224 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 3 
are capable of bearing a profitable crop when they 
reach maturity. The old orchards in this State are 
rapidly going to decay, and few young ones are being 
planted to replace them, although there is scarcely a 
county in the State where apples will not do well and 
produce profitable crops. For a succession of fruit 
from September to March, I would suggest the fol¬ 
lowing : Summer Rambo, Smokehouse, Baldwin, 
Spitzenburg and York Imperial. I should consider it 
risky to plant Ben Davis on account of its poor quality, 
which is becoming known to buyers, and already it is 
commanding a very low price in our best apple mar¬ 
kets. Quality will always sell fruit, no matter how 
well the markets are supplied, and quality is the one 
thing that Ben Davis lacks. Gabriel hiester. 
Potatoes to Follow Potatoes. 
L. G. F., Monroe Center, 0 .— Some potato growers here are fol- 
owing the practice of planting potatoes on the same ground year 
after year, sowing rye in the fall, plowing it under for the succeed¬ 
ing potato crop, and using about 200 pounds per acre of some good 
potato special fertilizer. Our soil is a medium heavy clay. Wba 
do you say to this practice? The crops continue good, but wha 
will be the ultimate effect upon the land ? 
Ans. —We have grown potatoes on the same plot 
for, at least, 15 years, using a high grade of potato 
fertilizer only as food. The last crop was as heavy 
as any previous crop. We would advise L Q. F. to 
use more than 200 pounds of fertilizer per acre ; if 200 
pounds pay him, we dare say that 1,000 pounds per 
acre would pay him far beyond the difference in the 
cost of fertilizer per acre. 
“Black Residuum " as a Fertilizer. 
W. J. B., Denton, Md .—“ Black Residuum ” is now offered for 
sale here at $6.75 per ton, in car-lots of 15 tons. It is claimed to 
cure and prevent peach yellows, and increase a crop of corn 
from 25 to 40 iier cent. What is the analysis of “ Black Residuum ” 
and its commercial value ? 
Ans. —“ Black Residuum ”, also called “ Black ash ”, 
is a refuse from gunpowder works. Its fertilizing 
value is dependent upon potash, of which it contains 
about 7% per cent. It also contains about one-half 
per cent of phosphoric acid. Its composition is likely 
to vary considerably, but material of the above com¬ 
position would have, at the commercial rating in this 
State, a value of $9 per ton. Its value for peach trees 
would only be in proportion to the plant food which 
it contained, and the physical properties, which the 
small amount of charcoal which it contains, might 
bring to the soil. Good results often attend its ap¬ 
plication to corn land aside from its actual fertilizing 
value, by preventing the ravages of cut-worms ; this 
value is attributed chiefly to the sulphur it contains. 
Maryland Agl. Exp. Station. h. j. paterson. 
Leaf or Straw Manure. 
W. M., Pittsford, N. Y .— What is the value of leaf manure when 
leaves are used for bedding, compared with manure made from 
straw ? Would it be better manure for raspberries than straw 
manure ? 
Ans. —We would prefer the leaf manure. It will 
contain somewhat more nitrogen. It will make a 
better mulch, as it is less likely to blow away, if well 
mixed with the manure. 
Machine for Drilling Manure. 
J. R. C., Abingdon, 111 .— Do you know of any machine that will 
place barnyard manure in potato drills ? 
Ans. —We have never seen such a machine. The 
Kemp manure spreader will broadcast stable manure 
in excellent shape. There are a number of machines 
for drilling in dry fertilizer, but we doubt whether a 
machine for drilling stable manure would be practical. 
Suggestions About an Apple Orchard. 
G. W. D ., Forest Lawn, N. Y .— I have five fields, seven acres 
each, soil sandy loam. The location is such that, if changed, it 
would be somewhat difficult to drain and till. My rotation of 
crops is corn, followed by potatoes, by wheat, by hay, by pasture. 
Manure enough is made during a season to cover the field to be 
planted to corn, using commercial fertilizers on the other crops. 
I desire to set more apple trees. Should I set trees on the division 
lines of those fields, or set one of those fields to orchard ? About 
the same number of trees would be required in either case. No 
fences are used except temporary ones around pasture. If the 
latter plan be chosen, what rotation would you advise me to 
follow ? 
ANSWERED BY J. S. WOODWARD. 
By all means, set them in one of the fields by them¬ 
selves. If planted on the lines between the plots 
they will be so scattered that it will be very difficult 
and expensive to keep them properly cultivated, and 
they will be quite likely to be neglected. It is much 
better not to plant trees than to neglect them after 
they are planted. Every orchard should be kept 
under constant cultivation for the first 10 to 15 years 
after being planted, or until in full bearing. It is, 
also, quite important that only such crops as are suit¬ 
able to be grown among trees be planted ; no cereal 
crop like wheat should ever be grown in an apple 
orchard, and most surely it should never be made a 
meadow at any time. G. W. D. can plant one field to 
orchard and crop it continually with such crops as 
corn, potatoes, beans, or cabbage, and any kind of 
root crops as may best suit him, having an eye on the 
best rotation. But he must not forget that, if he is 
growing two crops on the land, he must feed for two 
crops ; otherwise, one of them will surely suffer for 
lack of food, and it will be the trees, every time. 
By sowing Crimson clover in the corn or cabbage, 
or even in the potatoes if he dig them by hand, and 
in beans, so he will be obliged to pull them by hand, 
and using bone dust or dissolved rock and muriate of 
potash, he can keep up the fertility of the soil. Or, 
if he can’t succeed with Crimson clover, let him sow 
rape with the corn, potatoes and beans, putting it in 
quite late with potatoes and beans. With the clover 
and rape, he can keep up a supply of nitrogen most 
likely, and be obliged to furnish only the potash and 
phosphoric acid in a commercial form, which he can 
do very cheaply. It may be necessary to use stable 
manure on this field once in a while, but I think not 
if he make good use of the clover and rape. I would 
advise that he plow it early each year before the feed¬ 
ing roots get grown, and never plow it very deeply. 
The other fields may be rearranged so as to allow 
of the five-year rotation, or he may, by using a silo 
feed his stock with enough to last them in the first 
part of summer, manage to bring about his five period 
rotation in four years. By keeping cows in the stable 
until the hay is taken off, and for a few weeks after, 
they may be turned upon the meadows, but, of 
course, this would require that the seeding be of 
clover, which it should be in any case. The next 
year, it can be put in corn, then potatoes, then wheat 
to be seeded again. In this rotation, the corn field 
should always be seeded at the last cultivation, with 
Crimson clover or rape to be plowed under in spring 
for the potatoes. With this system of rotation and 
the use of potash and phosphatic manures liberally 
on the potato crop, and a good application of stable 
manure to the corn each year, he ought to raise large 
crops, and his land continue to grow better. 
Summer Mulching; Sick Plum Tree. 
H. C. C. M., Connecticut. —1. Is summer mulching of currants, 
raspberries and blackberries profitable or practicable on a large 
scale ? 2. Last season I had a Japan plum tree that started into 
growth with the other trees, then suddenly stopped growing and 
gradually failed until, finally, the whole tree was dry and dead. 
Along the trunk, small holes were to be found punctured under 
the bark. What was the cause of the tree dying, and how could 
it be prevented another time ? 
Ans.— 1. Thorough cultivation is, perhaps, the best 
way to keep small fruit fields in thrifty condition. 
Mulching will do very well in the rows under the 
bushes, but it is difficult to get an abundance of it for 
large patches, and troublesome to apply. 2. It would 
be impossible to tell the real cause of the death of the 
plum tree. Send specimens of it or others that may 
be affected to one or both of the Connecticut Experi¬ 
ment Stations. h. e. v. d. 
Birds Destroying Buds on Vines. 
P. W. ./., Pontiac, Mich .—I have about two acres of grapes, 
mostly in bearing, and part of them 10 or more years old. From 
the time the buds begin to swell in the spring, little ground or 
gray birds begin eating the buds just before they burst open. 
This has been growing worse, year by year, until last year, they 
literally destroyed the whole crop, stripping some vines the 
second or even third time. Some vines have been killed, and 
others have been held back so late that what fruit did set, could 
not ripen; in fact, at the regular grape harvest in October, we 
could pick bushels of green grapes, some as small as peas. 
There is no mistake about these birds being the marauders, for 
I have killed them and found the buds in their gizzards, and also 
seen them twist off the buds. Our vineyard is full of birds from 
March till October, as we are on one of Oakland County’s beauti¬ 
ful lakes with plenty of trees and shrubs, which make it a real 
paradise for birds. There are two or three kinds of birds that do 
this mischief, I am quite sure. There are among the little chippy 
birds one—a male bird, I suppose—that has red on his head in 
spring, some larger than the others, very active, and I am quite 
sure that he is one of the rascals; I am not sure, but all of the 
chippy or ground-bird tribe are guilty of trying to ruin me. Then, 
there is another bird that I am sure does some of this work, but 
not all of it; this bird is gray, nearly as can be, about the size of 
the Phoebe bird, or bluebird, makes his first appearance in Feb¬ 
ruary, or soon as the snow goes off, never lights higher than a 
fence post, to my knowledge, nests on the ground, but soars in 
the air 10 or 15 minutes, or more, at a time, several hundred feet 
high, making a peculiar sound, then all at once will turn and drop 
straight to the earth like a hawk after a chicken. These birds 
are mostly gramnivorous, but I find buds in their gizzards. From 
the above description, can any one name this bird? They are 
more shy than the chippy, and are often seen taking a dust bath 
in the road. They have a little white about the head or neck, 
otherwise are nearly gray. I cannot think of anything better for 
them than the shotgun; they are too tame to try to scare away 
with any hocus pocus, and probably, by shooting a few, the rest 
may take the hint and leave. I dislike terribly to take the lives 
of these (otherwise), little pets. Or shall I grub out the vines and 
quit grape growing altogether, as I must spray the vines here¬ 
after with all the rest of the trouble, about every two weeks till 
into August, and at the present prices, or the prices we have had 
to take for the last three years, I doubt whether without the ex¬ 
pense of spraying there is any more money in raising grapes 
than there is in corn, potatoes or beans. I would not advise any 
one to plant a single grape vine thinking to make any money out 
of it hereafter until there is a change in some direction. 
Ans.— The “ground or gray birds” described as eat¬ 
ing the buds of grape vines as they begin to swell in 
the spring, are, probably, English sparrows, which 
are known to be very destructive in the way men¬ 
tioned. Another bird that may take part in this 
work is the purple finch, the females of which 
resemble, in a general way, the females and young 
males of the English sparrow. Some of the old male 
purple finches have red heads, answering to the bird 
described by P. W. J. as having red on its head in 
the spring. His statement that this bird is larger 
than the chippy, in connection with its bud-eating 
habit, makes it almost certain that the purple finch is 
the species meant. The last bird mentioned, which 
is said to arrive in February as soon as the snow goes 
off, and to soar in the air at a height of several hun¬ 
dred feet, and so on, is, evidently, a horned lark. We 
are not aware, however, that this bird ever destroys 
buds. If P. W. J. will send us in the spring a speci¬ 
men or two of each of the birds in question, we shall 
be glad to identify them for him and to examine their 
stomachs to see just what they have been doing. 
C. HART MERRIAM. 
Chief Biological Survey, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. 
Cow Peas in Pennsylvania. 
G., Gettysburg, Pa. —Early in April last, my farmer drilled in 
with an ordinary grain drill, one peck each of cow peas and oats 
in red shale corn-stalk ground which was given the same prepa¬ 
ration as the rest of the tract which was sown to oats. The peas 
came up nicely, and grew to the height of four or five inches, 
when they seemed to stand still and were soon outstripped by the 
oat plants. At the time of oat harvest, the peas were, perhaps, 
one-third the height of the oat plants—no pea pods, and I don’t 
think there was even a blossom. What was the cause of failure ? 
This was my first experiment with cow peas, which, if it prove 
adapted to our climate and soil, I desire to use as a soiling crop. 
What variety would likely succeed best in this climate in red 
shale and flint soil ? 
Ans. —The growth of four or five inches was made 
by the nutriment in the seed ; then for lack of proper 
warmth, the plant stood still. Even in favorable 
weather, this condition is often noticed. It may be 
explained that the plant is, doubtless, establishing 
its roots ; when that is done, the leaf and stalk make 
rapid growth, other conditions being favorable. Cul¬ 
tivation will do something to help keep the plant 
above ground advancing, but the check will generally 
be seen. Then again, you sowed together seeds that 
require very different temperature conditions, espec¬ 
ially during the earlier growth. The time when you 
sowed the peas was much too early for them to do 
well. Usually, they rot in the ground if sown before 
settled warm, fine weather. The name, cow pea, is 
misleading, as it is a bean and requires bean weather 
for its development. I do not think that cow peas 
and oats will grow well together, as the peas will 
fully occupy the ground and smother almost any 
other plant after they have made a fair start. They 
have made 11 tons per acre as reported by the Dela¬ 
ware Experiment Station. I took 22 two-horse loads, 
certainly equal to 20 tons of dry cow-pea fodder, from 
four acres in 1896. I think that the Black cow pea 
will give the best results in Pennsylvania. Other 
varieties take a longer time to grow. Try some Clay 
peas ; they do well here, and may with you. If 
planted in rows, say 20 inches apart, and cultivated a 
few times, they will make larger growth. Or sow 
three pecks per acre with a grain drill with every 
other feed spout stopped ; then roll the ground for 
convenience in mowing. s. h. derby. 
Delaware. 
Oat Hay for Horses. 
E. A., Adams, Mass.— Is there any kind of seed besides Hungar¬ 
ian grass that can be sown in the spring and get a good crop of 
hay the first fall, that is good to feed horses ? 
Ans. —Sow oats somewhat thicker than for grain, 
and cut them in the “ milk” ; that is, when the first 
heads are soft and juicy. This will make “ oat hay”, 
which is much better horse feed than millet. Such 
hay is quoted higher in t he San Francisco market 
than the best Timothy. 
Hungarian Grass, Crimson Clover, etc. 
F. M. P„ Londonderry, Vt .— 1. I have three acres that were 
broken up last spring, manured quite heavily, and planted to 
corn. Would you advise me to sow it with Hungarian grass so 
as to cut two crops, then harrow with a spring-tooth harrow and 
seed to grass in the fall ? I wish to get all the hay I can off the 
piece. I have always seeded with oats in the spring, but thought 
that I would try this way. 2. I have read in The R. N.-Y. about 
sowing Crimson clover in corn to plow under for manure, but 
could not understand how it was done. Do you wait until the 
corn is cut and taken off the piece, or sow while the corn is stand¬ 
ing ? 3. What is the best butter test on record of a single cow 
(Babcock test)? Is a cow that will test 5.20 three weeks after 
calving, that has had nothing but grass, worth keeping ? 
Ans. —1. The Hungarian grass will give you a good 
lot of fodder, and so would oats or barley cut in the 
milk and cured like hay. We think that the plan you 
suggest will pay you better than to sow the grass 
seed with the oats. We doubt, however, whether the 
spring-tooth harrow alone will put the stubble into 
good shape for grass seeding. We would want to 
work it with other tools. 2. The usual plan is to sow 
the Crimson clover in the standing corn at the last 
cultivation. You may sow it before the cultivator, 
or sow it after the cultivator and then run through 
the rows with a narrow roller or plank drag. On the 
large farms in Delaware, the clover is sown by a man 
who rides on horseback through the corn with a 
broadcast seeder in his hand. This sends the seed 
over six or eight rows at a time. 3. We cannot give 
the best butter-test record, but would like to have 
facts from our readers. A cow that will test 5.20 per 
cent fat on grass is certainly a good one. 
