20 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 13 
Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to Insure atten¬ 
tion. Before asking a question, please see 
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.] 
Shredded Fodder for the Silo. 
C. U. W., Ionia, N. 1’.—I am trying to 
learn as to the comparative value of cut 
and shredded corn silage. I was informed 
several years ago by a man who had had 
experience In this respect that a silo would 
hold 20 per cent more when shredded, and 
stock ate it much cleaner. I would like to 
learn what experience the Rural family 
have had In this respect. 
Ans. —We have heard the same state¬ 
ment, but have not heard personal ex 
perience. Will readers who have tried 
shredders tell us what they think? We 
usually settle such questions by opening 
a debate, for some one of our readers 
seems to have tried any variety or 
method we can bring up. 
Forcing Rhubarb After Mushrooms. 
V. v., Babylon, L. /.—We are growing 
mushrooms quite extensively for our limit¬ 
ed capacity, and as fast as the beds are 
exhausted, or after the second cropping, 
they are removed and others put in their 
place. We have never tried forcing rhu¬ 
barb, but it struck us that it would be 
possible to force our rhubarb in our ex¬ 
hausted mushroom bed. We do not find 
our mushrooms pay any too well at best, 
but after February 15 we have so far 
failed to discover a profit. We understand 
that forced rhubarb pays weli if marketed 
in February and early March. Would you 
advise it? 
Ans.— It seems to us that this would 
be just the place for rhubarb forcing. We 
would certainly try it. This rhubarb is 
a crop out of season, and customers 
must become used to it before they will 
buy it readily. After it is once intro¬ 
duced there is a good demand for it. 
Killing Insects in Stored Grain. 
F. R. L., Dunnville, Ont.—Some time ago 1 
noticed a cure for weevil in w'heat. Not 
thinking 1 would be troubled with the pest 
1 did not task my memory with the pre¬ 
scription. To-day I noticed on the top of 
my bins of wheat that it was heating, and 
a crust forming on top. On examination 
I found the wheat quite hot, and a very 
small and lively insect working in it. What 
shall 1 do to stop the pest from working? 
Ans. —The best way to kill these in¬ 
sects is to use bisulphide of carbon. This 
liquid quickly exhales a deadly gas, 
which is heavier than air and sinks 
down through the grain. Put the bisul¬ 
phide in a deep dish at the top of the 
grain. Close the bin and make it as 
nearly airtight as possible by throwing 
blankets or bags over the top. The 
liquid will evaporate and the gas will 
work down through the grain. The gas 
is deadly, and very quick to take fire 
Do not breathe close to the dish, or 
bring any light near it. 
Musk melons for Cow Food. 
Reader—l have read a recent article in 
which the following statements are made: 
“Last year the valley of the Arkansas 
was literally covered with cantaloupes, 
and thousands of them w^ould have rotted 
had the raisers attempted to gather them 
for the markets with the small number of 
men who could be employed to work. As 
a result of the shortage of men, the farm¬ 
ers fed the cantaloupes to the cattle and 
were surprised to see them fatten at once, 
and, besides, present the milkmaid with a 
quality of milk that was next to the nectar 
famed in olden times.” 
The writer goes on to say that this “dis¬ 
covery” is likely to make Colorado a great 
Summer cattle-feeding State, as the melons 
will take the place of corn. Is there any 
sense In it? 
Ans.—T he raising of cantaloupes for 
stock feed would never be profitable. 
They are a diflicult and expensive crop 
belonging to intensive farming. The land 
must be very rich, just heavy enough, 
and so thoroughly underdrained by Na¬ 
ture that no water will stand around or 
beneath the roots. The vines must be 
carefully and frequently irrigated, and 
the whole field cultivated and hoed so 
as to keep it entirely free from weeds. 
All this is expensive. It cannot be count¬ 
ed as less than $35 an acre for the mere 
raising of the crop. The feeding value 
of cantaloupes is not high when figured 
per ton, on account of the large amount 
of water they contain. Pound for pound, 
there is not much difference between the 
feeding values of cantaloupes and man¬ 
gels, while the crop of mangels is very 
much larger. A crop of four tons of 
cantaloupes per acre is a pretty large 
crop. While it is true that quite a num¬ 
ber of tons of cantaloupes are fed to 
stock in the Arkansas valley of Colo¬ 
rado, it is merely the overgrown ones 
or the overripe ones. They cut no figure 
in the stock feeding of the country, and 
it would be difficult to figure any profit 
from their use, even considering them 
as a waste product. If they are to be 
used as feed they give a little better re¬ 
turns when fed to pigs, which are very 
fond of them. wei.ls w. cooke. 
State College, Pa. 
For Catarrh and Chilblains. 
E. S. B., IJarwinton, Conn.—Could you re¬ 
peat the llrections you gave some time ago 
for the treatment of catarrh? I know bi¬ 
carbonate of soda was one thing used. 
Also, can you, or any of your readers, tell 
of any cure for chilblains? 
Ans. —Dry bicarbonate of soda is used 
as a snuff, and the inside of the nostrils 
are kept well smeared with vaseline. 
The bicarbonate or cooking soda will 
“cut” or loosen the mucus so that it can 
easily be blown out. Snuff it up—as far 
back into the nose as possible. We have 
found this much better than salt water 
or other home-mixed liquids. The vase¬ 
line prevents the annoying dryness of 
the nose, and is a great relief in any 
place where dust abounds. This is not 
given as a “cure” for well-established 
cases of catarrh, but it will give relief 
in light cases, and will not injure the 
nose. 
The annoying condition known as chil¬ 
blains is usually the result of pressure 
and cold combined. The capillary blood 
vessels in the upper surfaces of the toes 
and-other portions of the foot become 
permanently enlarged and congested, 
and the nerve terminals grow highly 
sensitive to alterations of atmospheric 
pressure and temperature. The distress¬ 
ing burning and itching pains of chil¬ 
blains are well-known to be especially 
severe when the barometer is falling be¬ 
fore a storm, as the congestion always 
increases as the atmospheric pressure 
lessens. There is no real cure, in the 
popular sense of the word, but the af¬ 
fected parts gradually regain their ac¬ 
customed tone when cold weather passes. 
Every effort should be made to relieve 
local pressure on the congested parts, 
and to keep the feet warm and dry, 
trusting mainly to time to restore the 
former condition of the circulation. Fre¬ 
quent baths with strong salt or alum 
solutions tend to hasten the contraction 
of the capillaries. Applications of re- 
sinol ointment, which may be had at 
any good drug store, will do much to re¬ 
lieve the burning pains, and is about the 
only drug having much effect. It is per¬ 
fectly safe. 
Coyer Crops and Cultivation in Peach Orchards 
E. G. R., Batesburg, 8. G .—What is the ob¬ 
ject of having a cover crop, such as peas 
or vetch. In a peach orchard during Win¬ 
ter? Is there any objection to plowing in 
acid rock and potash in the peach orchard 
during the months of November and De¬ 
cember? What is the best means of keep¬ 
ing peach trees from blooming so early 
that the fruit is killed by frost? When 
trees have bloomed and frost is predicted, 
how can the fruit be protected against the 
frost? How soon should plowing be done 
in the orchard in the Spring, and would 
this plowing have any effect as regards 
frost? 
Ans. —The main objects to be gained 
by growing cover crops in Fall, Winter 
and early Spring in peach and other 
orchards, and in fact, on any idle ground 
is, to take up the nitrogen of the soil 
that might otherwise be lost by evapora 
tion or drainage, and to furnish humus 
for the lightening of the soil. They also 
help to hold the soil from washing, and 
retain snow longer than if they were not 
there. Peas and vetch also take nitro¬ 
gen from the air, and this is so much 
clear gain. Rye and oats will not do 
this, hence the advantage of the two for¬ 
mer crops. The Fall and Winter is a 
very good time to plow under potash ana 
phosphoric acid in their various chemi¬ 
cal forms. There is a decided advan 
tage in Fall as against Spring applica^ 
tion of manures containing potash and 
phosphoric acid; because they have more 
time to dissolve and become available 
plant food. There are many mistakes 
made by those who apply them with¬ 
out fully understanding this point, and 
much disappointment as the result oi 
little or no benefits to the crops planted 
at the time of planting them, or soon 
after. 
Spraying peach trees with common 
whitewash has been found to have a re- 
tarding influence on their blooming by 
reducing the absorption of heat from 
the sun, because of the white color re¬ 
pelling the power of sun’s rays to a 
greater extent than the natural color of 
the twigs and buds. There has been 
found to be a difference of a week in 
date of blooming, in some experiments, 
between sprayed and unsprayed trees in 
the same orchard rows. It is not pos¬ 
sible to hold back the bloom by covering 
the tree roots with any kind of mulch, 
although some persons have expressed 
that oelief. The temperature of the air 
may and will cause the flower buds to 
develop when the roots are in ice, as has 
been done with grapevines, roses, etc., 
where they were standing near a green¬ 
house into which their tops were extend¬ 
ed through openings purposely made. 
I have seen this done. Saving fruit crops 
from frost when in bloom is a very dif¬ 
ficult and often an expensive or impos¬ 
sible thing to do. Fires are sometimes 
made at such times, by keeping ready 
for lighting heaps of logs anu brush in 
the orchard. Burning straw has also 
been tried with some effect. The out¬ 
side atmosphere is very difficult to 
change in temperature by such artificial 
means as we may have at command. 
Plowing should be begun in Spring, at 
the first start of vegetation of the trees. 
The philosophy of tillage should be well 
fixed in the mind to be for the purpose 
of conserving the water in the soil be¬ 
low the surface. The more nearly com¬ 
plete we make and keep the surface in a 
state of dust the moister will be the low¬ 
er stratum. I do not believe that the 
state of tilth would have much effect 
upon the blooming time of the trees or 
the prevention of frost effects. 
n. E. VAN DEMAN. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth —Adv 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Bulbs 
and Koses. Send for illustrated catalogue. 
WILLIAM O. SNYDEK. Mlnersvllle, Ha. 
f Qflf ratalfidnp Trees and Plants free. 
I7U1 baiOlUgUC T. C. KEVITT, Athenla. N. J 
TQPPQ and Plants at Wholesale Prices. Cat.free 
I nCkO Uemance Nursery, B. 10, Geneva,N.V 
For Sale 
$5 per bu.; 2,000 bu 
—1.000 bu. Clover Seed @ JO to $7 jier 
Cow Peas @ $1.25 to $1.7.5 per bu. 
J. E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
Twenty Fine Blocks of 
DICDDCDDV c. c. nash, 
llAOl Dbllll I Three Itivers, Mich. 
Y ork imperial, peach, 
KIEFFEK. You get what you order. 
WOODVIEW NUBSEUIES, B. 100, Uriah, Pa 
SUCCEED WHERE 
Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Book Free, Result of 76 years* experience, 
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for 33 years. Over 150 acres of the finest Trees and 
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Lakeside Ginseng Gardens, Amber,N.Y. 
■pOR SALE—200 lbs. of Giant Argenteull Asparagus 
^ Seed. This variety of asparagus Is the earliest, 
largest and most prolific asparagus grown on the 
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WM. C. GERATY, Youngs Island, S. C. 
-^6 POTAfoli^ 
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Descriptive and Price List free. 
Currants, Oooseberrles and other Small 
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T. S. HDBBARU CO., PKEDONIA, N. Y. 
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We have all kinds of Nursery Stock. 
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HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
GUARANTEED FRUIT 
Pearl Gooseberry, 
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the most valuable pub¬ 
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ALLEN L. WOOD, Wholesale Grower, Rochester, N. Y. 
American Gardening. 
Ten Sample Copies, separate Issues. 10 cents. 
Published at 13<i Liberty Street, New York. 
is going to be more largely planted 
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FREE 
DREER’S Garden Calendar f" 1901 
The largest and most complete SEED. PLANT and BULB Catalogue 
ever offered for FREE DISTRIBUTION. It contains 200pages,which are 
fully illustrated, true to nature, and is bound in beautiful embossed 
lithographed covers. We will send a copy free to all who mention this 
paper, and request those who are Market Gardeners to state the same. 
HENRY A. DREER, 714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 
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SEED-SENSE [9°oT 
is mailed FREE to all. 
A Bright Business Catalogue of ninety pages that tells plain truth about BEST SEEDS 
that Grow. Write a postal card to-day, or send ten cents (stamps or silver) for 
BURPEE’S QUARTER-CENTURY FARM ANNUAL,— a New Book of 220 pages 
fully worth a dollar. W. ATLEE BURPEE A CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
EVERY FRUIT GROWER SHOULD READ R. M. KELLOGG’S NEW BOOK, ENTITLED 
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