn. To this, the feeder will, 
probably, add a quart of linseed or cotton-seed meal, 
or four quarts of bran. This goes to show that the 
ensilage feeder is overfeeding with grain, or else his 
corn has deteriorated in the silo. What do The R. 
N.-Y. readers think of the argument ? Does the corn 
lose in feeding value by being passed through the silo ? 
Connecticut. e. c. birge. 
WHAT BREED IS “ THE BUSINESS HEN?” 
IT DEPENDS ON BUSINESS MEN. 
Notes From the New York Show. 
A study of the different breeds exhibited, and talks 
with the different breeders, confirm the truth that 
tastes differ. Were it not so, how could we account 
for the great diversity in form and color of fowls ? 
Here we see every style from the slender, clean-legged, 
active Games and Leghorns, to the heavy, slow, slug¬ 
gish Cochins and Brahmas, with their immense leg 
feathering. There is every shade of color, too, from 
the glossy black of the Minorcas and Langshans, to 
the snowy white of the Leghorns, Wyandottes and 
P. Rocks ; there are browns and buffs ; fowls mottled, 
laced, streaked and speckled ; those with single 
combs, double combs, rose combs, pea combs, large 
combs and small combs ; fowls with topknots that 
nearly hide their heads, and those without; fowls 
that weigh a dozen pounds or more, and those whose 
weight is computed in ounces ; fowls for the land and 
fowls for the water—all sorts, kinds, and sizes. Yet 
some one fancies each of these different kinds, either 
as a matter of taste, sentiment, or for business 
reasons. The reasons given for their preferences are 
extremely interesting and, perhaps, instructive. 
I asked one breeder of Light Brahmas why he pre¬ 
ferred this breed rather than others. He said that, 
with one exception, he was the oldest exhibitor of 
the breed, and that his father bred them before him. 
He likes them first, because of their size ; they make 
good broilers at an earlier age than some of the 
smaller breeds, more quickly come to a roasting age ; 
besides there is something of them when killed as 
fowls, the larger ones rivaling turkeys in size. Then 
they are healthy and hardy ; he seldom has sickness, 
and they endure extremes of heat and cold better 
than other breeds. In the matter of laying, he claims 
that they will lay as many eggs per year as any of 
the other breeds, and will lay well in winter when 
the Leghorns are frozen up. Probably Leghorn and 
Minorca breeders will not be ready to admit the last 
claim. The heavy leg-feathering of all the Asiatic 
classes is an objection in the estimation of many. 
The Dark Brahmas do not have the popularity of 
their lighter cousins, as comparatively few of them 
are shown. 
Another of the heavy breeds that has many ad¬ 
mirers, is the Cochin in its various colors. Leading 
in numbers is the Partridge Cochin, and these, with 
their rich dark coloring, are beautiful birds. The 
Buffs, too, have many admirers, and buff is the popu¬ 
lar color now in many of the different breeds. I asked 
a breeder of Buff Cochins the reason for his prefer¬ 
ence. He said that they were quiet, easily confined 
and kept, hardy, healthy, seldom sick, and were 
excellent for the table. He admitted that he wasn’t 
bragging any about their egg-producing abilities. He 
ended his story of their good points by the significant 
comment, “ Well, I like them,” given in a way tint 
showed that they just pleased his fancy. A few of 
the Black, and White Cochins were shown, but they 
seem less popular than the other colors, though much 
the same in other respects. 
Another Asiatic breed, which is becoming quite 
popular in some quarters, is the Langshan. Its ad¬ 
mirers claim that it is a better egg producer than the 
Cochins or Brahmas, more active, and a great for¬ 
ager. The hens are said to make excellent mothers, 
and weigh seven to nine pounds each, the cocks two 
or three pounds more. The leg feathering is much 
lighter than that of the Brahmas or Cochins, good 
specimens being feathered only on the legs and outer 
toes. The birds are, certainly, very active, for a 
heavy breed, and their glossy plumage and bright red 
combs aud ear lobes render them very attractive. 
The pullets are said to lay at an early age for a large 
breed. They seem to be quite an advance, for gen¬ 
eral purposes, over the other Asiatic breeds. The 
popular color seems to be black, although 
some are shown in white and blue. They 
have single combs, and are heavily 
feathered. 
The old Barred P. Rock is too well- 
known to need any description. But the 
White P. Rock is a more recent acquisi¬ 
tion, and the Buff variety still newer. 
These much resemble the old original 
except in color of plumage ; the White is 
an exact counterpart of the Barred, from 
which it is a sport. Many prefer a white 
fowl, and this color dresses better than 
dark-plumaged birds. Of course, those 
possessed of the fad for buff colors will 
prefer the birds of this color. 
Our old friend, the Silver Wyandotte, 
doesn’t seem to be gaining in popularity, 
judging from the exhibits. It and the 
Golden Wyandotte are difficult to breed 
true to the type, and some strains have 
been weakened by inbreeding. But good 
strains are excellent business fowls, the 
yellow skin, smooth yellow legs, broad, 
plump breasts, low combs, heavy feather¬ 
ing, and exceedingly docile dispositions, 
render them well suited for the farm or 
the yard of the smaller breeder. They 
are excellent for broilers. The Whites 
are gaining rapidly in popularity, the 
entries this year being more than double 
those of last year, and outnumbering 
those of either the Silver or the Golden 
varieties. I believe that, if properly bred 
and handled, the White Wyandotte is the 
coming business fowl of this country. 
The Buff will fill the bill for the admirers 
of that color. 
Another breed that needs no one to 
sing its praises is the Leghorn. The 
White is the original, but entries were 
much smaller than formerly. Breeders 
claim that this breed beats them all as egg 
producers. The largest entries of any of 
the varieties were of the S. C. Browns. The 
R. C. Browns and R. C. Whites were in 
smaller numbers, but the Buffs showed 
up well. We now have a R. C. Buff. The breeders 
claim that the rose combs are exempt from injury 
from frost, hence are better than the single combs ; 
this is true to a certain extent, as they are not so 
easily frosted, but none of this class of fowls is fitted 
to endure extreme cold weather ; their feathers are 
too light. 
Belonging in the same class as the Leghorns, are 
the Minorcas. Like the other breeds, their breeders 
make some special claims for them. They are larger 
and heavier than the Leghorns, and lay very white, 
large eggs. It is claimed that, estimated by weight, 
no other breed will produce so many eggs per year as 
these. They do lay the most beautifully white eggs 
I have ever seen. The most popular color in these is 
black, there being few of the White Minorcas. But 
both have very large combs and showy red wattles, 
with white ear lobes, and these large combs are an 
excellent target for Jack Frost. Still there is a 
variety with rose combs, which are claimed to endure 
the cold. 
The Indian Games, which have been recently 
described in The R. N.-Y., have many points to recom¬ 
mend them. The Dorkings are excellent as table 
fowls. The American Dominiques have many admir¬ 
ers. Although the breeds named, constitute hardly 
one-tenth of the total number shown, they comprise 
GROWTH AT OPPOSITE END FROM ELECTRIC LIGHT. Fig. 24. 
GROWTH AT ELECTRIC LIGHT END OF HOUSE. Fig. 25. 
