354 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 18 
the holes were full of water and the worms dead. A 
neighboring grower who observed the same thing re¬ 
marked that they were all drowned. Was it the down¬ 
pour of rain we had just about that time, or an extra 
flow of juice? Almost every orchard had a crop of 
good fruit that year, and as this was about the only 
orchard in this section of country that had been 
sprayed and cultivated it was a great set-back to the 
new doctrine. It was not a failure, as the orchard 
turned off 1,800 bushels, but the owner was not proud 
of the quality. 
SOME EXPLANATIONS.—The presence of so many 
worms that season in this orchard was due to two 
causes. One cause was the poor quality of the Paris- 
green; the other was something entirely overlooked. 
At the first setting of these orchards there were also 
planted two rows of Transcendant crab apples along 
the north side of the peach and cherry orchard, and 
when those orchards were removed the crab trees 
were still left. When they first commenced bearing 
they were very profitable, as the fruit sold well, but 
the price had gradually gone down until they did not 
pay for picking. The trees had grown very tall, so 
that it was almost impossible to spray them, and as 
they very seldom failed, and were very prolific bear¬ 
ers, the ground would be covered with fallen fruit. 
That special season they had borne an extraordinary 
crop, and on examination it was discovered that every 
little apple contained a worm, so that no matter how 
hard they were fought against in the remainder of 
the orchard this small section was keeping up the 
supply. These trees were chopped down and burned, 
and all the little crab apples were gathered up and 
thrown on the fire, and since then we have not been 
bothered with any more worms. It is astonishing how 
much trouble some little things will give us, and how 
easily they are overlooked. 
ANOTHER LESSON.—The Spring of 1897 every¬ 
thing commenced blooming April 25, but was not in 
full bloom until April 29; then we had four cold, 
cloudy, rainy days ending with a white frost. Last 
blooms were gone by May 9; last four days bright, 
clear sun and no wind. Commenced spraying May 10, 
and as the previous year had been so disastrous, the 
spray was made stronger by adding more Bordeaux 
Mixture and three-eighths of a pound of Paris-green 
to 50 gallons of water instead of one-fourth of a 
pound as formerly, and each tree was sprayed until 
it would drip. Owing to the extra time it took to do 
such thorough work and also being bothered by fre¬ 
quent rains, we did not get through first spraying 
until after May 25. Shortly after that time the or¬ 
chard showed up with the snarliest lop-sided lot of 
apples it had ever borne. It would have been hard 
to find a more disgusted fruit grower than the owner, 
almost ready to turn the whole thing out to the com¬ 
mons; but the Cutaway, the Acme and the smooth¬ 
ing harrow were kept going in that part of the or¬ 
chard that had been cultivated the year before, work¬ 
ing it up so that all through the drought of that year 
it had from two to three inches of dust on top, with 
plenty of moisture underneath. Right in the hottest 
and driest part of the season it was noticed that the 
apples on the cultivated part were improving, and 
they kept on swelling and getting smoother and 
smoother until gathering time, which resulted in an 
extra good crop ot apples free from worms. In that 
part of the orchard that had not been cultivated the 
apples showed no improvement and were hardly 
worth gathering even in that exceptional year of 
good prices. The trees and soil were identically the 
same, nothing but a portable fence separating them, 
only one part was cultivated and the other was not. 
The renovation of this orchard was found to be a 
more serious undertaking than was at first supposed. 
It was five years after this work began before it gave 
its first crop. But since then it has never missed, and 
has borne six consecutive crops consisting of 1,500. 
1,800, 2,700, 2,000, 3,500 and 4,000 bushels respectively. 
The crop of 2,000 bushels was borne in 1898, when 
there was not another orchard in the State that pro¬ 
duced anj”^ fruit. ii. a. a. 
Neoga, Ill. _ 
THE CARPENTER APPLE. 
At the meeting of the Eastern New York Horticul¬ 
tural Society last year specimens of the Carpenter 
apple were exhibited. Nicholas Hallock, of Long Isl¬ 
and, secured us samples of the fruit, from which the 
illustration. Fig. 142, was made. The originator, or 
shall we say “discoverer,” lived at Milton, N. Y. This 
is what Mr. Hallock says about the original tree: 
“He wants it called the Carpenter apple, for his 
grandson. It came up in a field of raspberries that 
were planted with Oldenburg and Fameuse or Snow 
apple. Four years ago the tree was grafted with other 
kinds of fruit, and pruning was neglected on the new 
wood. Last year the wmod that was left—the original 
tree—-bore these apples. This was the first time that 
it fruited, and it had 1% bushel of apples, independent 
of the grafts, showing it to be a good bearer, a good 
grower, and a good keeper, which we know from the 
specimens we had at the show.” We found the fruit 
of high quality, a good keeper and, we should judge, 
a decided acquisition. 
CORN-GROWING IN THE CENTRAL WEST. 
THE SEED BED.—To grow a good crop of corn 
each separate step must be intelligently taken, seed 
bed, seed, planting and tillage. Is not the first of 
these steps the most commonly neglected? A good 
seed bed is not made in one season. It may be fin¬ 
ished in one season. Nature’s seed bed is always in 
the process of making, and is ever improving. In pro¬ 
portion as our soil departs from the condition of a 
natural seed bed are we compelled to improve the 
character of our tools and increase our work to grow 
a paying crop. It is proverbial that one hardly needs 
to scratch a virgin soil to grow a big crop. In dig¬ 
ging into undisturbed soil I have been surprised at its 
firmness. The top is covered always with a mulch; 
just below, the soil is half mold and is very mellow, 
but it quickly becomes quite firm, almost hard. Our 
A ONE-SIDED OEANGE. Fig. 141. 
cultivated seed beds are often hard to the very toy. 
This is the result of exposure to the fierce sun and the 
beating rain, and to robbing it of humus. We pay 
the penalty for this abuse by buying costly machinery 
and multiplying labor. Would it not be cheaper to 
return more nearly to the conditions of the natural 
seed bed? Firm, not hard; mellow on top and covered 
with a protecting mulch. 
GETTING BACK.—There is no great secret about 
Nature’s seed bed. It is simply full of sticks and pro¬ 
tected. In this section we save strawy manure, often 
in a box stall where sheep and cattle are fed in flocks. 
This manure is never exposed to weather, and most 
of the time it is thick enough to absorb the urine. It 
is often scattered with a fork or manure spreader on 
clover stubble after taking off hay or seed. Its sub¬ 
stance is washed into the soil, and the coarser parts 
are thoroughly rotted, so that when preparing for 
corn the next season it mixes well with the soil. By 
shredding fodder and bedding with straw, and feed- 
THE CARPENTER APPLE. Fig. 14-.,’. 
ing out clover and corn on the farm, we find that the 
humus increases in our soil, and that it will often 
grow a larger crop than when new. The late growth 
of clover covers the ground all Fall and Winter, and 
takes up any nitrates that might leach out of the soil 
and be lost. It also prevents sudden drying in the 
Spring, and gives one time to break more land in good 
condition than if the surface were exposed. The soil 
has been so thoroughly shaded and mellowed that by 
Spring it pulverizes easily and needs little working. 
FALL BREAKING.—In this latitude we do not 
favor Fall plowing except in tough sods. Our Winters 
are so open that the soil puddles too much. It is often 
harder to prepare the seed bed in Spring than it would 
be to break it and prepare it. In the Spring our date 
for breaking is governed more by soil conditions than 
by the almanac. About one season in 10 is dry early, 
and if breaking is deferred till the last of April the 
ground gets so dry that it breaks cloddy. In such 
seasons it is far better to break in March and harrow 
occasionally to conserve moisture. 
PLOWING TOO WET.—It is true, however, that 
farmers go wrong far more often by breaking land 
too wet. I have often asked farmers in an institute 
how they judge when land is too wet. Some say that 
if one will squeeze it in the hand, and on opening the 
hand it will fall apart, it is dry enough. This is, how¬ 
ever, entirely too severe a test. A better test is to 
roll it into a marble. If it will adhere when rolled 
you would better stop the plow. Plowing too wet 
will harden the seed bed, and handicap one’s effort 
the entire Summer. It will also greatly reduce the 
crop. I once thought to be smart, and broke a nar¬ 
row back furrow in the garden “a little too wet.” Two 
weeks later I plowed the rest of it. The first strip 
worked hard and puddled into one great clod, and was 
hard to work, as well as made a light yield, while the 
later plowing worked mellow all Summer. Apply this 
to a field, and you have a worse result, since the gar¬ 
den contained more humus. Many a farmer grows a 
light yield of corn, and does not know that he killed 
his crop plowing wet in the Spring. Tramping when 
wet does the same thing. It makes an intelligent 
farmer nervous to see a drove of stock ranging across 
a field, when he knows that every step is bound to 
make a clod for the coming season. 
DEEP OR SHALLOW.—Some successful corn grow¬ 
ers plow shallow. There are some loose soils where 
it is better to leave the ground stirred as little as pos¬ 
sible, but as a rule, it is far better to plow from six 
to eight inches deep. This is especially true on hill¬ 
sides. Otherwise a heavy rain will saturate a thin 
seed bed and slough it down to the valley. Deep 
plowing exposes more dirt to the action of the air; it 
covers weed seed and trash deeper, and makes a deep¬ 
er mulch to prevent evaporation. We have gradually 
abandoned the riding plows and the small walkers, 
and find that a large plow requiring three horses turns 
the soil better and crumbles it more thoroughly. We 
need three horses for the harrow anyhow, and they 
will plow half more land than two. We usually back- 
furrow in the Spring, and throw out in the Summer 
breaking. If the weather is drying we harrow up to 
the plow every morning to conserve moisture. If it 
continues dry we harrow once a week till planting 
time. If the season is wet the roller will puddle soil 
almost as hard as if not broken. It should be used 
with judgment in the Spring. Even if dry for a time 
it will puddle badly if rolled down close and soaked 
by a heavy rain. If Nature does not firm the seed 
bed, however, one must aid her with a roller. Nature’s 
seed bed is quite firm, and if we would enjoy best 
results we must not have ours too loose, especially 
in its lower part. Nature plows her seed bed with 
frost and literally picks it to pieces. Since it is pro¬ 
tected with a mulch it thaws out from below first, 
thus affording perfect drainage and avoiding pud¬ 
dling. It is protected from dashing rain and baking 
sun by the mulch, and from puddling by its humus. 
It does settle down quite firm, and contains no large 
air chambers and no clods. The newer part of plant 
roots is always covered with little hair roots, and the 
plant thrives best when these are all the way in touch 
with the soil. Openings left by careless working of 
the seed bed, and by tufts of grass or lumps of ma¬ 
nure are obstructions to this contact with root growth. 
AN IDEAL SEED BED is one that is too well 
filled with humus to puddle, and has abundant fer¬ 
tility. It should be so worked that if one dig un a 
spadeful of dirt and cast it around it will disappear, 
not showing clods. This bed should not settle under 
a horse’s foot much over the shoe, and should pos¬ 
sess a lively mellow appearance. If soil is clayey and 
puddles badly, it is best not to work it too fine, and 
to be careful to practice a rotation that will not rob 
it of humus. Of course good drainage is essential to 
growing any cultivated crop. Some one says that a 
good man is one that is always growing better. This 
is true of Nature’s seed bed, and of every artificial 
one. Every good seed bed is one that is growing bet¬ 
ter. It is one of Nature’s bounties that is given in 
response to good sense in management, which simply 
means obedience to natural law, e. n. collixs. 
Central Indiana. 
THE STORY OF A "MOTH TRAP." 
We have received a number of letters from readers 
who wish to know about the Haseltine moth trap, 
which has been widely advertised. This “trap” is a 
pan in which stands a small kerosene lamp. Four 
tin reflectors are' arranged so as to throw the light 
out. The pan is filled with water. The lamp is said 
to attract insects, which fly against the reflectors and 
fall into the pan of water. The picture shows all 
sorts of bugs flying about the lamp. It doesn’t seem 
to make any difference to the inventor that many of 
these insects do not work at night, and are not at¬ 
tracted by light. He seems bound to tell a big story 
about his trap and so he gives unnatural habits to in¬ 
sects, and has them all caught! Is the trap a hum¬ 
bug? Perhaps the best answer to that question is 
found in the following statement by Prof. J. M. Sted- 
man, of the Missouri Experiment Station: 
About a year ago I te.sted this trap and endorsed it 
for the Corn or Boll-worm moth only. The inventor then 
issued circulars advertising this trap and inserted my 
letter all right: but he finally became bolder and bolder, 
and commenced to cut out parts of my letter, especially 
the part restricting it to the Corn or Boll-worm moth, 
until finally, in later circulars, he made it appear as 
though I endorsed the trap for all the insects he men¬ 
tioned. He finally issued circulars stating that the trap 
will catch the Codling moth, “the insect that stings the 
fruit,” borers. Plum curculio. Potato beetles. Tomato 
worm moth, etc., and just below this ab.surd list states 
that it Is “Endorsed by Prof. Stedman, of the Missouri 
Agricultural College,” omitting my letter entirely, and 
making it appear that I endorse the trap for the entire 
list of absurdities, which is false, unjust, misleading and 
deceptive. These circulars are being widely distributed, 
and his agents are selling immense numbers of these 
traps, no doubt largely because of the false and decep¬ 
tive way in which he uses my name. Whenever a person 
knows better than to believe hts statements in regard to 
the catching the Codling moth, etc., by lights or trap 
lanterns, or whenever they mistrust something is wrong, 
they w’rlte to me, and I always inform them properly, 
but, nevertheless, most people do not take the trouble 
to write to me, and as a result thousands of your people 
are no doubt being deceived by this humbug. 
We all know that certain insects are attracted by 
lights. No doubt this so-called “trap” will catch many 
of these light-loving pests, but some of the claims 
made for it are preposterous. 
