1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
58i 
peaches sometimes ripen six weeks in advance of 
their season, particularly after the disease has run a 
year or two. Mere prematureness is not an indica¬ 
tion of Yellows. Often peaches ripen prematurely 
upon trees suffering only from borers, neglect or 
drought. These peaches lack entirely the bright red 
spots of the Yellows. Yellows peaches are usually 
poor in quality, particularly in sweetness. Yellows 
generally appears at first upon a part of the tree 
only ; sometimes only one or two peaches may show 
any indications of the disease, and the tree may ap¬ 
pear to be perfectly healthy. Whether the branch 
upon which these peaches are borne is removed or 
not, the disease will be found the following year to 
have spread, involving more branches and, possibly, 
the entire tree. 
“The second characteristic symptom of Yellows— 
or the first in trees not in fruit—is the appearing of 
short, yellowish, unbranched shoots or 1 tips ’ upon or 
near the ends of the healthy branches. These little 
shoots spring from buds of the season which, under 
normal conditions, would not have pushed into 
growth until the following spring. These shoots 
may appear as early as July or even June, but in the 
early stages of the disease they are not usually seen 
until late summer or fall. When they appear in Sep¬ 
tember, they rarely grow more than three or four 
inches long. The leaves upon these Yellows ‘ tips ’ 
are small and narrow, yellowish, and they usually 
stand out stiflly at nearly right angles to the stem, 
contrasting strongly with the drooping, healthy 
leaves below them. Sometimes several of the utter¬ 
most buds upon a twig will start out into this short, 
stiff, tip-like growth ; these tips sometimes appear 
late in the fall after most of the leaves have fallen. 
The winter buds simply expand their sickly leaves, 
and the stem may make no growth. 
“ The third symptom of Yellows is the appearing 
of abnormal shoots along the larger branches, or even 
upon the trunks. These Yellows shoots generally 
appear earlier in the season than the tips and may 
make considerable growth. They are marked by 
short and narrow leaves which stand at nearly right 
angles to the stem. They rarely grow more than a 
foot in length in New York. But the most striking 
form of this third feature of Yellows symptoms is a 
bunchy growth of these shoots. Ordinarily, a healthy 
peach shoot does not branch as it grows, but makes a 
straight stem one year and branches the next year. 
These tufted shoots may spring from old branches 
two or more inches in diameter, or even from the 
main trunk itself. These bunchy growths rarely ap¬ 
pear before the third year of the disease in New York, 
and often are wholly absent even in the final stages. 
“ It is the first two symptoms—the red-spotted 
fruit and the ‘ tips ’—which must generally be relied 
upon in New York for the diagnosis of the Yellows ; 
and even the tips may be so little developed as not to 
attract attention The one unmistakable and invari¬ 
able symptom of the peach Yellows is in the fruit. 
“ Tho fourth and final stage of the disease is that 
in which the entire tree assumes the narrow, yellow 
or reddish and rigid leaves, and in this condition the 
tree is not readily distinguished by the novice from 
trees which are much debilitated by borers or neg¬ 
lect. The length of time from the onset of the 
disease at which this final stage and the death of the 
tree occur is not a fixed period. From the time when 
the first symptoms appear, it is not less than three 
years before death occurs, and it is oftener five or six 
years. But death is sure to come sooner or later, for 
there is no indisputable case on record of Yellows 
having been cured. 
“ It is known that Yellows is not due to conditions 
of soil or climate, to mechanical injuries, to over¬ 
bearing or starvation, to methods of propagating, 
pruning or cultivating, to insects or fungi, and one 
authority upon the disease now declares that it is al¬ 
most certainly not a bacterial disease, but thinks 
that it is nearest allied to that phenomenon in plants 
known as variegation. 
“ The only check for the spread of the Yellows is 
extermination of the affected trees, and I doubt if a 
better method will ever be discovered. There is 
much difference of opinion as to when and how the 
trees should be removed. If but a single branch is 
affected and the disease shows only in the fruit, it is 
considered to be safe to burn the diseased branch 
and fruit at once, but to allow the remainder of the 
tree to ripen its crop. As soon as the crop is off, 
pull up and burn the tree, root and branch. If the 
disease appear upon a tree not in fruit—even upon a 
single branch of it—I should forthwith, as soon as 
the disease is discovered, pull out the tree and burn 
it. This method of immediate extermination has 
been proved time and again to be completely effective 
in holding the disease at bay.” 
The peach branches sent by H. H. were so dried 
up when they reached me that it was impossible to 
say definitely whether the short ‘ tips ’ which had 
started out from the sides of the shoots were the 
characteristic ‘ tips ’ described by Prof. Bailey above 
as the second symptom of the disease on fruiting 
trees. If H. H.’s trees are in fruit, it should not be a 
difficult matter for him definitely to diagnose the 
disease on his fruit if the trees have been attacked. 
As the branches sent were suspiciously like the sec¬ 
ond symptom described above, I would advise H. H. 
to examine the fruit carefully and study his trees in 
connection with Prof. Bailey’s clear diagnosis of the 
different symptoms of the disease as given above. 
A Fertilizing Mixture for Wheat. 
C. M., Chalfont, Pa. —I have made a combination of one-half ton 
of plaster, one ton of malt sprout3, one ton of earth, two tons of 
hen manure, half ton of muriate of potash and one ton of S. C. 
rock, for my wheat and rye on my farm on which I use no manure 
whatever. Is the combination complete, or must something be 
added or subtracted ? Which is cheaper for fertilizing values, 
cotton-seed meal at $22 per ton, or malt sprouts which I can get 
here at $8 per ton Y Its cheapness is owing to its being full of 
dirt, making it unfit for feed for stock. What percentage of 
potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen has my mixture? 
A ns —The plant food of this mixture is contained 
in the malt sprouts, hen manure, muriate of potash 
and S. C. rock. Average samples of these substances 
contain the following in pounds : 
Nitrogen. 
Phos. 
Acid. 
Potash. 
One ton malt sprouts.. 
25 
30 
Two tons hen manure. 
. 90 
80 
35 
Half ton muriate of potash.... 
0 
0 
500 
One ton S. C. rock. 
210 
150 
340 
565 
Add 500 pounds of plaster and 1,000 pounds of 
earth and you have a mixture of 53^ tons containing 
150 pounds of nitrogen, 340 of phosphoric acid and 565 
of potash. This gives but little more than one per 
cent of nitrogen, three of phosphoric acid and five of 
potash. On naturally strong land, or after a good 
clover sod, this mixture, with extra phosphoric acid, 
might do for a fall application, though we should 
expect to use more nitrogen in the spring. You have 
only about half enough phosphoric acid for average 
soils. One ton of fine ground lime added to this mixture 
would greatly improve it, or you may safely add one 
ton each of the malt sprouts and S C. rock. As between 
cotton-seed meal at $22 and damaged malt sprouts 
at $8, we would take the sprouts, though it is always 
more or less of a lottery to buy damaged or waste 
goods without a chemical analysis If you will add 
one ton of the S. C. rock to this mixture and in the 
spring use 250 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre, you 
ought to obtain reasonably good wheat. 
Northern Methods of Cutting Corn. 
J. O. L., Mt. Olive, N. G. —The experiment stations tell us that 
the stalks of corn contain four per cent of the value of the crop. 
It is the custom here to strip the blades from the stalks, and 
leave the rest in the field. I desire to try the plan followed in 
the North and West of cutting and curing, if it is practicable. 
Our corn grows tall, 12 to 15 feet high—with large and heavy 
ears. Can such corn be put up in shocks so that it will stand 
and cure ? How is this work done in the North ? 
A. W. M. D , Shelby County, Term. —I desire to save my corn fodder 
by cutting according to the Northern custom, but know nothing 
of that plan, neither do I know that it can be done here. What 
is the proper method ? My corn was left too thick in the drill, 
hence the corn is deficient while the fodder and stalks are 
abundant. 
Ans. —Most northern farmers cut the corn close to 
the ground just as the kernels are well glazed and 
while most of the stalks are yet green, set it up in 
shocks of varying size, tie closely around the tops, 
and let it stand until the corn is dried out enough to 
husk well. Then the corn is husked and the stalks 
tied in bundles of convenient size for handling. 
These bundles are tied about the middle, and a dozen 
or more set up together, tied securely about the tops, 
and left to cure further ; or, sometimes, when suffi¬ 
ciently cured at the time of husking, they are at 
once stacked or hauled into the barn. Some farmers 
haul a quantity of the shocks of corn to the barn 
floor to husk on rainy days. This is the general plan 
of securing the corn crop. There are a number of 
machines now on the market which cut the corn, thus 
lightening this, one of the heaviest of farm jobs. 
Some farmers use a reaper to cut the corn. In nearly 
every country store in the North are to be found corn 
knives made especially for cutting corn. One of these 
consists of a solid handle about two feet long with 
a blade at one end 1 to foot long, set solidly at 
about right angles with the handle. Several rows of 
corn are put in one row of shocks—a good number in 
heavy corn is six. The operator starts at one end, 
cuts the two middle rows, gathering the stalks in his 
free arm as he goes along ; by the time he gets a good 
armful, he is about in the center of the plot of corn 
required to make a good-sized shock. Tying the 
bundle he has in his arms about the middle, he 
spreads the butts slightly, and sets it up solidly on 
the ground ; then reaching out in different directions, 
he cuts several more nearby hills and sets them 
around to brace up the bundle already set. Then he 
cuts the remainder sufficient to make the shock of 
the required size, ties it tightly around the top with 
two bands, and proceeds with another. Some tie the 
first armful around a hill to help support it, but a 
skillful man has no need to do this. Some use a horse 
made of a pole 10 or 12 feet long, with two legs, 
perhaps three feet long, in one end, the other end 
resting on the ground. About two feet back of the 
legs, a hole is bored through, and a round stick like a 
broom handle, which fits loosely, is put through, 
forming a support in which the corn may be set as 
cut. When the shock is completed, the cross stick is 
pulled out, the horse drawn out and placed for the 
next shock, and the stick replaced. Such tall corn 
as that of J. O. L. will make heavy work for the 
cutter, but it can be cut and cured in this way. 
Nitrate of Soda for Strawberries. 
G. E. L. W., Cumberland, Me. —I have a field of strawberries 
growing in a youag plum orchard, rows four feet apart. The 
trees are planted 20 feet apart, thus giving me four rows of 
berries between every two rows of trees. I wish to apply nitrate 
of soda to help form fruit buds. How much shall I apply per 
acre ? Is fall not a better time to apply it than spring ? The 
plants have received as fertilizer equal parts fine ground bone 
and wood ashes, 1,000 pounds per acre. 
Ans. —Nitrate of soda is recommended as a spring 
top-dressing for various crops, chiefly because it is a 
perfectly soluble salt, and because the nitrogen con¬ 
tained in it exists in a form immediately useful to the 
plants. There is no valid objection to its use during 
the summer or even early fall for starting grass or 
grain—in fact, it is very useful for this purpose— 
though, if used in considerable quantities late in the 
season, there is great danger of loss, because the 
plants having ceased to grow, cannot be benefited, 
and the nitrogen is liable to be washed out of the 
soil by the fall and winter rains before spring growth 
begins. For strawberries, a spring dressing would 
benefit the immediate crop, because furnishing nitro¬ 
gen in an immediately available form before the con¬ 
ditions are favorable for nitrification of the organic 
forms of nitrogen in the soil. One, or even two dress¬ 
ings after the berries have been harvested would, 
undoubtedly, benefit the plants by increasing the 
foliage and deepening the root system, thus materially 
increasing the prospects for fruit the next year, par¬ 
ticularly in the case mentioned, where an abundance 
of minerals have been added. 
[prof.] e. b. voobhkks. 
The Nitrogen in Cattle Urine. 
J. T. B., Constitution, Pa.— I notice green bunches growing 
upon the Timothy caused, evidently, by the urine of the stock. 
What causes this growth, and what does the urine contain ? Can 
we buy this element in the form of fertilizers ? 
Ans. —The urine of cattle contains, on the average, 
a little over one-half of one per cent of nitrogen, and 
somewhat less of potash. The urine of sheep contains 
over two per cent of nitrogen, and 2% per cent of 
potash. But little of the phosphoric acid contained 
in animal food is passed in the urine. Sheep pass a 
greater proportion of the potash in their urine than 
other animals. The grass is helped chiefly by the 
nitrogen and partly by the potash. A ton of cattle 
urine contains 10 pounds of nitrogen and eight of 
potash. Nitrate of soda is the most soluble form of 
nitrogen, and with potash, will give almost as good 
results on grass as the urine. If you will dissolve 10 
pounds of nitrate of soda and six pounds muriate of 
potash in a 40-gallon barrel of water, you will have a 
mixture nearly equal to a barrel of urine. 
Fall Planting of Potatoes in New York State. 
H. L. P., Bainbridge, N. Y.— Can potatoes be planted here in 
the fall for early market ? 
Ans. —We doubt very much whether it would be prac¬ 
ticable to plant potatoes in the fall for early market 
in this latitude. While we do not know of any experi¬ 
ments which have been tried along that line, yet our 
winters are so severe that potatoes planted in any or¬ 
dinary way would fail to grow in the spring. What 
might be none, and what frequently is done to hasten 
growth in the spring, is to bed the potatoes out. This 
may be done by covering them over with straw or 
coarse, strawy manure in early spring, and keeping 
them well watered until the land can be fitted. This 
has been successfully tried by some growers of early 
potatoes, and has assisted materially in advancing 
the season of maturity of the potatoes. If any read¬ 
ers have tried fall planting of potatoes for early 
market, we shall be glad to hear from them as to the 
results. 
“ Water Lime” and Portland Cement. 
J.8. W., Litchfield, Conn.— L. A. C. in The R. N.-Y. of July 10, 
speaks of walks of Portland cement, saying for the finishing 
layer to take of Portland cement one part, water lime one part, 
and sand one part. What is water lime and what is its effect, 
and why better than the same quantity of Portland cement? I 
have seen many Portland cement walks, but many of them are 
not satisfactory. I would be glad to know how to make them 
lasting, if possible. 
Ans. —Water lime is a compound of lime, alumina 
and silicon. In the preparation of it, the carbon 
dioxide is driven off from the lime, and the water is 
driven off from the alumina and silicon. The peculi¬ 
arity of this lime is that, when brought in contact 
with water again, it will set, making a solid cement 
under water. This water lime was recommended for 
use in building cement walks simply for the reason 
that it is usually cheaper than the Portland cement, 
and for this purpose, just as effective. If the Portland 
cement could be purcnased at the same price, then it 
would, probably, better be used ; but water lime is 
effective, and when finished with a coating of Port¬ 
land cement, the walks aie hard and durable, l. a. c. 
