58o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 4 
may build dams. It is to be sure that no sticks, roots 
or other materials that will decay be allowed in the 
earth of the dam. If there be the least chance for 
water to find its way along any such thing it will do 
it. It will first ooze, then trickle, and finally run 
through the bank. Breaks often begin in this way. 
My father used to keep a water mill on the old farm 
in Ohio, which required frequent repairing of dams 
and races, and among my earliest recollections is the 
breaking of the banks from slight imperfections. 
When I was staying for a time near the levees of the 
lower Mississippi, I had a chance to see how they 
were constructed. One thing the bosses and men 
were very particular about was that nothing but the 
alluvial soil should be dumped on the banks. Every 
chip and twig was kept out by constant vigilance. 
This is the sole material of those great levees, except 
the revetments of cypress timbers and planks on the 
inside in places to prevent the waves and current 
from wearing away the soft earth. I have con¬ 
structed several dams of my own and helped on many 
others, and in some case3 where we had dashing 
rains and very high floods. The main principle upon 
which we worked with earth dams was to build them 
so that the main stream did not flow over the dam, 
but through a side channel that was so planked, 
stoned or otherwise protected that it could not wash 
into a deep opening. I always had the main bank so 
high and the outlet so large that the 
biggest flood would not rise to the top. 
It would be useless for those who 
do not have the coldest of spring 
water to undertake the keeping of 
that gaudy, gamy and delicious little 
fish, the Brook trout. All of that 
class of fishes will live only in pure, 
cold water, and they prefer it to be 
running. There is no sport I like 
better than fishing for them with arti¬ 
ficial fly or any other bait that will 
tempt them to rush from their shady 
hiding places. But the crappie, Yel¬ 
low perch and Black and Green bass 
are the kinds for the dweller in the 
ordinary farming country of the cen¬ 
tral States to cultivate ; for they will 
thrive in most waters where the trout 
would die. A few years ago the rage 
was for German carp, and I tried it, 
but never did I taste as worthless a 
fish. We tried it in various ways on our table, but 
voted it a fraud. h. e. van deman. 
Non-Blighting Varieties of Apples in Delaware. 
I believe that some varieties of apples free from 
blight in one section might be seriously affected in 
others. With me, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Shockley 
and Red June are so badly affected that I fear it will 
be several years before I get a crop, although these 
trees have been sprayed for several years, pruned and 
otherwise well attended to. I have another orchard 
that has received little attention, and has never been 
sprayed, that looks about the same ; the fruit on each 
is very poor although, in 1893, I never saw finer 
apples than these varieties bore. 
In contrast with Winesap, the Paragon of the same 
type doss not seem affected with blight, and has a fair 
crop of fruit. The blight I refer to is twig blight. 
Some of my varieties have had fire blight, notably 
Buncombe, but that variety this year is free from it, 
and bearing a full crop. I would be glad to know 
how to get rid of this blight, for it is becoming serious 
here, almost more so than pear blight. Quinces blight 
very badly, too. I took extra pains last winter to 
manure my Winesap and some other kinds to see if I 
could check it or make them put on an extra vigorous 
growth, but those not manured look fully as well. 
Early Harvest and Red Astrachan seem to be the only 
ones strictly free from twig blight here. 
_ CHAS WRIGHT. 
A PRACTICAL POTATO BUGGER. 
ABSENITE OP LIME FOR POISON. 
When what is now known as the potato beetle was 
first introduced, or very probably introduced itself, 
about 30 years ago, most people imagined that it 
would stay a few years and leave ; but as it has been 
much more numerous and destructive this season than 
common, it has become recognized as a permanent 
fixture wherever an attempt is made to grow potatoes. 
Many fields of potatoes have been entirely ruined by 
it, or by an excessive dose of poison administered 
by the owner in a desperate attempt to kill it or 
cut off the food supply. 
This summer, after using several tons of plaster and 
Paris-green with very little apparent effect, we com¬ 
menced using with good results the arsenite of lime 
from a formula by Dr. R. C. Kedzie, of the Michigan 
Agricultural College, but used it stronger than he re¬ 
commends, and much stronger than would be safe on 
peach trees. We also made the machine shown at 
Fig. 247, which does good work. We made a cart to 
track 10 feet wide (as our rows are three feet four 
inches apart), with three rows between the wheels, 
which comes in good form for working two horses; 
we used front wagon wheels and a pair of old skeins 
found at a wagon shop. On this, we made a plat¬ 
form five feet long and six feet wide, well bolted on. 
A common spray pump and barrel were secured to 
this, and two hose connected to the pump ; each hose 
is connected to two spray nozzles by galvanized iron 
pipe three feet four inches long, with stop-cock where 
the hose joins the pipe. These were secured to a 
light strip of wood so that the nozzles were three feet 
four inches apart. By spraying the three rows be¬ 
tween the wheels and one outside, the four rows are 
easily reached. This is readily manipulated by the 
person sitting at the back end of the platform, and 
much better on hilly land than if fastened to the 
cart. 
It is important to secure good nozzles, and the Ver- 
morel works very nicely. Great care should be taken 
to straiD all material before it enters the pump. We 
strain everything into the barrel, using a large funnel 
with a common brass milk strainer inserted, and also 
a strainer at the lower end of the pump. The follow¬ 
ing formula will not injure potato vines if a fine spray 
be used : Two pounds white arsenic, four pounds sal- 
soda and two gallons rain water. Boil in an iron 
kettle for 15 minutes, or until the solution becomes 
clear, being careful not to let it boil over. Put this 
solution in a jug and label POISON. When ready to use, 
take one pint of the solution in the jug to 30 gallons 
of water, and add two pounds of good quick lime 
which has been previously slaked (not air slaked). If 
a large amount is to be used, slake a quantity of lime, 
using a gallon of water to two pounds of lime. When 
wanted, stir well and use a gallon for two pounds. 
Kent County, Mich. l. j. post. 
The Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
Bee whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.l 
Starting a Fish Farm. 
G. W. F., Bartonville, N. I live on a farm through which a 
creek runs which seldom fails to flow the year ’round, but in the 
summer it gets very low. Small fish, such as minnows and 
young perch live in it, and in the spring, when it rises on account 
of melting snow and rain, suckers, and occasionally a pike run 
up from Burlington Bay, at the head of Lake Ontario. There is 
a hill all along one side, aud one part of the way on the other 
side, and across the ravine is an old mill dam broken through in 
DIAGRAM FOR DAM REPAIRING. Fig. 248. 
two places. By repairing the dam, I could flood, perhaps, four 
acres, but the upper part of the pond would be very shallow as 
the fall is not great; the part next to the dam in places would be 
about six to eight feet deep. The bed of the creek is mostly 
stones, but if a pond were made, the bottom would be mostly 
earth mixed with 'Stones, and is now used as pasture ground. 
What kind of fish would be best for this pond, and what would 
they sell for ? Would the water be deep enough ? Would the 
stream be so sluggish that flags and water plants would grow to 
such an extent as to injure the pond ? The water is clear. How 
would you repair the dam, and how should the outlet for the 
water be made. In the spring, it is generally quite a rushing 
torrent. The part of the dam that still stands is simply a mound 
of earth grown over with grass, and on each side is a row of 
trees. What would it cost to repair the dam and build the out¬ 
let ? The broken part is together fully 100 feet long. Where can 
one get the fish? How are they started? What care do they 
need? How many should be taken out from time to time? 
Would it pay to borrow the money at fire per cent to do the work? 
How could I keep my fish from going down or up stream, espe¬ 
cially when it is greatly swollen. Would it cause injury to the fish 
on account of the pond being frozen over in the winter ? I do 
not think the water would reach 80 degrees. Would raising frogs 
pay better ? 
ANSWERED BY HENRY STEWART. 
Beginning at the end of this letter, it may be said 
that at present, the culture of frogs is in a condition 
of evolution, and at the beginning of it, needing to 
go slow until the natural stock is well exhausted, and 
then to be cultivated until the demand becomes estab¬ 
lished. It might be that a good supply would stimu¬ 
late the demand in this direction, as it does in other 
things, but to a great extent, the people are not yet 
used to this delicate article of food, and thus the 
demand may grow slowly until it is discovered what 
a pleasant dish a pair of frog’s legs will contribute to 
the breakfast table. 
As a rule, it is labor lost to try to repair an old dam. 
An earth dam is a poor thing at the best, and any 
dam needs to be begun at the bottom (which is its 
weakest part), and made of durable materials. But 
this dam might, probably, be inclosed and made a 
safe core for a new one in this way : Drive a row of 
spiling of two-inch planks along the foot of it down 
to the solid bottom. Then drive another row, break¬ 
ing joints, and keeping the planks close together. 
Then drive another still, breaking joints, and then 
draw the tops closely together and spike them firmly. 
Saw off the tops accurately level. Fill in at the upper 
side with solid earth, which is to 
be leveled off smoothly and well 
rammed down. At the top, drive more 
planks in the same way and finish the 
top as before. Then drive another row 
at the foot of the upper side and finish 
as before. Then lay cross beams, 
from end to end, and floor the whole 
over with double boards, 1M inch 
thick, breaking joints, of course. Fi¬ 
nally, work thin cement into the 
joints. 
The ends of the dam should be 
protected by boxing in with double 
boards as shown in Fig. 248. Of course 
the foundation is to be protected by 
driving down double planks to the 
solid ground. The middle part of the 
dam must be made sufficiently high to 
hold all the water at the highest flood. 
When the water is at the lowest, 
the pike and perch should all be 
taken out of the pond, as these eat the eggs of 
the trout. The minnows will be valuable as food 
for the trout, and may be left in the pond. Trout 
are the best fish to rear, as they are scarce and the 
most valuable of all kinds, selling readily at the high¬ 
est prices. The water will be deep enough for them, 
and the rocky bottom is the best for them, providing 
shade and shelter. There will be little danger of 
harm from the flags ; indeed these are desirable as 
affording a large quantity of food for the fish, by 
means of the minute animal growth which always 
gathers on them. The cost of repair of the dam would 
be small, the only outlay of money being for the 
plank, and this might, doubtless, be repaid by selling 
ice to the neighbors. The freezing of the pond would 
do no harm unless it make ice clear to the bottom, 
which is scarcely to be thought of. The young fish 
for stocking the pond may be purchased for a small 
price from several breeders in New York, the names of 
whom may be procured when needed and asked for 
by a note to the editor of The R. N.-Y. We don’t 
advise going into debt, but in this case, there is every 
probability that the money will quickly be returned. 
What Is “ Yellows ” in the Peach ? 
II. H., Intercourse, Pa .—I inclose two branches from one of my 
peach trees. I am anxious to know whether they indicate that 
the tree has the disease known as Yellows. Will you describe 
the first symptom of this disease of the peach? I have an orchard 
of 350 trees, as pretty as a picture, planted two years last April. 
The inclosed branches were taken from a Crosby tree that has 
some fruit on it. 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
Peach Yellows is a very mysterious, fatal and com¬ 
municable disease, and one that is sometimes hard to 
detect or diagnose. Prof. Bailey has had a very wide 
experience with the disease and has embraced his 
observations in the following diagnosis i “ When the 
Yellows attacks a bearing tree, the first sign of its 
presence is usually in the fruit. The one unmistak¬ 
able symptom in the fruit is the presence of bright 
red spots which may be likened to measles blotches, 
and the flesh is also more or less marked by red spots 
and streaks which often run through to the pit. 
When the attack is slight, these red streaks in the 
flesh may be faint or even almost absent; but the 
external spots are characteristic. In addition to 
these marks upon the peach, the fruit generally 
ripens prematurely, although I have seen cases in 
which the spots were present upon fruit ripening in 
its normal season. On the other hand, Yellows 
