1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
69 
Massachusetts (Amherst), and best of all, perhaps, 
the Agricultural College of Michigan. 
Cutting Out Matted Rows of Strawberries. 
H. L. B., Owensboro, Ay.—Will it pay in growing strawberries 
in matted rows four feet apart to take plants out of the rows so 
as to give the plants more room ? If the plants are standing four 
inches apart in squares, would it not pay to take up one-third ? 
Would not the yield be greater and berries be larger ? 
Ans. —It will pay to remove part of the plants from 
a matted row four feet wide, plants growing four 
inches apart each way, if the work be done in a care¬ 
ful manner. The proper time to do the work is in 
November, when the plants can be cut rapidly with 
a narrow, sharp hoe, and the plants removed so as to 
disturb the row but little. Then mulch as soon as 
the ground is frozen, and you need have no fear of 
the result. I know a highly successful grower who 
takes his plants from the rows in early spring with a 
round dibble ; one plant is removed at a time with 
the utmost care, toas not to disturb the surrounding 
plants at all. I hesitate to recommend this plan only 
because of the fear that some may attempt it and do 
the work so carelessly as greatly to injure the crop 
of fruit. A. w. si. AymAker. 
Delaware. 
A Succession of Vegetables. 
H. S. B., Owensboro, Ay.—What are the best three succession 
peas (earliest, medium and late) ? I have an abundance of 
brush to stick with, and do not care for dwarf varieties, as I find 
that tall peas are free from mildew, and come into market in a 
much more salable condition. Is the dwarf pea the earliest? I 
grow for market. What are the best (I want the earliest), of the 
following, all things considered: Beets, cabbage, corn, beans, 
cucumbers, squashes, tomatoes, the very earliest, cantaloupes, 
the very earliest and the best general-purpose one, watermelon, 
earliest and general-purpose? 
Ans. —There is no better dwarf than Nott’s Excel¬ 
sior, first brought to the attention of growers by The 
R. N.-Y. It is about three days later than the 
earliest smooth peas. Exonian and Station are among 
the earliest taller wrinkled peas. We would then 
choose New Life, Heroine and Juno. Beets: Egyp¬ 
tian Turnip, Electric. Cabbage : Early Jersey Wake¬ 
field. Corn : The first earlies of the seedsmen are 
much alike. We find none earlier than Whitecob 
Cory. Beans : Earliest Red Valentine, Extra Early 
Refugee, Early Jersey Lima. Cucumbers : We find 
Early Eskimoso the earliest. Squash : White Bush 
and Faxon. Tomato : New Imperial. Muskmelon : 
Long Island Beauty. Watermelon : Dark Icing, 
Cuban Queen, Black Spanish. 
What Fertilizer for Wheat and Corn ? 
W. B. 31. A'., Eureka, (No State ).—I have an old Timothy sod to 
plant to corn next spring. Would a mixture of 1,000 pounds 
cotton-seed meal, (300 S. C. rock, and 400 muriate of potash be good 
for corn ? I have no stable manure. Would you apply fertilizer 
on the sod before or after plowing ? On a field of wheat seeded 
to Timothy to be seeded with clover in the spring, what would be 
a good mixture to improve the wheat and give the clover a start ? 
It had 400 pounds per acre of a good complete fertilizer drilled in 
with the wheat in the fall—no manure. 
Ans. —The corn mixture will be fairly good, though 
we would prefer to use some nitrate of soda to supply 
some soluble nitrogen. A better mixture would be 
1,000 pounds cotton-seed meal, 600 dissolved rock, 250 
muriate of potash, 150 nitrate of soda. As for the 
wheat, a mixture composed of 1,500 pounds ground 
bone, 200 muriate of potash and 200 nitrate of soda 
would give good results at the rate of 500 or more 
pounds per acre. If you use dissolved rock instead of 
bone, we would suggest a mixture of 1,300 pounds of 
rock, 300 muriate of potash and 400 nitrate of soda. 
Various Washes for Fruit Trees. 
J. W. T., Pleasanton, Kan. —1. What is the value of lime as a 
whitewash on the stems of fruit trees ? 2. Will London-purple 
injure fruit trees when mixed in sorghum syrup or in whitewash 
if applied to the trees at this season ? 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
I. So far as controlling insect injury is concerned, 
it is doubtful whether the application of ordinary 
whitewash to the bark of trees is a paying operation. 
It in no way enhances the beauty of a tree ; as one 
orchardist expresses it, “the trees look as though they 
had on duck pants.” The most that I ever saw gained 
by the operation was to give the trees a smoother, 
cleaner appearance, due principally to the fact that 
the loose, rough bark is scraped off before making 
the application. No, I do not believe that it pays to 
put “ duck pants ” on fruit trees. 
2. No, the application of a mixture of London- 
purple and whitewash to the bark of fruit trees will 
not injure them, and, furthermore, I doubt very 
much whether it will be of sufficient benefit to the 
tree to pay for the the trouble of putting it on. None 
of our insect enemies is active and feeding during the 
winter, and most of the insects that work on the bark 
at all are of the sucking kind that could not eat any 
of the poison if they wished. The wash would have 
little, if any, preventive effect on borers; it scales off 
too soon, and should be applied in the spring for such 
purposes. As to a mixture of London-purple and 
sorghum syrup, I have never heard of such a mixture 
being used on trees. If it would not injure the trees, 
and the weather remained dry so as not to dissolve it 
too quickly, I should suppose that it might prove 
equally as good as, if not better than, a coat of white¬ 
wash so far as insect enemies are concerned. I would 
not advise its wholesale use until it had been tested 
on a few trees. It might kill or injure the bark of 
young trees. On the whole, I doubt whether any of 
the washes mentioned by J. W. T. would benefit the 
trees enough to pay for the trouble and expense of 
applying them. I know of no record of any experi¬ 
ments which show that enough good is accomplished 
to make it pay for the application of such washes, ap¬ 
plied for no definite enemy or disease, but simply on 
general principles ; simply guessing that, possibly, 
such a wash may do some good. Better expend your 
energies in spraying during the growing season, when 
you can strike definite and intelligent blows at many 
enemies and diseases. 
Seeding to Grass in Wisconsin. 
M. 31. T., Lyons, Wis. —I had about six acres of lowland meadow 
that was burned over, a year ago last fall, destroying, at least, 
one-half the sod, and leaving the land full of holes about eight 
inches deep. I would like to level it (providing it is dry enough), 
and seed with an annual or mixture, so as to obtain a crop this 
year, and also, seed permanently at the same time. Can I do this, 
and what kinds of grass would you advise ? 
Ans. —If you can get a good seed bed, I advise you 
to try a mixture somewhat as follows: Timothy, 
Fowl Meadow and Red-top, each four quarts, and 
Alsike clover, two quarts. A great many of the 
marshes of Wisconsin can be fairly drained with open 
ditches, though tile should generally be used. Such 
lands are often very rich and prove the most valuable 
on the farm after draining. I advise thorough prep¬ 
aration of the land before the seeding is done ; plow¬ 
ing and then leveling with the harrow if possible. If 
this cannot be done, use a loaded harrow that has 
sharp teeth. w. A. henry. 
Wisconsin Experiment Station. 
Cutting Corn Fodder by Hand. 
Subscriber. —Does it pay to cut husked corn fodder for cattle? 
Is there a hand-power machine costing not over $25, that will 
rapidly and easily cut for eight cows ? Or is it a man-killing job ? 
For ensilage, which style of machine is best run with one-horse 
power—those with knives placed on a head that revolves toward 
the fodder to be cut, or on a heavy tty-wheel that revolves at right 
angles to the fodder ? Manufacturers all claim to have “the best” 
machine, and all will “ guarantee ” etc. 
Ans. —The only benefit secured by cutting the 
husked corn fodder before feeding is that it increases 
its palatability and diminishes the amount of waste. 
If you have to cut the stalks by hand, it does not pay. 
It is a man-killing job, and would better go undone. 
There is no hand-power machine made, so far as w e 
are able to learn, which will rapidly and easily cut 
corn fodder. Those machines are best in which the 
knives revolve at rig lit angles to the material to be 
cut. We are able with them to get a sharper, quicker 
blow, and there is less chance for the material to be 
pushed out of the way. The fly wheel serves much 
as a storage battery. We put the power in it and 
then it helps to overcome any extra resistance that 
may be met. There are now many good machines on 
the market, and it would be an impossibility to pick 
one out of the number and say that it is best. The 
most objectionable feature with them all up to this 
time has been in their complicated structure. Other 
things being equal, that machine which is simplest is 
to be preferred. l. a. c. 
Ensilage From Uncut Cow Pea Vines. 
J.B.L., Virginia. —Can I use cow pea vines in a silo without 
cutting, and would such ensilage be suitable feed for horses ? 
Ans. —You can readily use the silo for uncut cow 
pea vines. They would require thorough packing 
during the filling, and would be likely to mold a little 
at the sides and corners. The ensilage would be all 
right for cows, but I should hesitate to feed it to 
horses. If in perfect condition, moderate feeds of 
this ensilage, supplemented with hay and grain, 
would, doubtless, be safe. While very many farmers 
do feed ensilage to their horses as freely as to their 
cows, and perhaps, as safely, there are many who 
hesitate to do this. Correctly or incorrectly, many 
cases of sickness and death with horses have been at¬ 
tributed to ensilage. J. B. L. ought to be able to 
make hay of his pea vines, if he use any of the earlier 
or medium varieties, in good time for the wheat. 
E. H. BANCROFT. 
Quality and Reputation in Market. 
B. B., Sardinia, N. Y. —I notice that, in Thk R. N.-Y., potatoes 
grown on Long Island are quoted at 50 cents per bushel, Maine 
at 35 or 40, and State at 25 to 35. Is the difference in quality, sort¬ 
ing, reputation, or what? Our land is dry gravel, and it seems 
as though we ought to be able to compete with any one in the 
State, or neighboring States. 
An 8.—Potatoes are not quoted by the bushel in The 
R. N.-Y., but by the barrel. The Long Island and 
Maine potatoes sell for higher prices because of their 
reputation, and this reputation was acquired by uni¬ 
formly excellent quality. Any locality that can grow 
products of good quality, will put them up in good 
shape, have a uniform brand so that they may be 
known, will acquire a reputation and reap the benefit. 
Making the Most of Potatoes. 
C. Ji., Rockford, III .—I have four potatoes which came from 
Ireland last fall. They are about the size of a small hen’s egg. 
I would like to know how to give them a fair trial, and get the 
most out of them. 
Ans. —You can get the largest product by placing 
the seed potatoes in a hot-bed, pulling off the sprouts 
as they become long enough, and planting them in 
pots of mellow soil. These may be thumped out and 
planted in the garden as soon as there is no longer 
danger of frosts. Or you may cut them to single eyes 
and treat them as you would other seed potatoes. 
Liquid from a Cesspool. 
F. A. H., Randolph, iV. Y. —How can I best utilize the contents 
of a cesspool that receives the sewerage of a large school ? 
Ans. —The contents of such cesspools are generally 
in a semi-liquid condition. In that case, the best way 
is to pump or dip them out into a tank, barrel or 
hogshead set on a low wagon. If you have a pile of 
dry muck or earth or straw, the liquid can be poured 
over it so that most of it will be absorbed and held. 
If this is not practicable, we would sprinkle the liquid 
right from the cesspool on level land covered by grass 
or grain. 
Nitrate of Soda and Potash. 
R. J. C., East Groveland, N. Y.— Is nitrate of soda valuable 
only for the nitrogen it contains, or is the soda also of value ? If 
the soda is of value as a fertilizer, would it take the place of 
potash ? 
Ans.— Accompanying this question is a clipping 
from some farm paper in which one A. II. Ward 
argues that the soda in the nitrate will take the place 
of potash. We value nitrate only for the nitrogen it 
contains, not considering the value of the soda at all. 
Mr. Ward has nothing but his own theories to sup¬ 
port his statements. Soda will not take the place of 
potash as plant food. 
The Value of Gas-Lime. 
J. R. W., Oswego, N, Y.— What is the fertilizing value of gas- 
lime? I can obtain it for $1 a load of 60 bushels, and would have 
to draw it about 1)4 mile. Is it more profitable than manure at 
the same price and size of load ? 
Ans. —A ton of average “ gas-lime” contains about 
800 pounds of lime. Fresh “ gas-lime ” is one of the 
worst things you can put on your land, as it contains 
20 per cent or more of sulphuric acid. The only safe 
way to use it is to spread it out on the ground and let 
it “weather” for six months. Then you can use it 
wherever lime is needed. You cannot compare gas- 
lime with manure any more than you could salt and 
bread and butter. The manure gives you all the 
plants need, while the lime gives but one element not 
usually needed for direct plant food. 
A Few Poultry Questions. 
M. 0. R., Albion, Mich .—1. What variety of clover is best for 
stock, especially what variety is best for poultry ? 2. Does it 
pay to raise sunflowers for poultry ? If so, are there any special 
directions to be given in regard to cultivation, when to feed and 
amount to feed ? What variety is best to plant ? 
Ans. —1. The variety of clover most largely grown 
for feeding stock is the Medium. Crimson clover is 
excellent for poultry, but there have been some com¬ 
plaints about injury to horses from eating the hay 
made from it. Alsike makes excellent hay, but does 
best on rather moist land. 2. Yes. They are excel¬ 
lent if fed in moderate quantities. They are easy of 
cultivation. They will grow almost anywhere that 
corn will grow, and with the same cultivation. The 
Mammoth Russian is the variety usually grown. 
San Jose Scale In Ohio. 
W. G. 31., Piccolo, O .—The San Jos6 scale has recently been dis¬ 
covered in several peach orchards and a pear orchard on Catawba 
Island, Lake Erie, supposed to have been brought here with some 
nursery stock about six years ago. What are the origin, habits 
and destructiveness of this insect, and the best remedies for 
checking it ? 
Ans. —TheSanJos6 scale was introduced into the 
East from California. It is very destructive, not only 
injuring the fruit but killing the trees if not checked. 
It is one of the most difficult insects to combat, as it 
is protected by a hard scale. A mixture of 2% pounds 
of crude whale-oil soap to one gallon of water applied 
thoroughly while hot, is said to be an effectual rem¬ 
edy. It must be applied before growth begins in 
spring. Better send to the New Jersey and Delaware 
stations for their bulletins on the subject, and also ask 
your own experiment station, Wooster, O., about it. 
Size of a Tub Silo. 
V. B. //., Mannsville, A r . Y .—How large a tub silo would I need 
for six cows? I can build from 16 to 20 feet high. What would be 
the cost of the silo ? What is a good plan for building? Would 
it freeze if set in a corner of the barn ? 
Ans. —Though a very small silo would hold sufficient 
ensilage for six cows, it is always best to build one 
somewhat larger than necessary for so few animals. 
When built larger, you can increase the herd, and 
have plenty of ensilage room. A circular silo built 
in the barn would be well protected against freezing. 
You would better build, at least, 15 feet in diameter 
and 16 feet high. This will hold somewhat more than 
50 tons of ensilage, and should be filled by five acres 
of good corn. In The R. N.-Y. of September 5, 1896, 
page 593, you will find an article on the tub silo, ex¬ 
plaining quite fully how to build. It has proved 
very successful, and the cost for one the size you 
need, should not be more than §50 to §60. l. a. c. 
