84 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 6 
during cold and stormy weather. The horses and 
cows should be separated by a closed partition ; this 
may be in front of the horses, access being had to 
their mangers by means of a drop door. The upper 
part of the barn, unless wanted for some special pur¬ 
pose, will naturally have the driveway in the center 
and the bays on each side. The silo will come up 
through, and will need no protection or covering. 
The cheapest and best silo to build is the circular tub 
silo which has been described in the columns of 
The R. N.-Y. l. a. c. 
'* Millet Meal ” ; Feeding Ewes and Pigs. 
J. B. M., Grantsville, Md. —1. To what stock can Russian-millet 
meal most profitably be fed ? 2. What is the beBt grain ration 
for stock ewes ? 3 What food is best to produce large size and 
healthy condition for pigs intended for breeders ? I can get buck¬ 
wheat shorts at 70 cents per 100 pounds; native brown-wheat 
middlings at 85 cents, and good native bran at 80 cents. Oats are 
not over 30 cents per bushel. 
Ans. —1. Russian-millet meal would better be fed 
with caution. It might be used profitably in com¬ 
pounding a ration for cows. Not more than two 
pounds of it should be fed per day, and then mixed 
with com meal, wheat bran, oat bran, or with some 
combination of grains relatively rich in carbohydrates. 
This is but little used in this country, and no careful 
experiments have been made to determine to just 
what stock it can be fed most profitably. 2. As a 
grain ration for ewes with lamb, mix grains in the 
following proportions : Four parts bran, two parts 
corn meal, one part oil meal. Feed the ewes from 
this mixture from two to three pounds each per day. 
3. Young pigs should be encouraged to begin eating 
solid food before they are weaned. On nearly every 
farm, there is a supply of skim-milk which finds its 
way to the pig-pen. Induce the pigs to drink this 
milk before separating them from the dam. The milk 
ration should be supplemented by grain. Good native 
bran and ground oats combined in equal parts would 
make a first-class combination. In beginning the 
feeding of grain to pigs, always commence with a 
small quantity and increase it slowly, until just the 
amount is fed that they will eat clean. Corn or corn 
meal fed to young pigs intended for breeding pur¬ 
poses is too fat-producing, and should, if fed, be used 
only in small quantities. l. a. c. 
The Culture of Cow Peas. 
J. L. If., Watkins, N. Y.— Are cow peas usually planted and 
cultivated ? If so, how far apart ? 
Ans. —It grown for the grain, plant and cultivate 
the same as field beans. Use three-fourths bushel of 
Black peas per acre in rows 30- to 36 inches apart to 
admit free cultivation. Plant with a bean planter or 
grain drill, by stopping part of the tubes. If grown 
for forage or soil improvement, drill in 1 to 1bushel 
per acre with a grain drill, using all the tubes. No 
after-cultivation is given in this ease. The Early 
Large Black variety is the best. Do not plant before 
the last of May in your section, perhaps, June 1 to 
10 would be better, as the soil must be warm. 
E. Q. PACKARD. 
For “ Peach Rot" ; San Jose Scale in Ohio. 
R. G. C., Plainville, 0 .—1. What is the cause of peaches decay¬ 
ing upon the trees before maturing ? A neighbor has most of his 
crop still hanging upon the trees. The varieties were Oldmixon 
and Stump, grown upon clay soil and cultivated. 2. Is the 
Champion peach more hardy; that is, can the buds endure more 
cold than other varieties ? 3. Has the San Jos6 scale established 
Itself in any orchards in Ohio ? 4. Is not the Anjou pear a shy 
bearer when grown alone away from other varieties ? 
Ans. —1. “ Peach rot” is the cause. It can be pre¬ 
vented, in a great measure, by burning all the mummi¬ 
fied fruit to lessen the amount of spores from which 
it may start; then spray the trees just before bloom¬ 
ing with Bordeaux Mixture, and again as soon as the 
bloom is gone. As the peaches attain the size of 
marbles, spray with the ammoniacal solution of cop¬ 
per, which will not stain the fruit. 2. Champion 
peach has not been tested enough, so far as I know, 
to warrant us in believing it more hardy in buds than 
most other kinds. 3. Yes, the San Jos6 scale is mak¬ 
ing destructive progress in several places in Ohio. 
Any such fact should be at once made known to the 
State Experiment Station at Wooster. 4. The Anjou 
is reported unproductive in many such cases. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Strawberries for Dry Kansas. 
H. F. S., Beloit, Kan.— 1. Other things being equal, will the hill 
or the narrow, matted row system better withstand the drought 
so common to this part of our State 7 2. Will you name a few 
varieties the best adapted to hill culture, to be estimated in the 
order named ? The Parker Earle has been my choice, but I am 
in doubt. My soil is a rather heavy, sandy loam, with a tough 
sand and clay subsoil of a dark yellow to a reddish color. 
Ans. —1. Hill culture of the strawberry will give 
the best chance to keep the top of the soil constantly 
stirred, so as to prevent the escape of the moisture 
from the subsoil. Matted rows soon make a hard or 
uncultivated space as wide as they are allowed to set 
runners. Some good cultivators believe in setting 
strawberry plants about two feet square so as to 
work by horse power both ways. Having been at 
Beloit and known for many years of the trials of 
strawberry growing further east in Kansas where 
droughts are, however, not quite so frequent, I can 
well imagine the troubles to be encountered. Let me 
suggest irrigation to H. F. S., even though it be in a 
small way, as a test of its wonderful workings on the 
fruit farm. If he has water that can be pumped by 
wind or gasoline power, it is worth trying. 2. Among 
the best varieties for hill culture in the order of pref¬ 
erence are : Parker Earle, Warfield, Haverland, 
Bubach, Gandy. h. e. v. d. 
Two Little-Known Apples. 
D. K., Hartford, Conn. —Will you give a description of the Arctic 
and Fishkill apples, and Fayette Beauty pear ? I bought trees 
from an agent a few years ago, which have not yet fruited. I 
have lost the description of them, and am unable to find trees 
bearing these names in fruit catalogues. Which do you con¬ 
sider better, the Abundance or Burbank of the Japanese plums, 
for our Connecticut soil? 
Ans. —The Arctic apple is of medium size, flat to 
round in shape, very dark red, good quality, sub-acid 
flavor, and seems to be a late keeper from New York 
northward. I have specimens now in my cellar for 
testing. It is a handsome apple of good size for mar¬ 
ket, and may prove, on more extensive trial, to be 
worthy of general culture. Fishkill is of medium 
size, yellowish color with a blush next the sun, tender 
flesh, pleasant, sub-acid flavor, ripens in the latitude 
of Connecticut about October. It is little known, and 
is not likely to excel or equal some other varieties of 
that season. Fayette (Beauty) pear I do not know. 
Abundance and Burbank plums are both good for 
Connecticut, and both are clings. Perhaps the Bur¬ 
bank is the better of the two, all things considered. 
H. e. v. D. 
Pears and Other Fruits. 
W. H. M., Collingswood, N. J. —1. Excluding the Sand pears, 
what varieties of that fruit bloom and are capable of fertilizing 
the Keiflfer ? 2. In planting a large orchard of Montmorency and 
English Morello cherries, would you advise mixing them in order 
properly to fertilize the blossoms to get a more prolific crop of 
fruit, or are those varieties just as prolific when separate? 3. 
Will the Wild Goose plum succeed when budded on Lombard 
stock ? 
Ans. —1. The Le Conte and Garber are both suitable 
for pollinating the Keiflfer pear. Some contend that 
the Keiflfer does not need aid in pollinating its blos¬ 
soms, but others are quite certain that their experi - 
ence has taught them that it does. I have seen 
evidences of this kind in several orchards. 2. Mont¬ 
morency and English Morello cherries have never 
shown any signs of imperfection of their flowers, so 
far as I know. However, it would do no harm to 
plant the trees in alternate rows to make everything 
sure. 3. No ; Wild Goose will not do well grafted on 
Lombard, or on any other tree of the European 
species. h. e. v. d. 
Treatment of Quince ; Satsuma Plums. 
0. K. L., Illinois.— 1. It is claimed that dwarf pear trees planted 
deep are benefited by having the bark of the pear at the junction 
of the quince, under ground, slit or punctured to induce roots 
from the pear wood to start, in order to make a half standard of 
the dwarf tree. At what age of the tree from planting, and at 
what season of the year—spring or fall—should this be done ? 
2. At what season of the year must sprouts around the quince 
trees be bent down and covered with earth to have them take 
root—in spring or fall ? 3. It is claimed that the Japan plum, 
Satsuma, will take root from cuttings the same as the currant. 
When should the new wood be taken from the tree? How long 
should such cuttings be, and how deep planted—in spring or fall ? 
Ans. —1. The earlier the better. We should choose 
early spring. 2. Fall. 3. We may not speak authori¬ 
tatively as to this question, and would be glad to 
hear from our more experienced readers upon the 
subject. We would say that the cuttings should be 
made about six inches long just as soon as the leaves 
begin to drop in the fall, and planted at once so that 
the top of the cuttings shall be even with the soil. As 
we have had no experience, however, we speak with¬ 
out authority. 
Crab Grass in Strawberries. 
W. J. J., Crozet, Va.— My three-acre strawberry field is covered 
with dry Crab grass which grew up the latter part of last sum¬ 
mer during a wet season. It makes a good mulch for the berry 
vines this winter, but I do not know what to do with it in the 
spring. Would you burn it off, say, in March, or let it remain and 
turn it under after the berry crop is off ? I intend to turn under, 
sow to peas, and plant again next spring. 
Ans. —If only Crab grass, it is perfectly dead, and 
will make a good mulch. Let it remain until the fruit 
is gathered. w. f. massey. 
When to Sow Grass Seed. 
R. S. S., Flushing, O.—l have a 10-acre field that I wish to seed 
to grass as quickly as possible, without regard to a grain crop. 
Can I sow grass seed heavily alone, this spring, and expect to 
get a “catch” and also a crop of hay the same season? 
Ans. —We presume that you mean grass for hay 
like Timothy and Red-top. In this case, we would 
not advise spring sowing. We would either raise a 
crop of oats or keep the land well worked during the 
summer. About September 1, if the weather be 
favorable, sow the grass seed alone. We have a 
piece of such land, and expect to sow oats on it this 
spring. These will be cut green for hay, and then 
the ground will be worked up dor grass seeding. 
Carnation Growing. 
E. V. A., Delmar, N. Y .—Referring to Mr. Howe’s carnations, 
on page 17, of The R. N.-Y. for January 9, does he market the 
plants or cut flowers? If the latter, he must pot the whole acre’s 
growth for the greenhouse. What are his methods? 
Ans. —Mr. Howe, doubtless, grows carnations for 
the flowers, in which case the plants would not be 
potted, being grown entirely planted out on benches, 
or, in a few instances, in solid beds. Carnation cul¬ 
ture for cut blooms is the same, in all essential 
features, in every section of the country. Cuttings 
are rooted in sand in January or February, and trans¬ 
planted, when fully rooted, into flats or shallow 
boxes. In April or early May—as soon as the condi¬ 
tion of the soil permits—the young plants are put out 
in the field, where they are regularly cultivated, and 
the leading shoot removed to induce stocky growth, 
all flower buds being pinched out until the middle of 
August. The latter part of September, the plants are 
lifted and put in the greenhouse benches. Even if 
the carnations are grown for plants instead of flow¬ 
ers, they are not potted, unless intended for retail pot 
plants, the sale of which is but small. For trade use, 
carnation plants are sold in two forms only ; either 
as rooted cuttings or little plants for field culture in 
the spring, or as field plants ready for transplanting 
in the autumn, so any potting would be a work of 
supererogation. 
How to Plant Locust Seed. 
C. S. I)., East Berne, N. Y. —1. When is the best time to plant 
locust seeds ? 2. How deep, and how much seed per acre ? 3. 
Where can I get the seed ? 4. Is there more than one kind ? 5. 
If so, which is the best for fence posts ? 6. What preparation 
will the seed need ? 
Ans —1. All locusts are readily propagated from 
seed. The seeds may be planted as soon as ripe or 
the next spring. The seed will keep for several 
years. 2. As good a way as any is to sow them in 
drills an inch deep or less. 3. Of J. M. Thorburn & 
Co., New York City, and many other seedsmen adver¬ 
tising in The R. N.-Y. 4. Yes, there are about a 
dozen species of locusts and many varieties. 5. We 
would suppose that the Common locust—Robinia 
Pseudacacia—would be best for fence posts. 6. The 
seed will not need any preparation unless several 
years old, in which case it would be well to scald it 
before sowing. 
Wheat Bran and Wheat. 
J. M. If., JVorch Salem, N. Y .—“ Wheat bran seems an ideal food 
for laying hens. It contains four times as much mineral matter 
and four times as much of the phosphates as the whole wheat 
kernel.” How can any part of a kernel of wheat, or anything 
else, contain four times the amount of a certain ingredient that 
the whole kernel contains ? 
Ans. —To be exact about it, a ton of wheat bran 
contains about 125 pounds of ash, while a ton of wheat 
contains about 31 pounds. The reason is that the 
cover or hard shell of the wheat kernel contains the 
greater part of this mineral matter. The inside of 
the kernel is mostly starch. In the process of mill¬ 
ing, this harder covering is rubbed off and left by itself. 
This is what we call bran, and, of course, it contains 
a high proportion of minerals. A cow weighing 
1,000 pounds might have five pounds of hair. Her 
hide and horns would average about 85 pounds in 
weight. You can see that the hair will represent 
nearly six per cent of the hide, but only one-half of 
one per cent of the whole cow. 
Apple Refuse as Manure. 
W. B. P., Bowmanville, Ont .—Is there any manurial value in 
apple skins and cores, the refuse from an evaporator ? I have 
had about 30 loads of it drawn and put around some young pear 
trees set out six years ago, and am told that it will injure the 
trees. 
Ans. —Such refuse is worth scarcely $1 a ton as 
manure. Our opinion would be that this is a bad 
material to put around fruit trees, though we have 
had no experience with it. We would prefer to use 
it on grass or grain. 
Use of Salt as Manure. 
H. B. K., Millville, N. J.— I have a considerable quantity of salt 
such as is used in curing meats. It would cost me only freight 
charges for a short distance. Can it be used profitably on the 
farm ? If so, how should it be applied ? 
Ans. —The plant that shows best results from the 
use of salt is asparagus. Growers of this vegetable 
use salt heavily for two purposes. The salt helps 
the asparagus to a certain extent, and prevents the 
growth of certain weeds and grass. Outside of the 
asparagus patch, salt has but little value within 200 
miles of the ocean. In Michigan and farther west, it 
has been quite largely used for grass and grain. The 
usual plan is to broadcast it from a wagon on plowed 
ground, 200 pounds or more per acre, and harrow it 
in. The chief result from its use seems to be a stifEer 
and harder straw. The action of salt in the soil is 
not very clearly understood. It does not add much, 
if any, direct plant food. Some authorities think 
that it acts to make silica available—thus giving the 
stem of the plant a stiller and harder frame. Others 
think that the salt retards nitrification and thus pre¬ 
vents too rapi growth. We doubt very much 
